A/N: Whew!I've had this chapter ready for weeks now, but I couldn't login to this site to post it! I think all the kinks are worked out now, though, so without further ado... ;)
"You should sit down and drink some water," Jack said as he guided Kate toward her bed.
"I'm fine, Jack," Kate insisted, holding her ground and refusing to sit down. "I'm really okay."
"Why don't you let me be the judge of that," Jack replied in a low tone, raising a hand to her forehead again.
Kate sighed in frustration as she stood before him, arms crossed defensively across her chest. This posture made her wrists inaccessible, so Jack moved two fingers gently to her neck to check her pulse. He focused his eyes at a point just beyond her shoulder as he counted the beats, never meeting her eyes, though he could feel her staring into his.
"Jack," Kate began in an apologetic tone. "I'm sorry I upset you. But I know my limits, and I wouldn't have gone with him if I didn't feel up to it."
Jack sighed, dropping his hand and stepping away slightly. "Kate, less than a week ago you couldn't even stand. You've had a lingering fever for days, as well as frequent dizzy spells, both of which leave you more vulnerable to heatstroke or worse." Jack's voice was rising as he continued, "It's not just a friendly suggestion when I tell you to rest and eat right and stay out of the sun!"
"You're the one who said I could take a walk today, Jack!" Kate replied, her voice rising to match his as she began to resent the lecture.
"Yes! Under my supervision, Kate," Jack replied in exasperation. That was the deal. I'm not about to let you go gallivanting off into the jungle with Sawyer of all people when there's no telling how you're going to feel from one minute to the next!" He paused, trying to collect himself. He hadn't intended to yell at her, and she was looking a little pale and breathing a little faster than he would have liked.
"Look, Kate," he continued in as calm a tone as he could manage. "The poison left your whole system unstable, and it's not a good idea to push it, that's all I'm saying."
She was still crossing her arms in front of her, and the set of her jaw told him she was angry, but he felt compelled to continue anyway. He had to make sure he was getting through to her.
"So, considering your condition, you can't let Sawyer-- or anyone else-- talk you into doing anything that might reverse the progress you've made so far."
"He didn't talk me into it, Jack," Kate replied bitterly. "I make my own decisions."
"Yeah, well, your track record doesn't speak very highly of your skills in that area, Kate."
Kate felt the sting of his words immediately, and the tears started to form in her eyes before she could look away. She acknowledged to herself that he was right; she'd made a lot of bad choices in her life. But she had never expected that kind of low blow from Jack, and she couldn't understand where it had come from. The more she thought about it, the more hurt and angry she became, and she fought to hold back the tears that were threatening to overflow at any second.
Jack stopped breathing the moment the words left his lips. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do, and he hated himself for losing control and saying something he didn't really mean. What made it worse was that he knew about the guilt she already carried over things she had done in the past; she had shared it with him only a few days ago in what he knew was a rare moment of vulnerability for her. And here he was, using it against her. He felt sick to his stomach as he looked at the effect it was having on her-- she still had her arms crossed, hugging herself tightly as she stared at the ground. He couldn't see her face, but he could tell she was crying, or close to it. She was breathing quickly and she had started to shake slightly.
"Kate--," Jack began quietly. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off and backed away from him.
"Don't," she said, her voice wavering as she put up a hand to stop him from approaching her again.
She looked at him then, tears running down both cheeks now, and her outstretched hand visibly shaking, and Jack felt as if he'd been stabbed. He opened his mouth to say something to her… anything… but he couldn't find the right words.
Although Kate was staring at Jack, she wasn't really seeing him. Her head was spinning, and her vision swam with the tears she couldn't seem to stop. She continued to back slowly away from him, reaching out toward the cave wall for support, and finally leaning heavily against it. Her knees gave way without warning, and she slid to the ground, thankful that her back was braced against the wall.
Jack was at her side immediately. He was saying something, but Kate couldn't focus on the words. She felt him put a bottle of water into her hand, but she couldn't seem to grip it, and it fell to her side, spilling onto the rocky floor.
Jack's hands were both on her face, turning her chin to look at him, but Kate's vision was narrowing slowly into blackness, and Jack watched aghast as her eyes rolled back and she went limp in his arms.