Chapter 10

"Good morning" Alex said as she sat the tray down on the table.

"I'm getting spoiled" Kate quipped "breakfast in bed every day" She tried to sound cheerful but wasn't quite successful. The dark circles under her eyes told another story.

As she got up to get the coffee, the room started spinning at dizzying speed. She closed her eyes and sat back down.

"Are you ok?" Alex asked concerned

Kate nodded, "just got up too soon" she said as she slowly this time got up to get the food, she wasn't particularly hungry but knew she had to keep up her strength if she were ever going to get out of here again.

As she got to the table and reached for the coffee however she swallowed hard closed her eyes and felt a sudden wave of nausea hit her.

Alex saw her going pale and quickly reached for her arm to steady her, but Kate pulled away, moving as fast as she could to the bathroom. She'd barely made it to the toilet when her stomach hurled.

When she was done she sat down on the cold tiles with her eyes closed, her back against the wall.

She rubbed against her temples, her head was throbbing and she wished the room would stop spinning. She felt like she was on the latest crazy rollercoaster ride.

"Kate?" Alex stepped into the bathroom "are you ok?"

Kate just mumbled something still feeling too nauseas to even speak.

"Let me help you back to bed" Alex suggested

"no, just let me st…" before she could finish the sentence she had to lean over the toilet bowl again. When there was nothing left in her stomach she sat back down on the floor.

Alex handed her a glass of water. Kate took it gratefully and took a small sip not trusting her stomach to finish the whole glass.

The next day was much of the same routine as soon as she opened her eyes in the morning she had to run for the bathroom and spent the following hours squatting next the toilet.

"Are you still sick?" Alex's voice startled her; she hadn't even heard her come in.

Though Alex just had to look at her to have the answer she was as white as the tiles she was sitting against with dark circles under her eyes. She looked miserable.

"Should I get a doctor to look at you? He could give you something for the nausea at least."

"NO" She blurted defensively then reached for her head as the sudden movement shot shards of pain through her head. Groaning she said "I don't want a doctor" she closed her eyes and leaned back against the cold tiles then after a beat "or hey on second thought if you guys take the name of one's gp, I'm sure he'd be willing to make a house call"

"Jack?"

As soon as she heard his name she had to swallow past a lump. God she missed him she had to get out of here "yes, he's the only doctor I'll see" she didn't quite recognise her own voice when she spoke.

"I'm sorry Kate. You know I can't do that."

Kate couldn't even answer as she had to lean over the toilet yet again.

Two days later she still didn't feel any better, it was late at night, or at least she thought it was when she was lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling. Was it possible to get sick or worse from stress and heartbreak? She wondered. She didn't get sick often she was one of those children that just didn't get sick she'd had a few colds in her life but that's about it. For her to be down with a stomach bug for several days was new.

She was actually starting to doubt if it was a stomach bug from what she know of them they didn't last long, a day or two at the most. Where would she have picked something up anyway she'd been locked in here for the past 2 weeks. Except if one of them who'd been in here gave it to her, Alex weren't sick as far as she knows; she would've said something so that only leaves Henry and the Klugh woman. Damn them this now on top of everything else. But neither of them looked sick either and if it weren't a bug it must be something. Kate frowned suddenly as she had an idea and it all made sense, of coarse why didn't she think about it sooner.

She must've fallen asleep from pure exhaustion at some point as she was startled awake early the next morning by Alex who came to bring her food.

"How are you feeling today?" Alex asked seeing Kate slowly sitting up in bed.

Kate just shrugged; she meant to ask Alex what she thought of her theory.

"Alex, who prepares the food and coffee around here?" She tried to keep her voice casual not wanting to alert Alex as to her suspicions just yet.

"Different people, why do you ask?"

Kate didn't answer okay it would've been more obvious if it was just one person but they could all be under orders. What proof did she really have that Alex wasn't part of that? No she had to trust her, believe her there was no other way to get out of here.

"Could someone be putting something in my food?"

Now it was Alex's time to frown. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I've been sick for days. I don't get sick easy. Could someone be making me sick?"

Alex stared at her. "Kate. No. I can understand how you could think that but no. I'd have known and sometimes I get there when they just start with the food. I'd have seen if they slipped something in." She wished she felt as sure as she sounded though. "I'm sure it's just a bug"

"No that wouldn't have lasted this long and where would I have gotten it from. I've been locked up in here since you..They..took me. Are you sick, any of the Others?"

When Alex shook her head Kate nodded. "Exactly"

"I don't know Kate, I'll see what I can find out. Or if you really want to know what's going on I can still get a doctor here."

"No. I told you I don't want these doctors. I need to get out of here" She got up too soon and swayed but managed to hold on to the bed before the world turned completely black.

Alex came to sit next to her.

"Kate…"

"No, I'm fine." She said not wanting to be fussed over. "When do we leave?"

"I was coming to tell you we could try tonight. If you're up to it"

"Tonight" Kate looked up with the first trace of excitement in her eyes since she got here. "I couldn't be more ready to get away from here"

"Okay then here's the plan. Tonight as soon as it gets dark we go. Mrs Klugh have arranged for a function at the other side of camp. They wont bother with a lot of security on this end so we'll have to sneak out as soon as their all occupied there."

Kate just nodded as she sat on the bed, feeling her stomach somersault again she got up as quick as she could and ran for the bathroom again.

Alex just sat watching her go with a frown on her face.