i thank you all for your reviews. Hope youlike this chapter. I know i'll get some comments...
Result of Affliction
A week of peace soon came. After what happened in the week before peace was clearly needed. Locke and the others guarding the camps eased back on their shifts. With no threats or murders there was no real need. This left Charlie and Claire to feel safe about walking to the beach again. Now they took Christopher along with them to get him used to other things besides the caves. Sayid rarely made appearances at the caves. He kept himself on the beach with Shannon who was beginning to worry everyone with her reclusion. Sawyer also went into to hiding after the run in with Jack.
Staying away from everyone wasn't what was weird. It was that he never came out. It was really odd even to people who had never spoken a word to him. With there being peace surrounding the caves it wasn't so peaceful on the inside. Jack and Kate had it with each other. After the fight they got in with Sawyer neither had spoken a word to each other. But without their words people could still see how they felt. They said all they needed to with their constant looks and stares. Neither was willing to give up their silent fight. And no one was going to push them to.
A week and a half after Michael's murder things slowly returned to normal. Well normal on the island of course. But tension still grew in the air. The thought of who might of killed Boone and Michael and what killed Walt still tried to suffocate everyone's thoughts. But most thought was plagued by Jack and Kate. The two were drifting farther apart. No words were spoken. No smiles were given. Just stone cold looks of hate.
People began to miss seeing them walking off together. Now they made a point to leave before the other awoke each morning. One of them had done something to the other that had ripped apart the trust they had in one another. Something had happened when they found Michael. Some thought they'd mend all like they did whenever they fought, but most knew this was different then other times.
Kate and Claire sat in the corner of the caves folding clothes early in the after noon. Kate was occupied with the clothes, as Claire seemed to be caught by Kate. She looked up at her off and on with a questioning stare.
"What?" Kate finally asked putting a folding shirt in her lap.
"What's going on with you and Jack?" Claire asked.
"What do you mean?" Kate questioned acting like she had no knowledge of what she was talking about.
"You know what I mean. You and Jack haven't spoken a word in a week. You two act like you can't stand each other." Claire explained.
Kate said nothing knowing she was right.
"If it were me I'd say I'm sorry no matter if it was my fault or not. Because with the way things are going who knows if you'll live to see tomorrow." Claire expressed.
"And with the way you two act around each other I know you too love each other too much to let your days together go to waste." Claire smiled looking to a dazed Kate.
She sat there folding clothes pretending not to hear Claire knowing she was right. Claire suddenly felt like she was falling upon deaf ears.
"But what do I know?" She said before putting down the last article of clothing.
After that she got up and walked away leaving Kate with her thoughts.
Finishing what she was doing Kate got up and decided on a walk to the beach. Heading off on the trail she felt at ease to be all alone with herself thought free. Suddenly a rustle in the trees sparked her awareness. She turned around looking in the direction the sound was coming from. It came again. The first thought to her mind was Michael and Boone. It had been over a week since Michael was murdered was she next. Trying not to jump to conclusions or fear she turned around and kept walking.
The noise came closer to her. Pushing the fear from her mind she kept walking. She knew it had to be someone from the caves or the beach messing with her. Quickly whoever it was came onto the trail and stopped behind her.
"You know you shouldn't be walking out here alone." She heard that now irritating voice mock.
She took a deep breath as she turned around.
"Maybe I want to Jack." She spat. He just smirked at her comment.
It was odd how he had switched places with Sawyer in her book. He was the one she was annoyed to see. His voice now irritated her. Now he used a quiet smirk to aggravate her.
She turned and started walking knowing he was still behind her.
"And why are you following me?" She asked not even turning around.
"As much as you'd like to flatter yourself in that, I'm heading to the beach. And sorry, but this is the only way." He spat back.
"If you're not following me then why did you sneak up on me saying, "I shouldn't be alone?" She asked as she turned around to face him.
He stood silent looking down at the ground.
"Look I was just making sure you were all right." Jack fessed up knowing he couldn't lie to her.
"Jack no matter how much you wanna tell yourself I'm not, I'm alright." She said in the softest voice. He looked up to her with slight sorrow in his eyes.
"I know that Kate, but we're all worrie-"
"You're the only one worried Jack." She began.
"You're scared because of what happened to me, what happened to Boone, Walt, and Michael." She expressed looking him strait in the eyes.
He tried to keep her stare, but he quickly turned away. She shook her head as she turned around and walked out onto the clearing of the beach.
"And if it's ok with you I'm gonna go talk to Sawyer." She announced walked off in the direction of his tent leaving Jack to watch her walk away.
Turning away, Jack walked over to where Sayid stood in his little tent going through things.
"Lose something?" Jack asked. Sayid looked up and caught Kate walking away out of the corner of his eyes.
"So I see you two have mended your wounds with each other?" Sayid asked changing the subject.
"You two?" Jack asked.
"You and Kate.' Sayid exclaimed. Jack just chuckled at the thought.
"I guess not." Sayid smiled nervously as he went back looking through his stuff.
