Scene opens black with a blip sound; eye opens; green cursor on computer screen; unknown man enters numbers and presses 'execute' bu*ton. He goes through a morning routine and injects himself with something from an Rx bottle that has the numbers on the label. He hears an explosion, gets weapons from a vault, turns the lights down, looks through a scope, adjusts mirrors so he can see the hatch area. Camera pans up to Jack and Locke looking down.
Cut to Hurley and Kate standing near the hatch.
HURLEY: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. 4, 8, we're dead, 15, doomed and dead, 16, 23, 42...
KATE: Hurley, you okay?
HURLEY: Huh? Yeah, awesome. I just have to pee. (Kate moves forward to peek into the hatch) Great idea, dude, go look into the burning d**h hole.
Kate, Jack, and Locke peer into the hatch.
KATE: What is it?
JACK: It doesn't matter what it is. We blew the door so we could get everyone inside this thing so we could be safe. That plan is not going to work. We'll never get everyone down in time.
Locke drops a rock into the hatch.
KATE: Water.
LOCKE: It's shallow. It sounds like a puddle.
KATE: 40 feet down?
LOCKE: 50 tops. If we could use the wire we pulled from the fuselage -- rig up a harness...
JACK: John, we're leaving now.
HURLEY: Yes, good idea. Let's do that.
LOCKE: We all went through a lot to get here, Jack.
JACK: The ladder's broken. You going to lower 40 people down there one by one? They're waiting for us to come back and tell them what to do, so let's forget about the harnesses.
KATE: Jack?
JACK: What?
LOCKE: Why don't we all just calm down here.
JACK: Look, if you want to go exploring in the morning that's fine, but tonight we're done. I'm going to go get the dynamite that we didn't use and we're heading back to the caves. How about you pack it up, John?
LOCKE: Sure, of course.
JACK: Okay.
LOCKE: Why don't you want to go down there, Jack?
Cut to flashback : Jack is in the hospital ER and a woman is being wheeled in on gurney.
EMT: Female, late 20's, no ID, she coded twice on the way over here.
NURSE: Where's the other one?
EMT: Right behind us. They're on their way -- Fire Department had to use the jaws.
INTERN: What do we got here?
NURSE: Female, late 20s...
INTERN: (referring to a piece of metal sticking in the patient's breast) What the hell is that?
JACK: (entering) Piece of the steering column. All right, let's go. Keep that collar steady. Page my father.
INTERN: Already did.
JACK: (to EMT) Tell me.
EMT: Her tire blew, car jumped the divider, went head-on with an SUV.
NURSE: BP's dropping.
JACK: Pericardial's pierced. Was she driving?
EMT: Yes, alone.
JACK: Where's the driver of the SUV?
A man is wheeled in on a gurney.
EMT #2: Adam Rutherford, 57, chest trauma, no breath sounds.
JACK: (to intern) Tube Mr. Rutherford while I...
INTERN: I can't intubate, you've got to.
NURSE: Dr. Shephard, her BP's 80 over 60.
NURSE #2: Dr. Shephard, his breathing's deteriorating.
JACK: (deciding to work on the woman) Okay, need a syringe -- big one. You, hold pressure. (He pulls the piece of the steering column out of the woman's chest.)
NURSE: 88 over 52, no radial pulse.
JACK: I know. I know -- sac's flooded. Where's that...
NURSE: (handing him a syringe) Right here. Got it?
JACK: Yep.
NURSE #2: Doctor, we're losing him.
Jack continues working on the woman as we hear the sound of Adam Rutherford's heart monitor flat-lining.
NURSE: BP stabilizing.
NURSE #2: Time of d**h 8:15am.
JACK: Okay, get me a blood gas and a C-spine. Get her up to ICU and keep her immobilized.
We see that the woman Jack has been working on is Sarah.
SARAH: (whispering weakly) I want to dance at my wedding.
INTERN: Did you hear that?
NURSE: Sweetie, you need to take it easy, okay. Just relax.
INTERN: What did she say?
JACK: She said she has to dance at her wedding.
Cut to the people at the caves on-island.
CHARLIE: Okay, no one is out there. No one is coming.
N.D. Survivor: But the -- but the French woman said...
