Lost - part 21
One weekly dollop of Lost, coming right up! Hope you like it, and please review
"Ow . . ." Sam moaned as she came to. She felt like she was on fire – the light pouring through the un-curtained windows was burning her eyes, and firm hands were pressing down on her everywhere, they wouldn't let her up . . .
"Easy, easy Sam, it's okay . . ." Jack's voice lilted through the panic and pain fogging her thought processes. She forced her eyes open again, trying to see past the blinding light.
Slowly, with a lot of squinting, his silhouette emerged from the fiery background, hovering by her bed, his hands among those trying to hold her body still.
"Hurts." She croaked.
"I know, I know." He tried to sooth her, pressing a cool damp cloth against her forehead. She was burning up, a fever raging through her weakened body. Before she'd come round, she'd been lashing out, fighting some invisible force violently, and they'd had to physically hold her down to stop her hurting herself. Now she was calmer, but still restless, and moaning every so often. She was in so much pain, and it was killing him.
"Haman?" Jack turned to the man examining Sam's wound.
"It looks good." Haman said distractedly, peering into Sam's bloody side.
"Good?" Jack repeated incredulously. "Look at her!"
Haman's gaze moved to Sam's face. "I am sorry for her discomfort. I have given her as much pain relief as I dare." He said sadly. "The best we can do is try to keep her temperature down, and keep the injury clean."
Sam cried out as Haman pressed a new bandage onto her gunshot wound, causing Jack to glare at him. Haman muttered an apology, but continued to strap the wound.
Jack wiped the sweat from Sam's face with a cloth, and continued to mutter quiet soothing words into her ear. After a while, the pained expression on her face lessened, her breathing evening out. Even in sleep though, her body remained tense.
He sighed and sat back down on the stool, nodding to the nurses as they left, no longer needed. This was so hard.
"Jack." A tired a voice called from the door.
"Kollen." Jack twisted in his chair to see the old man. He looked almost as bad as Jack felt.
"How is Samantha?" Kollen asked, approaching the bed.
"Not too good. Haman said the wound looks good, but she's in a lot of pain, and she has a fever." Jack informed him.
"I am sorry to hear that. I truly hope she is well again soon."
Jack nodded his thanks silently.
"What's going on out there?" He asked after a while, gesturing towards the town hall.
Kollen sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "There is fierce debate about what should be done with Tomah. Some feel he should be imprisoned for the remainder of his days, others feel he has simply made a mistake and deserves a second chance."
Jack looked up sharply.
"I assure, you, Jack, I am not one of them." Kollen said, his face grave.
"I know. But please tell me Nassem isn't either."
"He is not. He advocates a third option." He said carefully.
Jack raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"
"He . . . believes that Tomah should be made an example of."
Jack gestured for him to continue.
Kollen let out a deep breath. "You have to understand, we have not had crime of this nature in our village in generations. There are disagreements, dishonesties occasionally, but never attacks, and certainly not attempted murder."
"So what does Nassem want to do?"
There was a pause, during which Kollen seemed to be finding the energy to speak.
"He wants Tomah executed."
Jack's eyebrows shot still higher. "I'm sorry?"
Kollen gave him a grave look.
"He's changed his tune hasn't he? He was adamant that we keep Tomah alive when we went in for Sam."
"He has contemplated the matter, and he now believes it is in the public interest."
"You disagree." It was more of an observation than a question.
"Yes." Kollen nodded. "Nassem and I have spent many hours arguing the point. I will not back down from my position though, even if I have to fight with Nassem for months. We cannot, cannot act so rashly. To do so would divide Amdra, at a time when we need to unite."
Jack nodded slowly, thinking about it. While he could see the old man's point, he couldn't quite bring himself to disagree with Nassem's sentiments. He'd gladly see Tomah killed. Hell, he'd gladly do it himself.
"It may come down to a vote." Kollen said, bringing Jack out of his musings.
"A vote?"
"It seems just, that at a time when the council has failed the people, the people decide the retribution."
"So everyone votes?" Jack asked.
Kollen nodded. "All the workers."
Jack looked at Kollen carefully, frowning. "When you say 'workers' . . ."
"The people who work. The men." Kollen elaborated.
"Ah." Jack grimaced and looked nervously at Sam, who was still fast asleep. "You know Sam's not gonna be happy when she hears that."
Kollen smiled slightly. "I expected as much. However, in such a time of turmoil, it is necessary to keep as much normality and order as possible. Now is not the time for reform."
