The Last Goodbye
Chapter Four
Sawyer(the patient) had woken up twice since that morning. Strong trade winds had scared most of the camp into the caves and Jack, who usually felt nervous around large crowds, resulted in hiding out with his newest patient, busying himself by frequently checking Sawyer's temperature, which had shot up after his awakening. Kate had stopped by twice to see how things were, but never talked about anything other than the patient's condition.
Jack sighed. He hadn't wanted to make such a big deal of Kate's statement about his father, and he kept telling himself that he wasn't, that somehow, it was all in Kate's head. After thinking that, he knew that he had officially gone insane.
"Question."
Looking up, Jack noticed that Sawyer had woken up again.
"We just crashed a few days ago, right?" Sawyer asked, clueless. "How'd you get this place fixed up so fast?"
Jack grabbed a bottle of water as he stood up, and handed it to Sawyer. The man was definitely old, maybe Locke's age, with graying hair and a white scar that ran across his lower neck. But that didn't even begin the extent of injuries he had developed from the crash.
"Because we've been here for two months," Jack replied, handing Sawyer the bottle of water, "and question for you. Do you have another name..like a nickname or something?"
Sawyer looked at him, puzzled.
"No, why?"
Jack sighed, knowing the next few days were going to be difficult.
"No reason."
(Space)
Shannon crept around the edge of the jungle, changing spots every few seconds to try and get a better view of Sayid, who was fixing some kind of mechanical thing for the raft. He was ignoring the strong winds that were blowing mist towards him. The jungle's trees were blowing fiercely around Shannon, wrapping her skirt around her thin, now tan, legs multiple times. Hugging herself to try and stop shivering, Shannon felt her teeth chatter, and it must've been pretty loud, because Sayid noticed.
"I can here you hiding," he said calmly, not looking up.
"I didn't want to bother you," Shannon said, telling only half the truth, "what are you doing?"
She invited herself to step forward and admire Sayid's working.
"Fixing the signal Boone found in that plane," he explained, still not looking up at her, "for the raft."
"Oh," she said simply, "about Boone.."
"Shannon, I'm sorry," Sayid looked up at her, "but unless it's important-"
Though taken aback by Sayid's icy tone, Shannon didn't let that stop her.
"It is," she replied sharply, and then lightened her tone, "I think."
As her tone did, Sayid's hard expression faded back to its normal calmness. Feeling that it was a good time, Shannon fought the wind and sat down beside Sayid, taking Boone's journal out of her bag.
"What's this?" Sayid asked as Shannon let him take it.
"Boone's journal," Shannon whispered quietly.
Sayid looked at her.
"Are you sure-"
"Look I wouldn't be showing you this if I didn't think it was important, okay?" Shannon exclaimed desperately.
"Fine," Sayid sighed, "what exactly is it that you want me to see."
"Okay, before I show you you need to know that Boone's pretty messed up," Shannon began, "I mean, really messed up, and he's been that way for a long time."
"All right.." Sayid said, sounding unsure of himself.
Of course he would be, Shannon decided, to him, Boone was just some kid who ran around trying to prove his strength to a bald guy. Why thinking this, Shannon hadn't noticed that Sayid had already opened the diary, and begin reading it. In the middle of the third paragraph, Sayid chuckled to himself. Shannon looked at him, puzzled, knowing that what was written was no laughing matter.
"What?" She asked, incredulous.
Sayid pulled strands of hair that stuck to his face as another gust of wind blew around him.
"I think he was afraid that you would read it," Sayid answered, "his writing's so small..and my guess is he never made A's in English."
"Just hurry up," Shannon was getting even more desperate, glancing around, paranoid that Boone would walk up on him any second.
Sayid obeyed, skipping ahead a few pages. He chose a random paragraph, and began to read out loud, squinting to read the tiny ink cursive.
"I think I saw her again," Sayid read, "but she's just been staring at me. I don't understand. What does she want?"
He looked up at Shannon, confused.
"I'll explain in a minute, just, here-" Shannon jerked the notebook out of Sayid's hands, holding it protectively, and flipped forward at least twenty pages, "read."
She jabbed her finger on a paragraph dated the day of the crash. Before handing the journal back to Sayid, she made sure that there was nothing written about their incident the night before the crash.
"We crashed on some island. No one has a clue where we are. Something hit my head when we were going down..and the last thing I remember, was seeing her.."
Sayid turned back to Shannon looking for answers. When he didn't get them, Sayid gave his own opinion.
"It sounds like he's writing a horror movie," Sayid shrugged.
"It's this hallucination thing," Shannon said finally, "it's complicated. Anyway, he started taking these pills, like drugs, you know, to help, but after that day in the jungle, you know, when he was saving me and all-" by now, Shannon was stumbling over her words, frantic, "but then Jack gave him something that was supposed to help but look- read."
