"I appreciate you wanting to help Claire last night," Locke says to me as I get ready to head out to the hatch.
"Yeah, well, she's my friend. And I don't want anything to happen to the baby."
"Would you mind passing on your shift today? Hugo's down there right now, taking your shift. If you could just keep an eye on Claire?"
"Charlie's not using again." I tell him. "I'd know if he was and he's not."
"Well, this is more for Claire than Charlie's sake."
I nod and head over to Claire's tent where she's changing Aaron's diaper.
"Hey, Claire. Hey, buddy," I say, tickling the baby's nose.
"Did John send you over?" she asks.
"Yeah. But in all honesty, Claire, I don't think you have much to worry about."
"He took Aaron away last night! Right out of his crib!" she yells, causing Aaron to whine. "Oh, I sorry sweetheart," she says, picking him up and rocking him.
"All right," I say. "And that's why I'm here. Nothing is gonna happen to the baby."
"Thank you Tia," Claire says. She looks behind me and her eyes widen. Her grip on Aaron tightens. I turn around.
Charlie is approaching the tent. "I have to talk to her," he says, intently.
"Charlie, now's not really a good time," I say, grabbing him by the shoulders and holding him back.
"No, I have to talk to her. She'll want to hear this," he says, struggling against my grip.
"Charlie, I'm serious, you need to get out of here. Just give her some space."
"Tia, No. Claire!" he shouts at her. I look back and see her trying to ignore him. Charlie pushes me out of his way and I stumble to the side. "Claire! Wait, please, Claire! Listen to me. Aaron's in danger."
"What are you talking about?" she asks him.
"The baby's in danger! Look, I've been having these dreams. I know what they mean now."
"Charlie," I say, trying to calm him.
"Tia, please! Claire, listen, we have to baptize Aaron."
"What?" she asks, confused.
"We can do this! Eko's a priest! We can do this!"
I grab Charlie's arm and start pulling him away as Claire starts to cry. "Charlie, you need to go," I say, pulling him back.
"No, wait! I'm not finished! Claire, look, we have to baptize Aaron!"
I manage to get in front of him and I push him away. "Charlie, that's enough!" I give a shove and he stumbles. When he regains his footing he walks away, dejected.
Claire asked Locke to move his things beside her tent to keep an eye on them at night. I'm sitting with Libby, cooking a fish in out fire pit tonight.
"So I hear you and Hurley hung out in the hatch today," I say. I'm not really good at girl talk. I have two brothers, my mom died when I was sixteen, and I spent most of my adulthood surrounded by uniformed men. And it's not like Libby is exactly my age. But, hey, at least I'm trying.
"Yeah. It was nice. He's really sweet."
I smile and turn over the fish. Before I can say anything else, though I hear Sayid yell "Fire!" Libby and I both jolt up. In the giant brush field beside our camp a fire has started in the distance, burning through the camp fast. "Grab tools, containers for sand, anything you have," Sayid is instructing everyone. I grab two buckets from inside my tent that I use for washing and hand one to Libby. "If we don't stop it now, it's going to burn right through the camp," Sayid continues. We follow him to the edge of the fire. "We need to cut a fire break right here! Form a bucket line!"
"Some of you, down to the water!" Locke instructs, grabbing a bucket from Steve. I dig my bucket into the sand and douse the base of the fire in it. The other castaways follow suit.
We manage to get the fire dulled down. I hand my bucket over to another person who hasn't been working yet and get away, coughing to clear my lungs of smoke.
"He's got my baby!" I hear Claire yell from down the beach. Oh great, not this again. I start running towards her voice.
"Eko, tell them!" Charlie says to Mr. Eko, still holding the baby. Locke is standing near with his arms outstretched. "Tell them, Eko! Tell them what you told me. That the baby has to be baptized!"
"This is not the way," Eko says, confused by Charlie's actions.
"Charlie, come on, give him to me," Locke says.
"Who the hell are you, John?" Charlie yells. "Aaron's not your responsibility! Where were you when he was born? Where were you when he was taken? You're not his father! You're not his family!"
"Neither are you, Charlie," Locke says calmly.
"I have to do this. I need to. I'm not going to hurt him," Charlie says to Claire, who has tears running down her eyes.
"You're hurting me, Charlie," she says.
Locke manages to grab the baby while Charlie stands, stunned by her words. Locke hands the baby back to Claire, who grabs him and holds him close, walking up to me. I put my arm around her shaking body.
"Claire. I'm sorry, Claire," Charlie mumbles.
Locke punches Charlie and Charlie lands in the water. Locke punches him twice more and then walks away. Everyone leaves and I help Claire back to her tent. Locke shows up not long after. "You can go to sleep now, Claire. He's not coming anywhere near you."
I know I said Charlie isn't using anymore and that's because he never seems like he's on a high. He's not jumpy or jittery, but I can't find another reason for his actions tonight. It just doesn't make any sense.