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The Vaccine PG-13 (Part 8 of 8)
Title: The Vaccine (Part 8 of 8)
Rating: PG-13 for mild gore and violence
Summary: What if Charlie tested the vaccine but the results were unexpected? An Other serial adventure. Slightly AU. Featuring “Henry”, Pickett, Tom and Alex.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Lost. *sigh*
Previous Parts: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven
A/N: This is it. This. Is. It. Thank you all. Enjoy the dramatic conclusion.
Chapter Twelve
He wasn’t surprised. He suspected they would try and pull something. The plane people always acted like they were smarter than everyone else, but since their arrival on the island they had done nothing but commit one blunder after another.
“Let him go” the boss commanded. His henchmen released their grip on Sayid who stood and backed away immediately.
Now they all looked frightened. By the look on Charlie’s face it seemed he didn’t even know what his friends had done. Now they were all wondering what the consequences would be.
But the boss was a practical man, and he always saw the big picture, which at the moment involved the vaccine, and securing it for his people for the future. He decided the reasonable approach was best. He softened his expression.
“We are not your enemies” he began, “the vaccine you had belonged to us. You had no right to take it.”
“Tell us what it is” asked Jack, clearly emboldened by the boss’ non-confrontational stance.
“The vaccine is the result of years of research by the Hanso Foundation as part of its Life Extension Project” he explained. “It causes cells to regenerate at an astronomical rate. I don’t have to tell you what that means. You’ve seen the results of it in your friend here” he said as he pointed to Charlie, still sitting, listening while regaining his strength.
“Is that why you stabbed me?” Charlie asked, voice still ragged, his anger returning with his vigor, “To see if the bloody thing worked?”
He looked at Charlie but ignored his question and continued, ever the man in charge. What he had to say would have to be explanation enough. “We had our own stock until it ran out. We haven’t seen a supply drop in months, until you turned up with that case”. He held out his hands in a conciliatory gesture to the two men standing, “We’re all in the same boat here. We’ve lost people too and we have no wish to endure any more deaths.”
Sayid finally spoke up, reminding the boss that he had been listening very carefully, “Why should we trust you after all that you have done?”
He smiled at that. These people had some nerve. “All that we have done? We could say the same thing about you. All we ask is for what is rightfully ours. Your camp is much larger than ours, the vaccine must be given every nine days to remain effective and you will never have enough for all of your people. It’s of no use to you.”
“So what exactly do you want?” asked Jack, anxious to get to the bottom line.
He responded, fully prepared to make his demand, “It appears you are still receiving regular supply drops on your side of the island. We want all future shipments of the vaccine. If you agree, we’ll let the three of you go and we’ll stay away from your camp. But don’t try and trick us again, because if you do, your entire camp will feel the consequence, and I know how badly you want to keep your people safe, Jack. We want the same thing for our own.”
They stood in silence while his offer was considered. Jack and Sayid appeared to be deciding whether his words contained a threat, or whether he could be trusted at face value. In the end, they must have understood that the truth was immaterial. Unless they accepted the offer, they would never be allowed to leave the camp alive after what they had tried to pull. They really had no choice.
Jack looked at Sayid and then at the boss. “Okay” he said, “Let us go and it’s a deal.”
Chapter Thirteen
They were being set free. Charlie’s ordeal was over. He’d feel like celebrating if only he didn’t feel so awful. “You will be escorted back to the line in the jungle,” said their leader. “You will be free to return to your camp from there.”
The man’s two goons came towards them with blindfolds at the ready, clutching them tightly in their raised fists like loaded weapons. Jack and Sayid seemed unbothered and accepting of the routine, but Charlie felt panic in his chest and his throat. The man with the short beard who had taunted and hit Charlie earlier was approaching him.
Charlie didn’t care what his intentions were, he wasn’t about to let that monster get at him again. He stood as quickly as he could, fought off the dizziness that struck his head and staggered backwards.
“No bloody way!” he cried out, “Don’t touch me!”
Jack turned at Charlie’s apprehension. Then he turned back to the bearded man who stood frozen, avoiding a confrontation.
“Here” said Jack quietly to the man, “give me the blindfold, I’ll do it.”
Jack took the strip of cloth and turned to Charlie, who had backed himself into a corner protectively. “Charlie, trust me. It’s alright” he said, “This was how they brought us here. They just don’t want us to be able to find their camp. They won’t hurt you again, I promise.”
Charlie was still fearful but he trusted Jack. His eyes darted back and forth between the Others and his friends, making sure that the bearded man was keeping his distance.
“Only you or Sayid, Jack. No one else” Charlie begged.
“You got it” Jack assured him. He showed Charlie the blindfold, “I’m putting this on you now, okay? Then we’re going home.” Jack waited for Charlie’s approval and then applied the blindfold as gently as possible, mindful of his bruised eye. Charlie took a deep slow breath to avoid hyperventilating. When Jack finished he asked him, “Is that alright?”
