A/N: Hey, everyone! Thanks for sticking around after the prologue. I'm really sorry that its taken me a while to update, but I've been having some problems with my computer. I'm in the process of switching to a new laptop, but I can't figure out how to move my itunes/ipod stuff over, so if any of you happen to know how to do this, please drop me and email.
Anyway, I'm going to try to update this story once a week, possibly more. A lot does depend on the feedback because if it doesn't look like very many people are reading it, I won't really feel compelled to use up all my free time writing it. I was really pleased with all the feedback I got for the prologue and I really appreciate the effort from you guys. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize isn't mine and I don't claim to own it.
All The Right Reasons
Chapter 1: Man of Science Man of Faith
"Jack!" That was the first thing Jack heard upon entering the caves from the trail to the hatch. "Jack!" Sayid was calling him.
"What is it?" It was always something. Always. Jack rarely left the caves without coming back only to be barraged by people calling his name. And so, Jack could only wonder. What now.
From seemingly out of nowhere, Sayid came jogging up to Jack, rushed and out of breath. "We found Walt…"
"What? Where?" Jack couldn't even begin to voice the confusion he was feeling at hearing Sayid's words. He could feel the eyes of everyone around him, burning into him. They wanted to watch him, see what he was going to do about it. They wanted him to fix what had gone wrong. They wanted him to give them a reasonable answer for Walt not to be on a raft in the middle of the ocean, out to save them.
"In the jungle…Shannon and I found him in the jungle nearly an hour ago," came Sayid's reply. And Jack had to wonder, what about the rest of them? Because if Walt truly was here. If they had actually found him in the jungle. Then something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
"Where is he?" Jack asked, eager to get to the bottom of this. He couldn't help but think that this truly was the last thing that he needed right now. Another problem. Another mystery the island just had to throw at him. But he didn't have time to be bitter. He didn't have time to complain. He only had time to act.
Without a word, Sayid turned from Jack, beckoning him to follow. Jack followed Sayid into one of the nearby caves, the one Jack had been using as a store room for the medical supplies. And there he was. There was Walt, looking broken and exhausted, sprawled out on the ragged airline seat that Jack used for patients.
He was wearing the same clothes that Jack remembered watching him leave on the raft in. Except now they were covered in mud, dirt, grime. They were torn and ragged, as if he had worn these same clothes for weeks. He was sopping wet and shivering. There was a tiny drizzle of blood dripping from Walt's lower lip to the base of his chin. And then Jack's instincts kicked in.
Jack could sense the number of people standing behind him, looming over him to see what he was going to do about this new problem. Why not put them to good use?
"Charlie, I need you to run to the beach," Jack said quickly, "Find Walt's things and bring them here. Make sure he has a change of clothes."
"Right, clothes," Charlie said hurriedly before backing out of the medical cave at a sprint, rushing to do what Jack had asked.
Jack could see a white blur to his right, and he knew that Sun was there too. Turning to look at her, Jack felt a pang when he met her eyes. He knew what Sun must be thinking, looking at Walt so torn up and confused like this. Something must have happened to the raft. Something must have happened to Jin.
"Sun, can you get into the medical supplies and find some bandages and peroxide?" Jack asked, feeling himself begin to calm down. It wasn't Walt's condition that had originally panicked him. It was the fact that Walt was here. No matter how many times Jack let that idea run through his mind, he still couldn't grasp any possible scenario with a positive outcome that could result in Walt being here.
"Hurley, I need a bucket of fresh water and some rags," Jack voiced, not even bothering to turn his head. Without looking, he knew that Hurley was there.
"Right, got it dude…" came Hurley's voice, just as Jack heard him shuffling through the gathering crowd.
"Kate!" Jack called, not taking his focus or eyes off of Walt, "Get me some blankets so I can warm him up…"
But with this request, there was only silence. All Jack heard in response was the hushed murmurings of the crowd. Breaking his focus away from Walt, Jack shifted his position, turning his head to look behind him. "Kate!" he called again, but was once again met by no response. Eyes scanning the crowd, he realized that he couldn't even see her amongst them. That was strange to him, because she had always been right at the front of the crowd when there was an emergency, seeing what she could do to help.
