50 / 50 - Chapter 5
by Mystic
February 2005
Jack sharpened the edge of another rod. Every day he found a new one and everyday he made sure it could pierce anything he came into contact with. His beard had grown out an inch and his eyes were wild. No one spoke to him except Locke and Sawyer. They followed the trails for days, but Locke said there were many trails in the forest of the people who lived there, he couldn't find hers.
Stabbing a Coconut, Jack watched the liquid seep into the sand and he nodded, pushing the item off his spear as he made his way towards the edge of the jungle.
"Gonna scare away the Coconuts, chief," Sawyer told him, but his heart wasn't in it. He'd long since cut off all his excess hair to make sure his eyes and ears had nothing between his senses and the things in the jungle.
"You coming or not?" Jack asked simply.
Sawyer shook his head. "Jack, it's been a month."
"I don't care. I'm going to find her." He stabbed at the ground, anchoring the rod before taking a step into the jungle. In his waistband was a hunting knife Locke had taught him how to use years before. He'd fight them to the death for her if that's what it took.
"Jack," Sawyer called.
The other man turned and waited.
"I love 'er as much as you do, but it's been a month. She could've had that baby and died already, they could've killed her. There's no sense in getting yourself killed for nothing."
Shaking his head, Jack put his free hand on his waist. "You do not love her as much as I do." He stalked off.
Locke came up the beach and watched Sawyer stare at the jungle. They'd had this fight every day for two weeks now. Sawyer thought it was no use; Jack refused to give up. Locke didn't know if it was the woman in question or just their nature. He figured on the latter. "You gonna follow him?" He asked.
Sawyer raised a hand and flapped it at Jack, turning away from the jungle in frustration. "I been to parts of this jungle I don't ever wanna see again and there's no sign of anything. She ain't out there."
"I think she is," Locke told him with a nod of his head.
"You gonna tell me about dogs and boars again?"
Locke smiled. "No, Kate's a fighter, I could read it on her from the second I met her. She's out there, we just haven't found her yet."
"You been lookin', Ace?" Sawyer growled.
The other man nodded. "Charlie, Walt and I have gone out every night since she disappeared."
"And you ain't found her," he pointed out.
Look shook his head. "Doesn't mean she's not out there. This is a big island. We know Danielle's still out there too, we haven't found her either."
"And if a tree falls in West Virginia and no one hears it, it really did fall. I get your point, I just think he's gone off his rocker."
"He lost the woman he loved. He lost his child." Locke paused. "Wouldn't you?"
Sawyer remained by himself as Locke went into the jungle after Jack. The older man wouldn't admit it to anyone, but two years later, he still searched the grounds for Boone's trails. Sometimes he thought he saw them, but it always turned out to be Jack's or Sawyer's and he'd try not to let the thought of the other man's death invade his thinking. His short time with the man had taught him what it might have been like to have his own son.
Locke caught up with Jack fairly quickly. Even in his old age, he was as lean as he was before he'd been paralyzed. All the hikes and hunting kept him that way. "You just gonna walk blindly or are we going to stop and take in some of the information the jungle has to provide."
Jack stopped sharp, surprised by the sudden company. He raised a hand as if allowing Locke to search. He watched the way the other man glanced around and then pointed to his left. "We spotted some trails back here last night, didn't come from any of our own."
"We're looking for Kate," Jack reminded him.
Locke smiled. "I know, but I'm guessing whoever's got Kate captive is also keeping tabs on us and has to return to where Kate is eventually."
Nodding, Jack understood and he followed Locke.
Kate closed her eyes again, waiting just a second and then opened them, making a surprised face at the toddler who squealed in delight. "Peek-a-Boo!" she half whispered. The little girl giggled, splashing water in Kate's face. She had taken the child out of a muddy hole and was bathing her while the little girl's mother went to find food to eat.
The toddler slapped the edge of the metal basin. Kate didn't know where it came from, but it looked like it might have been used for washing feet or dishes a long time ago on a boat. Wrapping her arms around her large stomach, she glanced around. A man gave her an angry look at the constant sounds the child was making and she curled her top lip in annoyance.
"It's what baby's do," she told him.
He shook his head and left, carrying a load of firewood towards the center of camp. A sharp pain ripped up her backside and she seized the edge of the tub, watching the little girl slap her hands playfully. It was the third time since the night before. It worried her. A hand touched her shoulder gently and she looked up at Sayid.
