Chapter 2
"Wow, Freckles, what the hell was that?" Sawyer said after Jack had left the room.
"What was what?" Kate replied trying to sound casual.
"What do you mean what was what? You and the Doc, that's what. What you guys break up?" Sawyer said.
"It's nothing, Sawyer, nothing happened." Kate said.
"Nothing? He walks in here, barely says a word to you, let alone look at you, then yells at you, defending Rambina of all people. I've never seen him that angry since Locke had Boone killed, and you say nothing!" Sawyer said.
Kate kept silent for a moment then got up and grabbed the bandages from the table, "it's nothing, ok, come on, we have to change your bandages." She said as she walked out.
Sawyer knew there was more to what just happened, but he also knew he wasn't going to get much out of Kate either, so he just took a bite from his mango and go up following Kate to the other room.
In the meantime, Jack stood in the middle of the computer room trying to get his head straight. 'what just happened? Why did I yell at Kate like that? And in front of Ana and Sawyer? Damn Sawyer! He's probably enjoying this? I wasn't ready to talk to Kate but now I've made things worse.'
"Jack?" Sun's voice snapped Jack back to reality. "Jack are you ok?" she asked him.
"Yeah, fine…" Jack said trying to sound as honest as he could.
"Are you staying in the hatch?" she asked.
"Why?" Jack replied with his mind obviously somewhere else.
"Would you mind covering for me? I…I need to do something…"she said.
In the corner of his eye Jack looked back to where Kate and Sawyer were sitting. 'Stay here, with Kate and Sawyer, yea sounds terrific,' he though to himself. But jack did not want Sun to notice anything was wrong. He was happy for her and wanted her and Jin to be happy, "yea, sure thing, you go… and make sure to tell Jin I say hi." Jack smiled as Sun blushed and thanked him as she left with a huge smile on her face
Although the timer had over 90 minutes left, Jack sat down at the computer and stared at the monitor. It felt like a war of thoughts and emotions had been raged in his head. He wished he could just shut it all off but it didn't work like that and he knew. He thought if he kept himself busy, but with what. Saving peoples' lives? Looking for Walt? He wanted something to relax, back home that meant golf, but know even that reminded him of Kate.
"Hey man," Michael said as he walked into the room, "mind if I join you?"
"Sure," Jack managed to say as Michael took the seat across from him.
Jack wanted to say something but just did not know what exactly. He wanted to tell Michael that everything was going to be ok, that they will find Walt, but he just couldn't get the conversation started.
Michael sat there looking at Jack staring into nowhere. 'Man, I wish I can say something to him. It must be awful having to worry about forty other people, make sure everyone's safe, healthy. I just had me and my son and I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders', Michael thought to himself. 'But there's something else about him today, yea he's always tired and hungry, but there's something more.'
Before anyone of them could say anything to break the ice, Kate walked in expecting to see Sun. seeing Jack, she froze in her place, "oh, hi…Michael hey," she managed to switch before making full eye contact with Jack.
Jack quickly shifted his eyes and concentration back to the computer. Michael looked at them both before he replied, "Hey Kate."
"Umm… Michael since you're here would you mind if I left for the beach, just for a short while I need to get some stuff." Kate said, still avoiding looking at Jack.
"No problem, take your time," Michael said.
"Is Sawyer going with you?" Jack asked her as she was leaving the room, without taking his eyes off the computer screen.
Kate stopped, and without turning her back said, "No Jack, Sawyer is sleeping."
Kate left the hatch with her head twirling. She knew that what she had done had upset Jack and he had all the right to be. But what she had just seen was a Jack she'd never thought she'd see. She had made him mad before, when they opened the case, but not like that. 'He is furious, more than furious, what had she done? Jack was the only one she could depend on, trust in this place.'
Just as Kate was traveling in her thoughts, she froze as she saw Claire, carrying Aaron, run frantically towards her, screaming.
"Water! Water! Quick!" Claire was yelling, or crying more like it.
"Claire! Claire! Calm down. What is?" Kate tried to calm her down.
"The water! It's coming in! The waves! … The whole beach is flooding!"