Not Giving Up
Suddenly hope was restored. Jack went rushing over to something. He picked it up and turned around. A smile graced his face as he held it out. Looking down Kate saw another one of the finger bands in his hand.
"Looks like we we're right.' Jack smiled. A weight lifted off her shoulders and did the same for Jack.
"Where to now?' Kate questioned looking around. Their spines were impulsively jolted as screams filled the air. They both looked franticly around. They became louder quick setting Jack off in the direction towards it.
"Jack.' She called after him.
"Where are you going?" She called as she ran after him. He said nothing as he quickly climbed up a muddy hill towards the screams.
Kate hurried after him up the hill.
"Where are you going?" Kate loudly called behind him.
"Didn't you hear her?" He yelled back to her as he grabbed for anything that would pull him farther up the hill.
"Hear who?' Kate yelled back up to him as she began to slip and loose her grip. Quickly grabbing onto a vine sort of thing she pulled herself up. Keeping her place for a moment she looked up at Jack who was a way ahead of her. She wanted to keep going, but where they going in the right direction? Looking down behind her the hill they had climbed up was a long drop back to the valley. Closing her eyes she turned back forward to begin up the hill.
Looking up she saw Jack's foot slip and him loose he grip. In an instant he came tumbling towards her and down the hill.
"Jack!" She screamed as she let go and reached for him. She would have never caught him and been able to hold on without him bringing her down with him. But she tired hard to get some hold of him. Without luck he fell out of her reach and sight.
She quickly balanced herself and extended herself out as far as she could. Looking down she still saw no sign of Jack. She began to panic as she descended a bit to get a better look beneath her. She still saw nothing. Pushing herself up against the hill she sat for a moment heavily breathing. She had to go down and find Jack. Telling herself to calm down she drew in a deep breath and slowly started down the hill.
With the mud and rain it was hard to keep her ground. Slipping and sliding made it hard for her to make her way down. She came to a rift in the hill. There was no way down it. Looking to her left and then her right she saw a small "trail" she could walk from the hill that would take her down to level ground.
The trail led her way off from where Jack had fell. She would have to walk back towards the hill. Coming to somewhat level ground she stood up. Grabbing a hold of the nearest trees she pulled herself to balance. Getting herself situated she frantically looked around.
"Jack!" She called as she slowly walked around. Looking around at everything she began to worry, as she couldn't find him. What if he had gotten up and walked away? She thought. It seemed too unlikely with the fall he was in. If he was able to get up he would have went right back up the hill.
Knowing for almost sure he hadn't walked away she began to wonder what had happen to him as she wondered back from where they had come before he blew off.
Coming to the valley the rain suddenly stopped. Her eyes wondered again up to the sky as they did when it started. Only looking briefly she looked back around at her surroundings. It was getting late by this point. The sun was setting quickly and she needed to find Jack.
Continuing to the hill where he had fell she stopped and looked around for some hint or clue to where he was. Finding nothing she started to be come frightened think of where he was or what had happened to him.
Frantic she began walking again.
"Jack!" She screamed. "Jack! Where are you?" She screamed louder as she came to the top of a ditch some feet from the base of the hill.
"Jack…' She slowly went off as her heart dropped passed her stomach to the floor. Staring in a daze down in the ditch there lay Jack. His face nearly covered in blood as he lay in a pool of muddy water. Kate could not comprehend what she saw. Her mind wondered questioning if he was dead.
Pulling herself away from the sight she quickly headed down to see him. Shaken up, every move she made she stumbled into. Falling all over the place she barley made it down into the ditch without falling herself. Stepping foot in the ditch she made her way slowly over to him.
"Jack." She whispered as tears began to roll down her cheeks. As his body rest lifeless at her feet she was brought to her knees before him. The water surrounding him came past her knees as she crawled through it to him. She slowly bent over his body looking in his face. This image scared her. Him lying within touch of her not waking up as her breath beat down on his face and her tears trickled down upon him.
She stared into his face intensely as she sobbed.
