Locke, Ethan
Black Rock
Sawyer(Charlie)
Holding his finger to his lips and making a noise of silence, Locke drew himself in to Sawyer further. His eyebrows dipped in concentration as he tried to subtly look at Ethan to further assess the situation.
"Shhh, be quiet, if he can see us, he can hear us. Now, we're in no fit state to leave Charlie here."
"Can I help?" Ethan called from behind them, taking a step forward.
"No, no." Locke replied with a raised voice, slipping a knife into Sawyers back pocket.
"If you want to be subtle in dealing with him, a gun isn't going to do the trick. Take this knife, and if he does something like move towards Charlie or myself and you see it, then by all means go Hannibal Lector on him. But only if you're sure."
Locke winked at Sawyer, and then turned to Ethan with a false smile.
"My friend here isn't doing so well, can you return to the beach to find help?"
Ethan looked down at Charlie, and began to take a couple of steps forward, his eyes narrowed and mouth open slightly, chewing on his bottom lip.
"I can help. I could help you."
Sawyer, Charlie
Black Rock
Locke, Ethan
"You got that right!", Sawyer angrily whispered in Locke's direction when he finally saw the unconscious state the British man was in. His chest was only faintly rising up and down, which gave the Southerner the obvious conclusion that Charlie was going downhill faster than they might be able to get to Jack.
Hearing Ethan's bittersweet question increased his irritation. He was about to snap something nasty in the other man's direction, but Locke beat him to it.
Suddenly feeling a small cold object in his back pocket he gave the hunter a questioning look.
"This isn't the right time for male bonding John", he hissed through clenched teeth.
He knew, of course, that wasn't Locke's intention at all. But when threatened or frustrated in any other way, Sawyer's only defence was his mocking and his sarcasm. That was all he had left to feel like he still had some grip on the situation and that's what he was using right now.
However, that didn't mean he wasn't carefully listening to Locke's explanation and slowly nodded in return to the wink.
As the other man started to speak to Ethan again Sawyer crouched down next to the now moaning Charlie, hoping he could somehow bring the man back to conscious. It would be so much easier to get out of the ship and back to the doctor if they didn't have to carry the British man.
Placing his hands on the smaller man's shoulder he carefully shook him.
"Charlie!", he said loud, no longer whispering.
"Come on sport, get up!"
Locke, Ethan
Black Rock
Charlie, Sawyer
Locke watched as Sawyer bent down to talk to Charlie. The young recovery case hardly made any sign of acknowledgement, and thinking back to other times when he had been so vibrant, it pained to John to see him this way.
"Maybe we shouldn't life him Sawyer, he's hurt his head pretty damn bad. Could he make it back to camp?" Locke asked, more to himself than to anybody else.
Ethan took another step closer, and crouched down, just short of Sawyer, scratching his head as if to take measurements for a piece of wood – all builder-like.
"I could help you take him back to camp. Two people have got to be better than one." He ventured, carelessly playing with a twig on the floor.
Locke raised his eyebrows;
"What about me? What? I can't take the boy back to camp?"
"I just…" Ethan trailed off, standing up and looking Locke up and down; "I just didn't think you'd be up to the job."
Locke's mouth thinned and he strode past Sawyer, bending down and placing a comforting hand on Charlie's head;
"I'm no veteran." He growled. "Now, are we going to risk taking him back to camp in one go? Or do we set up pit stops? There's no sign of boar, so I don't think we'd have any trouble."
"Oh you're a boar-hunter?"
"What do you say Sawyer?" Locke pressed, ignoring Ethan.
Sawyer
Black Rock
Locke, Ethan (Charlie)
Sawyer glanced at Locke, annoyed with the fact that the hunter was telling him what to do and what not to do --as if he was the only one with some good sense in his head and the Southerner was merely a small child only capable of making thoughtless suggestions.
However, he didn't get any time to reply to the hunter's comment, because suddenly he found a third party next to his side. The stranger was once again trying to show he was Santa's helper send from heaven. Offering aid with that bittersweet voice but underlying mocking tone.
Hearing Locke and Ethan arguing Sawyer rolled his eyes. Placing his hands on his knees he pushed himself up and turned until he faced both men.
"Cut it out kids will ya", he snapped, obviously annoyed.
Eyes turning in Locke's direction he continued. "Not everyone sees the strong masculine tracker underneath all those wrinkles John", the Southerner smirked.
"But…", he said, turning his eyes towards Ethan "…no way in hell I am gonna let you help us. Lead you straight to our camp? I might be pretty but I ain't stupid. Move aside macho or I'll let the hunter loose on ya. And trust me, after what you just said to him he's gonna eat you alive."
He winked in Locke's direction.
"Rawr!"
Ethan, Locke
Black Rock
Sawyer, Charlie
"I merely meant that the gentleman doesn't look up to a trek. I mean you have just recovered from a big douse of poison." Ethan said, almost laughing as if the whole scenario was a big joke.
Locke gritted his teeth in frustration and gripped the knife in his pocket for support, the words "pissed" and "off" suddenly flooding his mind. He looked at Sawyer, almost wanting more support, before realising he didn't want anyone to fight battles which were his alone.
"You underestimate my power then, Ethan." Locke said, with forced coolness in his voice.
"Whatever you say, John." He replied, shrugging his shoulders, and bent down to examine Charlie.
Locke froze.
"I never gave you my name."
"What?" Ethan asked, turning to look at Locke again.
"I never gave you my name." Locke repeated.
"You did..." Ethan trailed off, a distinctive note of fear in his voice.
"Oh, don't pin this on my age, Ethan - I never gave you my name."
Sawyer, Charlie
Black Rock
Locke, Ethan
"O, common", Sawyer hissed, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "You were too busy bickering before to notice, John, but I used your name. And smart guy over there apparently has a very good memory; the more reason to keep him far away from our camp."
Absentmindedly running a hand through his hair he added mumbling: "Don't wanna give doc a justified reason to say how stupid we been."
Eyes narrowing he waited for Ethan's reply to this, which, no doubt, was soon to come.
All of a sudden a soft moaning interrupted the silence. Looking over his shoulder the Southerner saw the British man stirring, his lips forming inaudible words. Taking a step closer to Charlie he crouched down next to him again, the ill hope the younger man was waking up and everything was going to be alright lingering in the back of his mind. But the former rockgod didn't wake up. And Sawyer realised there was no time for hoping. The small man's state was worsening fast and they had to stop arguing. They had to make a move.
A sudden idea sprang to his mind. And before he helped Charlie up his feet Sawyer jumped on his own and in the same fast movement took the gun out of his back pocket.
Aiming it at Ethan he said: "You wanna help macho? Why don't ya be our shooting target then?"
Not waiting fro a reply he used the gun to point to the entrance of the Black Rock.
"Common, move it!". The Southerner was now barking his orders.
Turning to Locke he said: "Can you help me get sport on his feet? We'll keep Ethan guy over there our beloved prisoner until we're out of this unknown area, his territory; until we're on safe grounds."
a/n thanks for all the wonderful reviews!
