A/N: Words cannot express how grateful I am for all your reviews. Thank you and enjoy. More soon.


Chapter Thirty-Eight: S.O.S.
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"Faith? Can you hear me?"

A blinding light flashed before her eyes. Faith inhaled deeply into her lungs, coughing hard from the pressure, and she sat up only to find her arms and ankles strapped securely to a bed. Her gaze swung over to a gray-haired man sitting in a plastic chair with his legs crossed beside her. He was wearing a white hospital coat and held a folder in his lap.

"Would you like some water?"

Unconsciously, Faith licked her lips to sooth the parched, dry sensation lingering there but shook her head. "Who are you?"

"Are you saying that you don't remember?" His voice was low and monotone, and he smiled softly as if humoring her. "I'm Dr. Brooks."

"Where am I?"

"Faith…" He leaned forward, a pen now posed above the open folder. "Am I talking to Faith today?"

"What the hell type of question is that?" She jerked at her restraints and the bed shook from the force. "And why am I strapped down like this?"

Dr. Brooks remained perfectly calm, the look on his face one of detachment from her actions. "We've been over this before. I'm trying to help you but I can't do that if you don't help me. Remember our talk of it being a two-way street? You have to answer my questions or I can't do my job."

"Last time I checked Jack was the only doctor I knew and he was enough of a quack for me, thanks."

"Ah, yes, Mr. Sheppard." He scribbled something down. "Would you perhaps like to talk some more about your relationship with Jack?"

"Relationship, what the-"

"Am I talking to Faith today or am I talking to Kate?" Dr. Brooks paused to look up. "Would Kate like to discuss her relationship with Jack?"

"I'm one breath away from ripping you a new air hole. How about we talk about that?"

"I see; I am talking to Faith aren't I?" He relaxed back into the seat. "We've talked about threats Ms. Jackson and I thought we agreed on how they're just weak attempts to mask how we really feel inside. The object of our talks is to grow, not suppress our emotions. You need to-"

"What did you call me?" Faith stopped pulling at the straps, her narrowed gaze focused so intently on him that he finally moved uncomfortably in the seat. "That name, what name did you just call me?"

Dr. Brooks cleared his throat and closed his folder. "I called you by your last name Ms. Jackson."

"My name is Faith Lehane."

"You call yourself that, yes but your real name is Morana Jackson."

"Bullshit, if this is some kind of trick, it lost it's humor right out of the damn gate Doctor," Faith spit out the word sarcastically, "What happened to the others? Where are Locke and Sayid? If something's happened to them…"

"Nothing has happened to them Ms. Jackson." Dr. Brooks shook his head. "Nothing can happen to them."

"And why's that?" Faith snorted. "Did Henry put you up to this?"

"Because to put it simply Ms. Jackson, they're not real. They're figments of your imagination, parts of a story created by a hallucination type state you've been experiencing for the better part of your stay here at our hospital."

She bit back the angry words that threatened to explode, instead opting to swallow hard and clear her throat. "Where. Am. I?"

"Perhaps this would easier to remember if I told you a little about yourself?" He reopened the folder. "Your name is Morana Jackson and you've been a patient at Santa Rosa Mental Institution for the past three years. You were admitted during an emotional and physical breakdown that resulted after you were attacked on your way home from school."

"No, that's not true." Faith shook her head violently. "That's a lie."

"You've been diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder, it's a medical condition where the mind experiences overload caused by a traumatic experience. Basically, your mind began to compensate for the attack by creating new identities and situations that shield your true self from reality." Dr Brooks glanced back up, the expression on his face one of serious professionalism. "Over the course of our therapy sessions, you've introduced me to several personalities, one being Faith Lehane, a vampire slayer. This personality represents a stronger self, chosen to fight personal demons in the shape of existing ones that reside only in your own mind. You've created characters that associate with the stronger self: for example, the personality of Jack the doctor. He represents the side of your brain that leans towards the logical and humane reasoning. Due to this, your stronger self clashes with Jack to create dramatic situations and build your background story."

"That's not true!" Faith again yanked at the straps, kicking her legs to no avail. "Get this shit off me!"

