(Untitled)

[friggin_gift]

His body is on the bed. He's covered up to his neck, only his cut face--still with spots of dried blood on it--is exposed.

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[sendpeanutbtr]

If Claire had left the Bar on Friday like she had planned, she wouldn't have just happened to be sitting next to the observation window when they returned from the island. She wouldn't have heard the collective gasps of the patrons sitting closest to the door and she wouldn't have turned to see--

(someone she's been searching for)

--Sawyer carrying Boone's prone body up the stairs. Nor would she have seen Shannon and Sun following close behind.

But she was there, in the bar, when they came in, and she did see.

And she followed them.

She knocks on Boone's door gently, and then enters, taking in the scene before turning to Sawyer, her eyes wide.

"What happened?"

[confidence_man]

He glances sideways at her briefly; the other Claire on the island had been easier to ignore. Probably because she never looked at him the way this Claire had. Still, he'd convinced himself it'd be just as easy once he got back to the bar.

He was wrong.

And yet, he attempts to give his voice the right level of boredom and apathy when he answers. "Your buddy Locke said something fell on him."

[sendpeanutbtr]

"Wha- ?" she glances back at Boone's body and her eyes flicker over to Shannon as his words slowly register.

"You were on the island?"

[confidence_man]

He snorts. "Where'd you think I'd been, sweetheart? Hiding up in my room writing in my journal or something?"

[sendpeanutbtr]

She flinches and looks back at Boone's body. "I. . I didn't know. I've been in Tokyo since the hurricane."

[confidence_man]

"What hurricane?"

[sendpeanutbtr]

"There was a. . .er, hurricane a few weeks ago. It. . . washed out New Orleans."

Her voice trails off at the end and she swallows. She hasn't talked about the hurricane much, but Sawyer of all people would understand what the city meant to her. Surely.

"Is he. . . is he dead?"

[confidence_man]

Washed out New Orleans. Something to discuss another time. One crisis at a time.

He nods at her question. "Yep. For now, at least."

[sendpeanutbtr]

"What does that mean?" she asks softly so Shannon won't hear them. "'For now'?"

[confidence_man]

He rolls his eyes slightly. Why is he the only one who notices these things?

"C'mon, sweetheart. You've seen how it is 'round here. Tim died, 'cept he ain't dead anymore. Faith got sent to Hell, and she's back. Chuck died, and he got brought back. Folks just don't stay dead here."

[sendpeanutbtr]

"Tim's magical," she whispers. "There was a rescue mission for Faith. And when Charlie died. . . people had to go to Purgatory to bring him back."

[confidence_man]

He glances over at Shannon, hoping she hadn't heard that, before whispering back. "So, we find a loophole for the kid here. Hell, with all the god and witches and mess we've got around here, somebody's got to be able to fix him up. Right?"

[sendpeanutbtr]

She studies his face a long moment before nodding and turning her attention back to Boone.

"Do you. . . do you think Locke did this. . . to him?"

[confidence_man]

He's quiet as stone for a few minutes. Not very Sawyer-like.

Then, "I don't trust him. Whatever fell, he might not have pushed it on Boone, but he damn sure got him in a position to be under it."

[sendpeanutbtr]

She nods again and her eyes fill with tears. "I tried to tell him. . ."

I tried to tell all of you. It's that island. . . And none of you will listen to me.

[confidence_man]

"You can do your 'I told you so' dance just as soon as we get him patched up."