Jack gave a sad laugh. It was ironic, really. After all, he was a brain surgeon, and he'd had no idea.
"Well," Sawyer asked again, "she is, isn't she? Come on, at this point, you' d might as well . . ."
"Was, Sawyer."
"What?" he asked, not understanding.
"She was pregnant, as in not anymore".
"Oh . . . oh, God", Sawyer said, lowering his head to his hands. "It's my fault, you know", he mumbled into his hands.
"What? I couldn't hear you" Jack questioned.
Sawyer looked up and met Jack's eyes. "I said, it's my fault, at least partly. She shouldn't have climbed up that tree. I knew she wasn't feeling well, but I kept pushing her, egging her on. Then she fell, and it's my fault," Sawyer said with despair.
Jack shook his head, looking at this man who, twenty-four hours ago, he would have sworn incapable of caring about anyone but himself. "Sawyer, it's not your fault. First of all, you and I both now how stubborn Kate can be. If she decided to climb up that tree, you couldn't have done anything to stop her. And second, more importantly, I'm not so sure that it was the fall that caused this to happen."
Sawyer looked up, confused. "What do you mean?" he questioned.
Jack sighed. "I think there was something else going on, something else that caused it. It was . . . complicated".
"Was it bad?" Sawyer questioned.
Jack ran his hands through his hair, remembering the previous night. "Yeah Sawyer, it was. She lost a lot of blood. She really scared me".
"Is that . . . I mean, is that normal?"
"Well, as you point out, I'm a brain surgeon, not an OB/GYN, but still, no. I don't think it was completely normal. There could be any number of things that could have caused it, but I'm not so sure that the fall is one of them, at least not in and of itself. Whatever it was, we're just lucky she seems to be doing okay now, no thanks to me. There really wasn't much that I could do", Jack shuddered.
"Really," Jack continued, "if there's anyone to lay blame on, it's me. I'm a doctor, and I had not idea. I should have noticed, should have seen the signs. Maybe if I hadn't been so set on avoiding her, hadn't let personal issues get in the way. Maybe I could have prevented this if . . ."
Jack looked up and noticed Sawyer giving him a strange look. "What?" he questioned.
Sawyer let out an amused snort.
"What? Jack demanded.
"So you're saying you had absolutely no idea? No idea at all?"
"Yeah, that's what I'm saying" Jack answered, now getting frustrated. "Come on, it's not like it was that obvious. I mean, I should have picked up that something was up, but . . ."
"No, no. It's not that", Sawyer said. "I'm not accusing you, it's just that . . . well, I kind of assumed that you were the father, that's all".
"Me?" Jack questioned, looking surprised. "No, it's not me. Actually I was ah, I was thinking that maybe it was yours".
"Mine?" Sawyer asked incredulously. "In case you haven't noticed, Doc, the girl can't stand me". He paused in thought and then said, "Shit man, I should be so lucky."
Now it was Jacks' turn to laugh. After sending up a silent prayer of thanks he said, "you and me both, Sawyer, you and me both".
They shared a look of understanding, realizing for the first time that they had something in common.
After a pause Sawyer said, "You know, no matter how sick she is, if she could hear us right now, nothing would keep her from coming out here and kicking both of our asses."
Jack gave a knowing nod. "You're right about that."