Charlie nodded, “Let’s just get out of here.”
Charlie waited in darkness while Jack and Sayid were blindfolded. Then he felt someone grip his arm.
Charlie flinched and pulled back, “Jack?” he asked.
“It’s me, Charlie” answered Jack, regaining his grasp “They’re leading us out. We’re going now.”
Walking back to the clearing felt too much like his recent abduction and jungle death march and Charlie had to swallow down the anxiety as it kept rising up inside him. He was trembling under Jack’s grip and sweating under his shirt. His chest began to throb and Charlie remembered his torn stitches that still needed repair.
After a mercifully short distance, they came to a stop. They were told to count to ten slowly and then remove the blindfolds. Despite the instruction, Charlie couldn’t stand it another second. He reached up and tore the cloth strip away from his eyes. It was still dark. The three men stood alone. Charlie checked his watch and saw that sunrise was still several hours away. Now that the excitement had died down, he was suddenly overcome with fatigue. He hadn’t slept or eaten in the last 24 hours. He swayed, feeling lightheaded, and then regained his balance.
Jack and Sayid removed their blindfolds. They both looked at Charlie with concern. He must have looked dreadful. As badly as Charlie wanted to get back to their camp and to Claire, he knew he wasn’t going to make it without a few hours of sleep first.
Jack picked up on Charlie’s unsteady stance and asked the question that begged, “Are you going to be able to make it back to camp?” he asked.
“Eventually” said Charlie, as he sagged down onto the soft grass. It felt like the most luxurious bed in the world. “After I get some sleep.”
“Probably a good idea” agreed Jack, “we’ll head back after sunrise.”
When Charlie awoke the sun was overhead. Apart from some residual pain in his chest and bruised face he was feeling better. He sat up and saw Jack and Sayid talking a few feet away. When they noticed he was up, Jack came over with some water.
“Ready to go?” Jack asked him, extending his hand.
“Yeah” said Charlie, accepting the water bottle and a lift up.
As they walked, they discussed the vaccine. They were handing the Others a huge advantage over them by giving it away. Charlie wondered if they did the right thing.
He turned to his friends. “Do you think they can be trusted to leave us alone like they said they would?” Charlie asked them.
“Probably not” answered Sayid, “There was something about that man I did not trust. I believe that they will be back the next time there is something they want.”
“That’s not exactly what I wanted to hear, Sayid” said Charlie, forcing a grin to sell the joke when inside he still trembled.
Sayid looked at him and smiled. “I cannot decide if I envy them or not” he said, “A lifetime on this island could be a blessing or a curse. It may sound depressing, but death may prove to be the only means of escape in the end.”
“Now that’s definitely not what I wanted to hear” Charlie muttered.
It was Jack’s turn to speak and he must have felt a change of subject was in order. “Charlie, with your history it still concerns me that you would inject yourself with the vaccine in the first place without knowing what it was. I understand why you did it but promise me the next time you find any mystery medication that you show it to me before you decide to use it.”
Charlie could see that Jack was serious and deeply concerned. He made no further attempt to justify his actions after all that had happened. He just nodded in conciliatory agreement. He was sorry for all that he had put his friends through over his indiscretion.
A few hours later they returned to the beach. For the first time, Charlie thought of it as home, but he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Then he saw Claire and realized it was a good thing.
She turned when they approached and Charlie was treated to the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. She ran to him and hugged him but Charlie stiffened in surprise. He didn’t mean to but he still felt jittery and needed his physical space.
Claire seemed to sense the tension because she backed off, confused. “Are you alright?” she asked.
Charlie paused, not sure how to answer. He didn’t want to upset her over everything that had happened.
Jack must have sensed his dilemma and spoke. “Charlie, before you go, could I talk to you for a second?” he asked.
They stepped aside while Claire waited. Jack spoke softly, keeping their conversation private, “A word of advice? Talk to her. Tell her everything.”
Charlie was reluctant. He shook his head, “Jack, I……”
Jack cut him off, “She was worried about you. Stop trying to protect her and let her be there for you, she can handle it. And you could use it.” He smiled, “Consider it Doctor’s orders.”
Jack turned and left. Charlie was once again alone with Claire. Her happiness had turned to concern while she waited. Charlie went over to her and took her hand. They walked to her tent a few feet away and sat.
Then Charlie began. “It all started when I found this case…”
THE END
Thank you for a wonderful read!
The end was also a great effect, because it simply felt like a chapter in Charlie's life was over, with much more to come. I love conclusions that are technically conclusions but leave a lot out in the open for readers to imagine what happens next. That technique works perfectly for this story, since it basically gave us an insight from every angle of the plot. We were left to imagine what happened next in Part 8 (the grand finale!) - not as a cliffhanger, but as prediction. That's very cool.
GREAT work, and thanks so much for sharing The Vaccine with us! ♥
And brilliant story. ^^
And I do somehow think it'll come back. It's not been that long since they got ahold of it an' all...