Title: Found
Author: bookworm835
Category(s): Drama/Angst/Mystery/Romance/Supernatural/blah blah blah!
Summary: Um summary of last chappy! Charlie went to see Claire and she doesn't remember him. He goes to the park (it's empty) and he finds sum'n in his pocket... oooh, it's getting good! A special (no, not Walt)someone in this chapter...
Disclaimer: I do not own, wah wah wah, sob sob sob. NO MORE RERUNS, ABC!! We must see new episodes!
A/N: Not much to say... very sad, confused people in this chapter, like last chapter's I guess... corny, cheesy, confusing, and so much more, but enjoy nonetheless!!!
"Charlie? Charlie, wake up."
Shit, what a headache. Who's that? Oww, not now. Can't you see I'm sleeping...? Christ, I've got enough problems already... Just go away. Please...
Unwanted memories of Claire came rushing back. Charlie tried feebly to push them back. He was too weak, too tired, too useless. He had always been useless, only a nuisance to the others on the island... if there had ever been an island. Jack had said it himself.
"We don't need you, Charlie."
Depression. Charlie hated it. Charlie knew it. Charlie couldn't escape it.
The man's voice drifted back, coated with worry.
"Are you alright? C'mon, get up."
Oh God, just leave me alone.
"Sod off..." he grumbled moodily, curling up into a ball, hugging his knees to his chest. He felt a throbbing pain right between his eyes and an achey sort of feeling in his stomach. His rib still hurt. He felt someone gently shaking his shoulder.
Not again. I know what's going to happen: I'm going to wake up and nothing that I just went through will be real. Nothing is real, nothing but the pain. Leave me alone, let me just die here...
"Charlie!"
Who was it that knew his name? The voice sounded somehow familiar. Charlie opened his eyes, feeling slightly nauseous as he quickly jolted upright. He knew this person! But how did he know Charlie?? And...
"Locke... Locke... bloody hell, is it really you? Why are you in a wheelchair?? Was the plane crash really that bad?"
Hmm. Locke... and he had said... Charlie, wake up...
"H-how do you know my name?" Charlie suddenly blurted out. "Everyone else -- I mean, nobody -- everybody -- no one! -- no one remembers -- Claire, mason jar, Liam, don't understand me -- do what's best -- but it was worst, it was doing what's worst -- but then -- no, keep it, I said -- and -- and -- I came out here, yeah -- and --"
His eyes widened.
He reached back into his pocket and pulled out his little baggie of heroin. He stared at it and held it in his hand like it was the most disgusting thing he had ever seen, yet he didn't want to part with it. His fingers twitched. He needed more. But how could he? He could kill himself with this little powder if he took too much. But heroin wasn't in that bag. It was relief, a solid form of relief, was all. It temporarily took him away from the suffering, like the black from the hospital, but it always brought worse things when he woke up again. He hated that part... but he loved the relief. Lust was in his eyes as he stared at it, holding it far away, wanting to be rid of it, but then bringing it back towards his heart, wanting to have more, needing more, neeeeding... moooore...
Locke saw.
His eyes shifted from Charlie's hand moving oddly in and out, to Charlie's face. It was contorted into a sort of half-grimace, half-smile.
"Charlie... just relax..." Locke said tentatively. He rolled his wheelchair a bit closer and gently grasped Charlie's wrist.
Charlie jerked, nearly twitching off of the bench seat, his fingers suddenly lurching backwards as if on reflex. He clutched the bag posessively and gave Locke an fleeting glance. He felt the urge to get up and rush off but he thought he might throw up if he moved anymore.
John Locke brought his hand back from Charlie's wrist. He couldn't force it off of him... but what had made him go back? He had said something about Claire... something about not remembering, not understanding. And... he asked how he had known his name. Was it possible? Did Charlie remember the impossible too? Maybe he wasn't going crazy after all, as everyone else had began to think. And if he was, at least he wasn't the only one.
Charlie broke the silence as Locke closed his eyes in thought. Charlie didn't want Locke to think. Charlie wanted his secrets to be his own.
First, Charlie took a deep breath, then he swallowed.
What a headache.
