Chapter Five:
When Boone woke up, the first thing he noticed was that it was dark. The second was that he was alone, and apparently back at the caves. Boone sat up from where he lay on an airline seat, and his head immediately started spinning. Ignoring the pain, he stood slowly. Hell, he hadn't even healed from the attack last night, why'd he have to fall down that hill? His back ached as Boone tried not to think about it, and he carefully went over to where Jack's medicine was. Trying not to make a sound, he began to search through the capsules.
"Come on," he muttered under his breath, "it has to be in here."
"So you're awake."
Boone nearly jumped out of his skin. He spun around. It was Jack. What surprised Boone was that he hadn't even recognized Jack's voice.
"Wha- what are you doing here?" Boone stuttered.
You sound like a girl, he told himself.
"I came to get some stuff for Charlie," Jack said, eyeing him suspiciously.
Boone couldn't tell if Jack was telling the truth or not, but at the time, he didn't care. He was beginning to feel like hell, like the edge of death was closing in on him, and he couldn't take it anymore. He began to search through the medicine again madly, accidentally knocking a few bottles off the makeshift table in the process.
"Is there anything you want to tell me?" Jack asked slowly, watching him curiously, though with obvious concern.
"Just- just get out of here Jack!" Boone said in a high pitched voice that wasn't his.
"What are you looking for?" Jack took a step towards him, and Boone's nerves grew as a trail of sweat trickled down his forehead.
Boone could tell Jack was watching his every move, and it was not only making him nervous, but beginning to annoy him. He didn't respond.
"What's going on?"
"You don't want to be here right now," Boone said, feeling like he was going insane.
This had never happened before, and he wasn't sure what to expect, but he knew it couldn't be good. His hands began to shake, turning cold. He cursed himself for not looking earlier.
"Why?" Jack asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm not exactly sane," Boone tried to explain.
This was going to be hard, torture, he could already tell. The bad thing was, he didn't know what to do, he had never been endanger of running out before.
"You've seen perfectly sane to me." Jack stopped. "Until now."
Boone didn't say anything. What was he supposed to say? He'd let Jack figure it out.
"What kind of drug are you on?" Jack asked, startling Boone.
Busted. He didn't expect Jack to figure it out that quickly. Boone didn't answer.
"When was the last time you took it?"
Once again, Boone didn't reply.
"I know every drug that's in there," Jack said, "I'd know if it was there."
No reply.
"So what?" Jack asked. "Is it anti-depressants?"
Something about that word seemed to touch a nerve in Boone's drug-owned brain. Throwing down the pill bottle he had been holding, he shook his head, storming out.
God, he thought, surprised his thoughts were still his own, you're acting like you're asking for a divorce.
He had failed. He knew it. He'd have no choice but to kill himself now, because it would be done by higher authorities in the near future if he didn't take care of it himself. He kept telling himself it wasn't his fault, that he warned Shannon, and that she should've listened to him. But he didn't. Andy was still missing, most likely out of state by now. Boone shook his head, doing a bad job at convincing himself to stop thinking like that. His heart stopped suddenly at the sound of something hitting the ground. Looking down, he saw it was an unused, unopened prescribed pill bottle. Boone picked it up, looked at it, and began to open it..
Boone tried to shake himself out of it as he continued down a path he had choosen in the jungle. walking iniwhat felt like slow motion, not helping but to remember what happened next..
Letting the drug sink in, Boone continued walking down the abandon street, feeling slightly better. He was considering turning back and going on a search for Andy's place when he heard a scream. His head jerked to the sound, which came from an alleyway by a closed pizza parlor. Running, he prayed he wasn't too late.
The alleyway was dark except for an exit's signs bright red light on the side entrance of the parlor. A dumpster wasn't to far. Looking ahead as he ran, Boone could make out a figure on the ground in the distance, and somehow, he knew it would be his sister. Sure enough, it was. He dropped by her side.
"Are you all right?" He asked immediately, worried and concerned.
Shannon nodded, sobbing. It actually looked like she had fallen from shock, not from being pushed.
