The Constant (Script)

Title: The Constant

[2004 - On the helicopter, Desmond is looking at the photo of himself and Penny. Frank is piloting the helicopter, with Sayid looking on. Frank is looking at a piece of notebook paper with a compass bearing on it.]

SAYID: What's that?

FRANK: Cheat sheet Faraday drew for me.

SAYID: You don't know where your boat is?

FRANK: I know where it is.

[The helicopter begins flying into a thunderhead.]

SAYID: Why are you flying directly into the thunderhead?

FRANK: Why don't you just sit back and let me do my job, huh?

[Sayid turns to look at Desmond, who is still looking at the photograph.]

SAYID: Is that Penelope? [Desmond nods.] She told Charlie she didn't know about this boat, correct?

DESMOND: Aye.

SAYID: What do you expect to find when you get there?

DESMOND: Answers.

[The helicopter experiences turbulence. There's a lightning strike.]

FRANK: Damn it!

[Frank struggles to keep the copter steady.]

FRANK: Hold on!

[Desmond looks around, gripping the seat.]

[1996 - Suddenly, he's gripping a bed. His hair is cut short, and he's in a military barrack.]

SERGEANT: On your sodding feet, move, move, move!

[Desmond is slow getting up.]

SGT: What are you waiting for, Hume?

[Desmond gets into line.]

SGT: What's the matter, Hume? Did you not hear me?

DESMOND: I'm sorry, sir. I was...I was having a dream, sir.

SGT: You were having a dream, were you? And what were you dreaming about, that it took you so sodding long to get to your mark?

DESMOND: I was in a helicopter, sir. And there was a storm, sir. And I don't remember the rest, sir.

SGT: Well, at least it was a bloody military dream. Right! All of ya! In the yard, four minutes. And you can thank Private Hume for having to do it in double time. Move!

[They're then out in the mud and rain, doing pushups.]

SOLDIER 1: One, two, three!

REST: Four!

SOLDIER 1: One, two, three!

REST: Five!

SGT: One hundred crunches! Go, go, go, go, go!

SOLDIER 1: One, two three, four...

SOLDIER 2: [to Desmond] I hope your dream was worth this, mate.

DESMOND: Sorry brother. It's just that, I've never had a dream so vivid. It was like I was actually there.

SGT: Have you got something to say, Hume?

[Desmond remains silent.]

SGT: I asked you a question!

[2004 - Desmond is suddenly back on the helicopter, extremely disturbed.]

FRANK: We're almost through it. I see daylight!

[Desmond begins to unbuckle himself.]

SAYID: What are you doing? Desmond! Are you alright?

DESMOND: Who are you? How do you know my name?!

[On the beach, Daniel and Charlotte are pouring coffee. Jack continues trying the phone, worried, while Juliet stands nearby.]

JACK: Alright. They took off a day ago. Why haven't we heard from them?

CHARLOTTE: I'm going to tell you again, as I've been telling you all night, doctor. I don't know! You heard the same thing as I did when we called the boat. What makes you think I know anything?

JULIET: Because you're not worried.

CHARLOTTE: Excuse me?

JULIET: You're boat's 40 miles off the coast, it should have taken them what, 20 minutes to get there? So why aren't you worried?

CHARLOTTE: Should I wring my hands together and whisper a prayer on their behalf?

DANIEL: Hey, hey, hey, c'mon. Maybe we should just, just tell them.

JACK: Tell us what?

CHARLOTTE: Dan, let's not confuse anyone.

JULIET: Well, Daniel, maybe if you talk real slow, we'll be able to follow.

DANIEL: Your perception of how long your friends have been gone, it's not necessarily how long they've actually been gone.

JACK: What does that mean?

CHARLOTTE: This is a mistake.

DANIEL: It'll be fine, it'll be fine. As long as Frank flew on the bearings I gave him. If he stayed on it, it'll be fine.

JACK: And what if he didn't?

