(no subject)
There's something that you need to know. If we survive this, if we survive tonight, we're going to have a Locke problem. I have to know that you've got my back.
She's got Jack's back. She told him she did.
And that's part of the reason she's going back to the hatch.
The other part is, well, like she said. If she doesn't go with Locke, who will? Jack can't. And if Locke breaks his neck out there in the jungle...
They may have a Locke problem soon, but they can't let him get killed.
Live together, die alone.
It's pitch black out in the jungle, and there's an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Could be the quarantine hatch door. Could be missing -- 'cause there ain't anything here worth staying for -- the raft launch. Could be Jack's stubborn refusal to let her carry dynamite.
It could be that Arzt exploded right in front of them.
It could be that black smoke tried to sweep Locke right into a hole in the ground.
Hurley's shouts of no, stop, we can't do this probably have a little something to do with it, too.
She's surprised to find Locke by the hatch opening and not in it. "I expected to find you halfway down there by now."
Locke looks up but not back at her. "I was waiting for you."
Shrugging out of her backpack, she moves closer. It's surprisingly hard to tell from here if he's serious. "So you want me to go down first?"
"Well, you're lighter." The rope's ready in his hands. "I can belay you down and bring you back up just as easy. The shaft might get narrower down there, too."
He's not kidding. Looks like he's thought it all out already. "You left out the part where you just want to see if I get eaten by something."
"Yeah, well, that too." It only takes them a few minutes to get the rope secured around her waist and a flashlight in her hand, and that uneasy feeling doesn't grow but it's not going anywhere soon. "Not too tight?"
Ready to get the show on the road, she tests the rope and shakes her head. "Got it."
Stepping down onto the short ladder leading down is...
It makes her think of earlier today in the jungle. Weren't they in a position kind of like this then, but with Locke in the hole and Jack trying to help get him out?
Okay, now that uneasy feeling is harder to ignore.
"Wait." Pausing, she looks up toward him. "What do I say if I need to stop?"
"Stop."
She'll give him one thing: he's focused on the task at hand. "Okay." She nods. Just barely. "Let's go."
There's a cool too-still feeling in the air the lower she goes, and she peers down into what's lit up by the small beam of her flashlight. But then there's a crack from up above -- and loud one -- and then the rope is jerked tight once and then slackens.
And she's falling.
Grasping for the rope, she drops her flashlight. It tumbles soundlessly through the air until it hits the floor of the hatch with a metallic rattle, and at the same time, she can feel the rope jerked taut again.
"Kate! Are you all right?"
"Yeah," she calls back, relieved to hear Locke's voice again, and looks up. "I dropped the light. Maybe we should--"
Slowly, she's being lowered again.
"Well, okay then," she goes on, almost to herself.
If only he could go faster. This would be a lot more bearable if she didn't have so much time to look down, to wonder what's down there, to...
There's a mirror down there. What would a mirror be doing--
She barely realizes she's counting until she's reached two, and four is barely out of her mouth before she sees -- by way of the angled mirror -- a light go on further in the hatch. "STOP!"
Almost instantly, the lowering stops. "What is it?"
"John--" She can feel goosebumps rise on her skin. "I think there's something down here."
A harsh light suddenly floods the shaft; all she can hear for a moment is her own scream.
She's got Jack's back. She told him she did.
And that's part of the reason she's going back to the hatch.
The other part is, well, like she said. If she doesn't go with Locke, who will? Jack can't. And if Locke breaks his neck out there in the jungle...
They may have a Locke problem soon, but they can't let him get killed.
Live together, die alone.
It's pitch black out in the jungle, and there's an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Could be the quarantine hatch door. Could be missing -- 'cause there ain't anything here worth staying for -- the raft launch. Could be Jack's stubborn refusal to let her carry dynamite.
It could be that Arzt exploded right in front of them.
It could be that black smoke tried to sweep Locke right into a hole in the ground.
Hurley's shouts of no, stop, we can't do this probably have a little something to do with it, too.
She's surprised to find Locke by the hatch opening and not in it. "I expected to find you halfway down there by now."
Locke looks up but not back at her. "I was waiting for you."
Shrugging out of her backpack, she moves closer. It's surprisingly hard to tell from here if he's serious. "So you want me to go down first?"
"Well, you're lighter." The rope's ready in his hands. "I can belay you down and bring you back up just as easy. The shaft might get narrower down there, too."
He's not kidding. Looks like he's thought it all out already. "You left out the part where you just want to see if I get eaten by something."
"Yeah, well, that too." It only takes them a few minutes to get the rope secured around her waist and a flashlight in her hand, and that uneasy feeling doesn't grow but it's not going anywhere soon. "Not too tight?"
Ready to get the show on the road, she tests the rope and shakes her head. "Got it."
Stepping down onto the short ladder leading down is...
It makes her think of earlier today in the jungle. Weren't they in a position kind of like this then, but with Locke in the hole and Jack trying to help get him out?
Okay, now that uneasy feeling is harder to ignore.
"Wait." Pausing, she looks up toward him. "What do I say if I need to stop?"
"Stop."
She'll give him one thing: he's focused on the task at hand. "Okay." She nods. Just barely. "Let's go."
There's a cool too-still feeling in the air the lower she goes, and she peers down into what's lit up by the small beam of her flashlight. But then there's a crack from up above -- and loud one -- and then the rope is jerked tight once and then slackens.
And she's falling.
Grasping for the rope, she drops her flashlight. It tumbles soundlessly through the air until it hits the floor of the hatch with a metallic rattle, and at the same time, she can feel the rope jerked taut again.
"Kate! Are you all right?"
"Yeah," she calls back, relieved to hear Locke's voice again, and looks up. "I dropped the light. Maybe we should--"
Slowly, she's being lowered again.
"Well, okay then," she goes on, almost to herself.
If only he could go faster. This would be a lot more bearable if she didn't have so much time to look down, to wonder what's down there, to...
There's a mirror down there. What would a mirror be doing--
She barely realizes she's counting until she's reached two, and four is barely out of her mouth before she sees -- by way of the angled mirror -- a light go on further in the hatch. "STOP!"
Almost instantly, the lowering stops. "What is it?"
"John--" She can feel goosebumps rise on her skin. "I think there's something down here."
A harsh light suddenly floods the shaft; all she can hear for a moment is her own scream.