Chapter 7: Inconstant

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The weeks that followed were difficult for the survivors as they fought to leave—and to stay alive. Their curiosity often ended in near-misses, and—on occasion—tragedy. They bickered and fought with each other—learning slowly to forgive mistakes and restore trust.

Neither Ben nor Valerie saw a benefit in being directly involved with their little adventures. Ben saw it as risky and out of character for Dean, while Valerie insisted that it was not her place to meddle.

The rumor of Dean's illness had spread—presumably through Sawyer. Although no one confronted them about the tumor, no one questioned Dean's need to avoid exertion, or Audrey's desire to stay close to him.

Locke's accidental discovery of Swan station brought a renewed sense of fear and hope to the survivors. It also drew Ben closer to Locke. Ben was wary of his interest in the Dharma station and aimed to influence his beliefs about the Island. They shared long conversations about purpose and fate, and Ben carefully attempted to dissuade him from trying to open the hatch.

Ben had been shaken by the revelation that Locke had not been able to walk before the crash—and was struck by the irony of that fact when juxtaposed with his own situation. Part of his friendship with the man stemmed from a compulsion to understand why the Island would restore John's legs while threatening to take his own.

It was, perhaps, his new friendship with John that led him to be so deeply affected by the accidental death of John's young protégé, Boone. When the group had brought the dying Boone back to the beach, it was Ben who stopped John from wandering off from the group to let the guilt consume him—convincing him to stay and help Jack try to save the boy.

Valerie noticed that Ben seemed particularly moved by the improvised funeral.

"Did you know?" he whispered to her, as they walked back to their tent.

She shook her head. "Not really."

"Could you have stopped this? Is this part of Jacob's plan?"

She shrugged. "Probably. I don't know."

Ben scowled at her.

"Are you upset with me?"

"He was just a boy."

"It is tragic," Valerie agreed unemotionally.

He shook his head and walked off. She wasn't sure why he expected more emotion from her, or why her callousness irritated him. It was about Alex again, she supposed. Boone was young and thoughtlessly brave, like her. He saw shades of his daughter in the boy.

She sighed. It was sad. But she'd known that many of the survivors would die. If she let it affect her, she wouldn't be able to do what she came here to do.

After Boone's death, they moved to the caves.

There, they met Ethan, who had been keeping a low profile. Ben acknowledged him politely but was careful never to speak to him directly.

Valerie was immediately suspicious of Ethan when she heard that Claire had been having nightmares. She couldn't control everything that Ben did, but she knew about his obsession with the Island's maternity problem, and she knew he would see Claire's pregnancy as an inimitable opportunity to solve it.

They were resting in the tent when she decided that she had to confront him about it.

"What are you having Ethan do?" she asked bluntly.

He made some show of bristling at her question, but she stared him down.

"Just tests," he hissed defensively.

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