|
Post by Claudia O'keefe on Jul 15, 2008 0:08:13 GMT -5
Claudia lay on her stomach, careful not to move an inch from where Ben placed her in his bed. The room was much like her own, sparsely decorated, but warm and comfortable. She liked it, except for the pain she now felt, but at least it was merely throbbing instead of stabbing. She was grateful to be alive, and safe, and under Ben's watchful eye.
Claudia pressed her face into Ben's pillow and clutched the walkie with her hand. She closed her eyes and tried to force herself back to sleep. This time it wasn't so easy, her muscles burned and her heart raced, and she started to shiver. She didn't feel feverish, Ethan was careful, and it was too soon for infection, so that wasn't it. She turned her head to the other side carefully and tried to slow her suddenly rapid breathing. She thought over the evening, it had been perfect actually, even the bear hunt, they got him, she was alive, and as the voice told her, she had kept Ben's blood from being spilled, the red dusk had not been a bad omen after all.
She closed her eyes once again and hugged the pillow tight. Every sunset on this island brought something completely unexpected. Hard as she tried Claudia could not bring sleep any closer, she had slowed her heart rate a bit, but still couldn't pin down the cause. Instead of fighting it she let the feelings wash over her, it was panic and pain, and she just had to give in. The tears flowed freely but she pushed her face further into the pillow. It wasn't just the bear, everything in her life had just changed. She cried harder than she had since she got here, perhaps harder than ever, she sobbed "Ben" a few times and was glad he was unable to hear her. What she didn't know was that she was grabbing the walkie so hard that Ben was hearing every tear and every call of his name.
|
|
|
Post by Ben Linus on Jul 15, 2008 13:39:19 GMT -5
Ben was lying wide awake, waiting for the faintest whimper to come from the poor girl's room, when suddenly piercing screams began to fill up the channel of his walkie. At first, they were so loud he was convinced it was static of some sort, but then he could hear her calling his name, and he was already halfway up the stairs. He bowled through the doorway, still open as he had left it in case he needed quick entrance. She was sobbing into his pillow, crying hard and fast, letting every emotion she had free on his downy soft resting place.
He was at her side almost at once, cupping her hand in his, trying to calm her down. "Claudia, Claudia, what is it? Tell me!" He put a hand on her hip, careful to place it below the scratches, just above her butt, and the other held on to her hand tightly. "Claudia, calm down and talk to me, please. It's me, it's Ben, it's just me, talk to me."
Ben's mind was racing and yet ever still. He was unsure of what to do, how to react, and the feeling was very unnerving for him, though not uncommon around her. He looked around for something, anything, to help ease her pain, and found nothing. All he could do for her was hold her hand, because there was no way in hell he was leaving her side now, not after what she had done for him, not after he had realized how he felt about her.
|
|
|
Post by Claudia O'keefe on Jul 15, 2008 14:23:13 GMT -5
Claudia had not meant for Ben to hear her, she hadn't a clue she'd been crying into the walkie-talkie, but now that he was here, it was too late to stop it. Though embarrassed over the overt showing of emotion, she knew she could explain it away later as a reaction to the pain of the stitches, if anyone should ask. She quieted down, and just cried until there were no more tears, her body stilled and all she felt was her hand in his.
She felt him shift his weight, and suddenly she was afraid he might go. She just wanted him there by her side. Perhaps then she'd be able to sleep. Claudia reluctantly whispered, "Ben, will you stay, please." When he didn't go right away she began her usual cavalcade of words. " The leaf from earlier, I think it might be a clue to why the sea urchins were getting sick, I think, it's all connected, and I feel like we're getting closer, but I think we need to stop it...soon. And with the bear being back, we'll have to run some simple blood tests, make sure he's not hurt and se if the uh outside forces have done any damage. " Claudia rambled on for a few moments as her eyes became heavier and heavier.
