Part 404: Not Alone
April 14th, 2009
McKay grunted as he jabbed the spike into the mountain. He pulled his cord closer to himself. He looked down at John who was just laughing as he continued to follow him. They had chosen a weekend to spend together, simply because it had been too long since they all three hung out together. They decided to head to the upstate park and climb the mountain. Tony couldn’t follow because he was still blind. However, he agreed to follow the two men and spend the weekend just to have some time to sit and chat. The bad part was Tony was at the camp listening to his friends by way of a long range parabolic microphone. “You should go with the guys, Marita said,” Tony crumbled, “You’ll have a great weekend with just the boys, she said. You’ll be able to relax, she said.”
The blind man gently placed down the parabolic microphone and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You call this relaxing?” he whispered, “I’m a nervous wreck. . . . .damn, if I am not careful, I’ll end up talking to myself.”
“McKay, you can’t wait too long, you know that!” John said, pouring chalk on his hands.
“John, is it POSSIBLE . . .that we can have this conversation on the ground?” McKay replied, looking upward to him.
The archer laughed as started to grab a nearby ledge and climb upward. “What’s wrong, Aussie?” he joked, “Am I breaking your concentration?”
McKay grunted as his archer friend, truly was breaking his concentration. He was happy with his marriage with Taylor. But lately due to his impending age of approaching 40 years old, John was suggesting that he not wait too much longer to have children. However, Mandy and Alexander were a part of their live and as they raised little Bridget, so did McKay and Taylor. It was like she had four parents. McKay was happy with that. And it offered him a change to play dad and yet, give him a certain amount of freedom. He often wondered if he wanted to have children of his own. “You with me, Outback boy?” John said, getting his attention.
“I thought Sawyer was the one who flooded us with nicknames.” McKay said, climbing after him.
“I was just trying to get your attention. So . .are you and Taylor ever going to have children, yes or no?”
“I don’t know. MAYBE! We’ve never really given it a full discussion.”
“Why is that?” John screamed back.
“I guess because we are having too much fun!” McKay laughed.
“Just what does that mean?” John yelled back.
“Take it for what it’s worth, Mr. Gym Teacher!” McKay laughed back.
“Hey! I like my job!” the archer started to climb, “I can still have fun!”
“Like what? Playing Chess with Locke every Thursday?”
“Are you suggesting that I don’t know how to have fun anymore?”
“No, I am not suggesting,” McKay laughed, “I AM FLAT OUT TELLING YOU, YOU HAVE NO GAME!”
“I’ll show you, McKay!” John said, climbing back up, “I’ll be tempted to cut this rope loose and beat you to the top-“
John never got the chance to finish his sentence. He had reached up to a nearby ledge but much to his surprise, there was a rattlesnake up there. It lashed out, trying to bit his wrist. His quick reflexes manage to get his hand back but the moment he grabbed for his line, it wasn’t there. He grunted and then screamed as he plummeted down. McKay looked up and saw his friend falling past him, screaming bloody murder. The Australian only had a few seconds. He quickly started to unbuckle his backpack. Then the inevitable tug on his rope then pulled him off the mountain.
As McKay plummeted with his friend, the backpack gave way; along with the rest of the rope. The cord flapped into the wind like 60mph unwraveling of an extension cord. John screamed at the top of his lungs. Then he saw the ground coming up. Within four seconds, the cord then held him in place; snapping his plastic back brace. John grunted as he grabbed the cord back. He heard McKay scream again high above him. He looked up to see the Australian grunting as he regained his leverage. John closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was glad his friend shot the cord away to allow it to give enough slack to keep them from having broken backs or necks. Plus, the back brace worked like a charm. “IF YOU WANTED TO GET DOWN QUICKLY!” McKay screamed, “THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST TOLD ME!!!!”
John smirked and chuckled slightly. If his friend was making jokes, then that meant he was okay. The archer then looked over to see his friend Tony run toward them. Even though John just had a near death experience, he never felt more happy in his life. As long as he was with his friends, he knew he’d be okay.
