A/N:As I promised...here is the next update to "The Waiting Game"-I'm really enjoying writing this, as I hope you are reading it. This chapter is on the longish side, I hope you don't mind. :)...R&R,please.
You can tell a great deal about a person when they're locked in small spaces. How they react to different situations and people can vary with time. When people are stuck together, things happen- words get said, looks get exchanged. And wether Kate and Jack were willing to admit it or not- something was happening between them...and they had a choice wether or not to accept it.
It had been two days. Two days since the news of this new spring had come about, two days since Ana and Sawyer's 'walk'-and two more days had been added to Kate's time in the sick room.
Claire continued to steadily improve, and had actually been moved to a seperate room to help her heatlh improve more.
Shannon was talk more, making more sense than she had before. She was now able to lift her head a little, but Jack didn't want to brave letting her sit up yet.
Libby had been brought in, and at the current moment was being looked after by Charlie, who was warned by Hurley to not hurt her, and that if anything happened to her, he needed to know.
Then there was Kate. The sore on Kate's leg had to bed punctured, to clean out all of the pus. So far, it seemed to be healing, and physically, Kate seemed to change a little. Mentally, however, she seemed stuck. At times, she wanted to get better and others, she seemed frail and afraid of any change.
The door to the room opened, Jack stepping inside.
"Jack...I'm glad you came."
"Is something wrong?"Jack asked.
"No...well...not exactly."
"You're going to have to be more clearer than that, Charlie. I came to do the check-ups..there haven't been any problems, have there?"He asked, going to Libby's bedside.
"Oh...well...actually...I was..."Charlie looked away, slightly embarrassed at the situation.
"It's Claire, isn't it?"Jack asked, smiling. "Go ahead...you can go and see her while I'm here if you'd like."
Charlie nodded. "Thank You."
He left, leaving Jack to survey the patients. "Libby?"
The woman opened her eyes, twitching a little. "Who-"
"It's Jack...you've been out for a while...Hurley's been worried about you.I need to check your temperature.Is that okay?"Jack asked, sliding the thermometer into her mouth.
The room was silent while he did this, giving him time to think. He wanted to try something today,or atleast attempt it, but he wasn't sure if it would work.
He slid the thermometer out of Libby's mouth, staring at it. "You're running a fever...Could I...Could I ask you something?"
"Like I have much of a choice...lying here."Libby said, laughing.
"I'm just...curious.All the...all the other patients...well, the ones under my care, anyway...have one thing in common."
"What's that?"She asked, leaning her head against her pillow.
"Where you ever..."Jack paused, choosing his words carefully. "I noticed on your hand you had a little... like a scab."
She stared at her hand, running her thumb across it. "Ran into some barbed wire...it didn't exactly agree with me."Libby said, somehow getting the feeling that wasn't what Jack was asking.
"I know that you spent some time...through the jungle and such...did you at any time pass a spring someplace?"He asked, intent on finding the source of this.
Libby thought back a moment. "Well...yes.But I don't see what this has..."
"Thanks...I...I needed to know."
"What...But I don't understand why..." Jack cut her off, raising his hands.
"I'll have to explain later...I'm going to step out for just a second..."Jack said, going to the door.
Sticking his head out, he coughed. It all started to make sense now.
"Sayid!...Sayid, are you down here?"
"Dude...Sayid just left.Is it something I can do?"Hurley asked, not wanting to venture down the hall.
"Um...could you go and find him?Tell him it's urgent."
"Okay, Man...but I can't gurantee I can find-"
"Could you just find him...please?"Jack said, frustrated.
Hurley had gone off to find Sayid. When he returned, Jack told him how he had begun to put all of the pieces together. He told them how Kate, Shannon, Libby-even Claire and the others had had some sort of cut on them. How all of them had been to that same spring.
He told Sayid how he had suspected that it had something to do with the water in that area. He handed him water test strips-ones he had found in the hatch, hoping it would do some good.
When he returned to the room, Kate had awoken.
"Where were you?"She asked.
"I was in the hallway for a minute..I had to speak with Sayid."
"About what?"Kate asked.
Jack smiled, sitting at the foot of her bed. Even in times like this, she could still find a reason to be curious.
"The source of the virus...I think I may have found out what it was."He said, softly touching her ankle.
She winced a little, curling her leg back in.
"It still hurts, doesn't it?"
"I don't know why..."
"The spring...the one that you took Shannon to...my guess is that the water has some sort of bacteria in it...I don't know what but...you had an open sore.You cleaned the cut with the spring water, right?"