She wasn't sure if Ethan had giver her something that was finally taking effect, or if it was just sheer exhaustion seting in but she couldn't fight it whatever the cause. Slumber was near and she welcomed it happily. She knew no more harm would befall her tonight. Above all she was abundantly grateful. She smiled as peace washed over her, and she squeezed the familiar hand holding hers, not sure whether she mumbled "Thank you Ben", or "I love you Ben...." either way his reaction never found her ears as she slept once more.
|
|
|
Post by Ben Linus on Jul 15, 2008 22:05:57 GMT -5
Ben had no idea what to do. He watched as she fell asleep, words of love on her lips. Her hand was still tightly clasping his, and he was looking around as if asking his wardrobe or night table for advice. As it was, he sat up against the night table, his legs splayed out in front of him as he tried to relax, keeping his hand interlaced with hers while trying to respect boundaries. He felt like an awkward child again. His lids began to slowly drift closed as the early morning hours crept in on their night.
Ben shifted his weight and drifted off to sleep slowly, his hand still in hers, also falling asleep as pins and needles filled his body. He wasn't exactly sure the feeling was from the inactivity of his limbs, or he feeling he got from her warm breath coming off the side of his bed and hitting his neck.
He didn't sleep well, waking up at four different times that he remembered, once sure she was watching him, but not wanting to alert her to the fact that he knew, simply shifting and squeezing her hand gently, feeling the pain in his neck from his sleeping position.
|
|
|
Post by Claudia O'keefe on Jul 15, 2008 22:36:37 GMT -5
Claudia couldn't move freely and she was sure by her lurid and colorful dreams that she slipped in and out of, Ethan had definitely given her something for her pain. She smiled like a goofy kid she knew, but there was no way to control it, she wasn't sure if she was laughing in her head or out loud, but that too was beyond her grasp. She sighed softly as she looked down at Ben asleep at her side on the floor. Suddenly she felt awful again.
She tried to get up but her wounds were still to fresh, she wanted to go to the couch and return Ben's bed to him. She was sure he would be needed with the sunrise, he always was, and she did not wish to interrupt his day any more than she already had. She bit her bottom lip, she was at a loss. She did the only thing she knew of that would give the poor man a few good hours sleep and hopefully reset whatever damage the hard floor had already done. She tugged his sleep heavy body towards hers with her hand.
Without words she tried to urge Ben back into his own bed. She scooted over to the farthest edge, giving him as much space as possible. She had to move slowly and carefully as to not pull open her wounds. She kept her eyes closed to be able to ignore any protesting glances from Ben. She kept her mouth closed as well to keep her own rambling that threatened to burst the silence just before the dawn, at bay, hoping Ben would just slip back into sleep as he slipped into the bed next to her. She let her forehead press against the top of his arm as she drift back to sleep for a little longer.
|
|
|
Post by Ben Linus on Jul 15, 2008 23:16:48 GMT -5
Ben felt himself being pulled upwards and went without much resistance. The precipice of sleep was a place where Ben Linus was perhaps at his weakest and most vulnerable mindset. He felt himself being pulled into his own bed, which seemed like a fabulous idea of course and why not? It was his bed after all. It made sense. Soon he was laying down beside Claudia and he could think of no other place to be as the Sun began to peek in at him. It had been a late night. Just another hour or so and he'd be good to go...
Wait. He was in bed. His bed. With Claudia. His heart suddenly raced as a shot of adrenaline hit his small frame. She was in his bed. He tried to figure out what had happened, and in his sleepy state couldn't even remember clearly why he had gotten off the couch. But then her arm was wrapping around him, and he forgot about all that. He thought of something beautiful instead, something that smelled of lilac and played like a beautiful song.
He thought of Claudia.
And he slept.
|
|
|
Post by Claudia O'keefe on Jul 16, 2008 12:23:47 GMT -5
Claudia O'keefe awoke from Benjamin Linus' bed a new person, at least in body, her mind was the same jumbled computer like thing making a hundred lists that needed to be completed before the sun set again. She slid gently from underneath Ben's protective arm, and walked to his bathroom quietly, she examined her back using two mirrors, and while the stitches remained, little other evidence that she'd been mauled by an beast of prehistoric proportions was present. She wasn't even sore.
She smiled, she'd experienced the healing powers of the island before, cuts, bumps, bruises and more all seemed to rapidly heal here, it was wonderful, and Claudia enjoyed the chance to study this process even more. She jumped down from the cabinet, perhaps this would be one of the questions Ben would have an answer to. Then it hit her. Why hadn't Ben been healed of the cancer he said was ravaging his body, why did he even need the spinal surgeon at all?
