Title: Another Day, Brother - Chapter 6
Author: jbdean ©
Rating: G
Summary: Later that day.
Both men were silent as they began down the long, dark hallway that lead them back to the main door. Suddenly Locke stopped and turned to face Desmond. Desmond, not being able to clearly see Locke ahead of him, slammed right into him as he stood, like a brick wall, blocking Desmond's path. Taking a few steps back, Desmond strained to see what had made Locke stop so abruptly.
"What's up, brotha?" His voice sounding hollow as it bounced off the stone walls.
Locke let out a short laugh. "I was just wondering how you knew about this place if the story you told us is true."
Desmond stood silently as he contemplated both the question and Locke's implications that he had lied to them. "I told you all I had time to tell you," he began. "I honestly thought no one would be able to fix the computer and time was not really on my side, yea?"
"That's true," Locke replied, "But you still knew about this place. How?"
Desmond realized that unless he gave Locke some answers, they'd never move from the spot where they were standing. "It's a long story, brotha."
"I've got lots of time," Locke said.
"True that is, true that is," Desmond said with a heavy sigh. "Let's say we get out into the sunlight and I'll tell you all that I know."
Desmond couldn't see Locke turning to head back down the hallway but he could hear his footsteps moving away from him so he followed after their sound. In about 15 minutes they began to see the faint sunlight that peaked through the door's window as the wind blew the vines that covered it.
Locke leaned against the heavy door as he turned the latch. It swung outward and the warm tropical air engulfed the two men like mosquito netting. Desmond followed Locke through the vines and stood looking at the landscape.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Locke asked Desmond.
"Yea." he quietly replied.
"I never get tired of it." Locke continued.
"Well, I sure haven't had anywhere near the chance myself." Desmond added.
Locke stepped closer to Desmond and waited for him to turn and face him. Once he did, Locke asked his question again. "So, how did you know about this other bunker?"
Desmond studied Locke's face for a moment and then looked at the vine covered door behind him and then back at Locke.
"Well," he began, "it all happened when Kelvin got sick." Desmond's mind went back to those earlier days when he and Kelvin had maned the computer as a team.
The buzzer was going off and Desmond awoke with a start. It had been Kelvin's turn to enter the numbers and yet the buzzer had been going off for longer than usual. He jumped out of bed and rushed into the computer room where he found the desk chair empty. Not waisting anytime to look for Kelvin, Desmond quickly entered the numbers and hit the execute button. The timer had reached 1:45 when it began to flip back to zero. Desmond sat watching it until it had finished its cycle. Once it had reset, he got up to look for Kelvin. It didn't take long to find him. He heard the sounds of someone getting sick in the bathroom and rushed in without asking permission. There he found Kelvin, hunched over the toilet bowl, throwing up.
Desmond stood watching him and when he thought the time was right he asked, "Kel, you okay?"
Kelvin didn't say anything but just kept his head over the bowl. Slowly he shook his head left to right to indicate that he was not well at all.
"You want me to leave you ... or you want me to get you something, brotha?" Desmond asked.
Again, Kelvin merely shook his head from left to right.
"Well, okay. I'll be outside if you need me." Desmond went to the door and then turned back. "I'll take over for you, Kel. When you feel up to it, go back to bed, yea?"
Kelvin nodded his head up and down to let Desmond know he agreed.
Outside the bathroom, Desmond thought over what he'd just seen. Kelvin had looked weak the past few days but he said it was just the lack of sunlight and it was wearing him down. But now, after seeing Kelvin in the bathroom, Desmond knew that it had to be more ... much more. Desmond went to the kitchen and fixed himself a power shake. He'd only had 4 hours sleep and now was taking on another shift. He'd need everything he could get to keep alert until Kelvin was back to his old self. As he sipped the shake, he worried that Kelvin might not get better. A moment of panic rushed through his veins as he thought about what it would be like if he was the only one to man the computer. "How can I do it alone?" he asked himself. "How?"
Desmond's thoughts were cut short as the bathroom door opened and a pale and visibly weak Kelvin stepped out into the main living area. Desmond sat his shake down and moved toward Kelvin but was stopped when his partner held up a hand to tell him not to come closer.
"You've got to stay away from me, Desmond." Kelvin told him in as strong a voice as he could muster. "I'm sick ... I've got it. The sickness."
Desmond took several steps back and bumped against the sink island in the kitchen. "The sickness? But how? How?" He was panicked now. If Kelvin was right and he did have the sickness that meant that Kelvin would be dead soon and that meant he'd be left alone ... alone to man the computer.
Kelvin didn't answer Desmond's question, he went to his bottom bunk and fell into it exhausted. Slowly, he turned to face Desmond, who had advanced to the middle of the living room and was looking in at Kelvin. "I don't know. Maybe I got it when I went outside to get you. I don't know ... "
Before Desmond could ask him anything else, Kelvin's eyes closed and if it were not for his heavy breathing, Desmond would have thought he'd died then and there.
Desmond went to the sofa and lay down. He had less than an hour left before the alarm would go off again. He tried to nap but his mind was racing and it was useless to try. He just lay there and let his mind go. There was really nothing else he could do ... not until he could get Kelvin to talk to him some more about the sickness.
TO BE CONTINUED