Chapter 10

Jack improved over the weekend, but was still not feeling strong enough to go back to work on Monday. Kate, unfortunately, didn't have a choice and had to go to the resturaunt. She promised she would check on him while on her breaks, causing him to merely shake his head with a chuckle.

"Don't worry about me," he begged, and she bent down to kiss him passionately. She gave him a look of deep longing before waving goodbye, and he bundled beneath the blankets as soon as she left the apartment.

Jin and Sun came to visit Kate in The Palace around lunchtime, and sat in her section for a meal. Kate apologized again for having to cut their previous visit short, and Sun shook her head, her dark eyes twinkling.

"No worries," she promised. "Is Jack feeling better?"

She nodded, watching Jin as he read through the menu. "He's not one hundred percent yet, but he's getting there," she replied, and Sun sighed with relief as her friend began telling them the specials of the day.

"What you recommend?" Jin asked. His English was becoming more and more fluent over the months since they were rescued, but it was clear he was still having a bit of trouble figuring out what he wanted to say.

They eventually ordered a dish from the seafood section a piece, and Kate took the menu's, heading towards the kitchen to place the orders. She glanced over her shoulder, watching as the couple chatted quietly, and missed the days when she and Jack could just sit and enjoy each other's company without worrying.

The more she saw of Sun, she realized just how lucky they were to have the Korean woman still with them. It was on the island she discovered she was pregnant with Dong, and Juliet told her women who conceived their babies there never survived the second trimester. Claire was one of the few who survived giving birth on the island, because she'd conceived Aaron in Australia.

It's appropriate, then, that Dong's name means Eastern Integrity, Kate thought with a small smile as she took another platter of food to a table by the window. She went outside on her first break and called Jack, unable to go through the entire eight hours without hearing his voice.

"Hello?" she cringed when he answered hoarsely, and sat down on the bench in front of the main doors.

"Did you just wake up, sweetheart?" she asked, and Jack blinked his eyes, glancing at the clock beside the bed. It was only three; Kate still had another four hours to go of her shift. He'd been sleeping ever since she left, feeling weak and dizzy from the fever the previous night.

"Yeah…I haven't really woken up since you left." he coughed, reaching for the glass of water she'd left for him on the nightstand, and took a sip of it. "How's it going?"

"Sun and Jin are here," she replied. "They were asking about you."

He smiled to himself, still feeling guilty at having gotten sick on them; it had been more embarrassing than anything. "I'm doing fine, Kate," he insisted. "I love you."

She felt her heart racing…Jack didn't even need to say the words for her to know how he felt, but she loved hearing them anyway. "I love you," she replied. "I'll be home soon."

After he said goodbye, she hung up, rubbing a hand over her face. She went back in just as Sun and Jin were leaving, and gave each of them a hug. "I'll give you a call to see if you want to get together again before we leave this weekend," Sun explained, and Kate nodded.

"Okay," she replied. "Did you guys like it?"

Jin nodded. "Excellent food. Thank you."

She beamed. "I'll let the cooks know. Talk to you soon," she added, waving as they left, and went back inside. The rest of the shift was steady, and she was grateful when the time came to come home and put her feet up. As she walked through the door at 7:30 that evening, she saw Jack sitting at the piano, immersed in his music. He was in sweatpants and an old t-shirt; his port-a-cath made a small lump on his side. She stood watching as his fingers moved across the keys, and set her purse very quietly on the couch.

He seemed to sense her presence and eventually turned to face her, smiling when she came to sit down next to him. "Dejavu," she laughed as they kissed, and she felt his forehead, relieved that his temperature was back to normal.

"How was your day?" he asked, and she leaned against his shoulder, smiling when he pressed his lips against her temple.

"Crazy as usual," she groaned, and watched as Jack turned the page of the music, peering back at the piano. "When did you learn to play?" she asked, and he began pressing the keys again. Music had always been theraputic for him; it took him to a distant place for escape from the harsh reality of the world.

"When I was a kid," he replied. "My Mom insisted I take music lessons."

Kate giggled; the idea of Jack playing the piano as a small boy was amusing. Especially since his father had been so hard on him through most of his life. When she mentioned this, Jack looked at her, and she hoped she hadn't gone over the line.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, and he shook his head.

"What's to be sorry for?" he asked. "It's the truth. But I loved it, and played every chance I got."

Kate closed her eyes and listened to the music as it continued, wishing she had the patience to learn an art like that. "I can teach you," he suggested, and her eyes raised.

"Are you serious?" she asked, and he nodded.

"If you want to learn," he replied, and she kissed him.

"I would," she giggled. "but can I get a shower and change first?"

He nodded, allowing her to stand up, patting her hand when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a great hug. As she let the water wash over her, she opened her mouth to take a bit of it in, and ran her fingers through her hair. While she hated to leave Jack for an entire day at the resturaunt, she loved how work distracted her from her worries. He truly was doing better without all of her fussing, though she loved him so much, she needed to feel him beside her.

