I walk slowly across the beach, in search for some water. My head is exploding. And though I'd hate to admit it, Jack was right. I'm pale, and I'm shaking, and I'm fucking sick. Goddamnit.

Jack.

He's in love with me.

I was certain I'd live a thousand years before hearing a decent, nearing to perfection guy telling me he's in love with me. And the fact that he's the only one I want to hear saying that is just the added bonus. If only I wasn't so emotionally crippled.

"Jesus." Shannon exclaims as she sees me, "you look terrible."

"Gotta hand it to you Shannon, I just love those talks of us." I reply leering.

"Seriously Kate," she continues with an uncharacteristic soft tone, "you look sick. You're pale and you're shaking… why aren't you at the hatch, sleeping?"

"The hatch is too suffocating for me. I feel like I'm burning up." I answer, admitting out loud for the first time I'm not as fine as I thought I was.

"Uh, you are burning up." She says pressing the back of her hand against my forehead, "you have a temperature."

"Perfect." I mutter.

"Well, come on… let's go to your tent." She says grabbing my hand and leading me to the more populated area of the beach.

"Shannon, really, there's no need." I argue.

"Ugh, I just hate it when people with the likes of you and Jack get sick. You're too damn proud to admit it." She answers.

"I don't get it," I say smiling and she looks at me questioningly, "you're supposed to be the self centered bitch. This is very unlike you."

"I'm still a bitch," she replies grinning, "to the people who deserve it." She adds warningly and I laugh.

"Such as?" I ask.

"Like that newcomer bitch who needs to have two names in order for people to remember her." She mutters and I chuckle.

"Ana Lucia?" I ask, knowing the answer.

"Ana Lucia… Ana Lucifer is more like it!" she answers and I stop moving, "what is it?" she asks worried.

"Just so you'd know… if I wasn't straight, I'd be so in love with you by now." I say giving her a serious look.

"If I had a dollar for every time I heard that…" she replies grinning and we keep walking to my tent.

Jack's P.O.V:

After dinnertime at the caves is over, I walk up to the beach, wanting to check on everyone. OK, that's a lie. Wanting more than anything to see Kate.

"Hey Charlie, Hurley." I say approaching the two who are sitting by the fire.

"Yeah, whatever." Charlie mutters and I look at Hurley questioningly.

"What's with him?" I ask.

"Dude, what's with you?" Hurley asks back.

"I don't…" I start and Charlie interrupts me.

"…Get it?" he asks annoyed.

"Chill man." Hurley mumbles warningly at him and I just gawk at the two.

"Oh, I know you didn't just tell me to chill!" Charlie looks at him furiously.

"Hey, don't blame this on me, think about it – do you really want to end all friendly terms with the only person here with any medical familiarity?" Hurley asks him cocking his eyebrow.

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" I look at them stunned.

"You're right. You take good care of me, Hurls." Charlie says to him, ignoring my question.

"Hey, don't forget what we agreed on." Hurley answers smiling at him.

"Yeah yeah, once we get off this sodding island, you'd buy DriveShaft and make me the bloody Rock God I used to be." Charlie nods smiling sarcastically.

"OK, is it possible for you two to get out of the married couple routine and focus for 5 seconds?" I ask getting annoyed.

"Oh, you're still here?" Charlie asks shooting a look at me.

I glare back at him and Hurley looks concerned at the two of us.

"Yeah, see, the reason my friend here was so sensitive…" Hurley starts but Charlie interrupts him.

"Compassionate!" he protests.

"Right, um… compassionate… is because, well man, we thought you of all people would be here today… you know, taking care of everything." Hurley finishes poorly.

"What's there to take care of?" I ask eyeing them getting anxious.

"You don't know?" Hurley asks and I shake my head. He turns to Charlie, "dude, he didn't know! This puts it in a total different light!"

"No Hurls, he should've known! Don't make excuses for him!" Charlie insists.

"OK, falling back to old habits here!" I cut them off before they start arguing about it.

Something tells me this is about Kate.

"Jack…" Hurley starts and exchanges a look with Charlie, "Kate's sick."

It's about Kate. Always is.

"Kate's… sick?" I ask.

"Real sick." Charlie nods, forgetting he's boycotting me.

Kate. Real. Sick. 3 words I've never wanted to hear in the same context. Thoughts just seem to fly through my mind. I knew it, I knew she was sick and no matter how much she hates me right now I shouldn't have left her sight for a second. I should've made her rest.

"Wh..wa…ho-how sick?" I stutter.

I can't, for the life of me, remember when I stuttered before.

"Um… I don't know dude, we checked up on her before. She's lying in her tent, shaking." Hurley answers lowering his sight.

"Shaking?" I ask alerted and immediately rise.

"Yeah, Shannon mentioned she has a fever." Charlie nods.

"Why didn't you come and get me?" I ask shaken.

"I… Shannon said Kate asked not to!" Charlie replies defensively.

I just shake my head in respond and accelerate towards Kate's tent. Right now, I'm trying my hardest to not think about Kate specifically asking people not to tell me she's sick.

When I get there, I see her lying on the ground, curled up in that tiny airplane blanket. My heart breaks at the sight of her so fragile and frail. I drag my eyes from her to Shannon, who is sitting next to her reading a book. She glances up at me unaffected before returning to her book.

"Shannon..." I trail off.

"I got it covered Jack. Go back to the caves." She answers unequivocally, not even looking at me.

"I know you can't, for one second, believe the words coming out of your mouth." I mutter at her and she looks up, surprised. "Go."

"Fine." She mutters back rising, "but only because I think this," she says poking her finger in my chest, "is pure sexual frustration."

She leaves and I sigh heavily watching her go. I turn my head to Kate, who's still lying there quivering. I kneel in front of her and brush off a clammy strand of hair from her face. Good. Soon enough she'll be sweating off her fever.

Oddly enough, she's sleeping profoundly, despite breathing erratically and trembling. I stroke her cheek and rise, walking to her other side and lying next to her. I wrap my arms around her, being careful not to wake her up, and bring her back against my chest. I bury my face at the back of her neck, kissing it. Gradually, her shivering stops. When I feel her breathing return to normal pace, and when I'm positive she isn't cold anymore, I let myself fall asleep thinking this girl will be the end of me.

Kate's P.O.V:

Never in my life have I felt this content. This safe. Those arms around me… it makes me feel complete. Like those arms are the only arms that should ever hold me.

Oh, God.

Please don't let it be Sawyer, please don't let it be Sawyer…

I immediately shoot my eyes open and gaze at the arms holding me. When I see it, I grin. Jack. I stir gently and slowly turn to face him, hoping not to wake him. Things have been pretty bad between us, and I know he might still be upset with me. Him coming here last night was pure Jack, on full doctor mode. So I don't want to wake him up. I want to stay in his arms a little longer. Optimally, forever. But since I know that's not an option, a few extra minutes of staring at his sleeping form would be good, too.

But the one thing that skips my mind is that Jack is a doctor. He sleeps very lightly. And so the second I began stirring, he woke up. When I finally face him, he just looks at me, not saying a word.

I open my mouth to say something, but then shut it. I place one hand against his chest and lower my eyes.

"Your fever is gone," he says with authoritativeness touching my neck, "so that's good."

"Jack…" I trail off finally bringing up my eyes to meet his.

He stares at me silently for a few seconds and then clears his throat.

"I'm gonna go help Jin fishing. Call me if you need anything." He says and quickly rises, leaving.

And just like that, the warm and secure arms are no longer surrounding me. Just like that, Jack is gone, and I'm all alone again. The one person I never wanted to lose, the one person I never wanted to walk away from me – just did.