DANIEL: Then there might be side-effects.

[On the copter.]

SAYID: We're at two thousand feet, sit down!

DESMOND: What am I doing here?!

FRANK: What the hell's going on?!

SAYID: Something's wrong with Desmond!

DESMOND: How do you know my name?!

FRANK: Hold him there, Sayid!

SAYID: I'm trying!

DESMOND: Let go of me!

FRANK: Keep him away from the stick! We'll be there in two minutes!

[The helicopter veers down, and comes close to the freighter. Sayid lets Desmond go, Desmond notices the photo clenched in his hand. The helicopter lands. As Keamy and Omar run over, Sayid arms himself.]

KEAMY: What are you doing back?

OMAR: Who are they?!

FRANK: Survivors of 815.

KEAMY: You shouldn't have brought them here, what the hell were you thinking?!

DESMOND: Alright, where am I?

KEAMY: Alright, just take it easy.

OMAR: Whoa.

DESMOND: Alright, who are you people?

OMAR: Whoa, buddy. Calm down.

DESMOND: What am I doing here? who are you people?

SAYID: My friend is disoriented!

DESMOND: I'm not your friend! I don't know you! I don't know you!

KEAMY: When did he start doing this?

FRANK: He was fine when we took off. When we hit some weather... Hey, Faraday told me as long as I stayed on the vector --

[Keamy motions for him to stay quiet. He and Omar step toward Desmond, but are blocked by Sayid.]

KEAMY: What's your name, my friend?

SAYID: Sayid.

KEAMY: Okay, Sayid. Look, we're going to take your buddy down to the sick bay, okay.

SAYID: I'm going with you.

KEAMY: Let a doctor look at him first, then you can come down. You got my word on that, okay?

[Sayid, after some time, nods. Keamy and Omar approach Desmond.]

OMAR: Alright.

DESMOND: Listen, listen. This is a mistake, alright?

OMAR: Settle down.

DESMOND: I don't know these people.

OMAR: I understand.

DESMOND: No, this is wrong! I'm not supposed to be—

[1996 - Desmond suddenly appears in the rain, standing up while the rest of his regiment is doing crunches.]

DESMOND: —here!

SOLDIER 1: Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-three...

SGT: Here? Here what? What the hell are you doing on your feet? Are you finished with your crunches, because you want to run?! [to all] Right! Squad, on your feet! Right face! Ten kilometers, go, go, go, go, go!

BILLY: [to Desmond] Keep moving, or so help me, I'll kill you myself!

[Cut to the soldiers loading a truck.]

BILLY: What the hell's the matter with you, Des?

DESMOND: If I told you, you'd think I was crazy.

BILLY: I already know you're crazy.

DESMOND: This morning, when I was in the yard doing crunches, I left.

BILLY: What do you mean you left?

DESMOND: I was on a boat. And then I was back here...right where I started.

BILLY: Des, if you're trying to get tossed out of service-

DESMOND: Billy, I'm telling you the truth, man.

BILLY: Who else was on this...boat? Anyone you recognized?

DESMOND: Penny. There was a photo. Penny was in the photo.

[He gets up, walks away.]

BILLY: What? Oi, Des...where you going?

[Desmond walks over to a phone booth. As he steps up, another soldier comes out, bumping him and knocking the change out of his hand.]

SOLDIER 3: Thanks for this morning, Hume.

[Desmond bends down to pick up the coins, and reappears back on the freighter.]

[2004 - Desmond almost falls over.]

KEAMY: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Watch your step. Watch your step. Take it easy.

DESMOND: I'm not here. This...this isn't happening.

KEAMY: You are here. And, this is happening. Look, we're going to take care of you.

DESMOND: Wh-wh-what am I doing here?

KEAMY: It's alright, you're gonna be okay.

[They step into a doorway, and walk down a hallway.]

DESMOND: Who are you people?

