Title: Unfixable
Dislaimer: I don't own LOST... Somebody else does... I just like to play with their characters... And their dialogue...
Note: This is my first ever fanfic... Please be gentle!
Also... thanks for the kind reviews... the more you review, the faster I post new stuff...
"Hurley, you're talking really fast. Explain it one more time," I said, taking a bite of the banana in my hand. "Okay. Michael is launching a raft," he said it really slowly, like I was a slow learner, "And some crazy French woman showed up and said that the Others were coming. That we needed to run…or hide," he finished. "And Jack is where?" Hurley rolled his eyes. "Jack is with Locke, looking at trying to get into the hatch." So there really was a hatch after all. "Can you take me there?" I asked, smiling sweetly. "What! Walk all the way back out there? With that monster that eats people?" He squirmed under my big, puppy-dog eyes. "Oh, okay," he said, giving in with a sigh.
"Wow," I managed, my mouth gaping as I stared at the massive hatch thing in the ground. Jack glanced back at me from where he was crouched on top of the thing. Leaving Hurley, I jumped across the ditch that Locke, and I was guessing Boone, had dug around it, to where Jack was. "How do you get in? There's no handle," I asked, frowning. "That means it's meant to stay shut," Hurley commented. "Rousseau said something about the Black Rock having dynamite," Locke said, "Maybe we could blow it up." I threw a glance at Jack, wondering what he thought. "If we get it open, we can bring everyone here, to keep them safe," he mused, staring at the opaque glass. "I think we should go with Rousseau." "But what about the raft launching today?" Hurley interrupted. "They're going, and so are we. John, you and me…" "And me," I said quickly. Jack shook his head. "You're staying."
I stalked after Jack as he gathered supplies and stuffed them into a bag. "Jack, I want to go! Why won't you let me?" I asked, my voice edgy. "Sarah, I need you to stay here. Please. I need someone who can command attention and get people to just…chill. Everyone's on edge, with the raft and Rousseau, and I need you to stay here," he said with a sigh. Frustration was bubbling up in me. "That's not fair, Jack. I want to go with you," I said, locking my defiant gaze on him. But Jack was not budging. "No. You're staying. End of discussion," he said, raising his hands as a final say. I turned away from him, infuriated with myself for giving in to him. I'm not a child, and I damn well shouldn't be treated like one. I stalked to my tent, seething. After watching the raft launching, I found Sayid, who was helping carry some of Shannon's luggage to the caves, where everyone was going to stay together, away from the mysterious 'Others' the crazy French woman had talked about. "I would have suspected you to go with Jack and the others to the Black Rock," he said, a little surprised. I rolled my eyes. "Let's just drop that conversation, okay?" I said, irritated. "Well, you can help me get all these people to the caves. You can take one group up, and I will follow with the rest." Appreciating the order, I walked with Charlie, Claire, Sun, and some others to the caves, forcing my mind to forget about Jack for the moment.
