While this isn't my first attempt at writing, it is my first attempt at getting something out to a wider audience, and it's technically my first fanfic. I used to RP Resident Evil-style a lot, but that doesn't really count. XD
This has sort of evolved from seperate ideas and random thoughts that I found meshed together really well. It has elements of all 3 seasons, but is standalone in its own way too. I'm not entirely sure it's in the right category, it covers so many. Oh well, this will do for now.
Anyway, don't be too
hard on me! There's nothing like the threat of death to keep things
interesting. I hope at least a couple of people will get a kick out
of it.
Run, Kate. RUN!
That's all she could think of right now, those three words. The last words she'd heard him say before they'd all bolted through the trees in different directions. Her aching legs carrying her through the thick, twisting jungle, unable to stop even though the rest of her body was screaming at her to. The rifle she had slung over her shoulder thudded painfully into her back with every step. Her lungs were literally going to burst at any moment, but she knew if she stopped now, she wouldn't make it. None of them would.
The rain tore through the canopy in ribbons, so heavy it threatened to sweep her away, but she still kept on, rainwater mingling with the blood on her face where branches had caught her; reached out to grab and scratch at her like unseen clawed hands. The dark sky above split with lightning, followed almost immediately by a heavy crackling rumble that shook the ground under her feet.
It's only thunder, it's only thunder, it's only thunder.
She repeated it over and over in her clouded mind, squeezing her eyes shut momentarily and trying to reassure herself that it wasn't that; it wasn't that thing. She let out a pained sob as the realisation of how tired she really was hit her with full force. Her head thumped and every single muscle in her body was burning and raw. She couldn't run forever, but she was damn well going to try.
Kate could suddenly hear them calling for her now, faintly, as the rain finally began to ease off. She listened hard, getting a bearing on the sounds, and altered course to follow them. A sudden wave of fear hit her. Had she travelled in a big circle? She was sure she'd been running straight…
Ahead in the distance was a small clearing, and she could see three of them standing there on the edge of a wide, sunken crater in the ground. They weren't calling anymore; they were just staring downwards, unmoving. Kate slowed now, trying to catch what breath she could, and approached almost cautiously; becoming more and more unnerved by the way they were acting.
"Hey!!"
Her voice laboured and cracked over her heavy breath, her heart leaping up into her throat now. Something was terribly wrong. Locke, Sayid and Charlie continued to stare downward as she moved toward the lip of the crater, their faces unreadable. She moved up the bank as the last drops of rain ceased falling from the broken sky.
"Hey! Can you hear me?" she shouted at them, panic quickly crawling under her skin. "Where's Sawyer? Where's Ja-"
She peered over the edge as she spoke and grew very still. In the dim light, she saw that a bundle of something lay crumpled at the bottom in a puddle of muddy, iron-tinted water. No, wait. Not something; someone. Kate swallowed hard, not wanting to believe what she was seeing, hoping she was mistaken; that it would go away if she just closed her eyes right now, quickly, and opened them again, that it was just her frazzled mind playing tricks on her, that all of this, all of this, would turn out to be some sort of horribly unfunny joke…
No…
She started forward, eyes wild with fear, but was caught and held back by a sweeping arm and strong grip on her wrist.
"Freckles, don't-"
Sawyer drawled and looked at her as she turned around, his face falling. He lowered his eyes to the ground when she glared back angrily, burning holes into him.
"Let go of me." Kate hissed, struggling out of his grasp as soon as he reluctantly began to loosen it.
Immediately, and without second thought, she was running down the steep slope, the pain from the flight through the jungle minutes before nothing compared to what she was feeling now. She didn't understand, why were they all just standing there, why weren't they doing anything?
Kate skidded and slumped down into the mud next to the broken figure that lay there awkwardly, lit up momentarily by a flash of lightning somewhere off to the right. His eyes were half closed, fingers dug into the watery mud beneath him for want of something to hold on to. His breath came in short, rasping gasps, too fast and too shallow, and it made Kate cringe. The now more distant thunder rumbled overhead.
"Jack," she whispered, her voice trembling. She fought to hold back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. "Can you hear me, Jack?"
