3.19 The Brig

[8 Days Ago: The scene flashes back to the moment Ben reveals Locke's Dad, Anthony Cooper, bound and gagged in the Other's jail. Ben, Richard, and Tom look on]

Locke: Dad? What is this?

Ben: You tell me. You brought him here.

Locke: I didn't bring him here.

Ben: I'd be careful about getting to close to him, John.

Locke: Where did you find him? Wha...Why did you bring him here?

Ben: I've already said we didn't.

Locke: You want me to ask him how he got here?

Ben: Be my guest.

[Locke walks over and removes Cooper's gag. Cooper instantly bites down hard on Locke: hand, drawing blood.]

Ben: Tom!

[Tom quickly steps forward and shocks Cooper in the neck with a tazer-like device which stops Cooper's biting of Locke. Locke backs out the doorway to stand with Ben and Richard just outside the room.]

Ben: I warned you, John.

Cooper: Don't you know, John? Don't you know where we are?

[Tom closes the door keeping himself and Cooper in the room and Ben, Richard, and Locke outside the room]

Locke: What did he mean?

Ben: I'm afraid we don't have time to deal with that right now, John. We're leaving first thing in the morning, all of us.

Locke: Where are you going?

Ben: We're going to a new place. Well, an old place actually. Would you like to come with us?

Locke: Yes.

Ben: Good. We're holding Kate a few buildings over from here. Maybe you'd like to say goodbye.



[3 Days ago. Locke walks over to Ben's tent. He is sitting and listening to the tape recording that Juliet made for him. Her voice can be heard on the tape “Ben, it's 6 A.M. on Saturday morning. Kwon is pregnant. The fetus is healthy and was conceived on island with her husband. He was sterile before they got here.” Ben shuts the tape player off as Locke walks in the tent]





Ben: Hello John. Thanks for coming.

Locke: [Pointing to the tape player] What's that?

Ben: Juliet is gathering information for us at your former camp. She's determining if any of the women are pregnant. Then we're gonna go in and...take them.

Locke: Take them?

Ben: This is not the first time we've done this, John. Trust me, no one will get hurt.. [Pointing to his cane] Could you pass me that please?

[Locke picks up and hands Ben his cane]

Ben: Thank you.

[Using the cane, Ben stands up which surprises Locke.]

Ben: I believe I have you to thank for this, John.

Locke: Me?

[Ben walks over and puts the tape player in a nightstand drawer.]

Ben: A week ago, I couldn't move my toes, but the minute you showed up, I started to feel pins and needles. And this is only the beginning, John. I can't wait to show you what this island can do. But unfortunately you're not ready, John.

Locke: Well...No, I'm ready.

Ben: No John, you're not. You're still crippled by the memories of the man you used to be before you came to this island. And you'll never be free until you release the hold that your father has over you. Why do you think you brought him here?

Locke: Oh, oh, oh, the magic box. Okay, Ben, how about you show me the magic...

Ben: [Interrupting] The magic box is a metaphor, John. I can't show you anything until you can show me that you're ready and willing to be one of us. When people join us here on this island, they need to make a gesture of free will...of commitment. That's why you're gonna have to kill your father.

[Locke glances outside of Ben's tent to an old stone column that Cooper is chained to.]

[Later It’s now night. Locke is asleep in the Others camp. Ben awakens him by tapping him with his cane.]

Ben: Wake up, John. It's time.

[Ben leads John to a pillar where Cooper is gagged and chained. The rest of the Others have gathered and watch expectantly. Ben hands John a large knife. Locke takes it.]

Ben: I know it won't be easy, but the quicker the better.

[Ben pulls Cooper's gag off.]

Cooper: You're kidding me, right? You expect him to kill me?

Ben: John, the hesitation that you're feeling is just the part of you that still feels like he has a perfectly good explanation for stealing your kidney...throwing you out of an 8 story window. Don't you want to be free from him?

Cooper: The hesitation he's feeling is because he is a spineless...

Locke: Shut up!

[Locke looks around and sees that all the Others in the camp have gathered and are watching the scene play out]

Locke: I gotta think...

Ben: Don't think, John.



Cooper: You’re wasting your time, bug eye. Me and him have been through all this. All he wants is his daddy...

Locke: Shut up! I said shut up!

Cooper: You really haven't figured it out yet have you?

Ben: Let go of him, John.

Locke: Why are you doing this to me?

Ben: You're doing this to yourself. As long as he's still breathing, you'll still be that same sad, pathetic little man that was kicked off his walkabout tour because you couldn't walk.

[Locke pushes the point of the knife under Cooper's chin. It starts to bleed, but he does not shove it all the way in. He then pulls it back.]

Cooper: I'll be here the rest of the week John if you change your mind.

[Ben raises his cane and strickes Cooper, knocking him out. He then takes the knife away from Locke]

Ben: [To the crowd] I'm sorry. He's not who we thought he was.

[Locke walks away through the crowd, embarrassed and dejected.]

[Later. It’s now yesterday. The scene flashes back to Locke waking up on the ground to the sound of the Others breaking camp. He gets up and finds Ben.]

Locke: Ben. What's going on?

Ben: We're moving.

Locke: Moving? Where are we going?

Ben: We are not moving anywhere, John. You are going to stay behind. You both are going to stay behind.

Locke: What? You're not taking him?

[Locke points to Cooper who still stands chained to a column in the distance.]

Ben: He's your mess, John. Why would we clean it up.

Locke: Ben, if you're trying to put me in my place or embarrass me...

Ben: Where would you get a ridiculous idea like that?

Locke: Well, you can't leave me. After everything you can't just...

Ben: Don't tell me what I can't do, John.

Locke: But I thought I was...special.

Ben: Well, everyone makes mistakes. We're leaving now. We'll leave a trail, one you can track. And John, unless you're carrying your fathers body on your back, don't bother.


[Ben walks away and joins the Others who are all leaving.]