Fever Chapter 8

Jack, Sayid, and Jin searched the area surrounding the caves in all directions with no sign of Charlie. As the jungle darkened, they deemed it too dangerous to continue and returned to the camp. Claire was sitting with Sun by the fire. Seeing Jack, she handed the baby to the other woman and approached him.

"You knew," she said accusingly, "You knew Charlie was using drugs and you didn't tell me! I let him take care of my son! Anything could have happened!" She was crying now, and Jack put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently.

"Claire," he said softly. "Charlie was clean as far as I knew until a couple of days ago. There were always other people around. Aaron was perfectly safe. Charlie never would have hurt him."

Claire looked at the doctor, her face surprisingly hard. "Don't you get it? Aaron will never be perfectly safe, unless he's with me." she turned her back on him and went to Sun. Taking the baby and holding him close, she walked toward the cave. Sun glanced at Jin, then hurried to follow her.

Jack looked at the two other men. "We should all get some sleep," he said. "We can start the search again in the morning."

He watched Jin and Sayid walk off, then Jack turned and headed to the infirmary. He sat on the cot and put his head in his hands. He should have watched Charlie closer. As soon as Sayid told him about the plane he should have kept an eye on the musician. How long had Charlie even been clean? Three weeks, maybe four, before Rousseau took Aaron and Sayid inadvertently led the recovering addict to a plane full of heroin. Jack knew from watching his father: give an addicted person access to what they needed and all hell could break loose.

Jack stretched out on the cot, closed his eyes, and tried not to think. He heard a sound and looked up to see Kate in the doorway.

"You're back," she said, walking toward him. "You didn't find Charlie?"

"No," Jack didn't even attempt to sit up. "No sign of him. We'll look again tomorrow," he yawned. Kate came over and perched on the edge of the cot.

"Are you finally going to get some real sleep?" she asked him, smiling softly.

"Gonna try," he said.

"I'll go then, let you rest," she started to get up.

"Stay," Jack said. "Can you just stay here for a little while?" His voice betrayed all the fatigue of the past few days. He shifted on the cot to make room. Kate scooted to lean against the wall and lifted his head to her lap. He took her hand.

"Go to sleep," she said softly,"I'm not going anywhere." She made soothing circles on his temple with her fingers and he closed his eyes.

Shannon was sleeping when Sayid returned to the cave. Not wanting to wake her, he lay down a few feet away, using his pack for a pillow , and soon fell into an exhausted sleep.

The next morning Shannon woke early to find Sayid already up."Did you find Charlie?" she asked.

"No. Jack and I will go back out in a bit. Sun made tea. Do you want some?" He offered the bowl to her.

"No, not now, thanks," she looked at him fearfully, twisting her hair with one hand. "Do you think someone...one of the Others... grabbed him?" she asked.

"No, wherever he is he has gone on his own," Sayid sighed, wondering how much to tell her. "There is a chance that it was Charlie who shot Rousseau."

"Charlie? Yeah, right." Shannon snickered. "Why?" she asked curiously. "Because she took the baby? But, you got him back. What makes you think he shot her?"

"Something Claire said to me. She told Charlie she wouldn't feel safe as long as Rousseau was out there. He may have taken her literally. Look what happened with Ethan."

Shannon was quiet for a moment. "So, you think he killed Rousseau for Claire?"

"Perhaps," Sayid said.

"Nice to know there are men who will do that," Shannon said softly.

"What do you mean?" Sayid turned and looked at her expectantly.

"Nothing," Shannon did not meet his gaze.

"Is this about Locke?" Sayid asked.

"He killed my brother."

"Shannon, we have been over this. I do not believe that is the case."

"Well, he took Boone out into that jungle...made some sort of...disciple out of him. He might as well have pushed him out of that plane himself." Shannon's voice grew louder. "My brother is dead because of John Locke and you didn't do anything about it. You wouldn't even let me take care of it myself," she paused, then snapped, "I guess I should have asked Charlie!"

Sayid stared at her, barely containing his anger. He took a deep breath. "That is your grief talking. I know you miss your brother but there is no one to punish."

"Sayid," Jack said from just outside, "We're ready, let's go...I want to get an early start."

"Coming," Sayid said. "Shannon," he shook his head sadly. "I have to go. We will talk later."

Having actually slept through the night, Jack was feeling better able to handle the situation. He suggested they do a search of Charlie's sleeping area for any clues before they headed out.

"If he had a gun, it had to be one of the shotguns Locke brought up from the hatch," Jack said. "All the other guns are accounted for." Sayid nodded in agreement.