KEAMY: Well, my name is Keamy, and this is Omar. I'm from Vegas and he's from Florida, but as for where we are, I—

OMAR: The last port was Fiji. So at least we know we're still in the Pacific.

[Omar opens a door, and Desmond steps into the sick bay.]

KEAMY: Alright, my friend. Now you just relax, okay? Now, we're gonna go get the doc, and he's gonna want to ask you some questions to help us sort all this out.

DESMOND: What do you mean, sort out? Wait a minute! What do you mean?

[Keamy slams and locks the door.]

DESMOND: I'm not supposed to be here!

[Desmond struggles with the door.]

DESMOND: I'm not supposed to be here! Open this door! Open this door!

[He hears a voice.]

MAN: Hey. Hey! Hey.

[Desmond turns to see a man strapped to a bed.]

MAN: It's happening to you too, isn't it?

[Sayid is on the deck, studying the boat. He notices Keamy yelling at Frank. Frank approaches Sayid.]

SAYID: What's happening to Desmond? Your friends know what's wrong with him.

FRANK: Well if they do, they're not sharing it with me.

SAYID: Then perhaps you'll share how we took off at dusk and landed in the middle of the day.

FRANK: Listen. I don't know what's happening to your buddy, alright? But you gotta trust me when I tell you this. I am trying to help you.

SAYID: You want to help me? Give me your phone. Let me call my people.

FRANK: You give me that weapon and I'll give you this phone.

[They trade.]

FRANK: Be quick. And don't go trying to call Baghdad, those phones can only call each other.

[On the beach, the phone in Jack's hand rings.]

JACK: Hello?

SAYID: Jack, it's Sayid. I'm on the freighter.

JACK: Are you okay? Where the hell have you been?

SAYID: Something happened during the flight, and now Desmond's in their sick bay.

JACK: Hold on, hold on, hold on. Alright, you're on speaker.

SAYID: On the helicopter, something happened to Desmond. He doesn't appear to recognize me or know where he is.

JACK: [to Dan] Side-effects?

DAN: Wait, your friend, Desmond? Has he recently been exposed to high levels of radiation or electromagnetism?

[Jack and Juliet have no idea.]

DAN: Okay, look. Uh, we don't know why, but going to and coming from the Island, some people can get a little...confused.

JULIET: So, what, is this amnesia?

DAN: No, this is not amnesia.

[Desmond leans over the man, who is staring blankly into space.]

DESMOND: Hey. Hey. Hey! Can you hear me? Are you alright? Hello?

[The man blinks.]

MAN: I was just on a ferris wheel.

[The doctor, Ray, enters the room.]

MAN: See, Ray? I'm not crazy. It's happening to him too, Ray. And it's going to happen to you. It's going to happen to all of us. Everyone! Once we start heading to that Island again.

[Ray prepares a syringe.]

RAY: [to Desmond] Would you please step aside?

MAN: No, Ray, Ray, no.

RAY: I need you to relax for a minute.

MAN: No! It's not going to stop it, Ray, nothing can stop it, Ray, nothing can stop it!

[The man is injected, and immediately relaxes.]

RAY: [to Desmond] And how are you feeling?

DESMOND: What the bloody hell is going on?!

RAY: I understand, you're disoriented.

DESMOND: You're not going to stick me with that, brother!

RAY: I don't want to stick you with anything. It's okay, I just want to check your eyes.

DESMOND: Why?

RAY: So I can help you.

[Desmond lets him.]

RAY: What's your name?

DESMOND: Desmond.

RAY: Desmond. Desmond, why don't you tell me about the last thing you remem—

[1996 - Desmond is in the rain at the military camp, picking up his coins. Going into the phone booth, he inserts them and dials the number.]

PENNY: Hello?

DESMOND: Penny?

PENNY: What do you want, Desmond?

DESMOND: Uh, Penny, listen. I'm in trouble, and I think something's happening to me, and I'm confused, and I need to see you.

