Sink or Swim
Chapter 11
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Mac pulled her hood up as it started raining, walking over to Sayid, taking the map off of him.
"This is it," Sayid said, looking at the map with her.
"This balloon would be rather large, right?" Charlie questioned.
"Why am I not surprised?" Sayid answered.
"Charlie's right, it would be rather be big," Mac pointed out.
"This is where he said it would be," Sayid insisted.
Mac placed her hand on his. "Sayid, if I'm going to go back and tell Ana we didn't find anything, I need to be sure. I need to be able to tell her we searched thoroughly."
"I'll divide the area into 3 grids, so search as thoroughly as you please," he answered, kissing her hand.
"Thank you," she replied with a smile.
"Charlie, here," Sayid said, handing him a piece of the map. He watched him go, and then looked at her. "What went on back there between the two of you?"
"I had to set him straight on something," she answered.
"What?" he questioned.
"He just commented on how you didn't argue with me when I told you to eat the Papaya to keep up strength," Mac explained, sighing. "Maybe we should think about slowing things down, everyone is making assumptions."
Sayid touched her face. "I don't want to slow it down," he informed her emphatically. "Do you?"
"No," Mac answered truthfully. "Give me my part of the grid," she instructed.
Mac put her glass on the bar. "Another one," she told the bartender. She watched as the bartender fixed her another rum and coke, taking out the money to pay for it.
"I got this darlin'," a male's voice said from behind her, paying for it.
Mac turned, looking at the man. "I can buy my own drinks, thanks."
"You look like you could use a friend, Pigtails," he commented, sitting down. "Truth be told, I can't stand seeing an attractive female drinking alone in a bar."
Mac sighed. "Look, I'll make this easy for you. I just buried my sister this afternoon, and I'm not looking to be picked up. I'm looking to drown my sorrow in a few drinks, and then I'm calling a cab and going home alone."
The blonde man shook his head. "Usually, I'd be flattered at the thought you'd think that I was picking you up, and usually I would be, but I just broke up with someone special. So I came in here to get a drink, and I saw you drinking alone, looking like you need a friend more than I do. I'm not usually so thoughtful, you caught me on a good day," he said, lighting up a cigarette, offering her one. "James," he introduced.
Mac waved off the cigarette. "That's an awful, nasty habit," she informed him.
"I have an awful lot of them, Pigtails, this is one of the more healthier ones," he told her. "I'm sorry about your sister, but shouldn't you be with your family? Your parents? They're probably hurting as much as you are."
Mac rolled her eyes downing the drink. "My sister was my family," she informed him. "Since you're paying, how about another one?"
"Careful, Pigtails, or I'm going to think you're trying to pick me up," the man teased her, ordering her another drink. "You don't look like someone who drowns their sorrows in a glass," he informed her.
"Yeah, and you can tell that by knowing me for a whole five minutes," she told him, shaking her head.
"I'm usually pretty good at judging a person in a short amount of time," the man told her. "You're out of your comfort zone, being here."
"If I wanted a psychiatrist, I'd pay for one," she told him, shaking her head. "Like I said, just buried my sister and just needed a few drinks."
James picked up her hand. "Usually it's the man who takes off his wedding ring," he said, noticing the tan mark on her hand.
"Not married, yet," she informed him. "You know, this conversation is getting a bit personal," she stated. "Thanks for the drink, James," she informed him, walking out.
Sayid walked over to where Mac was searching. "We've been searching for 3 hours. This balloon does not exist," he stated. "Charlie!"
Mac stood up. "Why would he draw a map and give it to Ana?"
"She told him that she would protect him whether we found this balloon or not. She gave him 2 more days to talk - to figure how to escape. We're done," he informed her. "Charlie!"
"Over here! This way!" they heard Charlie call, starting to run toward them. "Sayid!"
Mac stopped, seeing the cross and burial mound.
"He said he buried her, right? His wife?" Charlie asked.
Mac looked up. "Guys, it's not raining here," she pointed out.
Both men looked up, noticing the same thing. "Well this island isn't exactly normal in the first place," Charlie stated. "So, this means he's telling the truth right?"
"Not necessarily," both Mac and Sayid answered in unison.
Charlie looked at them. "Is that a army thing?" he asked, as Sayid walked over to the grave, getting on his knees. "What are you doing? You can't dig her up!"
"We have to be sure," Mac answered, crossing herself before joining Sayid.
"You're Catholic?" Charlie questioned, looking at her.
"I was, a very long time ago," she answered, truthfully.
Mac watched, solemnly, as the Priest administered last rights to Sofia, holding her hand. When the Priest was done she bent down, kissing the top of Sofia's head.
