Chapter Four:

"I'm going!" Boone shouted for the fourth time.

The next morning was chaos. The search party consisting of Michael, Scott, Steve, Kate, and some others Boone didn't know were up at dawn, and Boone was up soon after. He was going to go, and no one was going to stop him.

"You can barely walk!" Jack argued.

"I can walk fine!" Boone protested.

"You're in no condition to do anything!"

"I'm in fine condition!"

"He's right Boone," Shannon interrupted.

"Shut up Shannon!" Boone shot back, tired of her two sense.

"We should start heading out soon if we're going," Michael said, breaking up the fight. She looked at Boone. "Are you coming or..?"

"I'm going," Boone said.

His eyes had begun to go wild, glaring at Jack, as he grabbed his pack to go with the group.

"You can't do this," Jack said.

Jack knew Boone's condition was bad, and if Boone would happen to so much as fall, he could black out for at least ten minutes. And with Boone slowly becoming crazy, it could be worse.

"Stop telling me what I can and can't do, Dad!" Boone yelled.

Everyone stopped, including Jack, who stared at Boone in confusion, but Boone didn't seem to have realized that he said anything wrong.

"Why can't you just believe that I can do something for once?" Boone shouted at Jack.

Everyone stared at Boone in confusion. Even Shannon didn't know what was going on.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She asked, staring at him.

"You shut up!" Boone yelled, rounding on her. "This is all your fault!"

"What?" Shannon exclaimed. "What's all my fault?"

"I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you!" Boone shouted. "I went to Australia to get you out of trouble! That's all I've ever done is take the blame for your mistakes! I can't do that anymore! Just for once, let me do something for me!"

Boone finally stopped, leaving everyone in silence, staring at him. Boone looked around at everyone staring at him, shook his head, and left. When no one said or did anything, Shannon went after him. She caught up with her brother ten minutes on a trail that led to the heart of the island. Grabbing his shoulder, she spun him around to face his furious face.

"What was that all about?" Shannon demanded.

"Just get out of here," Boone said as he tried to turn away.

Shannon stopped him.

"You called Jack 'dad'," she said, "you've never said that to anyone."

"Just leave me alone!"

"Stop acting like your seven and tell me what's going on!" Shannon shouted.

"Let me go!"

He shoved Shannon back, turned, and continued down the path. Shannon caught her balance before she fell, and stared after him as he walked off.

Boone had been walking for twenty minutes, and he had begun to regret leaving. He now understood what Jack meant about not being in good condition, but he wasn't about to turn back now. Staying on the straight path into the heart of the island, Boone looked ahead to see where he was going, but what he saw made him stop:

It was the girl again, standing there, still, staring at him, ten feet ahead on the path. Her face was reaked in blood, but her blonde hair stood out more than ever. As Boone walked forward, the girl didn't break her gaze. It wasn't until he was two feet in front of her that the silence broke.

"It was all your fault," the girl whispered.

Boone's eyes widened in shock and fear. He stepped back, but tripped over a tree root in the process. Losing his balance, Boone fell backwards and began to roll down the hill. He felt numerous twigs cut his face and arms, and dizziness began to take over. He felt like he had been rolling forever until his head hit something hard, and darkness took over.

"Boone!" A distance voice said. "Boone!"

He felt someone begin to slap his face lightly, and a strange sense of dejavu overcame him along with fresh new pain.

"Boone!" A new voice said. "Come on man, wake up."

Boone's head turned to the side and he let out a groan. He heard numerous sighs of relief. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Surprisingly, he didn't need to use Jack's blinking trick. He tried to sit up, but pain and soreness took over. He groaned, lowering his head back down.

"Woah, take it easy."

That's Michael, Boone realized, he was with the search party.. so where am I?

Two different hands helped Boone sit up. Rubbing the back of his head, Boone realized he supported a newly formed bump. His vision clearing, Boone looked around to see that he was still in the forest, and Kate and Michael were in front of him, and a few others were behind them.

"What happened?" Boone asked before realizing they wouldn't know.

"We're not sure," Michael said, "we turned paths and found you lying here."

He glanced at Kate.

"We thought you were dead."

It was quite. Boone was too sore and confussed to say anything, and the others too shocked.