PENNY: You broke up with me and then you joined the army. And now you call with the expectation that I still care about you? Yeah, I say you are confused, Desmond.

DESMOND: No, no, I'm not. It's... look, I've got two days leave starting tonight. Can I...can I come and see you?

PENNY: No. No, and don't you go showing up at the flat, either, cause I've moved.

DESMOND: Moved? Where?

PENNY: That doesn't matter. Look, Desmond, I'm going to go. Please, just don't call me again.

DESMOND: Look, look, now listen, Penny, Penny, I need—

[2004 - Desmond is back in the sick bay.]

DESMOND: —need you.

RAY: Did you just experience something, Desmond?

[Frank and Sayid walk in.]

RAY: What the hell, Frank? You're not supposed to be down here, and definitely not with him.

FRANK: Sorry, doc, but I've got Faraday calling from the Island, and he needs to talk to this—

RAY: No, Faraday's not talking to my patient, now get out of here.

SAYID: He's not your patient.

[Sayid slams Ray to the wall.]

RAY: Hey!

SAYID: Give Desmond the phone.

[Ray sounds an alarm.]

SAYID: Give him the phone now!

[Desmond takes the phone. Sayid closes the door.]

DESMOND: Hello?

DAN: Desmond! Desmond, my name is Daniel Faraday. We met yesterday before you took off? But I'm guessing you don't remember that. Am I right?

DESMOND: Took off? What?

DAN: Desmond, we don't have long to talk so I need you to tell me what year you think it is.

DESMOND: What do you mean, what year do I think it — it's 1996!

DAN: Alright, Desmond, Desmond look, you gotta tell me... where are you?

DESMOND: Um...um...I'm in some kind of sick bay...

DAN: No, no, no, no. Not right now, Desmond. Where are you supposed to be. Where are you in 1996?

DESMOND: Uh, Camp Millar, it's a... Royal Scots Regiment, it's just north of Glasgow.

JACK: Dan. You might wanna—

DAN: No, no, no. I'm thinking, I'm thinking. Desmond, listen. When it happens again, Desmond, I need you to get on a train. Get on a train and go to Oxford. Oxford University. Queens College Physics Department. Alright?

DESMOND: What, why?

DAN: Because I need you to find me.

[Daniel searches in his backpack.]

DAN: [mumbling] Where is it? Where is it?

CHARLOTTE: What?

DAN: My journal. I need my journal, I won't believe him.

JACK: Why does he think he's in 1996?

DAN: I don't know, I don't know. It's unpredictable, it's a random effect. Sometimes it takes place for only a couple of hours, sometimes it's years.

JACK: Wait, wait. This has happened before?

[Daniel finds the journal.]

DAN: The phone now, please. Thank you. [into phone] Desmond, you still there?

[Sayid blocking the door, behind which there is yelling.]

SAYID: Talk to him! I can't hold them for long.

DESMOND: [to Dan] Yes! What've you got?

DAN: Okay, Desmond, listen. When you find me at Queens College, I need you to tell me to set the device to 2.342.

DESMOND: What?

DAN: Alright, you got it? 2.342! And it must be oscillating at 11 hertz. You got it Desmond?

DESMOND: 2.342 and oscillating at eleven...

DAN: Just remember that. 2.342 and eleven hertz, alright? And one more thing, Desmond. If the numbers don't convince me, I need you to tell me that you know about Eloise.

[Keamy and Omar bust in.]

OMAR: Hey, hey, hey! Take it easy...

DAN: Desmond! Tell me that you know about Eloise!

[Keamy snatches the phone away from Desmond.]

[1996 - Desmond reappears in the phone booth. He travels to Queens College. He walks down a hall, and sees Daniel talking to a student.]

DAN: ...not a single piece of original thinking. You do understand the concept of original, the opposite of derivative? Now I'm the one you need to impress, Mr. Hollister, and I'm not impressed. So go. Go try again.