"Paige needs you so she's not so afraid, baby. Take care of her until I can join both of you," she whispered to her, tears in her eyes. She nodded at the doctor to remove the life support machine, watching as he did it, looking at the heart monitor, it stopping after a moment. Mac kissed the top of Sofia's head again, exiting the room, taking a deep breath as she leaned against the wall.
"Are you alright?" the Priest asked, joining her.
Mac let out a disgusted laugh. "Yeah, just peachy. I just took my daughter off life support, my younger daughter is lying in a morgue, and my soon to be ex-husband still isn't in custody. But other than that, everything is wonderful."
"I wish you would have talked with the church before you filed for divorce, perhaps we could have mediated, and it wouldn't have come to this," the Priest said.
Mac turned and glared at him. "Maybe you should wait until I bury my daughters before you start lecturing me about the sins of divorce," she bellowed at him. "I should have divorced him years ago, Father. But I came to the church, several times, to discuss the fact that my loving husband beat me, kicked me, and locked me in closets whenever it suited him. I was told to ask forgiveness, like it was my fault that he was doing these things. I finally got the nerve to leave him because he hit Paige and broke her nose. He had a restraining order on him, he broke into MY house and killed our daughters. I'm pretty sure I remember 'Thou Shall Not Kill' as one of the Ten Commandments. I'm not the one to blame for my daughters' murders, and though I feel guilty because I wasn't able to protect them, I blame the church," she informed him, taking off her Rosary beads, dropping them in his hands. "I only allowed you to administer last rights to Sofia because of her faith, but for me, I'm done with the church," she informed him, walking off.
Charlie walked ahead of them back to camp, stopping when they saw a flash. "What was that?"
Mac stopped, looking at where the light came from. "I'm not sure," she answered.
"Let's keep walking," Sayid stated, going ahead of them, going through a clearing, coming upon Kate and Jack.
"What'd you find?" Jack asked Sayid.
"The truth," he responded, walking past them.
"Charlie, go get Ana, have her meet us at the hatch," Mac instructed him. "I'll fill you two in as we walk," Mac told the other two, as she started to walk.
"You didn't find a balloon?" Kate asked, catching up.
"We found the balloon," she responded. "We also found the real Henry Gale's body," she answered crisply.
"You're not going into the hatch," Jack told her.
Mac stopped in front of Jack. "Usually I would agree with you, but not this time, Jack. Sayid is angry, and I don't think I have to tell you what he's capable of doing when he is angry. I'm not saying that I have any control over him, but he does seem to listen to me better than anyone else when he is angry. But if you think you want to try to handle this on your own, I'll go back to camp. Your choice," she informed him forcefully.
"Let's go," Jack responded, starting to walk.
"You played that well," Kate complimented the other woman.
"It wasn't a play, Kate, it's the truth," Mac responded, starting to jog to catch up to Sayid before they got to the hatch.
Jack entered the hatch, seeing Gale near Locke. "Get away from him."
"Wait, you don't…" Gale started to say.
"Step back, right now," Sayid ordered, taking out his gun.
"Sayid, it's okay," Locke responded.
Jack grabbed Gale, pushing him against the wall. "I said, "get away"!"
"I let him out - some kind of lockdown or something - he, he was helping me," John tried to explain.
"John, I'd stay out of it if I was you," Mac suggested, forcefully, going over sitting by him looking at his foot.
"Couldn't you find my balloon?" Gale asked.
"Yeah, we found it," Mac answered.
"We did find your balloon, Henry Gale, exactly how you described it. We also found the grave you described - your wife's grave. The grave you said you dug with your own bare hands. It was all there. Your whole story - your alibi - it was true. But still I did not believe it to be true. So I dug up that grave and found that there was not a woman inside. There was a man," he said, holding up a driver's license in front of him. "A man named Henry Gale."
The fake Henry Gale looked at Mac. "You haven't been down here before, but I know you know what he's doing is wrong. Talk to him. Please."
"This is between you and me, Gale, not anyone else," he said, taking him into the armory.
Mac stood up going to the door. "Open it," she said, looking at Jack.
"Mac, I can't do that, and you know it," he told her, sitting down by Locke.
"Jack, last time, I was caught off guard, locked in against my will. It was a trigger, and though it's not my favorite thing, now I'm prepared for it. I trained myself to be able to handle it when I know it's coming. Do you really want to risk Sayid being in there with a gun and Gale?" Mac asked.
"Someone else can go in," Jack answered.
"I'm sure someone else could, Jack, but I think we both know that I have the better training at dealing with a hostage situation than anyone else, besides Ana. And she doesn't have the personal relationship with Sayid that I do," she reasoned.