"She's not here, Jack…" Sayid offered, turning Jack's attention back to the present.
Then Jack remembered that Kate had been coming back from the hatch with Locke while he and Hurley had headed off in a different direction. A tiny flicker of worry crossed his features, burning into the back of his mind. As much as he wanted to run and act on it, he knew that it was his job to stay here. He had to make sure Walt was alright. She's fine, Jack mentally assured himself. She and Locke just hadn't made it back as quickly as he and Hurley had.
"Right," Jack responded lamely, trying to mask his worry, "Then Sayid, could you get me the blankets?"
"Of course," Sayid replied, calm even in the midst of everything.
As soon as Sayid left, Jack realized that in order for everything to go as smoothly as possible, he had to do something about the growing crowd.
"Get, back!" Jack yelled over the noise, "I need all of you to get back!"
At Jack's orders, the crowd began to slowly dissipate, backing out of the cave. Finally, there was less noise and Jack could hear himself think. He turned to Walt, racking his mind for what he could ask the boy. There were just too many questions that needed to be answered.
Nearly an hour later, Jack felt an utter sense of both physical and mental exhaustion begin to set in. He had done everything that he could for Walt, and now the boy, obviously suffering from exhaustion, was fast asleep in the airline seat. Jack had made sure that Walt dried off and got a change of clothes, but as for the rest of Walt's condition, aside from the bruises and scrapes, Jack had no idea. It was clear to him that Walt was suffering from amnesia, but as a doctor, Jack knew there wasn't anything that he could do about it.
The amnesia was the most frustrating thing of all on Jack's mind just now. There were so many unanswered questions, questions that would plague the rest of the survivors and worry them, that were left unanswered. Just the thought of it left a bad taste in Jack's mouth.
Jack looked up as he heard commotion start up amongst the other survivors. And for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Jack had to ask himself, What now?
From across the caves, Jack could see Kate and Locke coming out of the jungle from the trail to the hatch. Relief washed over him knowing that they were alright and that his brief worry had been for nothing. Getting up, almost reluctantly, from where he sat lounging in the medical cave beside Walt, Jack made his way over to the growing crowd around Kate and Locke.
As Jack approached, he heard Shannon's voice first, "Did you see them? Did you see the Others?" Her voice was fearful, almost hesitant. Jack knew that she represented the thoughts of every survivor standing in that crowd when she asked that question.
Before Kate or Locke could come up with any sort of answer for that question, Charlie jumped in, almost angrily, "Hey, Shannon, there are no Others. We've already had this conversation."
"What the hell would you know about it?" Shannon retorted tersely, glaring daggers at Charlie.
"There's no one out there…" Charlie replied, a little setback by Shannon's tone.
"You don't know!" Shannon said, looking as if she wanted to strangle Charlie. Jack felt that it was probably his time to step in before an all out riot broke out.
Without stopping to even think about what he was going to say or how he could possibly address any of the issues floating around, Jack pushed his way insistently through the crowd. When he got through to the front, his eyes fell upon Kate, but only for a moment. He felt his insides stir ever so slightly as they made eye contact for that brief moment. She flashed him a reassuring smile as she moved out of the way for him and suddenly, the task ahead of Jack didn't seem so impossible anymore.
"Hey!" Jack called loudly over the mumbling roar of the other survivors. Almost instantly, the noise fell to a hushed murmur and they all jerked their heads to look expectantly in Jack's direction, "Everything's going to be okay. Lets just take it easy. We're going to be alright. We're going to stay here tonight, okay, together. The sun comes up in three hours and we're all going to be here to see that happen. I promise."
Jack's words noticeably reassured the crowd. During these past forty-eight days spent on the island, each and every one of them had come to trust Jack. They all had learned to put their faith and him because they knew that he could fix things.
"What about the whispers?" Shannon asked, the first to speak up since Jack's calming words, "I heard whispers…"
"Where?" Claire asked, concerned for her baby. Everyone knew what the French woman, Danielle, had said about the Others.
