Chapter 10: Of Spanish Civil Wars and Horcruxes (Brittany's Chapter)
"Right," Brittany scoffed at him. She sat on her cot, leaning her head against the wall. "What makes you think he likes me? He's barely even talked to me?"
Ben smirked, "he offered you pain medicine for a headache, and here I am with an arrow wound in my shoulder. Doesn't that just shout 'favoritism,' to you?"
"I thought he had already gave you some. You seem to be handling yourself pretty well, despite being injured and tortured just a few moments ago."
Ben sniffed, "now is not the time to panic or worry over something as tedious as pain."
Brittany sighed, "fine. I'm going to sleep, don't rape me."
Ben rolled his eyes at her, but said nothing. She lay on the cot, resting her feet on one of the shelves. After laying for awhile, and without sleeping, she heard Ben lay back too, and turned her head to look at him. Only problem was, she couldn't see him due to his feet being in her face.
"Hey! Lay the opposite way! I don't like sleeping with feet in my face!" Brittany ordered, propping herself up on her elbow.
"Why don't you lay the other way?" Ben asked.
"Because, I like propping my feet up on the shelves. So move!"
Ben grumbled, but moved anyways. Now his head was almost touching her own, since there cots intersected at the corner. She looked at him suspiciously, "you don't snore, do you?"
He glared at her, and said in a menacing tone that made her shiver, "go to sleep."
He turned on his side so he wasn't facing her or lying on his injured shoulder, and promptly fell asleep.
Brittany blinked, and slowly followed suit, wondering what she had gotten herself into.
She was awoken by the armory door opening up. Ben was already awake, sitting on his cot in the same position she had previously awakened up to find him in. Jack, and a bald man with a white t-shirt walked in. Jack handed them a plate with cold rice, and disgusting looking meat..
Before handing Ben a plate, he asked, "do you have to go to the bathroom?"
Ben held out his hand, and replied, "no."
"Well, just tell us when you do."
"Yeah, I'll look forward to that," Ben said sarcastically.
Brittany smiled in spite of herself at her comment, and gratefully took the plate that Jack handed her. "Do you, Jennifer?" Jack asked, smiling at her.
"Yup," she said quite frankly. Ben looked at her in surprise at her frankness, but turned back to his plate.
"Alright, follow me." She stood up, smiled at the bald man, and followed Jack out of the room.
The man behind her gave Ben a book, and said, "thought you might like something to read."
Jack stopped suddenly, and turned around. He looked at the bald man angrily, but slowly continued on.
"Bathrooms through there," he pointed out to Brittany.
"Thanks Jack," she sighed, and skipped off.
She shut the door behind her, and attended to her business. Afterwards, she freshened herself up, and was about to leave, when she heard Jack and the bald man start to argue. Thinking that this may be a good chance to figure out what they were going to do to her and Ben, she decided to eavesdrop.
"What are we doing Jack?" the bald man asked.
"'What are we going'?" Jack repeated.
"We can't hide them down here forever. Changing shifts will get people asking questions. I just want to know what the long-term plan is."
"Well, John, let me ask you this: we don't have a long-term plan for the button, but we keep pushing it, don't we? Look, until we know who they are, or whether or not they're telling the truth, we have to keep on doing what we're doing. If you've got a better idea let's hear it."
From far off, she could hear Ben shout, "how about you let us go?"
Stifling her laughter, and realizing that he could hear them anyways, Brittany left the bathroom, looking as carefree and innocent as she could. She caught them looking at the armory door in confusion and amusement. "What's up?" she asked.
"Nothing," Jack turned his attention on her.
The bald man that she had come to know as John walked up. "We never had a proper introduction. I'm John Locke," he smiled at her, and held out his hand.
She shook it, and smiled at his kindly. "Nice to meet you John. I'm Jennifer, though I wish we had met under better circumstances."
John smiled at her again, and released her hand. "Back in the psych ward?" she asked Jack.
He grinned, and nodded. "Afraid so." He unlocked the door, and let her in, locking it again once she was inside.
Ben was eating his food slowly, a look of disgust on his face. "The rice is cold," he told her after he swallowed. "And the meat is bland."
"Well, I didn't exactly expect the Radisson cuisine." Brittany sat and began eating her food. She made a face when she tasted the meat though, it was very bland indeed. "So, I supposed you heard what went on out there." She gestured to the armory door.
He nodded, "the walls are very thin. That's good for us, but don't mention that to Jack or John."