John grunted as he leaned up from his sleeping bag, resting the cold chemical pack on his lower spine. Despite the fact that the fall didn’t kill him or McKay; there was the obvious soreness that would follow. McKay didn’t seem to mind, more than likely because he weathered worse. Tony was getting their bowls ready for the Australian’s supper for the evening. “How’s your back, John?” Tony said, handing the bowls to his friend.
“Little sore but I’ll make it,” the archer leaned up, “I guess I ain’t going up on the mountain anytime soon.”
“I think you can file that under UNNECESSARY.” The blind doctor sat down, with his bowl.
“What we got, McKay? It smells great.” John held out his bowl.
“Beans and Hotdogs, an old family recipe. I’ll be Mia won’t give you home cooking like this.” McKay laughed.
“I got bad news for ya, bud.” Tony said, eating the food, “The Australians didn’t invent Beans and Hotdogs together.”
“Yeah? Well what do you think of that batch?”
“Actually, it’s pretty damn good,” John muttered, “ I don’t recognize that flavor though.”
“I do.” Tony chuckled.
“Oh, I see, said the blind man,” the archer laughed, “Okay, McKay, spill it. What is the secret ingredient?”
McKay reached over toward his backpack and then pulled out a bottle of whiskey. He held it off, smiling. It took John eight seconds to understand what he was talking about. “Booze?” John laughed, “Your special ingredient . . . is booze?”
“Whiskey, John,” McKay corrected him, “Sydney Whiskey, care for a little swig?”
“I do.” Tony reached out his hand.
McKay placed the bottle in the doctor’s hand. Tony unscrewed the cap, took a whiff and then a swig. He coughed and handed it back to the Australian. McKay then screwed the cap back on and tossed it to John. The archer placed his beans down and took a drink. “Whew!” He laughed, “Beans and Bourbon. I think I might not sleep a wink tonight.”
“Just don’t sleep downwind from me okay?” McKay joked.
“Well, you two could definitely drive a man to drink.” The blind man whispered.
McKay and John both looked over toward their friend; slightly shock by his abrupt comment. The archer rubbed his face and shrugged his shoulders. “Tony, COME ON!” he pleaded, “For the last time, I told you it was a rattlesnake!”
“That’s not the damn point, John,” Tony leaned up, “You and McKay should have never been on the mountain in the first place.”
“Tony, you can’t live your life playing it safe.” The Australian pointed out.
“That’s not what I am talking about either, McKay. I am talking about us, out there on the ragged edge. Have we not risk our lives enough? It was different on the Island but here we have families. You especially, John, because you got little Shelley. Maybe it didn’t cross that macho mind of yours, but you should have been killed when you fell off that mountain today.”
John smirked. “It did cross my mind.” He admitted.
“Thank you,” the doctor sighed.
“And even as I fell, I knew I wasn’t going to die.” The archer retorted.
Tony leaned up with a curious look. Even though he had a patch on one eye and blind man glasses over both; he still looked bemused. “Excuse me?” he asked.
“I’m glad you have such faith in my skills, John,” McKay said, sipping his whiskey.
“Oh, it was only half that, man,” the archer admitted.
McKay looked at his friend with a strange curiosity. John looked over to Tony and as he knew even though he couldn’t see his friend, he could tell he was waiting for an explanation to his profound statement. The archer calmly took another spoonful of his beans and looked to the sky. “My dad died of a heart-attack,” he whispered toward the heavens, “I had gone to college. Mom had gone to work. He was in the shower, taking a bath when it happen. My poor mom had to come home and find him in the shower. His body had gone ice cold because the water was still running on him.”
John took another spoonful of beans and looked toward his friends. “When I was fifteen, I lost my sister to a stupid game of hide and seek. She . . .hid inside a refrigerator and suffocated. Damn near killed my mother when she learned.”
