Kate's cellphone rang as she was buckling her seat belt and she nearly missed the call while digging into her purse. She held the phone up and saw Sawyer's number.
"Where are you? How long until you land in L.A.?"
"Well, hello and how are you doing as well, sweetheart?" The sarcasm dripped off Sawyer's voice like honey-vinaigrette but she smiled. She could hear he was happy. His weekend trip to see Cassidy and meet Clementine must have gone well, better than he had hoped.
"Sorry, James, but you're badly needed back here and I've gotta go or I'm gonna miss my flight to Portland."
"I'm just getting off the plane, I'm here," His voice went very business-like, hearing the stress in hers."But don't come to the airport, we've got a change in plans."
Kate had put the phone on hands-free and was backing out of the garage but hit the brakes and put her head on the wheel. She'd been feeling more waves of exhaustion, and stronger ones every day and she knew instinctively that if she didn't find the answer to her dilemma soon, she was in big trouble. It might be nearly too late already.
"What change in plans?" She raised her head long enough to ask.
"The sub was built in Portland, but it's floating down the coast right now. It's being taken to Long Beach to be delivered…"
"To Richard?" Kate asked hopefully.
"I don't think so. I got a description from them of the person in charge of getting it made and paid for, and I'm pretty sure it's our favorite Other Ben. He and a crew from the manufacturing company are headed back to the island today."
"Ben? How did he get here, why isn't he with Hurley?"
"I don't know but we'll get that out of him, if we get to him soon. He's headed for the Lamp Post station. He needs coordinates for the island from Eloise and then they're out of here."
Kate hit the gas in a hurry."I'm on my way there."
"I'll meet you as soon as I can…" Sawyer started to say but she cut him off.
"No, I need you to go straight to my house and talk with Carole…" She stopped in mid-sentence."No, never mind. It's better if I tell you first hand, and I'd feel better having you around to back me up dealing with Ben right now."
"Roger that, gotta go, I'm at the cab stand."
They both hung up without a goodbye, and Kate thought at least they'd have one at the church. She had learned not to take them for gran
It took nearly an hour to make the drive across town to the site of the Lamp Post, but once she got there Kate just sat in her parked car dreading a reunion with Eloise. She remembered the mix of expressions on her face last time they'd met: Deep pain that Daniel wasn't really among the Ajira-316 survivors, and a grudging respect at how Kate had sold the flat-out lie and used it to convince Eloise to get herself and her friends home
Kate had lit into her that day with a fury, telling Eloise it was her fault Jack was dead and asking how any mother in her right mind would have sent Daniel back knowing he'd die too, and at her own hands. Eloise had let her spew, and didn't say a word until Kate ran out of them.
"I wish for you, dear, that you never have to make the choices I've been compelled to make. But if you are forced to… find me then and we'll talk," was all Eloise had said.
The parking lot was empty now except for a couple of church vans and a car. Kate wondered how she'd get in or find out for sure if Eloise was even there, when they both arrived—Ben driving an SUV, followed almost immediately by Sawyer's cab. What timing, Kate thought, and was relieved
Ben got out of his vehicle and walked toward Kate, totally disregarding Sawyer and gazing at her with some surprise and, she could see, a small measure of alarm. She realized he could see she wasn't her most vibrant, healthy self. Kate glared at him out of reflex as much as anything.
"Hello, Kate. I'll skip the pleasantries I can see they'd be wasted."
"Sorry, Ben. It's going to take some time … some serious time for me to be glad to see you."
"Thank you for your honesty."
"Okay, then, return the favor and tell me honestly, is Hurley okay? Why are you here and not with him?"
"Hurley is fine," Ben said patiently as Sawyer joined them and threw Ben a look that said it had better be true."In fact, part of the reason I'm here is to pick up the sub and mend some of our off-island fences and part is to bring these two fine people back to the island with me." He motioned to the SUV and they saw that Hugo's parents were sitting it the back seat, waving like crazy and smiling. Kate couldn't have looked more shocked. Ben shrugged
"Hurley wants to keep both of his worlds intact. Don't worry, they've been properly warned, they know what they're getting into.
Ben started to walk toward the church and Kate and Sawyer followed him.
"So tell me, why are you two here? What can I do for you?" Ben asked it casually, like he'd be glad to help if he could but they were not the first things on his agenda.
Kate stepped in front of him and stopped him in mid-gait.
"I need you to find Richard Alpert. Now."
"Why do you need Richard?"
"Because I'm pregnant, and I spent too much time near the Swan hatch right after the incident. I'm sick – and I think if I don't get some of the vaccine that Claire got on the island… I'm dead.
Her voice caught, and Ben said nothing for a second but nodded with a frown in respect of her fears.