But that moment didn't last long. Huddled against the coolness of the caves, I looked up at the quickly fading sun. In amongst the trees, it was already darkening. "What's the matter, Sarah?" I glanced up to see Charlie sink down next to me, his face illuminated by the glowing fire. "Oh, it's nothing. I just…they're not back yet, Charlie," I said, my voice dropping . "Look, no offense to Jack-he's a great leader. But if there's anyone on this island I'd trust my life with, it's John Locke. I'm sure they're fine. Except for the crazy French woman, the evil monster thing that eats people, and the Others that are coming after us…" My eyes widened. "Charlie…" "I'm kidding. Really, Sarah, I don't think you have a thing to be worried about." I nodded. "Thanks, Charlie," I said as he rose to go back to Claire and her new baby. They act like perfect parents. And the baby's not even Charlie's. Thinking made the waiting seem to stretch on for hours, and I could feel the knot growing in my stomach with each minute that passed. Needing to move, to do something, I rose to go talk to Sun when an excited voice called out, "It's them! They're back!" Whirling around, I spotted Jack leading the extremely worn, tired, raggedy group back into camp. My feet felt cemented to the ground as they all shuffled in, and Jack immediately scanned the group, his eyes falling on me. He moved quickly, politely excusing his way through the crowd, stopping just outside them. And I lunged. Before I even knew I was moving, I was in Jack's arms, holding on so tightly, it hurt my shoulders. His body sagged against mine, and I felt relief wash over him as he sighed into my hair. "Just to let you know, I really want to beat the crap out of you right now," I mumbled, not even releasing my hold on his neck. "I can tell," he said, pulling me back to kiss my lips. I felt his tongue slip in my mouth, running softly over my lips and brushing my tongue. "God, I really could beat the living hell out of you," I repeated, leaning my forehead against his. He laughed, but soon caught sight of the crowd becoming a little rowdy with questions. Kissing my forehead, he pulled away and moved to the front of them, jumping up onto a plateau to get their attention. "John found a uh…hatch in the ground….about half a mile from here. We left to…blow it open so we could hide inside…so all of us could hide inside in case…but that doesn't matter now because it's not going to work. There's no way for all of us…to get down there tonight." The group murmured, slowly growing loud with arguments and wound with anxiety. "Hey!" he bellowed, silencing the group, "Everything's going to be okay. Let's just…take it easy. We're going to be alright. We're going to stay here tonight, okay, together. We've still got four guns. We'll put lookouts at all the entrances. We're all going to be safe as long as we all stay together. The sun comes up in three hours, and we are all going to be here to see that happen. I promise." His eyes fell on me, and I smiled encouragingly. Then Jack's eyes tore to John, who was winding cable around his shoulder. "John, what are you doing?" he asked, frowning at the older man. "I'm getting some cable." "What for?" Jack asked, growing impatient. "It's for the hatch. I'm going in," he stated simply. Jack stared at him, livid. "Do you really think that's the smartest thing to do right now, John?" Locke stopped, turning to look at Jack. "I doubt it. In fact, you're right. The safest thing is to stay here, wait for morning, wait for these Others to see if they show up, wait for the brave folks on the raft to bring help, but me…I'm tired of waiting." And with that, Locke was gone.
"That was kind of unlike you…the whole 'glass half-full' thing," I commented, sitting down next to Jack, leaning forward on my knees to look him in the eye. "There's a glass?" he asked sarcastically, a small smile flickering across his face. "So do you believe that everything's going to be okay?" He paused, contemplating my question. "Yeah, I do," he said after a moment. I nodded. "You did a good thing, saying what you said…and taking care of everybody…and just giving them someone to count on. If you weren't here, Jack…" My voice caught, and I cleared my throat. Not finishing my sentence, I leaned over and kissed Jack's cheek before rising. Spotting Kate, I headed toward her. "Point me in the direction of the hatch," I said softly. "Why?" "I'm going after Locke. I understand why Jack can't go, I mean, they need him here…I get it, I really do…but it sounds like he's going in that thing whether Jack likes it or not…and what if he falls and breaks his neck…" "Does Jack know you're going?" I eyed Kate, hoping she wouldn't question me. "Head out that way," she said, pointing to my left, "for about half a mile." I grinned and quietly slipped out, whispering a thank you as I left, and taking a torch on my way.
