Chapter 25- Cleaning Up and the Memorial Service
Ben watched behind trees as Benjamin washed his dirty face in the pond not far from the beach. "I thought you didn't like water, son," Jack's voice came from behind Benjamin. Benjamin turned to face him.
"I don't, Dad, but I fell in the dirt a couple of times and as Grandma always said, I could grow potatoes in all the dirt on my face," Benjamin said, making a face.
"Can't argue with that. Other than the dirt, are you gonna be okay? I saw you favoring your side a little," Jack said, touching Benjamin's thin shoulder.
"I hit my side against a tree while trying to outrun what killed the pilot. But I'm not that important, Dad. How's Kate and Michael?" Benjamin asked.
"They are going to be fine. I'm worried about you though. Benjamin, take off your shirt," Jack ordered.
"Dad, it's nothing," Benjamin protested, removing his t-shirt.
"I'll be the judge of that. Tell me if this hurts," Jack pressed at Benjamin's ribcage on certain spots. Ben looked with concern. His boy was thin and bony, much like Ben had been when he was twelve. He wondered if Benjamin was even eating properly, but that would be proven at a later date. A sharp gasp of pain was nearly Ben's undoing. His boy was hurt.
"Right there, son?" Jack said, touching a spot.
"Yeah. It's a little difficult to breath," Benjamin said breathing raggedly.
"It appears to be slightly bruised, not broken. But they could break. I'm going to have to wrap them, son, to prevent that," Jack said, opening a case with surgical ace bandages in it.
"Great. I'm gonna look like the mummy man," Benjamin grumbled.
"You know, you could have avoided it. I didn't want you to go out boar hunting. Hopefully this taught you something," Jack snapped sharply.
"That's an interesting thing to say to your son," Benjamin said just as sharply.
"Hey, watch it, boy! I was never above spanking you for disrespecting me. I also taught you that your actions have consequences," Jack said, gripping Benjamin by his chin.
"Yeah, well, if I didn't go hunting then we'd all have starved. I think that outweighs me nearly breaking my ribs," Benjamin said as Jack wrapped the bandages around Benjamin's ribs.
"But you didn't get anything, son. All you have to show for it is nearly broken ribs. Just don't go hunting again, okay? I promised your mother, Rebecca Linus, that you and your sister would always be safe. How can I keep that promise if you two keep doing dangerous stunts?" Jack asked, running his fingers through Benjamin's dark hair.
"Dad, at least we found out this island has polar bears and boars. And Hope reminded us how fluent she still is in French," Benjamin said.
"Hmmm, good point. But the French woman is not here, so Hope's knowing French didn't really prove much other than the fact someone was here and what if the boar had killed you?" Jack asked, Ben's heart clenching as Jack gathered the boy in his arms, holding him tightly.
"Died and gone to Heaven, I suppose?" Benjamin asked, a bare grin on his face.
"Oh, good grief. God help St. Peter," Hope's voice said, an obvious eyeroll in her tone.
"Hey, can't fault my logic. In my book, I can't lose," Benjamin said with an innocent look on his face.
"In my book, you're an idiot if you go boar hunting and almost break your ribs in the process," Hope said with an unladylike snort.
"I think you and Grandma have that book too, Dad," Benjamin said with a wry grin.
"I think I believe you, son," Jack said with a grin, which resulted in the three of them laughing uproariously,
"Ugh, I should stop laughing as it hurts," Benjamin said, gripping his side.
"Good point. Dad, we're ready for the service and it's getting dark. Are you and Ben-Ben coming or do we go ahead without you?" Hope asked.
"We're coming. Come on, kids," Jack said, wrapping an arm around each twin and going to the beach.
"Ben, what do we do? Your children are never alone to give us a chance to take them," Colleen said.
"I know, Colleen. The children are following the whole "Safety in Numbers" idea and I honestly can't fault them for it. They are doing what I would have done. I can't blame them if they act like me," Ben said, looking in the direction both children went. It broke his heart that the twins were his, but not his. It hurt even worse when both would hug and kiss Jack and it should have been him that was being hugged and kissed. It was really all a father could do not to walk in there and take both of his children forcibly, like he had Zach and Emma. But then again, Zach and Emma were confused with why he had taken them from the survivors among the tail section and why he couldn't just send them home to be with their mother. He kept telling Juliet that Zach and Emma will stop asking, but if he took his children would they stop asking why he took them from Jack?
Ben watched as the sun sank from behind some trees as Claire Middleton read names of passengers. Hope and Benjamin stood by each other with their arms around each other's shoulders. "Judith Martha Wexler from Denton, Texas. I guess she was gonna catch a connecting flight. She wore corrective lenses and she was an organ donor. Or at least would have been," Claire said, looking at objects in her hand.
"Steve and Kristen. I...I don't know their last name, but they were really in love and were gonna be married. At least if they are in Heaven, they are not alone," Hope said, her voice breaking slightly as she made the Sign of the Cross and buried her face in Benjamin's arm as she and Claire continued the memorial service about people with children who liked Willy Wonka and The Little Princess.
Ben watched as the fuselage burned and Claire and Hope finished reading the names. "All right, everyone. Time to eat. I hope none of you mind that this is my first attempt at cooking boar. It's a whole heck of a lot easier to get bacon and ham at the grocery store," Hope said, going over to a fire and removing a roasting piece of meat and handing it to jack.