LOST- Episode 20: Do No Harm

  Previously on LOST:  Locke and Boone pondered how to open the hatch and Boone had a little accident.

  The show begins with a direct continuation of last week- Jack has frantically gone to work on the severely injured Boone.  He barks orders to Sun, Kate and Hurley who do not share Jack's calm under fire and hesitate just enough to get on the doctor's nerves.  The mood is tense.  Jack sends Kate off to get Sawyer's stash of alcohol.  Just then, Boone's lung collapses and Jack somewhat ironically performs the tracheotomy Boone was so eager to try on Rose in the pilot episode.  Kate acting like a deer in the headlights at this gruesome scene gets yelled at to get going.

  To take his mind off the pressure, Jack flashes back to a tux fitting where his best man reminds him that he can still back out of the wedding.

  Boone is so badly injured it is hard to know where to start- Jack works on his broken leg, while Nurse Sun suggests he sew up the chest wound.  Boone seems to be slipping away, so Jack looks him in the eye and tells him he is not going to die.  "I am going to save you."  Cue creepy LOST title screen.

  Over at the beach, the boat boys are taking a fish break (except for workaholic Jin).  Claire stops by to ask how much longer until the craft is ready and Michael tells her it could be a week or less.  She walks off and Sawyer smugly says that she likes him.  Michael tells Jin to relax, but he waves him off.  Sawyer can't blame the guy for wanting to get off the island ASAP after what Sun did to him.  Kate interrupts the conversation and demands all of Sawyer's alcohol.  Even the selfish con man can see the urgency of the situation and provides the supplies- no questions asked.  He even offers to come, but Kate says there's too many cooks in the kitchen already.

  Back in the Cavetown O.R., Jack realizes that Boone will need a transfusion- a tricky thing to accomplish on a deserted island.  He decides to set the broken leg first, but he is so clearly fatigued that Nurse Sun forces him to take a break.  Jack steps away and is immediately given the third degree by Charlie on Boone's condition and the locations of Locke and Shannon.  Jack yells at him and flashes back to what I suppose is the rehearsal dinner where his bride-to-be tells the story of how they met.  It's the classic romantic tale:  Boy meets girl while saving her from a broken back suffered in a horrific car accident.  Boy gets girl because she falls in love with her rescuer.  She even concludes the speech by calling Jack her hero.

  Jack prepares to set the broken leg when Nurse Sun suggests giving Boone a stick for the pain.  Jack condescendingly says that they're beyond herbal remedies, but Sun one ups him by putting the stick in the boy's mouth to bite down on.  You can visibly see Jack's respect for Sun's abilities growing.  He tells her to hold Boone's shoulders, and then it's Lights, Camera, Bone-setting!  Boone cries in agony; outside the tent, Hurley shakes his head and covers his ears.  The scene is gut-wrenchingly well done.  (That's a compliment)

  Elsewhere, Kate, realizing the position of Resident Klutz is probably wide open now, decides to trip and break most of the alcohol bottles in her backpack.  As she is salvaging what she can, she hears grunts of pain and finds Claire all alone and going into labor.  Kate tries to get her pointed toward Jack but she is not cooperating and can't move anyway.  Kate screams for help- a cry heard only by Jin, who is now somehow the only one on the beach.  See Jin run.  Run Jin run.  See Jin stop to let the camera swirl nauseatingly around his head.  See Jin run some more.  Kate is happy to see someone and communicates to him to get Jack.  He even helps her out by saying "doctor".  Confident that he understands, Kate sends him off and assures Claire that she is not going to leave her.

  Back in the O.R., Jack and Sun are desperately trying to get Boone to tell them his blood type, but the young man is barely conscious.  Jack is also getting frustrated because his homemade bamboo needles are not strong enough to penetrate veins.  At that point, Boone manages to squeeze out an "A....negative", so Jack tells Sun to find Charlie and ask everyone their blood type.  He adds, "Find Shannon." 

  That might be a difficult proposition, however, since Sayid has picked this evening to lead Shannon to a remote island location where they can be alone at the picnic site he has set up.  He seems to be having trouble finding his way through the woods, which he also did on the way to Rousseau's in "Numbers".  Can we say 'running gag'?

  Charlie returns to Cavetown with the information he has gathered but it is not very helpful because hardly anyone knows their own blood type- including Charlie himself.  Fortunately, Jack's is the universal type O. (now Jack and I share a haircut and a blood type)  The transfusion might not work and could actually kill Boone, but it's all they've got.  I have to reveal my aquatic ignorance here, but Sun returns with what I guess is some kind of sea urchin....the point is, it has points and will make for very good needles.

  As he hooks himself up, Jack thinks back to a little post-party piano duet with Sarah (his girl).  She tells him that he doesn't have to write his own vows, but he says that he will- he just needs time.  He then looks longingly at an old lady getting out of a car, and Sarah assures him that his father will come.

  Jin finally arrives at Cavetown with the news about Claire.  He and Sun are able to put their differences aside in this state of emergency and Sun plays the role of translator.  Jack gives childbirth instructions to Charlie and says that Kate has to deliver the baby since he can't leave Boone.  The shrill violin notes don't like the sound of that.