"All right," Jack began once she was in her comfortable pants and shirt, sitting beside him on the bench. "We'll start with something simple, like row row row your boat."

Kate smirked, and he gently took her hand, beginning to place each finger on the keys as he wanted them positioned. "They're a lot harder to hit than they look," she admitted, and he nodded, encouraging her to follow him as he showed her what to do. Before she realized what was going on, she had the entire first verse down, and he began to join in with the lower notes, making it wound quite pleasant.

"There we go," he laughed once they finished, and she slid her arms around his waist, kissing his lips again. He nuzzled her neck; her skin was so soft, especially after she used her body wash from the shower.

"What would I do without you?" she asked, touching his cheeks, and peering into his eyes.

"Dry up and shrivel away, I suppose," he teased, and she stuck out her tongue.

"You're probably right," she laughed, standing up, and helped him to his feet. He gasped as he attempted to put weight on his bad leg, and she gripped his arm for support.

"Dammit," he cursed, and she bit her lip, listening as he breathed steadily through his nose. She rubbed his back, encouraging him to limp over to the couch so she could look at his knee again, which sometimes swelled up a little. He didn't protest as she pulled he sweatpant leg up to that section, and inspected the damaged knee. It was looking a little swollen, but nothing too serious. "I'll get you some ice again," she said, and he let out another breath, trying to ignore the throbbing pain. Once she had it, Jack watched as she gently lay it over his knee, closing his eyes for a moment.

"When is your appointment with Dr. Olina again?" Kate asked, and Jack shook his head; he barely remembered what happened the day before, let alone what was going on in the following weeks.

"I'll get the calander," she sighed, standing, and went into the kitchen to peer at it from where they hung it on the wall by the fridge. "Next Tuesday," she added. "Maybe we should schedule it for sooner, especially since you had such a high fever the other night."

Jack coughed taking her hand when she came back to sit beside him. "I would never trade you for anyone," he choked, and she pressed her forehead against his. "you've always been my angel, Kate."

She sobbed, peering into his face. "I'm far from an angel," she managed, and he wet his lips.

"Angels come in all shapes and sizes," he replied. "I've always known you were mine."

Kate kissed him again, just as the telephone rang, and she groaned, resting her head against his chest. He rubbed her back as it continued to ring, and when she sighed heavily, told her she didn't have to answer it.

"That's where voice mail comes in," he explained, and she made a face.

"Just hold me, Jack," she whispered. "Please, just hold me."

He struggled to sit up, his knee feeling somewhat better after the ice, and pulled her into his arms. He let her burry her face against his shoulder, gazing up at the ceiling. They'd been through so much in such a short span of time; it was hard to take in. The island, being captured by the Others, the rescue, their marriage, his cancer returning.

"Remember how you liked it when I'd scratch your back?" Jack asked after a few moments of silence, and Kate looked at him, stunned by the sudden change of topic.

"Huh?" she asked, and he wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"I started it while we were together on the island, and all through our honeymoon."

Kate looked at him, a small smile creeping over her lips. "Yeah," she replied. "I did love it."

He encouraged her to lay down, and lifted her shirt up so he could do just that for her. She was in complete bliss as his fingers scratched gently over her skin, and she let out a pretend purr in delight. "It's a shame we can't have any pets," she said as he continued the treatment, and he gave a small "hmm" in understanding. "even if the apartment allowed them, you're allergic." luckily his allergies had been minor enough that Walt's dog Vincent, didn't bother him too badly while they were stranded on the island. Unfortunately, the fact that he couldn't be around animals for a long period of time prevented them from having a dog or cat of their own.

Jack stroked her hair. "A minor inconvenience," he admitted. "We'd never have time to take care of one. And I'd be afraid to have an animal near the baby when…" he cleared his throat. "How have you been feeling, Kate?" he asked, and she looked at him.

"Fine," she promised. "My calander says my period should be coming within the next week, so I guess we'll see." she smiled. "still excited, huh?" she asked, and he laughed quietly.

"Kate, if we have a baby together, I'll be ecstatic. As I've told you, it's one of the few things I want in the world besides you."

Kate blushed. "Sawyer asked if our son or daughter will grow up to be a doctor like his father," she chuckled, and Jack grinned.

"I have no doubt that I'd be pleased if that was the case," he replied. "but I would never force my child to do what they didn't want to do. Just as long as they chose a path that is safe."

Kate kissed him. "Do you have any pictures of yourself as a kid?" she asked, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Hmmm," he thought. "Let me check. I don't know what I have saved up in my stash in the closet." he managed to stand up without pain after a moment, and Kate followed him in case he needed to lean on her.

