"Jack" A voice rang out in the silent caves, it was early morning and everyone was still sound asleep.
"What?" Kate looked up bleary eyed and rubbed them as the sight before her came into focus. "Kate?" Claire was by Kate's side shaking her to wake, Kate could see unfallen tears collected in her red eyes. "Kate we need Jack"
"Jack's sleep..." Kate stopped as she stared at Locke, his face was solemn and within his strong arms lay a limp and lifeless Charlie.
"Wait here?" Kate turned to find Jack but it seemed he was awake already, he hurried over to Locke and Charlie.
"Over here!" Jack hurried Locke over to his own bed. Locke lowered his patient carefully down. Charlie made no movement or sound, he just lay limply and unnaturally as Locke placed him down. His face was deathly pale in the dim light, it was battered and bruised and his bandage on his forehead was covered in dirt and mud. Jack looked over him, he was a far cry from the Charlie Jack had come to know and love, he was far too still for the rock star Jack knew. Jack checked for a pulse and found a weak one, one that the doctor could barely detect over his own racing heartbeat. He listened and checked for breathing to find a small shallow exhale and inhale. He then turned his attention to the red stain on Charlie's t-shirt, Jack was grieved to find this, and from the rip in Charlie's shirt he had already guessed he was shot.
"What happened?" Jack asked in desperation. He turned and looked back at Locke and Claire. Claire was in fits of hysterics, Kate was comforting her as best she could.
"I found them" Locke said quickly "out in the jungle, she hasn't spoken"
"Claire what happened?" Jack was needing information quick, "I need to know"
"It's all my fault!" Claire was sobbing uncontrollably, "He tried to save my baby, Ethan shot him before Charlie got a chance"
Jack shook his head and turned quickly back to his work. "How long has it been since he was shot?" The doctor lifted Charlie's shirt and removed the piece of trouser Claire had placed on long before. He paused for a second at the sight of the ugly wound. He had come across may shootings in his time as a surgeon, but seeing someone he knew in such a state was a new feeling altogether.
"How long" he was getting impatient. "How long Claire"
"It was light when he was shot" Claire buried her head into Kate as she stroked her head soothingly.
"That means he's been bleeding for a long time" Jack's eyes welled with tears. "He's lost so much blood" the doctor looked from Charlie to Claire and Kate and to Locke.
"I need to take the bullet out" he said slowly, "I can't risk it staying in" Jack was shaking with fear, removing a bullet from a wound was risky enough in surgery, with aesthetic, drugs and sterile instruments.
"And?" Locke questioned what was wrong.
Jack remained silent, staring upon Charlie's still form, watching has his chest rose slightly and fell. Jack was still in utter shock at what was expected of him.
"This is a risky procedure as it is, even back in a hospital, with monitors and equipment. Charlie's lost so much blood, if I try to retrieve the bullet I would risk the chance of him bleeding internally. And if he wakes up through the procedure, he's going to be in some pain. If I'm going to do this I'm going to need some help"
"OK" Locke began to move back to the camp which was still somehow sleeping silently on. "I'll fetch some people"
"Wait!" Jack stopped him. "I want responsible people, Rose for one, and I need supplies, alcohol, something to stitch up with, towels, bandages, everything you can find"
Locke sped off into the main camp, voices could be heard as people were being woken. "This is all my fault!" Jack sighed as he lent over Charlie checking his pulse again. "If only I had listened to you Claire" Jack was angry at himself. Charlie's life would not be hanging in the balance if it wasn't for him, he thought.
"No it's my fault" Claire cried, "I should have"
"Will you just stop it both of you!" Kate butted in. "it's no-one's fault, all we should be worrying about now is Charlie, because he needs us right now"
Jack rummaged through his bag nearby and found a pair of scissor. He cut quickly up Charlie's shirt. The extent of Charlie's bruises were now visible. There was several bruises across his chest from Jack's CPR and an uncountable amount down his sides and his shoulder, seemingly from Ethan's merciless beatings. Jack grabbed a nearby blanket and covered half of Charlie that was unharmed. Jack needed to keep him warm.
"Kate will you check Charlie" Jack asked calmly.
"What?" Kate didn't understand the question.
"When I'm doing this, I need someone to keep an eye on him, to check his pulse and breathing and in case he comes to." Kate nodded slowly and fell to her knees gently next to Charlie, she let Claire sit beside her.
Jack turned around to see Rose approach him, her hands were full of bottles and packets of pills and bandages.
"Here" she placed the contents of her arms down next to Jack. "I hope you can find something for the poor boy's pain" She left to find other resources.
Jack shook his head, "I can't give him anything for the pain," Jack cried "even if we had morphine I couldn't give him it, it wouldn't have any effect on him, from being a heroin addict"
"Heroin addict?" Kate looked up questioningly, "Charlie was a junkie"
"Yes" Jack hung his head in shame for letting the secret out. "He's been going through withdrawal the past week or so"
"Do you want any help?" Sayid appeared from around the corner. "Locke told me what happened" "Yes" Jack said, "You can sort my things out" Jack pointed to the pile of supplies on the floor. "I know you're not a doctor, but I may need some help during this"
Sayid nodded, "Whatever it takes."
