Chapter 26: Thoughts of Rescue Thwarted, Day 65-67

The camp was unusually quiet that morning, and I wasn't sure what to do with myself. The waves barely made a sound as they crashed against the sand and the wind blew silently through the trees. People wandered the beach camp and I sat staring down at my notebook that was filled with my life here on this bloody island.

I flipped through the pages smiling at some of my entries. My heart ached as I longed for how things were when we first crashed here. We were all so trusting; everyone took care of everyone else. Now we were at each others throats, we already had to bury three people and everything was going downhill. And before… I had Boone and Sayid.

"Did you hear?" Sun came up to me, shaking me from my memories.

"Hear what?" I asked, closing the notebook and looking up at her. Interesting news perhaps? Maybe an airplane had landed and we were all rescued by brain thought wildly.

"Libby and Ana Lucia…" she trailed off, her eyes filling with tears. "He killed them. The man in the hatch…"

My jaw dropped and I gasped. "What?" I whispered, my hand flying to my mouth in shock.

"There was a man in the hatch, he escaped and shot Libby and Ana. Michael is back, he got shot as well." Sun looked horrified and I felt like she looked.

I couldn't speak, but glanced over at where Sun was pointing. Kate was digging a hole in our cemetery, two bodies wrapped in blankets near her. Jumping up from my seat in the sand, I ignored Sun's continued worrying and walked quickly across the beach to Kate. "Need any help?" I asked softly.

Kate looked up, sweat and dirt covering her face. "That would be great." She handed the shovel over and I took her place in digging the grave.

I worked in silence, tossing dirt into a pile, pausing every few minutes to wipe the sweat from my brow. Hurley came and began digging the second grave, presumably for Libby. No one spoke, we only shoveled dirt. I wanted to say something to Hurley, but nothing sounded right.

"Jack fill you in on the plan?" I looked up and saw Kate had stopped shoveling while Michael started. I hadn't even heard him walk up.

"What plan?" Kate asked, echoing my thoughts. Hurley hadn't stopped shoveling, and I was wondering if he even heard the conversation.

Michael tossed a shovelful of dirt onto the pile. "We're leaving first thing in the morning. Back across the island to there camp."

I continued shoveling dirt and didn't hear Kate's response. "How about you two? Kalie, Hurley?"

"Why would I want to go?" Hurley asked, pausing in his digging to look up at Michael. I had stopped as well, confused as to why he was mentioning me.

"Because they killed her!"

"Michael," Kate interrupted. "Come on."

Ignoring Kate, Michael persisted. "What do you say Hugo?"

"I'm sorry about Walt dude, but I'm not coming." I offered Hurley a sad smile and patted his shoulder. Returning to the task at hand, I began digging once again, trying to ignore the pressing silence.

"You're sorry…"

"Michael!" Kate and I interrupted. "He doesn't have to go," I said as I stared into Michael's eyes. "Neither do I."

He nodded and shoved the makeshift shovel into the dirt and began digging. After another thirty minutes, I tossed my shovel off to the side of the grave and walked away. I couldn't stay in that cemetery, couldn't stay in that heavy silence.

I wandered up the beach, watching out over the water. A cool breeze blew across the sand and I wrapped my arms around my chest. It seemed like every day I stood on the beach and stared out over the water. It seemed like every day I wished for someone to rescue us. And every day I wished that Boone was here and that I had my family.

A short while later, Charlie came up behind me and took my hand, gently pulling me down the beach. "Where are we going?" I asked softly, holding his hand tightly.

"The funerals."

The crowd of people had already arrived at the gravesite, Charlie and I falling in behind Sun and Jin and eventually standing next to Claire. Jack and Sayid arrived shortly after we did, both avoiding my eyes.

"Ana Lucia Cortez… Before we crashed, she was a police officer. I don't think it was easy for her, being here, but I think she did the best she could. Rest in peace, Ana." Jack's eulogy was short and sweet. We were getting better at this; more comfortable now that we were when we buried Scott and Boone and that was a painful thought.

I forced my eyes to focus on the bodies laid down in the grave, avoiding Boone's cross. Jack stepped back and Hurley stepped forward. Everyone around the gravesites shifted uncomfortably in the silence.