"Which box is it?" she asked, and when he pointed, she climbed up onto a step stool and pulled it out from the top of the cloest. She sat it down on the coffee table, and he opened the top, clearing his throat as he began sorting through all the old photographs, letters, and other memorabilia. Kate was sadly reminded of a time capsule she'd made with her childhood friend Tom, who unfortunately was killed in one of her attempts at escaping from the law.

"Oh my gosh," Kate breathed, once she took out an old photograph from the early 60's, of a youg boy with dark brown hair and dark eyes. "Is this you?" she showed it to Jack, who rubbed his nose and took it from her, peering closely at it. She began laughing; it was amazing how similar he looked, even now, to that picture.

"Yeah," he replied. "You're good." he excused himself to sneeze, and Kate continued to go through the box, unfolding a letter or two, which were unfortunately from Sara.

"You don't have to read those," he insisted, and she looked at him. "I went through a hard time after we divorced."

"You never really told me about that," Kate began quietly, and Jack wet his lips. "What happened exactly?"

He cleared his throat again, and she put the letters in the box so she could listen properly. "Well, as you know, Sara was the woman I'd fixed who nearly died when I accidentally sliced open a nerve on the operating table."

Kate closed her eyes; that was their first conversation on the beach, before she sewed his wound. "I fixed her, and we fell in love shortly afterwards. But my hours at the hospital were getting longer and longer as I went up in the ranks, and especially after replacing my father as chief of surgery when he was let go for working under the influence. Sara felt as though I weren't there often enough, and she…" he blew out his breath. "she started seeing someone else behind my back."

Kate took his arm, furious that anyone would think of cheating on such a wonderful man. "It didn't help that at one point I was trying to help save this woman's father who was dying from a disease eating away at his spinal cord, and after the father died, in her moment of distress she kissed me. I kissed her back."

Kate wet her lips as well, pulling him into a hug. "God I'm sorry," she breathed, and Jack shook his head, giving a great sniff and wiping his eyes. "I'm so sorry." she reached up to smooth his hair. "was Sara there when you had the first bout of cancer?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"She missed it by a few months," he admitted. "That's why I think you and I were meant to be together, Kate. You didn't need me to fix you, and…" he sighed shakily, and Kate immediately covered the box, putting it back on the top of the closet and shutting the door. Jack watched as s he came back to sit next to him, and she leaned in for a kiss, and she immediately wrapped her arms around his shoulders, continuing to do so.

"I'm in the mood for ice cream," she said after a bit, and Jack smirked, amused by the sudden change of topic.

"Kate, if you want to check and see who called you can," he teased, and she stuck out her tongue.

"Seriously, I do want ice cream, but I do want to see who it was," she retorted, and he lay down, too tired to get up and follow her into the kitchen. Kate listened to the answering machine, finding it was just Claire checking in on them. She'd heard from Sun, who mentioned Jack's bad fever, and wanted to make sure everything was all right. "At least it wasn't Sawyer again," Kate chuckled after she brought two bowls of ice cream into the living room. Jack accepted his, smiling when she returned her friend's phone call.

"I was nervous for a bit there," Claire replied once Kate insisted Jack was feeling better again. "Esepcially since you usually answer the phone at this time of the night."

Kate explained that she and Jack wanted to have some time alone without disruption, but insisted her friend wasn't intruding.

"I was thinking," Claire continued, and Kate watched as Jack reached for the box of tissues on the counter, frowning when he sneezed again. "You, Sun and I should have a manicure done one of these days. We were trying to think of things to do, and a girl's day out sounds great, doesn't it?"

Kate nodded just as Jack broke into another small sneezing fit, and set the phone on her shoulder for a moment. "Are you okay?" she asked, and he nodded, excusing himself to go to the bathroom.

"What's wrong?" Claire asked, and Kate shook her head.

"Jack's allergies are working up for some reason," she sighed. "If it's not one thing, it's another."

Claire shrieked with surprise when Charlie came up behind her, and slapped him in the gut as a response. "Honestly, these boys!" she gasped, and Kate chuckled, relieved when Jack came back, taking up his bowl of ice cream again.

"What are we going to do with them?" Kate asked, and Jack gave her a funny look, one which she returned with a mere shrug and grin. "Listen, that sounds great about the girl's day out. I'm off on Friday, so did you want to get together then? That would give Sun enough time to pack and get ready for her flight on Saturday back to New York."

Once the final arrangements were made, Claire asked to speak to Jack, and Kate listened as Jack quietly assured her he was all right. After he said, "Love you, too," Jack handed the phone back to Kate, who hung it up after saying goodbye.

"What was that all about?" she asked, once the room was quiet again, and Jack looked at her.

"Had another tickle in my nose," Jack replied, and she gave him a look. "So what's this girl's day out?" he asked, and she took another bite of ice cream, leaning against the back of the couch.

