4
There is something about the glow of a new mother, some indescribable air about her that makes one stop and sigh. Charlie couldn't keep the silly smile from his face, and frankly, he didn't care to try. He loved watching her as she watched Aaron, as she played with his little fingers and kissed his soft hair.
Claire was completely absorbed in a world which held only herself and her child. She seemed to like it better that way. Charlie's smile fell a bit, until Claire laughed at Aaron's baby noises. She looked happy. That was all Charlie wanted for her.
"Come here already!" She shouted to him and waved him over. Charlie sat in front of her, enjoying simply being near to her. Claire continued to smooth her baby's hair and touch his soft skin, smiling.
"What do you tell the last one?"
Claire looked up to him, utterly confused. "What?"
"The last wish doll, what do you tell it?"
She grew somber as she looked into his curious eyes. After a moment of deciding whether or not she should let him be privy to the information, Claire knew she couldn't disappoint him. She looked back down at Aaron and continued to play with his grasping fingers as she spoke.
"I say, I'm afraid I'm…falling for Charlie, and when I let him into my world, show him all of myself, he'll be disappointed in me."
His face reflected shock and dissent, but most of all delight.
"Oh, love! Disappointed in you? No, I could never!" He whispered, running a tender hand over her cheek. Claire finally met his eyes, his big, trusting, loving eyes, and she smiled.
"You're too good to me, Charlie."
"Impossible." He replied softly, as he drew nearer to her for a kiss.
"Sun, take the end of this." Jin called to his wife in Korean. He was standing shin deep in ocean water, struggling solo with a two man net. Hurley thought his toes had been bitten by a shark, and went hobbling back to shore.
"What?" Sun exclaimed, flabbergasted her husband wouldallow her topartake in such a masculine activity, let alone encourage it.
"Come, help me with this."
She obeyed, stripping her shoes off and smiling at the feel of the water on her hot feet. Jin watched his wife's expression as she waded out to him, dodging jagged clusters of coral and rocks. He taught her how to hold the large net, how to dip it into the water and scoop up the fish.
She watched his movements and listened intently to his directions. When they tested out their partnership in the fishing business, they found with delight Sun was an excellent fisherwoman.
"Look, Sun!" Jin exclaimed pointing to the large fish swimming their way. "Quick, open the net!" Sun obeyed excitedly, grinning as she waited for the fish to swim into the net. When it entered their trap, they pulled up the ropes, securing the large fish. Sun laughed and bounced in the water. Jin laughed, mostly for joy at seeing his wife so youthful and giddy again. The fish splashed madly, dousing both Koreans up to the waist. Sun laughed harder and reached up to wipe the water from her eyes. Just then, the fish gathered its strength and made one last escape attempt, ramming its weight into the side of the net, jerking the arms of both the holders. Jin, however, was stronger than Sun. She was holding on with only one hand, wiping her eyes with the other. It pulled her down into the water. Jin exclaimed something Korean in worry and reached down to help his wife up. But she hung limp in his arms.
"Let me help you with that." She said, picking up the other end of a heavy branch Kate was pulling from the brush. Kate had to find something to do to keep her mind off Jack, and had taken to rummaging the jungle for dry, dead firewood.
"Thanks." She acquiesced, thankful for the help. She'd have killed herself trying to drag the giant branch back to the signal fire. The woman who'd come to help her was new to her eyes. She had pin straight black hair, glossy, hanging to her shoulder blades. Her skin was dark, as were her eyes and she had high cheekbones with a small, straight nose. She looked Oriental, maybe Peruvian.
They ditched the branch with an exclamation of good riddance. The woman clapped her hands together and set them heavily on her hips with a sigh.
"Oh, I'm Keli by the way." She grinned and shoved her hand out for Kate to shake.
"Kate."
"I haven't talked to you before, Kate. Where you from?"
"Everywhere."
Keli smiled in understanding. "I know. My father was in the Army, so we moved almost constantly. Highlights were New York City, San Francisco, and my personal favorite, Hollywood."
Kate opened her mouth, which had curved into a smile at Keli's lightheartedness, when a deep cry of anguish echoed through the camp. Both women turned sharply in the direction of the sound. Kate nearly shuddered; the sheer pain in the voice wrenched her heart. Keli started down the beach, and Kate followed quickly. People all along the beach were slowly making their way toward the shouts, curious and wanting to help. Kate and Keli bypassed them all as they tore along the sand, before finally reaching the source of the cries.
It was Jin.
Kate just blinked at him a few times in surprise and confusion. How is it possible that Jin, in all his macho protectiveness, was wailing in fear? Kate then noticed the woman he cradled gently in his arms.Sun!
Her heart began pounding rapidly. Sun's glossy black hair was matted with a dark scarlet substance Kate could only assume was blood. Someone behind her began shouting for the doctor, but Kate heard only vaguely. Sun was lying limply in her husband's arms. Her friend was hurt and in trouble, and what was she doing about it? Nothing.
Kate knelt by Jin and her hand hovered over Sun's head. Jin frantically said something in Korean to her, andthen through clenched teeth, withconviction, "Jack. Jack!"The determination in his black eyes steeled her, and she stood, tearing into the jungle.
"Jack!" She shouted breathlessly as she approached the caves. He rushed out to meet her.
"What is it, what's wrong?" Jack asked frantically, his expressive eyes showing raw concern and fear.
"Sun's unconscious and bleeding at the beach. You need to come look at her, now." Kate stated in a level voice that couldn't possibly have been her own.
