Chapter Ten: Emergency on the Island

Violet was lying on the beach with a journal in front of her. She had been out walking that morning when she found the empty notebook lying in the sand. There was no name in it, or anything else for that matter. She picked it up, wondering if it would help to start journaling. She had asked Kate for a pencil that same morning, failing to mention anything about the journal. Violet needed something private; and luckily, it was small enough to fit into her cargo pants pockets.

She put the finishing touches on her pencil drawing on the first page of the journal, as a tear fell from her eyes. She had drawn a picture of the ocean, with nothing but a hand emerging from the deep depths. Violet still couldn't believe what had happened early that morning before she had found the journal. She had been sitting with Walt, eating breakfast, when Charlie started shouting about a person out in the ocean. Violet had gazed out and couldn't believe what she was seeing. There was somebody out in the ocean, struggling to swim to shore. Jack was swimming out to the victim before anybody else had a chance to say anything. Violet wanted nothing more than to swim out and help, but Kate had convinced her Jack knew what he was doing. Besides, Violet reasoned, she wasn't a great swimmer.

Jack swam back to shore, with Boone under his arm! Violet felt a wave of relief when Boone regained consciousness, but he hadn't been the only one out there.

"Did you get her?" Boone gasped. Violet turned around immediately and saw the awful truth in front of her; somebody was still out there. From what she could make out, it was a woman with long blonde hair. Jack had swum out again, but the waves overpowered him, and his exhaustion set in. He had been too late; whoever it was that had swum out into the ocean had drowned.

Violet quickly brushed away her tear, as she finished her drawing. It was a scene she would never forget, seeing the woman out in the deep ocean, suffering to survive, but failing. If only I had been a better swimmer. Maybe I could have saved her. She thought to herself, as she turned the page. Her mind drew a blank; she didn't know what to write. There were no words to describe what she had seen; just images, haunting images that would follow her close behind those images of Katie's blood, and her pale face; her lifeless face.

I can't do this anymore. How many more of us are going to die? She threw her pencil down roughly and slammed the journal shut.

"Hey there." Violet jumped as she rose to her knees, to see Claire struggling to kneel down in the sand next to Violet. Violet felt embarrassed immediately, knowing it was obvious she had been crying.

"Hi." Violet muttered as she looked away. Claire managed a smile, as she looked at the journal.

"You keep a journal too?" She asked. Violet stared at her journal, and shrugged.

"I just started one today." She replied. Claire nodded.

"I've been keeping one every since I was a little girl. I think I still have most of them at home. It's kind of nice to be able to go back and remember things you thought you had forgotten." She explained. Violet sighed, wondering if she would ever forget her experiences on this island. She doubted it.

Violet continued to draw for most of the day, recording the images that wouldn't stop floating through her mind; of Katie's bloody neck, of the burning pile of bodies, of that pilot hanging from the trees, of the trees being toppled over by…whatever that thing was. Violet had no concept of time; she barely noticed when Kate sat down next to her in the sand, and took a look over Violet's shoulder to see a shaded picture of Katie's grave.

"Hey Violet." Kate said carefully.

"Hi." Violet said meekly. Kate sighed.

"Violet, you've been out here for a really long time. Have you eaten anything today? Or had anything to drink?" She asked, noticing the bead of sweat on Violet's forehead. She should really be in the shade in this heat. She watched as Violet shook her head.

"Come on Violet, you know better than that." Kate said in a tone she remembered her mother using. Violet only shrugged, still shading in the details on Katie's cross. Kate paused, knowing what had caused Violet to become so reserved this morning. She had been fine until Jack had gone out to save that woman, failing. For some reason, it had hit Violet really hard. Kate didn't know why, but she wasn't about to let Violet dehydrate because of it.

"Listen Violet, I know what you saw this morning really shook you. Do you want to talk about it?" Kate asked. Violet sighed heavily, slamming her journal shut.

"No! There's nothing to talk about. A woman died; so what? What else is new?" Violet screamed out suddenly, standing up to storm off. Kate stood as Violet turned to run off, but Violet didn't make it very far. She staggered as she walked a few steps, and then she stopped dead in her tracks, falling over in the sand.

"Violet!" Kate fell to the ground next to Violet, who had passed out. Kate tried to wake her up, but it was no use. Violet was out cold.

"Okay, I think she's coming around." Violet heard a familiar Australian accent say. She knew it was Charlie, though everything sounded like it was echoing against the walls of her skull.

"Wha-" She tried to talk, but it felt like her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. Her whole mouth felt dry, and her head was still spinning, and the exhaustion she felt was like nothing she had ever felt before.

