TITLE:This Kind of Predicament
AUTHOR: Pedellea
DATE: December 31, 2004
RATING: PG
SUMMARY: A filler fic for what happened between Boone's scuffle with Sawyer and Shannon and Boone showing up at the caves from "Confidence Man".
SPOILERS: Confidence Man
DISCLAIMER: Lost belongs to J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, Bad Robot, ABC and Touchstone Television.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I say there should be more Boone stories written! So here's a little contribution. This is also my first Lost fic. Reviews are most welcome.

THIS KIND OF PREDICAMENT
By Pedellea

As she turned onto her stomach to tan her back, she caught a glimpse of a figure staggering out from the bushes in the distance. Normally, she wouldn't take a second look at anyone passing, even if they were half dead, but this figure was strangely familiar.

She stayed on her side and propped up her head to take a better look.

"Oh my god... "

People on this stinking island probably thought of her as a thoughtless and selfish bimbo, especially when compared to her brother who was always off trying to help everybody. And it was true. She'd really rather paint her toenails and bask in the bright sun than gather firewood or do whatever other chore that needs to be done.

So it crossed her mind as she took off running to meet up with the figure that she looked ridiculous running down the beach, as if purposefully doing something for once in her life. For a split second, maybe she did have a purpose.

"Boone!!! "

Shannon was five feet away from him when he dropped to his knees, his face covered in blood. She dropped down right beside him.

"What happened, Boone? "

He took a moment to catch his breath.

"Sawyer. "
"Why? What happened? "

He gave her a look.

"Your inhalers, Shan."

Her heart skipped a beat, partly from what her brother did, and partly from remembering her breathing troubles from the morning. She never liked to remember these things. There had been enough medication until a couple of nights ago, when her last inhaler ran out. When she started panicking this morning, Boone thankfully guided her out of a full-blown asthma attack. Now, her brother was covered in blood because of her. For the billionth time in her life, it was again her fault.

As much as she hated her brother for trying to boss her around, she simply wouldn't know what to do without him in problematic situations she often got tangled in. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if he hadn't survived the plane crash. She shuddered at the thought.

"Shan? You okay? "

She looked at him. As if he should be the one asking the question. She changed the subject.

"Why Sawyer?"
"I saw him with my Watership Down. I figured he stole your inhalers too."
"Did he?"

Boone shook his head slowly.

"I dunno. I kicked me out before I could find them."

He winced as he readjusted himself on the sand. Shannon frowned in concern.

"C'mon. Jack should probably take a look at you."

Boone looked up at her, a little surprised that she was actually that concerned. He nodded in response, and tried to get up on his own. His head started spinning, and he nearly lost his balance. Shannon slipped her shoulder under his arm and helped him up. After he steadied himself, he gave a grateful glance at his sister, and the two started their trek to the caves.

As the pair half staggered, half walked through the forest, the thought of appearing ridiculous popped into Shannon's mind again. But she remembered, too, the times when Boone helped her home when she drank too much and no one else bothered to take care of her. He probably looked ridiculous too, trying to drag her into the car while she was half conscious. Maybe, just this once, she could show him that deep down, she actually cared for him too, in her own little way.

About midway there, Boone tripped on a tree branch which sent the two sprawling onto the ground. He let out a yelp as Shannon pulled herself back up, a little out of breath herself.

"You okay?"

He nodded even though it was painfully obvious he was not okay. Not knowing what to do, Shannon started to panic. She had never been the level-headed one, the one who solved problems. But Boone, being sensitive to his sister's needs as he was, picked up right away on her quickened breaths.

"Shan... it's okay... just give me... a sec."

Although his head pounded hard and he ached all over from the fall, he couldn't let Shannon have an attack now, especially when they were in the middle of the jungle without Jack or any of her medication. He tried to quickly catch his breath.

"Help me up."

Shannon looked helplessly at him, but nodded, trying to slow her breathing down. She put her arms around one of his shoulders and hoisted him up as best she could. Once he steadied himself, they moved on at an even slower pace.

"Just keep breathing slow, Shan. You'll be okay."

He muttered it every so often as they struggled their way to the caves. He bit his tongue every time he wanted to cry out from the pain, just so Shannon wouldn't be any more freaked out than she already was. Finally, the forest broke and they were in the clearing.

"We need some help over here!"

Jack and Sayid rushed right over in response to Shannon's scream and lifted Boone's weight off her. She sat down heavily on a rock as they tended to her brother, feeling a little lightheaded from the ordeal, but relieved. She looked down, hoping that no one would notice her breathing was shorter and harder than usual. She hated how other people looked at her when her asthma acted up.

Shannon stole a quick glance at Boone, who was squirming away from Jack as Jack tried to clean his head wound. She winced for him, knowing that it was all because of her that he was in this kind of predicament. It was always because of her that he got beat up like that.

But he was always okay in the end. Sometimes, he might be mad at her for a while, for not being able to break loose from her loser friends, for making their mother pester him about keeping her out of trouble, for landing him in the hospital for a short stay, for making the stupid decisions that she did with her life. Sometimes, she'd hate herself for doing all these things too, though she would never let him know.

She knew he would be okay and that he'd always be there to watch out for her.

The trouble was, would she be okay too?

THE END

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