Chapter Ten: Breakdown
Violet's head was swimming as she stared up at the white ceiling, feeling as though she hadn't moved in hours. The drugs had worn off a few hours ago, and Violet had no idea how long she had been unconscious for. The last thing she remembered was being dragged away from where they were keeping Walt. Violet sighed. She lied to me. She said Walt wasn't here, but I knew he was. She hated herself for ever thinking she could trust Juliet, if even for a moment. Violet sighed to herself as she held her stomach. She didn't know what it was that Juliet stuck into her arm, but she knew it made her feel horrible. Her stomach felt knotty, and her head was swimming.
Violet turned over on her side, and wished she hadn't moved. Her vision blurred as she rested her head against her pillow. She had so many questions she wanted to ask. Why did they have Walt? Why didn't they want her to know he was here? Why did they want to keep the two separated? Violet sighed to herself, and wished she could just cry.
I want Kate. She thought to herself, craving for that adult figure to take care of her, and then she began to miss Katie, who had always taken care of her. Violet hugged her knees up to her chest and closed her eyes.
She heard the door open, but didn't move. If it was Juliet, she didn't want to see her. If it was someone else, she didn't care. Let them drug me, what difference does it make? I'm going to be stuck here forever. The thought made her want to cry again.
"Violet, are you awake?" A cautious voice asked as the door closed behind her. Violet knew it was Juliet, and she immediately felt anger inside. Or was it disappointment? She wasn't sure.
Violet didn't answer, as she heard Juliet moving around the bed to sit down on the chair next to Violet's bed.
"I guess you are." Juliet said as she saw Violet's open eyes. "How are you feeling?" Violet forced herself to sit up as she leaned back against her headboard. She didn't answer Juliet; she didn't even look at her.
"Violet." Juliet said calmly as she moved her chair closer. "I know you're upset right now, but I need to know how you're feeling. I need to make sure the drugs we gave you didn't upset your stomach or -"
"What do you care if I have an upset stomach?" Violet snapped, not even meaning to. Juliet stared at her sympathetically.
"I care very much, Violet." She said quietly. Violet only rolled her eyes as she unconsciously pressed her hands against her stomach. Juliet must have noticed.
"You aren't feeling good, are you?" She asked. Violet shook her head, hating herself for being vulnerable, but she didn't know what else to do. She felt horrible. Juliet stood and pressed her hand against Violet's forehead, and Violet pulled away.
"You're a little warm. I had a feeling you might not respond well to the drugs we gave you. Your medical file says you have a low tolerance for medication." Juliet pointed out as she pulled out a water bottle. Violet shuddered. They have my medical records too? How much did these people really know about her?
"I want you to drink some water." Juliet said as she unscrewed the cap. Violet shook her head.
"Why? So you can drug me again?" She asked. Juliet shook her head as she looked at Violet seriously.
"Are you going to drink this? It's ice cold." She said, ignoring Violet's question.
"No, I'm not." Violet answered as she glared at the bottle.
"Violet, you've been asleep for hours, you need something to drink or you're going to dehydrate. We've had this conversation before." Juliet replied.
"I'm not drinking it," Violet said, and then remembered to add, "Not until I see Walt again." Juliet lowered the water bottle.
"We need to talk about that."
"You lied to me. I asked you if he was here and you said he wasn't." Violet shouted.
"Violet-"
"You said I could trust you!"
"You can."
"You're a liar."
Juliet looked at Violet, considering every word she said. Then she looked down at the water bottle in her lap, before looking up at Violet once more.
"I did lie to you, Violet, but that doesn't mean you can't trust me. There are just some things I'm not supposed to tell you." Juliet paused before going on. "I don't want you to try that again though, Violet. Next time it might not be me who catches you."
"You drugged me."
"I had to, Violet, you weren't calming down when I asked you to. You were too upset, and you needed to sleep it off."
"You have no idea what I need." Violet felt a tear in the corner of her eye and she brushed it away quickly before Juliet could catch a glimpse of it.
"I'm doing everything I can," Juliet said, after a moment of silence, "Now, I'm serious, I want you to drink this. It will make you feel better."