"Sweetie?" Violet recognized that voice right away as Kate's. Violet managed to open her eyes a little, squinting from the sun. She took in her surroundings and realized she was back in Kate's tent, breathing heavily. Everything was spinning.

"Are you okay?" Kate asked, but Violet couldn't answer. She had barely heard Kate to begin with, and everything was still swimming in her head. Everything felt like it was buzzing, and swarming around her. She could feel herself losing consciousness again.

"Violet, stay with us. Charlie, we have to get her some water. She's dehydrated really badly." Kate said, talking to Charlie. Violet heard Charlie scurrying over to the fresh cooler they had been storing all the bottled water from the plane in, and she barely heard his discovery, before she passed out again.

"The water – it's gone!"

Violet was in and out of consciousness for most of the day, only slightly conscious of the fact that she was not doing so well, and needed water. My fault…stubborn idiot…Katie…you should know better Vi…

Violet moaned a little when she was awake. She was so weak, she couldn't even move her arm. She could barely find the strength to open her eyes, but when she did, she could make out the blurred outline of Kate sitting next to her, trying to talk her into staying awake.

"Violet, I know it's hard, but you have to try to stay awake. Jack says it's important you stay conscious as much as possible." Kate said seriously. Violet's tongue felt thick in her mouth, but she managed to speak a little.

"Jack…? He was here?" She asked, breathing heavily. Kate nodded.

"Yeah. He says you're not doing too good, kiddo." She replied honestly. Violet already knew this to be true, and it scared her.

"I'm…going to die…aren't I?" She asked, feeling the blackness setting in again. She felt Kate grab her hand and squeeze it tightly.

"No, you aren't! You know why? Because you're strong! You're one of the strongest people I've ever met Violet, and you're going to be okay. Locke went into the jungle to find some water for you. He should be back soon and then you'll be able to have something to drink, and you'll be fine!" Kate said, half trying to convince herself as much as she was Violet.

"Who…took…who took the water?" Violet asked, thinking whoever would do such a thing was a cruel, malicious individual who cared about nobody but themselves.

"We don't know, Violet. But Locke will be here soon, I promise. But your job right now is to stay awake, and keep talking to me, alright?" Kate asked. Violet tried to nod her head, but dizziness set in, and no matter how hard she tried to fight the flood of blackness, she was too weak.

"It's a fever, Katie. The doctor said it's a fever." Violet announced as she emerged from the doctor's cubicle two days before their flight would leave for Los Angeles. Katie sighed and nodded.

"Okay, well what did he say?" Katie asked as she stood to leave. Violet followed close behind.

"He said to take lots of Tylenol and he also said under no circumstances am I to even think about travelling in this state." She said, never looking at her big sister once. Katie stopped, and turned to her little sister, stopping her in the middle of the large waiting room. Katie stared at her with those blue eyes that Violet thought could see right through her. Violet averted her gaze.

"Violet, did he really say that?" Katie asked. Violet hesitated a moment, before she nodded, never once looking at her sister. Katie sighed.

"You've never been a good liar, Vi." She said simply. "In case you've forgotten, I'm a nurse, and I know a little bit about fevers. You'll be fine, as long as you take it easy." Violet sighed angrily, angry at herself for getting caught, angry at Katie for being a nurse.

"Why don't you want to go, Violet? He is your father after all." Katie said as the two started walking toward the car. Violet crossed her arms and sighed.

"I never said I didn't want to go. I just…I just don't want to talk about it, okay?" Violet said, raising her voice slightly. Katie left it alone, but she could read her little sister like a book. Violet did not want to meet her father.

"Violet, open your mouth sweetie, we have some water." Violet felt herself waking up, and she could feel herself sitting upright, leaning up against Kate, who was holding her up. Violet opened her eyes slightly, and saw Jack opening a bottle of water. Violet was barely conscious of the fact that water was being poured into her mouth, but she swallowed graciously, and felt her strength coming back already.

"Okay, slow down, Violet. You have to take small sips, or you'll make yourself sick." Jack said as he took the bottle away from her. He turned to Kate. "Make sure she takes small sips every couple of minutes, and she'll be fine. The color's coming back to her cheeks; that's a good sign. Come get me if you need me." Violet watched as Jack walked away. She could feel herself coming back to consciousness, and as she sat up on her own, she took in her surroundings. She shook her head, telling herself that she didn't always know best. Next time, I'm going to listen to Kate, or anybody else. She sighed. I'm obviously not in a right frame of mind to take care of myself on this island. I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of help.