PLEASING FATHER
Jack Shepherd's story: How he Became the Man He is Today
Jack Shepherd never felt he was good enough for his father. Dr. Christian Shepherd was a Chief of Surgery and was often at the hospital doing operations. He was very hard on Jack and expected a lot from him. Jack didn't feel he knew his father and constantly wanted to prove his worth, showing his father that he had what it took to make it in the world. Every time he tried to help someone, with the hope of pleasing his father, he was let down with lecture after lecture all through his childhood.
One of the best examples was when he tried to help ? and instead got a black eye along with another lecture. Even trough his teenage years he felt like his dad was never proud of him. Then, one day, a few weeks after his 16th birthday, did Jack feel he had the ultimate opportunity to please his father.
There had been people with all sorts of occupations coming to his school for the past few weeks, talking about all the different types of jobs that were available. Jack thought that maybe if his dad approved the career Jack had chosen to follow, he might finally win his father's respect. On the whole, nothing seemed remotely interesting to Jack.
Until…
On the last day of the presentations Jack saw some doctors setting up their displays and getting prepared, it hit him. A doctor! He could become a doctor! Surely, being his father's occupation this would strike a chord. As Jack was overwhelmed with excitement, he didn't even listen to the presentation but planned how he was going to tell his father. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it sooner. It was so obvious and right under his nose too! And he knew so much about it already from listening to Dr. Shepherd talk about his day over dinner. Dinner. That would have to be it. While his father was well into detail about his latest operation, Jack would slip in that his chosen career was a doctor.
For the rest of the day all he could think about was dinner that night.
Finally six o'clock came and as his father launched into his day, Jack listened intently for the perfect moment.
"-Brain Tumor, not very pleasant for poor Mrs. Whitfall. But I had to do it, there were no two ways about it. I mean there seems to be a general lack in surgeons these days so I seem to be called down into the ER more and more.
This is it, Jack thought. His insides flared with excitement.
"Hey Dad," Dr. Shepherd looked up at him.
"For the past few weeks there have been people coming to our school and telling us about different occupations we could have and I've decided I want to be a doctor."
Dr. Shepherd paused halfway through chewing a bit of his steak and stared at Jack. Jack waited nervously for his reply. Mrs. Shepherd remained silent, looking at her husband. Dr. Shepherd finished his bit of steak and gave Jack a sullen look.
"And why do you say that, Jack?"
"Jack's face fell as his feelings were slightly punctured. "Well, because it was the most interesting one and I thought that since you were a doctor…"
"Jack I've told you before, you're not like me. you don't have what it takes when you fail. Remember what I told you after you tried to protect ? and came home with a black eye?" He fixed Jack with a stern look.
"Yes," Jack mumbled under his breath, his good spirits having completely blown out the window. Dr. Shepherd just nodded and went back to his steak.
That night while lying in bed, Jack went over the conversation he'd had at dinner. A sudden determination to prove his father wrong burned inside of him, and Jack vowed to be one of the best doctors of his generation, no matter what.
AS he vowed, Jack spent the next period of his life studying to become a doctor. To his pleasure and his father's amazement, Jack was soon working alongside his father as a surgeon. Although he didn't exactly look up to his father, Jack knew Dr. Shepherd was one of the most skilled surgeons in the city of , and he never thought he would put one of his patients in danger or at risk.
Jack Shepherd will never forget the day when he had to take over from his father in the ER because his father had exposed himself to alcohol just previous to performing the operation, resulting in severe damage to the patient and even Jack couldn't fix the damage his father had done. That was the day that ruined his life. Only too well could Jack remember his mother telling him to go after his father.
"You have to go after him Jack," His mother looked at him with desperate eyes. Jack had to give in.
"Where is he?"
"… Australia."
After discovering that his father was dead, Jack prepared to return to the US for the funeral, deciding to catch a plane to LAX from Sydney. Little did he know that catching Oceanic Flight 815, would far from help solve his problems…