"I'm sorry, Kate, but I don't know where Richard is. I do know he can't help you. That serum, what there was of it and whatever good it actually did, it's gone. There's none on the island, there's none anywhere. But don't despair." He ducked his head to meet Kate's downturned eyes."Let's go to the Lamp Post, and see if Hurley and Bernard have gotten in touch via the Flame. We'll want to ask Hurley, if possible, but I'm pretty sure I know the answer to your problem."
"And what's that?" Sawyer snapped.
Ben turned to look at him."We need to get her back to the island.
Kate's expression showed how unwelcome the news was, and somehow so unexpected and not surprising at the same time. Sawyer looked furiously skeptical.
"I thought pregnant women only died on the island, and you want to take her back there?"
"I think the island reset itself, or rather what Desmond and Jack did reset it. It's just a hunch, based on how the place has felt in the three months since then but I really think the impact of the Incident and the electromagnetic residue from when the Swan hatch blew are gone entirely. So, it can only heal now – if it wants to. If Kate goes back and the island still wants her to live… she will."
Kate's heart rose and sank at the same time. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, realizing Ben was very likely right, and that once again it was her own damn fault her back was against a wall. So she didn't really have a choice, she had to go. If it turned out that the island had no use for her anymore, she'd be dead soon either way. And if it did still need her, then it was her only hope.
Kate was spared from having to see Eloise that day. She stayed in Ben's SUV and talked with the Reyes's while Sawyer and Ben went inside.
"Do you really know what you're getting into?" She asked them after awhile, twisting around from the front seat to face them. She couldn't help but smile despite how horrible she felt, Hurley's parents always made her smile.
"No, Ben was very thorough about describing it," David Reyes nodded."We're good, we're all in.
"We're just so happy you're coming, too," Carmen patted Kate's arm."A familiar face helps so much. Now it feels more like an adventure, and less like a voluntary kidnapping."
They were interrupted as Ben opened the driver's side door. Kate could see Sawyer standing waiting for her a few steps away.
"Kate, go say your goodbyes but make it quick" Ben said."Eloise just got in touch with the Flame a few hours ago, they've got the web and Skype going. Hurley said to get you there as fast as possible. As in now."
Kate realized from his tone that whatever Hurley had told him about her situation had been enough to rattle Ben, who had no reason, really, to worry or care about her fate. She knew he was worried for her purely on behalf of Hurley. Ben looked up and was taken aback by the fear on Kate's face. He started again, in a softer tone.
"You don't have to stay there forever. In fact, he said to assure you that he knows you'll come home again. 'No worries' in his words. But you have to be on the island immediately and stay until your son is born."
Kate gasped at the word son, but didn't say a word in reply. She half stumbled out of the car and walked over to Sawyer, barely feeling the ground beneath her feet. She saw his mutely miserable expression that seemed to be pleading with her not to ask him what Hurley had said.
"Try to keep them safe," He knew she was talking about Claire and Aaron and the alarming evidence that Claire was more out of touch with reality than they'd understood. He nodded."You gonna go crazy just the four of you in that house for a few months?" she asked.
He shook his head and a hint of a rueful smile crossed his lips but didn't really make it to his eyes."I'll keep busy enough – I just picked up some work." She looked confused."I'm Hurley's new head of off-island security, he wants me to learn how to run defense for him against the Widmore Nation and whatever's left of the Dharma and Hanso people. Eloise is sending someone by for some training sessions, apparently. I have no idea what the hell they're going to tell me or what I'll be doing once the training is over… but it'll be an honest day's pay."
She felt a little wave of relief despite her own fears, and thought 'how smart of Hurley' to keep Sawyer from drifting away from them all.
"Be careful with the clutch," she handed Sawyer the keys to her car and her hands were shaking. He didn't comment on that, or the fact that tears were streaming down her face. He took the keys silently.
"The gears grind a little if you don't really press…" she nearly got the word 'down' out but failed and Sawyer stepped forward and put his arms around her and squeezed her very tight, rocking her side to side as she sobbed for the first time at everything she'd lost and everything she feared was ahead. He held her until she stopped crying.
"I feel like I'm running in circles," she said and Sawyer shrugged, but sincerely, without sarcasm.
"I'm afraid you are. But if Hurley says you'll come back I believe you'll come back. I don't know how the hell he knows but I know he wouldn't lie about it even to spare your feelings."
She nodded, and he stepped back, kissed her on the forehead and walked to her car
Kate dragged herself back into the SUV, and was asleep before they hit the highway, but it was not a good sleep. Later she had a vague memory of being carried awkwardly down into the sub, and of someone pouring sips of orange juice down her throat. She knew from having drugged a person or two that it was highly laced: the sedative given to most everyone headed back to the island under water. The next thing she saw was a shaft of light as the sub hatch opened, and the next things she smelled were the trees and plants and the ocean and she knew she had come full circle again.