"What did you do for her to be mad at you?" He asked turning back to Jack.
"Well beside that little fight with Sawyer, nothing." Jack said.
"And what has she done to upset you?" Sayid asked. Jack thought for a moment.
"Nothing." Jack answered.
"Then why are you two still fighting?" Sayid asked turning his full attention to Jack. He was silent at Sayid's words.
Because no matter how much he didn't wanna face it he was right.
Jack shook the throbbing thought from his mind. He looked around at Sayid scurrying about again, but was caught by Shannon's absence.
"Where's Shannon?' Jack asked.
"Oh she headed to the caves. Said she needed a change in scenery. I couldn't protest." Sayid explained with no other thought on the subject.
"Oh." Jack said.
Kate had walked off to Sawyer's tent in full rage from Jack. She didn't know why she was going to talk to Sawyer. Maybe just the fact that it would piss off Jack. Flipping back the flap of Sawyer's tent she was caught off guard to see Sawyer laying topless and sprawled out on the ground before her. Small bottles of alcohol were spread out around him. He had probably passed out the night before.
"Sawyer." She sighed picking up the things he had knocked over setting them up in their places.
Squatting down next to him she looked him over. She didn't wanna wake him up and anger him, but she couldn't just leave him like this.
"Sawyer." She called in a low voice as she shook him gently by his shoulder. Touching his skin she was caught by it being cold.
"Sawyer." She called again shaking him harder.
He didn't wake. Sighing at the thought of how he would greet her she grabbed his shoulder and rolled him over on his back. As she looked down at his face she jumped to her feet in horror. His face was cover in blood and sand. Kate shook as she tried her best to stand up. She couldn't move from the shock of the sight before her. A small noise came from her trembling lips almost like a whimper. Pushing herself to come to grips she yelled the first name that came to mind.
"Jack!"
As that name echoed across the waves coming in from the ocean everyone turned to where it came from. Jack and Sayid's attention jerked over to Sawyer's tent. They saw Kate's back turned to them. Jack quickly started towards the tent with Sayid and some other's behind him.
Coming up behind Kate, Jack looked to her pail face.
"What?" Jack asked slowly looking down on Sawyer's body.
"My god.' Sayid's voice rang in Kate's ears, as her gaze never left Sawyer's body. Jack had squatted down next to Sawyer's body. He examined what he could.
"Alcohol poisoning?' Sayid suggested as he picked up one of the many bottles.
"No." Jack simply answered rubbing his face confused. Then he looked to Sawyer's fist. It was clenched tight instead of limp. It was like Walt's had been when he had died.
"Look he had a spasm in his right arm before he died." Jack began.
"So?' Sayid questioned.
Jack sighed knowing what he was about to say would scare everyone.
"It's just like Walt when he died." Jack sighed looking back.
He was stopped by Kate's intense tearful stare. Looking past her he saw the group of people gathering around the tent. That wasn't a good thing. Now everyone knew. He quickly got up and stood in front of his body.
. "Ok everyone back up." Jack ordered walking out of the tent.
"Yes everyone please. We need some room." Sayid explained.
Walking out of the tent Jack was stopped by Kate who stood there motionless. He looked over and was hit hard to see the tears running down her cheek.
"Kate." He whispered trying to turn her away.
"Come on. There's nothing you can do." He said as he rested his hand across her stomach leading her away.
She turned and tried her best not to collapse in Jack's arms.
Standing out in front of the tent Kate stood close to Jack who was stressing out on what to do. Sayid was turned to the ocean as the others walked away.
"What do we do?" Sayid asked. Jack was silent with thought.
"What do we do?" Sayid yelled out turned to Jack.
"I don't know!" Jack answered.
"Just calm down alright." Jack said trying to think.
"We need to figure out how he got if from Walt first, cause his body might still be contagious." Jack explained.
"Well how did Walt contract it in the first place?" Sayid asked.
Jack tried to control himself, but he couldn't. He glanced over to Kate. Who stood with an evil stare of being punished on her face.
She knew why he was looking at her. She was the reason. She was the one who was sick first, and then Walt caught it. Sawyer had probably gotten it from her too. Seeing how he never was around Walt he couldn't of got it from him.
"Where did Walt get it from?" Sayid asked Jack who was in a daze with Kate's crumbling state before him.
Jack turned as Kate looked away in tears of guilt.
"He got it from…" Jack began trying to think of a way to lie about it when he knew the truth was Kate
. "Why don't you just tell him Jack?" Kate whimpered in a horse voice.
They both looked over to her. She was slowly becoming a mess.
"Kate?' Jack asked walking up to her.
"Why don't you tell him Jack?" She cried again.
"Kate just calm down." Jack said trying to get her to do so knowing what she was thinking.
She covered her face with her hands as she cried. Wiping the tears away she couldn't look at either of the two.
"I can't be here right now." She said as she turned and walked away
"Kate." Jack called after her.
"Let her go. She needs to be with herself." Sayid said holding Jack back.
Jack turned not being able to watch her. He knew she was blaming herself.
