1.6 Last moments on the island.
Some weeks before they arrived in Darwin, some months before the present day.
The day began like a dream. The ship on the horizon. You'd given up hope of a ship coming to save you all. But sure enough, across the vast ocean, was a ship. Salvation. Heading your way.
Then over your shoulder you turned to the village, flames raging, death and destruction all around you. The two images were harsh contrast and you felt stuck in between, as if you didn't really exist.
Ben, and the others, were running for the submarine. Having lit the fires to destroy any trace of their work, they were planning their escape before that ship arrived. Ben reached his hand to you. As if he expected you to take it, expected you to get on that sub with him. To flee with him and the others away from this place. And you realised with pride, that even after all this time, Ben didn't suspect a thing. He asked you to get close to Kate, to gain her trust. To pretend you were a prisoner too. He didn't realise that every word you spoke to Kate was straight from your heart. Every feeling you portrayed for her genuine. You did want to help her, you did love her. All this right under Ben's nose and he still thought it was an act.
It sunk in as you shook your head, refusing to join them.
"I don't believe it." Ben muttered. "Well, suit yourself Juliet."
"Where is she?" You demanded to know.
A brief look of anger flashed across Ben's face as he put it all together finally. You, his possession, you've fallen in love with her. You've been planning to betray him. Then he smiles. Because the place is burning to the ground, and she is imprisoned inside it, trapped, and he is leaving. Finally after all these years he is leaving, and offering you a chance to get home to your sister. And you can't take it, you won't. Because of her. And Ben is laughing at the poetic justice of it all.
"She is where I left her, in the western compound, locked safely inside with no way of escape." Ben tells you as he throws you the keys. "If you run Juliet, you'll save her."
That's all you needed to hear and you had already turned from him when he continued. "Every other living soul on this island is locked in a room on the eastern boundary of the village. If you run, you'll save her, and all those others will die. Or if you run the other way, you'll save them, dozens of them, and she will die."
You hadn't even stopped for a second to consider the choice, to weigh up dozens of innocent lives against Kate's life. She needed you, and you ran to her.
Jack, who had been standing by Ben's side through out this exchange, Jack who was about to save himself and get on that submarine before he heard about his people trapped in a burning building, Jack ran after you, angrily demanding the keys from you.
"Give me the other key, now Juliet!" He demanded, ready to run to the other side of the compound and free the others.
But you refused to look back at him, not until you reached that door, until you made absolutely certain you found the right key, the right room. Not until you found Kate and she was ok.
"I don't know which key it is." You called out over your shoulder.
"Then give me all the fucking keys!" He screamed.
You could see he didn't understand, not for a minute, that Kate was the most important person in your life, that you couldn't live without her. That you promised her you would take care of her, that you couldn't let her down. Maybe it was selfish, but you didn't give a shit about those other people in that moment. It's not like you were the one who bolted them inside a burning building. And maybe it wasn't even true. Maybe Ben was just messing with your head.
And so you ran for your life, having a good head start on Jack. He caught you only when you had slipped that key into the lock and opened that door to the room where Kate was trapped. He wrestled the key chain out of your hand and ran for the other side of the compound. But you knew already in your heart, it was too late for the others.
After you had freed Kate, and dragged her outside to safety, you realised finally she hadn't spoken a word to you. You looked into her eyes and all you saw was bitterness, resentment.
"Ben told me" She said finally.
"Told you what?"
"Everything." She answered. "About your plan, to befriend me, to gain my trust, make me think you were on my side."
"No Kate, that isn't true." You protested.
"Stop lying to me." She demanded. "Just leave me alone."