"Ms. Jackson, please, you need to stay calm." He rose from the chair at the sound of a strap breaking and rushed to the door, hitting the intercom button on the wall. "I need help in here! Code 10, Code 10 stat!"

The door swung open as he stepped back, two large male nurses and one female nurse pouring in. Faith immediately spotted the needle and twisted to concentrate on the other strap with her free hand. She screamed as the two men jerked her back, one holding her flat onto the bed.

"Get the fuck off me!"

"You need to calm down. This is for your own good."

"No!" Faith thrashed her legs as she tried to pull her arms away but the pressure on her limbs only increased. "Let go! You have the wrong person!"

The nurse chuckled close to her ear, the sound low and feminine. "That's what they all say dear. Be a good girl now and behave. We're gonna give you something to help ease the pain. Everything will be just fine, you'll see."

She twisted her head to the side and her eyes froze on the image of herself as a small child standing in the corner of the room close to Dr. Brooks. The straps tightened and Faith whimpered as the sharp needle pierced her skin. The sound of defeat lingered in the air, her eyes closing and the darkness returned to fill her mind.

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The hallway was an endless white stretch that seemed to go on for miles and the muffled sounds of voices echoed in the distance. Faith leaned against the wall as she struggled to walk, her eyes catching sight of the red marks on her wrists from where she had snapped off her restraints.

With a hand holding her steady, she paused as once again her vision blurred. Whatever the nurse had given her still coursed through her veins, not impairing her completely but enough to where she continuously paused in attempts to clear her head.

Faith pushed away from the cold wall and managed to slink past the corner.

"You're not supposed to be here."

She turned to see Libby standing behind her, the woman dressed in white hospital-issued pajamas. They were both dressed in the same wardrobe, no shoes on either of their feet. For a split second, she froze as she finally spotted the now blonde strands of her hair. "What the-"

"You can't just wander around like that." Libby continued with a sniffle, her crossed arms protecting her stomach. "They don't like it."

"I don't care about that. I need a mirror." Faith sighed at the blank look she received and motioned at her face. "I need to see myself."

Libby giggled in response. "You're silly."

"I don't need commentary, I need a damn mirror!"

The boom of her voice made the smaller blonde freeze, her arms winding tighter around her body. "Don't yell at me. I don't like it when people yell at me."

"I just… need a mirror, please."

"No mirrors, we'll hurt ourselves, they said so." Libby shook her head. "No bathroom visits without supervision, no razors either." She paused; her eyes glossy and her expression dazed. "Have you seen Hugo? I've been looking everywhere for him, I think he's hiding from me."

Faith rubbed at her eyes. "I can probably guess why." At not hearing a reply, she looked back to see Libby already wandering further down the hall, muttering as she went.

A quick glance up and down the hallway alerted her she was alone again. "Think Faith, think; you're stuck in bizzaro land and you need a way out." She chuckled, "Hell, what would McGuyver do?"

Her vision blurred again and with a hand to her forehead, Faith continued to make her way in the direction Libby had disappeared. The sounds grew louder as she turned another corner but her process was stopped when she bumped into a solid figure blocking her path.

"Watch where you're going!"

Her startled eyes flew up to see Sawyer staring down at her, his hair frazzled as he stood there in his hospital-pajamas.

"Did you not see me? Of course you didn't, no one ever sees me." He snarled, wringing his hands in agitation. "No one cares. Daddy didn't, what should anyone else?" She watched as his eyes widened then narrowed, a spark of recognition flaring up. "Hey, you, I know you."

Faith didn't step back as he suddenly grabbed her elbow.

"What do you need, you need something right?" Sawyer glanced around before leaning closer to her. "You need a toothbrush? Toilet paper? You need it, I got it."

Faith snorted. "Well, at least some things are the same after all."

"It's gonna cost you though, cost you pills, the good stuff too." It was as if he had a one-track mind, his eyes glossy just like Libby's had been.

"Sawyer…"

That stopped him and he frowned. "What? That's not my name. Why'd you call me that?"

"Listen to me, I…"

"Morana Jackson, there you are!"

