Chapter 12: Panic
Disclaimer: I don't own LOST.
"Nicole!" Ethan screamed again. "Help!"
Sawyer turned and noticed Ethan thrashing about in the deep end. "I'm goin to go check on Hurley." Sawyer grinned at Jack, who was grilling the burgers.
"Yeah okay." Jack nodded absently. Charlie was talking to him about yet another album he was working on.
Sawyer ambled over to the pool, and walked over to Ethan. "Hey buddy, what's wrong?"
"It's Nicole!"
"Where's Nicole?"
"Down there!"
Sawyer looked at Ethan and then at the pool. He dived in and searched for Nicole. He found her limp body and brought her to the surface. "Jack!"
Sawyer climbed out of the pool and immediately started performing CPR on Nicole.
Hurley gasped as he realized what had happened.
"Get Jack!" Sawyer yelled at him.
Kate turned as she heard the commotion. Sawyer was bending over someone, and Hurley was running over to the grill, calling Jack's name.
Kate and Claire made their way over there as Jack ran over, quickly pushing Sawyer away.
"How long was she in there?"
"I don't know."
"Well find out!" Jack barked at him, and Sawyer immediately stood up and went to find Ethan.
Kate realized that Nicole was the one that Jack was working on.
"Ethan. What, what were you guys doing?"
Ethan had gotten out of the pool and was now blankly staring at Nicole from a chair a few yards away.
"We.. we were just playing."
"What?"
"It was a breathing contest." Ethan looked up at Sawyer tearfully. "I.. I didn't mean to.."
Sawyer shook his head, and turned around. Everyone was gathered around Nicole and Jack. "Guys give him some space." Sawyer walked over there and everyone backed away.
Sawyer looked at Kate, who was standing, paralyzed. It was like the whole world had stopped. All she could do was stare as her young daughter lay helplessly.
Kate felt someone put their arm around her, and she looked up as Sawyer squeezed her shoulder. "She'll be okay. Nicole will be all right."
Kate nodded.
"Come on Nicole!" Jack pleaded with her. Jack turned to no one in particular. "Call 911!"
Everyone stared at him, shocked, as Kate burst into tears. If Jack needed them to call 911, then something was seriously wrong.
Jin ran into the house and called, while Sawyer tried to comfort a hysterical Kate.
Kate bent down next to Jack and took Nicole's hand. "Come on baby. You can make it. Just breathe!"
Jin came back and told Sun that the ambulance was coming as quickly as it could.
"This can't happen to them. They can't loose another child." Claire said to Charlie as he put his arm around her. They all couldn't imagine all the pain that Jack and Kate had been through. They didn't deserve this.
Suddenly, Nicole came to life, coughing and spitting up water. "Nicole!" Jack held her upper half up as she continued to cough. "Just breathe. You're okay."
Jack and Kate put their arms around their daughter as they cried uncontrollably.
"Are you okay? How are you feeling?" Jack asked her.
Nicole nodded as she gasped for air.
Ethan pushed the crowd back and Kate stood up as Ethan pushed her away. "I'm so sorry Nicole! I'm so sorry!" Ethan grabbed her hand.
Nicole gave him a gentle smile. "It's okay Ethan. It wasn't your fault."
Jack sighed in relief when he was sure that Nicole hadn't suffered any brain damage.
"Is she all right?"
Jack looked up to see Brian, someone he knew from the hospital. "Yeah. Sorry about calling you. I wasn't getting a response from her."
Brian bent down and checked Nicole out. "She's okay."
Jack picked Nicole up and she snuggled against him, completely worn out by the experience.
"Well then I'm going to leave. See you at work Jack." Brian nodded and left.
Nicole reached her hand out to her mother, and Kate took it, kissing her forehead gently.
"You scared us Nicole. What did we tell you about the deep end?" Kate reprimanded.
"Kate, I think she's learned her lesson." Jack told Kate.
"Right." Kate nodded. Suddenly, Kate gasped.
"What?"
"I think her water broke." Sawyer's eyes widened.
A/N: Sorry for a short chapter there. I'll try to make the next one longer. And I'm not going to go into Kate's labor and stuff as much as I did for Nicole, but there will be a flashback explaining how they lost their second child. I already have a name picked out, but if you want you can give me some suggestions and I might use it. :)
