Chapter 25
Hi. Here's number 25! Let me know what you think...
"How's your chest?" Jack looked at Sawyer, ready to help him sit.
"Feels like it's going to explode."
"Tight?"
"Yeah, like I can't breathe."
Jack looked at Mike, Mike seeing the trouble on Jack's face.
"Sitting up might help," Mike heard the doubt in Jack's voice but helped him anyway. Mike grabbed one arm and Jack the other, "Are you ready?" Jack looked down at Sawyer, who was only just hanging on to consciousness.
"Jack, he's not up to this..."
"I'm fine, just do it."
"He'll sure be awake after it," Jack ignored Sawyer, looking at Mike. Mike could see the worry on his face, feeling the nervous energy pulse off him. "On the count of three, we're going to sit him up and drag him to the boulder, just there." He nodded at a large rock about a meter behind Sawyer. Mike nodded. "One, Two, Three..."
As they pulled Sawyer up, he yelled the pain he was feeling, they could hear the rasping of his breath in his lungs. His head was thrown back and his body was shaking. "Don't stop," Jack shouted as the look on Mike's face suggested he was scared. They half stood and dragged Sawyer so his back was against the rock. They all sat on the ground, gasping for breath, Sawyer's eyes shut as his body shook with pain.
"Are you ok?" Jack looked at him, getting no response, "James?"
"St-op, call-ing, me J-Jam-es?"
"Ok. I need you to stay awake for me. I need to look at your new taser burn, we need to clean it. But it's going to hurt like hell..."
"Then we won't do it..."
"Mike, we have to."
"We didn't the last time."
"The wound wasn't as deep, and we didn't have enough water. And although I hate to admit it but being with the Others gave us security. They had medication, supplies. Now we're alone, left to our own devices, which isn't a lot. If he gets an infection, there'll be nothing I can do here. It has to be done, I'm sorry," Jack looked at Sawyer as he said the last sentence.
"No worries, I can take it." Jack frowned at this, but didn't have time to respond.
"Mike, go and get water. There was two empty buckets I brought from the boat, they're by the fire, bring one with water, one without. My shirt is lying next to the fire, I've sterilised it as much as I can, bring that too," as Mike got up and went to the fire Sawyer looked at Jack.
"How bad?" Jack could hear the slight fear in his voice.
"Bad. But we've got you. Ok? Just hold on. Then you'll feel a bit better, I promise."
Mike was back. Jack took the water and placed it beside him, putting the shirt in the bucket. He gave the empty bucket to Mike. He was nervous, knowing what pain he was about to put Sawyer through. He took a deep breath and turned to Mike.
"I need you to hold him down." He didn't wait for Mike to respond, but took his wet shirt and started pressing it to Sawyer's torso. He flinched at the pained yell, but after a few times of pressing the shirt to skin, he heard Mike shouting at him to stop. He tried to block out Sawyer's pain as his body shook and spasmed on the ground. He tried to block out Sawyer vomiting into the empty bucket Mike held for him. He cleaned the wound, noticing the burnt skin stretching further with the new burn than the last. Finally he stopped.
"Sawyer? You still with us?" He threw the shirt down in the water, putting his hand on Sawyer's shoulder. He was shaking, sweat on his face, his skin white almost green. Jack found his other hand was shaking as he put it in Sawyer's, Mike's hand in Sawyer's other. They just sat there in the silence, their breathing loud. Jack felt Mike stare at him with anger.
"You're trying to say that was really necessary?"
"Yes," Jack could feel the hostility in Mike's words but this couldn't be his main concern, "Sawyer? Are you still with us? Talk to me."
"Yeah, I'm here. Just... just tired," his voice was almost inaudible, Jack leaning forward to hear.
"You can sleep in a bit. I need to check your eye," Jack used his damp shirt to prop Sawyer's head on the rock, then put his hand over his right eye, "How is it?"
"Good, I can see fine."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Good," Jack removed his hand, taking a bottle of water, holding it not far from Sawyer's torso, "Can you grab it?" He and Mike watched as a pained expression spread across Sawyer's face as he lifted his shaking arm and tried to grab the bottle. He managed on the third try, fifth time with his left. "That's ok, it's good considering what happened. How's the breathing?"
"Better."
"Chest still tight?"
"Yeah."
"Ok. Your body's been through a lot, it'll take time."
"We don't have time. We need to get back to camp. Where are we anyway?"
"The other side of the island. The Others started shooting at us, so we had to take cover. We detoured," it was Mike that responded, he looked at Sawyer as he spoke, ignoring Jack completely. "But it's ok, we're all together, we're safe here."
"You need to move."
"We'll wait until you're better."
"No, ya'll need to move. Get Walt out of here, it's him they want."
"Sawyer, we're not leaving. Now relax," Jack spoke over Mike's response, noticing how tired Sawyer was getting. "Can you move your legs for me?" He and Mike watched as Sawyer's legs twitched.
"I'm tired." His voice was barely audible again.
"I know, try moving them again."
Jack felt Mike stare at him as he watched Sawyer move the position of his legs, letting out a shuddering yelp as he did so.
"I'm so tired."
"Ok. Ok, that's enough for now. Sleep, we'll wake you when they come back with food." Even as Jack said it, Sawyer's breathing evened out.
