Chapter 37 - Another Moment in Time
Sarah settled into the warm sand, drawing her knees under her chin and enjoyed the bubbles of water foaming over her feet, while the sun dissolved into a dream sickle puddle of pink and orange into the glossy sea. It was so beautiful and peaceful that she could not help feeling just a twinge of fear she might wake up and find that this too was a dream.
Though curious eyes had witnessed her reunion with Vincent, no one questioned her when she had bent down and called him by name. He'd plopped his back end down into the sand, and leaned his body against her legs, pressing his head into her hand as she rubbed his ears.
Sayid led Sarah to his tent after receiving the first aide kit from Sun, cleaned and dressed her wound and then scrounged for tarp, blankets and other supplies. He had left her there, after conversing with Charlie and Hurley. They had spoken with Sun and Jin, and had come to greet and fill him in on what had happened since he'd set out on his reconnaissance mission.
Major changes had occurred in his absence. The first being that apparently, Locke and Eko had a falling out, which led to a malfunction in the hatch. Locke refused to enter the codes in the computer, insisting that he had been wrong all along and the whole thing was nothing more than a game or an experiment. Nothing would happen when the timer counted to zero and life would go on as it always had. He enlisted Desmond to accompany him while he managed to prevent Eko's re entrance and eventually destroyed the computer leaving no other option apart from one very risky course of action.
Desmond carried with him a failsafe key. He had obtained it during the time he'd manned the hatch alone, long before flight 815 had ever crashed. The failsafe key existed on the dire chance that something might go wrong and hence prevent them from entering the codes. If this occurred, he would then need to follow the tunnel under the hatch to a small area where he would then place the key, turn it and release the failsafe. Desmond knew what to do, but he was never told what would happen once he did it.
In the meantime, Eko had managed to convince Charlie to help him talk Locke down in hopes he would release the blast doors and allow him entrance once more.
In a last ditch effort, Eko set off explosives in the hatch hoping to blow the doors open, unaware of Desmond turning the failsafe key down below.
The hatch imploded on itself and then exploded, even blowing the hatch door miles in the air before plummeting down nearly killing Claire. Fortunately, Bernard, Roses husband, pushed her from its path saving both she and the baby.
Sayid nodded with awareness. This was the source of the violet light they had seen from the sailboat. The large piece of metal that had been flung above their heads and then landing on the beach once more was the quarantine sign they'd found when they first discovered the hatch - long before Sarah had been there. Sarah's eyes widened while listening carefully, her heart beating fiercely, hearing herself speak anxiously. "Is Locke okay? "
Charlie looked her over then answered. "Well, he lost his voice for a time … but he's just cheery now. "
He cocked his dirty blond head to the side, and eyed her curiously. "Who are you? "
Sayid glanced at Sarah, then back at Charlie. " This is Sarah. She's okay. "
"Sarah, eh? " He repeated, giving her another look-over.
"Right. " Hurley said, "Look dude, Eko was missing for a while, but Locke found him in the hole where the hatch used to be. One of the bears dragged him in there. He's messed up pretty bad, man. He's just lyin there, hasn't even woken up yet. "
Sarah stood in the sand, watching the three of them disappear over a hill. She could not help but cast a stray thought Jack's way wondering if he would cooperate with Ben and do whatever surgery he had been asked to perform. Tom, the man Ben had tasered, had commented that Juliet wasn't a spinal surgeon. Did that mean that Ben needed spinal surgery?
She shook the thought from her mind, turning her attention to finishing her tent, afterwards meandering across the beach. Vincent joined Sarah by the shoreline. He lay next to her, bumping her knees with his nose until she crossed her legs and he lay his head in her lap. She smiled, running her fingers along his face and between his eyes. Comforted in the fact that at least someone welcomed her without questions and without suspicion. He had accepted her.
She'd been sitting for a length of time, staring out over the ocean, until the sun had almost completely melted into the sea, and the first hint of stars were beginning to dot the evening sky. She and Vincent sat together, quietly enjoying one another's company.
Sarah glanced up, when Vincent lifted his head, and noticed a figure moving across the sand in her direction. Once closer, she recognized the curvy figure and smiled to herself. It was time to meet Rose … again.
"Sun said you'd be here. " Rose greeted her. "You must be Sarah … I'm Rose. "
Vincent stretched himself, while Sarah stood up and smiled. "Yea, that's me. "
She was carrying a brown paper bag filled with clothes. She smiled and continued.