"We leave tonight," he mouthed.
"Tonight," she mouthed back.
The baby began babbling for them and Sayid laughed, bending down next to her. "I've been watching you. You're going into labor."
"So now's the best time?" Kate asked quietly.
"We need to get you back to Jack. You've been cooperative, they are leaving you unattended now, they will not notice when you slip away for a bath."
He gave her the details of when and where they'd meet. She nodded her head and he helped her off the ground, then waited until the toddler's mother came to retrieve her to continue. "We will have to move fast, can you do this?"
Kate waddled several steps and groaned. "I don't know."
"You'll have to be strong. We are far from the camps. It will take us a day to arrive there and I might have to deliver the child."
Kate nodded her head slowly, understanding. "Sayan?"
Sayid looked around and then nodded. Then he touched her shoulder and smiled, the smile that made her feel as though everything might just be alright. "I won't let anything happen to you."
She wanted to hug him. But she remembered the last time someone said they'd let nothing happen to her.
"I promise," Saywer told her, crossing his chest with his fingers. He watched the edge of the cliff without blinking an eye and took hold of the rope they'd tossed over.
Kate sighed and let her hands drop from the place on her waist. "Fine, Sawyer, we climb down the 'fast' way."
"Don't worry, Freckles, did this all the time back home. Just gotta hold on tight."
She grabbed hold of the other end of the rope they'd strapped around a tree. It had more than enough length to get them to the bottom of the steep cliff and a little extra flapped on the rocks below. Kate took the rope and tied it around her buttocks carefully, making a loose knot and she leaned back as Sawyer let himself drop. She jerked forward as his lurch and grabbed hold of the edge of the cliff, looking over at him angrily before descending with him at her side.
"You've done this before," he let slip, surprised.
"I'm just full of surprises," she allowed, moving slowly down, making sure her feet were pressed firm against the rock wall.
"What, you some kind of super government agent? I know damn well you can shoot a gun, you're also one of the best liars I ever met, might even got me beat if you want something bad enough. And I can't quite place the fighting style, but it hurts."
She smiled. "How's the knee, by the way?"
"Oh, just peachy keen. Just lucky you didn't break it."
Kate laughed. "I wasn't trying to."
"Woo hoo," he shouted in amusement. "So what's your story?" He slid down the rope the last ten feet and held her weight.
"Maybe I was a government agent, maybe," she grinned down at him, "I'm sworn to secre…" the rope snapped. Kate let out a shout before falling the last ten feet onto her back. The air escaped her lungs and she gasped as Sawyer jumped to her side.
Kate sat in the hut that night thinking back on that day. Her back had been pierced by several rocks, not enough to cause serious damage, but enough to keep her in pain the entire walk back to camp. Sawyer hadn't made any more jokes that day, it was the closest to serious as she could remember him being about anything besides his own history. Jack had been furious.
"What the hell were you thinking, you walk down the cliffs, not slide down on ropes. You could have been hurt worst. If any of those rocks had been big enough, Kate, they could have punctured your lung. The fall could have broken your spine." He poured water over the scratches and holes again, listening as she hissed. "These could get infected and we're running low on antibiotics now."
She shrugged, a tear in her shoulder searing in pain. "Aren't you a doctor, isn't that a leg of science? Make some. Moldy fruit. Boil the mold or something."
Jack glanced at her. He smiled and she allowed herself a weak laugh.
Emerging from the hut, she held the towel she had been given for bathing. There were holes in it and some of the edges had been torn, leaving strips of material and individual strands hanging. She knew though to stay calm, to smile at the men who passed her. The men who smiled back. Sayid had been right, if you play along with the game, they were relatively passive, only angered if you shouted too loud or gave them malicious looks which they took as challenges.
She wondered just how long they'd been there that every female in their own group had perished. The oldest men looked to be in their sixties, the youngest in their twenties. There was one she might have thought was in his late teens, but she didn't dare question him. Breaching the perimeter, she went towards a waterfall and waited. Her body dripped with sweat and her stomach lurched as the baby moved, driving a foot into her ribcage. It was an indication and she grabbed hold of a rock, grimacing against the fire in her lower back and abdomen.
