Chapter 16

Kate drew in a breath as she felt the baby kick continuously, she loved these moments when she knew the baby was well and kicking. At least then she could believe that whatever they were injecting her with really isn't hurting her child.

The baby gave another hard kick against her ribs and she gasped. Ever since she first felt the baby move and kick she'd known this one will be just as energetic and restless as she was, she was beginning to think that wasn't necessarily a good thing. It felt like he or she were practicing marshal arts in there.

She held a hand over the spot of her protruding stomach. The first time she felt the baby move she was overcome with emotion, she'd have given anything to have Jack there with her to share the moment. She missed him so much it was like a physical ache in her and with every day the baby grew she felt that pain grow as well. She wanted him with her to share all this with her. She was scared to be doing all this alone. She'd been sleeping more and more lately. In her dreams she was free and Jack was with her. She hated waking up to reality.

She slowly rubbed over the spot the baby had just stopped kicking moments ago. This was all that had kept her going through months of being locked up. There'd been times she felt she was at the point of breaking of totally losing it but then she felt the life growing inside her and new she couldn't give up she had to keep fighting keep trying to get out, not only for her own sake but more so for her child.

She couldn't wait till the baby was born, Alex had told her that when they took Claire they planned on killing her and keeping the baby. They didn't drug her the way they apparently did Claire but she wasn't about to stick around and find out if they planned the same fate for her.

The only problem she thought wryly was that she was running out of time she was already 7 months along, she'd tried to keep track herself but with being in this room most of the time it was hard as days and nights, week upon week just blurred into one. The doctor, or at least she thought he was one, that gave her the injections had done a sonar scan a few days ago and told her she was 29 weeks.

She was shocked to hear how long she had been here already. She had tried several times to get out in the early weeks they kept her here but every time they had caught up with her again. Her attempts at escape had came further and further apart, she hadn't given up completely but she was running out of ideas on how to get out, not only that but she wasn't nearly as fast as she was seven months ago, she felt like a bloated whale and had the mobility and agility of one too.

She had hoped through all those failed escape attempts that there wont have to be a next time that Jack and the rest of them would come looking for her, that they would make a plan to get her back but with each passing day they didn't come so did her hope that they would. No matter how hard she tried not to think about why not the thoughts and fears kept crawling into her thoughts. Did they forget about her? Considered it not worth it to risk their lives again to find her? But then images of Jack being shot the night she was captured played over in her mind again. Those she blocked away, too scared to go there. If something had happened to him maybe that's why they weren't looking for her. Maybe they were just too scared to lose any more people. But the thought of Jack being seriously injured or worse…that hurt more than anything they could ever do to her. She had to keep believing that he was ok. And there was just some other explanation on why they didn't come. Maybe they did look but just couldn't find her.

She'd seen Alex again for the first time in months a few days ago. She had given up on ever seeing her again, sure that they had killed her for trying to help her escape, the guilt of believing to be the cause of the other woman's death had been just another heap on her ever growing mountain of regrets and guilt. But then she came in to bring Kate food but wasn't alone, another man was with her, surely to keep the women from talking or trying anything again. They locked gazes for a few seconds though both clearly relieved to see the other alive.

It was late at night or at least she thought it was and she was lying awake staring up at the ceiling all the sleep during the day catching up with her when she heard someone on the other side of the room. The door opened slowly not making a sound she held her breath and sat up then she saw the person that came into the room was Alex.

"Alex?" Kate said sounding surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Kate. You have to come with me. Now" The other woman replied hurriedly. She came over took Kate's hand and half pulled her up.

"What's going on?" Kate was still confused by the sudden entrance of the woman she hadn't spoken to in months.

"I've caused a distraction outside. We have to get you out of here before it's too late"

Kate blinked and stopped herself from asking more questions all she needed to hear was that they could try to get away again.

She followed Alex out as quickly as she could manage; the other woman was moving fast through the same route they tried to escape months before. Kate nearly had to run to keep up. They got outside and stayed close to the side of the hatch as they moved towards the dark jungle. Neither said a word, they hardly breathed as they closed the distance in minutes. Kate noticed the screaming and yelling towards the other side of camp it seemed like several huts were on fire, people running back and forth trying to put out the flames.. Good distraction Kate thought as she reached the edge of the jungle. Alex paused reaching into a pocket and handing Kate a small bag with a knife, flashlight, compass. and water bottle.

"Take this and move as fast as you can. Don't stop till you get to your camp, they'll come looking for you"

Kate was breathing hard, looking confused.

"Wait. What about you?"

"I can't go. They'll kill my mother. Please there's no time. You have to go" Alex looked nervously back to the rest of the camp.

Kate shook her head. "No, come with me"

"I'm sorry Kate I can't. Keep heading northwest, stay close to the beach it's about a days walk. Be careful" She gave Kate's arm a quick squeeze before turning around and heading back.

Kate stood there for a fraction of a second, wanting to call the other woman back but knew it would be foolish. So she turned back to the jungle and ran as fast as she could manage in the dark, she was scared to use the flashlight still being this close to their camp.

