Hey. Okay, so I disappeared for a few months. I pretty much suck. But here's a new chapter anyway, just incase you're in the forgiving mood. (a)
Oh yeah, and to save you having to look back at previous chapters to figure out what the hell's going on – Kate's having really horrible nightmares, Jack got her a mattress, and since they've been sleeping together (no, not sexually), and in the last two chapters we found out Kate actually had a son before the island but we don't know what happened to him.
Four in a Row
Afternoon
Kate's Tent
Jack's POV
"Kate …" I whispered gently.
Within my arms, I felt her stir slightly. I smiled and gently stroked her back, as I had come so accustomed to doing over the past few days. I felt her body shudder beneath my touch, and move closer to me.
"Kate," I whispered again.
This time it had some effect. Slowly, I watched her eyelids blink open, and before I knew it I was staring at two perilous hazel orbs. Kate yawned sleepily, but didn't pull herself from my embrace. She smiled tiredly.
"Hey," she whispered back.
"Hey," I said, her face merely inches from mine. My left arm continued to stroke her back. "How are you feeling?"
I felt her body relax to my hand. "Fine," she said. Then she smiled. "Thanks to you."
I smiled a little and then turned my head away. I wasn't very good with these kind of moments. Kate laughed a little at my shyness and put her hand against my cheek, turning my head back to face her.
"No, really, Jack," she whispered. A sort of tenderness crept into her voice. "Thank you. For calming me down and … for laying with me. For looking out for me." She cast her eyes downwards. "I really appreciate it."
I gently touched her bare shoulder. "Anytime, Kate."
She smiled and I smiled back, perfectly relaxed. Then Kate suddenly looked outside, at the thick sunlight streaming in from the tent. She suddenly sat up, alert. "Shit. We slept the whole morning away."
I laughed. "Kate, we're on an island. It's not as if we're late for work."
"No, Jack," Kate said, and I heard the stress in her voice. "They're going to miss us. You know they will. Especially you. You're the doctor."
"Kate …" I whispered calmly. I stood up beside her. "Even if they do notice I'm missing, so what? Why would they think to look for me in your tent? I can just slip back, like I did before."
"Jack," Kate stretched my name. "Don't you now anything about the polls?"
I looked at her.
She rolled her eyes and elaborated. "The whole island's voting on whether or not we're sleeping together."
This was news to me. "I thought the whole island was voting on whether you were with Sawyer or me?" I said, somewhat loudly.
"Shhh," Kate hushed me. Then she paused for thought. "Well, they could be voting on that too."
I rolled my eyes. Sawyer.
Kate saw me and a sudden smirk formed on her lips. "Jack Shephard, jealousy's an ugly color on you."
"I'm not jealous," I spat.
Kate stared me down.
I looked at her pressingly. "Are you sleeping with Sawyer?"
Kate looked at me somewhat indignantly. "You know I'm not."
I smiled at her. "Then," I said, leaning in towards her and kissing her cheek, "I have nothing to be jealous of."
And with that, I left.
Later that Afternoon
The Beach
Kate's POV
"Hey," Charlie rounded on me.
I turned to look at him. "Hey, Charlie."
"Where ya going?"
I looked at him somewhat strangely. "I'm going to collect some fruit from the jungle. Why?"
"No reason," Charlie said offhandedly. "Want some company?"
I looked at him somewhat suspiciously. Okay, Charlie was a sweet guy. Really. But there was something strange about the way he was acting at the moment. I shrugged my shoulders. "I wouldn't mind company."
"Okay," Charlie said nodding and we headed off towards the jungle.
"So …" I said, attempting to be conversational. "Everything okay with you and Claire?"
Charlie looked over at me. "Yeah, of course." He then paused. "Wait, why wouldn't it be?"
"I don't know," I said shrugging. "Usually you'd be at her side right now, not mine."
"Well it's just that Ja–". Then he stopped himself.
"What, what is it?" I asked, and I stopped walking.
