She awakes again, sand in her face, water in her mouth. A pain like a million needles shots her shoulder. Before she can reflect on those days' events she hears a deep cough from behind her. She turns finding Hurley crouched over spitting water onto the beach.
"Kate, you ok?" He questions, looking her in the eye. She nods, unable to speak.
She looks up and down the empty beach, were her and Hurley the only survivors? She starts to cry thinking of the people she thinks she left behind, Sun, Jin, Frank, Sayid, Sawyer, Jack. Jack. A sob escapes her frozen chest and she feels Hurley's arms around her.
"We're alone, aren't we?" She asks burying her head into Hurley's chest, her shoulder making her yelp in pain. He doesn't respond, she cries even harder.
The last thing she remembers is the bomb going off and the submarine flooding. She wonders how the others died. Did any of them suffer? Did any of them try to escape?
"Kate, we're going to be ok, trust me, can you do that for me? Trust me?" Hurley asks, she wonders if he is thinking about everyone else.
"Of course I trust you Hurley, never for one moment did I not." Hurley smiles slightly, and she feels lucky that at least she has Hurley with her.
"Hey you want to look up and down the beach a little bit, she if anyone else survived." She nods and smiles at the glimmer of hope that maybe someone else survived. Hurley held her up, and she realized that she can barely move her arm. She leans on him as they start down the beach in one direction.
After a few minutes of silence, she feels the need to break it.
"Do you really believe that someone else survived?" She asks and she sees his face twist in pain.
"I don't know, I want to believe it, but I don't know if I do." Hurley says and she feels for him. For a split moment he reminds her of Jack. So sincere, so honest. For the first time, she really thinks about what happened. She remembers Jack's hand on hers as he lowered her to Sayid. She remembers his tolerance of her hands gripping his arm while her mended her gunshot wound.
"I think he's alive." She says simply, causing Hurley to look at her in disbelief.
"Who's alive?"
"Jack. I think he's alive, I know its pointless thinking that, but it's true." She said, and Hurley nodded wordlessly.
"Me too, because I don't think Jack would give up that easy." Hurley said, smiling slightly and she suddenly knew that Jack was alive, somewhere. Now all her and Hurley had to do was find him.
"Do you think Sawyer is alive?" She asks, out of old habit. Hurley smirked at her, and nodded.
"Yeah, I think he is, if he's still got the old Sawyer in him somewhere, he'll be alive." Hurley laughs, and she agrees, but Sawyer's different know.
"Well if they are alive like we think they are, we should find them." She said and Hurley nodded in agreement. They started down the beach again and after only 10 minutes she was getting restless. She had to find them. Or more importantly she had to find him.
"Kate, we're going to find them, don't worry." She nodded, but she felt the tears coming again. She knew they were out there somewhere, and she was going to find them.
She and Hurley sat down on the sand, Hurley allowing her to lean him on.
"Where the hell are they?" She asked and she felt Hurley shrug. She needed to find them, more than anything in the world. She needed to see him smile, see the determination in his eyes one more time.
Suddenly she and Hurley's individual thoughts were interrupted by a splashing sound about 100 ft down the beach. Hurley helped her up hastily and both ran down the beach.
They heard coughing and as they got closer they saw two figures, both male, one was lying on the sand, almost completely still, and the other was hunched over him, checking his heartbeat.
"Hurley that's Jack and Sawyer." She said happily, trying to speed ahead, but Hurley held her back slightly.
"Are you sure?" He asked, raising his eyes quizzically. She nodded frantically, and she knew Hurley believed her. She wanted to run ahead of him, but he held her back so she would be stable.
Once they got close enough for Jack and Sawyer to hear them she said his name.
"Jack." She said and he looked at her, and she felt a wave of emotion and she nearly lost it. Tears formed in her eyes. She kneeled next to him, barely noticing Sawyer lying on the ground.
"I couldn't find you, I couldn't find you." She sobbed hugging him, as hard as she could. She suddenly felt safe in his arms. It took nearly everything in her power not to kiss him right then and there.
They each lingered for a second before Hurley asked what was wrong with Sawyer. Since Jack and Sawyer were both alive, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe Sun or Jin had survived.
"What about Jin and Sun?" She asked, Jack simply shook his head. She felt herself cry, and soon all three of them were in tears. Jack went and stood by the water and she almost went to stand by him but opted against it.
She knew she was selfish for not being as sad as Hurley or Jack, but she couldn't help but feel slightly happy that she was with Jack again. Maybe this time it may last longer, maybe it won't. But at least they are together, for this moment in time.
A/N: Please review, it would make me very happy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Lost.