"Do you think you can stand?" He asked softly.
Shannon nodded and did, catching some tears before they ran down her face as she did. For the first time, Boone got a good look at her, making sure she was all right. She seemed to be, except for a light bruise and bleeding coming from the upper right side of her head, seeping through the makeup so heavily applied. For the first time, the thought of this happening before began worrying him.
"Did he hurt you?" Boone asked, mentally kicking himself.
What a stupid question, but he truly wasn't sure what to say in a situation like this. Panic and worry was all he could think of.
"He tried," Shannon said through sobs, "you were right he wanted money too.. too.."
"Shh," Boone said trying to calm him down.
"He said.. he said I knew now," she said, trying to contain herself, "something about some loan sharks.. no one was supposed to know.. and I did.."
"It's okay.."
Shannon shook her head. It wasn't okay.
"I think he was going to try and kill me," she sobbed, "or..or-" she shook her head, "but I.. I pushed him back.."
Thank God for horseplay, Boone had thought, all those weekends grounded finally paid off.
"He pushed me again, knocking me over..I hit my head when I fell," she continued, "and he ran.. I don't know why."
Boone could tell she was losing some blood, and getting dizzy.
"I'm gonna take you to the hospital," he told her, taking her by the shoulders to keep her from shaking.
"No!" She protested.
The last thing she wanted was to be seen in public. Boone saw that, but didn't care. He had saved her once, but if she had a concussion, or worse, he didn't know if he'd be able to again.
"No," he said, "just.. don't worry.. you'll be fine.."
Shannon let out another sob, hiding her head in her hands, collapsed to the ground. Not able to bare seeing her like this, Boone wrapped her in his arms, holding her closely as he repeated the phrase over and over again, closing his eyes and telling himself the same thing.
He hadn't realized how close to the ocean he was until he heard the high tide crashing against the waves. Boone stood, staring into the ocean, just ten feet from where the tide hint. Down the beach, there were a few other castaways, looking like they were about ready to go to sleep. A distant fire was dying. He had been staring at nothing, hoping the ocean's soothing sounds would help clear his head. That was, until something appeared in the water. The little blonde girl was standing twenty feet into the raising water. Boone watch as she stared at him, seeming to get closer and closer to shore until.. she was engulfed by a ten foot wave. In his mind, he heard a distant scream, and reacted on first instinct.
Taking his shoes and socks off, knowing they would hold him down, Boone dashed towards the waves, and dove in. He winced as the salt touched his wounds, but that didn't stop him. It was dark underwater, so dark Boone knew it was useless to even try and see. He rose above the water, trying to catch his breath, but he was too late as a wave hit him head on, sending salt water up his mouth and nose, choking him, and causing him to black out..
"Jack! Jack!"
Jack looked up from where he had sat down by the fire. He had never been a heavy sleeper, and figured he wouldn't of been able to get to sleep even if he hadn't been preoccupied by what Boone was talking about. Hurley was standing in from of him, out of breath from running. Jack hadn't even known he was awake.
"What?" He asked, seeing whatever it was, it was urgent. "What happened?"
"It's Boone!" Hurley said, catching his breath. "Someone found him washed up on shore and.."
"What!" Jack exclaimed, leaping to his feet.
"I don't know what happened," said Hurley, "but he's not breathing. You better get down there, and fast."
By the time Jack reacged the beach, there was a small crowd around a body that had been dragged twenty feet from the shore. Jack only recognized Kate out of the group of castaways.
"He's breathing," Kate informed him as he approached.
"How?" Jack wondered outoud, looking down at Boone.
Boone was drenched in water from head to toe, and didn't look good. Kate nodded to a young woman who looked twenty-five behind her.
"I learned CPR in a baby-sitting class," the castaway explained.
"Good," Jack said, nodding, "yeah good."
He turned to the group.
"Look, he'll be okay," he said, "but I need some help getting him back to the caves."
A few other men volunteered, and a hour and a half later, Boone woke up once again in the caves.