Few notes:
-Wow, you guys have been so kind to me with your words, I really am very grateful
-As for the plot, I must admit, this story is getting dangerously out of control: I have no idea what so ever where it is headed. For example, I never intended for Jack to get shot, or for Kate to behave the way she does in this chapter.
-As you'll probably notice, I'm speeding things up in these 2 chapters, which might spoil few things, but if I keep going at this rate, I'll never get to the real plot.
The Man Under The Mask
Part 6
"Can you save him?" Kate never tore her gaze from Jack's pale face as Libby examined the gunshot wound on his chest carefully. Sun stood by, her hands and clothes as bloody as Libby's.
"Well, the bullet is out, but he's lost a lot of blood."
"He looks like he's having difficulty breathing," Sun commented.
"Will he be all right?" Kate demanded, almost angrily.
"I don't know, Kate, but we'll do everything we can."
For a brief moment, Kate looked like she was about to cry, but that didn't last. She ran a shaky hand over her face, and nodded. "He's going to be all right," she said the words she desperately wanted to hear.
GGGGGGGGGG
"There is no need for a gun," Mr.Eko told an angry Sayid who stood before them, aiming a gun at Sawyer.
"He shot Jack."
"It was an accident," Mr. Eko said calmly, looking directly into Sayid's eyes, silently willing him to trust him.
Sayid reluctantly complied, lowering his gun slowly.
Mr.Eko seemed satisfied. "Now, we must go back."
This time, Sawyer did not argue, he simply let the man lead him back to camp. He was too exhausted.
GGGGGGGGGG
"Sawyer and Sayid are back," Charlie informed the three women, his eyes pointedly searching Kate's for answers to unspoken questions.
Kate suddenly went rigid.
"Are you okay?" Sun questioned worriedly after she noticed her reaction.
"I'm fine." Kate knew she wasn't. Taking a deep breath, she left the hatch.
Sayid confronted her outside. "How is he?"
Kate looked past him to where Sawyer stood beside Mr.Eko. "Aren't you even curious about how he is?" she asked bitterly. Sawyer stared back silently.
"Kate!" Sayid raised his tone, tearing her attention away from Sawyer. "How is Jack?"
"Libby says he's stable," she sighed massaging her aching temple nervously, "but we still don't know if he'll.." she paused feeling a lump deep in her throat, "He lost a lot of blood."
Sayid placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be all right."
Without a comment Sawyer turned his back and walked away.
"Sawyer!"
"I'll be at the beach," he murmured without stopping.
Mr.Eko looked at Sayid, "It is best if you keep an eye on him."
"Why don't you keep an eye on him?"
"There's something I need to do."
Sayid opened his mouth to argue but changed his mind. He shrugged and followed Sawyer to the beach.
"Kate," now that they were alone, Mr.Eko turned to face Kate, "I know you're angry about what happened, but it was an accident. Sawyer didn't mean to shoot Jack."
Kate stared at the ground, anguish eating at her heart.
"Sawyer is in great danger," Kate's head snapped up, "he needs our help."
"What do you mean by he's in great danger?" Kate was upset now, "What danger are you talking about?"
"Someone is after him, a very dangerous person."
"One of the others?"
"No."
"Is he the one who hurt him?"
Mr.Eko refrained from answering as he spotted Charlie walking towards them. "We'll talk more later," and with that promise, he walked away.
"You okay, Kate?" Charlie asked when he reached her side.
"Yeah I'm okay, Charlie."
"Did Sawyer really shoot Jack?" Charlie finally asked the question nobody seemed willing to ask.
Kate paused, her eyes traveling to the direction of the beach. "It was an accident, Charlie."
"How do you know that?" Charlie pressed, "You weren't there when it happened, were you?"
"Sawyer wouldn't just do something like that," she said carefully.
"Kate, Sawyer isn't a good person," Charlie revealed, "He himself admitted that."
"It was an accident, Charlie," Kate snapped angrily.
"Whoa, whatever you say," Charlie raised his palms defensively, surprised by her sudden outburst.
Kate turned and walked away, and he watched speechlessly as she stomped off to the hatch.
GGGGGGGGGG
"How is he?"
"The same," Sun assured her.
Kate looked down at Jack's still form worriedly.
"Don't worry," Sun told her with a smile, "He will be okay."
"Yeah," Kate smiled back before leaning over Jack to whisper, "Hear that Jack? You're going to be fine."
"Go get some rest," Sun suggested, "you look like you need it."
"No, I'm fine."
"I'll watch him."
"I'm not tired."
Sun shrugged.
Absently stroking Jack's hands, Kate looked around the place. "Where's Libby?"
"She went to check on Sawyer."
Kate froze, her hands falling limply to her sides.
GGGGGGGGGG
Kate blew into Sawyer's tent without warning, making both Libby and Sayid jump. "What's wrong?"
Sawyer was lying on his back seemingly asleep, and other than the fact that he was covered in sweat, there was no indication of anything wrong.
Libby shook her head tiredly, "Nothing looks serious. He has a fever, probably a cold caused by the rain and exhaustion."
Kate felt herself relax.
"What he needs is plenty of rest," Libby concluded.
Kate nodded.
"Someone should stay with him though, keep an eye on the fever."
"I'll watch him," Kate found herself say without thinking. The words surprised her more than anyone else.
Libby silently nodded.
After she was left alone with him, Kate's gaze roamed over the unconscious Sawyer. Her hands automatically stroked his wet locks, softly brushing them away from his flushed face. As awkward as touching Jack was to her, touching Sawyer came so natural that she felt she'd been doing it forever.
He trembled under her touch, and after few moments, his eyes fluttered lazily open.
"How are you feeling?"
He stared at her face for awhile, savoring the secretive pleasure it brought him.
"So now you're talking to me?"
Kate flinched. "I'm sorry," she said softly, "I'm sorry I yelled at you."
Her apology confused him - why was she being nice to him? He shot Jack! Or was it only a dream?
"Shouldn't you be with your boy friend?"
"Sun's watching Jack."
He swallowed.
"How's he?"
"Not that bad," she lied.
Silence.
"Kate?"
"Yeah?"
"There's this man, I hear his voice in my head," Sawyer paused, "He's driving me crazy. Maybe I am crazy."
GGGGGGGGGG
"You're not crazy," Kate assured him with a smile, "It's just your fever playing tricks."
When Sawyer remained silent, Kate smoothed his hair reassuringly as she would a child, "You're not crazy," she told him again, "Eko told me about that man. He says you're in trouble, which doesn't surprise me," she smiled, "you're always in trouble."
Sawyer returned her smile.
"You're safe here," she promised, "He's not going to hurt you again."
Sawyer sighed and closed his eyes – they were getting too heavy to keep open anyway.
Kate watched him drift off to sleep, stroking his hair until she was sure his rhythmic breathing was for real. She hadn't noticed that he was clutching her hand even in his his sleep, and when she attempted to leave he stirred.
Gently, she pried her hand free. She hesitated for a moment before leaning close. "Sawyer?"
"Hmm?"
"I know it was an accident," she said softly, "Jack's going to be okay and everything will be all right, so you just rest now, okay?"
GGGGGGGGGG