"We're going to have our nails done on Friday," she explained, and Jack smiled.

"Seriously?" he asked, and she raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, honey, but I don't think you've ever once expressed interest in that type of thing."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Shut up," she laughed. "I like to do girlie things every now and again."

He leaned in to kiss her, apologizing, and she made a face. "You're just full of surprises, Kate Shepard," he teased, and she grinned mischievously.

"It feels so good to have your last name," she breathed. "Kate Shepard has a nice ring to it."

Jack nodded, finishing the last of his bowl, and set it on the coffee table, pulling her into another hug.

"Mmm, yes it does," he replied, nuzzling her neck again. When he paused to give another sneeze, Kate suggested he go straight to bed. "Bless you," she laughed after they stood up, and he looked at her.

"I havent sneezed this much in a while," he admitted, and she wrapped an arm around his waist, leading him down the small hallway that divided the living room from their bedroom. "as though I need something else to be wrong with me, huh?" he squeezed her hands once he was laying down, and Kate kissed his forehead.

"Just get some sleep," she encouraged, and he nodded, closing his eyes. She went into the living room to put the dirty dishes in the sink, and stood washing them for a few moments. She glanced over her shoulder towards the bedroom, smiling to herself as she thought about all the moments she spent with Jack over the past year. Every second with him had a special place in her heart, where she would never forget those memories.

"Excuse me!"

Kate jumped at the sound of a man's voice as she came upon a small clearing; she massaged her wrists, which once were shackled with handcuffs. Sitting there in the jungle was a handsome man in his early thirties, looking at her anxiously. He had his shirt off, revealing a very well-built body, one shoulder covered in a tatoo.

"Did you ever use a needle?"

Kate raised her eyes; that was a strange question to ask a total stranger. She bit her lip, still slightly overwhelmed by the trauma of the plane crashing.

"What?" she asked, and he held his fingers up, to imitate sewing.

"Did you ever…patch a pair of jeans?"

Kate cleared her throat, looking down at her feet. "I…" she hated how her voice shook. "I made the drapes in my apartment," she replied, and he smiled at her, panting in the heat.

"That's great,'"he replied. "Listen, do you have a second? I could really use some help here." Kate massaged her forehead, feeling the tears choke her again.

"Help with what?" she asked, and Jack turned so she could see a large, open wound bleeding freely. She felt her stomach churn, and closed her eyes, unable to believe what she was dealing with.

"With this. Look, I'm a doctor, and I'd do it myself, but I cant…" he swallowed. "I can't reach it."

Kate blinked. "You want me to sew that up?" her voice came out as barely a squeak, and he managed a small smile of encouragement.

"It's just like the drapes," he insisted, and she stepped back, wanting nothing more than to flee into the jungle and hide.

"No, for the drapes I used a sewing machine," she choked, and Jack cocked his head to one side.

"No, you can do this," he replied. "I'm telling you. If you wouldn't mind."

Just the way he looked at her, how helpless he seemed; she couldn't refuse.

Before she knew it, she was kneeling on the sand, taking the box of multi colored thread from him. She smirked; it contained black, red, pink, light blue, yellow…the basic colors for fabric. "Any color preference?" she asked, and he laughed softly; such a wonderful sound, she thought.

"Nope--just standard black."

As she began to sew the broken flesh together, she mentioned how he didn't seem scared at all, how she didn't understand that.

Kate let the tears flow again, leaning against the countertop, and massaged her forehead wearily. She was so tired, caring for her husband, and more scared than he knew.

"Well...fear's sort of an odd thing," he replied. "When I was in residency my first solo procedure was a spinal surgery on a sixteen-year-old kid. A girl. And at the end after thirteen hours I was closing her up and I..I accidentally ripped her dural sac . Shredded the base of the spine where all her nerves come together. Membrane as thin as tissue.

So it ripped open. Nerves just spilled out of her like angel hair pasta, spinal fluid flowing out of her and I...the terror was just so crazy. So real. And I knew I had to deal with it. So I just made a choice. I'd let the fear in, let it take over, let it do its thing. But only for five seconds. That's all I was gonna give it. So I started to count. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. And it was gone. I went back to work, sewed her up, and she was fine."

When Kate heard Jack give another sneeze from their bedroom, she closed her eyes, gripping the edge of the counter. "One…two…three…four…five…" she counted quietly, taking a deep breath through her nose, letting it out through her mouth. That story was the one that brought them together each time, it seemed.

After putting the bowls away in the cabinet where they belonged, she made her way into the bedroom, where Jack lay sleeping, and she sat on the edge of the bed.

"You didn't need me to fix you and I…"

Kate remembered his words from earlier that night, and realized just how true they were. At that point, she decided to get into her pajamas, and eventually lay down beside Jack to go to sleep.