Hands held her then, gently, pulling her off the rock and into arms that massaged her lower back. "Don't forget to breathe," Sayid reminded.
Kate laughed into his chest, tears pouring from her eyes. Now smaller hands joined his on her back. They kneaded the area that hurt the most and she reached out to touch the small head of curls that smiled up at her. "We need to get moving," Kate managed through the last of the pain.
Sayid nodded, grabbing the straps of his back pack and hoisting his daughter up onto his shoulders. The little girl held the straps and anchored her legs under her father's arms. They'd gone on hikes before. She watched the duo and followed as they led the way.
"Have you tried to escape before?" Kate asked after an hour.
Sayid shook his head. "I've only tested their timing. How long they'd give us away from them before they send people out into the jungle after us."
"How long?"
"A few hours. If we move quickly, we can gain enough ground to be at the campsite by morning, or near enough to shout for the others. They will not attack with the others present." Sayid picked up a long rod and motioned for Kate to do the same. She glanced around and found a sturdy fat branch that had fallen off a tree. It looked like a baseball bat and she liked the solidity in that.
They walked through the night, Sayid never turning back except when Kate moaned in pain, leaning against a tree or a rock. Her whole body was sweating, burning, but she continued walking. Jack would tell her to time the contractions. Kate couldn't have done that if she had a perfectly good stop watch on her. Her brain pounded as she caught up with Sayid and held the back of his pack, letting him lead her.
She thought she heard something in the jungle, she made herself ignore it. It was just the wind playing tricks on your mind, she told herself. Kate had told herself that a long time ago, when she'd heard someone call out her name in the jungle. Shaking her head against the memory, she imagined the large man, a man who was named, oddly enough, Christian, standing in front of her, smiling down at her. He frightened her. Mostly it was a fear of a possible future.
He was far larger than herself, and she knew his strength from the many time he'd held her down on the bed when she wanted to lay on the ground. He could easily pin her down in a fight, he could easily rape her. Kate's hand went immediately to her belly, feeling the movements beneath it, inside her. It was Jack inside her. Jack.
His face flashed into her mind just as a strong contraction ripped through her. Moaning his name, she collapsed under the pain and Sayid caught her just before she hit the ground. He laid her down gently and pressed a hand to her stomach, feeling. Sayan held Kate's head in her lap as Sayid went and pulled up the long shirt Kate had on. He examined her and shook his head.
Jack jerked awake in the caves. He thought he'd heard his name, whispered in the wind that played with his neck. Standing, he made his way out and glanced around the jungle that surrounded them. The wind blew stronger and he grabbed his spear from the day before.
"Did you hear it, Jack?" Sawyer asked, emerging from the direction of the beach.
He was startled, it was the first time he could remember Sawyer calling him by his name. There was no playful tone, no sarcastic smile, just concern and a little surprise. Jack nodded slowly and Sawyer followed him into the jungle.
"We still have time." Sayid told her, pushing her legs together again and standing.
"What makes you an expert," Kate growled.
The man smiled. She was amazed at how calm it always made her when he smiled. Like she could believe anything he said. She closed her eyes a moment and took several long breaths before Sayid pulled her off the ground. "I delivered the children in the village."
"Am I going to die?" Kate asked, weakly, her hands on her stomach.
Sayid shook his head. "I do not believe so."
She ignored the fact that he did not tell her yes or no and grabbed his backpack tightly after he replaced Sayan on his shoulders. "How far?"
"Not long," he assured her.
They walked, all the while the hairs on the back of her neck standing as she thought she was starting to hear more whispers behind her. She wanted to scream, in fear, in pain, but she began to run with Sayid. It was only then that she knew the whispers weren't imagined. They were close to camp, they had to be. Sayid raised his stick, looking ready to fight and she realized she'd dropped her own.
She swallowed hard and held her stomach with her free hand, feeling branches scratch her face as they picked up speed. "Not far," Sayid shouted.
Kate nodded to no one and then she dropped again, releasing Sayid and knowing there was no more getting up. "Liar!" She shouted, rolling up on her side, gripping her stomach with both arms. It was only then that she screamed in pain. She'd heard stories of women giving birth being in pain, she thought she'd be able to handle it if she ever had a child. She'd be calm and drinking a coke and chatting it up with nurses.