Faith jerked her elbow free of Sawyer's hand, not even paying attention as he disappeared from her view, and she focused on the female nurse headed towards her at a brisk pace.

"What are you doing out of your room? I've been looking everywhere for you!" The nurse smiled, the nametag on her uniform displaying the name Betty Lasenby. "Your visitors are here!"

"Visitors?" Does my voice sound as confused as I feel?

"Yes dear, now come on." Betty placed a firm hand on Faith's shoulder, turning her to the hallway adjacent to them. "It's your lucky day young lady, bet you thought you'd never get another chance to start fresh did you?"

"Start fresh?" Yep, you've officially entered retard territory.

She didn't struggle against the woman's pushing, simply walking alongside her as they ventured down the long corridor to enter a room at the end.

The door shut softly behind her, the ever-helpful Nurse Betty not following and Faith shot a look at the handle before focusing on the room. She stumbled back into the door at the sight of Ethan and the Other that had taken her knife standing with Dr. Brooks.

"Ah, Ms. Jackson, how are you feeling? No more episodes of violence I hope." Dr. Brooks commented. "I'd hate for another incident to make me regret signing your release papers."

"Release… Are you stoned?" Faith exploded and stepped forward after she regained her balance. "Do you have any clue who you're dealing with?"

Ethan and his companion exchanged looks, the action missed by Dr. Brooks entirely.

"Now, Ms. Jackson, I'm perfectly confident in making the right decisions for my patients." He shot a look at Ethan, smiling with a shrug. "Some patients like Ms. Jackson are more responsive to certain medications than others but like I informed you, she's a perfect candidate." He focused back on Faith, the grin remaining. "She's what you're looking for."

"You're out of your mind!"

"Interesting choice of words Ms. Jackson."

Ethan stepped forward, his eyes glued to Faith as he ignored Dr. Brooks. "It's time to come with us Morana, I know you've been having the dreams."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"We're going to take you away from here, help you get better. You want that don't you?" He motioned to the other man. "We can help you, we're the good guys." Ethan extended his hand forward. "Come on Morana, we have a place for people just like you, you'll fit in and find meaning in this world while you help the rest of us. You want to do the right thing don't you?"

Faith's gaze wavered from his and she froze as she spotted herself as a little girl once again. The tiny image was standing in the corner of the room with a small box in her hands.

"You'll find the answer in her room."

Faith watched as she opened the top, her eyes going downwards and suddenly a bright light erupted from the box, causing Faith to flinch and shield her eyes in protection.

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The scream that erupted from Faith's mouth as she regained consciousness startled Sawyer from his seat beside the bunk bed. He fumbled with the book in his hands, legs rocking back, and watched with wide eyes as she sat up and looked around in panic.

"Whoa there Hoss!" Sawyer leapt up from the seat and tossed aside the book, motioning for her to lie back down. "Where's the fire?"

"I'm in the hatch."

"Home sweet home right?" He chuckled. "What? Did you think we'd been rescued or something?"

Faith swung her legs over the side of the bed, shoving away his hands at the same time, and stood up. "Bad dream, that's all."

"Maybe you should take it easy. 'Bout gave Jack a damn heart attack when you passed out in the shower, stopped breathing too I heard. That's twice now you've looked like you'd died on us."

She eyed him closely, shaking slightly as she tried to regain her equilibrium. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't I be concerned about you?"

Faith snorted. "No."

"Good answer."

Her gaze shifted past him to see Ana-Lucia in the doorway. "Both of you are babysitting me?"

"Actually, I'm babysitting the hostage." Ana shrugged. "Sawyer volunteered to annoy me and watch you."

"Right." Faith stepped forward almost stumbling but she pushed Sawyer away as he stepped forward to help again. "I'm fine, damn. Stop it."

"Yeah, I see that." He snorted. Sawyer made the move to pick up his book again then stopped as she began to walk out of the bedroom area. "Where do you think you're going now? I was told to make you stay put!"

"Never was one for orders," She grunted. "I need your help, both of you. I need to get something."

Both Ana and Sawyer exchanged hesitant looks but both followed her towards the armory.

