"Hey, can I ask you something?" Boone attempted.
Eko slowly turned to face him. "You can ask," he replied.
"Right," Boone said, trying not to be put off. "Did you guys, your group, did you have a radio? Or ever have access to a radio?"
"We did, yes," Eko replied.
"Did you ever talk to anybody on it?" Boone asked. "Did you ever talk about being on flight 815?"
Eko looked at him curiously. "Once."
Boone sat back in his chair and sighed. He shook his head a little. "I was talking to you," he said.
"You were on the radio?" Eko asked.
Boone laughed a little. "If I knew it was just you guys I would have got out the damn plane."
"Plane?" Eko asked.
Boone looked at him again. "A plane fell on me," he said by way of explanation, signalling his leg.
Eko looked at his leg and then back up at Boone. "Sorry about that," he said. "We thought you were one of them."
Boone shrugged. "Hardly seems to matter now, does it?"
Locke came in, holding a projector and closely followed by Michael. Locke went about setting up the projector as Boone watched.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Hasn't Jack shown you the film yet?" Locke asked.
"There's a film?" Boone asked.
"The orientation film," Locke stated. Boone just looked at him. "Just watch, it's pretty self explanatory."
So Locke played him the film and Boone, quite honestly, felt none the wiser. Incident? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Wasn't the video supposed to be informative? Apart from a little back story about the company there wasn't a bit of information on it. Vague references to stuff, sure. But vague threats were probably the best way to keep people in line. You don't want to go into too much detail or the spell gets broken. But Boone still wasn't entirely sure that this whole button pressing thing was just the mind game that Jack kept insisting it was. He had this niggling fear at the back of his mind that it was all real. But then he guessed that was the point.
When it was over, Eko simply got up and walked away, not saying a word to anyone, even when Locke directly addressed him. Okay, there was weird and there was just plain rude. That guy seriously had more than a couple of screws loose.
"Robinson Crusoe," Locke stated, spying his book. Boone looked up at him. "About a guy who gets shipwrecked on a deserted island, right?"
"Yeah," Boone replied. "Only without the polar bears."
Locke nodded. "Yeah, you can't go putting things like that in a book, no one would believe it."
Boone smiled at him. "Right," he agreed. "I saw the damn thing and I'm not sure I believe it."
"Hey, I'm gonna go take a look at that computer if that's okay," Michael announced.
"Sure," Locke replied. "I'll come with you."
The two of them exited and Boone watched after them. Jack was so right, they didn't need to figure this place out, they needed to get off the island. But that was easier said than done, and the more time Boone was spending in the hatch, the more curious he was getting and the fact that he had nothing to do but sit around wasn't really helping.
He sighed and reached for his crutches, deciding to go talk to Shannon for a while. He hobbled through to the next room and found her on her own for once.
"Where's your beau?" he asked, sitting down beside her.
"He said he had to go get something from the beach," Shannon replied. "Did I tell you about our tent?"
"Tent?" Boone asked.
Shannon smiled widely. "Sayid made me a tent," she gushed. "It's gorgeous. It has four walls and everything. You can do whatever you want in there. I can't wait to get back to it."
Boone smiled at her. "That's great, Shan."
"Yeah and we're a real couple now," she continued. "You're not the only one getting any on this island."
Boone looked around to check no one was listening in. He turned back to Shannon. "I'm not getting any," he said quietly.
Shannon gave him a look. "Right, okay."
"Do you think I'd lie and pretend I wasn't having sex?" he asked her.
"I guess not," Shannon conceded. "But you never did get the hang of lying so how should I know?" She looked at him. "Seriously though, you and Jack have been going out forever."
"It hasn't been that long," Boone defended. "And anyway, there was that whole thing where a plane fell on me."
Shannon rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you just keep bringing that up."
"Well a plane did fall on me," he stated.
"Yeah, I know, you can quit whining about it now," Shannon replied. "I got shot, you know."
"Mine's worse," Boone told her.
"Shut up, you don't know that," Shannon retorted.
"Yeah I do," Boone replied. "I wasn't arguing with people this soon after a plane fell on me."