Tony listened carefully. McKay had stopped eating to make sure he hear John’s stories. “My Uncle Ronald died after taking a car off a bridge after he had been drinking.” The archer said, finishing his bowl of beans, “ He had been missing for four days. The cops found him later because he was simply on a road that hardly anybody ventured down and those who did, didn’t take notice to the wrecked car on the side of the road. It was common place. Coroner had said, that the wreck had crushed both my Uncle’s legs. Said it took him five hours to bleed to death.”
John put down his bowl and held out his hand for McKay to give him the whiskey. John took another drink from the bottom and stared at the ground. Tony could hear that he was no longer talking. “I’m sorry this all happened, John,” the blind man whispered, “But . . .what does all that have to do with your incident on the mountain?”
“Just telling you I already know my fate, Tony,” the archer replied.
“I . . . .I still don’t understand.”
John smiled as he took another drink. “I’ve always known . . . . . I’ll die alone.” He whispered.
McKay realized what he meant, as did his blind friend. The majority of the important people in his family had died in ways where they were alone. John naturally assumed that would be his fate too. Then a past instance reflected in Tony’s brain and it all finally made sense after all this time. “The cave.” The blind man whispered.
“What was that?” McKay asked.
“The cave where Cedric buried John alive,” Tony pointed out, “That was why John freaked so bad. He thought he was going to die. He thought . . .he was alone.”
“Luckily, I wasn’t, Tony,” the archer chuckled.
The three friends shared a somber moment. Tony took a deep breath and felt for his sleeping bag. “McKay, make a mental note, “ he said, leaning back, “When we get back home, Mia isn’t allowed to let John out of her sight.”
“Amen,” McKay chuckled.
John laughed a bit as his friend’s recommendation. Almost suggesting that as long as John wasn’t alone, he’d live forever. If that was his fate, John wouldn’t mind. The three friends eventually got ready for bed. Tomorrow, they’d head back to their real lives with their own small families. However, John knew they were all a big family in their own way. He figured that was why McKay and Tony hadn’t had any children because they felt like the parents to the people who did have children. However it didn’t matter.
In the end, he knew none of them would ever be alone.
McKay grunted as he jabbed the spike into the mountain. He pulled his cord closer to himself. He looked down at John who was just laughing as he continued to follow him. They had chosen a weekend to spend together, simply because it had been too long since they all three hung out together. They decided to head to the upstate park and climb the mountain. Tony couldn’t follow because he was still blind. However, he agreed to follow the two men and spend the weekend just to have some time to sit and chat. The bad part was Tony was at the camp listening to his friends by way of a long range parabolic microphone. “You should go with the guys, Marita said,” Tony crumbled, “You’ll have a great weekend with just the boys, she said. You’ll be able to relax, she said.”
The blind man gently placed down the parabolic microphone and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You call this relaxing?” he whispered, “I’m a nervous wreck. . . . .damn, if I am not careful, I’ll end up talking to myself.”
“McKay, you can’t wait too long, you know that!” John said, pouring chalk on his hands.
“John, is it POSSIBLE . . .that we can have this conversation on the ground?” McKay replied, looking upward to him.
The archer laughed as started to grab a nearby ledge and climb upward. “What’s wrong, Aussie?” he joked, “Am I breaking your concentration?”
McKay grunted as his archer friend, truly was breaking his concentration. He was happy with his marriage with Taylor. But lately due to his impending age of approaching 40 years old, John was suggesting that he not wait too much longer to have children. However, Mandy and Alexander were a part of their live and as they raised little Bridget, so did McKay and Taylor. It was like she had four parents. McKay was happy with that. And it offered him a change to play dad and yet, give him a certain amount of freedom. He often wondered if he wanted to have children of his own. “You with me, Outback boy?” John said, getting his attention.
“I thought Sawyer was the one who flooded us with nicknames.” McKay said, climbing after him.
“I was just trying to get your attention. So . .are you and Taylor ever going to have children, yes or no?”
“I don’t know. MAYBE! We’ve never really given it a full discussion.”
“Why is that?” John screamed back.
“I guess because we are having too much fun!” McKay laughed.