"Everywhere…" Shannon responded, blinking rapidly and taking a deep breath.
Charlie, concerned that Shannon was scaring Claire spoke up, "What whispers? Who?"
"I don't know….them," Shannon replied, a look of fear written clearly on her face, "the Others…"
"There are no others!" Charlie shot back, this time in anger.
"Ask Jack!" Shannon was nearly in tears now, shouting back at Charlie much as they had been before Jack spoke up, "He was there, in the jungle!"
Charlie turned around to face Jack at the head of the crowd, a look of stunned confusion on his face, "What? What's she talking about, Jack?"
"I…" Jack began, mind scrambling to find the right words. Everyone was so tense and upset that he didn't want to make things worse for them. If they were all truly going to make it, as he had promised them, they would all have to calm down, "I didn't see any Others. But Locke…Locke found a hatch in the ground about a half a mile from here. We left to blow it open so that we could hide inside…so that all of us could hide inside, in case…but that doesn't matter now because its not going to work. There's no way for us all to get down there tonight."
Many of the survivors had been shocked into silence by Jack's words. Jack couldn't blame them. If he hadn't been there at the hatch to see it, he probably would've been in complete shock too.
"Jack, where's Dr. Arzt?" Charlie asked, almost hesitantly after hearing Jack's story.
Great, Jack thought, the one thing I don't want to tell them. The one thing that'll stir them up again. "Um," Jack struggled for the words, "he didn't make it…"
There was another stunned silence, followed by a series of shocked murmurs. At least they had taken the news of Dr. Arzt's death better than Jack had originally thought.
"Jack?" the request was almost silent. Jack would've missed it if Sun hadn't continued, speaking up just a little louder, "Do you think something happened to the raft?"
Jack froze. How could he answer that question? Here was Sun, probably worried out of her mind about Jin, and the best he could do is just guess. She knew everything that he did. She had seen Walt and the state he had been in when Shannon and Sayid found him in the jungle. But what could Jack say? Telling her that he was sure everything was fine would be a lie. But if he told her what he personally thought was more probable, it would break her heart. And what did he really know? Michael, Jin and Sawyer could all be just fine. But that was just it. He didn't know and he didn't have the right to say.
Jack felt the warmth of relief washing over him when he heard Sayid speak up in his silence, "Nothing happened to the raft," Sayid said with a surprisingly calm demeanor, "Your husband is fine. He's with Michael and Sawyer and they're all going to be okay."
Jack could see the doubt written on Sun's face and shining in her dull, glazed over eyes. Like nearly everyone, she was exhausted. But worse, she was worried out of her mind not only for herself, but for her husband, who they all knew, was most likely dead or in great danger.
Turning his head, Jack looked over to meet Kate's gaze. She looked amazingly unfazed by everything. To Jack, she seemed almost fearless. He couldn't think of a time when he had admired Kate more than he did just then. She was like a tiny ray of light shining through the dark, urging him to go on despite the chaos.
"So what now?" Charlie finally spoke up, breaking Jack away from his brief moment of peace.
"Until we know what we're up against, we should all stay here at the caves," Jack said, thumbing through his mind to come up with a plan that everyone would agree with, "We can place a guard at every entrance of the caves and they can be rotated in shifts. Do I have any volunteers?"
Jack's eyes scanned the crowd as hands began popping up here and there, volunteering for the job. He was glad that they were willing, because he didn't want to have to beg. Jack wasn't surprised when Charlie and Sayid immediately raised their hands. Both of them were usually involved and ready to do whatever was needed.
Several other men raised their hands and soon Jack had more than enough people to handle the job. He was surprised though, when he realized that neither Kate or Locke had been amongst the volunteers. Locke, he could almost understand. He never knew what that man was going to do next, but Kate? Kate had him stumped. She was always the first to volunteer for everything. He had been expecting having to talk her out of it, to tell her that it was too dangerous. He had to wonder why not now when it was most needed.