"Nothing," Charlie said. "Forget I said anything. It's nothing."
"Charlie …"
"Kate …"
I sighed exasperatedly. "You men are all the same."
I surveyed our surroundings, holding my hand above my eyes in order to shield the sunlight. "That tree over there looks like it has fruit on it," I pointed somewhere distantly to the left. "Wanna head over there?"
"Yeah, sure," Charlie said, and we walked over.
"So …" he said casually. "You alright?"
I looked over at him. "Why wouldn't I be?"
It was his turn to shrug. "I don't know. Just … the other day you were in Jack's cave for 'medical advice' and then today he …"
"Today he what?" I butted in.
Charlie looked at me. "Nevermind."
"Charlie," I stretched his name.
He shook his head. "Just forget it."
We reached the tree and I hoisted myself up on the lower branches, pushing towards the higher one. I threw Charlie down the sack and he held it open for me to throw fruit into. "You're being awfully secretive lately," I told him.
"I'm being secretive?" he challenged. "You're the one sneaking around the beach after dark with the island's good doctor, seeking medical advice for god knows what, and then refusing to tell anyone about it."
Well, point taken.
"Touché," I said.
We lapsed into a somewhat comfortable silence, as I picked the trees branches bare of fruit. "So really," I said, trying once again to muster a somewhat decent conversation. "How are things between you and Claire? Honestly?"
"They're fine," Charlie said shortly. I looked down at him. "Really," he said.
"Okay," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm just therefore wondering why you're not with Claire at this moment then."
"Look, just because we're not fighting doesn't mean we're joined at the hip," Charlie defended himself. "I mean look at you and Jack. You guys are fine yet he's got me watching out for y–"
"What?" I whipped around so fast I had to grip the branches hard to keep myself from falling off the tree.
"Nothing," Charlie stammered.
"Charlie!" I exclaimed. He looked down. "Is Jack having you follow me around?" I asked.
He paced his voice slowly. "Kate, it's no big deal. He's just worried about you. He doesn't want you to –"
"I can't BELIEVE him!" I hollered. I began to throw fruit down at a furious pace. "I honestly can't BELIEVE him! Who does he think he is? I don't need constant supervision! This morning we were fine. This morning we were honest. This morning …"
"You were in the same bed together," Charlie finished. He smirked at me. "Remember? I walked in on you."
I rolled my eyes. "This is NOT the time, Charlie."
"I think it is." Charlie sat down on the ground, keeping the fruit bag open, so I could still throw it down. "You've kept me in the dark for the last few days. Not that I mind, really. I mean, I know it's yours and Jack's business and I have no right to invade that. But honestly, Kate. I walk in on you guys this morning sharing a tent, and then this afternoon Jack orders me to tail you because he's worried about you. What's going on, Kate?"
"Nothing, Charlie," I defended. "Just … it's nothing."
"It doesn't seem like nothing to me," Charlie noted. He looked at my furious eyes, and glowing red cheeks. "In fact, you look pretty pissed off at a guy you were completely enamored with yesterday."
"I was not enamored with him," I spat the words, reaching for a higher branch. "Really, Charlie. Despite what everyone on this island might think – I am not sleeping with Jack."
"Kate," Charlie interrupted.
I continued to stretch for the higher branch. "Jack and I aren't together," I ranted.
"Kate," Charlie said quickly. "Don't reach for tha–"
"And I'm not in love with Jack!" I thrust my arm forward, grabbing onto the higher branch. All at once I felt my legs slip out from the branches under me. The branch I was holding onto released a thin sort of noise. A breaking sort of noise.
"Shit!" I hollered. I flung my hands out, trying to grab onto something, anything. The branches crumbled beneath my fingers. I began to fall.
"Kate!" Charlie screamed.
I was falling … fast.
"Kate!"