“Just what does that mean?” John yelled back.
“Take it for what it’s worth, Mr. Gym Teacher!” McKay laughed back.
“Hey! I like my job!” the archer started to climb, “I can still have fun!”
“Like what? Playing Chess with Locke every Thursday?”
“Are you suggesting that I don’t know how to have fun anymore?”
“No, I am not suggesting,” McKay laughed, “I AM FLAT OUT TELLING YOU, YOU HAVE NO GAME!”
“I’ll show you, McKay!” John said, climbing back up, “I’ll be tempted to cut this rope loose and beat you to the top-“
John never got the chance to finish his sentence. He had reached up to a nearby ledge but much to his surprise, there was a rattlesnake up there. It lashed out, trying to bit his wrist. His quick reflexes manage to get his hand back but the moment he grabbed for his line, it wasn’t there. He grunted and then screamed as he plummeted down. McKay looked up and saw his friend falling past him, screaming bloody murder. The Australian only had a few seconds. He quickly started to unbuckle his backpack. Then the inevitable tug on his rope then pulled him off the mountain.
As McKay plummeted with his friend, the backpack gave way; along with the rest of the rope. The cord flapped into the wind like 60mph unwraveling of an extension cord. John screamed at the top of his lungs. Then he saw the ground coming up. Within four seconds, the cord then held him in place; snapping his plastic back brace. John grunted as he grabbed the cord back. He heard McKay scream again high above him. He looked up to see the Australian grunting as he regained his leverage. John closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was glad his friend shot the cord away to allow it to give enough slack to keep them from having broken backs or necks. Plus, the back brace worked like a charm. “IF YOU WANTED TO GET DOWN QUICKLY!” McKay screamed, “THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST TOLD ME!!!!”
John smirked and chuckled slightly. If his friend was making jokes, then that meant he was okay. The archer then looked over to see his friend Tony run toward them. Even though John just had a near death experience, he never felt more happy in his life. As long as he was with his friends, he knew he’d be okay.
John grunted as he leaned up from his sleeping bag, resting the cold chemical pack on his lower spine. Despite the fact that the fall didn’t kill him or McKay; there was the obvious soreness that would follow. McKay didn’t seem to mind, more than likely because he weathered worse. Tony was getting their bowls ready for the Australian’s supper for the evening. “How’s your back, John?” Tony said, handing the bowls to his friend.
“Little sore but I’ll make it,” the archer leaned up, “I guess I ain’t going up on the mountain anytime soon.”
“I think you can file that under UNNECESSARY.” The blind doctor sat down, with his bowl.
“What we got, McKay? It smells great.” John held out his bowl.
“Beans and Hotdogs, an old family recipe. I’ll be Mia won’t give you home cooking like this.” McKay laughed.
“I got bad news for ya, bud.” Tony said, eating the food, “The Australians didn’t invent Beans and Hotdogs together.”
“Yeah? Well what do you think of that batch?”
“Actually, it’s pretty damn good,” John muttered, “ I don’t recognize that flavor though.”
“I do.” Tony chuckled.
“Oh, I see, said the blind man,” the archer laughed, “Okay, McKay, spill it. What is the secret ingredient?”
McKay reached over toward his backpack and then pulled out a bottle of whiskey. He held it off, smiling. It took John eight seconds to understand what he was talking about. “Booze?” John laughed, “Your special ingredient . . . is booze?”
“Whiskey, John,” McKay corrected him, “Sydney Whiskey, care for a little swig?”
“I do.” Tony reached out his hand.
McKay placed the bottle in the doctor’s hand. Tony unscrewed the cap, took a whiff and then a swig. He coughed and handed it back to the Australian. McKay then screwed the cap back on and tossed it to John. The archer placed his beans down and took a drink. “Whew!” He laughed, “Beans and Bourbon. I think I might not sleep a wink tonight.”
“Just don’t sleep downwind from me okay?” McKay joked.
“Well, you two could definitely drive a man to drink.” The blind man whispered.