Just as Jack was considering this, he noticed Locke walking across the length of the caves, heading for a pile of supplies.
"John!" Jack called from across the caves, "What are you doing?"
Locke looked up from what he was doing, fiddling with what appeared to be some thick wire and ropes and locked eyes with Jack, "I'm getting some cable."
Inwardly sighing, Jack knew in the pit of his stomach that Locke was up to something. He also had a sickening suspicion that whatever that something was, he wouldn't like it.
"What for?" Jack asked, inwardly sighing at the situation. He could feel the eyes of the rest of the survivors watching this exchange with interest.
Locke stood up, a length of cable slung over his shoulder and a coil of rope in his free hand. He turned to face Jack, eyes solemn, "It's for the hatch. I'm going in."
This time, Jack really did sigh. He should have known that Locke wouldn't give up with the hatch so easily. The man had let the hatch cost Boone his life, so why should he give up on it now, just because Jack had asked him to?
"Do you really think that's the smartest thing to do right now, John?" Jack asked, frustrated. He knew he wouldn't get anywhere with this conversation, but he had to try.
"I doubt it," Locke said, almost jokingly. It seemed to Jack as though the older man never took anything seriously, "In fact, you're right. The safest thing is to stay here, wait for morning, wait for these others, to see if they show up, wait for the brave folks on the raft to bring help…but me, I'm tired of waiting."
Locke didn't offer Jack anymore of an explanation. He didn't even give Jack the chance to respond or to argue. He simply nodded his head at Jack and heading off down the trail to the hatch with a skip in his step.
Jack didn't have the strength or the will to go after him. Deep down, he knew it probably wouldn't do him any good anyway. The fact was, Jack and Locke were two completely different men. Jack was a man of science. A man that believed that accidents happened. That not all things happened for a reason. But Locke believed the opposite. He believed in destiny and chance. Things that Jack could never see eye to eye with.
Sighing, Jack went back to the medical tent to check on Walt. He thought that it would probably be best if he stayed up through the night with the boy. He knew that he wasn't going to be getting any sleep anyway, no matter how much he wanted to.
As Jack made his way to the medical cave, he couldn't help but notice Kate's eyes on him, her gaze following him as he walked. He could almost feel her shift her gaze away from him, to the trail to the hatch that Locke had disappeared down only minutes before.
Hours later, it was nearly time for Jack to take his shift guarding the entrance to the caves. He sat slumped over on the worn cot in the medical cave, head in his hands. Exhausted wasn't even the word for how tired he was. Jack hadn't slept for days on end ever since this supposed threat of the Others came up. Just now, in the quiet atmosphere of the caves, with the rest of the survivors lounging out in the open, softly snoring, it was all Jack could do not to simply allow himself to drift off too.
Parting his fingers so that he could glance to his left, Jack saw Walt sprawled out on the airline seat. Jack's heart went out to the boy. He couldn't imagine how terrifying everything must be. As brave and as grown up as he had known Walt to be for his age, the truth was, he was still a child. Physically, Jack knew that Walt would be okay. But emotionally? He was alone on a deserted island with over forty complete strangers. Sure, Walt was beginning to remember names here and there, but what was a name in all of this?
"Jack?"
A soft, almost silent voice interrupted Jack's troubled thoughts, breaking the silence. Almost relieved, Jack wearily lifted his head from his hands, turning to look towards the entrance to his cave. His breath caught ever so briefly in his throat when he saw that it was Kate standing there in the entrance, calling his name.
She was beautiful, standing there in the dim firelight from the torches at the entrance of Jack's cave. The light of the fire reflected dimly in her eyes, shadows dancing mysteriously on her pale face. Jack realized suddenly that he was staring.
"Yeah?" Jack responded after a moment, almost awkwardly. It was then, as gazed at her again, meeting her eyes, that he knew something was on her mind. Her eyes looked almost pained, even slightly guilty.
Jack flashed her a small smile. His heart stirred when he saw a returning smile light up her face, as if driving whatever tension had previously been there from her eyes. A warmth spread over Jack, pushing away at his exhaustion as she began walking forward, approaching him. She stood before him, almost awkwardly, as if in hesitation of standing beneath his gaze.