Brittany noticed that he had a book with him. "What book did John give you?"
He held it up to her. "Dostoyevsky. I've already read it."
"Anything else?"
"No, I asked for Stephen King, but apparently the library's outdated."
Brittany made a face, "I can't stand Stephen King."
Ben gave her a genuine smile. "I can't either."
"Well," Brittany sighed, leaning back, "finally, we have something in common."
They were silent for a couple of minutes, each finishing their meal. When Jack came in the second time, both had finished. "Do you have to go to the bathroom now?" Jack asked Ben, taking his plate.
"As a matter of fact, I do," he said, standing up.
Jack nodded, and turned to Brittany. "Stay here," he ordered.
She gave him a nod, and watched Ben leave, wondering how he could look so pathetic and weak when she knew he was completely opposite of that. She sighed in boredom, and decided to steal Ben's book. 'After all, he said he already read it,' she thought. Flipping through the pages, she skimmed some parts. While some of it was mildly interesting, others were completely dull and pointless. It wasn't long after they had left when Brittany heard a male African's voice call out, "hello?"
Jack was immediately at the door, and pulled Brittany up. "Come on," he whispered. He quietly and quickly pulled her to the bathroom, where Ben was washing his hands. He looked at her curiously, and almost in embarrassment.
"Hello?" the voice asked again. Jack shut the door, and motioned for them to be quiet. Brittany shrugged and walked over to Ben, waiting for him to finish washing his hands, so she could wash hers.
"What's the-" Ben asked, but was cut off when Jack shushed him.
Ben glanced at Brittany, who was now washing her hands, and looked back at Jack.
"How many are-"
"Shut up," Jack whispered, glaring at Ben.
Brittany, feeling the tension in the room, stood by Ben's side, and gingerly touched his arm. He tensed at her touch and gave her a quick look, but relaxed and once again returned his attention to Jack.
After a few more minutes of waiting, Jack sighed and opened the door. "Okay, he's gone."
"Who was that?" Ben asked, walking out of the room.
"Just a guy, I don't know very much about him," Jack shrugged. "You can go back now."
Ben took Brittany's hand in his own, much to her surprise, and led her back to the armory door. Once Jack had shut the door on them, Brittany turned to Ben, and asked, "what was that all about?"
Ben shrugged, "well, we are technically married. The least we could do is act like we are."
"Hmm," Brittany curled up on her cot, and began reading again.
"Do you like it?"
"Meh. It's okay in some parts, others just sound like a bunch of rambling."
Ben smirked, "most philosophers' books are like that."
"Psh, give me a Harry Potter book any day."
"You read Harry Potter?"
"Yeah, why do you?" Ben nodded. "No way! You don't look like the kind to read a fantasy story."
"Well despite my outward appearance, I am very interested in the next installment," Ben informed her.
Brittany rolled over onto her stomach, giving him her full attention, she was ready for a Harry Potter conversation any day. "Do you think the final Horcrux is Harry's scar?"
Ben smiled at her, amused that she was so wrapped up in the conversation. "No, why would Voldemort place a piece of his soul on the kid who he's going to later kill? That doesn't make much sense to me."
"Unless he was desperate and came to the decision that if he was going to die, then Harry was going down with him. Or maybe he made one unknowingly."
They argued over the topic, which had started friendly at first, but now they were using loud voices, and actually arguing. The fight went on for a few minutes, until the armory door suddenly opened, and a tall, black, African male was standing in the doorway. Conversation ended there, as they both stared at the gigantic man whose shirt seemed to be ripped to shreds.
He looked at them calculatingly, and strode over to Ben. "Hello," he greeted, his voice familiar. She looked at Ben, and could see by the tightening of his jaw that he realized that this was the man they had previously heard.
The man held out his hand to Ben, who stared at it at first. "I am Mr. Eko."
Ben swallowed, and shook his hand delicately, "Henry Gale. My wife, Jennifer," he gestured with his head, his eyes never leaving Mr. Eko's.
Mr. Eko nodded to her, and she nodded and smiled sweetly back at him. He turned back to Ben. "Do you mind if I sit, Henry?" he asked.
"Okay," Ben answered quickly, doing his best not to shrink back as Eko sat.
Eko looked over them again, his eyes judgmental. "How long have you been in here?"
"Two days," Ben answered.
"Are they treating you well?" Eko asked, glancing at Brittany.
"Treating us well? We're. . . prisoners. And I don't know why or what or-"
Once again, Ben was cutoff. 'Sheesh, must be National Cut Ben Off Day,' Brittany laughed to herself.
