"What do you mean our flight is booked?" Satine snapped at her mother nastily.
"I mean it's completely full. Honey, we were only on standby. It's full," sighed her mother, crossing her arms.
"Well let's schedule the next flight out. We can wait a few hours," Satine said hopefully, picking up her expensive Louis Vitton bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "Come on, we'll look at the schedule."
"Sattey, I don't think so. We can't afford anything but standby," her mother whispered. You would never get the idea that they were almost completely broke because both dressed like heiresses. "We can't."
Sighing, Satine knew this would be another one of those birthdays where her mother would promise her something extravagant, and have it fall through.
"Come on," her mother said, taking Satine's hand. "I have a better idea."
Satine followed her mother through the crowded airport. She was passing the Dunkin Donuts when a bald man in a wheel chair stopped right in front of her.
"OH!" she crashed into him, her bag hitting him smack in the face. "I'm so sorry!"
"It's alright," said the man, bending over the side of his wheelchair to hand her the fallen wallet. "No problem."
"Watch where you're going!" Satine's mother snapped angrily. "Friggin cripple."
Satine felt horrible and her mother stalked off, supposing Satine was following her. But the bald man in the wheel chair was looking at Satine with the strangest look. His face was so memorable…almost like she'd seen in before.
"Again, I'm sorry," the man apologized. "Have a good day."
He wheeled away and she stood there watching him go for a moment. Then her mother's shouts led her away.
"What are we doing?" Satine asked as they pulled onto the parkway.
"I've decided we're splurging," her mother said proudly, smiling at her daughter with lineless skin thanks to five hundred-dollar injections into her face. Satine couldn't help but wince when she saw her mother's taut skin and brilliantly white teeth. It was like looking at a commercial. "Screw money."
"If only it were that simple," Satine laughed. "Dad would flip." Satine knew her mother had the tendency that when she was almost completely broke to spend every last penny of her money in a sort of denial.
"Honey," her mother sighed. "Don't mention him to me. Not today. I want your birthday to be special."
"He's my dad, Mom. I can talk about him. He's your husband."
"Yes…well," her mother forced a smile. "Anyway…"
Satine's stomach filled with dread. They were splitting up and she knew it, she'd heard them talking about it…well yelling about it but it wasn't real because she hadn't been told. They fought constantly and it was mostly because her mother constantly spent money as though it were nothing, and her father was having trouble hanging onto it when there was a new lipo-suction procedure done once a month.
"Put this on," her mother handed her the red scarf from around her neck. "Cover your eyes."
"What?" Satine looked at the scarf and laughed. "What are you doing?"
"This is going to be your best birthday ever and I want it to be a surprise! Cover them!"
Satine just smiled and did what she was told.
"Michael?"
Through what felt like a haze of fog and blur, Michael could hear someone calling him. He was in extraordinary pain and everytime he almost came around, he passed out again from it. This time, he listened hard to his name being called and pulled himself out of the unconsciousness.
Sitting above him was someone he'd never seen before in his life. She had long curly brown hair and eyes that seemed to bore into him. She was small for her age, but she was clearly in her late teens. Yet he didn't remember her from the crash.
"Who are you?" he croaked, his throat very dry.
"Here, drink this," she pushed the cup into his hands and he drank before sighing and lying back down, looking curiously at her.
"Were you on the plane?" he whispered. The candlelight danced on her face, shrouding it in shadow.
"No," she said quietly, glancing back at the opening of the cave. "I was on a ship."
"A ship?" Michael said hopefully, but he'd moved too much and groaned, lying back. "Are we rescued?"
"No. But I have something I need to tell you," she said quietly. "We've never met before, and I've never met your son. But from what I know, and what I've seen…he's okay."
Michael's eyes went wide.
"He came back while I was gone?" Michael gasped, color draining from his face. "Where is he?"
"No, sshh!" she shushed him, not wanting Jack to hear. "The first time I came here, I landed on the beach. I don't remember much from that night because I was pretty turned around and scared but I do remember seeing a little boy standing on the beach. He was just standing there staring at me and when I went towards him he ran away."
"Walt!" Michael said even louder and Satine shushed him.
"Is that his name? Well, that was the first time I saw him and I didn't say anything because I thought I was seeing things. The second time was right before we found you. I was standing with Sawyer on the path where you came out and in the trees he was there, just watching us. It's almost like he was…making sure you found us?"
Tears were streaming down Michael's face and he was moaning with pain from his chest. Satine prayed no one would come back and find her here.
"Where is he?" Michael pleaded. "Where?"
"I don't know exactly…"
Suddenly a strong hand was around her throat and Michael was half risen from lying down, his hand around her neck.
"Where is he?" demanded Michael, the hand tightening around her throat. She gasped for air, her eyes bugging out. She gasped, trying to tell him she didn't know. But he tightened it. "YOU SAW HIM! WHERE WAS HE?"
"Please!" she tried to say but it came out as a squeak and she gripped his hand as she felt her head getting dizzy. No air was going into her lungs and spots were forming in front of her eyes. "I…I…"
"WHO ARE YOU?" Michael was practically bellowing and Satine could see the wound on his chest had reopened from his movement and was soaking the bandage but he didn't seem to feel it. She felt herself getting weaker and just as she was so sure she was going to pass out, he released her.