To break the sudden and unwanted tension, Jack lifted a hand to pat the cot next to him, inviting her to sit. A look of pure relief washed over her face, bringing out another smile on her lips. As she took a seat next to him, Jack felt her brush gently against him, the fabric of her thin white over shirt raking lightly across his shoulder. After she had settled, she made no move to shift away. Instead, she allowed herself to be pressed close to him, their shoulders crushed together.
Silence loomed over them in this moment, as if both were reveling in the mere feel of it. Many times, it was like this with them. Just quiet. Peaceful. A time when they could just soak in the other's company.
"So, do you believe it?" Kate broke the silence, voice revealing a hint of hesitation.
"Believe what?" Jack asked in return, slightly caught off guard.
"That everything's going to be okay…" Kate replied, this time her voice more sure.
Jack was taken aback by this. Was he imagining things? Was Kate truly looking to him for assurance? So many times, it seemed as though things were the other way around. It always seemed that his role as leader on the island was cause for him falling to pieces and Kate there to pull him back together.
"Yeah, I do," Jack responded, not entirely sure he wasn't lying.
"Kind of unlike you…" Kate offered in response, voice slightly amused, "the whole glass half full thing…"
Turning to face her, Jack found her eyes bearing down upon him. The fire was dancing in her eyes, illuminating her face beautifully against the dark backdrop of the cave. He couldn't help but chuckle, smiling at the portrait her face painted in the flickering light, "There's a glass?"
Kate's lips twisted into a smile at this, her eyes dancing. Suddenly though, that look of pained distress crossed her face. It was only for a mere fraction of a second, but it was there just long enough for Jack to take notice of it before it disappeared. Kate shifted her gaze down to look at the floor.
"How's Walt?" Kate voiced suddenly, bringing her eyes back up to look at him.
"Physically, he's doing fine…" Jack replied, eyes flashing a look of pure frustration just at the thought of Walt's condition, "But emotionally…"
"So he doesn't remember anything?" Kate asked, voice laced with pity, eyes briefly downcast.
"He remembers a few of us, but only by name," Jack replied, his voice now in doctor mode, "He remembers everything before the crash though. His mom, Michael, even Vincent. He also describes some brief flashes of memory on the island, but nothing useful about the Others…"
"So you believe they exist? The Others?" Kate asked, noting the skeptical tone of Jack's voice. She honestly didn't know what she believed anymore.
"I don't know…"Jack said tentatively, eyes suddenly distant, "Everything I've ever learned tells me that its impossible, but the things I've seen lately….I just don't know."
"Mmm," she replied, understanding what he was saying.
"But its funny…" Jack continued a few moments later, as if considering whether or not he even had more to say, "Walt, his condition, his memory… its just like Claire. Everything about this situation, its just like what happened with Claire. With Ethan…"
Kate shivered at the mere thought of Claire's abduction and then mysterious return. As a person who set her freedom as the most valuable thing in her life, the only thing she had any control over, Kate couldn't imagine anything more terrifying. She didn't know what to think about how identical Walt's situation was to Claire's. Was it just a coincidence? Was there even such a thing as mere coincidences on the island?
Jack and Kate sat in a thoughtful silence for several minutes. Their thoughts were jumbled, plagued with uncertainty. This wasn't like the usual silence between them. It wasn't the warm feeling of just soaking up the other's company, or deep in peaceful thoughts. It was laced with a fiery tension. A tension that had threatened to consume them since the day they crashed on this island well over a month ago. After a while though, Kate spoke, once again unable to stand the silence.
"You did a good thing, you know…."Kate began, once again gazing intently at Jack. His head snapped up to look at her, their eyes meeting with a fiery intensity, "Saying what you said…taking care of everybody and just giving them something to count on."
Jack found himself blushing furiously at her turn of conversation, his eyes darting uncomfortably to the floor. And then he felt her hand brush his shoulder, resting there. Her grip was soft, reassuring. When Jack lifted his head to gaze at her once more, their eyes meeting, she offered him a small smile. A smile that told Jack that she was proud of him. He returned her smile, albeit a little uncomfortably.
