(off the island, a boat)
After four days at sea, Penny was going a little stir crazy. With the only scenery being the view from her porthole in her small cramped cabin, she wasn't sure how much longer she could take this. A storm was blowing in from the north and was pushing them in the wrong direction. She heard one of the researchers say it could take days to get back on course."Nothing to worry about," Robert reassured her. "Everything's fine. We're nearing the coordinates."
Yet something still didn't seem right.
On the fourth day at sundown, many of the scientists were gathered on one side of the boat, many cameras flashing at the almost dark sea and shrill squeals of excitement erupting randomly from them. She came up from her cabin slightly bleary-eyed and hugged her coat tighter to her more as a sense of security than because it was cold.
"What is it?" she asked Robert who was leaning against the side, looking merely amused.
"A school of sharks," he said calmly, sipping hot coffee from a mug. "They're feeding."
Looking down she saw a lot of splashing in the water and blood colored foam arising to the top. Every so often a tail would whip into view before disappearing below the churning surface. All the people seemed so amazed at this.
"Exciting," she mused, trying to hold back her sarcasm. "How close are we?"
"Close," he looked out at the setting sun on the horizon, how it was only a small blur just above the water line. "We could reach it by tomorrow night."
"And?" she asked, her heart suddenly pumping faster.
"And what?"
"What do we do when we're there?" she asked.
"My dear, we hope that there is something to do once we're there," and he seemed to be trying to be as nice as possible through obvious frustration. "We're betting everything on your orders to act."
"I know but…"
"Just remember that next time you ask me what next."
He walked away holding his mug tightly. Robert had been her only companion on this voyage but she knew he was tired of her. She knew he believed Desmond to be dead.
"CAPTAIN!"
There was a bellow from above. The captain had come down to view the school of sharks. The scream caused him to look up, the only thing differentiating himself from the others a stark white captains had perched on his head.
"ROCKS!"
"In the middle of the ocean?" Penny exclaimed.
The captain took the stairs three at a time and made it to the wheel. Looking ahead he saw water smashing against what looked like a line of rocks. Looking left and right he saw nothing, but it was also pitch dark out and a fog was rolling in along with the thunder.
"Hard to starboard!" he shouted, twisting the wheel.
Everyone on deck felt the jerk and stumbled sideways. Penny gripped the side and as she looked down, she saw something very odd. The sharks that had just been feeding were now floating belly up in the water, dead.
"There's more!" shouted what had to be the first mate. The captain had barely stepped out of the room to check over the side when the shout came. "Everywhere!"
A roaring filled the air as everyone was thrown from their feet, hitting the deck hard as something struck the bottom of the yacht. Penny looked up in time to see the sky turn upside down.
(end)
Sawyer felt like a huge weight were on top of him, keeping his eyes shut and keeping him from moving. Automatically he went to raise his hand to his eyes but he found he couldn't move. He knew his eyes were opened and suddenly a terrified pang went through him. Am I blind, he wondered?
But very blurry shapes were coming into focus. As they did, he became more aware of his body and the amount of pain in it. At first it was a dull roar, becoming sharper and clearer with his vision. As the ceiling came into sharp focus, the pain hit him like a truck.
"Aauugghhh!"
He let out a groan of agony and arched his back. Every inch of him hurt, but mostly his abdomen. Lowering a hand, he felt many bandages. Turning his head he saw he was lying on the ground beside some guy who was too blue to be alive.
On his other side was a pile of what looked like bloody blankets. He felt like he was going to be sick but knew he didn't have the energy to move.
What was happening?
"Don't try to talk or move."
His eyes searched wildly for the source of the voice. Finally they fell upon Alex, who knelt beside him. An enormous explosion of relief took place in his chest.
"You had surgery," she said gently, taking a wet cloth from the basket beside her and wiping Sawyer's brow. "Jack did it."
The doc? Why would the doc operate on me?
"They don't know you're alive and I don't think they're going to tell him. But if you're going to live you need more medicine. They already gave you some today but I'm giving you more. This way you'll get better faster," she was talking fast and he couldn't keep up. His mind felt foggy as he tried to remember the last thing he did. "Can you hear me?"
