Chapter 2

Sayid picked up Kate and headed towards her tent. Looking around he saw Charlie and yelled out to him to go get Jack. Looking at an unconscious Kate in Sayid's arms he was quick with the questions.

"What happened to her?" he wanted to know. "Is she alright?"

"I don't know. " Sayid continued walking to the tent. " I heard her calling out for help and all she said was that she thought something bit her and then she passed out. "

Charlie followed him to the entrance of Kate's tent and watched the former Iraqi Soldier place her on the makeshift bed.

"Charlie, please." Sayid glared at the young man standing almost in a trance. "Go get Jack NOW!"

Charlie nodded and turned and ran to the caves. Racing in out of breath he found Jack talking to Sun and Claire about baby Aaron. "Jack come quick!"

The doctor turned and looked at Charlie surprised by his entrance.

"Charlie, what's wrong?" Claire asked.

"It's Kate." Charlie breathed heavily. "She passed out."

Hearing Kate's name Jack felt his heart race for a brief second. Something was wrong with Kate. "Where is she?" he asked reaching for his medical backpack.

"Back at the beach in her tent. Sayid found her near the jungle and said she passed out on him." Charlie explained as he followed Jack out the cave. Unfortunately for Charlie the run over had taken a lot out of him and he wasn't able to keep up with Jack who was in a full sprint back to the beach. Turning back Charlie decided to wait for Claire and Sun who were also headed that way.

Jack's heart continued to race as he racked his brain trying to think what could be wrong with Kate. Maybe it was something as simple as heat exhaustion. Kate at times would overdo. Maybe she had just had too much sun and not enough water. Charlie hadn't said anything about Kate being injured or bleeding. She passed out was what Charlie had said. But the worry continued to build. This was Kate and even though she was with Sawyer Jack couldn't help himself – he cared about her more than he cared to admit to himself at times and he couldn't stand the idea of her being sick…or worse. He got to the tent in record time and found Sayid wiping Kate's forehead with a damp cloth. Jack looked at her for a brief second and thought of the fairytale 'Sleeping Beauty'. If he hadn't known different it would have looked like Kate was just sleeping.

"What happened to her?" he dropped to his knees next to Kate and grabbed her wrist to check her pulse.

Sayid backed off to give Jack room. "I heard her calling out for help and when I found her at the edge of the jungle she was shaking and trying to steady herself."

"What did she say?" Jack asked as he lifted her eyelids and checked her pupils.

"She said she thought something bit her." Sayid replied. "But I don't think she knew what it was. Then she passed out."

"A bite?" Jack took a deep breath trying to steady himself some more and started slipping into doctor mode. "What the hell could have bit her?"

"In the jungle, anything." Sayid replied softly.

Jack started checking Kate trying to find any signs of bite marks. Even as he looked he had no idea what he would do once he found it. He still wouldn't know what it was that bit her. Turning her slightly on her side he saw a red circle on her shoulder and bent over to take a closer look. He could see two small pin holes in the center – a bit mark.

"Found it. " He told Sayid and move back so that the other man could get a close look. "Looks like some sort of spider bite." He deduced from the size of the holes and the red very warm circle of skin surrounding it.

Sayid nodded but didn't say anything. Spider bites were not usually fatal, but then again they had no idea what the hell lived on this island. "Will she be okay?" he finally asked.

Jack picked up the cloth Sayid had placed on her forehead and rewet it and placed it back on her. "She's starting to get a fever. " He stated. "We don't know how long ago she got bit so I can't tell if this is a fast acting poison. She could be allergic to spiders. I've got no anecdote and no way of even making one." He continued his voice raising angrily.

Sayid put a hand on his friend's shoulder. He more than anyone knew how his friend felt about Kate despite her recent hook up with Sawyer. The idea of Kate dying was starting to creep into Jack's mind and Sayid knew he had to pull him back and get him to focus on treating the young woman.

"She's a fighter Jack, you know that." He spoke softly. "You just need to help her fight."

Jack nodded and took another deep breath. '1….2….3…4….5…' Sayid was right. Kate needed him to do everything in his power to help her and that meant trying to find a treatment.

By this time Charlie and the girls had come inside the tent. Sun walked over and bent down next to Kate opposite of Jack.

"I think she got bit by a spider." He explained. "Her pupils aren't responsive and she's got a fever, but at least her pulse is strong and steady."

Sun nodded reaching up and placing the back of her hand against Kate's cheek. Jack was right she was hot.

"Sun, I need you to try and find something to help with her fever and maybe something I can put on the bite to try and draw out whatever is in there." He wasn't sure what he was asking for was possible but Sun nodded and walked out of the tent to look for some herbs to help.

"Charlie I need you to get me more water and some clothes. We need to keep cool cloths on her to help keep the fever down. Claire, could you help take off her shoes and pants?" Jack handed her a blanket as the young girl nodded. "Put this over her stomach and top of her thighs but keep her legs uncovered." Jack was now in full doctor mode successfully placing his personal feelings for his patient away.

Meanwhile Kate had fallen into a coma like sleep and found herself dreaming. In her dream she woke and found herself in the middle of a sparsely decorated room – once she had never seen before.

"Long time no see." She heard a familiar voice behind her and turned around to come face to face with….Boone.

"Boone." She whispered not believing her eyes. "But you're…"

"Dead?" Boone finished her sentence with a smile. "I am."

Kate nodded slowly. "Does that mean I'm dead too?"

Boone shook his head. "No, you're kind of in limbo."

"And you're here to what? Give me the choice of staying or going with you?" She felt her fear rising as to what could happened.

Boone shook his head again and sat down next to Kate on the small couch. "No. You're actually here because you need to make a decision and I'm here to help guide you in making it." He explained his blue eyes lighting up as he smiled.

"A decision? What decision is that?" she asked confused by everything that had happened so far.

"The decision you were thinking about before the spider bit you."

Kate shook her head to clear her thoughts. What was she thinking about? Oh yeah, was she usually thought about – Jack and Sawyer. "I already made that decision. Why can't everybody understand that?"

"Then why do you keep thinking about Jack…and the road not taken?" Boone challenged.

"I am not." Kate replied stubbornly. "I'm with Sawyer…and I'm happy."

Boone shrugged his shoulders and took her hand. "Kate, I'm here to help you."

"I've made my decision." She repeated. Enough was enough.

"You wouldn't be here if you had. You have doubts and you need to work them out. And that's where I come in."

"How?" she asked softly.

"Well, I'm here to show you the path you've taken. Think of it as a glimpse into what the future holds if you stay with Sawyer."

"And then what? You then show me a glimpse of my future with Jack?" This was beginning to sound like something out of a Christmas Carol.

Boone shook his head. "No. Actually someone else will do that. Somebody that you'll be happy to see." He added with a wink of his eye.

"Who?" Kate asked suspiciously.

"You'll have to wait and see." Boone smiled warmly and stood up.

"So are you some kind of ghost?" the young woman asked shyly.

He laughed at her question. "Something like that."

Kate stood up next to him and touched his forearm. "We all still miss you." She told him.

He nodded. "I know. I miss you guys too." Taking her hand in his, Boone took a couple of steps towards the wall of the room. "Let's get started."

Before Kate could say anything else she found herself being pulled by the young man through the wall into the other side.