"You can't take it lightly, what you do…" Kate continued, Jack's face growing hot, "I can't begin to tell you how many times I've felt completely lost, and you've always been there to bring me back up. If you weren't here, Jack…"
"And what do you think keeps me going, Kate?" Jack replied, eyes flickering with a new emotion, "How many times have I completely fallen apart, only for you to pick up the pieces…"
This time it was Kate's turn to blush, her eyes flickering awkwardly away, gazing at the floor. In this moment, this utterly raw and vulnerable moment, Jack felt as though he were under some sort of deep spell.
Reaching forward, not stopping to even think about what he was doing, Jack lifted his hand, cupping her face. He heard her draw in a sharp breath in surprise, her eyes shifting up to meet his as he lightly tilted her chin up to face him.
As if in a dream, Kate found herself leaning forward, pressing closer to Jack. She thought that her heart might stop when she saw him slowly bring his face down toward her own, eyes dancing in the dim firelight.
Their faces only inches apart, Jack could feel the warmth of her breath against his face. His heart was pounding madly against his chest as he gazed deeply into her eyes, not looking over the fear that was clearly written there. The fear of getting close. The fear of loss.
And suddenly, Kate withdrew. As quickly as this aura of raw emotion and honesty had come up, it was dashed as she pulled away, brushing his hand from her face and moving back. It took Jack a moment to register his shock at her actions, feeling as though the moment had been so right. But now it was gone.
Before he could question her, or allow her name to reach his lips, Kate hurriedly spoke up, "I'm going to the hatch," she said firmly, voice rushed. A look of pure guilt was written clearly on her face, etched into her features.
"I understand why you can't go," Kate continued quickly, not allowing him to interrupt her or to protest, "They need you here. I get it. I do. But Locke's going into that thing whether you like it or not. And if he falls and breaks his neck? Live together die alone, right?"
Jack was completely stunned. How had it come to this? How had that moment of peace, that wonderful moment that had felt so right turned into this? Jack suddenly found himself inwardly cursing both Locke and the hatch.
"Right…" Jack said lamely, the light disappearing from his eyes as he let out a breath of air in frustration, "Right…" Jack repeated, not daring to meet her gaze.
"You aren't going to try and talk me out of it?" Kate questioned skeptically, eyeing Jack with suspicion.
"I think we're way past that point, Kate…" Jack replied, voice downcast.
"Alright then…" Kate said awkwardly, Jack's willingness to just let her go completely taking her by surprise.
"Alright…"Jack echoed lamely, unsure of what else he could say.
Without another word, Kate began to rise from the cot, her eyes darting away from Jack's form, her back turned to him. She had felt the simple feeling of just peace, of everything being just right. She wasn't sure if it was her nerves or her actual desire to go help Locke that made her break away so quickly. Maybe it was just her nature.
And suddenly, as Jack watched her get up off the cot, he knew that he just couldn't let this moment pass. He felt a sudden sense of urgency, as if this were his last chance. Thrusting his had forward, he grabbed her wrist, gently gripping it as he quickly rose from where he sat, now standing at her level.
"Kate!" Jack called out hastily, voice laced with urgency, "Wait…" his voice suddenly gentle.
For a split second, Jack stood there feeling his nerves begin to get the best of him, making him question his actions. He could feel her questioning gaze burn into him. But that moment was soon over as he gently tugged at her wrist, bringing her to press up against him. In that same moment, he hastily brought his face down to meet hers, lips locking in a kiss.
Jack could hardly believe what he was doing as he brought his free hand behind her back, deepening the kiss as he pushed her closer to him, pressing their bodies together. With his other hand, he let go of her wrist, knowing now that she wasn't going anywhere, and left it to rest in her hair, pressing her face closer to his.
His heart soared, pounding wildly within his chest as he felt Kate bring her hands to cup his face, his chin resting between them. She lightly massaged his face with her fingertips, letting them brush with a feather light touch over the rough skin of his face. The feeling drove him wild.