"Yo-o-ou know my nuh-naaaame," Charlie stammered, his words slurring slightly. He sounded like he was drunk. Oh great, just bloody brilliant. Well, it wasn't much better anyways. He wasn't drunk... but the after effects felt the same. Maybe better... no, worse. Yeah, that was it. It felt worse than being drunk. Charlie hadn't gotten drunk much... he had been a good little church boy before the drugs. He wasn't a big drinker, thank God. He -- had -- enough -- problems -- already.
Locke opened his eyes again, nodding.
"Yes, and you know mine," he said.
Charlie gaped for a few seconds, his head spinning again. Too much thinking. It hurt. He felt like an idiot, he couldn't think without hurting his head. Well, he was an idiot, he had caved in to his sweet-talking brother, who had guilted him into the band. DriveShaft. Huh, Charlie still loved the music. It was a miracle, though, since every time he played the songs they reminded him of the pain that had gone along with the glory.
"Erm," Charlie continued, "yeah. Yeah. Yeah... but C-C-Claire" -- it was difficult to say her name, he found out -- "she didn't remember me. And Mason... she's a doctor... she said we never landed on an island. Island... do you remember the island?"
Locke nodded, keeping his expression soft as Charlie's face paled, his eyes and nose turning reddish. He quickly looked away and his expression went neutral but Locke could see what he was really feeling in his eyes. Eerie eyes. They used to be so cheerful, always scrunched up in a smile. Charlie had like joking around, trying to make friends with people on the island, Jack, Kate, Hurley, mostly, and then Claire. Now his eyes were sunken, sad, and more gray than blue, as Locke had remembered them.
He must've been imagining things....
Charlie looked gaunter and older than he had when Locke had first met him.
He must've been imagining things.
Charlie's fingers still had tapes around them, as always. They read F A T E. Locke remembered that, but the longer he stared, the letters were slowly changing... they said H A T E. There they went again, changing more than just one letter this time, P A I N. Locke blinked, squinting. The letters morphed one last time. D E A D.
He must've been imagining things!!
Was he really going insane?? He couldn't fall apart, not now, not when Charlie needed him. But what was so special about Charlie? He felt like a son to Locke. Or did he? Sometimes he felt more like an enemy, someone Locke regretted ever meeting.
When Charlie was pale, Locke could see tear stains on his cheeks. What had he been crying about? What was happening to them all?? Had they taken the island for granted? Maybe it was better when they were marooned.
"I remember an island, yes," Locke said slowly. "Jack... Kate... Boone, Shannon, Sayid, Sawyer, Hurley, there were so many people. And you, you and Claire were always together."
"Except at the end of it all," Charlie mumbled. "Then I was alone... no Claire. I was... alone... like now."
After a long silence, Locke risked a glance down at Charlie's balled-up fist. He didn't reach for it again but he did approach the subject of --
"Drugs... Charlie, you're back on drugs."
Charlie's unseeing stare turned to Locke. "Don't... understand..." he murmured. "Don't... you don't understand, don't you get it? We were never on the island... I never quit." He looked down at Locke's wheelchair. "So... what's your story, then? What's with the wheels?"
This time it was Locke who swallowed.
"Never on the island... Charlie, drugs, paralyzed... not remembering, not understanding. No, I think I understand. Charlie, I think I know what happened."
Whoo hoo, what happened?? You'll hafta wait and see! I'll try to do these shout-out thingies for every chapter to show my appreciation for all reviewers!!!
Esmarelda Gamgee: Aww, sorry it was sad! ;) Hope you liked anyways, thanks for e-mailing! I'll hafta see 50 First Dates sometime.
Mythology: Really? It's that good?? Thanks!!! ::blush:: I'm glad you like!
Alatariel10: Hmm, will Charlie and Claire get together?? Who knows! Only me. And I'm not telling. ::Giggles insanely::
Frodosam4ever: Sorry, had to add the heroin thing. Happy that you still liked though!
Szhismine: Haha! YES, POOR CHARLIE! Your review was funny!! Hope you review again!!
Mina aka Mockingbird: 15?? Wow, thanks!! Dunno if it'll actually be that long, but who knows. ;) And the world needs more Charlie, so of course I'll write more...
FanOfLost: Bill Gates indeed! :D Hopefully this story will get better as it goes along, even if this chapter was a little dull or confusing or whatever it was... I dunno! I've been thinking about it too hard.
Five more reviews please!! Is it still good?? Is it confusing? Ahh, that good ole Locke is always confusing. Hope he was in character, even if he didn't talk much. I'll try to update soon then!
