Charlie's eyes widened.

Lying on the marble floor of the shower, covered in dust and bits of broken tile were Locke and Eko. Both were unconscious, and Locke had a particularly nasty gash on his bald head. Eko lay facedown and Charlie was unsure if he was breathing.

Turning around Charlie bolted from the bathroom and skidded through the computer room, stumbling on the debris on the floor. He leapt over the ping pong table and sprinted into the hallway, hurrying to the hole and putting his head inside.

"Sayid! I found them!" Charlie bellowed as Sayid's face appeared on the other side. "They're hurt!"

"We need to make this hole bigger," Sayid said, turning around. Hurley was standing behind him, looking worried. "I need help."

Hurley looked at Sayid like he was crazy.

"Charlie!" Sayid shouted in

Charlie looked back into the hole.

"Are thye alive?"

"I don't know," Charlie looked back towards the bathroom with shivers along his spine.

"Find out and come back."

Sayid said this simply as though Charlie were checking the weather out the window. Shaking his head Charlie hurried back down the hallway and through the computer room. Coming back to the bathroom he stepped inside and went to the shower.

Bending down he shook Locke's shoulder. For a moment Locke didn't respond, then he let out a low groan.

"John," Charlie hissed, enormous relief flooding his chest. "Are you okay?"

Slowly John looked up. Bits of the ceiling fell from him as he moved to turn over and sit up. But he found he had trouble.

"Does anything feel broken?" Charlie asked automatically, not really sure of what else to do. His eyes kept going to Eko who still wasn't moving.

"No," Locke suddenly looked very panicked. He had gripped one leg and then the other. He looked up at Charlie with wide eyes. "No."

Without saying anything, John seized a nearby piece of broken marble and smashed it into his leg, causing blood to pour from it. But John hadn't even flinched. His eyes seemed to dim and the breath left him.

"What did you bloody do that for?" Charlie demanded.

"No," was all Locke could say.

"Eko," extremely scared and weirded out by John, Charlie leaned over and shook Eko's enormous arm. The large man didn't move. Charlie got to his knees, the tile crunching under his knees and was able to heave Eko over.

Eko stared with blank eyes towards the ceiling. He was dead.

"We have to get out of here," Charlie said, his stomach twisting into tight knots. He felt sick, almost like he could faint. But he had to help John out. "Come on, can you stand?"

"No," John shook his head, his eyes far off.

"Well maybe because you stabbed yourself," snapped Charlie, Eko's death washing over him like a cold wave. He suddenly was bitter towards John. "Can you stand or not?"

"No," John said one more time, frustrating Charlie. "I can't."

"Why?" Charlie was having a difficult time avoiding Eko's wide-open eyes.

"Because I'm paralyzed," John's voice shook in his throat. "I'm paralyzed again."

……….

(off the island, Penny's home)

Penny hadn't been home ten minutes from the market when the phone in her kitchen rang. She had her daughter in her arms as she rushed through the kitchen door and snatched up the phone on the third ring.

"Hello?" she panted, bouncing the baby on her hip.

"Miss Widmore?" the voice on the other line said, calling her by her maiden name. "We have some news."

Her heart fluttered as she listened closely, putting the baby in her high chair.

"We can have a boat ready by this afternoon but our trip will not be the only one it's taking. The only way we could get clearance to do this is if we join a zoology mission. They're researching something with whales, but our destination is on their way. And if we find what we're looking for, we'll cut the whole thing short," said the voice she now recognized as Robert's. "How does that sound?"

"Brilliant," she smiled, knowing he had probably just received the memo about a raise she'd stuck in. "What time do I need to be in London?"

"We can leave from your local port, Smithville. If that is more convenient," said Robert, and Penny could almost see him counting all the zeros on the check

"Sounds fine," she handed her daughter a bottle and turned around to grab a pen and paper. "And what is the dock number?"

"Twenty-three," said Robert "The boat number is forty-two. It shouldn't be too hard to find."

After getting all the information, Penny quickly booked another flight out. As she did she watched her daughter, Georgia, staring at her from her chair. The little girl hadn't even drank the bottle, just sat it down and watched her mother go about her things.

When Penny was done she went over to the baby and picked her up, hugging her tightly. How could she explain it in terms the child would understand?

"Mommy has to go away," whispered Penny, looking into the sad baby's face. "I'll be back soon."

"Why?" asked Georgia, which had been her new game of late. She would repeat it indefinitely, not really making sense.

"Because Mommy lost a friend and needs to find him again," she explained, wishing the child could understand more. "Will you be good for Daddy?"

The little girl nodded her head, sucking her thumb. Penny kissed her head and carried the little girl with her as she headed upstairs to pack

At the top of the stairs she stopped. The front door opened and Richard came bustling in, briefcase in hand.

"I'm up here," Penny called down.

She felt nervous as she sat Georgia down on the rug and took out a suitcase. She had lied about where she was putting the money, and about where she'd gone when she'd flown to London. Richard knew about Desmond, and how she had dated him and loved him. He also knew that Desmond hadn't returned from his race around the world. But she hadn't told him that she was looking for him, and sincerely believed her own father had taken part in his disappearance

Richard came into the bedroom and saw Penny putting folded clothes into a suitcase.

"Honey?" he said worriedly. She knew he probably thought she was leaving him.

"I have to go away for a bit," she said quickly, avoiding his eyes as she put more clothes in, barely paying attention.

"Where to?" Richard picked up Georgia and held her, looking extremely sad.