"Whatever," Shannon dismissed. "At least I'm getting laid."
"Yeah, rub that in, why don't you?" Boone replied.
"Plane falling on you aside, you guys have been pretty coupley for a while," Shannon said.
"Yeah, well, it doesn't work that way, does it?" Boone replied. "Jack's straight, remember?"
"I don't think Jack's straight, Boone," Shannon told him. "Straight guys generally don't make out with other guys."
Boone gave her a look. "You know what I mean."
"Okay, so you just gonna be one of those couples that never has sex?" Shannon asked.
"No," Boone replied. "We're gonna have sex. It just might be a while."
"And you're just gonna, what, sit there and be patient?" Shannon asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Okay, why is any of this your business?" Boone asked.
"Well, if you don't want my help..." she said, turning away and looking superior.
"I don't want your help," Boone insisted. "I also don't need your help."
"Fine," Shannon replied with a little shrug.
Boone glared at her. She knew damn well he was going to crack. As did Boone so he didn't really know why he was arguing with her, he was only drawing it out. But Boone didn't really need her help. Did he? It was going to happen with him and Jack. And the whole plane falling on him episode was a very valid reason for the relationship taking a back seat for a while. They'd started getting more into it lately. They'd probably have gotten further if they didn't keep getting interrupted all the time.
"Do you ever kiss him first?" Shannon asked.
Boone looked at her. "You're not playing right, you're supposed to make me beg."
"Yeah, well, I'm impatient," she replied. "Do you?"
"I don't know," Boone replied.
"Well then think, pea brain," Shannon replied, giving him a look.
"Yeah, you're supportive as hell, I'm lucky to have you," Boone stated sarcastically.
"I'm trying to be supportive but you're refusing to help me out," she replied. "Just answer the question."
Boone sighed. "I don't know," he said. "I don't think so. Probably not."
"Okay, well there's your first mistake," Shannon said.
"Look, even though he's not straight straight he's still pretty straight and it's gonna take a while before he's comfortable and stuff," Boone defended.
"You ever think he might need a hand getting comfortable?" Shannon asked. "Like maybe he might want someone a little more experienced to show him how things work?"
Boone tried to think of a comeback but he didn't really have one. Not that he thought Shannon was right. Jack was all mature and self-assured and he always knew what he was doing. And, okay, maybe he hadn't done some of this stuff before but Boone was sure he could work it out when he was ready. Jack wouldn't need help from him. Except that when Boone started dating guys he liked to be with more experienced guys so they could do the leading. But that was just Boone, he was always more comfortable in the following role. Jack wasn't like that. Jack was a leader.
"You're gonna dismiss everything I say, aren't you?" Shannon asked. Or stated.
"I'm not dismissing it," Boone said. "You're just kind of wrong."
"Yeah, and you're just kind of an idiot," Shannon shot back.
"Okay, look, maybe me doing that would be okay with him, and even, possibly, slightly, might be what he actually wants, but what if it's not?" Boone asked. "What if I freak him out? What if I do something he doesn't like?"
"Of course he'll like it," Shannon said. "He's a man, men love sex. Trust me, I've been using that fact against them most of my life."
"Don't I know it," Boone replied. "Anyway, that's sex with girls. If I was a girl I'm sure he'd have no problem with it. The fact remains that I'm not."
"Yeah, and the fact remains that he picked you anyway," Shannon pointed out. "So really he can't have too big a problem with it."
Boone had to admit that Shannon had some pretty valid points. But he was terrified of pushing his luck. He'd rather have half a relationship with Jack than none at all.
"Okay, you're boring me now and I'm tired so you can leave," Shannon told him.
"Thanks," he said, reaching for his crutches.
"You should think about what I said," she advised. "But you're an idiot so you probably won't bother. Or if you do you'll do it wrong and just panic like you always do."
Boone used his crutches to stand up. "I don't panic," he said.
Shannon gave him a look. Boone rolled his eyes and headed out of the room. He could think about things logically without panicking. Okay, it didn't happen often, but he so could.