Claudia had to bite her own lip to stifle the range of emotions, she was sad and angry and perplexed, so she did as she usually did to combat such things, she whispered to herself as she kept herself moving. She skittered silently to Ben's kitchen and prepared breakfast while she worked on the mystery of 'Ben'. She cracked two eggs into a well worn iron frying pan, adoring the smell and sound of butter meeting the soft white of the eggs. The sudden sizzle and surge of warmth was always comforting and exciting, cooking was perhaps science at its best.
She knew exactly how Ben liked his eggs, as she had prepared the dish before, she'd been on kitchen duty many, many times, it had been an escape of sorts when she first got here, for it required little speaking on her part if any, she just listened and followed orders. Of course, she'd never prepared Ben's breakfast after a night of adventure, kissing, and near death experiences, but then again, one never knew what life held right around the corner. She pulled a tray from a cabinet, adorned it with bacon, and the eggs, sourdough toast, that was done enough, but not too much so, fresh squeezed orange juice and a poppy from the front yard. Which she probably shouldn't have picked since likely now everyone would know she spent the night.
She quickly whisked the breakfast tray and herself to Ben's side and sat gently in the bed. She sat without moving the bed even an inch. Claudia reached out a hand and stoked Ben's warm sleeping cheek, watching his chest fall slowly up and down. He didn't look sick to her, but perhaps that was because she just wished it wasn't true. She leaned down and listened to his heart, and made silent promises to fix whatever was wrong with the man, which in Claudia's eyes, was not a thing.
|
|
|
Post by Ben Linus on Jul 16, 2008 14:01:31 GMT -5
Ben felt a soft had on his cheek and consciousness returned to his side once more. He remebered it all now, the kissing, the bear, the bed. She was still there, sitting upw ith her back to the headboard, in no apparent pain. Proof again the island's healing powers were still working perfectly fine, and so why was he not so? The question had been haunting him for weeks, since he had found out about his condition. Cancer had never before occurred on the island, and in moments of weakness he wondered if it was Jacob's way of telling him his reign was finished.
Ben sighed and smiled, remembering who it was that was next to him. Lovely little Claudia, whom he had called Cloud since he had rescued her all those years ago. She had been eighteen then, still a girl. Now she was a breathtaking woman who too many men were afraid to approach because of her brain, looks, and eccentricities. Ben himself often got nerved up around her, but all that had changed last night. He opened his eyes fully and saw the meal she had prepared him, realizing that was the source of the delicious aroma that had accompanied the end of his dream. She knew exactly how he liked everything, and he sat up next to her without a word, taking the tray into his lap and leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.
He took a forkful of eggs into his mouth and then a sip of OJ before speaking. "Thank you for breakfast. You seem to be feeling much better this morning. That makes me glad. I was really worried about you last night." He said it with the love of a man, but the protectiveness of a child that has felt and lost the love of his parents, as he had. He was cautious to let anyone come banging down the walls around his psyche, his heart, but he felt the last lock slowly turning open when Claudia was around.
|
|
|
Post by Claudia O'keefe on Jul 16, 2008 20:40:52 GMT -5
Claudia tried to keep her gaze forward and not stare at Ben too much, or for too long, but she was sadly losing that battle. She watched him eat, anxious that he be pleased. She was a little on edge, wondering what might come next for her, but she was mostly just happy, happy to be alive, happy to be here with Ben, yes, just happy. She sighed when a fluttering outside Ben's window caught her eye. In a blink she was at the glass with her face pressed gently to the cool windowpane.
Fluidly she cranked the window fully open and in a moment she was climbing through it. A faint red flapping wing was seen again, and then it was gone, as was Claudia. She scrambled up the tree and carefully reached for the small delicate creature. She squeaked a bit as it threatened escape and the branch beneath her feet creaked. She gingerly let her self back in the window out of breath with the small butterfly that was actually more black and orange than red.