"Well that's certainly gonna be a fun conversation." Jack muttered, stroking Sam's hair out of her face.
Kollen stood suddenly. "If you will excuse me, I think I must return to the Council chamber. I believe it would be unwise to leave Nassem alone for too long."
Jack nodded with a grim smile. "Good luck."
Kollen clapped Jack on the shoulder as he left. "And to you, Jack."
As Sam woke up for the third time since her arrival at the 'healing house', she became aware of two things: firstly, the pain had become almost bearable, and secondly, there was a great commotion outside. Shadows flitted past the windows, blocking out the morning sunlight currently streaming through the windows.
She turned her head and tried to focus on the occupant of the bedside stool. It wasn't Jack.
"Karelle?" Sam croaked, coughing a little. Karelle smiled, and got up to bring a beaker of water to the younger woman's lips.
"Hello, Samantha. It is good to see you awake."
"What's going on, where's Jack?" She asked after gingerly sipping the water, gratefully letting it trickle down her dry throat.
"There is a vote in progress. He has gone to take part."
"A vote?"
Karelle took Sam's hand gently. "Yes, dear. The villagers are deciding Tomah's fate."
Sam raised her eyebrows. "The village . . . they're voting on it?"
"Yes. Kollen and Nassem felt it was the only fair way to decide."
Sam nodded slowly.
"Why aren't you voting?" She asked after a while.
Karelle looked confused. "The women do not vote. It is the men's decision."
"Excuse me?" Sam was shocked. "Why the hell don't the women get a say? Tomah was their leader too."
Karelle sighed. "You know the laws here, Sam. It is not our way."
"So you're telling me that the women, who make up over fifty per cent of this village's population, aren't considered intelligent or valuable enough to give them equal say in such an important decision?"
Karelle stroked Sam's hand soothingly. "I am sorry. I know it angers you that women are not equal with men, here, but it is the reality. The men will make a good decision. Trust them."
"Like we were supposed to trust Tomah?" Sam said bitterly, glaring at the ceiling. She closed her eyes, wishing she could get up and go make a scene at the voting stations. She would too, if she thought she could stand without collapsing in pain.
"Do you wish to talk about it?" Karelle asked gently.
Sam frowned, confused. "Talk about what?"
"Your ordeal with Tomah." Karelle said. "I am sure it must have been quite frightening."
Sam waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine. Believe me, I've experienced far worse."
Karelle looked shocked, but didn't press the issue.
"So what are the options?" Sam asked.
"Options?"
"In the vote. What are the choices being offered?"
Karelle seemed to consider her words before speaking. "There are three suggested sentences at this time. The first is lifelong imprisonment. The second is a shorter imprisonment. If enough villagers vote for this 'option', there will be a second vote regarding the span of his sentence." She said.
Sam waited, but Karelle seemed unwilling to say anything more. "Karelle? What's the third option?"
Karelle closed her eyes. "Execution."
There was a pause during which the word and its implications seemed to hang in the air like a bad smell.
"I see." Sam said quietly. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. While a part of her, a big part of her, would like nothing more than to see Tomah dead, she had to admit it was a selfish wish. She knew Amdra's history, and how serious an action that would be. They were not a violent people, and if a majority did vote for Tomah's execution, it could badly affect the village's morale, not to mention the dangerous precedent it could set. She thought about Jack. Somehow she thought he'd be voting for the last option, and she couldn't help feeling a little comforted by it.
"Do you have any idea what the likely outcome will be?" Sam asked tentatively.
Karelle sighed and opened her eyes. "I would expect the people to vote for Tomah's lifelong imprisonment. I hope that will be the result. It would cause the least damage and upset in Amdra, I think."
Sam nodded. She closed her eyes and balled her hands into fists, trying to block out the growing ache in her side.
"Samantha? Are you alright?" Karelle asked, concerned.
"Yeah." Sam smiled weakly at her. "I think I'm going to go back to sleep though, I'm kinda tired."
Karelle nodded, and smoothed the covers over her with a kind of motherly affection that made Sam a little homesick. It reminded her of Janet.
"Sleep well, Samantha."
Sam smiled again, feeling consciousness slowly drift away, softly on the breeze wafting through the window . . .
Okay, so I MAY have gotten a little stupid and fluffy at the end, but otherwise, what did you think? Please review, my muse and I really do appreciate it!
Beka