Disclaimer: Uh…No. Not even a little bit.
Author's Note: Hey all! Thanks for all the glorious feedback—and here's your well-deserved reward: A very early update. (Okay, I kind of owe it to you all for the horrific shortness of that last chapter)—so here it is, a ridiculously long chapter.
Jarlie: Hey! You finally read my Fic! So glad you're enjoying—here's the promised update;)
CowboyswithDimples: Oh, thank you! I don't really know how I keep them in character either—it just comes naturally! Yea, Skate rules:)
Dinuriel: Thanks—and yes, I know, it was short—bad shortness! ;p
Chapter Seven
Shannon opened her eyes slowly, struggling against heavy lids.
Darkness.
She groaned softly. Every single inch of her body ached. Attempting to sit up, she quickly regretted it as her muscles protested painfully. Where am I? she thought drowsily. Struggling to see through the utter blackness that envelopped her, a sudden sound came from the left. Jerking her head sidways, she inhaled sharplyas fire sprung down her neck. "Uuhhhh."
"Shannon? Are you awake?" an achingly familiar voice murmured next to her. The tiniest bit of moonlight revealed Sayid entering what she just realized was her tent.
He was right beside her then, strong arms wrapped around her, and held her close.
"Wha...what happened?" Shannon mumbled blearily.
"Shhh. Try to rest. You've been unconscious for most of the day." He pulled the blankets closer around her and brushed a strand of hairout of her face.
"Sayid." She closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him, breathing him in, letting him fill her mind.
She fell asleep, at that moment feeling more comforted than she had felt most of her life.
Immense light.
Shannon tried to open her eyes, to no avail. Gradually, sounds came to her ears. Distant bird calls, people's shouts, the crashing ofthewaveson the shore.
She finally was able to open her eyes a crack, an overwhelming blur of color and light entering her vision.
She quickly snapped them shut.
She tried again, this time getting them open halfway. She shut them again.
"Trying to make rainbows?" a familiar voice sounded just next to her, making her jump.
The voice persisted. "Because its not going to work like that."
"Excuse me?" Shannon squinted up at Charlie, trying to get her eyes to focus.
"You know," he piped, "Rainbows. If you narrow your eyelids just enough and look up at the sunlight, you see rainbows." He waited, obviously desiring a response.
"Fascinating," Shannon offered.
"Oh, come on, you mean to tell meyou never tried that?"
"Actually--" Shannon was cut off from making posssibly the easiest one-liner she ever thought up.
"Well, well. Look who finally decided to come out of her hole." Sawyer strolled up nonchalanly, smirking.
"Oh, hey Sawyer. I was just telling Shannon here that--" Charlie was--for the love of all goodness-- saved from enlightening Sawyer on his rainbow-theory by Claire's call. "Oh, coming!" He shot them both a grin before trotting off.
Sawyer plopped down on the sand. "So, how's life been treatin' ya?"
Shannon narrowed her eyes at him.
"Shannon, good. You're up." Sayid made his way over to them. She smiled up at him when he reached her, forgetting for the moment Sawyer was sitting ight across from her.
"Hey," she murmured as he cupped her face in his hand.
"Hey, yourself," he smiled warmly back, kneeling beside her.
"Okay, that's my signal to get goin'! Catcha later, Sticks," Sawyer smirked evilly at her and winked. She hated his guts for ruining the moment.
"You should come to the caves now. Jack has something for your head." He pulled her up, and she swayed briefly as the world spun. Sayid held her steady. "Shannon, can you make it to the caves?"
"Yea, sure. I guess I just didn't realize how dizzy I was." She took his arm as they made their way across the beach. Shannon noticed the concerned look in his eyes, and decided to ask him how she came to find herself currently disfunctional later.
As they neared the jungle, Shannon heard voices. Okay, I think I'm seriously losing it.
Sayid turned his head. "What is that?" he asked. The voices were getting louder, and people were running ahead to the caves.
"Sayid, Wha--" Shannon began.
"Sayid! Shannon!" Charlie was breathless, and running back from the caves.
"Charlie, what's going on?" Sayid demanded.
"It's--Jack--" Charlie gasped between breaths. "He's--been hurt."
"Where?"
"At the caves--everyone's going there now," Charlie panted.
"Charlie, you take Shannon back to the tent." He turned to Shannon. "I'll be back." He ran ahead, towards the caves, shouts coming up all around them.
"What happened--how did Jack get hurt?" Shannon demanded.
"They don't know. I think Kate found him there at the caves."
All of a sudden a crash hit the trees just above them, sending birds shooting out in all directions.
Charlie and Shannon stared at each other, then slowly turned their heads upward.
Charlie's eyes widened. "Bloody hell..."