McKay and John both looked over toward their friend; slightly shock by his abrupt comment. The archer rubbed his face and shrugged his shoulders. “Tony, COME ON!” he pleaded, “For the last time, I told you it was a rattlesnake!”
“That’s not the damn point, John,” Tony leaned up, “You and McKay should have never been on the mountain in the first place.”
“Tony, you can’t live your life playing it safe.” The Australian pointed out.
“That’s not what I am talking about either, McKay. I am talking about us, out there on the ragged edge. Have we not risk our lives enough? It was different on the Island but here we have families. You especially, John, because you got little Shelley. Maybe it didn’t cross that macho mind of yours, but you should have been killed when you fell off that mountain today.”
John smirked. “It did cross my mind.” He admitted.
“Thank you,” the doctor sighed.
“And even as I fell, I knew I wasn’t going to die.” The archer retorted.
Tony leaned up with a curious look. Even though he had a patch on one eye and blind man glasses over both; he still looked bemused. “Excuse me?” he asked.
“I’m glad you have such faith in my skills, John,” McKay said, sipping his whiskey.
“Oh, it was only half that, man,” the archer admitted.
McKay looked at his friend with a strange curiosity. John looked over to Tony and as he knew even though he couldn’t see his friend, he could tell he was waiting for an explanation to his profound statement. The archer calmly took another spoonful of his beans and looked to the sky. “My dad died of a heart-attack,” he whispered toward the heavens, “I had gone to college. Mom had gone to work. He was in the shower, taking a bath when it happen. My poor mom had to come home and find him in the shower. His body had gone ice cold because the water was still running on him.”
John took another spoonful of beans and looked toward his friends. “When I was fifteen, I lost my sister to a stupid game of hide and seek. She . . .hid inside a refrigerator and suffocated. Damn near killed my mother when she learned.”
Tony listened carefully. McKay had stopped eating to make sure he hear John’s stories. “My Uncle Ronald died after taking a car off a bridge after he had been drinking.” The archer said, finishing his bowl of beans, “ He had been missing for four days. The cops found him later because he was simply on a road that hardly anybody ventured down and those who did, didn’t take notice to the wrecked car on the side of the road. It was common place. Coroner had said, that the wreck had crushed both my Uncle’s legs. Said it took him five hours to bleed to death.”
John put down his bowl and held out his hand for McKay to give him the whiskey. John took another drink from the bottom and stared at the ground. Tony could hear that he was no longer talking. “I’m sorry this all happened, John,” the blind man whispered, “But . . .what does all that have to do with your incident on the mountain?”
“Just telling you I already know my fate, Tony,” the archer replied.
“I . . . .I still don’t understand.”
John smiled as he took another drink. “I’ve always known . . . . . I’ll die alone.” He whispered.
McKay realized what he meant, as did his blind friend. The majority of the important people in his family had died in ways where they were alone. John naturally assumed that would be his fate too. Then a past instance reflected in Tony’s brain and it all finally made sense after all this time. “The cave.” The blind man whispered.
“What was that?” McKay asked.
“The cave where Cedric buried John alive,” Tony pointed out, “That was why John freaked so bad. He thought he was going to die. He thought . . .he was alone.”
“Luckily, I wasn’t, Tony,” the archer chuckled.
The three friends shared a somber moment. Tony took a deep breath and felt for his sleeping bag. “McKay, make a mental note, “ he said, leaning back, “When we get back home, Mia isn’t allowed to let John out of her sight.”
“Amen,” McKay chuckled.
John laughed a bit as his friend’s recommendation. Almost suggesting that as long as John wasn’t alone, he’d live forever. If that was his fate, John wouldn’t mind. The three friends eventually got ready for bed. Tomorrow, they’d head back to their real lives with their own small families. However, John knew they were all a big family in their own way. He figured that was why McKay and Tony hadn’t had any children because they felt like the parents to the people who did have children. However it didn’t matter.
In the end, he knew none of them would ever be alone.
posted by Jason | 6:48 AM
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