Shannon turned the pages with help from the wind, flipping forward about fifteen entries.
"I saw her again," Sayid read, having a hard time believing what he was reading, "by the shore..she was just standing there..watching- this sounds insane."
Sayid looked back up at Shannon.
"That's why I'm showing you this!" Shannon hissed over the wind. "He's not supposed to be seeing things anymore, or wasn't, whatever. I think there's something wrong with him."
"Then you shouldn't be talking to me," Sayid stroke her hand, trying to get her to calm down, "you should be talking to him."
Sawyer clapped his hands together as he rolled his heal back, glancing around the restaurant. He had stayed in Florida longer than intended, but he had no regrets of doing so. At last he saw Carrie come running swiftly into the restaurant. A waiter pointed her towards where Sawyer was standing, in a tux he had rented from a shop down the street.
"Hey," she said, running up to him.
She was wearing a long skirt covered in orange and pink flowers, with a matching tank top.
"Sorry I'm late," she said while following him to their table, which was complete with lit candles and champagne.
"It's fine," Sawyer lied.
In truth he was a nervous wreck. He still wasn't sure how he felt about Carrie, and Sawyer was afraid that he'd become frantic talking to her and blurt out something stupid, like he loved her.
"Sawyer?" Carrie was saying.
She slapped her hand down on the table that Sawyer hadn't even realized he'd been sitting at.
"I was asking you what you thought about the place," Carrie said, glancing at him over her menu she was already engulfed in, "I found it in a travel brochure. Thought we should check it out, you know, being tourist and all."
Sawyer nodded, going along with every word though he really had no clue what she was saying.
"So what do you think I should get, shrimp or salmon?" She asked him, drumming her fingers on the sides of her menu.
Dating was a new world to Sawyer. Sure he had been with dozens of girls, but none of that had lasted for more than a few days. The fact that this was some sort of one week anniversary had totally blown over him. Sawyer swallowed.
"Well," he said, matter-of-factly, leaning into the table, "while I was waiting I heard that nice lady in the purple dress over there say that her friend got sick after eating the shrimp, and I don't want you throwing up in my car, so you know how I think."
Carrie's giggle made him smile, and she thanked the waiter who had brought them glasses over water.
During the course of the past week, the two had acted like a married couple, sharing finances: her place, his car. They had become breakfast regulars at a small diner across from their hotel, and at a bar a few blocks away for lunch.
A half an hour later they were served, and Sawyer was cutting into a steak, and Carrie was taking the first bite of her salmon. She let out a dreamy sigh.
"Oh man," she said, excited, "this stuff is to die for. Come on, taste it."
"If I wanted salmon, I would've ordered it," Sawyer glanced around, feeling a sense of embarrassment.
Dating was new to him and so was having a girlfriend, especially one who was such a..well..girl. Like in situations like now.
"Come on!" She begged. "Here, just a bite."
Sawyer rolled his eyes and took her fork, taking the smallest bite of salmon possible. The taste stung his mouth, and he had to swallow hard to get it all down.
"It's good," he admitted after getting used to the taste.
In truth he wasn't a big seafood person, but he found himself unable to say no to her.
"You want to open this champagne?" She asked him.
By now Carrie knew that Sawyer was a big drinker, but not necessarily a drunk. He knew what his limits are, and stuck to that.
"Sure," he said, smiling, "let me do the honors."
He poured two glasses of the wine, and after they toasted, took a sip of the sweet juice. Carrie set down her glass, looking suddenly meloncolny.
"Look, there's something I should tell you," Carrie stared down at the remains of her dinner, "you know I'm here on business, right?"
Sawyer nodded.
"Well, I'm supposed to be leaving tomorrow," Carrie looked up at him, sympathetically, "I have to be in South Carolina by noon."
"I knew this was too good to be true," Sawyer muttered to himself."
He should've known as soon as Hibbs mentioned her job that there was a reason for her travels. In his opinion, he had done a fine job in ignoring the possibilities that came with her cash, replacing them with his feelings for her, but now as their relationship seemed to be ending, the possibilities returned.
"But I've really had a great time," he hadn't realized that Carrie had continued talking, "I mean, this has been the best week of my life."
Sawyer sighed, growing impatient. His appetite was gone and suddenly he was starting to feel sick. He was supposed to be the one doing the dumping, not the one to get left.
"But I don't want this to be the end," Carrie continued.
Sawyer looked up like a dog hopeful to get thrown a bone.
"I want you to come with me."