"Libby was… She was…" Hurley broke off, his face scrunched up trying to stop the tears. "Libby was a psychologist or psychiatrist, one of those. She probably helped a lot of people. She helped me." The tears streamed down his cheeks. "She was my friend. It's not fair that this happened to her."

Squeezing Charlie's hand tightly, I brushed a stray tear with my other hand. My heart ached for Hurley and I wanted to comfort him, but I didn't know how. Jack and Sawyer seemed upset as well, though I didn't worry about them.

"I'm going with you," Hurley said as he turned to face Michael. "Goodbye Libby," he said softly, ending his eulogy.

Silence fell across the cemetery; several people sniffled and brushed away tears. I smiled when I looked up and saw Charlie's other hand being held by Claire. Maybe she had finally forgiven him, I had.

"Boat," Sun said and we all turned. "Boat!" She pointed out towards the water and there it was. A boat, sailing towards our island. We crowded around the overlook, in shock and disbelief. Could we be rescued? Could someone finally be coming for us?

"Are we going to be rescued?" Charlie said, pulling me towards the water.

I don't know who yelled first, but soon, all the survivors were yelling, waving our arms back and forth. We whistled and called to the boat while Jack, Sawyer and Sayid raced ahead to the water. They pulled off their shoes and shirts and dove into the water, swimming towards the boat.

"Maybe it's a trap," Charlie said, still holding my hand.

"What do you mean a trap?" Hurley responded.

I reached a hand up, fingering the charm of my necklace. Could we finally be saved? My heart pounded in my chest with hope. I watched the men swim out to the boat and it looked like they finally made it. What would they find?

We waited with bated breath, whispering amongst ourselves. Everyone had a different theory on what they would find. Someone said no one was there and a few people agreed. Someone else said that it was the Others, coming to torture us more. I wasn't sure what I believed.

It was a major letdown. The only person on the boat was Desmond, the man who was originally in the hatch. After abandoning us with the button, he sailed off, apparently in circles. I tried to feel sorry for him, but at the same time I wasn't.

Jack gave him some food, which he ignored preferring to drink his bottle of booze, and tried to talk to him. I watched from across one of the fires, sitting between Charlie and Claire, listening to the murmured whispers around us.

I watched Sayid walk over to where Jack and Desmond were sitting. I wanted to talk to him. It had been days since he spoke a word to me and I missed him. He avoided my eyes every time we came near each other and I wasn't completely sure why.

"I'm going to go to sleep," I said as I stood up, brushing the sand off my Capri's. "I'll see you two in the morning."

"'Bye Kalie," Charlie replied. Claire nodded, rocking Aaron slightly so he would sleep.

I left the group and walked down to my tent. After crawling inside, I pulled the blanket over me and tried to sleep. We had been so close, so close to rescue. The hope had returned for the first time in days, weeks even. But we had been let down, broken once again.

I lay in bed for hours, my eyes focused on the rip in the tarp. Sleep wouldn't come and my eyes wouldn't close. The darkness slowly turned into day and I crawled out just after dawn. People were already moving around and I had the feeling that like me, they couldn't sleep. The let down from the hope of rescue kept everyone's thoughts occupied.

Unable to stop myself, I walked over to where Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley and Michael were standing. "You're all leaving?"

"Last chance to come Kalie," Michael said, hoisting his pack on his shoulder.

"Wait just one minute here, you said it was just the five of us," Sawyer said looking over at me. "Tinkerbelle ain't comin'."

I shot the annoying man a glare and turned back to Michael. "I don't think so. There is no way I'm going any where near those people. I've had enough experience…" I trailed off; remembering I never told anyone about my encounter with 'Richard.'

Jack shot me a concerned look and I shrugged my shoulders. "Have a safe trip. Good luck," I said with a wave.

Stepping back, I watched the five of them walk away down the beach. "Please protect them," I whispered to whatever God was listening.

Sayid brushed passed me, barely glancing my way. "Sayid!" I yelled, following him quickly over the sand. "Sayid where are you going?"

"Not now Kalie." I stopped in the sand, watching him walk down to the shore where Desmond was pulling things from the water. What had I done to him?

