Chapter 4- More Surprises
"Kate!" Jack called throughout the mansion "Kate where are you? I know you're here somewhere. You can't hide from me forever!"
Jack barged into a room. It was obviously a bedroom. Walt and Jamie were in there, doing something that shouldn't have been interrupted.
"Oh…hey… Umm, I'll umm… leave you to it… Sorry…" His voice faded a little, in a mixture of shock and embarrassment.
He reached another room, this time he knocke, no one answered. He opened the door slightly, peering through. Sat on the toilet seat, he saw Locke with his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking, letting out little sobs here and there.
"John? What are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be downstairs with the others?" Jack asked, looking concerned. He'd never seen Locke breaking down like this. Something clearly wasn't right.
"I'm fine, j-just leave me alone." Locke stuttered
"You don't look fine. If there's something bothering you, I can help, I'm a good listener."
Locke was surprised; he wasn't expecting Jack to say anything like that
Locke's lips moved slightly but no sound came out. He tried again,
"I'm, I'm, I won't lie to you, I-I'm dying Jack." Locke looked away, ashamed that he was crying.
Jack didn't know what to say, he had dealt with several deaths in his life. But this felt different. This was almost like his dad dying all over again. He couldn't die. The thought of it all seemed too horrible to put into words. He didn't know how to react.
"Wha-how? I don't understand" Jack stammered
"Oh i-it's a long story." Locke replied.
"I have plenty of time." Jack said.
Locke was taken aback by Jack's kindness, in his mind he knew he needed to tell someone the whole story but didn't know whom. In fact Jack was probably the best listener of all his friends- well actually family, he always thought of his fellow crash survivors as family, Jack was like a son to him. Locke took a deep, shuddering breath and began to speak.
"A long time ago, before the plane crash and it was a long time before the plane crash, I even had hair" he added the last bit to try and lighten the situation. But Jack wasn't stupid; he knew exactly what Locke was doing, he nodded to show his understanding.
"Umm anyway I met up with my mother, who I had never seen in my whole life and then we managed to find my biological father, every thing was great, we went out, made up for all the years we missed you know, father-son bonding, that sort of thing. Then I turn up at his house and find him hooked up to a kidney dialysis machine." Locke shook his head, the memory too painful for him.
"So me, wanting to stay with my dad longer, I donate him one of my kidney's. The bastard then leaves me after he's got the kidney and now I've got one kidney." Locke's tearful voice became angrier and angrier, looking slightly scared, Jack took a step back, a mixture of angry and sad tears fell from Locke's eyes.
"Apparently the disease is hereditary and the only kidney I have is failing. I have 4 months at maximum to live. I'm scared Jack with no one to turn to. This might even be the last time I see you all." Locke sobbed, as much as he hated crying in front of people, the tears kept falling thickly, making up for the years of pain and sadness he had endured throughout his whole life.
Jack took a couple of steps closer and patted Locke on the shoulder. His head was spinning. He spoke,
"John, we will find you a new kidney, there is a tissue match out there, we just have to look, and we will pull through this together. As a team, Science and Faith join together, I will fix you. I promise." Jack said, his voice strong.
"Is this the bit were I believe you and then feel really embarrassed for crying?" Locke said
"No, it needed to be done. It's good to get your emotions out time to time. Why don't you go downstairs?" Jack suggested
"Aren't you coming?" Locke asked
"No, I'll hang up here for a bit." Jack replied, with intentions of finding Kate.
Kate was sat crying in one of Hurley's guest bedrooms. She didn't understand why it upset her so much to see Jack with this woman. It wasn't like Jack had promised to keep away from other women. They weren't even going out together. She could hear Jack calling her name throughout the rooms, she decided to not answer. He was the last person she wanted to see right now, she needed to pull through this herself and put a brave face on. "You're pathetic Katherine Austen, pull yourself together" she told herself. She took a deep breath and sat up on the bed. Jack entered the room. Kate ignored him. He spoke
"Told you, you can't hide from me forever." He said, looking proud like a child who had painted his first ever painting.
"Go away." Kate said icily.
"Kate if you just give me a chance to…explain" Jack said looking hurt at Kate's tone of voice.
"Who is she?" Kate said her cold tone softening a little.
"She's a journalist. Her brother was one of my patients and he was dying. I was there to offer comfort, only we got closer and well here we are I suppose." Jack said.
Kate tried to speak but the words stuck in her throat, she choked a little.
"Look umm, I'm sorry for acting like this, it's just after being released from jail, you feel allsorts of emotions. And I truly wish you both the best, you make a perfect couple. Anyway I really need to go to the loo so I'll be gone."
Kate made for the door, so then Jack couldn't see the look of dishonesty in her eyes.
"Kate, just one last thing." He hugged her and kissed her forehead. "Welcome back to the real world"
The smile on Kate's face was a tiny insight to how alive she really felt.