Her hands traveled from his face to his shoulders as she wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing the kiss on. Finally though, they broke apart from lack of air, but she didn't move away and neither did he. Instead, she rested her head against his, foreheads touching as they gasped for breath. Jack clamped his eyes shut, letting the passion die down within, letting his heart slow down. As he took in several long breaths, his lips twisted into a satisfied smile, knowing he had finally done what he had wanted to do for a while now.
Though Jack couldn't see it, Kate's face mimicked his smile. After a moment, she pulled back ever so slightly, letting her head rest on Jack's shoulder, her face smothered in the folds of his shirt. Lifting her head, she briefly met his gaze before looking at the ground.
"I have to go…" she said after a moment, voice holding something like regret.
"I understand…" Jack said quietly, feeling suddenly cold as she pulled out of his arms. His lips stretched into a smile when she leaned forward, tilted her head up and hastily kissed his cheek before stepping away.
His hand still gripped hers, and for a moment, he did not relinquish his hold. "Be careful," he said solemnly, eyes bearing down into her own, making sure she knew.
Kate simply nodded and he let her hand drop from his. Jack felt suddenly alone as he watched her walk out of the cave, heading for the trail to the hatch.
As Kate disappeared from view, Jack turned away from the entrance of the cave and moved to go back to the cot. Glancing down at Walt as he went, Jack noticed that the boy's lips were twisted into a smug smile, his eyes clamped shut. Inwardly chuckling, Jack wondered if Walt really had seen the exchange between him and Kate. Shaking his head, Jack went to lay down, trying not to get too comfortable, knowing that he ought to stay up and keep watch.
Nearly an hour after Kate had left for the hatch, Jack was feeling a little too at ease. He was sprawled out over the cot, using a folded airline blanket as a pillow, softly breathing. His eyelids had become heavy and he could hardly keep himself from yawning sleepily every few seconds. Sleep was slowly taking over every inch of him, consuming him.
As sleep drew so near, tempting him, Jack's thoughts drifted to Kate. He smiled sleepily, licking his lips. He could still taste her kiss there. It had been so refreshing. So calming. It was like a weight had been taken off of Jack's shoulders and he was free.
But with thoughts of Kate came worry. She had left to go help Locke with the hatch. God only knew what could possibly be awaiting them beneath that thick steel door. Would she be okay? It bothered Jack that he wouldn't be there to make sure. For a brief few moments, as sleep continued to cling to his very being, Jack considered going after her. He knew that he probably should, that a big part of him wanted to. But another part told him that he didn't have the strength just now. And as Jack drifted off, sleep finally claiming him, he let that part win. In that moment, his last thought was that whatever was happening, it could wait until morning.
(In the jungle…)
For the first time in a long time, Kate felt her nerves begin to kick in as she made her way down the path to the hatch. She couldn't quite put a finger on what it was exactly that made her nervous, on edge, but maybe that's just what it was. The unknown. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, Kate thought grimly. Life on the run was full of uncertainties. She never knew what awaited her. But this? This was different.
What if inside the hatch, there was something they could use to call for help? Kate's heart pounded anxiously in her chest at the thought. She knew that it was selfish, but there was very little of her that actually hoped for a rescue. What did she have to return to? Life on the run, if she was lucky. But more likely than that, the rest of her life in a high security prison.
Kate's head snapped up, body frozen as she heard a sound from nearby. Turning her head, she could tell that whatever it was, it had come from just off the trail to her right. As quickly as the sound had come, it was gone. But Kate still didn't move on. Instead, she let her eyes travel through the jungle surrounding her.
"Be careful…"
Jack's parting words to her rang clearly in Kate's mind. Be careful. The words ran through her head, like a mantra, as she scanned the area.
Still, Kate saw nothing. Stirred though she was, she felt sure that it had been nothing and once again began moving down the trail, this time much more alert of her surroundings.