CHARLIE: The French woman is missing a bloody wing nut, you know. I mean, I mean, it was all bollocks. It's a ghost story. She set the fire herself. (Charlie sees Sayid looking at him.) What?
SAYID: Nothing.
SHANNON: (to various Redshirts) Has anyone seen Vincent -- the dog? Anyone seen him? Has anyone seen the dog?
REDSHIRT: No.
SAYID: Where are you going?
SHANNON: I lost the damn dog.
Cut to the hatch, where Locke is looking down it with a pleased expression.
HURLEY: Why'd you do that? Why'd you light the fuse, man?
LOCKE: Why wouldn't I light the fuse?
HURLEY: Ah, maybe because I was running towards you, waving my arms, yelling "don't do that?"
LOCKE: (laughing) Well, you've got a point there. I guess I was just excited to get inside. I mean, that's why we came here, isn't it? That's why we went all the way out to the Black Rock -- and why we got the dynamite to blow the hatch. And we did it so that we could get inside, Hugo.
JACK: And to save everybody's lives.
LOCKE: And to save everyone's lives.
JACK: Or, maybe it was just our destiny, right, John?
LOCKE: Maybe.
KATE: Guys, it's the hatch door, you'd better see this.
The word "quarantine" is stenciled on the inside of the hatch door.
Cut to Shannon and Sayid in the jungle.
SHANNON: Vincent!
SAYID: This is not a good idea.
SHANNON: I saw him 5 minutes ago. Besides, you're the one who said there isn't anyone out here.
SAYID: I said we didn't see anyone. The dog will come back on his own. He always does.
SHANNON: Watching that dog was the one thing anyone has ever asked me to do. If something happens to him...
SAYID: When was the last time you slept or had something to eat? You're exhausted.
SHANNON: I can't tell that kid that I lost his dog because I was exhausted.
Sound of Vincent barking in the background. Sayid and Shannon try to flank him but he runs off and they follow.
SAYID: I'll circle around behind him.
SHANNON: Okay.
SAYID: Vincent!
SHANNON: Sayid! (Shannon loses sight of him.) Sayid! Sayid, where are you?! Sayid! Sayid!
Shannon falls and camera does several quick pans around. Then she sees the apparition of a water-soaked Walt standing nearby.
SHANNON: Walt?
Walt shushes her.
SHANNON: What are you doing here?
Walt whispers something unintelligible backwards. Shannon looks away and when she looks back Walt is gone.
SAYID: Shannon! What is it? What?
Cut to Locke and Kate walking back to the caves.
KATE: Why do you want to get down there so bad?
LOCKE: -ly. Why do I want to get down there so badly. Jack thinks I'm crazy, doesn't he?
KATE: Why, because you want to drop into a hatch that's been locked from the inside by a foot-thick steel door that says "quarantine?"
LOCKE: Well, look at the bright side. The damage is done.
KATE: The bright side?
LOCKE: And if Jack thinks I've lost it, I can't blame him, really. Then again, 5 hours ago I was pulled into a hole by what appeared to be a column of black smoke. Did you see it, Kate? (The look on her face indicates that she did.) Then I guess we're both crazy. Wonder what Jack thinks he saw?
Cut to Jack and Hurley walking back to the caves.
HURLEY: You should go ahead, man -- don't want Locke making time with your girl. (Jack shoots him a look) Joke, dude.
JACK: I'm not really in the mood, Hurley.
HURLEY: Really? Wow, usually you're, like, Mr. Haha. (Jack chuckles.) There you go. Life's not so bad, right? I mean, sure the Others are coming to, like, eat us all -- and every once in a while someone blows up all over you, but you do get to sleep in every morning.
JACK: Uh-huh. And the numbers?
HURLEY: What?
JACK: "The numbers are bad" -- that's what you were yelling right when I tackled you.
HURLEY: Yeah, that's kind of a long story.
JACK: I've got time.
HURLEY: You'll think I'm crazy.
JACK: Try me.