"I already told you. Not until I see Walt." Violet stared at Juliet and nearly jumped when she heard someone banging on the steel door that locked her in. Violet's heart leapt into her throat as she stared at the door. Juliet sighed and looked at Violet.
"I'll be back," She handed Violet the bottle of water, "Please drink it." As Juliet stood and headed toward the door, Violet slammed the water bottle down on her bed. Once Violet was alone, she felt the tears leaking down her cheeks, hardly noticing she had let herself succomb to weakness. Her whole body felt shaky; she knew she needed to drink the water, but she had to stay strong. They would never let her see Walt unless she did.
She sighed to herself as her vision blurred slightly. Even if I refuse to eat or drink, how can I be sure they'll let me see Walt? She curled up on her bed and hugged her pillow fiercely, wishing that things were back to normal. She shook her head at the thought. Being stranded on an island is far from normal, she thought to herself, but at least then I had Walt...and Kate.
She heard the door open and sighed to herself. Juliet was going to see the abandoned water bottle and try to force her to drink it again. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a new voice broke the silence.
"Hello Violet." Violet sat up too quickly, and as her head spun, she focused on the man who was standing over her bed. He was short, for a man, with wide eyes and a kind of calmness to his voice. She didn't move, or speak, she only looked at him. Where was Juliet?
"I guess I'm being rude, I haven't introduced myself yet," the man pulled up the chair Juliet had used earlier and sat down, "My name is Benjamin Linus." Violet puckered her brow as she stared at him. Her heart was hammering against her chest.
"You're...you're Ben." She managed to say. Ben smiled.
"That's right. Some people call me Ben for short. Do you have a nickname, Violet?" He asked. She shook her head. He was trying to be friendly, but Violet already hated the man. She hated all of them.
"Juliet tells me you don't want to drink your water." Ben said simply, as he grabbed the water bottle and held it. Violet didn't say a word. Why was he here instead of Juliet? What were they trying to do?
"I don't know if Juliet told you or not, but you've been unconscious for at least 24 hours, you really should have something to replenish your-"
"24 hours? What is wrong with you people?" Violet snapped, without even meaning to. Ben stared at her in surprise.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised by your outburst. Juliet told me you've become irritable the last few days." He said simply as he placed the water bottle back on the bed. "Is there something bothering you, Violet? Something you want to talk about? I can understand if you don't want to talk to me, but why not Juliet?" Violet stared at him with tears in her eyes.
"I want to talk to Walt." She said quietly. Ben considered her for a moment.
"I understand you crossed paths with young Walt yesterday," He paused, "I would advise you not to try and escape again, Violet. I don't think you would enjoy the consequences." Violet swallowed hard and looked away.
"But I'm a reasonable man, Violet," Ben stood and as he went to leave, he turned to face her again, "You drink up that water, and I promise you, you'll get to see Walt." He walked toward the door and Violet called after him.
"I want to see Kate too." Ben turned and stared at her with a small smile.
"You're a determined young lady, Violet," He turned his back on her and started toward the door again, "I'm a man who keeps my promises, Violet. You'll see Kate again."
"I don't want to watch a video of her!"
"You won't have to. I promise you, you'll see Kate soon." His smile was too creepy, as he left the room, leaving the door open a crack. Violet swallowed. Was he serious? See Kate? Walt? She jumped off her bed and tiptoed to the door that was still open a crack. She heard voices on the other side.
"I'm leaving now, Juliet. It's time to put the plan into action. I should be just outside their camp in a few hours." Ben said. Violet's heart skipped a beat. Whose camp? Not ours... What were they going to do?
"Violet is your responsibility, Juliet. You know why she's here, and why she's important. Keep her as happy as you can, until we're ready. The last thing I need is for her to get sick because she's stubborn." Ben said in a somewhat frustrated voice.
"Fine, Ben. What do you want me to do about her and Walt?" Juliet asked, sounding exhausted. Violet held her breath.
"I told her if she drinks the water, she can see Walt." Ben replied simply. Violet heard a pause.