"Wake up!" She called in a raspy voice. He didn't move. Sniffing back tears she leaned down putting her ear to his face. She heard slight breaths form his body. They were short and toiled, but they were breaths. Telling her he was alive, but how bad off was he. He didn't even wake when she yelled. Her eyes wondered over his body. Form his calves submerged in water slowly up his legs, to his chest, ending on his face. Blood was seeping from his lips, nose and forehead. He was badly beaten from the fall. From what she could gather he had hit his head at some point and it had knocked him out pretty good.
Moving her hand to his face she gently touched over his wounds. Brining her other hand to his she grasped his face. Looking concentrated into his eyelids seeing past them somehow to his eyes she begged in her head to some higher power for him to wake up.
"Jack." She called as she rubbed his face. No reaction.
"Jack." She called louder as her sprawled her hand out over his face grasping it harder. Nothing. Taking in a deep breath she looked away to calm. She swallowed hard before looking back to him. "Jack." She called louder tapping the side of his face.
With staring as hard as she was into his face she saw his eyes beneath their lids move. Her stomach filled with hopeful butterflies. She crouched down farther over him. "Jack. Wake up! Please!" She cried nearly on the verge of yelling in his face as she lightly smacked the side of his face. Maybe loud enough she thought he would come out. Slowly his eyes flutter open.
"Jack." She called again trying to get his attention. His eyes looked up to hers. "Jack.' She smiled seeming his eyes.
"Are you ok?" She asked as he gingerly sat up.
He looked around and then back to her.
"Kate.' He whispered as he stood up. She stood close next to him helping him up.
"How long was I out?' He asked standing on his own.
"I don't know. You slipped on the rocks." She began still shaken.
"Ethan" Jack blurted out as he looked around.
"What?' Kate questioned right behind him.
"Ethan was here.' Jack said as he started to walk off. Kate put her hand to his chest stopping him.
"You banged you head Jack." She tried to explain as he looked away form her. He didn't even seem to care.
"No." He began as he pulled away from her.
"Ethan was here." He repeated.
He looked around trying to place where to head next. Which way Ethan had went off.
"You have to stop." Kate ordered as she looked over at him.
"The rain washed away the trail. Even if he was here you got to…" She began.
"No." Jack said cutting her off, as he started walking off.
"Jack." Kate called as she headed after him. She was worried that if he suffered a concussion his thought was off. His whole mind was off.
"I'm not letting him do this." Jack stated.
"Let him do this?' Kate questioned after him.
"Not again." He called back to her as he disappeared behind some brush. She hurried after him sacred of what he might do.
On the beach the others had no word form anybody. Most of them didn't even know what was going on. Sawyer did. He walked alo
There were "others' on the island. People there before they crashed and from what was going on they didn't seem friendly. Looking up the shore he saw everyone.
They were all doing something. He questioned whether he should be doing some thing. Something to help find the two who had gone missing. Becoming to stressed on the matter he reached into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes. Pulling one out he placed it between his lips as he brought his lighter up to light it.
Pulling it from his mouth to exhale he looked out to the water. The sunset. He wondered for a moment why Kate was always staring out into it. Then it hit him. It was soothing. He stood there for a while before he turned away heading back up the beach cigarette in hand.
Right behind him Kate was ready incase he blacked out or passed out. She was so worried about him and the condition he was in that she had forgotten about Claire and Charlie. They were still out there and they could be worse off then Jack. Dead even.
She didn't even wanna think of that possibility. Pushing it form her mind she turned her attention to Jack in front of her. She remained quiet as he did. But how did he know if they were going the right way she wondered. Slowly walking up his side she looked up to him. His face still badly beaten. It haunted her as she remembered those horrid moments when she didn't know if he was alive.
Looking away she came to question.
"Jack." She began.
"How do we know this is the right way?" she asked.
"I really don't Kate. To tell you the truth I don't.' He chuckled nervously as he looked away going back into his daze again.
She sighed as she backed off with the question. She kept her eye on him as seemed not to even be on the thought of Charlie and Claire. Off in own world he still had the sense of where he was going. If they were going somewhere.
The sun had set over the island and the forest had become a gloomy place. Neither of them really had an idea where they were and how far from the camp they were.
They were running on pure hope and that was slowly fading. Jack was more alert then he was. The walking probably woke him up. With him awake they still needed to figure out what they were doing.