Her body broke out in a cold sweat and she shivered as Sayid threw his pack on the ground and forced her onto her back. She felt his hands invade her and she screamed again. He nodded at her, pushing her feet farther apart. "Sayan, water," he told the little girl.
She rushed to the pack and unzipped the top, bringing out a canteen and taking it to Kate, letting water dribble into her mouth slowly. Kate felt as though her brain were going to explode. She opened her eyes just a fraction and looked at Sayid. He looked at her seriously.
"You are going to push this child out, Kate."
Her head shook on it's own. The brush behind her shook drastically and her heart flew into her throat, but Sayid's face calmed. He cried and she felt strong arms grab her shoulders for a moment before she closed her eyes again against the pain. The hands left her shoulders.
"Kate," it was his voice. "Kate?" She heard it again. She shook her head, her cheeks streaming with tears. "Look at me, Kate."
Her eyes flashed open and there he was. "Your beard," she managed.
He smiled, she laughed. It was the best feeling she'd ever had. Sayid stood at her side and there was someone else at her back, propping her up. Jack was instructing someone, Kate closed her eyes again, feeling her stomach stab with pain.
"She needs to push," Sayid said softly. "Now."
There was silence and the man at her back left her. Saywer, she saw. He picked up his spear and watched the jungle behind Jack. "Kate!" Jack shouted.
Her attention focused on him.
"Push."
"What?" She asked, but her body obeyed, listening to Jack.
"1… 2… 3… 4… 5…" he whispered. "Stop."
Her brain raced. This fear wasn't going away. In the jungle behind Jack, she heard the men coming. She heard them whispering her name. They would be carrying some kind of weapons. She imagined clubs or sharpened poles. They were close now.
"To ten now," Jack started. "1…"
She couldn't hear him, the blood rushing through her veins drowned out all sound. The pain in her privates screamed above it all. She heard a thump, she heard silence. Then the baby cried. No one laughed like she'd imagined. Her eyes opened. Sawyer lay at her side, face up, a spear piercing through his chest. He wasn't moving, his eyes open, staring up into the sky that had started to lighten with the sunrise.
Her heart froze and she glanced at Jack. The man's eyes were wide as he stared at Sawyer, a wiggling infant in his arms, an infant who gurgled and then let out a series of choked screams. Like she'd imagined it would do. The whispers had stopped. Sayid's arms eased her back onto the ground to lay still.
"It's a boy, Kate," she heard Jack tell her. "A boy," he repeated.
Soft breathing woke her. She opened her eyes slowly, taking in the cave walls that surrounded her. Not a hut, not a mud hut with muddy hand prints and polar bear rugs. Her head rolled to her side and she saw the little boy who punched at the air, his mouth opening into a wide yawn.
The woven door opened slowly and Jack entered, his face clean shaven now, bearing a smile for them. The baby finished its yawn with a squeak and she turned her attention to him. She wasn't dead. Sawyer.
"Sawyer?" She sat up slowly, feeling her stomach ache just a bit. It seemed odd, to be deflated.
Jack frowned, going over to their bed and lifting the boy up into his arms. He watched the boy make popping sounds with his lips. "He's dead."
"What happened?"
There was silence and Kate took the small child. She glanced at Jack who swallowed hard and then motioned to her top. "He's gotta be hungry. You need to breast feed him."
She nodded, but instantly panicked and Jack laughed at her. She listened as he instructed her calmly and after a moment, there was a sucking sound at her chest. Lowering her eyebrows at the little boy, at the oddity she saw under her chin, she began to cry.
"What happened?" She repeated.
"They were coming out of the jungle. They were going to kill me." Jack's eyes brimmed with tears. He blinked and they rolled down his cheeks.
"Sayid? Sayan?" Kate asked quickly.
Jack nodded. "They're fine. After he," he pointed at the baby, "was born, they went back into the jungle."
"It's a boy." Kate smiled, but it quickly fell.
Jack got up and moved to sit behind her, leaning Kate against his chest. She could feel the steady heartbeat there and it calmed her. She missed him. "What are we gonna name him?" Jack asked, his finger stroking the soft face near her breast.
Kate played with the thick dark hair on the infant's head. "James."
Jack kissed her, nuzzling his cheek against hers as he put his chin in her shoulder.
"Sawyer once told me that was his name," Kate admitted.
"It's a good name," Jack said softly.
Finis.