"I'll help him get back to the caves," Kate volunteered finally.

"I'm fine," Boone said, embarrassed to need help for the second time.

"Are you sure man?" Michael said. "You look pretty weak.."

"I'm fine!" Boone protested loudly, startling Kate and Michael.

"Let's just get you on your feet," Kate said quickly.

Michael and Kate reached out, each grabbing one of Boone's arms and pulling him up. Pain shot through him, but Boone ignored it. He was getting used to pain by now. Kate and Michael let go of Boone slowly, and he immediately staggered. They grabbed him, and his head began to spin. Taking a deep breath, Boone tried to pull himself together. He could do this. No one knew, and no one had to, not if he could pull through and just get over it..by himself.

"Sir, we can't file a missing persons report unless the person has been missing for twenty-four hours," the cop, Malcolm, said.

Boone's head began to spin with images of Shannon hurt, dead, in an alley. The police station was bursting with constant phone ringing, shouts for orders, and the hustle and bustle of a busy office. It was giving Boone a headace.

"But you don't understand!" Boone said, fighting to keep from shouting. "My sister- Shannon, she's gone out with this guy who's going to hurt her if she doesn't give him the money he wants!"

"Maybe she'll give him the money," Malcom said, assuringly, trying to calm Boone down.

He wasn't doing a good job of it. Worry was all Boone could think of right now. A million versions of what would happen if he didn't find Shannon in time whirled through his brain,constantly taunting and poking at him.

"She doesn't have the money!" Boone exclaimed. "Well, she does, but not with her." He shook his head. "That's not the point- you've got to help me! If something happens to her-"

He was cut off by the shouting of a new guy who was just brought in, cuffed. He had long, straight, sandy brown hair, and was wearing a black t-shirt with jeans.

"This town's going to hell!" He shouted to the station. "All of it!"

The cops holding him tightened their grip, and led the man into a side hallway. Boone and Malcolm's head turned back to their conversation. Boone stared at Malcolm hard and realized Malcom wasn't going to do a thing for him. Slamming his fist on the table, Boone stood up.

"You know what?" He jabbed his finger towards the man who was just brought in. "He's right."

He stormed out of the police station, fearing the worse.

"Boone?" Someone asked, jerking him from his memories. "Boone? Are you okay?"

"Sawyer," Boone said softly, slowly realizing..

"What?" Kate asked, stepping forward, crossing her arms. "What about-?"

Pushing Kate and Michael out of the way, Boone began running, ignoring the stares that followed.

He found Jack in the med cave, discussing something with Sayid. They turned when they heard Boone enter. Boone finally stopped, catching his breath. His muscles were protesting against life, and his head throbbed, and he was surprised he had been able to run that far in his condition. From the look in Jack's eyes, he hadn't forgotten what happened earlier.

"What happened?" Jack asked immediately.

Boone shook his head, not wanting to give an explanation. Sayid handed him a bottle of water which he took gratefully. After a few short sips, he spoke.

"It's Sawyer," Boone explained, "he's no good."

Sayid and Jack exchanged a glance. How did he find out?

"How did you find out?" Sayid asked after a moment.

"What?" Boone said, confused.

Jack glared at Sayid. He had been hoping to keep the letter silent.

"Never mind," Jack said quickly, "what were you saying?"

"I've seen him before-"

"Before?" Jack interrupted. "Before the crash?"

Boone nodded.

"At a police station in Louisiana," Boone explained.

"Why were you-" Sayid started.

"Doesn't matter," Boone said, shaking her head, "he was being arrested."

"Do you know for what?" Jack asked.

"No," Boone said, "I just remember him saying.. the town was going to hell, all of it."

The three stood in silence until-

"How long ago was this?" Sayid asked.

"Umm.." Boone thought on it, "three weeks ago."

Silence engulfed them once more as they thought about it. What did Sawyer get arrested for and how did he get out so easily? Suddenly something caught Boone's eye. He looked up past Jack and Sayid too.. the little blonde haired girl. She was staring straight at him. He heard her whisper, but this time it was in his head, her lips were unmoving.

"Your fault.." he heard in his head, "all.. your.. fault."

And Boone fainted.