" Got, him, he uh escaped last week, but he's back, no harm done. " Claudia caught her breath and looked at Ben and smiled. "Sorry Ben, I know I'm no good at whatever this is." She placed the large winged insect under an empty basket in Ben's room. "For what it's worth you mean more to me than anything on this planet..and you're welcome, for the breakfast I mean...and thanks for letting me borrow your shirt." She whispered the last part as she stood in front of him once more.
|
|
|
Post by Ben Linus on Jul 16, 2008 22:23:54 GMT -5
Ben was about to yell for her to stop her hijinks, but he knew she was probably in better shape physically then even he was. Her cuts had been deep enough to warrant stitches, sure, but just barely. Ben watched as she lept into a nearby tree, amazed constantly at her agility and delicacy as she scooped up the butterfly and returned to his side, speaking words of awkward child's love.
Ben himself wasn't sure how to process all that was going on. Since being rejected by Juliet, he had been in a bit of a tailspin emotionally, one that had led him into sending Goodwin off to what very well could have been his death. He realized now that he shouldn't have been looking for a replacement for an old flame, but a new spark entirely, one which he had found.
"I don't really know about, as you put it so eloquently, this, either, Claudia, but I would like to find out. In fact, I would love to. Perhaps we could share some dinner again tonight, this time freshly prepared by yours truly. What would you say to that? Today however, since you seem so up for it, I did promise to show you everything. That is, if you still want to see."
|
|
|
Post by Claudia O'keefe on Jul 17, 2008 13:08:51 GMT -5
" I would have been satisfied with dinner and your company, but yeah I suppose I'll take the behind the scenes island tour, " she tried her hand at joking with Ben, she was terribly nervous, but smiles and laughter had always worked for her father. employing it was a last ditch effort to be true, since Claudia had never been all that good at merriment. SHe wasn't morose by any means, just what she found funny was often lost on others, so she usually kept it to herself.
" I need to return Papilio agamemnon Linnaeus to her home away from home in my lab, which is also behind my bookcase, since we're sharing secrets and all, and then if you don't mind I think I'll shower and change my clothes. I'll just finish up the rest of my duties, and I'll wait for you to come and get me, or call for me....or whatever." Claudia reached for Ben's hand and turned it upward. She looked at the lines, tracing a few with her small fingertip. She seemed to be studying his palm intensely.
" You have many of the shapes that gypsies say foretell special gifts." she laughed. " Look we both have the two touching triangles that make an hourglass, that's supposed be one in a million, I'm sure the numbers are more precise, but gypsies, aren't really ones for numbers, unless it's money, and..." Claudia rambled softly. She pressed her lips softly to his warm palm. " The hourglass is supposed to mean your mind isn't held by time, that you can see back and forth, kind of a type of clarevoyance I suppose, obviously palm reading is more of an art than a science, so I don't put much stock in it." Claudia breathed deeply her thoughts resting on her mother, who had bequeathed the very information she was retelling, but her mother had done it with a laugh and a wink. Claudia simply ended the conversation by turning to go and ready herself for very full day.
|
|
|
Post by Ben Linus on Jul 17, 2008 21:16:43 GMT -5
Ben watched as she traced his hand, the tingling of gooseflesh traveling up his arm to his spine and the base of his neck as she kissed his open palm gently. He let her ramble, loving how she felt the need to fill every silence with her stream of consciousness, and yet wishing they could just spend some more silent moments together as they had when she was asleep the night before.
"That sounds fine, Claudia. I shall come by to the end of the block in an hour or so to pick you up, if that suits you." As for the actual palm reading, Ben was surprised to hear what she said, not because it was unexpected, but because it was so accurate. He did have the power to look back and forth, to an extent, that was the very thing he had planned on showing her this afternoon, if she would hear it. Part of him worried her forward thinking scientific mind wouldn't be able to accept it. Part of him knew she already would, especially if he told her.
"I'm excited Claudia. This is the beginning of a new life for you. The beginning of everything really. What I can show you today will put all the research you've done here so far on the back burner. It will transform what you believe to be possible. Are you sure you're ready for all that?"
|
|
|
Post by Claudia O'keefe on Jul 17, 2008 23:22:47 GMT -5
Claudia smiled, she was in fact ready for whatever Ben deemed her worthy to hear. She offered him a simple silent and thoughtful nod before turning and pushing through his screen door on her way home. 'Home' was an interesting word, one that meant something different to everyone and yet remained the same. Nearly everything needed a place where they felt safe, and for Claudia, this island was exactly that. Even though she stood at death's door only hours before, she still felt protected, and confident that things were as they should be.