I hit the ground. For a second, the world spun before my eyes. And then it came. My at one point numb body suddenly throbbed with an unreal amount of pain. I cracked my eyelids open, moaning as I did so. "Charlie …"
"I'm here, Kate. I'm here," he said. He was by my side instantly. "Shit, Kate, that was a high fall." He looked up at the tree worriedly. "We've got to get you to Jack."
"I'm …" I muttered, lips white. "Fine."
"Save it, Kate," Charlie said. He slipped one arm under my legs and put the other under my back, hoisting me up to his chest. "Am I hurting you?"
My head was pounding. "N–no," I lied.
Charlie staggered forward, struggling under my weight. My head was killing me, and somewhere along my back or shoulder, was stinging with a tremendous amount of pain. My head lolled to the side. Why the hell had I found climbing trees such an attractive activity?
"Jack!" Charlie started to holler.
I cringed at the sound of such a loud noise. My whole head buzzed with an unbearable amount of activity. Charlie tried to adjust my body in his hands, and in the process lifted me across my shoulder blades. A burst of pain hit me and I screamed.
"Oh shit," Charlie swore. "Jack! Jack!"
Somewhere in the fog of the chaos that surrounded me, I heard a voice. Not Charlie's. But not Jack's either. I struggled to place it.
"What happened?" The voice demanded, and I found I could finally place it. Sawyer. "Is she okay? What happened?"
"She fell out of a damn tree!" Charlie hollered. I moaned. My head was killing me. "Of course she's not okay!"
"Jack!" both of them started hollering. For a second, I was slightly taken back. Sawyer never said Jack's name. Jacko, The Good Doc, sure. But just Jack? Sawyer never called him Jack. Which could only mean one thing … Sawyer was worried.
"I see him!" Charlie suddenly called. "Jack! Jack over here!"
I felt Charlie shift me again in his arms. His arm hit my back again and I weakly hollered. My body writhed in his arms, wracked with such a surge of pain that I could only shudder limply. This was killing me.
"Oh god."
I could hear his voice, so clear, as though all else was a muted buzz in the background. I made an effort to smile, to say something, just to show that it wasn't all as bad as everyone thought it was. My smile turned into a grimace, and I murmured incoherently.
"What happened?" Jack demanded. I could hear panic in his voice. God, I must look awful.
"She fell out of a tree," Charlie said. "Jack I'm so sor–"
"You're sorry?" Jack hollered. "You're SORRY? Charlie, I asked you to look out for her just so something like this wouldn't happen!"
"Jaaack," I whispered strangled. "Jaack."
Immediately, Charlie was forgotten.
"I'm here," Jack whispered. I felt a pair of strong arms lift me from Charlie's and push me against his chest. I rolled towards him, but as one of his hands neared my shoulders, I couldn't dampen the shriek that escaped from my mouth.
"Charlie," Jack said quickly. "How did she fall? Her head? Back? What?"
"Back," Charlie said just as quickly. "I think. Yeah, definitely back."
"Okay," Jack said, and I felt him adjust his arms around me so that one was under my head and the other under my legs, staying clear of my back. He carried me swiftly back to where I assume, was his cave. "It's okay, Kate," he whispered soothingly. "It's alright."
"Mmm," I murmured against his chest.
"Okay, Charlie, Sawyer," Jack ordered swiftly. "I need you guys to go."
"Okay," Charlie said breathlessly, but Sawyer was not nearly as compliant.
"No way," Sawyer butted in forcefully. "I'm NOT leaving her."
"Look, Sawyer," Jack's words were crisp. "This is no time for egos to clash. I'm not asking you this because I want Kate all to myself. This is in her best interest. Her head hurts, I'm pretty sure she's broken her shoulder or back. And I need to examine her without any interference so please just go."
There was a silence as Sawyer seemed to challenge Jack's words but then … there was the sound of footsteps, two sets, as both Charlie and Sawyer seemed to leave. I sighed a little, and winced as the breath carried down into my chest and vibrated against my back.
"Okay, Kate," Jack whispered very softly. "I'm going to lie you down on these cushions, okay?"
