When All Seems Lost
This begins in the middle of "I Do", Season 3 episode 6, because I do wish things had gone differently at this point. (Sorry for any little inaccuracies about what happened up until this point in the show, I haven't seen the episodes since they aired.) Jate
Spoiler Warning: There are many spoilers for the show. I cannot even begin to break down which episodes or seasons they are from. Sorry, just if you haven't seen all of the episodes to date be prepared for some spoilers. Though there likely will not be many from after Season 3 Episode 6 or so because I am going my own way from there.
Disclaimer: I do not own Lost.
This chapter will contain a lot of actual dialogue and situations from the show but after this I hope to not use any scenes from the show.
Sorry for the long intro. This is my first fanfic in a really long time so yeah, review please.
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Previously on Lost season 3 episodes 6:
Jack: You needed to be in surgery yesterday.
Ben: Alright, then. Whatever you need, it's yours. I'm ready.
Jack (while laughing): No, I think you misunderstood me. I didn't say I was gonna do it. I just wanted you to understand how you're gonna die… You think I believe you people? You think I trust you? That I'm just going to do the surgery, and then I'm just going to HOPE that you let me go?!
Juliet: Jack!
Jack: No, don't!
Ben: Well, Jack. I'm very disappointed in your decision.
Jack: Well, Ben. At least you won't have to be disappointed for very long.
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Sayid: So, what killed Eko?
Locke: … Folks back at the beach call it "the Monster". I don't really have a name for it. You don't believe in monsters?
Sayid: I believe in what I can see. But obviously you have. So, why don't you tell me what you think it is?
Locke: Might be what brought us here.
Sayid: So, you think that this Monster decided that Eko was meant to die?
Locke: I believe that Eko died for a reason. I just don't know what it is yet.
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Alex (yelling to Kate as she is dragged away): Listen, whatever they say, don't believe them! They're gonna kill your boyfriend just like they killed mine!
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Juliet (to Kate): I would like you to put this on, and come with me. Please.
Kate: You think I'm going to put a hood over my head because you said please?
Juliet: No Kate. I think you're going to put a hood over your head because the man standing behind me, the one who's burning a hole in my back? That man is going to kill Sawyer. But if you put this on, and you come with me, there's something you can do for us that will save his life.
And that is where my story picks up.
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Chapter One - Coercion
Jack paced his little room, feeling a little flustered. He had just refused to perform Ben's surgery. Part of him was conflicted over that. He hated thinking that he was destroying a life. He was supposed to save people, fix things, but he could not bring himself to heal the man who seemed most responsible for the suffering the castaways were all enduring. It killed him to think of what Kate was probably going through. He still hadn't seen her. Just then, as if on cue, he heard a door swinging open.
Jack rushed to the clear wall dividing the room in two as Juliet entered, leading Kate who had a bag over her head. Juliet removed the bag and stepped out after saying, "I'll give you two some privacy."
Kate slowly approached the wall, placing one hand gently on the wall. Jack watched her, shocked at her appearance. She looked scared and vulnerable. He looked at her hand, wishing he could hold it to give her some comfort, he settled for placing his hand against hers through the wall. "Hey," he said softly, "you okay?"
Kate closed her eyes momentarily and when she opened them again she looked like she had pulled herself together more. "Yeah, what about you?" she watched his face as she asked the question.
"I'm fine," he answered quickly, more concerned with extracting information from her, "where are they keeping you?"
She took a deep breath before responding, "Outside, in a cage. Sawyer too."
She paused briefly, "they're making us work. Hauling rocks for something…"
"Kate," Jack interrupted her, sounding desperate, "did they hurt you?" He was alarmed to see her eyes fill with tears. She blinked furiously, as if angry with herself for crying. He continued, "Kate it's oka-"
"You have to do it Jack, please, this operation..." Kate stopped talking, her voice breaking with emotion as she allowed the tears to run freely down her face.
Jack took several deep breaths, searching her face for any sign of… of what was he looking for? Why was she asking this of him? What had they done to her! Had the others sunk this low, to hurt Kate to get to him? What was he thinking, they were already that low! Still, he couldn't say no to that face. She was staring into his eyes intensely, begging him to do it. "Jack..," Kate spoke his name pleadingly, breaking into his thoughts.
"What did they do to you Kate?!" Jack asked, his tone becoming slightly angry.
Kate wiped at her tears furiously, "nothing…"
"Why are you asking me this!?" he continued as his voice grew louder.
He could barely hear Kate's answer because she was speaking so quietly now.
"Jack, they're gonna kill Sawyer…" Kate turned away from him and slid down until she was sitting with her back against the wall. She put her head in her hands and sobbed, secretly hating herself for not being able to calm down.
Jack felt a pang of jealousy. Sawyer… of course. He didn't speak. He couldn't take Kate's sorrow, he wanted nothing more than to hold her, comfort her. He traced the place her hand had been with his fingertip.
He sank to his knees on the floor, silently cursing the transparent wall keeping them apart. "Kate…"
He watched as her shoulders shook slightly, she was still crying. "Kate… look at me, please."
He watched as she took a few deep breaths and turned slightly so that she was leaning the right side of her body against the wall instead of her back. She didn't look at Jack but he could see her forcing herself to get it together. He didn't know what to say and was surprised when Kate spoke for him. "Jack, she said if you do this that they will let us go… and if you don't they will kill Sawyer."
"Who," he asked urgently. He still didn't know what to think of the situation.
She looked up at him finally, "the blonde woman, the one who brought me here."
He didn't want to do the surgery, he couldn't. Ben didn't deserve it. He wished they hadn't sent Kate in here, crying over Sawyer. Still, he didn't want her to hurt. He would push his own feeling aside and try to find a way. He would do something; find a solution to this mess, for her. For Kate. "Kate, I.. don't worry."
Just then a couple of men burst into the room and grabbed Kate roughly.
"Jack!" she shouted franticly as they threw the bag over her head once more.
"It'll be okay Kate," he assured her, hating that he couldn't protect her.
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Ben watched from an observation room, standing with a few of the others. After he ordered Kate be taken from the room he looked relieved. A small, almost unrecognizable smile was on his face as he turned to Juliet. "Prep the OR."
Juliet looked at Ben, amazed, "you really think he's changed his mind."
"He'll do the surgery, Juliet," Ben stated matter-of-factly.
"Ben, I think you are underestimating him."
"Just prep the OR Juliet," Ben said in a commanding voice, "he will do the surgery."
As Juliet left Ben turned back to watch Jack, who was currently struggling with his dilemma. His plan was working.
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A/N: I hope most chapters will be longer than this; I just wanted to get started. Usually I won't do the 'previously on lost' thing. I just needed some context for the scene. I omitted Kate's flashbacks for this chapter because it was difficult to work it in since I started in the middle of an episode. Just assume her flashbacks have already occurred, I am not going to type them. (If you cannot remember them let me know and I will remind you. It is kind of important in the future because it is the set of flashbacks that shows her wedding.) From now on I won't be stealing many scenes from the show; I just hated the way that one played out in the show.