Chapter 11- A Fight and the Transceiver

Ben-Ben, Kate, Jack, and Charlie came back to the beach in the middle of a full-scale fight between Sayid and another man. Ben-Ben had noticed him the day before by the remains of the fuselage. He hadn't paid much attention to him. Hope all but ran to him and Jack, hugging them both hard and kissing their father's cheek.

"Daddy, make them stop," Hope begged, flicking her cobalt eyes briefly in Sayid and the other man's direction as she wrapped her arms around Jack's waist.

"Hey, guys. Come on," Michael begged as Sayed and the man hit each other. Then the man threw sand at Sayid. Jack handed the transceiver to Hope and ran towards the fray as the man pinned Sayid and started pounding him.

"Hey! Break it up! Get off!" Jack shouted, pulling the man off of Sayid.

"Hey, come on, break it-" Michael started to say, helping Jack pull them apart. The other man started cursing.

"That's it. It's over. And watch your mouth! We have kids here!" Jack ordered sharply.

"Come on!" Michael shouted.

"That's it! I am sick of this redneck!" Sayid shouted.

"Want some more?" The man shouted threateningly.

"Tell everyone what you told me! Tell them that I crashed the plane" Sayid said.

"Say what?" Ben-Ben asked, his jaw nearly dropping.

"The shoe fits!" The man yelled.

"What is going on?" Jack ordered. Sayid started speaking in Arabic. "What's going on?" Jack asked again.

"My kid and your daughter found these in the jungle," Michael said, handing a pair of handcuffs to Jack.

"This guy was sitting in the back row of business class the whole flight. Never got up. Hands folded underneath a blanket. And for some reason, just pointing this out, the guy sitting next to him didn't make it," the man accused.

"Thank you for observing my behavior," Sayid said sarcastically.

"You don't think I saw them pull you out of line before we boarded?" The man asked. Another flight would have started if Jack and Michael wasn't still restraining the two of them.

"Stop!" Kate shouted.

"We found the transceiver, but it's not working. Can you fix it, Hope?" Ben-Ben asked his sister. Hope looked down at the transceiver in her hands.

"I fixed your clock radio two months ago, Ben-Ben and Dad's video camera, but a transceiver is a whole other beast. I don't have the know-how for this. Can anyone help?" Hope asked, looking around.

"Yes, little one, I might be able to," Sayid said, breathing heavily.

"Oh, great! Perfect! Let's just trust this guy," the man said, throwing his hands up.

"Hey, we're all in this together, man. Let's treat each other with a little respect," Hurley said.

"Shut up, lardo," the man said cruelly.

"Hey! Give it a break," Jack said.

"Whatever you say, doc, you and the kids are the heroes," the man said sarcastically as he walked away.

"You guys found the cockpit?" Boone asked, changing the subject. Jack nodded. "Any survivors?" Boone asked.

"No," Jack said.

"It's dual-band. Military spec. Chances are the battery is good, but the radio is dead," Sayid said, examining the transceiver.

"Can you fix it?" Hope asked, standing beside Sayid.

"I need some time," Sayid said, walking away.

"Doctor, that man with the shrapnel, I think you should take a look at him," the woman who had sat across from them on the plane spoke up.

"Any more bleeding?" Jack asked as he, Hope, and Ben-Ben followed her.

"Me, Boone, and Rose have been checking periodically. I guess he started up again," Hope said wearily as Jack examined the bandage on the marshal's stomach.


Ben watched through the foliage as Hope and Benjamin sat next to the Iraqi as he tried to fix the transceiver that Benjamin had been fiddling with. A huge man with long curly hair flopped down beside Hope. "Chain-smoking idiot," the man said with a grunt.

"Some people have problems," the Iraqi said, looking off into the distance.

"Some people have problems. Us. Him. You're okay. I like you, Hope, and Ben-Ben," the big man said.

"You and the children are okay too," the Iraqi said with a brief smile, causing the big man, Hope, and Benjamin to laugh. It was a sound that warmed Ben's heart. Ben wondered if he would have more moments to hear his children laugh.

"Hurley. Oh, just-" the big man started to introduce himself. He extended his hand when he realized the Iraqi couldn't shake his hand.

The Iraqi put the transceiver in his other hand. "Sayid," the Iraqi said, holding out his hand. Hurley shook it.

"How do you know to do all that?" Hurley asked as Sayid picked up the transceiver.

"I was a military communications officer," Sayid said.

"Oh, yeah? You ever see battle?" Hurley asked.

"I fought in the Gulf War before these two were ever heard of," Sayid said, indicating Hope and Benjamin. Sayid was probably right. In 1990 or 1991 Ben and Rebecca were trying to have a baby. It wasn't until late May that Rebecca had told him that she was pregnant.

"No way. I got a buddy who fought over there. He was in the 104th Airborne. What were you Air Force? Army?" Hurley asked.

"The Republican Guard," Sayid said, his answer silencing Hurley as he realized that Sayid was the other side.