"Well, well, well", Sawyer chuckled. "What have we got here? Did'ya have little too much jungle rum there, Freckles?" She didn't respond, and he moved closer. Kate lurched up, startling him, and launched herself at the toilet. He watched her retch, unsure what to do.
He shook his head. "Man, that must have been some party you had. Why didn't you invite me?" he quipped. She didn't respond, and it was then that he saw the tears pouring from closed eyes, streaming down her cheeks. He put a tentative hand on her back. "Freckles?"
"Please", she whispered faintly. He leaned closer, trying to hear. "The light. Please" she begged. Sawyer quickly turned it off, leaving just the faint light from the hallway to illuminate the dim room. "Better?" he asked, returning to her. She nodded slightly, but didn't move. He heard her breathing speed up and watched her body tense. Knowing what was coming, he pulled back her damp hair. He rubbed her back as she threw up again, and again, and again.
After what seemed like forever, she collapsed limply back against him, letting him support her weight. He was starting to get concerned; he'd never seen her like this. She was always so tough, so strong. He could feel her body shaking, and her head lolled against his shoulder. "Hey", he said softly, his voice betraying genuine concern. "What's going on with you?"
She didn't answer, but slowly removed herself from his grasp, curling up on the floor again. "Hey" he said again, "What's wrong Kate? Is it food poisoning? Stomach flu? She still didn't answer, but let out a slight whimper. "Maybe I should go find the doc", he said, more to himself than to her.
"No. 's jus' a headache," she finally slurred.
Sawyer sighed. "I don't know. Are you sure? I've never seen no headache like that before".
She swallowed and took a deep breath before speaking, her voice scratchy. "I'm sure. There's nothing he can do, anyway. It'll go away eventually."
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Sawyer wasn't so sure. It had been almost three hours since he'd found her, and if anything, she seemed worse. For a while she had tried to insist that he go, that she didn't want him staring at her. Now, half of the time, he wasn't sure she even knew he was there. If she did, she clearly didn't care anymore.
They were still in the dark, damp bathroom. He had tried to move her earlier, but she had resisted. She'd actually cried, and he'd given in at that point. He couldn't take making her cry. Instead, he brought a pillow and blanket in in an attempt to make her more comfortable. He wasn't so sure that it made any difference to her, but he had to do something. He'd tried to get her to take some painkillers as well, but that hadn't gone over too well. She couldn't even swallow a sip of water without throwing up.
He'd made up his mind. As soon as Hurley came down for hatch duty, he'd go and find the doctor. Though it pained Sawyer to admit it, Kate needed Jack right now.
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The next time the alarm went off, they were at the toilet yet again, Sawyer still holding back her hair. Kate cringed at the jarring noise, letting out an involuntary yelp.
Sawyer cursed under his breath. "I know. I'm sorry" he spoke softly. "I'll make it stop in a second. Let's just get you settled first, huh?"
When she didn't respond, he gently lowered her back down to the makeshift bed. "I'll be back right back, 'kay?"
Again she didn't respond, just curled up on her side and moved her hands to cover her ears, looking utterly pathetic. Sawyer carefully closed the door behind him and then ran down the hall. The beeping stopped just as he rounded the corner. He found Jack standing at the computer, shaking his head.
"Sleeping on the job, Sawyer?"