Kate's cellphone rang as she was buckling her seat belt and she nearly missed the call while digging into her purse. She held the phone up and saw Sawyer's number.
"Where are you? How long until you land in L.A.?"
"Well, hello and how are you doing as well, sweetheart?" The sarcasm dripped off Sawyer's voice like honey-vinaigrette but she smiled. She could hear he was happy. His weekend trip to see Cassidy and meet Clementine must have gone well, better than he had hoped.
"Sorry, James, but you're badly needed back here and I've gotta go or I'm gonna miss my flight to Portland."
"I'm just getting off the plane, I'm here," His voice went very business-like, hearing the stress in hers."But don't come to the airport, we've got a change in plans."
Kate had put the phone on hands-free and was backing out of the garage but hit the brakes and put her head on the wheel. She'd been feeling more waves of exhaustion, and stronger ones every day and she knew instinctively that if she didn't find the answer to her dilemma soon, she was in big trouble. It might be nearly too late already.
"What change in plans?" She raised her head long enough to ask.
"The sub was built in Portland, but it's floating down the coast right now. It's being taken to Long Beach to be delivered…"
"To Richard?" Kate asked hopefully.
"I don't think so. I got a description from them of the person in charge of getting it made and paid for, and I'm pretty sure it's our favorite Other Ben. He and a crew from the manufacturing company are headed back to the island today."
"Ben? How did he get here, why isn't he with Hurley?"
"I don't know but we'll get that out of him, if we get to him soon. He's headed for the Lamp Post station. He needs coordinates for the island from Eloise and then they're out of here."
Kate hit the gas in a hurry."I'm on my way there."
"I'll meet you as soon as I can…" Sawyer started to say but she cut him off.
"No, I need you to go straight to my house and talk with Carole…" She stopped in mid-sentence."No, never mind. It's better if I tell you first hand, and I'd feel better having you around to back me up dealing with Ben right now."
"Roger that, gotta go, I'm at the cab stand."
They both hung up without a goodbye, and Kate thought at least they'd have one at the church. She had learned not to take them for granted.
It took nearly an hour to make the drive across town to the site of the Lamp Post, but once she got there Kate just sat in her parked car dreading a reunion with Eloise. She remembered the mix of expressions on her face last time they'd met: Deep pain that Daniel wasn't really among the Ajira-316 survivors, and a grudging respect at how Kate had sold the flat-out lie and used it to convince Eloise to get herself and her friends home.
Kate had lit into her that day with a fury, telling Eloise it was her fault Jack was dead and asking how any mother in her right mind would have sent Daniel back knowing he'd die too, and at her own hands. Eloise had let her spew, and didn't say a word until Kate ran out of them.
"I wish for you, dear, that you never have to make the choices I've been compelled to make. But if you are forced to… find me then and we'll talk," was all Eloise had said.
The parking lot was empty now except for a couple of church vans and a car. Kate wondered how she'd get in or find out for sure if Eloise was even there, when they both arrived—Ben driving an SUV, followed almost immediately by Sawyer's cab. What timing, Kate thought, and was relieved.
Ben got out of his vehicle and walked toward Kate, totally disregarding Sawyer and gazing at her with some surprise and, she could see, a small measure of alarm. She realized he could see she wasn't her most vibrant, healthy self. Kate glared at him out of reflex as much as anything.
"Hello, Kate. I'll skip the pleasantries I can see they'd be wasted."
"Sorry, Ben. It's going to take some time … some serious time for me to be glad to see you."
"Thank you for your honesty."
"Okay, then, return the favor and tell me honestly, is Hurley okay? Why are you here and not with him?"
"Hurley is fine," Ben said patiently as Sawyer joined them and threw Ben a look that said it had better be true."In fact, part of the reason I'm here is to pick up the sub and mend some of our off-island fences and part is to bring these two fine people back to the island with me." He motioned to the SUV and they saw that Hugo's parents were sitting it the back seat, waving like crazy and smiling. Kate couldn't have looked more shocked. Ben shrugged.
"Hurley wants to keep both of his worlds intact. Don't worry, they've been properly warned, they know what they're getting into."
Ben started to walk toward the church and Kate and Sawyer followed him.
"So tell me, why are you two here? What can I do for you?" Ben asked it casually, like he'd be glad to help if he could but they were not the first things on his agenda.
Kate stepped in front of him and stopped him in mid-gait.
"I need you to find Richard Alpert. Now."
"Why do you need Richard?"
"Because I'm pregnant, and I spent too much time near the Swan hatch right after the incident. I'm sick – and I think if I don't get some of the vaccine that Claire got on the island… I'm dead."
Her voice caught, and Ben said nothing for a second but nodded with a frown in respect of her fears.