I went back to my tent and pulled out my journal. Counting on my fingers, I tried to figure out the date, day 66 on the island and that made it November 26. Yesterday was Thanksgiving. We missed Thanksgiving. Seeing as how I wasn't born in America, I wasn't used to celebrating Turkey Day. But over the past few years, I had grown accustomed to celebrating the day.

Day turned in the night and once again, we were huddled around fires. My thoughts kept drifting to Michael's group and then to Sayid, Sun and Jin. Were they all right? Why did they sail off? Why the rest of the group wasn't informed about what was going on I had no idea. It wasn't fair.

I actually managed to sleep that night, though my dreams were plagued with visions of Boone and Shannon, being tormented by Sayid and Michael. Libby wove in and out while Hurley laughed in a corner. I woke up in confusion.

The sound of a guitar blew along with the breeze and I fingered my violin case. I should practice, but I couldn't bring myself to pull the instrument from the case. Instead, I crawled out and went to sit by Charlie. He smiled when he saw me and kept strumming his guitar.

"Charlie! Do you know how they got the hatch door open?" Eko burst onto the beach and knelt in the sand.

"No, but if you hum it, I can probably play it." I nudged his side, not sure if he was joking or being serious. He looked serious.

Eko shook his head, "no, the door with quarantine written on it."

"We blew it up, why?" Charlie resumed playing, but I couldn't dismiss the priest that easy. "Why do you want to know Eko?"

"Charlie, I need your help," Eko said, ignoring my question.

Rolling my eyes, I lay back in the sand, absentmindedly scratching at a bite on my leg. I wasn't included, what else was new.

"Oh now I'm back in your good graces, Father?"

"Locke is going to stop pushing the button. And I can guarantee that in ninety minutes, everyone on this island is going to die."

Locke not push the button? It didn't make sense.

"All right, I'm in."

"What?" I sat up and turned to Charlie. "What are you talking about? You're not serious?"

"Stay here Kalie. We'll be back."

They got up and left me sitting in the sand. What now? I went back to the tent and pulled out my violin, plucking easy kid songs, entertaining a few fellow survivors. I couldn't bear to bring the bow to the string. The last time I had played was when Boone was alive. He listened from behind me… I brushed a tear from my cheek and forced a smile.

Why was I still thinking like this? It had been almost a month since his death. He'd been gone longer than I'd known him.

As I sat, the earth started shaking. The leaves in the trees shook and several fell to the sand, pulled by gravity. I placed the violin back in the case and stood up with everyone else, looking around in confusion. What was going on?

"What's happening? Is it an earthquake?" Everyone was huddling close together. Claire held Aaron tight to her chest, Tracey and Steve held hands and I looked around wildly, wondering where everyone was and if they were safe.

And then, a hum penetrated the atmosphere and a brilliant flash of light lit up the sky. I collapsed in the sand, covering my ears with my hands, wishing and hoping it would stop. The noise and the light lasted thirty seconds, maybe forty and then stopped. There was nothing.

I looked up in shock. Something was crashing towards us. Bernard and Claire turned and ran as the object crashed to the sand. It was the hatch door.

It took a few minutes, but eventually everyone began picking up. All the food in the pantry was littered on the sand, tents had collapsed – including my own – and we quickly went to work, making our home again.

Charlie emerged from the jungle minutes later and I raced towards him, wrapping my arms around his neck as Bernard asked him questions. "I was so worried," I whispered, realizing he couldn't hear me.

I took his hand and we walked back towards the camp, stopping along the way for Charlie to kiss Aaron's forehead and hug Claire. If Charlie was back, where were Eko, Locke and Desmond? I hadn't seen them since early that morning. Why was I worried?

That night, I sat by Claire and Charlie, quickly realizing I wasn't welcome. Claire was hinting she wanted alone time with him and I wasn't going to ruin that, not when they were on good terms again.

Where was my brother? I thought as I walked back to my tent. What happened to Kate and the rest of them? Where were Locke and Eko? What about Desmond?

I was now left with more questions than I had answers.

AN: And that's the end of Season 2. Thank you to everyone who's been reading and an extra special thanks to the 2 people who reviewed the last chapter: the werewolf gal and Jac Danvers. And thanks to Raine44354 who's been reviewing chapters as she reads. Thanks so much, and please leave a review on the way out. I love them and it's always good to give encouragement!