"Hey, Tia." Hurley says, greeting me outside my tent.
"Hey Hurley." He stands there, awkwardly. "Can I help you?"
"Yeah, so, you and Libby…you guys get along right?"
"Um, yeah I guess. We met at the airport before the flight."
"She seems cool," he says, trying to be casual.
"Yeah, she's alright." I want to approach this nicely, but it just makes me bitter knowing that, once again, everybody has somebody. My somebody is five feet in the ground a quarter mile to my left.
"Has she…asked about me at all?" he says.
"Um, no. Not that I can recall." He looks really disappointed, so I add "But in all honesty, we don't really talk much. I just helped her build her tent here." I gesture to Libby's tent beside mine.
"Cool, thanks. Later dude," he says, moving away frantically. I turn around. Libby is coming back to her tent. I smile. No wonder he booked it.
"What was that about?" she asks watching Hurley totter away.
"I think he likes you," I say.
"Really?" she says, intrigued. "What's his name? Hurley?"
"Yeah. He's actually a really nice guy. A little eccentric, but really nice."
"You don't meet a lot of really nice guys where I'm from. Eccentric, though, that's a good word. What makes him so eccentric?"
"Sometimes he acts a little weird. There was one time we were hiking in the jungle and we came across a rope bridge over a gorge. He just walked across, no fear at all. I know it doesn't sound that bad, but if you were there, it was really scary."
"Still, though, everyone has their downsides."
She was still looking after Hurley in the distance.
It's nighttime, not too late, and I'm stoking a fire outside my tent.
"Help! Somebody took my baby!" Claire shouts. I jump up from my spot.
Claire is at her tent and Aaron's cradle is empty. "Claire, what happened?" I ask soothingly, trying to get her to calm down.
"I don't know, Aaron's gone!" she screams.
"It's okay," I hear Hurley shout down the beach. "We're over here!"
Claire and I bolt to Hurley, along with what seems like half the camp. Charlie is standing in the ocean, ankle deep, holding Aaron in his arms. "Is he alright? Is he okay?" Claire is yelling before she realizes Charlie is the one with Aaron.
"Claire," Charlie says. "I don't know what happened. I'm sorry. He's okay, though. I, I had this dream—,"
Claire slaps his across the face. Charlie stands there stunned as Claire rips Aaron out of his arms and walks back to her tent. I follow her and the baby, making sure they can get to bed okay.
"What was that about?" I ask her as she puts Aaron in the cradle.
"I don't know!" she says confused. "Did you know Charlie was a drug addict?" she asks me.
"Yes. I was giving him meds to help him get over it. He's been clean since our first week here, though, Claire."
"Oh, really? Did you know he found this statue in the jungle? A Virgin—,"
"A Virgin Mary statue?" I ask.
"Yeah. How did you know about that?"
"There were more, out in the jungle. Where Boone fell. It was a drug smuggler's plane."
"There are more of them?" she asks dangerously.
"Yes, but he's not using, Claire. I'd know if he was. I promise. I wouldn't let him near a newborn if he was using."
"You're sure?" she asks me, rocking Aaron back to sleep.
"Absolutely positive. Do you want me to stay here so you can get some sleep?"
"Actually Tia, it would be my pleasure to do that for Claire. You've got a shift at the hatch tomorrow." Locke is here, and Claire looks instantly satisfied with this notion.
"Um, sure, John. Goodnight Claire," I say, going back to my tent.
That was weird beyond all measure.