"I'm sorry, Kate, but I don't know where Richard is. I do know he can't help you. That serum, what there was of it and whatever good it actually did, it's gone. There's none on the island, there's none anywhere. But don't despair." He ducked his head to meet Kate's downturned eyes."Let's go to the Lamp Post, and see if Hurley and Bernard have gotten in touch via the Flame. We'll want to ask Hurley, if possible, but I'm pretty sure I know the answer to your problem."
"And what's that?" Sawyer snapped.
Ben turned to look at him."We need to get her back to the island."
Kate's expression showed how unwelcome the news was, and somehow so unexpected and not surprising at the same time. Sawyer looked furiously skeptical.
"I thought pregnant women only died on the island, and you want to take her back there?"
"I think the island reset itself, or rather what Desmond and Jack did reset it. It's just a hunch, based on how the place has felt in the three months since then but I really think the impact of the Incident and the electromagnetic residue from when the Swan hatch blew are gone entirely. So, it can only heal now – if it wants to. If Kate goes back and the island still wants her to live… she will."
Kate's heart rose and sank at the same time. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, realizing Ben was very likely right, and that once again it was her own damn fault her back was against a wall. So she didn't really have a choice, she had to go. If it turned out that the island had no use for her anymore, she'd be dead soon either way. And if it did still need her, then it was her only hope.
Kate was spared from having to see Eloise that day. She stayed in Ben's SUV and talked with the Reyes's while Sawyer and Ben went inside.
"Do you really know what you're getting into?" She asked them after awhile, twisting around from the front seat to face them. She couldn't help but smile despite how horrible she felt, Hurley's parents always made her smile.
"No, Ben was very thorough about describing it," David Reyes nodded."We're good, we're all in."
"We're just so happy you're coming, too," Carmen patted Kate's arm."A familiar face helps so much. Now it feels more like an adventure, and less like a voluntary kidnapping."
They were interrupted as Ben opened the driver's side door. Kate could see Sawyer standing waiting for her a few steps away.
"Kate, go say your goodbyes but make it quick" Ben said."Eloise just got in touch with the Flame a few hours ago, they've got the web and Skype going. Hurley said to get you there as fast as possible. As in now."
Kate realized from his tone that whatever Hurley had told him about her situation had been enough to rattle Ben, who had no reason, really, to worry or care about her fate. She knew he was worried for her purely on behalf of Hurley. Ben looked up and was taken aback by the fear on Kate's face. He started again, in a softer tone.
"You don't have to stay there forever. In fact, he said to assure you that he knows you'll come home again. 'No worries' in his words. But you have to be on the island immediately and stay until your son is born."
Kate gasped at the word son, but didn't say a word in reply. She half stumbled out of the car and walked over to Sawyer, barely feeling the ground beneath her feet. She saw his mutely miserable expression that seemed to be pleading with her not to ask him what Hurley had said.
"Try to keep them safe," He knew she was talking about Claire and Aaron and the alarming evidence that Claire was more out of touch with reality than they'd understood. He nodded."You gonna go crazy just the four of you in that house for a few months?" she asked.
He shook his head and a hint of a rueful smile crossed his lips but didn't really make it to his eyes."I'll keep busy enough – I just picked up some work." She looked confused."I'm Hurley's new head of off-island security, he wants me to learn how to run defense for him against the Widmore Nation and whatever's left of the Dharma and Hanso people. Eloise is sending someone by for some training sessions, apparently. I have no idea what the hell they're going to tell me or what I'll be doing once the training is over… but it'll be an honest day's pay."
She felt a little wave of relief despite her own fears, and thought 'how smart of Hurley' to keep Sawyer from drifting away from them all.
"Be careful with the clutch," she handed Sawyer the keys to her car and her hands were shaking. He didn't comment on that, or the fact that tears were streaming down her face. He took the keys silently.
"The gears grind a little if you don't really press…" she nearly got the word 'down' out but failed and Sawyer stepped forward and put his arms around her and squeezed her very tight, rocking her side to side as she sobbed for the first time at everything she'd lost and everything she feared was ahead. He held her until she stopped crying.
"I feel like I'm running in circles," she said and Sawyer shrugged, but sincerely, without sarcasm.
"I'm afraid you are. But if Hurley says you'll come back I believe you'll come back. I don't know how the hell he knows but I know he wouldn't lie about it even to spare your feelings."
She nodded, and he stepped back, kissed her on the forehead and walked to her car.
Kate dragged herself back into the SUV, and was asleep before they hit the highway, but it was not a good sleep. Later she had a vague memory of being carried awkwardly down into the sub, and of someone pouring sips of orange juice down her throat. She knew from having drugged a person or two that it was highly laced: the sedative given to most everyone headed back to the island under water. The next thing she saw was a shaft of light as the sub hatch opened, and the next things she smelled were the trees and plants and the ocean and she knew she had come full circle again.