"What happened to her?"
"I don't know, Jack! All I know is Jin's holding her bleeding on the beach and she'll die if you don't get to her!" Kate shrieked, tears stinging her eyes, and Jack placed his strong, steady hands on her arms, sliding them down to squeeze her hands. It was as if he'd set her back on the ground during an earthquake. That simple reassuring touch set something steady beneath her feet again, but the warmth of his hands made her tremble.
"Kate, please don't fall apart. I need you. Tell me what happened." The conviction in his strong voice brought her back. But there was a softness in his eyes that was new to her.
"I-I don't know. She must've hit her head on something because there was blood matted in her hair."
He quickly threw some supplies in his backpack and followed Kate as she ran through the jungle back to the caves.
Several shouts of "There you are!" and "I found him!" were heard as Jack and Kate burst forth from the trees and stalked quickly to the Koreans. Jin had lain Sun carefully on her back, and was holding one of her hands, leaning over her. He was far closer to the edge now than he had been when Kate ran off to fetch the doctor. His lips were parted as if he'd begin wailing any moment, and the deepest lines of distress creased his forehead.
"What happened?" Jack asked Jin directly, deliberately. Jin said a string of Korean words, mixed with "net" and "big fish". Using his hands to illustrate, Jack understood. He carefully examined her head wound and dug around in his bag for a needle and some thread.
"Kate, I need two bottles of water." When Kate did not move, he looked up to her as she stared fearfully down at Sun's flaccid body. He reached up to grab her wrist. "Kate!" Her gaze jerked down to his eyes. "I need you." He whispered, and she nodded. "Two bottles of water. Go!" She began slowly backing away as Jack threaded his needle. Kate turned and ran to obey Jack's command.
She'd sat a good ten feet away. Jack had someone bring a board and a blanket to lay Sun on. There was an umbrella stuck in the sand to shade some of the UV rays from Jack's tired doctor eyes, since there was no time to move her elsewhere. Jin hovered nearby, but everyone else retreated to their respective distances. Their eyes glanced over at them occasionally, wondering if the woman would be okay, but they trusted Jack.
He'd sewn up her gash, given Jin a bottle of antibiotics and instructed him as best as he could when to give them to her, and turned the unconscious Sun back into the care of her husband.
When he pitched himself in the sand next to Kate, he was utterly exhausted. He lay back in the sand, feeling the warmth beneath him soothe his muscles. Kate looked down to him.
I need you.
His voice replayed in her imagination, and she could practically see him above her, whispering confessions of love softly in her ear, because he needed her more than air. He couldn't live without her, needed to feel herkiss.
Kate shook away her wandering thoughts, and turned her eyes from Jack's resting body next to her to the horizon.
"Will she be okay?" Kate asked, in that tone that wouldn't reveal too much about what she was thinking. Jack sat up.
"She may have a mild concussion, but she'll be fine, as long as she takes those antibiotics and rests for a few days."
The breeze blew his scent over her, and Kate wanted nothing more than to lean into him. She snapped her gaze back to the horizon, squeezing her hands into fists.
"Thank you for your help today. I know it was the last thing you wanted to do, but I really needed you."
There it was again. Kate squeezed her eyes shut. He wrapped his hand around her arm just below the elbow.
"Kate, are you alright?" Jack asked gently. Kate was about to implode. She wanted to run but couldn't move. "Hey?" He whispered. Jack released her arm and scooted even closer to her, so their bodies touched, and turned her chin to him. Her expression was one of uncertainty. "What's wrong?"
Kate swallowed hard and her voice came out as a wavering whisper. "I'm not really sure. It could be my legs, because I can't seem to move… or it could be my heart because it's beating really fast. But I think it's my eyes, because I'm seeing things that aren't there."
"What are you seeing?" Jack asked nervously, knowing this was the moment he'd waited for and dreamed about since the very first time he'd seen Kate. But it seemed as if his question broke her heart, because her eyes glistened with tears, and her brow furrowed deeply as if in pain. Kate could barely choke out the words.
"You. Looking at me like you are."
"What makes you think it's not really there?" His fingers lingered on her chin, she realized, and his gaze was trained to her lips. What makes me think it's not really there? The question angered her. The tears of fear that stung her eyes dissipated. He was toying with her emotions. Making her think he was going to reveal something important about himself ormake a move, then withdraw again.
"Everything." She growled as she stood. "The way you are and the way I am, and every other reason in the world!" Kate stormed into her shelter before Jack could speak.
So it's like, two days until the Premiere! I'm so excited it's ridiculous. I heard someone say that season one was all about questions, and now season two will be all about answers! thank goodness. Anyway, I'm totally loving the reviews I'm getting for this story. Thank you all for your encouragement! Tell me all of your thoughts on the story. ALL of them! And, if you want, tell me your thoughts on other things, too. I'd love that. Like, has the weather been good where you are? Did your favorite football team win their game? You know, small talk. I love that! P.S. this story is only going to have 5 chapters. Just a head's up.
goddessofcool, Chris3137, HappilyLostGirl, FanOfLost, Antatobo, Edjen, lostrayne, elvenlady, OrlandoCrazy, Lostwithoutlost
Audrey - Your review made me so happy! Thank you!
PITAchic - I actually had a bag of wishing dolls, and that's why I put that in there. And, I vote for Kate just going up and kissing him. : P
Eclypse - So sorry I haven't gotten to talk to you. I'm going to email you right now, actually.
-Austin B.