DESMOND: Um, sorry. Are you Daniel Faraday?

DAN: And you are...?

DESMOND: Um...sorry, I'm Desmond Hume, and um...I was told I could find you here. I think I've ... just been to the future.

DAN: ...the future?

DESMOND: Yes. Uh, I spoke to you there, you told me to come here, to Oxford, to find you. You said you'd help me.

DAN: Why didn't I just help you there, in the future?

DESMOND: Sorry?

DAN: Why would I put you through the headache of time travel, you know? You know what I mean, it just seems a little... unnecessary. And don't you think that my esteemed colleagues could have come up with something just a little more believable, huh? Wha—what kind of a prank is that? Huh, paradox. So uninspired.

DESMOND: Set your device to um... 2.342 and make sure it oscillates at 11.

DAN: Okay, now you, you're going to tell me who told you those numbers.

DESMOND: You did.

DAN: No, this is — this is ridiculous.

DESMOND: I know about Eloise.

[Daniel takes Desmond into his office.]

DESMOND: What, what is all this?

DAN: This is where I do the things Oxford frowns upon. Alright, this, this future version of me... uh, he referenced this meeting, right? Obviously, so, so I would remember you coming to Oxford, right? I would remember this, here, right now.

DESMOND: Actually, um, no.

DAN: No.

DESMOND: Maybe you just forgot.

DAN: Yeah, right, how would that happen?

DESMOND: So this, this is changing the future?

DAN: You can't change the future.

[Daniel puts on a special coat.]

DESMOND: What's that for?

DAN: Radiation.

DESMOND: Do I get one?

DAN: You don't need one. For prolonged exposure, I do this 20 times a day.

DESMOND: So what do you put on your head?

DAN: [chuckles] Yeah.

[Daniel flicks some switches. He then reaches over, taking out a white rat.]

DAN: And this... this is Eloise.

[Daniel places Eloise in the maze.]

DESMOND: What does this do?

DAN: This, if the numbers you gave me are correct, what this will do is unstick Eloise in time. Just like you.

[He presses a button, and a purple-white light consumes Eloise for a few seconds]

DESMOND: What happened?

DAN: Wait, shhshhshh! She's not back yet...there she is. Okay, here goes everything.

[Daniel lifts a flap, and Eloise runs out into the maze.]

DAN: Come on, come on, that's it, come on, that's it, yes, yes, yes, haha! Yes! Oh, it worked! This is incredible.

DESMOND: I'm sorry, how is a rat running through a bloody maze so incredible?

DAN: What is incredible, is I just finished the maze this morning. I'm not going to teach her to run it until an hour from now.

DESMOND: S-so you, you sent her to the future!

DAN: No, no, no. Her consciousness. Her mind.

[Daniel runs over to a board and starts erasing things.]

DESMOND: So, so how does that help me?

DAN: You, what? I don't understand, am I supposed to help you? Didn't I send you back here to help me?

DESMOND: I don't know why you sent me here. All I know about you is, you, you end up on some bloody island.

DAN: An island. What island, where...why would I go to an island?

[2004 - Desmond reappears back on the freighter, still struggling for the phone.]

KEAMY: Desmond, give me the phone.

[Keamy takes the phone.]

FRANK: Hey look! Hey, come on! Everybody relax, listen! Look! Daniel wanted to talk to the guy so we brought him the phone, that's all.

KEAMY: You let Faraday talk to him?

FRANK: He said he could help!

RAY: Faraday can't even help himself!

OMAR: [to Frank] Outside now. The captain wants to talk to you.

SAYID: And I want to talk to your captain.

KEAMY: I'll be sure to let him know. In the meantime, have a seat.

[They leave Sayid, Desmond, and the man in the sick bay, locked in. Desmond begins shining the doctor's light pen into his eyes.]

DESMOND: I need to get back.

SAYID: Back where? The island?