"What?" Kate looked up bleary eyed and rubbed them as the sight before her came into focus. "Kate?" Claire was by Kate's side shaking her to wake, Kate could see unfallen tears collected in her red eyes. "Kate we need Jack"
"Jack's sleep..." Kate stopped as she stared at Locke, his face was solemn and within his strong arms lay a limp and lifeless Charlie.
"Wait here?" Kate turned to find Jack but it seemed he was awake already, he hurried over to Locke and Charlie.
"Over here!" Jack hurried Locke over to his own bed. Locke lowered his patient carefully down. Charlie made no movement or sound, he just lay limply and unnaturally as Locke placed him down. His face was deathly pale in the dim light, it was battered and bruised and his bandage on his forehead was covered in dirt and mud. Jack looked over him, he was a far cry from the Charlie Jack had come to know and love, he was far too still for the rock star Jack knew. Jack checked for a pulse and found a weak one, one that the doctor could barely detect over his own racing heartbeat. He listened and checked for breathing to find a small shallow exhale and inhale. He then turned his attention to the red stain on Charlie's t-shirt, Jack was grieved to find this, and from the rip in Charlie's shirt he had already guessed he was shot.
"What happened?" Jack asked in desperation. He turned and looked back at Locke and Claire. Claire was in fits of hysterics, Kate was comforting her as best she could.
"I found them" Locke said quickly "out in the jungle, she hasn't spoken"
"Claire what happened?" Jack was needing information quick, "I need to know"
"It's all my fault!" Claire was sobbing uncontrollably, "He tried to save my baby, Ethan shot him before Charlie got a chance"
Jack shook his head and turned quickly back to his work. "How long has it been since he was shot?" The doctor lifted Charlie's shirt and removed the piece of trouser Claire had placed on long before. He paused for a second at the sight of the ugly wound. He had come across may shootings in his time as a surgeon, but seeing someone he knew in such a state was a new feeling altogether.
"How long" he was getting impatient. "How long Claire"
"It was light when he was shot" Claire buried her head into Kate as she stroked her head soothingly.
"That means he's been bleeding for a long time" Jack's eyes welled with tears. "He's lost so much blood" the doctor looked from Charlie to Claire and Kate and to Locke.
"I need to take the bullet out" he said slowly, "I can't risk it staying in" Jack was shaking with fear, removing a bullet from a wound was risky enough in surgery, with aesthetic, drugs and sterile instruments.
"And?" Locke questioned what was wrong.
Jack remained silent, staring upon Charlie's still form, watching has his chest rose slightly and fell. Jack was still in utter shock at what was expected of him.
"This is a risky procedure as it is, even back in a hospital, with monitors and equipment. Charlie's lost so much blood, if I try to retrieve the bullet I would risk the chance of him bleeding internally. And if he wakes up through the procedure, he's going to be in some pain. If I'm going to do this I'm going to need some help"
"OK" Locke began to move back to the camp which was still somehow sleeping silently on. "I'll fetch some people"
"Wait!" Jack stopped him. "I want responsible people, Rose for one, and I need supplies, alcohol, something to stitch up with, towels, bandages, everything you can find"
Locke sped off into the main camp, voices could be heard as people were being woken. "This is all my fault!" Jack sighed as he lent over Charlie checking his pulse again. "If only I had listened to you Claire" Jack was angry at himself. Charlie's life would not be hanging in the balance if it wasn't for him, he thought.
"No it's my fault" Claire cried, "I should have"
"Will you just stop it both of you!" Kate butted in. "it's no-one's fault, all we should be worrying about now is Charlie, because he needs us right now"
Jack rummaged through his bag nearby and found a pair of scissor. He cut quickly up Charlie's shirt. The extent of Charlie's bruises were now visible. There was several bruises across his chest from Jack's CPR and an uncountable amount down his sides and his shoulder, seemingly from Ethan's merciless beatings. Jack grabbed a nearby blanket and covered half of Charlie that was unharmed. Jack needed to keep him warm.
"Kate will you check Charlie" Jack asked calmly.
"What?" Kate didn't understand the question.
"When I'm doing this, I need someone to keep an eye on him, to check his pulse and breathing and in case he comes to." Kate nodded slowly and fell to her knees gently next to Charlie, she let Claire sit beside her.
Jack turned around to see Rose approach him, her hands were full of bottles and packets of pills and bandages.
"Here" she placed the contents of her arms down next to Jack. "I hope you can find something for the poor boy's pain" She left to find other resources.
Jack shook his head, "I can't give him anything for the pain," Jack cried "even if we had morphine I couldn't give him it, it wouldn't have any effect on him, from being a heroin addict"
"Heroin addict?" Kate looked up questioningly, "Charlie was a junkie"
"Yes" Jack hung his head in shame for letting the secret out. "He's been going through withdrawal the past week or so"
"Do you want any help?" Sayid appeared from around the corner. "Locke told me what happened" "Yes" Jack said, "You can sort my things out" Jack pointed to the pile of supplies on the floor. "I know you're not a doctor, but I may need some help during this"
Sayid nodded, "Whatever it takes."