Chapter 7- Undiscovered
Jack's eyes were starting to grow weary. He had been driving all night, and he was exhausted. Jack looked tiredly to his right where Kate was sleeping, and then glanced in the rearview mirror where Sawyer was sitting up.
Jack yawned, "How long have you been up,"
"It's kinda hard to sleep when your swerving all over the road like a sixteen year old that just got their damn license."
"I've been driving for three hours, why don't you take over?" Jack said.
"I better before we all end up in a ditch, and if we're lucky enough to live through that, have the police arrest our asses."
Jack signaled to pull over on the side of the road.
"Keep going, stop at a hotel," Sawyer advised.
Jack looked at Sawyer through the rearview mirror once again. "Are you sure about that?"
"Yeah," Sawyer stretched out his legs in the back. "So what do you do…and where do you come from?"
"I'm a doctor…you already know that, and I um…"
Sawyer smiled, "You think I am going to hold you hostage again if you tell me where your from? Well Jacks by the time you get back to wherever you came from I hope I'm out of here,"
Jack cringed at Sawyer's latest nickname. Jacks…
He took the next exit. It was winding and the road was dark. Jack pressed on the brakes as some deer crossed the street.
"Run em' over, we don't got time to wait for them moseying around slower than some mules,"
Jack sighed slightly irritated. He obviously wasn't going to get along with Sawyer.
"Damn, what does Hailey have in that trunk. I keep on hearing it knocking around back there,"
"I heard it too," Jack said.
"We'll check it out when we stop," Sawyer replied.
A couple minutes later Jack pulled up to a motel called The quarter.
Sawyer opened his door, "Stay in the car, I'll get us checked in." He then glanced towards the car keys. "Gimmie them,"
Jack took the keys out of the ignition and handed it to Sawyer.
Sawyer seemed surprised that he didn't resist, and then looked down at the keys. "I'll be back,"
Jack yawned and then rested his head against the headrest. Sarah had probably tried his cell a million times, wondering what was going on. Jack looked down. He didn't have to stay with them. Maybe he could still getaway, and get back to Sarah in Los Angeles. Bur did he really want to do that?
Kate slowly sat up.
Jack smiled at her, "Did you have a good sleep,"
"Not really, you were driving so rough, my head kept on hitting the window." Kate said placing a hand to her head.
"Sorry about that…you already suffered a minor concussion I don't want to make it any worse,"
"It's fine thanks though." Kate yawned tiredly.
"We're at a motel, I think we are going to get some sleep and then head out early in the morning."
"Where's Sawyer?" Kate asked.
"He's inside…probably using someone else's credit card to book us a room."
Kate watched as Sawyer made his way back towards the car.
He opened her door.
"What are you doing?" Kate asked wearily.
"Well I was tryin to be a gentleman, but if you don't wanna take the offer, then fine." Sawyer closed the door.
"Do you want me to check for cops?" Jack asked.
"Yeah," Kate said looking around.
Jack looked around as well, "The coast seems clear,"
Kate opened the door and stepped out. No matter where she was, she would always feel as if she was being followed. And the crazy events that happened tonight did little to ease her thoughts.
"We're in room 114, of course they got to give us the bottom floor. I don't see why, I know ain't no one else shacking up in this crap hole." Sawyer said.
"I'm going to find a way to get back to L.A.," Jack replied quietly to Kate.
Kate couldn't hear him because she was flashing back to her kiss with Tom a couple of days ago. Their kiss had been so bittersweet but so calming at the same time. He had been there for her through everything, and he was the only guy that she would ever love. Kate snapped out of her thoughts as Sawyer opened the door. Was it really smart to be stopping at a motel for the night?
"Well lookey here, the bed isn't even made, I wonder who just rolled outta there after having sex?" Sawyer laughed.
Jack closed the door behind Kate as she stepped in. "How much did this place cost?"
Sawyer tossed the comforter onto the floor, and the fell backwards onto the bed. "We got the special Jacks, this flee bag was fifteen bucks,"
Kate's eyes widened as a large roach crept across the floor. She let out a blood curdling scream and then jumped on the bed next to Sawyer.
Sawyer laughed, "Scared of a little roach huh?"
"Little!" Kate said breathlessly.
"I see why this place costs fifteen dollars, we're sharing it with a dozen critters," Jack said.
Sawyer kicked off his boots and then placed his hands behind his head. "Jack, make sure that door is locked."
Jack turned around and locked the door.
"Turn off the lights." Kate said.
Jack then turned off the lights.
"Do you want the bed freckles?" Sawyer asked.
"What?" Kate asked.
"Once again I'm tryin' to be a gentleman. Do you want the bed?"
"Where are you going to sleep?" Kate asked.
"Right next to ya pudin." He replied.
"Where's Jack going to sleep."