"She's right, Jack," Locke answered.
"How do you train yourself not to have a panic attack?" Jack questioned.
"You lock yourself in a small confined space, first for a minute, then five, then ten, then a half an hour, then an hour. I was a soldier Jack; you have to learn to be prepared for anything. I know you have every reason to doubt that I can handle this, but I'm steeling myself for it as we speak. Now Jack, open the damn door," she ordered.
Jack sighed, getting up. "I'm doing this against my better judgment."
"You're not the only one," Mac assured him, taking a deep breath as Jack opened the door.
"He was dead already," the man insisted as Mac entered. "Four months ago I was part of the search party. Henry Gale was hanging out of the basket - neck broken," he explained.
Sayid glanced back at Mac, surprised to see her, but motioned for her to stay quiet. "So he was already dead?" he questioned.
"Yes," the other man responded.
"Then you buried him and left a grave marker?" Sayid questioned, angrily.
"Yes," he answered, giving Mac a pleading look.
"You really should have checked his wallet before you did that," Sayid answered, pulling a twenty dollar bill from his pocket. "I assume Henry Gale did not have any paper on which to compose his thoughts, so he had to improvise. There wasn't much space for that," he said, reading from the bill. "Jennifer, well, you were right. Crossing the Pacific isn't easy. I owe you a beer. I'm hiking to one of the beaches to start a signal fire. But if you're reading this, I guess I didn't make it. I'm sorry. I love you, Jenny. Always have - always will. Yours, Henry." So tell me, how did Henry Gale write a note to his wife with a broken neck?"
"It wasn't me. I didn't kill him. You don't understand," the fake Gale answered, panic in his voice.
"How did you know his wife's name? Did you interrogate him?" Sayid demanded.
"Please, just listen. I'm just a-," the other man started to say.
"How many of you are there?" Sayid questioned.
"If I told you about them - you have no idea what he'll do," Gale answered.
"He?" Sayid asked.
"You mean their leader? The guy with the beard," Mac questioned.
"Him, he's a no one," the other man responded.
"Where are your people?" Sayid questioned in a demanding tone.
"I can't..." the other man started to say.
"How many of you are there?" Sayid questioned again, his voice getting louder.
"You don't understand!" the other man yelled.
"Understand this," Sayid told him, pulling the gun out.
"Sayid!" Mac said, taking a step away from the door.
"You have 3 seconds to answer my question. How many of you are there? One," he said.
"He'll kill me!" Gale pleaded.
"I'll kill you," Sayid warned, cocking the gun.
"Sayid!" Mac repeated.
"You can't do this! I am not a bad person!" Gale told them.
"Three," Sayid said, as Mac rushed him pushing him just as he pulled the trigger so that he missed Gale.
"Jack, open the door!" Mac yelled, looking at Sayid.
"What happened?" Jack questioned as he and Ana entered the Armory.
"He's a liar!" Sayid screamed.
"Sayid, let's take a walk, please?" she asked looking at him. "I need to get out of here, ok? Please come with me?"
Sayid nodded, going with her.
"Thank you," Gale called after her.
Mac looked back at him. "I didn't do it for you, I did it for him," she said leaving the armory with Sayid.
Mac sat down on the bleacher's as it started to rain, closing her eyes, letting the rain hit her.
"You're going to catch your death sitting in the rain like this, brother," a voice told her.
Mac didn't open up her eyes. "Maybe that's what I'm hoping for."
"Now that's a terrible attitude for such a beautiful young woman. Life can't be that bad," he said, sitting down beside her. "Desmond," he introduced, holding out his hand.
Mac sighed, opening up her eyes. "Mac," she said, taking his hand.
"Is there anything I can do to make you not feel like catching your death out here?" he asked.
"No," she answered, closing her eyes again.
"Well, then, I'll sit here with you and catch my death of cold," he said.
Mac arched an eyebrow, opening her eyes. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to talk to strangers?"
The man smiled. "We introduced ourselves, we aren't strangers anymore," he pointed out. "There's been points in my life that I just wanted to die too, but there's always someone that needs you to live."
Mac shook her head. "There used to be," she answered.
"Believe me brother, there is someone out there waiting for you to make a difference in his or her life," he assured her.
"Right," Mac answered, shaking her head. "What are you some kind of psychiatrist?"
Desmond shook his head. "No, nothing like that," he answered. "I'm just someone who knows that things aren't always as bad as they seem at the moment," he told her. "Don't give up, brother," he said, standing. "You're going to make a difference in someone's life again," he said, before he started running again.