He nodded very slightly and realized he was grinding his teeth. The pain was so excruciating he was wondering how he could possibly get himself to go back to sleep. Alex continued to wipe his brow and then checked his bandages. Then she took out a large syringe.
Sawyer tried to move, but he couldn't. He could only groan as she pressed it into his arm. She took it out and looked away, checking for anyone entering.
"It'll help, I promise," she said softly. Was this girl actually feeling sorry for me?
"The doc…"
Alex turned, looking back at Sawyer.
"What?"
"The doc and Kate. They're okay?" he mumbled, not wanting to move his mouth more.
"Yeah," she seemed almost relieved at this question. "They're fine."
"Me?" he breathed, his breath coming in short gasps.
"I don't know. They…they won't tell me anything," Alex looked away from Sawyer and he knew she was lying. He had no energy to fight.
As Alex continued to talk to Sawyer, Jack was pacing the cell.
Where could they have taken Kate? He knew he'd done something wrong, he knew it. But what he also knew was that what they made him to do to Sawyer wasn't out of the blue. Jack understood.
After three hours, the door opened and Kate fell inside, landing on her hands and knees and staying there. The door slammed shut and Jack ran to her.
"Kate?" he whispered, so glad that she was okay.
She remained looking down, her hair falling in her face. Her arms were shaking with her sobs. She silently cried, looking down at the floor.
"Kate," he repeated, trying to get her to stand. "What happened?"
Slowly she looked up at him and sat back on her heels. Tears were falling like never before, and her sobs were keeping her silent. He had never seen her like this. Kate wasn't one to cry. She was so strong, so tough.
"What did they do?" he demanded.
"Where's Sawyer?" she sobbed.
….
Kate had screamed and screamed until her throat was raw. She flattened herself against the door, the only part of the room not invaded by corpses. She could see children's faces, and others with their skin decaying off. The smell was horrible and she vomited over and over until her legs shook and she was sure her head would explode.
Suddenly she stopped. Looking at a pair of legs sticking out from under the pile. The boots, the rough jeans….
"Sawyer," she breathed.
They left her in there for three hours. She remained against the door, only looking at the pair of legs she could swear were so familiar to her. She could almost see the rest of him lying under that pile but couldn't bring herself to go to him.
When the door clicked she had jumped up and rushed at it. She had run right past the man standing outside and he grabbed her and she screamed, falling to her knees. For a moment she remained there and then he yanked her up.
"Had enough?" he cackled.
…..
"Sawyer?" Jack said hurtfully. She was upset and terrified and could only think about Sawyer?
"I think…" she couldn't breathe, and barely speak. "I think he's dead."
Jack's heart seemed to fall into his stomach.
"What?" he shook his head as though trying to clear it. "How?"
"I saw…" she cried, shaking as she gripped Jack and he kept her standing. "I saw….some…I…"
"It's okay," he pulled her closer and she cried. She cried for being here and for Sawyer but mostly for the fact that Jack was now alone. She knew he would blame himself for Sawyer's death, and that it would leave him alone because he'd push her away.
"I want to go home," she whispered, still holding onto him tightly. "I want to go back home."
At first when Kate said home, Jack pictured their side of the island and he surprised himself that he was calling that home so fast. Yet he knew what she meant.
……..
"Sayid?"
Sayid was digging and digging by himself. He was sweating and pale, and breathing heavily as he continued to excavate what he could. It had sunk deeper and the hole had collapsed. The dirt was hardening under the sun and he had less than half an hour of daylight left.
He didn't even hear Hurley come up behind him.
"Sayid!"
For a moment Sayid stopped. He looked back at Hurley exhaustedly.
"Sun wants you," Hurley said, and then stopped himself. "I mean, she's looking…well you knew what I meant."
"Not now," Sayid couldn't think of anything else right now. He knew Jack, Kate, and Sawyer were in danger. He also knew Charlie would run out of air eventually if he even was still alive down there. Right now as he dug, he felt like he was doing it for Shannon. Her face was the clearest in his mind right now, and it seemed almost as if he lost at this, he had lost her forever.
"Sun said you need to get to the boat," Hurley said, looking around. He was still slightly delirious but determined. "You have to help them!"
"I have to help Charlie too!" Sayid shouted over his shoulder, continuing to dig.
"If Charlie was in there…" Hurley could barely bring himself to say it. "He's probably gone, man."