"You are a prisoner, because they are being careful. They are being careful, because they believe you are lying."
Ben looked offended, "why would I lie? They think I'm one of these Others? Other what?"
Eko almost rolled his eyes, and said, "please, stop talking, Henry." Brittany hid a grin as Ben glanced at her. Eko's expression became one of disgust. "The first night I spent on this island, I was dragged into the jungle by two men. They never spoke a word to me, nor I to them. I killed these men." He turned to Brittany, and kneeled on the floor in front of her.
She looked at him in surprise, but let him finish. "Smashed in their head with a stone. Felt their blood on my arms. I need you to know, how sorry I am for this." Brittany looked at him in even more surprise. "I need you to know, that I am back on a righteous path now, and that I regret my actions. I ask you, for your forgiveness."
"Why are you telling her this?" Ben asked Eko.
Eko glared up at him. "Because I needed to tell someone."
He turned back to Brittany, and pulled out a knife. Ben jumped up, and put a hand on her shoulder. Brittany gulped as Eko took the knife, and slowly raised it to his beard. He cut off a part of it, and threw it on the ground. He then sheathed his knife, looked at them in that calculating way, and left.
"That was scary," Brittany whispered, eyes wide.
Ben looked down at her, then seemed to notice he was touching her shoulder. He let go, and sat back down. He stared at the two braids that Eko had cut off on the ground, and then laid down. "That was interesting," he mumbled, calm as ever.
"Thank-you Ben," Brittany murmured.
"For what?" he asked, looking at her strangely.
"For comforting me." Realizing that she was talking about his hand on her shoulder, he nodded, and turned away.
Sighing, she laid down too, and eventually fell asleep. The armory door once again triggered her wakefulness. "Man that thing needs to be greased down," she muttered, looking to see who was coming in this time.
Ben slowly sat up, grimacing in the pain. When he noticed she was watching him in concern, he quickly blanked his face of emotion, and looked to see who was entering. John walked in, carrying bowls of fruit.
He handed them the bowls. "No cheeseburgers, huh?" Ben asked, looking forlornly at the fruit.
"No cheeseburgers," John smiled. "Bon appetite."
He grabbed the glasses and bowls that they had finished earlier, and started to head out. However Ben stopped him, when he asked, "is that true what you said about Hemingway?"
Brittany looked at Ben in confusion. Clearly she had missed this conversation. "You have good ears," John stated in surprise.
"You have thin doors," he shrugged.
John placed the bowls and glasses back on the table, and turned back to Ben. "You read Hemingway?"
"Sure. Guy ran with the bulls. Fought in the Spanish Civil War. Stuff I can wrap my brain around. That, I can't get through five pages of. Although it seems my dear Jen, can."
Brittany looked up, not expecting to be apart of this conversation. "It's not that good. Spanish Civil War? Now that's something worth reading," she nodded to Ben.
He smiled at John, "see why I married her? We're both interested in the blood and sweat of wars."
John shrugged, "hmm. Dostoyevsky had his virtues too. He was a genius, for one. Bullfighting isn't everything."
Ben snorted, "so which one are you?"
Brittany perked up, she knew Ben was up to something. "I'm sorry?" John asked.
"Are you the genius, or are you the guy who always feels like he's living in the shadow of the genius?"
Although Ben had a carefree tone, she knew that he really wanted John to think about the question. 'Interesting,' she mused. His question did indeed seem to put John off. "I was. . . I was never very much into literary analysis." Brittany could easily tell he was lying.
Ben looked down, but Brittany saw that he wasn't done yet. John picked up the dishware again, and took a step. "I just don't understand why you let the doctor call the shots."
That made John stop in his tracks, he looked perturbed, but said quite calmly, "no one calls the shots. Jack and I make decisions together."
Ben looked as though he could tell it was a lie, but quickly began to chew his food and looked down. "Right, okay." He coughed uncomfortably, and added, "my mistake."
John left quickly the, still looking perturbed and a little angry. Ben perked up when he left, eating his food more slowly. "What was that all about?" Brittany asked him.
"Shh, listen," he whispered.
A sudden clashing and shattering of glass could be heard. "Did he just-" Brittany stopped and looked at Ben. "You put something in his head."
He looked at her, smiling in triumph, "it's begun."
Yeah, the continuity with Harry Potter makes me laugh all the time. I believe the next chapter is a flashback. Preview of the next chapter on our profile.