"What did she want you to tell me?" Sayid asked. Jack looked to Sayid with sorrow in his eyes.
"She had it first." Jack said.
"Kate?" Sayid asked.
"Yeah. She was really sick after I found her." Jack explained.
"Sick how?" Sayid asked.
"She was having coughing fits and couldn't hold anything down. The oddest thing of all she said that she didn't feel anything." Jack explained.
"Walt was the same way. He just didn't make it through." Jack said. Sayid face turned to intrigue.
"Sawyer showed the same symptoms." Sayid announced.
"What? When?" Jack asked.
"A few nights after you brought Kate back, a few others and myself heard him coughing uncontrollably in his tent. None of us thought anything of it. And the last week or so he hasn't been out of his tent." Sayid explained.
Jack's face fell.
Jack began to think of how they contracted it from Kate.
"Sawyer and Walt both had what she had. Sawyer had it first then Walt." Jack thought out loud.
"Sawyer got it between me leaving them out in the jungle and when I came back with her. He obviously found her in the ditch and came back with blood on his…hands." Jack slowly ended.
He stopped and looked over to Sawyer's tent. Quickly he walked over and went inside with Sayid behind him. Squatting down next to the body Jack looked around for something to cover his hands. Grabbing Sawyer's blanket he pried apart his hand. Looking over his palm he saw tiny cuts that were slowly healing.
Jack sat and stared at Sawyer's hand.
"What?" Sayid questioned.
"He has cuts on his hands." Jack announced.
"And by the looks of them they were fully open three weeks or so ago." Jack stated looking back to Sayid.
"What does that mean?" Sayid asked.
"Whatever Kate had or has it was infected through her blood." Jack explained.
"How did she get something infected into her blood?' Sayid questioned.
Jack's eyes went wide as he dropped Sawyer's hand, got up and walked out of the tent.
"Jack?" Sayid called.
Standing there Jack looked as if he were burst.
"What?' Sayid asked. Jack sighed in aggravation.
"She was stabbed three times and then pinned to the ground with her knife in the ditch." Jack said turned back to Sayid.
"So whoever attacked her put something on that knife.' Sayid interjected.
"Looks that way." Jack said.
"Where's the knife now?' Sayid asked. Jack thought for a second. Then his face turned to fear.
"I left it in the ditch." Jack stated.
"It's be long gone now for sure.' Sayid growled as he turned away.
"Still with all this how did Walt catch it from her?" Sayid asked looking to a new problem.
Jack looked back to him with determination on his face. Remembering when Walt had gotten sick he thought back to who was there. Claire and Charlie were both there when Kate had her last attack. Quickly he turned and headed of to the trail.
"Where are you going?' Sayid asked.
"Claire and Charlie know." He called out.
"Stay here and don't let anyone near the tent." Jack warned before jogging off to the caves.
Walking into the caves Jack was stuck with commotion. Everyone looked back to him and went quiet. He turned and walked over to Claire and Charlie. They either saw the fear on his face or something else, but they knew something was wrong.
"What's wrong?' Charlie asked.
"Do you remember anything about Walt around the time when Boone was being buried and Kate had that coughing fit?' Jack asked.
"Yeah. Walt helped stop her cut from over bleeding." Claire announced. Jack closed his eyes at the thought.
"Do you remember seeing any cuts or anything on his hands?' Jack asked.
"No. Charlie?" Claire said looking to Charlie.
"Not that I can think of?" Charlie shrugged.
Jack closed his eyes as he led himself into a dead end.
"Wait he did get a paper cut when he was showing me these pictures Michael drew him." Charlie said.
Jack opened his eyes with the words.
"Are you sure?" Jack asked with all seriousness.
Charlie and Claire where quite alarmed.
"Yes." Charlie answered nodding his head. Standing up Jack looked around for Kate.
"Jack pardon me for asking, but what's all this about? Did something happen out there?" Charlie asked.
"Yeah…" Jack answered spotting Kate's things that she had been carrying lying on the ground.
"And what's wrong with Kate. She came in here earlier all a fright." Claire questioned.
"She's just upset." Jack explained.
"No she was more then upset. She looked on the verge of suicidal." Claire expressed.
That word suicidal hit Jack taking his breath.
"What do you mean suicidal?' Jack asked staring back at Claire.
"Well she came in her crying and mumbling something about "it's all her fault." And how "Sawyer was gone". She was also kinda clawing at her wrists." Claire explained showing him what she did on her own wrists.
Jack's heart dropped.
"Where is she now?" Jack swallowed.
"Don't know. She came in dropped her stuff off and walked off down the trail that way." Claire said pointing to the trail leading off towards the ditch which was the center of all this.
Jack closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply. Opening them he headed to the trial.
"Jack." Charlie called. He stopped and turned around.
"Is she gonna be ok?" He asked. Jack swallowed his tears.
"Yeah." He lied not knowing for sure of what state he would find her in.
If she was in fact so broken up as Claire described he could only hope he'd find her before she did something.