  Night has fallen and Claire is optimistic because her contractions have stopped....then her water breaks, complete with sound effect.  Over in the O.R., Jack makes sure Boone is breathing and Boone does him one better and starts talking.  He painfully mumbles on and on about the hatch and the plane, but we can't be sure if Jack believes him before Boone starts robotically repeating his sister's name.

  Speaking of Shannon, she has to stop a make-out session to tell Sayid the true nature of her relationship with Boone.  He kind of loves her but she doesn't feel "that way" about him.  She leaves out the part about them gettin' it on.  Anyway, she wants to take it slow and Sayid agrees, saying he only brought her there with hopes, not expectations.

  Elsewhere, Kate is shocked and panicked that Jack is not coming, and Charlie has the unenviable task of convincing her that she has to make the delivery.  As they argue, they notice that Jin has taken the initiative and is helping Claire.  Though they can't understand each other, Claire reveals her fear that Ethan and company may have done something to the baby.  Kate steps in and says that they are all scared, but they have each other to get them through it.  A real Care Bears moment if I ever saw one.

  Boone is not responding to the transfusion because all his blood is being pumped toward his broken leg.  Jack knows that Boone was not injured in a fall- something crushed his leg.  Sun rips the tube out of Jack's arm and tells him he has given him enough.  Jack sends Hurley to get Michael, then flashes back to a pool side chat with Dad- who is making his second appearance as a wise and sage-like drunk.  Jack is still having problems with the vows and asks if he should get married at all.  Dad tells him that commitment is what makes Jack tick, but the problem is that he can never let go.

  Back to reality- Jack rips the rubber safety strip off the door of a storage compartment that has magically appeared at camp.  I swear I've never seen it before, but maybe it's just me.  Anyway, Jack tells Michael the plan....amputation!  Sun seems horrified that Jack would do this, but he doesn't notice because he is too busy testing his makeshift bonesaw on a piece of wood.

  Back to Claire now and Kate is ready for her to push.  Unfortunately, Claire is not- she even tries holding her breath to stop the proceedings.  Seems she thinks that the baby will somehow know that she wanted to give it up and will in turn reject his mother.  Kate reminds her that the baby will also know that it is wanted right now.  She also says that Claire is not alone and the baby belongs to all of them.  So now the pushing and screaming begins.  Charlie wants to help, but Jin holds him back.

In the O.R., Jack and Michael prepare for patient transport.  Sun shows Jack that Boone has been coughing blood- indicating internal injuries that Jack can't fix.  It is too late to save him.  Jack whips out the LOST catchphrase, which to this point has been a Locke exclusive: "Don't tell me what I can't do!"  The transport continues as planned.  Jack gets Boone into position and watches Sun walk away in disgust as he prepares to drop the door down.  

  In this moment of hesitation, Jack flashes back to his wedding ceremony.  Sarah's vows are done and now it's an unprepared Jack's turn.  He admits he is unprepared because he doesn't know how to let go.  Not sure that makes sense, but anyway, he tells Sarah that he will always love her and they kiss.  No word on if that constitutes an official marriage- the scene ends before the ceremony does.

  Jack is just about to drop the guillotine when Boone tells him to stop.  He knows he cannot be saved because of where they are and he is letting Jack off the hook on the promise he made.  Jack finally stops the madness and apologizes to Boone.  Boone tells him not to be sorry.

  Back in the jungle, the pushing is almost complete.  Claire gives that famous last big push and Kate erupts with joy and wonder as the baby comes into her arms.  It's a touching moment as mother meets son so we'll forgive Kate for not cutting the cord or even clearing the nose and mouth like Jack said to do.  Jin extends a hand to Charlie but instead Charlie enthusiastically hugs him.

  On the opposite end of the spectrum, Jack is laying Boone back down on the operating table to say his last words.  A screw-up to the bitter end- Boone is unable to finish.  All he can say is, "Tell Shannon..."  Jack holds back the tears and closes the young man's eyes.

  The final scenes of the show are too emotional for words- melancholy music is all we hear as Claire happily brings the baby to the beach for everyone to see- extras and that old softy, Sawyer included.  Hurley points Jack toward Sayid and Shannon who are returning home hand in hand.  The doctor grimly walks over and breaks the news.  Cut to Shannon all alone with her step-brother's body.  She breaks down in agonized tears.  ( But I didn't!)

  Jack is alone on the beach crying when Kate approaches.  He says the baby is beautiful and healthy but she is not buying the cover and asks if he wants to talk about Boone dying.  Jack stands up and says that Boone didn't die....he was murdered!  Not sure that makes sense either, but he's had a long night.

  Kate:  Jack, where are you going?

  Jack: To find John Locke.

THE END.

"Coming" on LOST, which means not next week, but in a damn month: Jack tackles a blood stainedLocke and demands to know what really happened.   Sawyer grabs Kate's arm and accuses her of trying to get his spot on the raft.  Jack realizes that the key to the gun case is gone from around his neck.  And Sayid holds a gun to Locke and appears to shoot him.