Famous Last Words
Chapter Twelve
A soft humming brought Sawyer back into the world, though he couldn't be sure he was really alive. Could this not be another one of those coma dreams? Or was he just dead, and this was like the roller coaster up to Heaven? Then again, Heaven would probably laugh at his name.
The humming grew louder and louder, and the only reason Sawyer tried to open his eyes was to tell it or whoever was causing it to stop. Who knew, maybe he was welcoming himself to a conversation with God. Though unless Jack or Kate were God, he was without a doubt, alive. Unless, of course, they were all dead. That very thought seemed familiar to him, someone had said it to him before, but he couldn't remember who.
He new Jack and Kate were in the same room, seated side by side in hospital chairs, but he didn't wake them just yet. Instead, he took a moment to observe his surroundings, and try to get a clearer picture of what was going on. The last thing he remembered was dying, or what he thought was dying, on the floor of Jack's apartment. Now as he tried to move, he noticed his shoulder was set in a sling, but instead of pain, his entire arm was numb. Lifting up his good hand, Sawyer touched the soft skin above his face, and quickly brought it back away. He wasn't psychic, but he could make a pretty safe bet that his face looked twice as worse as Jack's. Glancing to the side, Sawyer studied the couple sleeping near him, and was almost struck with jealousy at how peaceful they looked.
Jack's face was bruised red and blue on the left side, and his right wrist was in some kind of splint. A baggy of melted ice dangled loosely from his good hand, and he noticed a plastic cup of coffee sat on the windowsill. Kate's head rested on his shoulder, and his arm was buried into the muscles of his arms, as if she were at some point cold.
"Well that's a sight I never thought I'd see," Sawyer said, surprised at the sound his own voice.
He sounded like an old man trapped in a young man's body. Too young to die, too old to move on. But the sound was good enough to wake up Jack, who jerked in his seat, practically jumping out of it, but his hands gripped the cool plastic sides just in time. It took a moment for Jack to realize what was going on, but his face slowly lit up as he did.
"Hey, Kate," Jack said, shaking her, acting as if her sleeping on him didn't bother him at all.
"Huh?" Kate said as she woke up, like a kid who's parents woke them early Christmas morning.
"Sawyer's awake," Jack said, and had it not been for Jack's sustained injuries and his own, Sawyer would've otherwise considered the possibility of a real coma.
Kate flew out of her chair as quickly as Jack woke up.
"How're you feeling?" She asked, smiling at him.
This time, Sawyer answered her.
"Weird," Sawyer admitted, and reached up with his right hand to trace a pink scar that had formed on his arm, "what the hell did they do to me?"
"They took you into emergency surgery," Jack spoke up, and Sawyer looked at him in horror, "don't worry, I stayed out of it-" Sawyer relaxed a bit, "they got the bullet out, and worked a little on the stab wound. Apparently you had some infected tissue in there, so in a way, you could call yourself lucky."
"I think I'll call myself lucky anyway," Sawyer said, taking a nervous glance towards the unfamiliar instruments and machines around him, "how long am I in here for?"
"At least a week in a half," Kate informed him, "and then comes physical therapy-" Sawyer groaned miserably and threw himself back into the hospital pillows, "but don't worry, we'll be with you every step of the way."
At the teasing tone of her voice, Sawyer took the time to glare at her, and then to Jack.
"Next time," he said, "you're taking the bullet."
Jack laughed a little, knowing he was joking, but Kate immediately jumped to his defense.
"Hey!" Kate said. "You're not the only one who got lectured."
"Oh, right," Sawyer said, "what's worse than getting shot?"
"Being told you'll go blind if you get punched again," Kate offered, "but we're keeping that quiet- in case he has any enemies out."
"What?" Sawyer said. "Patience raising from the dead?"
Both Kate and Sawyer chuckled at this, but Jack grew quiet, though without trying to draw much attention to himself.
"I'll go tell the nurse your awake," Jack said, and Kate nodded, touching his arm as he left.
(Space)
Kate kept her promise to Sawyer, and with her and Jack's help, he was able to undergo a successful recovery, though Kate had to be the first to learn from experience that Sawyer was not a morning person. Luckily, he had yet to make any bad impressions on the doctors, though Jack claimed it probably helped that they were all blonde, good looking, and about his age.
On the last night of Sawyer's stay at the hospital, Kate caught him at a particularly bad time, while he was in one of his depressed moods. He often just lay there as the tv above him played an old, silent, Stephen King movie(or something along the likes) staring at his fingers as Kate watched him, only this time, he talked.
"I could've stopped it," Sawyer said in a low, sorrowful voice.
"Huh?" Kate said, snapping herself out of a daze.
Sawyer drummed his thumbs against the black splint that was holding his arm in place, while thinking.
"He didn't even want to shoot me," Sawyer tried to explain, "I could see it in his eyes. And I just sat there, waiting..I could've died."
"Sawyer-"
"I could've died," he repeated, "and I just hid under the bed until I let my damn pride get to me, and I thought I could get him. It wasn't even his gun. He didn't even have a gun."
"That was over a week ago," Kate pointed out, wondering why someone like Sawyer, who got in fights every other day, was beating himself up over a gunshot wound.
"A week ago, a month ago, four months ago," Sawyer looked at her with errie, cold eyes, "do you still have dreams about the crash?"