DESMOND: He said he could help me, said he could tell me what I needed to do.

SAYID: Desmond, Desmond, can you please explain to me—

MAN: Desmond? You're Desmond?

DESMOND: Do I know you?

MAN: I'm George Minkowski. I'm the communications officer. Before they strapped me down here, all the calls to and from this boat came through me, in the radio room. And every so often, I'd get this flashing light on my console. An incoming call. We were under strict orders never to answer it.

DESMOND: So? What's that got to do with me?

MINKOWSKI: Those calls came from your girlfriend. Penelope Widmore.

[1996 - Desmond awakes. He is back in Daniel's office.]

DESMOND: What happened?

DAN: Whoa, you're back, and you were out almost 75 minutes.

DESMOND: Out?

DAN: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You just whoof, went catatonic right in the middle of a sentence. I had to carry you to the chair. So I take it you were, you were in the future again?

DESMOND: Aye.

DAN: For how long?

DESMOND: I don't know...five minutes? Why does this keep happening?

DAN: In your case, I'm guessing that progression is exponential. Each time your consciousness jumps, it gets harder and harder to jump back. I would be careful crossing the street if I were you.

[Desmond sees Eloise. It is clear that she is dead.]

DESMOND: What happened to her?

DAN: She died.

DESMOND: Yeah, I can see that. How?

DAN: Brain aneurysm, probably. I dunno. I'll need to do an autopsy later.

DESMOND: Is that going to happen to me?

DAN: The effects seem to vary from case to case, but uh—

[Desmond pins Daniel to the wall.]

DESMOND: If these keeps happening, am I gonna die?!

DAN: I don't know. I think Eloise's brain short-circuited. The jumps between the present and the future...she eventually, she couldn't tell which was which — she had no anchor.

DESMOND: Wh...what do you mean, anchor?

DAN: Something familiar in both times. All this, see this is all variables, it's random, it's chaotic. Every equation needs stability, something known. It's called a constant. Desmond, you have no constant. When you go to the future, nothing there is familiar. So if you want to stop this, then you need to find something there...something that you really, really care about...that also exists back here, in 1996.

DESMOND: This constant — can it be a person?

DAN: Yeah, maybe. But you have to make some kind of contact. Didn't you say you were off on a boat, in the middle of nowhere?

[Desmond begins dialing on a phone.]

DAN: Uh...who're you calling?

DESMOND: I'm calling my bloody constant.

OPERATOR: The number you have dialed has been disconnected.

[Desmond slams the phone down, leaves. He collapses near the steps...]

[2004 - ... and awakes on the freighter.]

SAYID: Hey, hey. You okay?

MINKOWSKI: You look a lot older now, huh? Welcome back, Desmond.

DESMOND: I need to call Penny.

SAYID: Calling your girlfriend is not our priority.

DESMOND: Listen, brother, I don't know you. But you seem to know me, so...so if you and me are friends, then I need your help. I need to call Penny, now.

MINKOWSKI: Whoa! You boys are getting way ahead of yourselfs. Two days ago, someone sabotaged all the equipment. We lost all communication with the mainland. I probably could have fixed it, but then...then I went nuts.

SAYID: Where's the radio room?

MINKOWSKI: It's one deck up. I'll take you there. Come on.

[They unstrap Minkowski.]

SAYID: And how do we get out of here?

MINKOWSKI: Through the door.

[The door is open.]

MINKOWSKI: Looks like you guys have a, a friend on this boat.

[Minkowski's nose is bleeding]

DESMOND: Hey, uh...your nose, brother.

SAYID: It's clear. Let's g—

[1996 - Desmond awakes back in the stairwell at Oxford. He gets up, and runs down.]

[He comes to an auction.]