"Well, I brought you these. It's not a lot, but you're welcome to them. We have more and you can look over some of that tomorrow if you'd like. "
"Well, I ... " She stumbled. " Thank you. "
"Oh it's nothing dear. " She said. "Are you okay? Is there anything I can do for you? "
Sarah could hardly respond. A random act of kindness that humbled her. Then she thought of her first meeting with Rose. It was in practically the same spot, close to Sayid's tent. Sarah was struck by her warm smile and gentleness. She remembered the story Rose had told her of how everyone around her thought Bernard was dead, but she never gave up hope that she would be reunited with him one day. Yes, when Rose was around, Sarah found it easy to have hope.
"I'm okay for now. " She said. "But I should go put these away. "
"Oh of course. " Rose answered her, following her to her newly setup tent. "Also, we'll need to show you where to go get cleaned up. If there's anything you need you just let me know. "
Rose chattered quite amiably while explaining that she was also married to a man named Bernard. Sarah smiled. She already knew this, but let her carry on anyway while making her way to the inside of the tent. She found a pair of calf length, tan pants and an army green top that fit and gladly changed into them, discarding the mud-caked clothes she'd been wearing for three or four days. She also uncovered a few pairs of socks and one pair of white sneakers. She had already washed her hair earlier in a pail of water, using a bottle of shampoo Sayid had brought her, and now it was tied into a ball on the back of her head.
She stepped out of the tent, feeling somewhat better, and smiled while listening to Rose. Her voice soon faded, however, while Sarah's attention drew elsewhere. An odor had made its way in, burning her nose. She turned her head, eyes narrowed. "Rose, do you smell that? "
She nodded. "Actually, I do … It smells like something burning. "
Sarah turned her head inland and caught sight of a large amber glow and black puffy smoke rising from the ground. "Something's on fire! "
She kicked her heels in the dirt, running towards the smoke with Rose trudging behind her, watching the flames flicker up over the hill. The sun had completely disappeared now into the evening sky, illuminated by orange flame shooting up pillars of thick smoke. Once they reached eyesight of it, they discovered the source was a tent in flames.
Sarah blinked as the stinging smoke hit her eyes, and coughed. Several shadows of people were running in and out of the area around it, hurling sand into it. She recognized Charlie and Hurley's figures moving around in the front. She did not see Sayid She jerked her head back and forth, thoughtlessly moving in closer.
"Honey, these boys have got this. " Rose placed a hand around her wrist.
Sarah flipped back around with a look of desperation. "But I … "
Rose gave her a motherly look of disapproval and then studied the fire mumbling.
"This is Eko's tent. "
She turned when she heard her name. Bernard was trudging through the sand, calling her. Sarah looked at him and cocked her head a little. He was a soft spoken, older gentleman with grey hair and a pale wrinkly face, which was even more wrinkled from the worry that lined his brow. She knew of him, but had not met him the first time around.
"Rose, I've been looking everywhere for you. " He said.
Rose just looked at him and then answered. "Well, I've been right here. Sarah and I saw the fire from the beach. "
Bernard gave Sarah a look over until Rose frowned. "Bernard, meet Sarah. Remember? Honey, I told you Sun had given me some clothes for her and I went over to say hello. "
Bernard simply nodded halfheartedly while focusing on the action spread out before them. Sarah had lost interest in the conversation as well, drawn to another point of interest. She had caught sight of Locke who had run across the beach, to be met halfway by Charlie. Sarah heard them mention Eko's name. Charlie pointed to the spot where'd they'd lain him, but he was gone. Charlie called his name.
She gazed at Locke thoughtfully. He was leaning on his hip wearing a pair of tanned baggy pants and an army green t-shirt. She flicked her eyes to her own pants momentarily, shook her head and then looked up. He leaned in a little while talking with Charlie. She watched with interest, letting her mind drift off to another moment in time.
She could taste the dry cereal crunching between her teeth while Locke sat opposite of her in the booth, the towel hanging over his neck and she recalled the poignant conversation. One she had forgotten about until now.
"You know, California. " He said. "It's very different from the rest of the country. Supposedly, everybody who's anybody lives there. If I had to guess, I'd say you might be from ..."
" I dunno. " She answered.
