TITLE: Visions
RATING: PG
SUMMARY: Shannon tries to convince Sayid that her vision of Walt was real.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters from Lost and am not making a profit. If they were mine, then there would be more Shayid moments.
Shannon sat alone, her knees drawn to her chest, staring at nothing. She could feel Sayid's eyes on her, but she didn't turn around. Why would she? He thought she was crazy. When she needed him the most, he was the first to turn on her. He had told her that it was her exhaustion that forced her to see Walt. If only he knew the truth.
She didn't look up when he sat down beside her, stretching his legs out in front of him. She could almost feel his exhaustion. She wondered when the last time he had eaten or slept had been, yet he had continued to tell the other castaways what they needed to hear. It hadn't taken long for her to realize that he was uncertain about the existence of the Others.
He handed her a bottle of water. "You should drink."
"I'm not thirsty," she said pushing the bottle away.
He gave her a look that she could only describe as his soldier glare. When he looked like that she could see how he could have been in the Guard. Normally she didn't believe him when he told her bits and pieces of his past, but that look showed her there was more to him then she knew. She shivered and pulled her sweater tighter around her. She took the bottle. After taking a few sips she handed it back to him.
"You don't have to sit with the crazy girl."
He leaned back on his elbows, sighing. "I do not know any crazy girls."
"Don't lie to me. You think I've lost my mind."
"No. I believe that you are exhausted and suffering from grief."
"So Walt was just a hallucination. And what about the whispers? Did I make that up as well?"
Sayid blurred as tears filled her eyes. She wouldn't cry in front of him. She didn't need him anyway. She would just ignore the hurt that had filled her heart since the moment he told her she couldn't have seen Walt.
"When I escaped Danielle," he began, his voice trembling slightly. "I heard them, too, Shannon."
She turned to face him. She thought he was humoring her, but the haunted look in his eyes told her otherwise.
"So you believe me?"
"I was exhausted then, too. I was injured. She had mentioned whispers. My mind was playing tricks on me."
"Is that what you believe or what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night?"
He sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I do not know anymore. Anything is possible on this island. But I do not believe that what you saw was really Walt."
She hugged her legs tighter. He couldn't understand. Maybe she should just tell him the truth. Maybe that would make it easier.
"This isn't the first time, Sayid."
He sat up straighter, his intense gaze focused on her now. It was different from the way he had looked to her earlier when he had wanted her to drink. She felt safe now. No matter what she told him now, she could tell that he would still be on her side.
She took a deep breath. "When I was fifteen, my dad died." She nervously picked at her nails. "I was at a party the day he died. I saw him there."
"What do you mean?"
"I was dancing with some guy, and I - -" her voice broke as she tried to tell him something she had only told Boone before. "I looked up and my dad was watching me. He had this weird smile on his face. Then he turned and walked away. I followed him outside. Then I couldn't find him again. That's when Boone called my cell to tell me daddy had been in an accident. Some women's tire had blown out or something and had slammed into his car. The doctors did everything," she rolled her eyes. She never believed that lie.
"Did you tell anyone?"
"Boone. He told Sabrina, his mom, who sent me to a shrink." She turned to face Sayid. "I know that it sounds crazy, but I saw him that night, and I knew something was wrong. Just as I know it now."
She watched as the lines around his eyes softened. She knew he would support her even if he wasn't sure he believed her.
"There is nothing we can do until morning. I want you to sleep."
She knew that it was all she would get from him now. He was thinking about what she had said, trying to find a logical way to explain the illogical away.
"I'm not," she yawned, "tired."
He smiled at her. "Just rest your eyes."
He stood to leave. She reached out and grabbed his hand. "Only if you rest with me."
Sayid nodded as she lay down on the ground. She felt him lay down next to her, and smiled as she thought about the fact that he was probably trying to decide if he should wrap his arm around her or not. She knew what she wanted.
She reached over and took his hand, pulling his arm around her waist. It wasn't comfortable so she took his hand again, and brought it under her chin so she could snuggle closer to him. She felt his lips brush against her hair. Her eyes fluttered closes, but she saw Walt. She whimpered.
"Everything will be all right, Shannon," he whispered in her ear. "We will find out what is going on."
He pulled her even closer to him. She focused on his breathing, and soon all thoughts of Walt in the jungle were replaced with the man who was holding her. She knew they still had a lot to work through, but if they continued like this, maybe it would all work out.
The End