HURLEY: Awhile ago I was in this kind of psych ward, and there was this guy, Leonard -- and all the time I knew him all he ever said were these numbers -- 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 -- over and over and over again. And they kind of got stuck in my head. So, when I got out -- well, actually a couple of months after I got out -- I was buying a frozen burrito and I thought, hey, I should play the lottery. And I guess those numbers were still stuck in my head so I played them. And I won 114 million dollars. That's when it started happening -- my grandpa died, my house caught on fire, the chicken joint that I worked at got hit by a meteor -- well, actually meteorite. Okay, so tonight I see the same freaking numbers on the hatch thing -- just written on the side -- and that's why I tried to stop it -- because that thing is cursed, man.
JACK: You were in a psych ward?
HURLEY: I'm not crazy.
JACK: I'm not saying you are.
HURLEY: So, what? That's it? That's all?
JACK: What do you want me to say?
HURLEY: How about you believe me, man?
JACK: Hurley, they're numbers.
HURLEY: What's that thing where doctors make you feel better just by talking to you?
JACK: Bedside manner.
HURLEY: Yeah, that. Yours s**s, dude.
Cut to flashback, where Jack is in the hospital looking at Sarah's chart as she comes to.
SARAH: What happened to him?
JACK: Just try to relax, okay?
SARAH: The car that I hit -- the other driver was older.
JACK: He died in the ER.
SARAH: I can't feel anything.
JACK: I know.
SARAH: What's happened to me?
JACK: You have a fracture-dislocation of your thoracic lumbar spine with multiple crushed vertebrae -- your back is broken. Your spleen is ruptured and bleeding into your abdomen and that has to be stopped. (Christian Shephard, Jack's dad, looks through a window at Jack and Sarah.) I'm going to perform surgery and repair as much damage as possible. But even the most optimistic result puts the likelihood of retaining any feeling or mobility anywhere below the waist at "extremely unlikely".
SARAH: Oh.
CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD: Dr. Shephard, may I have a word, please.
Cut to Jack and Christian walking down the corridor.
JACK: So, what did I do wrong?
CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD: You did something wrong?
JACK: You're frowning.
CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD: My face is always this way.
JACK: Dad, hey, c'mon, let's hear it.
CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD: You might want to try handing out some hope every once in awhile. Even if there's a 99 percent probability that they're utterly, hopelessly screwed, folks are much more inclined to hear that 1 percent chance that things are going to be okay.
JACK: Her spine's crushed. I tell her that everything's going to be okay -- that's false hope, dad.
CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD: Maybe. Maybe, but it's still hope.
Cut to on-Island, back at the caves.
SHANNON: I know what I saw! It was him! It was Walt!
SAYID: Shannon, please lower your voice. You'll upset the rest of the group.
SHANNON: I heard whispers.
CLAIRE: Where?
SHANNON: Everywhere.
CHARLIE: What -- what whispers? Who?
SHANNON: I don't know -- them.
SUN: Do you think something happened to the raft?
SAYID: Nothing happened to the raft. Walt is with your husband, with Sawyer...
SHANNON: Sayid, I know what I saw.
CHARLIE: (as the hatch group enters) They're back.
Jack stands in front of the group to give a speech.
JACK: Uh, Locke found, uh, a hatch in the ground about a half a mile from here. We left to -- to blow it open so that we could hide inside -- so all of us could hide inside, in case... But that doesn't matter now because it's not going to work. There's no way for all of us to get down in there tonight.
CHARLIE: Jack, where's Dr. Arzt?
JACK: Um, he didn't make it.
SHANNON: Did you see them? Did you see the Others?
CHARLIE: Hey, Shannon, there are no Others. We've already had this conversation.
SHANNON: What the hell would you know about it -- just because you didn't see anything?!
CHARLIE: There's no one out there.
SHANNON: You don't know!
CHARLIE: You're just making up rubbish!
JACK: Hey! Everything's going to be okay. Let's just take it easy. We're going to be alright. We're going to stay here tonight, okay, together. We've still got 4 guns. We'll put lookouts at all the entrances. We're all going to be safe as long as we stay together. The sun comes up in 3 hours and we're all going to be here to see that happen. I promise. (Locke enters carrying a cable.) John, what are you doing?
LOCKE: I'm getting some cable.
JACK: What for?
LOCKE: It's for the hatch. I'm going in.
