LOST: Rp4

This is getting interesting...

Day 14

"Are you scared?" Zoe asked Claire, as they sat down around in the caves, Zoe hardly being able to keep her gaze off Claire's big bump. Claire gave her a thoughtful look.

"Yeah. I guess I'm a little scared." She admitted, massaging her stomache. "Do you know something really strange?"

"What?" Zoe asked.

"I most have looked through at least thrity cases back at the beach. And not found one single hairbrush. I still haven't found my bag yet. My hair is a mess." Claire replied. Zoe chuckled, and reached for her own bag she had successfully found within the first few days of the crash.

"Here." She said, handing Claire her hairbrush.

"Thanks." Claire beamed, and started to tackle her tangles.

"I hear you're good with astrology." Zoe started suddenly. Claire looked up at her, preplexed.

"I was wondering what you could tell me about mine. I've always been sceptic about that kind of stuff." Zoe continued.

"Sure." Claire prompted. "What star sign are you?"

"Gemini." Zoe replied.

"Ah right. Just like Kate." Claire beamed. "What date?"

Day 15

"You're not from L.A, or Austalia, are you?" Claire asked, both she and Zoe taking a walk through the jungle, Claire holding a book in her hands. They chose an appropriate spot to sit down.

"No." Zoe answered her.

"English?" Claire probed.

"Yeah. Not far from Oxford. Although I have lived all over the place in good old England." Zoe told her. "It wasn't until I went to university that I moved to L.A." Zoe explained.

"What did you study?" Claire asked curiously.

"Vetinary care." Zoe answered her, beaming with pride. "Fully qualified a year ago."

"That's awesome. So what did you do after?" Claire continued.

"I work as the vet in Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Make sure all the animals we have are well taken care of." Zoe smiled, as she thought of home. "What about you? What was your life like back in Aussie?"

"Erm...not much to tell really. I used to work in a tattoo palour once. That was fun. Creative." Claire replied, as she opened her little book, retrieving a pen from her pocket and started to write.

"Diary?" Zoe guessed.

"Excuse me?" Claire replied, not having quite caught what she had said.

"That your diary?" Zoe asked, nodding at Claire's book.

"Yeah." Claire answered her. "I like to keep it up to date."

"I used to write diaries - when I was younger mind. But when I started my Vetinary degree...I neveer got round to keeping up with it." Zoe told her. "It was nice when I did though. I liked going back and reading, reflecting on the memories." Claire was opening her mouth to reply when they were interrupted by someone approaching. It was Charlie.

"Dear diary, still on the bloody island. Today I swallowed a bug, love Claire." He commented, as he came with a flask and two mugs, handing one to Claire, and filling it with tea. "Here, what separates us from these savage Yanks if we can't drink tea? Feeling better?"

"It was just a dream." Claire replied reassuringly as Charlie acknowledged Zoe's pressence.

"Oh - sorry. I'm so rude. I only brought two cups. Do you want me to go get you one?" Charlie offered apologetically.

"No, it's fine. Thanks." Zoe replied, feeling a little akward, he was clearly expecting to have time with Claire alone.

"Mmmmm. I have this dream. . . I'm driving a bus and my teeth start falling out. My mom's in the back eating biscuits. Everything smells of bacon. It's weird. Of course, I don't wake up screaming." Charlie replied, moving on from his momentary lapse of inconsideration swiftly. Zoe exchanged a significant look with Claire, looking both bewildered and thinking the same thing. Weirdo!

"I need to go." Zoe announced quickly. "I've got to...er...to see Kate about something."

"Don't leave on my account." Charlie replied sheepishly.

"No...it's not you." Zoe replied hastily. "I've been meaning to get round to it for a while"

"'It'?" Charlie repeated curiously.

"'It'." Zoe replied firmly, and got up and left, heading to the beach.

From a distance, Zoe spotted Jack talking to Claire, she frowned, as clearly, whatever he was telling her, was upsetting her, and she started to pack her things together quickly, heaving her bag over her shoulders and walked away through the jungle, on the path back to the beach. Zoe sighed heavily, and forced herself up, walking over to Jack.

"You know Jack, your bedside manner really does suck, doesn't it?" She informed him, shaking her head, and took off after Claire.

"Hey are you okay? Zoe asked Claire softly as she caught up with her.

"No, Jack is being a real Jack-ass. He thinks I am making it all up!" She replied hotly.

"Hi. Where are you guys going?" Charlie asked, as he caught up with them, approaching them from behind.

"Back to the beach." Claire replied.

"What happened? Did Jack. . ." Charlie asked concerned.

"Jack tried to dope me. He thinks I'm making all this up, that none of it really happened." Claire replied huffily.

"Right. So, to prove your sanity you go tromping through the jungle alone. Well done." Charlie replied in mock sarcasm, making Zoe shoot him a cold stare of disapproval.

"I'm not crazy, Charlie." She replied flatly.

"I never said you were." Charlie replied slightly stung. "Let me carry your bag."

"I'm fine." Claire replied.

