Author's Note: Thanks so much, everyone, for all the kind reviews! I was very nervous to post here, but I'm glad people are enjoying it so far. I'll try to update as often as possible :)

Jack returned from the beach forty minutes later, intent on making Kate eat something and rest awhile longer before she went back to the beach camp for the night. She would protest, of course, but he felt confident that, at the very least, he'd be able to talk her into hanging around the caves a little longer so that he could keep an eye on her. Of course, he knew better than to actually tell her he wanted to keep an eye on her, but she would probably figure it out anyway. She always seemed to see through him.

But Jack was saved from the trouble of convincing her. He found Kate sleeping soundly in the infirmary, arms wrapped around herself. She looked cold.

Kate opened her eyes to near-darkness. As her vision adjusted, she detected the flicker of a fire out of the corner of her eye. Sitting up and turning toward it, she noticed that someone had covered her with one of the blue blankets from the plane.

Jack.

There he was, quietly placing more kindling on the fire just a few feet away.

"Hey… What time is it?", Kate asked softly.

Jack looked up and gave her a small smile, the firelight playing over his features. "Hey. It's after midnight."

Kate looked incredulous. "What? How long--"

"A good seven hours."

"You're kidding," Kate deadpanned, not believing that she could have slept for so long.

Jack grinned at her confusion. "You were exhausted, Kate. How do you feel?"

"Okay, I guess," Kate answered, shifting onto her side to face Jack and the fire. "My arm feels a little funny, but I probably just slept on it."

"Yeah?" Jack walked over and sat down beside her. "Can I take a look?"

Unlike what Kate was used to at the beach, the caves became chilly at night. But Jack was so close now that she could feel the warmth radiating from him, making her feel as though she were sitting directly in the fire. All of a sudden, she was acutely aware that everyone else was asleep in their respective caves; she and Jack were alone.

Feeling a bit shy, Kate lifted her left arm out from under the blanket. Even in the dim glow of the fire she could see that it was swollen below the elbow.

Jack noticed, too. "I think you're having a reaction to that spider bite," he said softly. "The swelling has spread quite a bit."

Jack raised his palm to Kate's forehead, sliding it across her temple and lingering on her cheek. They locked eyes for a moment before Jack abruptly dropped his hand and looked away.

"Uh, I think you have a fever," he said, his voice sounding strange. Snap out of it, Jack, he thought to himself. She's sick. She's only here because she's sick.

He stood up and retrieved the leather backpack he kept some of the medical supplies in. He returned to Kate a few moments later with a bottle of pills.

"Here, take two of these," he said, squatting beside her.

"And call you in the morning?", she asked, hoping to break up the tension.

Jack laughed quietly, smiling at her. He should laugh more often, Kate thought to herself.

"What is it?", she asked.

"An antihistamine," Jack explained. "Like Benadryl, but stronger. If you're having an allergic reaction, this should take care of it. It'll help you get back to sleep, too."

"More sleep, just what I need," Kate laughed weakly. She washed the pills down with a drink of water and settled back against the cushioned airline seat, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

Jack resumed his work on the fire, adding a few more branches and poking at the embers glowing underneath. His face was partially hidden in shadows, but Kate could still see that he looked tired. Once again, she began to feel a little guilty about having spent so much time on the flowers earlier. She should have tried to help Jack with whatever he had been doing, given him a few minutes to take a break. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him look rested, seen the worry leave his face. Maybe during the golf tournament…

"What is it?", Jack questioned, interrupting Kate's thoughts. She hadn't realized she was staring. Oops.

"Nothing, sorry. I just…" Kate trailed off, not sure what to say. "You look tired, that's all."

Jack shook his head. "I'm fine."

"You should get some sleep," Kate pressed.

Jack paused, a hint of a smile crossing his lips. "I will as soon as you do," he said pointedly.

"Deal," Kate smiled. Goodnight, Jack."

"Goodnight, Kate."

He sat at the fire until he was sure she was asleep. Eventually, he drifted off, listening to the rhythm of Kate's steady breathing a few feet away...