Coming to a hill Kate pushed away some leaves that were in her way. Looking up she came to a horrid sight. There hanging from what looked like a vine was Charlie. His body limp hanging nearly in mid-air. His arms to his sides with his eyes blindfolded. Kate stopped and gasped at the sight as Jack came next to her.
He stopped in near shock. He had no words. Both stared in dismay.
"No." Jack whispered as he ran to Charlie. Grabbing him by the waist he tried his best to hoist him up. It didn't help.
'Kate. You have to cut him down." Jack yelled back to her. Kate ran a fast as she could up to the vine wall. Trapping her feet in between the vines and clenching the knife in between her teeth she began to climb.
Just like when she tried to save Jack she balanced herself and extended out with knife in hand. She tried to reach, but she couldn't.
"You have to pull him closer." Kate yelled down to Jack. Grasping a better grip on him, Jack slowly pulled Charlie's body over to Kate's reach. Frantically she severed the vine making Charlie come crashing down upon Jack.
Immediately Jack turned him over. As Kate jumped down Jack pulled the blindfold over Charlie's head. His face was badly beaten and the vine had cut a ring into his neck. Coming to kneel next to him, Kate watched as Jack leaned over checking for any signs of breathing. This was all too familiar to Kate. There were no breaths from his body. Jack quickly went to CPR. As he did this Kate took Charlie's hand squeezing it tight.
Watching over Charlie as Jack tried to revive him, tears formed in Kate's eyes. Charlie was not coming back. He lay there lifeless in front of her and the man she had saved a short while ago. Was he really dead? Quickly discarding CPR seeing that it wasn't working Jack pounded a fist down on Charlie's chest.
"Come on Charlie!' He yelled as he did in again. Doing it again Kate jumped up not being able to take it anymore.
She began to sob as she turned from this scene, but she continuously heard Jack's fist hitting Charlie's breathless chest. This was too much for her. She had nearly lost Jack and now Charlie. What about Claire and her baby? What if after this they found her body with her baby in her arms as she clung to it to her last breath.
This wasn't supposed to be like this. This island was consuming each and every one of them one by one. Who was next? Charlie was sure no coward like he claimed. He was brave for risking his life for Claire. He just shouldn't have ended this way.
Turning around she saw Jack's undying hope.
"Jack stop!" She cried as she came to his side.
"Stop!" She cried as she grabbed his hand stopping him.
"He's not coming back." She bawled. Jack lowered his hand as they both stared at Charlie's body. Jack began to cry as he felt he let Charlie down. He left everyone down. Bowing his head in failure he sobbed.
"It's ok." Kate cried as she tried to comfort him by resting her hand on his shoulder.
Staring at this life before him Jack couldn't just give. He wouldn't give up.
"No." He insisted as he flung Kate's hand off his shoulder. Raising his fist again he slammed it harder down on Charlie. Kate looked away as the tears came on stronger. The sound of Jack pleading with Charlie began to make her sick. Suddenly there was a sound of someone gasping for air. Kate turned around as he heart leapt from her body. Charlie's eyes were open as he took deep breaths.
"Charlie!" Jack called out. Kate fell to her knees beside Charlie as she grasped his hand letting him know she was there.
Jack held him close with a smile on his face.
"Just breath." He said looking down upon Charlie as he wiped away the tears from his eyes. He looked up to catch Kate's eyes. She cried for joy as she gave him a rewarding smiled. Looking back down to Charlie he looked back to the two with a focused gaze, as he seemed to rest in their arms.
For a while they all remained quiet just relieved to be there together and alive. But no matter how happy Claire was still out there and that thought never left their mind. Soon they would have to get up and head back. It wasn't safe to stay there with Ethan loose and Claire still missing.
Gathering strength up, Charlie was relaxed between Kate and Jack as they wrapped their arms around him for support. Making sure he was ready the two started back to the camp.
Now knowing how they had made it there it would be easy to make their way back. As they walked along in the dark Jack and Kate kept a close eye on Charlie and the forest. They kept aware in case Ethan or anyone else was to sneak up on them.
Looking over to Jack, Kate was proud of him for what he did. Wrapping her arm loosely around Charlie's back she rested her hand over Jack's. He looked questioning over to her. She looked over to him with a tenderhearted smile letting him know how she felt. He smiled back to her, as he blushed looking away.