Part 7

She awakes having had probably the best nights sleep since being here, considering that she appears to be lying on grass, not her bed in her tent. She stretches but her arm suddenly feels heavy, she smiles remembering last night, but wasn't she sleeping on the other side. She realizes that she is now on her right hand side as too is Jack, and that it is now him with his arms wrapped around her. She turns over and smiles at him, he looks so peaceful when he sleeps. She kisses him on the lips; it was a short but sweet kiss. Wait, did she, she just kissed Jack, she wasn't planning on kissing him, but it just felt right, it felt natural waking up in his arms and kissing him seemed like a normal thing to do, yet they had only kissed once, but she ran away, they nearly kissed again but Michael, oh how she hates him, interrupted them. Then last night after they confessed their feelings for each other were probably gonna kiss again, and it would've been special, but Jack fell ill and she had to look after him.

Jack starts to wake up, he smiles.

Jack: "Hey."

Kate: "Hey. You feeling any better?"

Jack: "Yeah, I feel great actually."

Kate: "Jack."

Kate sits up and crosses her legs. Jack does the same.

Jack: "Seriously though, I feel a lot better, I don't feel sick."

Kate: "Okay, good, let's hope it stays like that."

Kate looks around it wasn't really light, it was still relatively dark. Probably early hours, she was always an early riser.

She stands up, she holds out her hand for Jack to do the same. He takes her hand and smiles gratefully, but doesn't get up.

Kate: "Come on Jack stop playing around, we have to get back to the others."

Suddenly Jack looks worried, then so does Kate.

Jack: "I want to get up but I can't."

Kate: "Jack I just saw you cross your legs, now quit messing around I don't like it."

Jack: "I'm not messing around Kate! I know I moved my legs before, but now I want to stand they don't seem to be co-operating."

Kate: "Okay. How about if I help you, do you think that might help?"

Jack shrugs.

Jack: "I don't know... ha that seems to be something I say a lot now."

Kate smiles at him, she walks around him and places her arms under his arm pits, to help lift him.

Kate: "Jack you really need to try hard here, because I need you to get up and walk back with me okay. Jack nods. On three, one, two, three."

Kate pulls upwards, pulling Jack with her, but his legs seem to have gone weak, and collapse on him. But Kate pulls him up again, and throws his arm around her.

Kate: "Jack, come on, you need to do this, I can't do this on my own. Now straighten your legs and walk with me."

Jack's legs buckle once more, then Jack lets out a moan and his legs straighten. Kate has Jack's bag on her shoulder, and is holding Jack's right hand which is swung over her shoulder. They begin walking back to the river to join the others.

After about 10 minutes of what should've only been about 5, Kate and Jack emerge through the trees and see that everyone appears to still be asleep.

Kate sits Jack down near to where she had put her things. She opens her bag and takes out her water bottles and refills them by the river. She has a drink, and then replaces them in her bag. She does the same to Jack's. As she is doing this she here's her name being shouted excitedly, by Claire? She looks up to see Claire walking towards her with Aaron. Kate smiles at her.

Claire: "Where did you stay last night? She said with a playful smile. I noticed that Jack didn't stay here either."

Claire winks at her. Kate laughs, but suddenly becomes serious, as does Claire when she sees the worried look on Kate's face.

Kate: "I was with Jack last night, but it's not what you think. He fell ill, and it was late, and I couldn't carry him back in the dark on my own, so we stayed the night upstream, about 5 minutes away."

Claire: "What happened to him, is he okay, is he with you now?

Kate gestures back from where she had left Jack. Claire smiles sadly. Jack didn't look happy he was in deep thought.

Will he be okay?"

Kate: "I hope so, once we get back to camp, we should know more, Jack said he needed a while to clear his head, so he could try and figure out what's wrong with him."

Claire: "So you mean Jack doesn't know what's wrong, it must be serious."

Kate: "Claire, calm down, I don't want you to panic the others, Jack's going to be okay, understand. He'll be fine."

Claire: "Okay, plus back at the beach we've got Juliet she's a doctor too, maybe she knows what's wrong with him."

At the mention of Juliet's name Kate's face goes to one of hatred, Claire looks slightly scared.

Kate: "Juliet's a fertility doctor she knows about women's uterus's she won't know what's wrong with Jack."

Claire: "Okay. I Just thought, you know since she helped me, that she maybe able to help Jack.

Kate's face softens.

Kate: "I'm sorry Claire I didn't mean to sound rude it's just…"

Claire: "You don't like Juliet do you?"

Kate smiles.

Kate: "That obvious?"

Claire smiles.

Claire: "No, no no, not at all, I really think you two could be best of friends." She says with a cheeky smile that makes Kate laugh.

Kate: "Thanks Claire."

Claire: "For what?"

Kate: "For being my friend, and making me feel a little better about returning to camp."

Claire approaches Kate and gives her a half hug, seen as she doesn't want to squeeze Aaron.

Claire: "For what it's worth, I don't particularly like Juliet either, I know she helped save me an all but,coming to the beach and moving in on Jack like that, when you and him are totally meant to be together. That makes her a total cow in my book"

Kate smiles.

Kate: "Is that so and where did you read that?"

Claire: "It's clear to see Kate; it says so in the stars, you two are totally made for each other."

Kate: "Where's this book of yours? I think I want to see what it says about having a quiet day around here."

Claire pouts. Kate tries to look all serious.

Claire: "Don't question the stars Kate, if it's meant to be it's meant to be."

And with that she turns and walks away, not before giving Kate a quick wink. Kate shakes her head then makes her way back to Jack. Most of the others are slowly waking up, Kate reassures them all once again that Jack will be fine, people offer her help, but she says that she can manage. Everyone finally ready. Jack having resumed his position next to Kate, with her helping him along. Kate had told everyone that they should be back at camp with the next 2 hours, it should've only took them 1 and a half at the most but it will be longer as she is helping Jack, and that once their close to camp, they can set off on their own. Everyone agrees and they head off, still excited at the prospect of getting rescued when they reach the beach.