I tried to say something but couldn't. I felt Jack's face near mine, and then his lips graze my ear. "I'm going to lie you down on your front so I don't hurt your back. Do you think that's alright with you?"
I nodded weakly and I felt him push me down gently onto the cushions. I was disoriented. I felt him kneel down in front of me, and put his hand in my hair. I tilted my face towards it, and he stroked my cheek gently.
"Kate, I'm going to take your shirt off," he said softly. I need to examine your back and shoulders."
I nodded dimly. At any other time I would have found this incredibly intimate, but these were completely different circumstances from what I had imagined. I felt two hands tug at the bottom of my t-shirt and pull it up over my head. I slowly tried to move my arms up, and Jack managed to lift my shirt off my body.
I felt his hands gently stroking my back. I moaned.
"It's okay, Kate," he whispered gently. "Tell me if anything hurts, okay?"
"Mmm," I whispered in agreement.
"Okay," he whispered and began to press his hands gently against my lower back. I said nothing. He worked his way up to middle of my back, but my lips remained firmly sealed. Then his hands moved across the area from which my bra was a barrier, and up to my shoulder blades. He pressed lightly, and I screamed.
"Oh, Kate," he whispered. He grazed his fingers lightly over the area. "You're already starting to bruise."
I dug my face farther into the cushion. I felt him push my left bra strap down my arm, relieving pressure off my shoulder blade. He ran his fingers gently over the area with what I imagined was water.
"You're lucky," he whispered.
"Oh yeah?" My words came back to me bitten with sarcasm. "Tell that to my shoulder."
Jack laughed, and I could hear the appreciation in it. He was grateful I was speaking. "I was talking about your shoulder actually," he whispered. "I don't think it's even broken. You just bruised your shoulder blade."
I groaned as he once again began pressing gently against it. "I'm not doctor," I said roughly. "But I'm pretty sure it's broken."
"No," Jack concluded. "It's not broken. But you did bruise it badly. It'll turn black before the night's done."
I sighed. "Great."
Jack smiled sympathetically. "You want to try sitting up."
I paused in thought, then nodded. He put one hand on my lower back, and then connected his hand with mine and gently lifted me up. I collapsed against him, and he struggled to keep me from falling.
"Oh god," I said, shaking my head. "My head hurts."
"Then don't shake it," Jack said quickly. He held me against his chest. "I have Ibuprofen. I think that's the best thing you can take. It'll help your shoulder and head."
He looked down at me and despite my grogginess, I could see his eyes casually flicker towards my breasts, which were quite plainly exposed in my thin black bra. Despite the pain it caused, I lightly laughed. "You checkin' me out, doc?"
His arm which had rested around my bare waist once again began to stroke my back. "Would I do that to a patient?" he whispered, handing me my t-shirt, and then moving to help me put it on.
"I don't know," I whispered back, lifting my arms up as he pulled the shirt back over my head. "You ever done it before?"
Jack looked towards me and I saw a small light in his eyes as he spoke. "Once," he said, getting up off the cushions. He reached over to his little black bag and pulled out a bottle of Ibuprofen.
"Her name was Sarah," he continued, opening the bottle and popping two little brown pills out. He looked over at me. "I ended up marrying her."
I stared at him and he passed me the pills. "Do you need water?"
I shook my head numbly and then cringed at the pain it caused. He smiled, and I downed the pills. He reached over to me, hand lightly stroking my hair. "I know your tent's probably infinitely more comfortable, but I don't want to move you. So you're sleeping here tonight."
"Hmm," I murmured, pills making me slightly sleepy. "That'll be our third night in a row."
Jack smiled, and I stretched out on the cushions, careful to lay on my side. He kissed my forehead. "Fourth," he whispered.
A/N: I know I was on hiatus for a while, but I really want to keep going with this story so, I'll do my best to keep updating. Anyways, review. Praise or criticism. Doesn't matter to me.