By the time I stumbled into the clearing where the hatch was, Locke was standing above it, looking down into the dark abyss inside the blown off door. Which, I noticed, said in big, bold letters QUARANTINE. Great, we're all going to die. "I expected to find you halfway down there by now," I commented, planting the torch in the ground near Locke's. He turned to me, a smile playing at his lips. "Why don't you go first," he said. My eyes widened, and I felt my heart immediately go into overdrive. "You want me to go first?" "Well, you're lighter. I can belay you down and bring you up just as easy. The shaft might get narrower down there too," he reasoned, keeping his eyes glued on my wary posture. "You left out the part where you just want to see if I get eaten by something," I added wryly. He lowered the makeshift harness for me to step in to. "Yeah, well, that too. Not too tight?" I shook my head, and slowly stepped toward the opening, rocking my heels over the side. Grabbing the rusted ladder that was left, I lowered myself down, but instantly grabbed the edge of the hatch. "What do I say if I…I need to stop?" I asked breathless. John stared at me for a second. "Stop." He said it like it was so obvious, and I ducked my head to hide the embarrassment in my cheeks. I shook my head vigorously. "Okay, let's go," I said, and Locke slowly let out some of the cable, sending me agonizingly creeping down the dark hatch. I held a small pin light in my hands, something Locke had handed me as I started my descent. I couldn't see anything; the thick walls were blank and suffocating. About a fourth of the way down, I felt a tug as I stopped moving. "John?" I yelled, looking up, clinging to the cable tightly with both hands. "Sarah, what the hell are you doing down there! Pull her up, John. NOW," Jack's voice roared, echoing down the shaft. John started to raise me, but I found my voice. "Jack, I'm already close to halfway down here! Let me finish!" I yelled, not willing to give in this time. "Sarah…" "Keep going, John!" I called, and after a painstaking moment, I continued my descent. Suddenly, with a jolt, the cable felt slack and with a piercing scream, I started to fall. The flashlight slipped from my fingers and everything felt like slow motion, but with a jerk, the cable stopped, and I realized I had only fallen a few feet. "Sarah, are you alright!" Jack's worried voice yelled. Taking a deep breath, I exhaled. "Uh…yeah. I dropped the light. Maybe we should…" But in mid-sentence, I started moving again. "Oh, well…okay then." Closing my eyes, trying to suppress the intense fear that was making my heart race, I started counting- a little trick Jack taught me right after we got married. "One…two…three…four…STOP!" I cried, unable to continue. Straining to listen, I thought I heard a small, soft snap. Before I could think, the cable frayed right above me, snapping in two, sending me falling down the shaft. I let out a shrill scream, but in seconds, I hit the ground with a thud, landing flat on my back. Everything flashed in my eyesight as my head pounded the cold concrete-feeling floor, and for a moment, everything was shrouded in darkness. "SARAH?" Jack's voice sounded hollow and slurred, and I tired hard to focus on it instead of the radiating pain from my body. "SARAH!" I couldn't will my mouth to form words; all that came out was a soft moan as pain washed over my back. My back. What if I hurt my back again? I don't want to be paralyzed. My left arm was pinned under my body in an uncomfortable position, and when I shifted to pull it out, a cry escaped my lips as my body convulsed in a spasm of pain. "Sarah, I'm coming! Just…hang on, okay? Hang on!" Jack yelled, I laid as still as possible, trying to determine if it was my back that was hurting or if it was my arm. But everything was swimming, and I felt a sticky liquid running down my arm and pooling on the floor where I was positioned. A shiver coursed through my body, and I closed my eyes, biting my screams and tears. "Sarah? Sarah, come on, wake up!" Jack's voice was right in my ear, and I opened my eyes to see a blurry image of Jack, kneeling over me. "It hurts…" I managed, as Jack's hand grazed over the shoulder of my pinned arm. "I know, I know. Sarah, listen to me. I need to get your arm out from under you. It's going to hurt, but you're crushing your probably broken arm, making it hurt worse. So, on three, I'm going to roll you over, just enough to lift it out. Okay?" Jack talked slow and steady, but I could detect the fear underlying the doctor façade. I nodded, which made my head hurt numbly. "Okay, one…two…three," Jack said, pushing my body up. I screamed in absolute pain, and by the time Jack put my arm down, I was writhing in pain. "Damn it…" Jack cursed, and I could tell something was wrong by the tone of his voice. Clamping his hand over my arm, he glanced up through the shaft. "John, I need you to go get Sayid and Hurley-NOW!" Jack yelled, "And bring some rope!" My body was shaking from cold and fear as Jack turned back to me. "You're going to be fine, Sarah," he crooned, brushing my hair from my face, "I fixed you once, and I'll do it again." "My back…" I whispered, trying to focus on his face. "I know, Sarah. Okay, can you do something for me? Can you wiggle your toes?" he asked, staring at me intently. Swallowing hard, I closed my eyes and rocked my foot back and forth. Jack let out a relieved smile. "See, you're back is fine. Don't worry, okay? I'm going to get you out of here-soon," he said, sidling close to me. I shivered through my damp clothes, and with my free hand, I clung onto Jack's arm, my fingers trembling behind my hold.
