Chapter Four: Gone

"My Nadia?" Sydney nodded and gazed sadly at the photograph, prompting Sayid's next question. "Is she going to be aliright?" Sydney sisn't answer right away. "Tell me if she'll make it," Sayid said, getting to his knees and looking into Sysndey's eyes.

"I don't know."

…..

The R.M.S. Neverland made landfall in Oahu the next morning. The survivors were all taken to a local hospital, as they all suffered from acute malnutrition and dehydration. Kate was put in a room by herself, handcuffed to the bed for good measure. She was allowed no visitors, but the doctors who hooked her up to an IV and then were ushered away by the cop who sat beside her door.

The cop was actually Jack Bristow. He wore a Stetson, cowboy boots, jeans, and a sportscoat. A badge was clipped to his waist, as was a gun. He sat on a chair outside his prisoner's door, reading old editions of Highlights for Children and Today's Bride.

Jack tried each day to get into the room, but the man never left, except to go inside the room and use the private bathroom. Then, on the third morning, he was gone. Jack went over to the door and quickly slipped inside. The blue curtain was pulled to separate the paitient from the rest of the world.

"Kate?" Jack asked, coming around the corner.

"Yes, Dear?" a grumpy old man replied from the bed. Jack quickly apologized for disturbing his nap, then high-tailed it from the room. He went down to the nurse's station.

"Dr. Shepherd, shouldn't you be in bed?" Nurse Sudie asked. She was an insufferable old woman, who had once worked in Los Angeles as an in-home nurse. She led Jack back to his room by his arm, as if her were a child.

She probably would have grabbed my ear if she was any taller, Jack thought glumly. After she tucked him back into bed, he stopped her from leaving abruptly.

"What happened to Kate, down the hall?" he asked.

"Ms. Ryan was transported to a detention facility," Sudie said, walking briskly out of the room. "She's gone."

Gone? Jack thought to himself. How could she be gone?

…..

Kate sat down in the chair at her desk. She had just spent two hours being de-briefed, just two of many to follow. She had told the board that the Sawyer on the plane was not the Sawyer that they were looking for, and described his letter and some other things about him to the committee. For now, they seemed to believe her. She did not spend long at headquarters. She was still exhausted. She spent the night in the infirmary, across the hall from Nadia.

But Kate did not sleep. She thought of nothing but Jack, and what she was putting him through. He would hate her forever after this, but that was just the way it had to be.

Kate woke early to a familiar form in the hallway. It was undoubtedly Sayid, although his head was covered and he was tied up. Sydney and Vaughn led him into the room across the hallway. As they undid her friend's bonds, Kate stood, and pulled on a robe over the hospital gown she wore. She wandered out of her room as Sydney and Vaughn came out of the room. Sydney put a finger to her lips and pulled the door closed.

Kate watched as Sayid sat down in a chair beside the bed. He looked at the machines around Nadia, beeping and buzzing and keeping her alive. Sayid lifted her hand from her side and held it in his.

"You'll find me in the next life, if not in this one," he whispered.


Review Returns (Plus an A/N at the very bottom) :

Oreata-Thanks for reading and reviewing.

iamsamsamiam- I am glad that you like it. Thanks for your review.

FanOfLOST- Good idea with the shirt. Thanx for reading and reviewing.

rain1657- Thanks for the review. I'm flattered.

RavynJensen- Grumbling! It's okay, he's not really a terrorist. He was using the name Sawyer, and doing all kinds of mysterious things, so the CIA decided to watch him, that's all. Thanks for R&R ing.

Freckles-101- I try to be original. Thanx for your time!

A/N To All: A double update! Check out "Home Is Where the Heart Is." The title doesn't make any sense to even me yet, but I'll make it work. I think I just now figured out how!

I have to disclaim something. Actually it's a someone: Nurse Sudie. She was not my idea. She was a character ontheCBS show,Diagnosis Murder once. She was hilarious inher episode, titled Deadly Mirage. I had named the nurse Tracy until Sudie popped into my head.

Also, I have thought of a sequel to "Daddy's Little Girl." Please let me know if you would be interested, because if no one is, I won't bother with it now that I've got some other things to work on.

Hey, what's that? It's shiny and purple. There's even some letters from that alphabet thing on it. I wonder what it does?