Claudia's little feet tapped the ground ever so lightly as she walked. She wondered about the crash survivors at the Hydra, she knew the process that they were about to face, questioning, adaptive reasoning tests, reeducation, orientation...the list would continue for some time, and for some, like Karl, it didn't exactly go well, she helped read results of such things, but she herself had never had to endure or enjoy the tests herself. She thought back on the first two years she spent here, the silent years, the two years, four months and eight days that she didn't utter a word. She was sure she had been under Ben's protective hand from the very first night, and she was for the first time able to understand the scope of his kindness, and his faith in her. It was unconditional, it always had been, she just hadn't seen it until she looked in his eyes moments ago, and it was larger than anything she had ever felt before.
For Claudia, the most fantastic gift, and mystery the island had to offer was Ben.
Claudia cooed to the butterfly cupped in her hands, knowing she had to be incredibly ginger with the creature for a butterfly's wings were so delicate, and they could not heal any wound inflicted to them. She slipped inside her house, opened the door behind her own bookcase which happened to be on hinges for easy access, and most of the books were simply replicas to keep it lighter. SHe had done it for her own entertainment rather than secrecy. She placed the insect back into its wire mesh home, made sure it had a fresh slice of mango to nibble and then went to shower. Her stitches stung at the water, but that was the only remnant of pain left. She showered and dressed slowly, eager and not so to see Ben again, as if she teetered on the edge of some cliff above a pool, the jump would be lovely and the fall fantastic, but she would get wet, and she might even drown, but she knew she would jump none the less, so she went about her business with little breathing.
|
|
|
Post by Ben Linus on Jul 18, 2008 15:43:06 GMT -5
Ben found himself unable to stop smiling, despite all that had happened. He went about the business of getting ready for the day, showering, shaving, dressing, brushing his teeth, all with a song in his heart, as they say. He thought the hour would fly by, but after about forty minutes, he found himself sitting around with nothing to do, so he decided to head out to meet Claudia a little early, with the hopes of maybe meeting someone on the way.
Ben pushed through the screen doorway into the sunlight and pressed himself on down the path. The Sun was bright today, it would be hot. Still he had worn his usual long sleeve collar shirt and khakis, knowing what the day would likely bring. He passed house after house, constructed before his time here, though still practical. He found many of the things left behind by the Dharma Initiative were still of some use to him and his people.
He wandered down to the last house on the block, meandering slowly to Claudia's front door, where he knocked and called out for her. He was wondering about what she would be wearing almost as much as what her reaction would be, and the idea scared him a bit. The idea that he might be in love scared him a lot.
|
|
|
Post by Claudia O'keefe on Jul 18, 2008 20:58:28 GMT -5
Claudia nearly jumped when Ben called her name, usually she sensed his presence, but she was too wrapped up in her projects and getting ready to see him that she wasn't paying close enough attention to hear his approaching footsteps. She would not have been preoccupied with what she looked like or her research, when Ben was about to more than likely blow her mind with mystical island magic, which she did not actually believe in, if she was being honest. Not that she thought the world had no magic to offer, but she knew in her heart science was the driving force behind it.
Claudia smoothed her lemon yellow shirt and khaki pants, slung her bag over her shoulder, and ruffled her still damp hair. She grabbed her hat, threw some fruit and apollo bars in her bag, and met Ben at the door. She smiled as her heart raced, but she wasn't sure what for, she would have said it was because she was nervous that she was not meant to know what Ben was to show her, but it was probably much more frivolous than that. Her heart raced because she loved seeing Ben at her door, loved the way he looked at her, loved the way he dressed, the way he smelled like the trees she adored.
She opened her door slowly and closed it behind her, standing just inches from Ben. " You know you don't have to knock Ben," Claudia smiled and adjusted the strap of her bag which hung from her shoulder and across her chest, sitting low on her waist. "I'm ready when you are Mister Linus." It was true, she was perfectly ready for what came next, though she had no idea what that would be. Looking at Ben one more time, she noticed they both tended to over dress for the heat, Claudia wondered if he often felt as cold as she did despite the heat of the jungle, her mother had always said it had something to do with her body missing the ice cold landscape that it knew from birth...Russia, but that wasn't possible.
|
|