"Not on this bed. I have a rule about two guys in a bed. It just ain't right, so Jacks over there is going to have to sleep on the fold out couch."
Kate turned around to look at the mildew couch, that had brown stains, and unraveling fabric. "He can't sleep on that, it looks like it is infested with scabies."
Sawyer sat up, "Well if you care about em' so much why don't you sleep on the couch with him, and then I'll take this big ol' bed to myself sweetheart."
"I'm not sleeping on that,"
"Then hush your mouth pudin', Jacks will be fine." Sawyer said.
Jack looked down at his watch. It was 1:30 am. He sat down on the chair, and then leaned forward. Leaving made no sense. "What time are we leaving Sawyer?"
"Early," Sawyer mumbled.
Jack stood up, and took out the fold out couch.
Kate got up and walked over to Jack.
Sawyer turned around and watched her. "Becareful around that window."
Kate quickly sat down next to Jack, making sure she wasn't in harms way in the process. "I don't think I could go to sleep even if I tried."
"Me either,"
Kate rested her head against her hand and then curled up her legs close to her body. "I feel so much safer when we're moving. Just staying still like this makes me feel so vulnerable."
"We are vulnerable…but even when we're moving." Jack said staring into Kate's eyes.
"I know, do you want to sleep?"
"I don't think I can. There is too much going on around me to drift off like that."
"What if I promised to watch you, and wake you up if anything happened." Kate whispered.
"I still don't think I could go to sleep," Jack said.
"I know she misses you,"
"Who?" Jack asked.
"The woman you were going to propose to." Kate said softly.
Jack looked down.
"Don't you miss her too?"
"I don't know," Jack said.
Sawyer snored loudly.
Kate and Jack looked over at him.
"Do you want to sleep on the bed with him?" Kate asked Jack.
Jack laughed and shook his head, "No thanks, I'll pass."
"I will too, I hope you don't mind a little extra company on the fold out bed."
"I heard you saying it was filthy to him." Jack said motioning towards Sawyer.
"I did say that, but the bed isn't exactly a prize either, there is yellow spots on the pillow."
Jack grinned, "I wonder what it is,"
"Frankly, I don't want to know." Kate replied holding Jack's gaze for a couple seconds longer.
"Your still a mystery to me, how did you end up in this mess?" Jack asked.
"It's a long story, but I will tell you that I was running from the police and the guy I was in love with was with me. I had his car, and I was driving fast and then…" Kate paused.
"It crashed," Jack finished.
Kate looked up at Jack with teary eyes. She hated crying in front of strangers. In a matter of fact, she hated crying at all. It made her feel vulnerable.
Jack placed his hand on Kate's shoulder, "Did he die?"
Kate nodded with trembling lips. "Yes,"
Jack wasn't sure what to say so he just remained quiet. She had been through so much in one day. Actually they all had.
Kate rested her head against the back of the seat. Her eyes started to close. Kate sat up, and then tried to find a position in which she could stay awake.
Jack was starting to drift as well.
Kate watched him.
His head slowly rolled backwards and then rested against the window.
What if those guys found them? Kate sat up, and wiped the tears away from her eyes. She couldn't think about Tom right now. It was so hard trying to forget.
Kate reached for Jack's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Jack slowly opened his eyes, "Yeah?"
"Don't rest your head against the window just in case…"
"Right," Jack said allowing his body to sink down lower on the fold out bed.
Kate sank down as well. There was only one pillow…Jack could have it.
"Here Jack,"
Jack turned over on his side, "Why don't you take it,"
"Or we could share it," Kate whispered.
"Can you'll stop all that pillow talk o'er there, I'm trying to get me some shut-eye," Sawyer growled.
Kate tapped Jack's shoulder.
"Yeah?" He whispered.
"Why don't we share it?"
Jack didn't argue with Kate, he rested his head on part of the pillow, and she took the other half. Kate crawled as close to him as possible. She needed to feel safe, and right now only Jack could make her feel that way.
A couple of seconds later Kate had drifted off to sleep.
The motel room was dark, and crickets chirped loudly outside. The moonlight from outside cascaded into their small room. Jack turned over on his side still in a deep sleep and stretched his arm outwards. His arm rested against Kate's stomach slowly moving up and down. Jack snuggled closer to her, and buried his face in her hair.
Kate's eyes fluttered open. And a smile crossed her face. She glanced at Jack from the corner of her eye, and then looked back up at the ceiling. She was becoming attached to Jack…and that was saying something because she wasn't one to form attachments. Kate glanced at Jack once again. Despite Sawyer's baggage, she was glad that she got in Jack's car a couple hours ago, or she would have never met him.
Kate turned towards Jack, and then closed her eyes. She could finally go to sleep, because she felt safe like this in Jack's arms.