"What happened?" Jack was pulling her backward towards the cave opening. Satine coughed and sputtered, taking in deep gulps of air. Her head was spinning and she couldn't see as black spots were dancing before her eyes. Jack was talking to her but she couldn't hear him over her own gasps. "Satine! Are you okay?"
"What's going on?" Kate appeared at the opening of the cave. "Oh god! Michael!"
They all looked towards him and saw the bed was empty. Turning, they saw him stumbling from the area around the caves and into the jungle.
"Michael!"
Jack and Kate took off down the path towards the beach. They could see Michael running ahead of them and Jack couldn't believe how he was running with such a wound on his chest. They heard a scream and knew he had startled someone on the path. They came up to find Claire gasping, clutching Aaron to her.
"Michael!" she shrieked at them, pointing in the direction he'd gone. "He's bleeding!"
They sprinted towards the opening to the beach. Jack came out first and spotted Michael heading towards the ocean.
"WALT!" Michael bellowed. Blood was on the sand and Jack felt almost sick as he ran towards Michael just as he neared the water. Please don't let him drown, Jack pleaded to no one in particular.
Michael stopped just short of the waves and turned to face them. It was so abrupt that Kate and Jack stopped short, almost tumbling over one another.
"Michael!" Kate yelled to him. "It's us!"
"My boy!" Michael bellowed. He had gone insane. His once docile and kind eyes were wild and popping, bloodshot and weary. His chest was covered in blood from the wound that had soaked through the bandage that now hung off. Jack knew people had gathered on the beach and were watching. He wished they hadn't, he didn't know what was coming next.
"Walt isn't here!" Jack said calmly to Michael, approaching him slowly.
"Where is Walt?" Michael demanded angrily of Jack. "Where is he?"
"We don't know," Jack said quietly, now closer to him. "Michael, look at me."
Michael was standing at a stance where he looked ready for battle. His shredded clothes were whipping about him and the moonlight was glistening off the blood running off of him. Kate felt extremely sick and hoped she wouldn't vomit right there on the beach.
"It's okay," Jack said calmly to Michael. He'd feel the pain soon, Jack said to himself. Michael would soon come out of this and if the pain didn't kill him, the loss of blood would. "It's alright."
Slowly, Jack held Michael's arm and led him back. Almost everyone was on the beach and as they approached where Kate stood, Michael stopped again.
"She knows where he is," Michael pointed straight at Satine who stood at the end of the path leading into the jungle with Sawyer at her side. "She took my boy."
"Sawyer, come here," Kate said quietly from her place just outside the cave entrance. Sawyer had been sitting by himself on the rocks after Satine had ducked into his tent while they brought Michael back.
"How is he?" Sawyer asked quietly, glancing back. Michael lay now unconscious again as Jack tended to his newly opened wound.
"He's delirious from the infection," Kate whispered, looking back also. "Plus, we don't know what trauma he's been through."
"Why did he say the kid took Walt? He knows very well who took him," asked Sawyer sensibly. It had been bothering him for a while.
"He wasn't himself. Have you spoken to her?"
Sawyer shook his head and Kate nodded. She was remembering what Ana-Lucia said about Satine being Sawyer's accomplice. But Kate knew Sawyer really was worried about Michael because he'd spent time with him on the raft and they'd helped save each other's lives. She knew he wasn't there right then to plan anything.
"Jack and I have been talking," Kate lowered her voice even more. "We think Satine should maybe stay in the shelter from now on and that we should keep a closer eye on her."
Sawyer gave her a confused look.
"It's not that we think any of this is her fault, because it's not. But strange things have happened ever since she arrived…"
"Something strange happened before we met her…oh yes we were in a plane crash!" Sawyer emphasized nastily. "Weird things have been happening for the past month and a half, Kate."
"I know," she looked down, feeling very awkward. "But everyone seems to think she's the cause of it."
"Obviously people are going to blame someone they don't know for the source of their problem," rolling his eyes, Sawyer sighed. "Stupid."
"I know you…want to protect her…""No I don't," he growled at her. "She's a dumb kid. She follows me!"
"Okay. But if we want her to stay down there we need you to convince her. She probably won't listen to anyone else," she said carefully, unsure of what he'd say.
Sawyer thought about it. If the kid was always in the shelter there really wasn't anything to worry about. It's not that he worried about her but she was always around him. Now it would be easier to leave and know she wouldn't get lost somewhere without him.
"I'll try," he said quietly. "But I can't guarantee it."
"Thank you," Kate smiled at him. "I appreciate it."
Nodding, Sawyer stood and headed off.
Kate stood with her coat over her hands as she waited for the Marshal to finish checking his own bags. She had her coat over her hands and waited calmly as though she was simply a traveler. If anyone knew what was going through her head, she thought angrily, if anyone had any idea.
"Come on, sweetcheeks," the marshal took her firmly by the arm and led her out into the busy public area where the food court was.
"Want anything?" he remarked smartly and she threw him a look. But when she had turned her head she wasn't watching where she was going and stumbled. The marshal caught her arm but her jacket slipped revealing her handcuffed wrists.
The only person close enough to see was a young girl with brilliant eyes and brown hair who looked to be wearing at least five hundred dollars worth of name brands. She had been talking to her mother and her eyes went wide when she saw Kate's hands.
Kate could see her nudging her mother and motioning so she turned around quickly as the marshal replaced the coat.
"Close call," he sniggered.
As they walked by, Kate felt the glares of this girl on her as she passed and felt it until she reached the gate.