Chapter 10

Faith looked up from the shade of her chosen resting place. She could see Michael talking to Jack and frowned as Michael turned to look at her. Were they talking about her? She wondered.

She supposed that it was only inevitable that Jack should be taking an interest in her condition, from what she had seen of him and the way he worked she could tell that he was a good doctor and she had to admit that she had hardly been in the best frame of mind when he had left her the other evening.

She started to think about Michael and smiled. Although she couldn't help but think that all the attention he had lavished on her over the past few days had been rather an unnecessary waste of his time he had been great all the same. Her heart leapt as, even from this distance, she saw Michael smile at her and raise his hand in a silent wave. Faith found herself doing the same as she noticed him and Jack making their way over. Jack was smiling. There was no denying over the past couple of days she had developed something akin to feelings for Michael – at first she had just put it down to her gratification for his kindness, but now there was no denying that she longed for more. She longed for every moment she spent with him, and now even the slightest glimpse of him brought the tell tail combination of great pain and joy to her heart that Faith knew could only mean one thing…

"Hey." Jack smiled down at her. "How're you feeling?"

"Good." She responded, shielding her eyes from the glare of the bright sunlight as she strained to look up at him.

"Good." He nodded in response. "Mind if I take a look at you?"

Faith shook her head.

Jack knelt down beside and she smiled, he gave her a long hard look as if studying her for subtle signs of sickness. He removed his small torch from his pocket and shone it in her eyes, checking her pupil's response. After that he made her do a whole host of exercises like following his finger and then examined the area of Faiths jaw that had been hit the other day.

"Well you appear ok." He told her, "Your jaws still a little tender… I noticed you flinch when I touched it, but that's to be expected. Have you got any pain anywhere else?" Jack asked.

"No." Faith shook her head.

"No tenderness in your stomach?" He asked.

"No, I don't think so…" Faith said.

As Faith said this Michael gave her a disapprovinglook, and she responded with an uncertain glance in his direction. Jack noticed Faith's expression and looked from one to the other.

"Faith?" He pressed her.

"I have been quite sick the past couple of days." She admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jack asked.

"I didn't want to waste your time…" She told him.

"Faith you're not wasting anyone's time," Jack reassured her, "you need to start thinking more of yourself if you want to start getting along better on this island. You're not going to last long if you don't even tell me when you're sick. So much goes on in this place that people are easily overlooked if they don't speak up for themselves. I'm not a mind reader." He smiled.

"I understand." Faith nodded. "I'm sorry…"

"There's no need to be sorry Faith," He assured her, "but do you mind if I examine you properly?" Jack asked.

Faith shook her head, and smiled slightly.

"OK… just start by laying down on your back… that's it…" He said as he helped her to lie down. "Now I'm just going to lift up your t-shirt… alright I'm going to press down on your stomach, I need you to tell me if it hurts anywhere OK?" He looked at her.

"OK." She said.

As Jack pressed down on Faith's stomach she was relieved that she experienced no pain or discomfort.

"Well…" Jack concluded, finally. "You appear fine, it may be that the sickness was caused by the blow you received the other day, or it could have been totally unrelated… do you feel sick now?" He asked her.

"Not as much as I have been." She said. "I feel a little better today."

"Have you been sick at all?"

"No."

"Well that's something, there's not really anything more I can do I'm afraid, just make sure you drink and eat as much as you can, if you don't feel like food it doesn't matter for now, just make sure you get plenty to drink."

"I will." She nodded. "Thanks Jack."

"Don't mention it. I'd better be going." He said, getting to his feet. "If you need me I'll be at the caves, I don't need to check on you again though, just make sure that if you have any concerns – and I mean any concerns – you come and find me, don't go keeping it to yourself."

As Faith watched Jack leave her attentions returned to Michael who she noticed was still kneeling beside her.

"You know," she said looking up at him, "I think I could do with a walk."

She held out her hand and he helped her up. Maybe she would give things between them a while to settle, build on their friendship and see where things led, after all, what was the rush here?