"I keep my promises, Juliet. You know that full well," Ben said, "When she finishes her water, take her to see Walt."
"You want the two of them together?" Juliet asked.
"Only for ten minutes. Bring her to Walt's room and watch them on the camera. Use your own discretion, Juliet. If you think they're discussing things they shouldn't, or coming close to figuring things out, remove her immediately." There was silence once again, before Ben spoke again, "I'm trusting you Juliet. I'll be gone for about a week before I come back. Then the real work begins." Violet heard Ben walking away, and Violet ran back to her bed and sat down before Juliet came back inside the room. Violet hesitantly took the water bottle and began to drink it, wanting nothing more than to see Walt. Still, she couldn't help but wonder, what Ben had meant by saying she would see Kate. What is their plan? What do they want with me? Why is Ben going to our camp? Oh gosh, I hope everybody's okay.
Violet recognized all the flickering green lights in the hallways, as Juliet led her down the same passages she had fled through only a day earlier. Juliet had a tight grip on Violet's arm as she brought her down the corridors. Violet's heart was racing. She did feel much better, after she had guzzled that whole bottle of water, but she still felt weak. Juliet was right about the medication; Katie had always been careful with medicine with Violet, because large doses of anything made Violet queasy. Anything she was prescribed had to be a minimal dose; how Juliet had known that was beyond her, but by now, she was used to these people knowing everything about her.
Juliet stopped in front of an unmarked door and pulled out a set of keys from her pocket. Violet took careful notice of which key she chose, thinking the information would come in handy someday. Juliet unlocked the door and and pushed it open. Inside the room was a darker woman, watching a television screen. Violet saw the shape of Walt on the television screen; this must be where they kept an eye on Walt. He must be close. She thought to herself, forcing herself not to smile.
The darker woman turned around when she heard the door open and stared coldly at Violet. Violet swallowed hard as the woman turned to Juliet.
"What is she doing here?" The woman asked.
"It's alright, Ms. Klugh, Ben told her she could come." Juliet replied.
"Where exactly is Ben?" Ms. Klugh asked as she stared at Violet with dagger eyes.
"He left. You know where he is." Juliet replied, looking down at Violet as a subtle way of reminding Ms. Klugh not to speak about it in Violet's presence. Violet sighed, hoping she would catch a bit of information as to why Ben was going down to her beach.
"How long does she have?" Ms. Klugh asked, her eyes never leaving Violet.
"Ten minutes," Juliet turned Violet to face her, "So no fuss when it's time to go, got it?" Violet only answered with a nod as Ms. Klugh got up and unlocked the door on the other side of the room with her own set of keys.
"We'll be watching." Juliet warned as she nodded toward the door Ms. Klugh was holding open. Violet swallowed as she stepped past Ms. Klugh into the white room that was similar to her own. Walt was sitting on his bed, his back turned to her, as Ms. Klugh slammed the door shut behind her. Violet looked up and saw the camera scanning the room, and immediately felt nervous. If they talked about anything that made them mad, they would take her away from Walt. She wanted as much time as she could.
"Walt." Violet said quietly as she approached the bed slowly. Walt jumped off the bed and turned to face her when he recognized her voice.
"Violet." He replied, as he was surprised to see her. Violet couldn't help herself, she threw her arms around him in a fierce hug, and he returned it wholeheartedly.
"Did they hurt you? After what happened yesterday?" He asked as the two broke off the embrace. Violet sighed, staring at the camera.
"They took me back to my room and drugged me. I was asleep for 24 hours." She replied. "Did they hurt you?" Walt shook his head.
"Once you were gone, they told me to calm down or they would drug me. I calmed down." He replied. Violet smiled a little.
"I guess I'm just a bit more stubborn than you are." She said. The two sat down on the cold concrete.
"Are you okay though?" Walt asked. Violet shrugged.
"I still feel a little dizzy from whatever they gave me, but, I'm not the greatest when it comes to medication." She replied, and then sighed. "They're only letting me stay for ten minutes, Walt."
"Why did they let you come?" Walt asked, obviously still surprised at her presence.