By the time they got me and Jack out of the hatch, I was in such pain, tears were staining my cheeks and I my cries were obviously painful for Jack, Sayid, and Hurley to listen to. Jack lowered my body onto the stretcher Sayid had thrown together, and they quickly hauled me back to the caves. I could blurrily see the sun starting to peak through the thick clouds, creating an early morning haze in the sky. "Jack, her arm…" "I know, Hurley," he said, throwing a stern look his direction. "Put her down on the airline cushions-EASY," Jack ordered. "What happened to her?" "Why is she bleeding?" "Jack, where'd she go?" I could hear the questions, but Jack didn't respond; he worked quickly, finding the rubbing alcohol and dousing my arm with it. I screamed in pain, trying to pull away, but Jack kept a firm hold on my shoulder, away from the break. Shaking his head, he dug through the medical supplies a found a syringe. "I'm going to give you something for the pain…" he said injecting the liquid into my other arm. Feeling the drugs immediately take effect, my eyes, growing heavy, they closed into a blissful darkness.
Opening my eyes, everything immediately swam, making me feel lightheaded and nauseous, but after a few seconds, things started to settle. I caught sight of my arm, wrapped in layers of gauze and laid carefully in a sling, already looped around my neck. My back ached dully, but with much effort, I managed to sit myself up, biting my lip so I wouldn't scream. "Hey…you're up," Kate said, trying to be bright. "Yeah…but I think I liked it better when I had the narcotics." I glanced around, shaking my head. "Where's Jack?" Kate grinned a little, joining me on the cot. "He's been up for close to 24 hours, Sarah. I sent him to bed." I smirked. "The sleeping pills?" She nodded. "Works every time," she said smiling. Her face grew serious. "Locke went back down into the hatch." I frowned, my head still fuzzy from the sedative. "Is he okay? Did something happen?" Kate held her hand up to stop me. "He's fine. Let me catch you up to speed. Locke went down, found a guy down there who evidently has a few screws loose. The guy left, leaving Locke to push some button every 108 minutes. Jack wanted to move you down there, but that's when I stepped in and sent the good doctor to bed," she summarized. I brought my hand to my head. "Wow…I was out long enough for all that to happen?" "That's the abridged version, but yeah. Jack apparently gave you a pretty heavy dose of sedatives." "You know, I'm going to have to quit accepting food from the two of you, because every time, I've been drugged," Jack moaned, rubbing his neck as he fought the remains of the sleeping pills. "I think this is my cue to leave," Kate sighed with a grin, rising and leaving the two of us alone. "How do you feel? Stiff, headaches, dizziness…" "Jack, I think I'm going to survive," I interrupted. Jack's face went a little stony. "Sarah, you fell at least ten feet and landed flat on your back. You broke you arm so badly, the bone was literally sticking out of your skin. You hit your head and suffered from a concussion. And, on top of all that, you went down there without even telling me. I had to find out from Kate where you went. I think I have a right to ask a few questions," he finished. I chewed on the inside of my lip, trying to find some reasonable, defiant argument to his complaints. "I know it was stupid, but someone had to go down there…" "Yeah, and it should have been Locke," Jack broke in. "I know, but I thought it would be safe…kind of safe. And you were treating me like such a child, I felt like I was suffocating. I had to get out from under you somehow," I countered, knowing it sounded ridiculous. "So you were defying me by belaying down a hatch and breaking your arm?" he asked sarcastically. I wrinkled my nose. "It made sense in my head." "Yeah, see that's what scares me, Sarah. The things that actually make sense in your head," he said with a laugh, "Could you just, run things by me? And I'll try not to be so…" "Controlling? Parental? A stick in the mud? A hard ass…" "I think I got the picture," he said, his eyes softening. "I'm glad you're okay, Sarah," Jack said gently, ending on a sigh. "Me too," I said, wiggling my toes, almost as if I were afraid that something had happened. It hadn't.
Please R and R! Please! Please! Please!