Chapter 21: Welcome Back

Ben looks at Juliet and Sawyer, both of them unconscious on the floor.

Ben picks up Sawyer by his collar and begins to drag him out of the room. He carries Sawyer to the same area containing the six cages in which he had taken Joseph. Ben opens the door to the same cage that he had attempted to house Joseph within and throws Sawyer into the cage.

Ben runs back to the room with the tiny dots covering its floor, picks up Juliet, and carries her into another room.

In this room, the bearded man who had kidnapped Joseph is sitting at a desk writing on a piece of paper, books scattered all around him. The bearded man turns to look at Ben, and his face turns pale when he sees Juliet.

"We have a problem…" says Ben.

Joseph begins to walk off toward the ocean.

As he is walking away, Claire shouts, "Joseph, wait!"

Claire is about to follow behind Joseph when Kate reaches out to her and grabs her arm.

"Hey!" Claire exclaims.

"Claire… Just give him some alone time, okay?" Kate says.

Claire looks at Kate reluctantly.

After a few seconds, Claire replies, "Okay…"

FLASHBACK

The anesthesia begins to wear off and Joseph opens his eyes.

A doctor notices that Joseph has awakened and says, "Jack. He's up."

A man with black hair whom Joseph assumes to be Jack approaches Joseph.

"You okay, buddy?" the man asks.

"Y-Yeah…" replies Joseph.

"You sure are a trooper!" says the man, smiling at Joseph.

"Thanks." Joseph says, managing to smile slightly.

END OF FLASHBACK

About fifteen minutes have passed and Joseph is still sitting by the ocean, staring off into the sea.

Claire approaches Joseph and sits down next to him.

The two stay silent for a few minutes.

"Welcome back!" says Claire.

"Thanks…" Joseph replies.

"Hey, Joseph… Why'd you hug me back there?" Claire asks.

Joseph is silent for a moment.

"I… I dunno…" says Joseph.

The silence between the two returns and lasts for about five minutes.

"Well, I'm gonna go back to the fire to roast some marshmallows… You wanna come?" Claire says.

"No, thanks…" Joseph says.

"Okay." Claire replies.

Claire stands up, walks over to Joseph, and kisses him on the cheek.

She then turns around and heads toward the fire where Hurley, Michael, Walt, Kate, Charlie, and Jack are sitting.

End Of Chapter 21