She was breathing heavy stumbling on through the trees and bushes. Her arms and face were scraped raw by low hanging branches but she was too scared to stop until she stumbled over a rock scraping her knees and hands on the rocky floor. She took a few moments to catch her breath and decided she was far enough to turn on the flashlight for a second she wanted to check the compass make sure she was at least still going in the right direction. Her tongue were heavy in her mouth and she took a few quick sips of water before slowly getting back up and heading in the direction of the surf she could hear off in the direction she was told to go.

She'd been walking for hours and was exhausted beyond words. The last months of just sitting around certainly didn't help keep her fitness levels up. At least the sun had come up chasing away the darkness, so she could see where she was going. She had no idea how far she still had to go but she had been walking just inside the treeline of the beach for the last few hours. She couldn't believe she was outside again. Hearing the waves crash to the beach and feeling the wind against her face she felt a rising sense of hope again, she was actually getting away. Not since she left the Others camp had she heard any sounds that told her she was being followed. She must atleast have a good lead on them, she didn't doubt that they would come looking for her she just hoped she'd have reached her destination before that happened. Her legs felt wobbly and the baby started kicking again, her throat was sandpaper, she'd finished the water already and not yet found another source of fresh water. But none of it mattered the thought that she could be seeing Jack again before the day was over was enough to keep her going.

She wasn't sure but the area had began to look familiar to her a while back, the sun was already low in the sky again and she'd been starting to feel lightheaded from thirst and hunger and began to thought that she was walking in circles but then she must've circled the island already. She had no idea the island was this big.

As she came around another bend she stopped abruptly. She stared out over the beach in front of her. This was it. This was the beach they crashed on she was sure of it. She looked around but everything was quiet she headed slightly deeper into the jungle to her left. She was staring at the spot where she had stitched Jack's wound up such a long time ago. She headed back down the beach knowing she was close now, they must've decided to move up the beach again. She kept walking until she found some scattered rock fireplaces now abandoned along with some scrap metal from the crashed plane. Well atleast she knew she was at the right place now she thought, but where were everyone?

This place didn't seem like anyone had been here in some time, no footprints nothing. Did they go back to the caves? The hatch? She ignored her tired aching legs and now nearly running again, it won't be long now she told her baby as she held her hand over her stomach protectively.

She got to the caves and only found silence and emptiness. These looked as abandoned as when they first found it after being chased by bees. She went over to the water still streaming from above the rocky ledge. She filled up the bottle again and after resting a few minutes headed towards the hatch a growing sense of dread enveloping her, why were everything deserted and abandoned where were everyone, they couldn't all be living in the hatch? Did they move up even further along the beach?

She went around to the hatch door trying to open it but it was firmly stuck or locked from the inside. She was almost too scared to start knocking, what if they weren't here either what if the Others were now in this hatch too, they couldn't find her again.

She decided she'd just have to risk it, Jack could be in there so she started knocking and banging on the door as hard as she could.

She was about to give up when she heard a voice on the other side. "whose there?"

Kate breathed a sigh of relief as she recognized the voice. Locke. "Kate. It's me, Kate"

She could hear him struggle with the door and then the door slowly opened. Locke stood there looking exactly like he did more than seven months ago. His mouth fell open when he saw her obviously not believing his eyes. "Kate?"

Kate smiled for the first in a long time. "Locke"

Locke looked her over taking in the whole picture, first thing he noticed was her very pregnant figure then the cuts along her face and arms she looked tired and dirty.

"how did you get here?"

"walked"

Locke ushered her inside. Kate gratefully went inside as Locke closed the door behind her.

She came to the kitchen and saw Rose and Bernard preparing food. The rest of the hatch looked quiet. Rose and Bernard was just as surprised to see her and came over to greet her.

She turned back to Locke though, "where is everyone else? I got to the beach and caves and it's all deserted"

She couldn't help but notice the look Locke, Rose and Bernard shared. Something was going on here. Rose tried to change the subject by suggesting Kate sit down and have something to eat and drink first. "you look exhausted honey"

"Later" She insisted. "I want to know what's going on here first. Where is Jack? And the others?"

Locke looked unsure of what to say. Kate was starting to feel the panic that built inside her since she found the abandoned beach well up to breaking point inside her. "Where's Jack!"

"Lets just sit down first ok" Rose practically dragged her to a chair in the kitchen.

"stop stalling and tell me where he is!" Kate was afraid of what they might say, after he got shot, was it that serious, did he…No! She refused to believe that.

"They're not on the island anymore" Locke said as gently as he could manage.

Kate sat staring at him. What did he mean they're not on the island anymore?

"About a month after you were taken, a plane was spotted it landed and took the rest of the group back" Locke said, knowing this must be a shock to her. "They were rescued"

The words echoed thought Kate's head. She slumped down in the chair. 'rescued? They weren't on the island anymore? Jack. Jack was gone.

She slowly got up ignoring the hands of the three people trying to help and slowly walked away. She needed to be alone.