And then Kate heard it. The same misplaced sound as before. It was light, almost unnoticeable amongst the nighttime chatter of the jungle. It was small, but unmistakably there. In these last brief moments of fearless rationality, Kate couldn't quite place the sound. It was so quiet, yet sharp and piercing. It made her ears ring as though it had been magnified in her mind. It was continuous, constant. And, Kate decided, there was only one word that could possibly begin to describe it. Whispers.
"I heard whispers…"
"Where?"
"Everywhere…"
Whispers. Whispers. Shannon had said she heard whispering sounds in the jungle when she found Walt. Kate hadn't known what to think at the time, but now, she found herself wishing she had paid closer attention.
"The boy…"
Kate gasped as tiny fragments of the whispers became suddenly clear.
"The boy…the boy…."
The intensity of the whispers grew stronger, and Kate could've sworn that all around her, the temperature of the jungle dropped. She could even feel the beginning of a chill running down her spine, goose bumps now covering her skin.
"The boy, we want the boy…."
And as the air around Kate became suddenly chill and thick, she felt the urge to run. She bolted immediately, racing the opposite direction that she had previously been traveling, now heading back to the caves. To Jack.
The whispers grew louder, and now Kate wasn't so sure that they weren't just in her mind and not really there at all. They were all around her. Everywhere.
"Bring us the boy…"
Kate could feel the cool, unforgiving feeling of terror washing over her very being, coursing like wildfire through her veins. It felt almost as if the very world around her was spinning, moving right out from under her feet as she ran.
And finally, like a tiny beacon of hope on the horizon, Kate could see the dim, flickering light of the torches from the caves. She had never been more relieved to see anything in her life! She picked up her pace, ignoring her body's protests.
The whispers suddenly became more furious in her ear, plaguing her mind. Kate had to get away from them. Fast. "Jack!" Kate called out, knowing that he was likely still awake and hoping that he would hear her.
Suddenly, Kate's breath caught painfully in her throat as she tripped, falling face first towards the moist jungle floor. Face now planted in the dirt, her arms covered in scrapes from the fall, Kate was horrified to hear the whispers turn into a sort of laughter.
Lifting her head, Kate stifled a scream, eyes wide and what she was seeing. There was a figure, dark and looming, standing tall just in front of her. The figure was no more than a hundred feet away, standing still as a statue. Kate knew, even in the dim light, that this was a man and that he wasn't one of the other survivors.
Rising slowly to her feet, Kate noted that he wore loose fitting beige pants and a faded and worn white cotton shirt that buttoned up the front. His hair, grown out passed his ears, was flapping carelessly in the wind. Though his face was shadowed, Kate knew by feeling that his eyes were bearing down on her.
"Kate," his voice was smooth, almost curious. But there was a cold edge to it. A hint of the unknown. At the sight of him and after hearing him speak her name, only one word could surface in Kate's mind. The Others.
Breathing hard, body shaking uncontrollably from the fear, Kate tried to scream, but was unable to utter a sound. Feeling completely helpless, Kate dashed off, straight at the man. He stood completely still, as though unmoved by her sudden action.
And before Kate could even get close to him, she felt the sickening feeling of losing her balance. She began falling backwards, eyes darting up to the jungle canopy and to the stars beyond.
Kate didn't even have time to scream as she fell, for suddenly, the painful sensation of falling came to a slow as she fell solidly into waiting arms. She felt rough, calloused hands tightly grip her shoulders, pulling her swiftly to her feet. She had no time to react as a thin white cloth was shoved over her face, cutting off her breathing.
As Kate inhaled the unknown aroma from the cloth, her eyelids suddenly became heavy and her weight too much for her legs to bear. She fell back into the strong arms that surrounded her, the world around her slowly fading into black.
And as she drifted off into the darkness, Kate uttered one final word, "Jack…"
A/N: Dun, dun, dun. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! As always, feedback would be greatly appreciated, so please review. I'll hopefully have an update up later this week. Oh, and I just thought I'd remind you guys about the question I asked in my previous A/N. If you know ANYTHING about how to transfer an itunes library to a different computer, then please let me know. And don't forget to review!
