Disclaimer--> I do not own any of these characters. Except Shaun, I think. Maybe. The storyline in mine though.

And many thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. Just so you know, this is like an AU of the story after 'Do No harm'. Bits of later episodes may appear.


"Jack!"

"Has anyone seen the doctor?"

"When did anyone last see them?"

"We saw them late afternoon, but-"
"Where were they?"

"Charlie…."

The words sounded tinny in Charlie's ears, echoing inside his head. Cold fingers tapped him on the cheek. Wincing, he opened his eyes. Through the blur he saw Claire bent over him. Her face wasanxious and upset. Ghostly smears flickered behind her as people ran past, swirling in the gloom. Voices shouted through the darkness, but he couldn't pick out some of the words.

"What…" his voice crackled like old paper, tearing through his throat. Claire shushed him.

"You're going to be okay. Just lie still for a minute." She glanced around. People jostled passed, as though the two of themweren't there.

"What's happening?" Charlie croaked.

"We sent out a people to look for you. Jack and Kate haven't come back yet."

Claire helped him to sit up as chaos continued to swirl around them. A flash of pain lanced across his chest, and he felt an unpleasant sinking feeling as he looked down.


Sayid gently placed Shannon on the sand. She was stirring, dark eyes fluttering. As he put her in a comfortable position, she muttered something. Sayid glanced at her.

"Shannon?" He leant closer.

"It's the numbers. On the French woman's papers." She mumbled, her eyes flicking open. In the faint light, his eyes looked black.

"I know." He said heavily.


Sayidglanced up, and saw people beginning to head back into the Jungle. Starting in alarm, he jumped to his feet, racing forward.

"Hey!"

Sawyer and Shaun turned around as Sayid came up behind them.

"You can't go back in there."

"Watch me." snapped Sawyer, disappearing into the trees. Shaun hovered uncertainly.

"But Jack…"

"It's too dangerous. Four people havebeen takenover the last three days. We can't risk- Hey! Stop!" He ran forward, chasing after the few who had gone into the jungle.


It was beginning to rain. Hard drops whacked Sawyer in the face as he scrambled through the dense trees. The shouts from the beach were quickly fading, lost in the groaning wind. He scrabbled up onto a rock, breath tight in his chest.

"….Where are they…."

Sawyer whirled around as whispers sounded from the trees around him, gushing with the wind.

"Here it is……. Où est-il? Où est mon fils...What's the frequency?..."

Unnerved, Sawyer stepped backwards. "Who's there?" He shouted. The whispers fell silent as though the speakers were watching him, invisible in the trees.

"Sawyer!" Sayid came through the trees just as the sky thundered overhead. Sawyer ignored him, staring through the trees. They were silent.

"We have to go back. It's not safe out here."

"In case you hadn't noticed, they already got me." He said icily, jumping off the rock. Lightning shattered the sky, fingers of light snapping towards the ground. Sayid grabbed Sawyer by the arm.

"What do you think you will be able to do? You couldn't find them even if it was daylight." His last words were nearly lost in the roar of thunder. The rain was coming down harder now, smashing like glass onto the earth. Sawyer wrenched his arm free, and the sky's opened up.

Ice cold rain seared down his neck, numbing his skin. Sayids black hair was slicked back on his head as he moved in front of the motionless Sawyer.

"Come. We will come back tomorrow." He turned and headed back for the beach.

As Sawyer turned to follow, he thought he heard the unearthly whispers again.

"...La maladie…"


He was there, in her dreams. Sayid wasn't with her this time, standing between Shannon and her dead brother. She was alone, staring frozen at his strung up body. His dead eyes pierced her skin, glaring into her heart. She couldn't move, glued in place as he fell to the ground. Blood still flowed from his mutilated leg, staining the ground as he walked towards her, grey face inches from hers-

Something cold, wet and very smelly licked her nose. Shannon jolted awake, a scream catching in her throat as she saw something large and hairy in her face. Vincent woofed softly and sat back, moist eyes watching her calmly.

Shannon had never thought she'd be relieved to wake up with a dog in her face. Her heart was still trembling as she sat up, shaking sleep from her head. Vincent gave a low whine and scampered away as a crash of thunder broke the silence.

It was night, and the sky still boiled with the storm. A thin fork of lightning flickered between to clouds, lighting up the beach for a second.