Faith frowned as she spun the lock but it didn't open the door. "What's wrong with this thing?"

"Locke and Jack were worried that Henry would try something while we were distracted by your sickness." Ana explained, "They decided to change the code so only they'd know it."

"Well, that's just special." Faith took a step back and a well-aimed kick knocked the lock clear off the door. "But not special enough."

Sawyer chuckled and they watched as she flung open the door. Faith's eyes locked on Henry sitting in the floor, hands and feet bound with rope connecting to the floor and the cot by the wall. He merely raised his own gaze to hers, not saying anything and Faith took a step forward, motioning at Sawyer from over her shoulder.

"Make sure he doesn't try anything funny."

"Like what," Sawyer grunted coming up behind her, "Glare you to death?"

"Just do it Sawyer." Faith ignored Henry, stepping past him to trail her hand against the back wall and a few seconds later, a section of it slid back so she could enter the back room. This time she ignored Ana and Sawyer both as they let out exclamations of surprise.

Her eyes drifted over the cot and the small table before she moved forward to bend down beside the cot. Faith raised her eyes to focus on the table and she smirked as she saw another area of wall raised slightly above the rest. She pressed on it and watched as it popped out, allowing her to slide her hand behind it and pull out a small wood box.

"What the hell is this Faith?" Sawyer glanced around then raised his eyebrows as she turned to toss him a shotgun before pulling out the 9mm she had left behind when she had showed Locke the hidden room weeks ago.

"Where did this stuff come from?"

She ignored his questions as she walked back into the kitchen area, staring down at the square wooden box. With a flick of her wrist, she opened the top. A handful of pictures and random items cluttered the box.

Faith lifted up the top picture from its position lying face down and she frowned as she spotted the number 23 that had been written at the top. Below it someone had also written the initials M.J.

She turned the photo over and immediately her grip tightened on it as she caught sight of the lanky blonde smiling back at her. Her arms were around another girl, this one Faith didn't recognize. Both looked happy, the background around them nothing but green trees and open blue sky.

"You know this gal or something Fire Cracker?"

Faith shook her head at Sawyer, still gazing back at the woman who had stabbed her in the arm, the same woman who had been in her dream with Walt at the peer, the same woman who's name was Morana Jackson. "No, but she knows me."

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The huge S.O.S. wasn't completed. Faith stared at it from where she stood as Bernard continued to drag rocks up and down the beach.

"Hello!" When he finally spotted her, Bernard dropped a huge rock and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "You wouldn't want to give me a hand would you?"

"Not really."

"I seriously don't get you people." He grabbed the rock again to move it forward. "Everyone acts like it's the end of the world they're here and yet when I try to get us rescued, I'm treated like the common leper."

"Way I figure it, most people don't have anything to go back to."

Bernard grunted but didn't say anything.

"Don't mind him sweetheart, he's just upset his plan didn't quite come together."

Faith glanced over to see Rose standing beside her, a bowl with food in her hands.

"How are you feeling Faith?" Rose smiled sweetly at her. "Jack said you were a little bit under the weather."

"You could say that." She fixed her attention on the letters. "Why aren't you helping him?"

"Bernard doesn't understand that I like it here." Rose cleared her throat and let out a small shrug. "A lot of people feel the same."

"You like it here… despite everything that's happened?"

"Yes, despite everything. I can't explain it to you Faith. I'm at peace here despite the darkness that surrounds us but it's impossible to go anywhere there isn't darkness. At least here I feel I have some control over my future."

Faith grunted and lowered her gaze to the picture in her right hand. "Some of us aren't so lucky."

Rose reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "You've done a lot of good here Faith, you're making a difference. Don't give up now."

"No. I'm not giving up." Her hand crumpled the picture, destroying the smiling image of Morana Jackson. "You're right. We're here for a reason, all here to do something."

"And what do you think you're here for?"

"I'm here to kick ass."

Rose looked startled but noticed Faith's smirk, chuckling as if she took it as joke. She moved away from Faith, heading for Bernard with the bowl and slowly, Faith returned her attention to the warped picture.

"And I've already got the name."