Chapter 21 to a LOST Love

"Throw it up here!" Sayid yelled.

Back in the forest, Michael and Kate had come back with the rope, along with Jack in case Sayid might be hurt. Jack just stood at the bottom of the tree, arms crossed, not saying anything. Michael tossed one end of the rope up to Sayid and it wrapped itself once, twice around the limb. Sayid scooted across the branch and made a slip knot out of the rope.

Sayid looked down uncertainly, as if questioning what he should do next.

"Can you grab the rope and swing yourself down from the limb?" Kate shouted up to him.

Sayid nodded and paused for a second. Grabbing the rope with both hands, he took a deep breath and slid off of the tree limb. He cried out in pain from his ribs and being so stiff. Surprisingly, he held on! Releasing his breath, Sayid began to lower himself down.

"He really is a monkey," Kate said laughingly.

"I heard that," Sayid said, making his way down.

Sayid finally slid all the way down and blew on his hands to cool the rope burn. Kate walked over to him, smiling. "Hey, Sayid, glad you're okay." She hugged him and he hugged her back. Michael came over and slapped his shoulder, friendly-like. Sayid winced in pain.

Seeing that wince, Jack came over and simply asked him, "What hurts, Sayid?" Sayid lifted up his shirt and Michael whistled.

"Dang, Sayid! How the hell did you do that?" Michael asked.

"I was trying to bring back the medicine from Sun and Kate. I tripped over a rock, smashed, chest first I might add, into a fallen tree. Hence the pain…" Sayid said, glancing at Jack.

Jack just shook his head. "Well, I'm just glad you're okay, besides the ribs. Why did you come out here? And climb a tree, nonetheless?"

"I just needed to be alone," Sayid said, his face falling. Jack was about ready to ask why, but Kate shot him a look and he shut up.

"Let's head on back to the caves, fix ya up, shall we?" Jack said, putting an arm around Sayid's shoulders. Sayid grinned and they all headed off toward the caves, Kate handing him some water, and Michael talking about possibly getting rid of Vincent because he was so gosh darn irritating!

A while later, the group emerged in the caves, laughing and talking. Sayid froze instantly upon glancing at Sawyer. Hatred swelled up inside of him…his fists clenched together.

Sawyer was still sleeping, a slight grin on his face. Kate noticed the grin and asked the others, "Huh…what do you think he's dreaming about?"

They just stared back at her, grins breaking out on all of their faces and Sayid raising an eyebrow knowingly. She looked taken aback. "ME!" She blushed mightily. Sayid looked about the cave…

"Hey, where's Alex?" he asked instantly.

The others looked around as well, their faces growing worried. "Oh, Jesus," Jack said. Walking quickly over to Sawyer, he grabbed his shoulder and shook him awake. "Sawyer! Sawyer, wake up!"

Groaning from frustration, Sawyer managed to spit out thickly, "What? What? What is it?"

"Where's Alex, Sawyer?" Kate asked, freaked.

Sawyer opened his eyes slowly, blinking a few times. Seeing her empty bed, he stirred, throwing the blanket off of him. "I…I don't know. She was here last night…"

"Where is she, Sawyer?" Sayid asked angrily.

"Sayid, I don't know!"

Sayid lunged at Sawyer. He grabbed him by the collar and pinned him against the wall. "Where is she!" Sayid shouted in his face. "WHERE!"

"Sayid, stop it!" Kate screamed. She tried to pry his hands off of Sawyer's collar to no avail. "Sayid, he doesn't know! Stop!"

Sayid released Sawyer unexpectedly, murder glaring out of his eyes. Sawyer put a hand up near his throat, scared of Sayid. Suddenly, Sayid turned and jogged out of the cave. Jack took one look at the others and followed Sayid out. The others joined him.

Sayid burst upon the beach, looking right and left. He saw nothing except white sand and crashing waves. Jack crashed behind him and said breathlessly, "Sayid, you go that way, I'll go this way." Then he took off away from Sayid down the beach. Sayid instantly understood and headed down the beach the other way. Kate, Michael, and Sawyer stopped, glancing at the two heading opposite directions. None of them moved, unsure who to follow.

Kate put a hand to her forehead and scuffed some sand. "Shit!" she said. "God damn it, Sawyer! If you wouldn't have been such a lazy bum, sleeping away while Alex left…aaaahh," she cried out frustrated. She sat down on the sand and put her head in her hands.

Sawyer said nothing, he just gazed out on the ocean, looking very sorry. His shoulders slumped down and he ran his hands through his hair. Michael just gave Sawyer a look…Sawyer met his gaze and then turned away from it.

Sayid…

Sayid ran full speed down the beach. His mind and his heart were racing, tears were starting to come down his face… everything was so messed up. If he wouldn't have taken off in a jealous fury, she might still be there. If he wouldn't have acted so selfishly, she might still be there. All these thoughts raced through his head, making him feel even worse. He tripped once, falling into the very hot sand.

Suddenly, Sayid stopped running and gazed out in the distance. He saw a figure, crawling on the ground as if in agony, hair covering its face. It reached the water's edge and slumped down, not moving again.

Alex…

Alex kept crawling on the ground, the voices growing fainter and fainter. Instead, a roaring noise took their place, getting louder and louder the more she crawled forward. It whispered to her, it caressed her, it comforted her. The louder it got, the more she wanted it. The rocks faded from her hands and were replaced by clouds. Her hands still hurt, but no longer were they abused by rocks. The clouds were so soft under her hands, although quite warm…the roaring increased, and still she crawled forward.

Suddenly, a cooling sensation washed over her bleeding palms. Relief swept through Alex, her fears gone. She crawled a little farther into the coolness until her painful legs could also feel the relief. She rolled over onto her back and let the salvation wash over her.

Sayid saw all of this and ran to help her. Crying profusely now, Sayid knelt down next to Alex's body and ran his hands over her aura, unsure where to touch first. He finally settled for her face and he brushed the hair out of it. Her sightless eyes stared up at him and fluttered shut. She seemed to go limp in his hands with relaxation. Sayid scooped up her chest and held her, rocking back and forth and sobbing. He knew she was alright, but for how much longer, he didn't know…

A Bleeding Rose