The constant sound of the flowing waterfall was driving Sawyer insane, and he wished now more than ever for one of the greatest gifts God had given to the world- headphones. Or at least earplugs. The distant sound of Charlie's guitar sang softly from another cave in an attempt to drown out the raging storm. Every one had been accounted for in the caves accept for Locke and Boone, and Sayid, who had gone out to look for the two, though he had an errie confidence about the journey that hadn't passed many. Shannon was in a frenzy, though rumors had started that it wasn't only because of her missing stepbrother. Personally, Sawyer couldn't see how anything could be going on, as Shannon had been sitting by herself for hours(much like he had), staring at nothing on the forest floor.
Sawyer busied himself by reading the Stephen King book he had kept that day after finding it with Alex's stuff, The Langoliers. It was hypocritical, but being stuck here was worse than being stuck in a house without power. Sudden chatter drew Sawyer's attention away from King's passengers, and he noticed Kate coming out of the cave she had been in with Jack, the one that he had changed into a recovering room for the newest castaway, whose name no one knew. He was about to turn back to his book, when he noticed that Kate was walking towards him.
"Get up," she ordered when she reached him.
"Guess you're not big on manners, huh?" He smirked.
"Come on!" She grabbed him by the arm, pulling him up.
Dropping his book by his stuff, Sawyer followed her outside.
"You do realize it's raining?" Sawyer yelled over the wind and rain that hit them full force as soon as they stepped out of the shelter.
Kate didn't answer as she led him into the jungle. She didn't stop until she reached some kind of alcove made of bamboo, large enough for them to stand in without getting wet.
"Well," he said, smiling at her, "you didn't have to wait until it stormed to-"
"Shut up," Kate sighed and added, "you might want to sit down."
Sawyer glanced down at the ground of mud beneath him, and then back up to Kate, as if saying 'you're joking, right?'.
"There's something I should-" Kate began in a whisper.
"A little louder?" Sawyer said sarcastically as the rain came down in balls of hail.
"I should tell you," Kate was stumbled over her repeat, "that guy that Jack's taking care of-"
"The one from the tail section?" Sawyer didn't sound worried at all, just curious.
"Yeah," Kate nodded, unable to look at him, "yeah him..he woke up and..and..Jack asked him about himself. His name and stuff, you know?"
"Go on," Sawyer wasn't sure where this was going, but he figured that Kate wouldn't drag him out here for nothing.
"And he said his name was-" Kate whispered the rest of it.
"Sorry," Sawyer said, sincerely not meaning to sound mean, "didn't catch that."
"Sawyer!" Kate shouted. "He said his name was Sawyer!"
Sawyer stared at her, wild eyed.
"What?" He said, sure that he was hearing things.
"You heard me," Kate wiped the tears from her eyes with her arm before they began to fall in streams.
Sawyer continued to stare at the ground. This wasn't happening. He didn't just here that. It was a dream. All of this was a dream. A clap of thunder from over head told him differently, and Sawyer surprised Kate by letting out a scream and threw his fist into the side of the shelter, making the leaves that hung from the tree about fall in shingles to the ground, making Kate jump.
"He wasn't going to tell me, was he?" Sawyer couldn't look at Kate, just like she couldn't look at him earlier.
"Jack wanted to," Kate told him reluctantly, "I didn't."
"What, you didn't think I could handle it?"
Pushing himself off the bamboo, swirling around and giving Kate a stare that was so cold, so hard that Kate was sure that she'd turn to stone any minute.
"I didn't want you to do something stupid," Kate said, praying that Sawyer wouldn't turn his anger on her.
He didn't, couldn't. He could only stand there, breathing slow and deep breaths.
"That night," Kate continued, meaning the night his parents died, "that happened over twenty years ago. That guy's probably started a new life. He probably has a finally. You can't just go and..kill him."
"Why the hell not?" Sawyer wanted to know. "Probably doesn't remember what he did."
Kate didn't have an answer for him, only bit her lip and stood still, staring at the ground wishing that answers would form in the dirt, telling her what to do, what to say. When the silence got too much, Sawyer turned to leave.
"Where're you going?" Kate following him out of the hut.
She was desperate, slurring her words.
"The caves."
Kate stared after him as she went, until finally reminding herself that she should go after him as she had done so many times before, and like those other times, she hoped that she could catch up before it was too late.
Author's Note: Hm..looks like I bored all my reviewers away..I made this chapter a little longer, hoping to bring you guys back and make up for the other short chapters. Sorry about that.
Next time on "The Last Goodbye":
Actually, I'm uh..not quite sure what will happen, but here's the plans for the future: Shannon confronts Boone, and Sawyer takes matters about Sawyer his own way..and that goes for both men.
Psst: If anyone's still out there, I'm just gonna let you know that there'll probably only be two more chapters of this, but I'm really excited about writing the next fic, where there will be a lot of Jate.
Until next time..
October Sky