AUCTIONEER: The Black Rock set sail from Portsmouth England on March 22, 1845 on a trading mission to the kingdom of Siam, when she was tragically lost at sea. The only known artifact of this journey is the journal of the ship's first mate, which was discovered among the artifacts of pirates on the Ile Sante-Marie off the coast of Madagascar seven years later. The contents of this journal have never been made public, or known to anyone outside the family of the seller, Tovard Hanso. We open the bidding on lot 2342 at 150,000 pounds. 150,000, sir. For 160? Do I hear one six- 160, sir. 170, sir. 180 on the phone. 200,000 pounds. 220,000 pounds, 240? 260,000 pounds, sir. 280? On the phone I have 300,000...320. 340,000 pounds. 360? 380...

[Desmond attempts to enter.]

SUITED GUARD: This auction's reservation only, sir.

DESMOND: Listen, brother, I just need to speak to that gentleman, just for a moment, okay?

SUITED GUARD: I'm sorry.

AUCTIONEER: Sold, for 380,000 pounds to bidder 755. Thank you.

[Charles Widmore, the winning bidder, stands up and leaves.]

DESMOND: Just for a minute, alright? Mr. Widmore!

WIDMORE: Desmond?

DESMOND: Can I have a word, sir?

SUITED GUARD: I'm sorry, Mr. Widmore, he—

WIDMORE: No, no. It's fine. Walk with me.

[In the restroom, Widmore finishes urinating and begins to wash his hands.]

WIDMORE: Your word. Let's have it.

DESMOND: I need to get in touch with Penny. I don't know how to reach her, and her number's been disconnected.

WIDMORE: There was a time when if you'd have asked her to marry you, I'm certain she would've said yes. Unfortunately, your cowardice won out instead. I take it you've had second thoughts, and you'd like her to give you another chance.

DESMOND: Why do you hate me so much?

WIDMORE: It's not me who hates you. Here's her address... I'll let her tell you herself.

[Desmond goes to turn off the water faucet.]

[2004 - He finds himself back on the freighter.]

MINKOWSKI: Desmond. I know...it's getting harder. It starts happening faster too.

SAYID: Come on, let's move.

DESMOND: Hey, how did this happen to you?

MINKOWSKI: We were anchored here. Waiting for our orders. Bored out of our minds. Me and Brandon — he's one of the crew members we took off the ship's tender. We just wanted to see the island. But Brandon started acting crazy...so we had to turn around.

DESMOND: Where is he?

MINKOWSKI: In a body bag.

[They enter the communications room, which is all messed up.]

MINKOWSKI: There.

SAYID: Who did this?

MINKOWSKI: You got me. But when the captain finds out, I feel sorr—

[Minkowski passes out. Desmond cradles him in his arms.]

SAYID: After your call, someone has to tell me precisely what is going on.

DESMOND: Can you fix it, brother?

SAYID: I need a minute. Do you have the number to make the call?

[Minkowski seizes.]

DESMOND: Wake up, wake up, you've got to come back! You've got to come back—

SAYID: Desmond! Do you know the number?

DESMOND: No.

SAYID: Well, you better remember it.

[Desmond notices a calendar on the wall with days crossed off on it — it's December 24, 2004]

DESMOND: It's 2004...

SAYID: I didn't realize it was almost Christmas. It's been...

[Desmond's nose is bleeding. Sayid points it out to him.]

SAYID: ...Desmond.

[Minkowski starts flailing again.]

MINKOWSKI: I...can't....get....back!

[Minkowski dies.]

SAYID: What happened to him?

DESMOND: The same thing that's gonna happen to me.

[1996 - Desmond wakes up on the floor of the bathroom, where the sink is overflowing. He gets up, splashes water on his face and looks at himself in the mirror. He then seizes the address Widmore wrote for him and leaves. He goes to Penny's house, and knocks on the door.]

PENNY: Desmond? What are you doing here?

DESMOND: I had to...I mean, I tried to call you, but you disconnected your phone.