"I know you're fine, but I can still carry your bag." Charlie insisted, Zoe rolling her eyes.

"Why did you come after us? Claire demanded.

"It's dangerous in this jungle. I'm just making sure you guys are safe. You've heard whats gone on around here. I don't want you getting hurt." Charlie answered her innocently.

"You just want to rescue me because, because of this." Claire replied, referring to her belly. "I'm fine, okay. I don't need rescuing. I don't need. . ." Then she doubled back, having a contraction pain.

"Oh no." Zoe whispered, as she seized hold of Claire to steady her.

"What is it?" Charlie asked worried.



"Is that another one?" Charlie asked as Claire screwed her eyes tightly in pain again.

"Yeah." She replied.

"Okay, we need to time the contractions. That's what you do, time the contractions, okay. One sugar-plum fairy, two sugar-plum fairy. . . " Charlie rushed.

"Charlie." Zoe interrupted, noticing how distressed Claire was looking.

"You just need to calm down, alright. Big deep breaths." Charlie replied, taking a couple of big breaths and getting dizzy. "Oh bloody hell."

"Charlie, I need you to go get Jack." Zoe told him calmly. "Or Jo."

"What?" Charlie responded.

"I'll be alright." Claire encouraged.

"I'm not leaving you alone. I can deliver a baby. I can do this. This must happen all the time." Charlie insisted.

"Claire will be fine, I'll look after her." Zoe persuaded him.

"Charlie, please just go. You don't know how to deliver a. . . " Claire replied, having another contraction, wincing from the pain.

"Just listen to me. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I might not know what I'm doing but I'll figure it out. If I can kick drugs I can deliver a baby. Let me explain. I'm a drug addict. I was a drug addict. I'm clean now." He rushed again, noticing the horrified look on Claire's face.

"Get Jack, Charlie! I'll stay." Zoe instructed him sharply.

"Right." Charlie responded, and started sprinting through the jungle towards the caves.

"Here. Sit down." Zoe told Claire softly, holding her arm and shoulders to help ease her to the jungle floor. "There. Better?"

"A bit. It still hurts like hell." Claire replied a little distressed.

"No need to worry. Charlie will be back with Jack before you know it." Zoe told her reasurringly.

"Claire?" Came a voice nearby. It was Charlie again.

"We're over here!" Zoe called out to him.

"Okay, Jack's coming. How are you doing?" Charlie asked.

"It hurts." Claire admitted meekly, as she held Zoe's hand, squeezing it tight as the pain got too much.

"Okay, just take my hand too.. Squeeze. Okay, breathe. Inhale, exhale. Good, just breathe. Inhale, okay good." Charlie replied.

"I'm not supposed to be here." Claire breathed.

"I think we all feel like that a little bit." Charlie pointed out.

"I know, it's just -- someone promised me it would be different." Claire excused.

"Well, he was wrong." Charlie replied simply

"Yeah. He was wrong." Claire agreed.



"A psychic?" Charlie questioned after Claire had informed them both of why she was flying to L.A, why she was on the plane.

"I know. It's embarrassing. And now after everything, he was just full of it." Claire replied

"Or not. I mean, all he wanted was that no one else raise your baby, right? Maybe he knew. I mean, if he wanted it bad enough. If he had the gift, and I believe some people do, maybe he knew, Claire." Charlie explained reasonably. Claire said nothing for a moment, thinking thoughtfully.

"There was no couple in Los Angeles. He knew. He knew about the plane, what was going to happen. Oh my god, he knew." Claire replied with disgust.

"How are you doing? Can you feel anymore coming?" Zoe asked.

"I don't think so." Claire replied, a little doubtfully.

"Where the hell is Jack?" Charlie wondered, looking in the direction he would come from.

"You know, I think, I think I'm alright." Claire replied reassuringly, getting up.

"The contractions?" Charlie asked.

"Maybe that was the last one? Please let it be the last one." Claire responded.

"Jack said that stress can cause false labor. You sure you're alright?" Charlie explained.

"No pain." Claire smiled.

"Birthing emergency averted. I told you we'd take care of you." Charlie pointed out.

"Thanks, Charlie. Zoe." She smiled again.

"You're quite welcome. You think you can make it back to the caves?" He beamed, Claire looking like she's not sure about going back to the caves. "We won't let anything happen to you."

"Okay, let's go." Claire agreed, and they walked through the jungle, back towards the caves, they hadn't been walking long when Claire suddenl gasps, and clutches her belly.

"You okay?" Charlie asked concerned.

"Yeah, yeah. Look, he just kicked, here." Claire replied, putting Charlie's hand on her belly, making Zoe smile.

"Hello there." Came a voice from just ahead of them. It was Ethan.

"Ethan, where's Jack?" Charlie asked, Claire and Zoe exchanging worried glances when Ethan didn't answer, but simply stared at them mysteriously.

Zoe had her hands tied behind her back, her eyes covered over by a hood, and her mouth was gagged. She could hear Claire struggling, breathing heavily, trying to scream as they were being dragged through the jungle, and she had no idea how Charlie was doing. They had come to a sudden stop.