"No," said Sayid firmly as he continued to dig. "No. I have to do this first. Then the others. I can't stop now."
Sun had come down the path and was watching Sayid dig with all of his might. Jack was gone for who knew how long, and now their only leader was running himself thin trying to save everyone at once.
She only wondered how he'd react when she told him about the symptoms.
………………
The boat seemed to dip at a complete ninety-degree angle. Penny reached out and the first thing she grabbed was a pipe in the side of the cabin. As the boat tipped to one side, her body left the deck and for a split second she was dangling above the dark, thrashing waters. There were crashes as many people slid off the deck and onto the rocks, screaming. Gripping it with all her might, she felt the rain come and as it downpoured the boat righted itself, coming back up to level, swinging terribly as though the front were stuck.
She let go of the pipe and looked about the deck that was now completely empty.
"MISS WIDMORE!"
Looking up she saw Robert climbing out of the cabin. He had a large cut on his head as he rushed towards her.
"We've hit some rocks!" he shouted, his usual calm undertone gone as he helped her up quickly. "The boat is taking on water!"
"Everyone just fell!" she gasped, her mind barely wrapping around what was happening.
"We need to get on a life boat," he said. "The captain has one ready."
Robert pulled Penny along the slightly slanted deck, her tennis shoes slipping in the now torrential downpour. Her long coat was drenched within moments, as were her slacks and t-shirt. She thought of all her things below, and her wallet and purse with pictures of her daughter inside.
They reached the forward deck where over the side they were preparing to lower a very small rowboat. Around it were the remaining passengers, only about five or six young researchers looking terrified as they stood in the rain, waiting to get on.
"Where will we go to?" she shrieked as the wind whipped her hair about her face.
"There's land!" Robert pointed to the west. "We didn't see it coming in!"
She squinted and very barely through the rain and fog she could see the dim outline of what looked like a landmass.
"Miss?" said the Captain, beckoning her forward.
"Oi! Something's coming through!" the first mate came scrambling down the steps from the control room. The boat was tilting more now. Penny jumped in the boat with Robert beside her. The others standing around the boat were trying to get in.
"It's in French!" he shouted, hurrying to the captain with what looked like a walkie talkie. He held it up to the Captain's ear as the Captain prevented people from getting on. "What is it saying?"
"Something about 'they're all dead'," the Captain looked annoyed. "And numbers. Forget it! GET IN!"
There was a trembling and the boat tipped precariously. Penny gripped Robert as the lifeboat swayed on its thin ropes. The Captain jumped in and just as the first made got in, a wave crashed into the side of the yacht.
Just below, Penny could see the rocks that the boat was so badly damaged on. It rose onto them but was swaying with the force of the water and beginning to slide back down. Quickly, ignoring the shouts of the people on board, the Captain began to lower.
"WHAT ABOUT THEM?" Penny screamed.
"NO TIME!"
The small boat had just reached the water's surface when a final way hit the yacht. Quickly, with one swipe of a pocketknife, the first mate cut the ropes holding the small lifeboat to the yacht. It fell with a splash into the water and bounced back up. Penny looked up at the terrified faces of the remaining people on board.
As they rowed away in the choppy seas, the rain pounded the tiny boat. Penny watched as the yacht took a few more bangs by the waves and finally fell back into them. Within a matter of seconds she was sinking sideways and the boat was just a white mass in the fog and rain as it finally slipped below the surface.
"Will we make it to land?" Penny shrieked in fear at the Captain and first mate who were rowing.
They ignored her as the sea pounded the tiny boat. Their rowing seemed fruitless as they were tossed around by the waves. She could see glimmers of the rocks below the surface and knew they were everywhere. She didn't turn around and look at the landmass they were moving towards. She was concentrated on the waves attacking the boat, almost flipping it with every splash.
"What is that?" shouted Robert, pointing.
For the first time Penny turned around and looked at the land. It was a long beach with mountains rising behind it. But what was prominent on the beach was a large sculpture of a leg and foot, like a larger statue had been broken leaving only one leg. It was twenty stories high and shimmered in the mist like a ghost.
"Possibly Figi!" shouted the Captain as he continued to row.
"LOOKOUT!" Penny screamed.