Penny didn't answer him right away, preferring to grab some of the things from her end table and stuff them in a different bag. She could feel his eyes on her as she packed and suddenly couldn't hold back the tears any longer.

"Penny," Richard spoke softly, his daughter resting her head on his shoulder. "Are you leaving me, darling?"

Shaking her head as tears fell, Penny walked over to her husband and hugged him. She loved the man, loved him with all her heart. She had his child, and was his wife. But she knew Desmond could very well be in that spot, and he was the one who should have been there.

"I have to do something," she wiped her tears and stepped back from him. "I promise I'll be back shortly."

"And you're not…seeing anyone else?" he asked simply, his accent always making him sound proper.

"No," she smiled. "No, honey. I'm not."

She returned to packing and Richard brought Georgia into her room and put her in her crib before returning and watching Penny finish packing.

"How long will you be gone?" he asked as she finally zippered the bag.

"Not long. Maybe a week," she came over to him and kissed him hard. "I love you."

"Love you too, dear," he said as she hurried from the room.

Later as she sat in the car on the way to the dock, she removed her wedding ring from her finger and placed it in the glove compartment of her car.

(END)

"What?"

Kate looked at Jack.

"We need to leave," he turned to look at her. "I just killed a man."

"You did surgery…" Sawyer began.

"No, I killed him. I didn't have the proper tools, I did the best I could but he died. I killed him," Jack looked down at his bloody hands. "I…"

"No you didn't," Kate insisted, sitting up and coming towards him. "Jack, you didn't."

"I'm all for getting out, though," said Sawyer weakly, wincing at his side.

"Do your ribs hurt?" Jack asked, noticing Sawyer clutching his side. Sawyer nodded and closed his eyes, sighing with the pain. "Can I take a look?"

Usually Sawyer would have had a wise remark for Jack, or even said to buzz off. But Sawyer simply obliged, raising his shirt to show his purpling side.

"I think he broke your ribs," Jack said, gently pressing Sawyer's side. He cried out in pain and inched away. "Try not to move."

"Does breathing count?" he snapped.

"Jack," Kate whispered.

He turned to her and she looked terrified. He came over to her and they both sat against the wall opposite Sawyer. He could see something was wrong, other than their current situation. She seemed to be holding her arm.

"What is it?" he asked.

"They gave me something," she said softly, her eyes a bit far off.

"What?" he didn't understand.

She lifted her hand and Jack saw a small puncture wound on her arm from a rather large needle.

"They gave it to me after they pulled me from the room. I don't feel anything yet but…" she looked at Jack with terrified eyes. "What was it?"

"It could have been a sedative that didn't effect you," he tenderly touched her arm and she looked up at him, their faces closed. "Are you tired?"

"No," she shook her head but her eyes were focused on Jack.

"If you feel weird, tell me," he insisted. "I need to make sure Sawyer is okay."

Jack got back up but not to check on Sawyer. Sitting so close to Kate had been slightly nerve wracking. He didn't know why, possibly because it was his fault she was here. He went back to Sawyer and sat beside him. Kate remained on the far side, looking down at her arm worriedly. Jack prayed whatever they'd given her wasn't dangerous.

"Doc," Sawyer hissed, looking over weakly.

"Yeah?" Jack said, not really listening.

"Do you think Mike and his kid got home?"

Looking over at Sawyer, Jack shrugged. Sawyer looked away. He hadn't expected Jack to answer but all he could think about was how Michael had murdered Ana and Libby, and now his reward was to go home. It was bugging Sawyer, more so than the excruciating pain in his side.

They all slept, or rather dozed. Jack barely closed his eyes but knew he had eventually dozed off. When he woke up it was considerably later. He had no perception of the time at all. It could have been three in the morning and he wouldn't have known.

Suddenly there was a click and the door opened. For a moment Jack froze. Kate had woken up and dashed to him. Sawyer remained asleep.

In the door came Alex, holding a tray. On it were three plates with food of which they couldn't distinguish. It all looked like gray mush.

"I ordered seafood," Sawyer mumbled as he looked at the plates blearily.

"I brought ice," whispered Alex, shutting the door behind her and walking over to them. She set the trays down and held the ice out to hand to Sawyer. When he didn't take it, she placed it beside his legs and turned to leave.

Sawyer swung his foot out and tripped her. With enormous strength for someone whose ribs were broken, he grabbed her and seized her throat.

"STOP!" Jack shouted, but Sawyer shoved him away.

"Get us out of here," Sawyer said with such pain Kate's eyes watered. She could see his teeth grinding in agony as he knelt, holding the young girl by the throat as he eyes bulged. No sound came from her throat and she was quickly purpling.

"Sawyer!" Kate started forward and stopped when the door burst open and Tom and three other men came in. The first one grabbed Kate, shoving her across the room towards the opposite corner. The second grabbed Jack, who had only been standing and watching, and pulled him back

Sawyer let go of Alex and she crumpled, coughing and gagging on the ground. Tom went to her and yanked her up by her shirt, causing her to waver against him and then to the wall. He glanced from Alex to Sawyer with disgust.

"She's no better than you three," snapped Tom, going over to Sawyer who remained on his knees, hunched in pain. "Keep your god damn hands to yourself."

With one swift kick he had sent Sawyer to the ground, reeling in pain. Jack expected Sawyer to pass out from it but instead he remained still, his eyes closed tightly, his hands in tight fists. For a moment Tom lingered and then he waved his hand and the two men released Kate and Jack.

Tom grasped Alex's arm and yanked her from the room, shutting the door.