"I refused to do what they wanted me to do until I saw you again. They wanted me to drink some water since I'd been unconscious for 24 hours, and I told them I wouldn't until I saw you again." Violet paused, looking at the camera. "I...I met Ben."
"Ben? You mean, their leader?" Walt asked. Violet nodded.
"Why?" He asked again.
"I don't know, but he's the who let me come here." Violet replied.
"Why would he let you? I thought they didn't want us to see each other."
"I don't know, I'm just really glad he did." Violet felt herself welling up. "At least you're here." She didn't care that Juliet was watching; she knew she would try to talk to her later about her feelings again, but Walt was Violet's friend, the only friend she had close right now. She let herself be vulnerable.
"It's gonna be okay, Violet." Walt said quietly. Violet sniffed.
"Do you feel it?" She asked. Walt shook his head after a pause.
"No, but it has to be. I mean, they can't keep us here forever. Can they?" He asked. Violet shook her head.
"I hope not," She replied, "Do you think the people back home...I mean, on the beach...do you think they're looking for us?" Walt puckered his brow, something he did when he got upset. Violet could tell.
"What's wrong?" She asked. Walt looked up.
"I don't even know if my dad's still alive, Violet." He sighed angrily. "When they took me, they threw a bomb on the raft. I don't even know if they survived." Violet's heart skipped a beat, and all she could feel was anger. These people snatched her from her home, beating everyone unconscious so they wouldn't follow, and now they tried to kill Michael, Jin and Sawyer. Violet didn't know what to say, but it was then a thought occurred to her.
"Walt! They have to be alive!" She hissed, hoping Ms. Klugh and Juliet wouldn't hear. "They've been asking me questions about Sawyer. Why would they ask questions about him if he was dead? Think about it, Walt, it makes sense, doesn't it? If Sawyer's still alive, your dad must be too!" It was a long shot, but they had to have hope. Walt stared at her, seriously considering her.
"Walt, if we don't have hope, we don't have anything." Violet said, as a tear fell. "I have to believe they're coming for us. If they aren't, we will be stuck here forever. Let's face it, escape seems impossible. I've already tried and look where it got me. Ben told me if I tried it again, the consequences would be...unpleasant. I'm scared to try again, Walt. If Kate isn't looking for me..." She didn't want to finish. The thought had never really occurred to her before. Kate and Jack seemed to be her only way out, but what if they had given up on her? They won't - Kate won't!
The two sat in silence for what seemed a long while, before Violet spoke again.
"Why did I know you were here, Walt?" She asked. "You get feelings like that all the time, but it's something you're used to. I've never had them before in my life, but ever since that day I met you...why?" Walt looked at her seriously.
"I don't know, but it's weird." He replied and looked up to see Violet crack a very small grin.
"Definitely weird." She said with a bit of a laugh. Walt smiled.
"But I'm glad I had it. I knew you were here. At least...at least we're not alone." Violet said. She jumped when she heard the big steel door behind her open up. Walt looked up over Violet's shoulder, but Violet didn't move.
"Violet, you're time's up." She heard Juliet saying. Violet didn't move as Walt stared at her.
"I want more time." Violet was crying, and didn't even realize it, as she stared at Walt.
"I can't give you that Violet, you know I can't." Juliet said sympathetically. Violet got up on her knees and threw her arms around Walt again, who hugged her back.
"Don't give up Violet." Walt said. "You're right, we have to have hope." Violet couldn't say anything, she could only cry as she clung to Walt tightly. She felt Juliet's hand grab hold of one of her arms, and pull her up away from Walt. Violet stared at Walt as Juliet pulled her out of the room, and Walt only nodded at her. Violet's tears were unstoppable as Juliet took her back to her room. She had allowed herself to be vulnerable, and she knew Juliet would try talking to her, but no matter how hard she tried to mask it, she could no longer contain the tears.
Juliet still held on to Violet as she brought her back to her room, but she placed her free arm around Violet as though to comfort her. Violet didn't care; as much as she wanted to push Juliet away, she couldn't. She could only continue to cry.