She reached for his right hand, pulling it out of the water and mud with her left, lacing her fingers with his. So cold, so lifeless. She squeezed gently, watching his pained face, hoping for some sort of reaction.
"What… What happened to him?!" She almost shrieked at the four men standing above, but they couldn't hear her. Nobody could hear her. "Why didn't you do something?!"
Jack drew in a deep, agonised breath suddenly, coughing violently, blood flecking his pale lips. She moved in closer, crouching over him now, her free hand clutching at his shoulder in an attempt to stop him shaking, watching helplessly and his eyes flickered open to look at her; to look at her with such a terrible gaze that it nearly killed her. She'd never seen him look so scared, so terrified; so completely and utterly vulnerable. He opened his mouth again as if to speak, but no words came; only more coughs. Kate felt him start to squeeze on her hand, tighter and tighter until it became almost crushing, his eyes still searching hers unblinkingly; pleading for something from her that she didn't understand.
"Jack, it's… it's OK, we'll get you out of here," She looked up briefly at the blank faces above her. "I'll get you out of here!"
Tears now, running fast and hot down her cheeks, stinging the cuts on her face. She couldn't stop them anymore. Jack shook his head almost imperceptibly, squeezing her hand harder still with everything he had. Everything he had left...
He coughed again, too hard; blood bubbling up from his chest and into his mouth, trickling out from the corners, spilling over his lips, looking at her again with wide eyes when she realised the grip on her hand was growing ever weaker.
"NO! Don't you dare, Jack, don't you dare let go!"
Kate shook her head vehemently, reaching out with the hand that had been clinging to his shoulder. She leaned into him, cupping his face gently, smearing blood across his cheek and her palm, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Jack, please, stay with me. Please!" She begged him.
Jack blinked at her, his chest gurgling with every desperate attempt at breath. She couldn't stand that noise. It was tearing through her very soul. She stroked his cheek with her thumb, trying to soothe him somehow, trying to let him know it would all be OK, but she could only look on in horror as his eyes started to glaze over, rolling back slowly, and the grip on her hand weakened and became no more, and the wheezing, rasping, frothing sounds in his chest abruptly stopped. And then there was nothing, nothing aside from patter of sudden renewed rain on his lifeless body.
Kate screamed.
The quiet but fairly contented hum of the camp stretched on after the sun went down. People gathered to talk around their fires, food was passed round. Occasionally someone even laughed out loud. The sky was clear and calm, and the air was pleasantly warm too. It was going to be a beautiful evening.
"So then, tell me," Charlie looked up from the makeshift coconut bowl of fruit that he was currently stuffing down like a madman. Claire giggled slightly as he continued to talk with his mouth full. "What exactly made you want to be a spinal surgeon, of all things?"
Jack tilted his head, shrugging his shoulders slightly.
"I don't really know, Charlie, I guess it was just the path I ended up on. Turns out I have a knack for that kinda thing, so..."
"Bet the pay's good though, right?"
"Yeah, but the hours are long. Too long, maybe…" He trailed off, looking into the distance for a few moments.
"OK then," Charlie continued, seemingly oblivious to Jack's slight pause. "So, how exactly does a top-flight spinal surgeon such as yourself end up with so many tattoos?"
"Charlie!" Claire exclaimed, smacking him lightly on the shoulder with her hand. "I'm sure that's none of your business."
"What, I'm only asking! Not a crime is it? Did I miss a memo about the new 'don't ask Jack about his tattoos' law on the island or something?" He grinned at Claire and then at Jack, who chuckled genuinely in return, rubbing his jaw.
"I'd listen to Claire if I were you, Charlie. Kate didn't get it out of me, and you're not going to either." He smirked.
"Worth a try." Charlie bemoaned. "Not even a hint?"
Jack shook his head and smiled.
Just then, bloodcurdling screams ripped their way through the camp, shattering the pleasant tranquillity into shards. Jack was on his feet in seconds.
"What the bloody hell was that?!" Charlie cried, dropping the bowl in shock.
Claire turned her worried eyes across the camp. "That sounded like…"
"Kate."
Jack was gone before they even realised it.
