Kate blindly ran through the jungle, until her legs collapse under her weight. She fell on her knees, as a cold rain made mud gush out all around her.
All her body was shaking and her teeth were chattering. Her thoughts were whirling so fast she couldn't think about anything but the haunting voice in her head repeating "I kissed him, I kissed him…"
Her thoughts began clearlier as the rain was falling stronger. She hadn't wanted to do that, she'd been getting close to Sawyer last days… and then she'd found herself in Jack's arms, deeply crying, deeply hopeless, deeply lost, and him so close to her she could feel the warm of his body… she'd given up and kissed him.
Her hands were violently shaking when she tried to wipe the rain away from her face. The first flash of lighting which tore the sky stood her up. Once again, she ran to lose breath towards what she thoughts to be the beach. And yet she landed up to the bunker.
Her jeans were covered of mud, her t-shirt matted to her skin, and her soaked curls were trickling on her shaking shoulders. Her lips were getting blue from the cold.
Kate got into the bunker and reached the control room which, weirdly, was empty. Realising she was putting mud everywhere, she took her shoes off.
Suddenly she heard the door slamming. She abruptly turned around and instinctively made a few steps backwards. She stumbled over her shoes and lost balance. A searing pain went through her right wrist as it crushed on the floor.
-Damn!!
She got up, moaned in pain and furiously kicked her shoes. A voice behind her made her jump again; she was tense.
-Kate?
Jack. Just like she didn't have enough problems.
-Hey… she sighed.
Her wrist hurt so strong she had tears in her eyes. She tried to go round Jack to avoid the conversation.
-Look I'm just gonna go, 'cause I… she tried to explain.
He held her back by the wrist. The right one. And noticed she winced with pain.
-What's wrong? he asked.
-Nothing. I'm fine.
She clenched her teeth and freed her wrist.
-No you're not.
-Drop it.
She hurried towards the bathroom, which made Jack furious. She kissed him, she ran away, she avoided him, she lied to him…
-Stay here! (he caught her up) What's wrong with you?!
-I'm fine!! She yelled.
She locked herself up in the bathroom slamming the door, and collapsed against the wall while Jack was yelling outside:
-Kate! Open tha' door!!
She started to sob softly. Her wrist was stiff, blue and swollen. Maybe broken, maybe worse. But she didn't want Jack to know it. She didn't want to feel his hands on her skin when he'd heal her, neither his gaze in her when he'd ask how it had happened.
No, she preferred suffer, because pain was a feeling she understood. Those she felt for Jack were too confuse and too strong, impossible to define.
-Kate, I don't wanna talk to a door. Please get out.
He'd spoken with a soft voice. Kate's was full of tears and pain when she answered.
-No I need that door.
-Why is that?
-Because I… I'm not brave enough to face you right now.
-Come on, we really need to talk…
-About what? She sighed, dreading the answer.
-About us, about you…
-I don't wanna talk about me, she interrupted.
-Sure, you prefer lying!
Jack was getting worked up.
-Leave me alone!! She yelled.
She tried to get up, slipped on the wet floor and brutally fell forwards, again on her hurt wrist. This time she yelled in pain.
-Kate! Are you all right?
The only answer he got was a moaning. He made a few steps backwards and smashed the door in with a kick.
Kate was on the floor, crying softly and holding her wrist tightly to her. Jack hurried towards her.
-Kate, you OK? He asked, worried.
She straightened up and clumsily wiped her tears away. At this moment Jack noticed the state of her wrist. Very big and very blue.
-What the hell happened to your wrist?!
She tried to hide it while stammering:
-N-n-n-nothing…
Jack refused to hear more and lifted her up in his arms to take her into the bedroom. There her put her on the bed. She moved her legs up under her chin and looked down, staring at the floor. She didn't protest when Jack sat close to her and started to examine her wrist.
An electric thrill ran trough Kate's body when Jack touched lightly her hand to check the damages. He noticed this reaction and both of them knew it had nothing to do with her wet clothes.
-Think it's not broken, it doesn't seem so. I can't check but you must have torn your muscle or something like that… he finished to diagnose.
She didn't answer and went on avoiding his gaze.
-Look at me Kate.
She looked up, met Jack's gaze and looked down again. He put his hand under her chin and gently raised her head.
-No, I said "Look at me", he whispered.
He plunged his gaze into Kate's. Pain, tension and dread he saw in her eyes only hid a burning longing.
-Are you gonna be all right?
She nodded from left to right while a tear was rolling along her cheek. Jack was helpless against so much distress, all the more he didn't really know where it came from.
Finally he took her in his arms. She let him do it and gently sobbed on his shoulder. Jack almost lost control when he felt Kate's soaked body shaking against his own.
-Calm down, he reassured her, it's OK, it's OK…
-Thank you Jack, she whispered in his neck.
-For what?
-For being there…