JACK: Do you really think that's the smartest thing to do right now, John?
LOCKE: I doubt it. In fact, you're right. The safest thing is to stay here -- wait for morning -- wait for these Others, to see if they ever show up -- wait for the brave folks on the raft to bring help -- but me, I'm tired of waiting. (Locke exits.)
Cut to close-up of Jack off by himself at the caves, Kate enters.
KATE: So, do you believe it?
JACK: Believe what?
KATE: That everything's going to be okay?
JACK: Yeah, I do.
KATE: Kind of unlike you -- the whole gla** half-full thing.
JACK: There's a gla**?
Both laugh.
KATE: You did a good thing saying what you said -- taking care of everybody and just giving them something to count on. If you weren't here, Jack... (long pause) I'm going to the hatch. I understand why you can't go. They need you here. I get it. I do. But Locke's going into that thing whether you like it or not. And if he falls and breaks his neck... Live together, die alone, right?
JACK: Right.
Cut to flashback of Jack and Sarah's fiance, Kevin, in Jack's office.
JACK: Your fiance was seriously injured. It could take as long as 10, maybe 12 hours. I won't know how extensive the damage is until I get inside.
KEVIN: She was going for a dress fitting and to look at tablecloths.
JACK: When is it -- the wedding?
KEVIN: It's 8 months.
JACK: Well, I'm sure Sarah will have recovered by then.
KEVIN: Recovered - um, what does that mean?
JACK: There will be ongoing physical therapy, but if she works really hard...
KEVIN: Well, well, will we be able to, you know, make love?
JACK: You need to know that there's a chance Sarah might very well need professional care for the rest of her life.
KEVIN: Like, she won't be able to go to the bathroom by herself?
Cut to Jack and Sarah in the OR.
SARAH: [with low voice] Come here. Come here. I want to tell you a little secret. Come on. Closer. It's okay. I know I'm not going to be dancing anymore. I can still roll around at my wedding. And you're invited, okay.
JACK: I'm going to fix you.
Cut to on-island - Locke at the hatch. Kate enters.
KATE: I expected to find you half way down there by now.
LOCKE: I was waiting for you.
Cut to some time later.
KATE: So, you want me to go down first?
LOCKE: Well, you're lighter. I can belay you down and bring you back up just as easy. The shaft might get narrower down there, too.
KATE: You left out the part where you just want to see if I get eaten by something.
LOCKE: Yeah, well, that too. (He fastens the cable harness around Kate.) Not too tight?
KATE: Got it. -- Okay. (She starts climbing down the ladder.) Wait, what do I say if I need to stop?
LOCKE: Stop.
KATE: Hmm, okay. Let's go.
As Locke is lowering her down, one of the trees holding the harness breaks and Locke barely holds on.
LOCKE: Kate, are you alright?!
KATE: Yeah, I dropped the light! Maybe we should... (Locke continues lowering her down.) Well, okay then. 1, 2, 3, 4. (A light goes on inside the hatch.) Stop!
LOCKE: What is it?!
KATE: John, I think there's something down here!
Kate screams and a floodlight turns on.
LOCKE: Kate, are you alright?!
Locke struggles as something pulls at the other end of the cable. Locke falls back as Kate's weight is taken from the cable. The floodlight goes out.
LOCKE: Kate! Kate! Kate!
Cut to Hurley and Jack at the caves.
HURLEY: You're kidding, right? You're going back?
JACK: (while loading a gun) Yeah.
HURLEY: What about all that stuff you said about waiting 'til morning and watching the sun rise?
JACK: I changed my mind.
Cut to Jack at the hatch.
JACK: Kate! Locke!
Getting no reply, Jack starts climbing down into the hatch.
Cut to flashback , where Jack is running the steps at a stadium. Another person comes into view running faster than Jack. Jack tries to keep pace but hurts his ankle.
JACK: Ow, damn it.
DESMOND: You alright, brother?
JACK: I'm fine. I'm fine.
DESMOND: Take it easy. Keep the weight off. Here, let me have a look. Does this hurt? (Jack shakes his head.) You haven't sprained it then. I don't fancy your chances of catching up with me tonight, though.
JACK: I wasn't trying to catch up.