"Don't move!" She heard Ethan instruct them, and pushed them against what she guessed to be a tree, and he tied all three of them to it, before she heard his footsteps die away as he walked away from them through the jungle. Ethan had done a poor job on however he had tied her against the tree, and she wrigged her wrists against the restrengths of the ropes. They were chaffing, but she didn't care. She could carry on...just a little bit further....and she was free!

Zoe paused to take a momentary well earned rest victory. Then she flung her head forward, the hood that had been placed over her head fell into her lap before immediately rotating to set her arms free by moving them along her legs and over her feet. She yanked the gag out of her mouth, and used her teeth to tie the final ropes around her wrists that had been used to help anchor her to the tree. It took a good five minutes, but she did it! She cried out in relief, and sank back against the tree, closing her eyes, panting heavily with relief.

But she knew she couldn't rest long. She knew Ethan would be back sooner or later. Whatever he had gone off to do ... it wouldn't take him long. She stood up, and looked around the tree to start helping Claire and Charlie. But they weren't there! She exhaled a shock breath. Where were they? Then she realised. Ethan wasn't stupid enough to keep them close together...just in case something like this had happened. She yearned to shout out for Claire and Charlie, but knew she musn't. Ethan would hear and know she had escaped. All she could do was search through the jungle, and hope she would find them, and then hope she would find help.

Zoe sprang to her feet and started sprinted through the jungle furiously, not caring as the odd low branch smacked her across the face, arms, chest or her stmoache as she did, causing whiplash and the odd cuts, scrapes and brusises. They stung, but she knew that wasn't important. She noticed a slope up ahead, and tried to skid to avoid it, but she was running to fast, and her foot has caught on a uprooted tree root, and she fell, causing her to do a forward roll, and then slide down the slope, crashing unexpectedly to all three of them, Jack and Jo.

"Jack! Jo! I'm so glad to see you!" She cried, hugging them both.

"Zoe, thank goodness you're alright!" Jo replied, hugging her back. "Where's Claire and Charlie? Where's Ethan?"

"I don't know!" Zoe wailed. He...he had us all. But I had a hood over my head. I couldn't see where I was going, barely could hear where I was going. Then we stopped, and, I hear him leave. I managed to escape - but - Charlie and Claire - they weren't there!"

"Don't worry. We are going to get them back." Jack reassured her. "If you--"

"I'm going with you." Zoe replied flatly, knowing full well Jack was going to ask her to go back to the caves. Jack nodded in understandment. "Okay. Let's go then. Which way did you come from?"

"This way." Zoe replied, leading them back up the slope, but in full doubt she would be able to trace her steps back properly, and even then, she had no idea how close she was to Charlie and Claire when she had been left.

"Oh thank goodness!" Zoe cried with joy, and she hugged Charlie tightly. "I thought..." She trailed off, crying even harder. She couldn't believe his luck, but Charlie said nothing. He felt cold, and his hug didn't seem to be acknowledged.

"Charlie...?" Zoe asked concerned.

"He's in shock. The sooner we get him back to the caves the better." Jack told her.

"But what about Claire?" Zoe asked.

"It's going to be dark soon. Too dark to try and find our way back to the caves." Jack explained. "And this jungle is too dangerous. You of all people on this island know that. You were there when...that thing..." Jack explained.

"We'll pick up the trail again tomorrow and try again." He promised. "But right now we need to get you two back." Zoe nodded, knowing there was no use arguing.

"He only wanted her." Charlie said suddenly, and quietly.

"What?" Zoe asked, flinching when he suddenly spoke.

"Ethan. He only wanted Claire. He didn't need us." Charlie explained, and then said nothing else.

Day 16 [Night]

Zoe slumped down next to Charlie, not saying anything, remaining in silence, having experrienced the trauma, she understood almost exactly how he was feeling, and knew that he had grown pretty fond of Claire.

They remained in silence for about half an hour before Zoe finally gave into the silence.

"We are going to get her back, Charlie. I promise. I won't stop until I do." Zoe assured him, but he still remained silent, just staringg straigh ahead, the reflection of the camp fire dancing in his beautiful deep ocean blue eyes.

"Charlie..." Zoe tried to encouraged, but nothinng. She took his hand instead and squeezed it tightly, and too her suprise, he squeezed back.



After just sitting with Charlie for hours, Zoe got up, her throat dry in desperate need of a drink. She walked over to collect some water, where she noticed Jo, examining her neck with a mirror. She filled up her bottle ten walked over to her.

"Hey." Zoe said quietly.

"Hey." Jo replied, smiling meekly.

"Thanks so much for your help. I dunno what would have happened if no-one came after us..." Zoe started.

"Don't mention it. It's not as if we were going to let that bastard whisk you guys away without a fight." Jo replied.

"Jo...I've been thinking..." Zoe started worridly.

"What is it?" Jo asked.

"Sophie." Zoe began to explain. "She was Ethan when she supposedly died falling off a cliff...but what if she didn't fall? What if Ethan did something to her?"