He raised an eyebrow. "You don't know what part of California you're from? "
"I … moved around a lot. I don't really remember where I'm from originally. "
"I see. " He scooped up the empty bowl and tossed it in the garbage. "Well, maybe we were neighbors once. Wouldn't that be a small world? "
Sarah nodded absentmindedly thinking … A small world indeed. When her eyes raised again, it was Sayid who had caught her searching gaze. He had noticed her there, exchanged glances and then nodded off to two of the people who'd been helping him put out the fire. Sarah watched him making his way over, with an elbow cupped in her hand, while biting a fingernail on the other. He looked rather surprised to see her.
He turned his head and gave her a glance, once he reached them, and then greeted Rose and Bernard. Sarah gave a quick, nearly shy smile and looked down.
"I'm so glad to see you well Sayid. " Rose said. "You and the others. But it's terrible news about Jack, Kate and Sawyer. "
Sayid gave a short nod then answered, "Yes … well, we are working on that. "
He gave Sarah a look that said he was not pleased to find her standing there. "What are you doing here? "
Sarah opened her mouth, but it was Rose who responded. "Well, we saw the fire from her tent, and came to see what was happening. "
He looked at Rose and then shifted his eyes over to Sarah with the faintest trace of a smirk. "Ah … worried then? "
Sarah's mouth popped open, then her eyes quickly flashed to the ground. "No … I … "
Rose and Bernard flashed glances between the two of them, and then at each other, then Rose spoke up. "Well … We were just heading back. "
Bernard echoed her, and then they both turned, leaving the two of them standing alone. Sayid eyed Sarah, who couldn't bring her eyes to his, and shifted his weight. She nervously brushed her feet across the sand, and then glanced up, thankful to see Locke and Charlie strolling towards them. They looked a bit odd walking side by side. Charlie wasn't a tall man by any means. He looked like a boy with a beard and scruffy blondish hair. Locke towered over him, his t-shirt looked like it could use some washing.
"Thanks Sayid. " Locke said, shifting a glance to Sarah. "Do I know you? "
Charlie smiled one of his quirky grins and blurted. "Oh that's Sayid's friend. "
Sarah rolled her eyes and chewed in the side of her mouth while she heard his words in her head.
"Sayid's friend. "
Sayid shook his head and responded. "This is Sarah. "
Locke gave a slow nod and smiled. "Oh, well …Hi Sarah. "
Sarah returned his smile awkwardly, studying his eyes. Crystal blue, and very alert.
His baldhead reflected the light around them, and she wondered what color hair he might have had when he was younger. Her thoughts should have stopped there, but she found herself wondering even more, pondering what event could have left him in a wheel chair, and what brought him out of it ?
Charlie flicked his eyes between them. " You two use the same taylor? "
Sarah's mouth twitched ineptly, aware of the fact that she and Locke were wearing practically the same colored cloths - tan pants and green tops - but said nothing, noting that Locke had noticed as well. A painful moment of silence ensued, and then Sayid stared at Charlie, who shrugged.
"Right …well, now that we're done with the introductions … What are we going to do about Eko? "
Sayid turned his head. "I suppose we'll need to rebuild him a tent. But we will need to find a place for him until then. "
Charlie shook his head. "Not gonna happen. I mean, how are we going to find him? "
Sayid's brows turned in questioning him, while flicking a look over to Locke, returning it to Charlie who explained. Sayid must have been too busy to notice. Once the three of them had turned and discovered the fire, Charlie and Hurley retrieved Eko from the tent while Sayid, joined by others fought it with piles of sand.
Charlie and Hurley dragged him as far as the could and then lay him on the ground. Charlie turned to meet Locke, and to explain what had happened. When they turned back, Echo was gone.
By this time, Hurley had meandered his way to them. He slid in between Sarah and Charlie, glancing around at the four of them, and then back at Charlie. "Dude, what are you talking about? Eko was way out of it. He couldn't a just walked off! "
Charlie shifted his eyes upwards and frowned, then answered. "Fine then. Go look for yourself. Eko's gone. "
Hurley shook disbelievingly, turned his head, and gave a startled expression.
Eko was not where they had laid him just moments before. He stared shortly and then turned to the group rambling.
"Eko's gone? That's messed up! Dude, that is just not possible. "
Sayid gave a long hard stare into the jungle, as if he were peering through the trees for miles. He cut his eyes to Hurley and answered.
"Apparently it is. "