Kate took Charlie's pack, which he had left behind, and spread the contents out on the floor. There was no gun, nor anything that looked suspicious.

"Is there anything here that might have belonged to Rousseau?" Kate asked Sayid. He bent over the items scattered around her.

"I do not see anything I remember, no." Sayid glanced around. "There is something that is not here, though," he said, looking at Jack. "The statue...with the heroin. Claire said he wouldn't let it out of his sight. He must have taken it."

Jack had pulled up Charlie's bedding and was shaking it out piece by piece. "Nothing here," he said.

"If he did have a gun he might have it with him," Sayid said. "Kate, do you remember exactly how things were at Rousseau's camp when you found her?"

"Yeah, I've got that picture in my head. Can't get rid of it."

"Tell me what you saw." Sayid crouched beside her.

"Um..okay..." she stared into space. " We didn't see Rous...the body at first. There was a fire, or what was left of one. Some kind of animal on a spit, burnt to a crisp. We saw the trunk. It had been overturned, there were papers and clothing and stuff scattered all over the place." Kate closed her eyes. "I bent down to pick something up...it was shiny, like a coin, or jewelry, and that's when I saw her."

"How was she lying? Flat on her back, on her side?" Sayid asked.

"Flat on her back. Like whoever shot her had been right in front of her and the blast just blew her backwards."

"Somebody she knew," Sayid said. "Only somebody she knew would have gotten close enough carrying a gun," he looked at Jack. "She didn't know Charlie. She saw him...when we took Aaron back, but he yelled at her...she wouldn't have let him come near. She would have shot him first, or made him put his gun down. I have been thinking," Sayid mused. "When Charlie shot Ethan it was instinct, spur of the moment...he did not have time to consider his actions. This..if he did this...required premeditation. I am not sure Charlie is capable of such a killing, even under the influence of a drug."

"I hadn't thought of it that way," Jack admitted. "You're right, though. Ethan was a direct threat to Claire at that moment...Rousseau wasn't."

"Then who killed her?" Kate asked. "And where is Charlie?"

"I think we need to return to Rousseau's camp," Sayid said. "If we leave now, we can be back by nightfall."

Watching from the cave, Shannon waited until she knew Sayid was gone, then wandered out to the fire. Claire was sitting with Sawyer, Aaron on her lap.

"Hey, Sticks," Sawyer said. "Why dontcha keep the little mama here company. I'm gonna go to the beach...see if Jin's caught any fish."

"Okay," Shannon said, sitting down by Claire. "Don't worry about Charlie, Sayid and Jack will find him," the Australian looked at her.

"I'm not sure I want them to." Aaron fussed and Claire rocked him gently. "Shhh...shhh."

"Why wouldn't you want them to find him?" Shannon asked, surprised.

"What he did...may have done...I didn't want that. I feel awful!"

"I wouldn't," Shannon said. "She took your baby...she should pay for that."

"She lost her own child," Claire said. "I'm not saying I forgive her or anything, I don't. But if someone took Aaron...and I didn't get him back, after sixteen years I'd be crazy, too."

"But at least Charlie did what you asked him too. He knew what you needed and took care of it."

"What!" Claire said loudly, startling Aaron who began to wail. "I didn't ask him to kill her...I didn't ask him to do anything." She bounced Aaron, and when the baby continued to cry, unbuttoned her shirt and offered the breast which he took contentedly.

Claire looked at her. "Are you still angry that Sayid stopped you from shooting Locke? Shannon, he was protecting you."

"I know," Shannon said. "But sometimes I wish he hadn't."

"It wouldn't bring Boone back, you know that," Claire said softly.

Shannon sat quietly, not saying anything for a few minutes. "I yelled at Sayid," she said finally, "I didn't even apologize before he left."

"You're an Aries, right?" Claire asked.

"Yeah...I think so...why," Shannon looked skeptical.

"Well, it means you're quick-tempered and impulsive. So Sayid better get used to it," she squeezed Shannon's hand. "You can apologize when he gets back," Claire grinned then. "You can always blame it on PMS," she said.

Shannon did not return the smile. "I'm afraid I may have ruined things for good this time," she said. "I said something awful."

"What did you say?"

Shannon hesitated. "I said maybe I should have asked Charlie to take care of Locke for me."

"Oh," Claire said. "You're right. That is awful," Aaron had fallen asleep, so Claire shifted him to her other arm and buttoned her blouse. "But Sayid cares for you. Apologize, tell him how awful you feel. He'll understand."

"I hope so," Shannon said.