The realization was hitting her more and more every day. Boone was gone. He was really gone. She knew deep down, Sayid could never really fill that void, be so devoted to her, love her so unconditionally, be her family, her friend.. He wanted to, she could see that. She just knew it wouldn't be the same, no matter how long they were stuck on this island, or how long she knew him. Sayid wasn't there to watch her back through middle school, he wasn't there to ward off the guys throughout high school who were only looking to get up her skirt. He wasn't there to pay off those guys to leave her alone, when she had faked being in abusive relationships…
The monstrous noises were getting closer every day. Someone always had a new plan, some new tactic of survival. In the end, she knew it wouldn't work. She had no more hope of getting out of here alive. Sawyer and the others had come back a few days ago, without the little boy.. She found more comfort in Vincent then in Sayid, lately. Shannon knew she was purposely pushing him away. But everyone was so concerned about Walt to really notice.. She was too, but she knew they were all going to end up like Boone, it was only a matter of time. She was almost relieved to think of it.
Shannon wasn't sure how long she had been hiding in the tent, without coming out for food or water, when the attack hit. She couldn't breath. She laid in there, stroking Vincent, wheezing for air, until it got worse. She didn't attempt to get help. She laid there gasping for air, until she had felt her body tense up, and had to let go of Vincent, grasping hard at the blankets beneath her. She didn't want to be too loud, she knew some of the others were lurking around out there somewhere. The pain died down soon enough, when the dizziness became too overwhelming, and then it was only a matter of time before she drifted off, too tired to fight off the attacks anymore.
It was such a horrible feeling, being forced to wake up again, without being able to breath. Jack was holding something under her nose, and she couldn't fight it off, her eyes popped open wildly, and she clung to two arms that were on either side of her, as she gasped in desperately without thinking about it. One of the arms belonged to Jack, the other arm.. Sawyer.. She didn't even try to make sense of it, and didn't have to, after she soon remembered that the other men were figuring out ways to get to the other side of the island, where they thought Walt was taken.. That explained Sawyer's 'helpful' persona.
Jack started rubbing something on her chest at that point, and she knew it was what Sun had used, to make her start breathing that time. Tears streaming down the sides of her face, as she held in her breath intentionally, Shannon let go of Jack's arm, as she batted him away, striking at him hard. Releasing her other hand from Sawyer, she then tried to wipe that stuff off of her chest. She didn't want any help. Why couldn't they leave her the hell alone? She wasn't their family, and didn't consider herself their friend. Jack was just the saintly doctor trying to save everyone from the inevitable, and Sawyer, well maybe he was just feeling guilty for failing to save Walt.
"Shannon, stop! You need this to breathe-" Jack said, trying to get control of her flaring arms, as she continued to try and push the men off of her, but they just wouldn't give up. Sawyer grabbed a hold of her one arm more firmly, before catching her other arm, pinning her to the ground as Jack tried to put the eucalyptus back on her. This didn't stop her from struggling and resorting to kicking them.
"Shannon, breathe for me.. You need to breathe," Jack pleaded with her, as she figured it was more out of fear than anything. He had a look in his eyes, that he knew what she was trying to do. This just made him try all the more harder to get her to breath again, though.
Shannon's head was throbbing so bad by now, and she could feel the blood rush up to it. Sawyer was trying to stop her from kicking now, and practically had to straddle her to get her under control. Jack put on so much eucalyptus that she couldn't even fight it off anymore, her mouth opened and her nose unplugged, as she turned her head to the side, feeling more tears escape the corners of her eyes.
In the woods, behind one of the larger trees, she saw someone standing there, watching. It was too far off for her to be sure, but those blue eyes were undeniable. Shannon was sure at this point she had died. There was Boone. She stopped fighting Jack and Sawyer at this point, figuring that she had won, that she was dead. Even as Jack stroked back her matted hair from her forehead and Sawyer released his grip from her, she was sure that this was just them letting go of her body, seeing that she was dead now, and letting her rest in peace.
"Shannon, you're going to be okay," Jack whispered to her, but he sounded so far off, she was sure that he was just delusional.. It had to be hard for him, loosing Boone, and now failing to save her as well. "I'm going to take care of you. You're going to be alright, I promise," he said, but she was too tired to comprehend him at this point, as her eyelids got heavier, her breathing stabilizing, and soon she was asleep.
To Be Continued…