Wish You Were Here

Chapter Five

Author's Note: I'm doing this chapter in two parts. Tonight, you'll get the first with Alex and Jack and all, normal stuff, and tomorrow, unless I'm unable to get on for whatever reason, you'll get her flashback, which will jump back in time from the others, and hopefully some more scenes with Alex, Jack, and Sayid.

Alex coughed as she tried to swallow the sickness feeling she was getting once more. A bucket that they had luckily found in the plane was sitting behind her, and the smell was making her choke.

"That's it," Jack was saying beside her, trying to help her catch her breath.

She, along with Sayid and Jack were standing just outside the medical tent Jack had set up. The sickening smell mixed with the salty air would've made anyone nauseous, but somehow, perhaps because of his formal hospital training(being used to being around sick and gross stuff) Jack was able to stand it. She wasn't sure about Sayid though, and she didn't have time to check before another lump formed in her throat, and she tried to swallow at the formation, which made respiration even harder.

"Just keep breathing through your nose," Jack told her, calm as he could be, "just try and relax."

Jack, of course, had been telling her to try and relax since ten that morning, nearly three hours ago, when she started feeling sick. Sometime between the previous day and future, Sayid had told Jack Alex's secret, which was fine with her, now. She figured hiding in the dark would only lead to more days like this, and more rousing suspicion. In a way, it was kind of a relief to Alex to know that there were people worried about her, even if it was only two.

"Hang in there, all right?" Jack said, taking his hand off her shoulder.

Nodding, she watched as he walked over to talk to Sayid. She wanted to try and listen in on what they were saying, hoping she could catch some sort of hint of what was wrong with her.

(Space)

When Jack reached Sayid, he motioned for Sayid to keep moving, walk and talk.

"Is she going to be all right?" Sayid asked, concerned.

"I think it's only food poisoning," Jack assured, though it wasn't much of a reassurance.

"And that's a good thing?" Sayid asked, his worries not soothed.

"No," Jack admitted, "but it can be treated."

"How?" Sayid said, stopping and crossing his arms.

"She'll just have to take it easy for a few days," Jack glanced over, Sayid following, to where Alex was now seated on the ground, knees propped up and holding her head in her hands, "but that doesn't seem to be much of a problem for her."

They watched her for a moment before Sayid continued.

"But what could she have gotten food poisoning from?" Sayid wondered out loud. "We've been eating the same foods since the first week, and nobody else has gotten sick."

"Then that only leaves one question," Jack said, and Sayid looked at him, "what has Alex eaten that everyone else hasn't?"

Sayid met eyes with Jack, and the answer came to him quicker than lightening.

(Space)

Sawyer trudged up the path to where Sayid and Jack were standing, waiting impatiently by Alex, who was seated on an airline chair somebody had drug out.

"I'm here," Sawyer said, "now what?"

His answer was replied by bag being shove into his chest by Jack. Taking it and shoving off the impact. Looking at the label, Sawyer had to smirk in disbelief.

"Peanuts?" He mused. "You brought me up here for peanuts? That's mighty nice of ya Doc, but I'd have to say, you're losing your-"

He was cut off when Sayid grabbed the bag out of his hand, and began ranting.

"These peanuts are eight years old!" Sayid shouted, shaking the bag in Sawyer's face.

Sawyer swatted it away, taking a step back.

"Yeah?" He said, not really caring. "How was I supposed to know?"

"You look at the date," Jack said, angered himself.

The conversation was interrupted by a rasps of rough coughs from Alex, which seemed to have some kind of affect of sympathy on Sawyer, unexpected by neither Jack nor Sayid.

"Look, I'm sorry," Sawyer said sincerely, "it was an honest mistake."

He looked at the two men.

"But I'm not guessing either one of you would know anything about mistakes."

Though both heard the remark directly, and were both personally affected by it, it was Jack who did something about it, having his own 'history' with Sawyer. Grabbing the collar of Sawyer's shirt, Jack shook him, and was prepared to throw a punch when Sawyer was saved by a loud, helpless, groan by Alex, who had suddenly turned a pale white. Jack put his hand to her forehead, and brought it back, wincing.

"She's burning up, "Jack informed Sayid, "She'll need some help getting to the caves."

On instinct, Sawyer made to move forward and help, but Sawyer stopped him.

"But not from you," Jack said detestably.

Glaring, Sawyer watched as together Jack and Sayid picked up alex, who had either fallen asleep or gone into unconsciousness. Figuring he should save himself the trouble of getting himself into this one, Sawyer turned, and headed back to his camp.

Fluffy the Man Eating Polar Bear(whose really perfectly harmless- except to Sawyer:):

Coming up tomorrow night, on "Wish You Were Here":

Jack recognizes where he's seen Alex before, but she claims to not believe him, and worries about her memory loss until she finds herself having also crossed paths with another castaway. Sayid and Jack tell Alex about Danielle, and they plan to take a little trip to the little gingerbread hut, until something causes them from being able to do so..

Have fun watching 'Deus Ex Machina' tomorrow night! I'll be right along with you! There's no way I'd be able to get this all done tonight, and make it good, without staying up past twelve. Well, I might be able to, but something tells me it'll be better after having another day to think about it. Yall are just such great reviewers, I felt bad about leaving yall hanging. Sorry, not replies to my reviews tonight, but you may get some tomorrow. Thanks again, and sorry for the shortness! Hope you liked!

October Sky