Two ghostly figures were moving across the beach.

Shannon threw off her blanket and scrambled from beneath her thin tent; rain splattered on her hair and face as she snuck across the beach, the sky grumbling overhead. The light flashed again; one of the ghosts was bent over, rummaging in the pockets of the large shape that was Hurley. As the light faded they both looked up, eyes boring into her. Her heart leapt to her throat. She turned and raced back to her bed, fearing with every step that she would hear running footfalls behind her, that vicious hands would grab her by the neck.

She fell to the ground and wrapped the blanket around her, lying still as soft footsteps came across the sands. Unable to breathe, she listened as they came closer.

They were right behind her.

She stared blankly ahead, frozen as the two menstood inches from her, silent. Her heart was drumming against her chest, thudding in her ears.

They moved away, footsteps fading away into nothing. But it was a long time before Shannon dared move.


The two phantoms flickered through the trees, oblivious to the rain or icy wind. They did not even notice as they passed a small group of people moving through the shadows. Their eyes stared blankly ahead, seemingly ignoring the two limp figures being carried between the others, of the gags and ropes. One head turned, covered eyes following the sound desperately. A gun handle cracked downward, and the head flopped. The two kept walking as though there was no-one there.
Sunlight burned through Charlie's eyelids, flickering red and black. Almost like a kaleidoscope. Nice Colours. He shook his head slightly, fighting wakefulness. A loud guttural sound came from his left. Charlie jerked up, eyes snapping open.

He was in the jungle.

He stared around in confusion, then jumped as the sound came again. Charlie twisted around, staring over his shoulder.

Sawyer was lying on his back behind him, snoring loudly. Charlie stood up unsteadily. This part of the Jungle was unfamiliar; fruit trees sprouted nearby, bounty rotting at the base of the trunks. No-one had been here for a long time. Sawyer snored again. Kneeling down beside him, Charlie shook him by the shoulders.

"Hey. HEY!"

Sawyer mumbled something, opening his eyes.

"What the hell do you want?" he said irritably, glaring up at Charlie.

"How did we get here?"

"Get…." Sawyer suddenly realized where they were. He got up slowly.

"Where are we?" Charlie glanced around, eyes falling on the ground.

There were only two steps of footprints. One belonged to him, the other Sawyer."It looks like we…..walked here?"

Sawyer rubbed the back of his neck and looked up.

"Jesus!" he leapt back, suddenly pale.

Charlie's head flicked up.

It was Jack.


"Sayid. Hey, wake up dude." Someone was nudging him. He looked up at Hurley with tired eyes, feeling as though he hadn't slept at all.

"Sorry man. It's just….yesterday I found something in the Jungle. A newspaper." Sayid sat up, brow furrowing.

"Newspaper?"

"Yeah. 'Cept it was the day after we crashed." Sayid stared at him.

"Where is it?"

"That's the thing. Someone's taken it. Not that there was much on it though. Rain washed most of the print away." Sayids eyes had gone dark, like they always did when he was thinking hard.

Sun hurried up to them, holding a small container of greenish paste in her hand.

"Have you seen Charlie?"

"No, I'm sorry." She went of again, passing a ruffled Shannon.

"Where did you have the paper before it was stolen?" Hurley patted his left pocket.

"It was in here. Who do you think would have taken it? I mean, only me and Sawyer even know 'bout it."

"Sawyer took it."

They stared at Shannon.

"I saw him last night, with Charlie. He was going through Hurley's pockets."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." There was a touch of the old Shannon bite in her voice.


A quick search of the camp quickly made it clear that Sawyer and Charlie were not there. People were gathering on the edge of the Jungle, ready to start the search for Jack and Kate. Sayid, Hurley and Shannon came up as they were beginning to pair off.

"People! Yesterday has proven to us that going around in pairs is not safe. We will have to split into two groups." To Sayid's surprise, this was achieved fairly quickly.


The man watched in distaste as the search party disappeared into the trees.

They were getting smarter. He fingered the gun in his pocket, and an idea began to form in his mind. Silently he faded into the jungle, with no sign that he had ever been there.


For a moment Charlie thought that Jack was dead. His face was grey, dull and lifeless. He was strung up like he and Sawyer had, except he was much higher up, at least three meters off the forest floor. The number on his chest could be clearly seen though.

'23'…

As could the newspaper that had been shoved roughly in his mouth.