DESMOND: Aye, of course you weren't.
JACK: What do you know about sprains, anyway?
DESMOND: I was almost a doctor once.
JACK: Small world.
DESMOND: You a doctor then? (Jack nods. Desmond offers Jack his water bottle.) So what's your excuse?
JACK: Excuse?
DESMOND: For running like the devil's chasing you. My excuse - I'm training.
JACK: Training for what?
DESMOND: For a race around the world. Impressive, I know. So your excuse better be good, brother.
JACK: Just trying to work a few things out.
DESMOND: Ah, a girl, right?
JACK: A patient.
DESMOND: Ah, but a girl patient. What's her name?
JACK: Her name's Sarah.
DESMOND: What'd you do to her then?
JACK: Do to her?
DESMOND: You must have done something worthy of this self-flagellation.
JACK: I told her -- I made a promise I couldn't keep -- I told her I'd fix her and I couldn't. I failed.
DESMOND: Well, right. Just one thing -- what if you did fix her?
JACK: I didn't.
DESMOND: But what if you did?
JACK: You don't know what you're talking about, man.
DESMOND: I don't? Why not?
JACK: Because with her situation that would be a miracle, brother.
DESMOND: Oh, and you don't believe in miracles? (Jack chuckles and shakes his head.]) Right. Well then, I'm going to give you some advice anyway. You have to lift it up. (He may be saying "lift her up".)
JACK: Lift it up?
DESMOND: Your ankle. You've got to keep it elevated. It's been nice chatting.
JACK: Jack.
DESMOND: Jack, I'm Desmond. Good luck, brother. See you in another life, yeah?
Cut to on-island, where Jack is exploring the inside of the hatch after coming upon a lab room with computer equipment.
LOCKE: (as Jack is about to press the 'execute' bu*ton on the computer) I wouldn't do that, Jack.
JACK: (pointing his gun at Locke) Where is Kate? What the hell did you...
A gun comes into frame pointed at Locke's head.
Cut to flashback, where Jack is in Sarah's hospital room as she comes to.
SARAH: Am I alive?
JACK: Yeah. Yeah, you're alive.
SARAH: You smell.
JACK: Well, thank you.
SARAH: Wow, you really smell.
JACK: Yeah, I -- I went for a run.
SARAH: You smell like you ran far.
JACK: I showered. I mean, I guess I just didn't cool. I -- I wanted to get back down here and check on you. It was a Tour de Stade.
SARAH: What?
JACK: It is when you run all the steps in every section of a stadium up and down.
SARAH: Why would you do that?
JACK: I'm -- I'm intense.
SARAH: Did you finish?
JACK: No, I hurt my ankle.
SARAH: That s**s for you. Is Kevin here, my fiance?
JACK: I didn't see him.
SARAH: I'm, I'm sure he'll be back in awhile.
JACK: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
SARAH: You going to tell me how it went?
JACK: Sarah, the -- the damage to your back was extensive. I did everything I could but your spinal column... I just -- I couldn't repair it. (He's starting to cry.) You're going to be paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of your life. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Sarah.
SARAH: You're yanking my chain, right?
JACK: No.
SARAH: Then how come I can wiggle my toes?
Jack checks the nerve response in her legs.
JACK: Can you feel this?
SARAH: Yes.
JACK: Can you feel this?
SARAH: Yes.
JACK: (getting more emotional each time) This?
SARAH: Yes.
JACK: This?
SARAH: Yes.
Cut to on-island, in the hatch.
GUNMAN'S VOICE: Move and I k** him. Put the gun down.
JACK: Where's Kate?
LOCKE: Jack, it's okay.
GUNMAN'S VOICE: I said drop it!
JACK: Where's Kate?!
LOCKE: She's fine, just put down the...
JACK: I'm not putting anything...
GUNMAN'S VOICE: (firing the gun overhead) Do you want him to die? Put it down.
JACK: Is this what you were talking about, Locke? Is this your destiny? All roads lead here?
LOCKE: Jack, calm down.
GUNMAN's VOICE: (as he moves behind Locke) Lower your gun or I'll blow his damned head off, brother!
JACK: (recognizing that it's Desmond) You.