Crimson

Disclaimer: Look at screen name. Griffin. Not JJ Abrams. Okay?
Summary: Kate meets the monster in the jungle, and only just survives – but now she's injured, alone, and Cerberus is very, very, mad.
Rating: I'll put it as Teen, because I don't think there'll be anything really explicit... though it could get dark. You've been warned.

A/N – Please review, everyone! It makes me write faster :- And as for chapter lengths, I'm basically going to end them where they end, rather than try and shove useless words in there.

4-8-15-JuliaThorne-16-23-42 - Thanks so much! Because you are currently my only reviewer, I dedicate this chapter to you. Oops. Probably could have found a better chapter.


Chapter three

Sawyer scanned the beach warily. He knew she was mad. Just another in their long story of arguing. He sighed. He missed her already. Their bouts of silence were lasting less each time. It had only been a day, and he wanted to apologise. Him! Apologise! Funny how she could make him do that.

He headed to her tent. She loved being right. If he put himself down enough, she'd leap right at him... he smiled when he considered where that might be. He scratched on the tarpaulin, their method of 'knocking'. There was no answer. Cursing, he quickly checked inside. She wasn't there.

"Hey, hey, Jamie!" he called. He couldn't be bothered thinking of a nickname right now. Jamie, a pretty young woman, looked up at his shout. "You seen Kate?"

Jamie shrugged. "I saw her this morning. She was going off to pick fruit, like she always does. But I've been out with Craig, so if she's been back, I wouldn't know..."

"Okay, right," Sawyer said, nodding. He hated how so many people had noticed that he was always more polite, more decent, whenever the topic was Kate. Unless he was mad at her.

A short while later, Sawyer was feeling very frustrated, and equally worried. No-one had seen her since early that morning. She could take care of herself – according to her – but something didn't feel right. It didn't take nine hours to find some mangoes. Besides, if she'd filled her pack up, she'd have to come back and empty it before getting any more, or going for a walk – and he'd checked, there was no fresh fruit in the 'kitchen'.

"Hey, doc!" he called. God, this was a last resort if ever there was one. Jack looked up wearily.

"What is it, Sawyer?" he asked. Sawyer was impressed, though he would never show it – Jack managed to always be polite. Even to him. Though they were closer than they had been a few months ago. Friends came... in the same solar system, at least. Anyway.

"You seen Kate?" he asked. The worry somehow came through, and Jack looked up sharply.

"Is she missing?" he asked. Sawyer shrugged.

"No-one's seen her since this morning. And it don't take a whole day to climb a tree..." Sawyer trailed off. He could already think of a dozen awful situations; her getting lost (unlikely), falling out of a tree (possible), being attacked (he steered his mind away), staying away just to annoy him (well, she'd pay if that was right)...

"We'll just go... have a look," Jack suggested. "See if we can find a trail."

Sawyer raised an eyebrow. "You do realise that ever since Baldy nicked off, Kate's been the best tracker here?"

"Yes, Sawyer," Jack said tightly. "But I'm trying not to flip out here."

That surprised him. "Okay," he whispered. "I mean, she's probably fine."

"Wouldn't hurt to look," Jack concluded, and they headed for the jungle.

They were about a mile in when they came across Sayid, fiddling with some old, thin, wires. He had been trying to build a motor, but hadn't managed to get it to work yet.

"Sayid, have you seen Kate?" Jack asked. The Iraqi looked up, immediately concerned.

"This morning, we said hello a little way from here. She was getting some fruit. I was under the impression she'd be straight back to the beach..."

"Well, she hasn't been seen since," Jack said. Sawyer could see the lines on his face coming out that meant he was definitely worried. Sayid saw it, too.

"I could take you out to where I saw her... I might be able to follow a trail, if it's clear..." he said.

"It's nearly dark," Jack noted. "I want to find her soon. And she'd know to tell someone if she was going anywhere that would take her away from camp overnight..."

That was another of Jack's rules, that he'd imposed upon the little community. Kate scoffed it, but had so far always abided by it.

There was definitely something off about the scene where Kate had last been seen – there was a scuff mark on one tree, that seemed to indicate she'd climbed it. That was easy enough to understand. But then there was a dug up area of dirt, and a mango on the ground. It was barely ripe, so it couldn't have fallen naturally.

Another mango lay a little further, and then another three near that one.

"They're in a straight line," Sayid pointed out.

"She was runnin'," Sawyer said grimly. Jack's jaw tightened.

"She was running that way, so let's go," he said, and led the way.

It didn't take them long to find the scene of the attack. One tree was uprooted and lay on its side, across the track they were following. Jack, who was in the lead, started to climb over it, but then stopped.

"Oh God," he whispered, and then leapt over the tree. Panicking, already fearing the worst, Sawyer followed him. The ground was absolutely drenched with blood. Spatters of it were everywhere, and in certain places it was forming into thick, goopy, puddles.

"She's still alive," Sayid said, and Sawyer looked at him in shock.

"How do..." His voice cracked slightly. "How do you know that?"

"The blood. See, over there. Whatever happened, she was still alive, and capable of walking."

"What did happen?" Jack asked, his face white as he examined a few drops of blood. Around them, the light was fading. It would be night soon, and Jack didn't want to think about Kate, injured and alone, struggling to survive the night.

"I'd say the monster. Something must have attacked, but there are no other footprints, or animal tracks," Sayid replied tersely. Jack nodded once, then stood quickly.

"We need to find her. Now."