Kate stared at him, wondering how he could've known.
"What gives you that idea?" She said softly, trying not to give herself away.
Sawyer ignored her, and began to tell his own story, as if replying to his own question.
"There was this little girl sitting behind me," Sawyer said, sighing as he stared at the ceiling, "anyone kid. She wasn't even supposed to be there, but she was traveling with his father who was some sort of accountant or something. Talked the entire flight about some stupid tv show, and all through when the turbulence hit, I could hear her screaming behind me.
Kate looked up from where she had diverted her gaze to the ground. Why hadn't he ever told her that story before? Was it something that had been eating him up since the crash?
"And the whole time," Sawyer continued, "I wanted to tell her to shut up. I had a head ache."
He looked at Kate before speaking again.
"She died."
Sitting back in her chair, Kate knew her eyes were widening as they remained glued to Sawyer's, though she wanted nothing more to dart out of the room.
"Sorry," Sawyer said, turning away and clearing his throat, "I shouldn't of brought that down on ya."
"No," Kate said after taking a minute to find her voice, "I'm glad you did."
"Oh, and Kate," Sawyer said weakly, and turned to her, "tell Jack to open that letter."
Kate stared at him.
"What?" She asked, confused.
Just as he fell asleep, Sawyer muttered, "He'll know what I'm talkin' about" and was out for the rest of the night.
(Space)
The next day, Jack picked up Sawyer and Kate at the hospital, and after many hours of waiting and filling out papers(with Sawyer grunting the entire time about how there was no way the hospitals that much information) and a flaw in Sawyer's insurance that he had 'forgotten' to renew, the three were walking out the door; and Sawyer was calling it the worse week of his life, though Kate swear she caught him winking at one of the nurses.
"Hey, Jack!" A doctor called, running after them.
The three turning around, and Jack was surprised to see his supervisor, Max, running towards him.
"Hi," Jack said, feeling a little awkward.
What were you supposed to say to a guy that just fired you. Max nodded to Kate and Sawyer, glancing at the splint on Sawyer's arm, as well as Jack's.
"I heard about what happened," Max said, "the wreck, the robbery and all."
"Um..yeah," Jack said, "it's been a weird week."
"Look, I'm sorry about cutting you off," Max said, like he had this conversation every day, "and I wanted to apologize, sincerely."
Sawyer snorted and Kate gave him a hard nudge in his side. He grew quesy for a moment, but then straightened up, embarssed.
"Sorry," he muttered.
"No problem," Max said, smiling, "anyway, Jack, I was wanting to talk to you."
"Sure," Jack said.
What'd he have to loose.
"Your father's death was a shock to us all," Max said, in a sympathetic tone, "and I know since you never had time to greive, it was even harder on you."
Jack didn't say anything, and Kate wanted so badly to glance at him, to see his reaction, but forced herself to keep her eyes on the floor, not wanting to embarrass Jack in front of his former boss.
"And with the crash and everything, it was really rough," Max admitted, "and after a month we were advised to start thinking about replacing you, just in case the worse should happen."
"Is this going anywhere?" Jack said pointly, surprising both Kate and Sawyer.
"How would you feel about getting your job back?" Max said with a grin.
"Are you serious?" Jack said, trying not to smile like an idiot.
"Yeah," Max said and shrugged, "people come and people go and well, let me be honest with you, you're missed around here."
"You're not going to be trying to 'check up on me' all the time, are you?" Jack asked, eyeing him.
This time, Jack received the nudge in the stomach.
"Hey!" He hissed, but to his surprise, Max only laughed.
"Whatever you want," Max said, "and hey, I've been reading about you. Sounds like you were something of a hero."
"Something of one," Jack said, sounding out of place.
"Well you must've been," Max said, "we got about twenty something calls demand that we give you your job back."
"How'd they know about that?" Jack said, surprised.
Kate just looked back down, innocently, and Max smiled at her.
"I mean," Jack said, correcting himself, "when do you want me back?
Max waved off the question.
"When your ready to," Max said, "take your time. Let that arm heal a little, and just, take care of yourself, all right?"
Jack nodded, still shocked at how much his life had turned around. Without a steady job, and hardly any money, he couldn't see anyway he'd be able to take in Kate, and really start their relationship, but at least now, he had a chance.
Author's Note: Okay, sorry that was extremely short, but I just wanted to get that one angsty scene in there. Don't worry, more Jack next chapter, and if next chapter's the last, more Jack and Kate. I have an idea for how I want to start up the next chapter, and I really like it. Thanks for all the reviews!
Crazyhorsegirl- looks like your going to get your wish! I have to tell you the truth though, I'm a wimp when it comes to writing romance. You'll probably never see me writing a full out love scene, though instead, filling it with lots of little kisses and fluffy comments. Hope it's good enough..
Next up, on "Famous Last Words":
What sport did Jack play in high school? That's important to consider for what Kate plans for the castaway's reunion. Suspects are long forgotten as Jack, Kate, and Sawyer get back to their old lives, though that may mean giving each other(and the landlord) hell. Just picture Three's Company with two guys, not two girls. You'll see what's going on with some of the other castaway's lives as they join back together- well, some of them. A dreamer and a believer stay back home, sending their regards. Who am I talking about- you'll have to tune in to find out!
October Sky
