|
In FLASHBACK, Jack and
his father Christian diagnose an elderly man with a spinal tumor and
determine that he's not a candidate for surgery. But the man and his
daughter reveal that they specifically sought out Jack. They know
about his accomplishments with Jack's wife Sarah - how he enabled her
to walk after her spine was crushed in a car accident - and they're
looking for a miracle. Much to his father's dismay, Jack agrees to
perform the surgery.
Jack and the man's
daughter, Gabriella, form a connection - a dangerous one, according to
Christian, who warns Jack to keep his distance. But Jack is spending
nights and weekends at the hospital, working overtime, while Gabriella
is there at her father's side through a myriad of tests and
pre-surgical procedures. And this is causing disharmony at home - Jack
and Sarah's marriage is paying the price because Jack is considered a
"miracle worker."
|
|
After seven and a half hours of
surgery, Jack loses his patient on the operating table. Christian blames the
man's age and weakened heart, but Jack blames himself, frustrated at his
inability to save him. Jack leaves the hospital and finds a distraught
Gabriella in tears, waiting in the parking lot. And in a moment of grief and
weakness, they share a kiss. But Jack pulls away and tells Gabriella that he
can't. He returns home to Sarah and comes clean about the encounter. He vows
that things will be different; that he's going to put more effort into their
marriage; that he's going to fix it. But Sarah feels that Jack will always
need something to fix and reveals some news of her own that leaves Jack
reeling.
Now on the island, Jack finds
himself alongside Locke on a mission to try and save a fellow survivor:
Michael, armed with a gun from the armory, who's out in search of Walt. Sawyer
tags along, seeking revenge on the people who shot him. Kate argues her case
to go with them and help them track. But Jack shoots her idea down and tells
her to stay behind.
Out on the trek, they hear
gunshots and discover casings from Michael's gun. But it's getting dark and
Locke wants to return to camp. Jack, however, wants to push forward, find
Michael and convince him to come back with them - arguing that it's their
responsibility. Locke argues that Michael won't return without Walt and
wonders who they are to tell anyone what they can or can't do…a callback for
our loyal viewers who know what this statement means to John Locke.
Their disagreement is
interrupted by a familiar face out in the middle of the jungle - the same man
who shot Sawyer and took Walt. And he knows their names. He takes Locke's side
in the argument, telling our team to turn around and go back to where they
came from. And when Sawyer makes a move forward, the man shows them just how
serious he is, grazing Sawyer's ear with a bullet.
Jack demands to know where
Michael is and what happened to Walt. The man tells him that Walt is fine and
that Michael will never find them. He goes on to tell them that their
curiosity is going to get them killed and orders Jack, Locke and Sawyer to
give up their weapons and turn around - this is Their island and the only
reason our survivors are living on it is because They allow it.
When Jack calls his bluff,
twenty-odd torches light up in he woods around them, revealing that this guy
has serious back-up. When Jack continues to refuse to lay down his weapon, the
guy pulls his final card and has Kate brought out of the jungle, a gun to her
head. After a brief stand-off, Jack finally relents. The guy releases Kate,
the torches go out and he melts back into the jungle, bringing this encounter
with the Others to an end.
On the trek home, Jack isn't
happy that Kate took it upon herself to follow them out there and put herself
in harm's way. Though she tries to apologize, he shuts her down and gives her
the cold shoulder. Instead, he turns to another woman on the island - Ana
Lucia - and asks her how long it would take to build an army. It seems that
Jack doesn't intend to give up that easily this time… |