PENNY: Yeah, because I moved. Look, I don't know if you're getting the signals, Desmond, but I'm trying to make a clean break from you, so if you don't mind, I'm gonna—

DESMOND: Wait a minute, Pen, please wait. I just need to get your new phone number, okay?

PENNY: Why would I give you that?

DESMOND: Because I made a huge mistake, I never should have broken up with you, and, and and ... and I know that now, and I'm sorry, and—

PENNY: Don't, just don't dare—

DESMOND: —and I understand. And I know it's...it's too late to change things, but I need to tell you something and, and I need you to listen to me, and I know it's going to sound ridiculous, but...please, Pen. I need you to listen to me.

[Penelope lets him inside.]

PENNY: Just, say what you need to say and then go.

DESMOND: I know this doesn't make any sense, because it doesn't make any sense to me. But...eight years from now...I, I need to call you, and I, I can't call you if I don't have your number.

PENNY: What?

DESMOND: Look, Penny, just, just give me your number, and, and I, I know I've ruined things, and I know you think things are over between us, but they're not. If there's any part of you that still believes in us, just give me your number.

PENNY: And what's to say you won't call me tonight, or tomorrow.

DESMOND: I won't call for eight years. December 24, 2004. Christmas Eve. I promise. Please, Pen.

PENNY: If I give you the number, will you leave?

DESMOND: Aye.

PENNY: 7946-0893.

[Desmond repeats the number, whispering.]

PENNY: All that, and you're not going to write it down?

DESMOND: [Sighs] It wouldn't do any good. You have to keep that number. You can't change the—

PENNY: Just get out, get out!

DESMOND: —just, just remember, December the 24th, 2004. If you still care about me you'll have to—

[Door slams in his face.]

DESMOND: I'm not crazy, Penny! You have to believe me! You have to—

[2004 - Desmond is back on the freighter.]

DESMOND: —trust me.

SAYID: I do trust you. But you still have to remember that number.

DESMOND: 7946-0893. [repeating] It's a London number.

SAYID: Excellent timing...the patch is done, but I don't know how long the battery will last. I hope she's there.

DESMOND: I hope so too.

[The phone rings, the sound playing over the 1996 scene when Desmond leaves Penelope's home. She briefly looks down at him from a second-story window before closing the drapes. After several rings, someone answers.]

PENNY: Hello?

DESMOND: Penny?

PENNY: Desmond?

[The scene briefly changes to 1996 when Desmond is walking away from Penelope's]

DESMOND: Penny...Penny, you answered. You answered, Penny.

[In London, Penelope is at home standing by a Christmas tree.]

PENNY: Des, where are you?

DESMOND: I'm...I'm, I'm on a boat. Um...I've been on an island, and — Oh my god, Penny. Is that really you?

PENNY: Yeah! Yes, it's me!

DESMOND: You believe me? You still care about me?

PENNY: Des, I've been looking for you for the past three years. I know about the island. I've been researching---[static]---and then when I spoke to your friend Charlie, that's when I knew you were still alive. That's when I knew I wasn't crazy. Des, are you still there!?

DESMOND: Yes, yes, I'm here! I'm still here, can you hear me?

PENNY: Yeah, yeah, that's better.

DESMOND: I love you, Penny. I've always loved you. I'm so sorry. I love you.

PENNY: I love you too.

DESMOND: I don't know where I am, but—

PENNY: I'll find you, Des—

DESMOND: —I promise—

PENNY: —no matter what—

DESMOND: —I'll come back to you—

PENNY: —I won't give up—

BOTH: I promise. I love you.

[Static cuts them off.]

SAYID: I'm sorry. The power source went dead, it's all we have.

[Desmond walks toward Sayid, his memory of him and his time on the island returning.]

DESMOND: Thank you, Sayid. [They shake hands] It was enough.

SAYID: Are you alright now?

DESMOND: Aye. I'm perfect.

[Daniel is on the beach flipping through his journal. On a page, he sees: "If anything goes wrong, Desmond Hume will be MY constant."]