Kate stared at him suspiciously. "Yeah...but I've had cuts before...I cleaned them off with the water from the caves...How could-"
"Maybe they don't come from the same place...source, I mean...how are you?"He asked, wanting to change the subject.
She smiled, sighing. "You've got to be tired of asking that question."
"It's my job...I'm a doctor, you know."
"Yeah...and I'm glad.I just..."Kate stared past him, biting her lip.
"Kate-Kate...what-"
"Nothing's wrong, okay?"She said, growing upset. "I just...I've been laying down for the past five days getting flashlights shined in my eyes...thermometers jabbed into my mouth...I've been pumped full of medicine...not to mention blood...and not once-"
Jack put his hand on her arm, causing her to take a sharp breath.
"Not once has...has anyone asked me how I felt about it.Jack-I hate hospitals.I hate...''
"Doctors?"Jack said, smiling.
"Only the ones that have bad bedside manner."Kate said, smiling.
"I'm guessing I'm not in that bad group?"He asked, hopeful.
Kate shook her head, grabbing his hand. "No.You've been great...I just..."
She looked towards the wall, tired.
"You just what?Kate, you're never going to get fully better unless you tell me how you feel."
"How I feel?"Kate asked, turning towards him.
Jack blinked, realizing what he had said. "What you feel, Kate.That's what I...meant to say.You know what?I need to go check on Claire in the..the next room and-"
"Jack."Kate said, firmly. "This...you...running..everytime we get close...that can't keep...happening."
He looked away, knowing she was staring right at him. "Look, I don't know what to tell you Kate. I'm sorry about..."
"Don't..apoligize."Kate said, smiling. "Look-go...check on Claire...but when you get back..."
Jack nodded on his way to the door. "Okay...I...I'll be back.
As he promised, Jack wenty to check up on Claire who was sitting up in her bed with only a little pain this time. When he returned, an awkward silence fell upon them.
"So.."Kate said.
"About...About earlier..."
"It's fine.I just wish I could...you know..get better.I know you're trying."She insisted.
Jack looked like he was contemplating something, not knowing how Kate would react.
"Jack-You have that...look...what are you gonna do?"Kate asked, cautious.
"You're right."He said, staring at her. "You've been stuck in here treated like nothing but a patient...you've been pushed around.I've taken a look at your chart.You're improving, Kate."
She stared back at him, eyes unsure.
"What do you want me to do...Jack..."
"No..No...you don't have to do it if you don't want to...I just want to see if you can...you know... walk on-"
"You want me to walk?Jack, my ankle still-"Kate leaned back on the pillow.
"That's what I'm here for.You trust me, right?"Jack asked.
"Of course."Kate said, cautiously placing her hand on the matress, lifting herself into a sitting position.
"That's...That's good."
"Shouldn't you call Hurley and Charlie in...you know...incase I fall?"Kate asked, nervousily as she swung her legs around, her feet finally reaching the floor.
"I can handle you.I just need...I need you to hold on to my arm, okay?"
She nodded.
"Okay...now...stand."
Kate looked at him, unsure. Taking a breath, she finally stood.
"I'm...standing."
Jack nodded. "Are you dizzy?...Do you feel nauseated at all?"
Kate turned her head towards him. "No...no more than when I was laying down."
"That's good.Can you try and walk for me?"
She took a step-shaky at first, wobbling here and there, but eventually she reached the door of the room.
She leaned against it, taking a deep breath. "Jack?"
He looked at her, still holding a firm grip on her arm.
"Thank you...For getting me out of that bed...I needed to...Breathe."She said, trying to lighten the mood.
"You're welcome, Kate.Do you want to try again?"
"Again?"
Jack went to get Charlie, instructing him to monitor Shannon and Libby.
"Where are we going?"Kate asked.
"See that room across the hall?''Jack asked.
"That's the room...the sleeping room, I mean.Why-"
"I don't want to brave going outside yet...but...it beats the four walls you've been stuck staring at."
Jack helped her into the other room, and was now double checking that she was indeed okay.
"Jack..."Kate said, worried.
"Kate what's...are you okay?"Jack asked, after shutting the door.
She shook her head. "I feel..."
"You feel what?Dizzy?...Sick..."
"Like I'm about to...fall..."Kate looked at him, her eyes unsure. "Make it stop...Help..."
Jack shook his head. "Listen...you need to...try this.Just please..."
"No, I can't.I can't.Just please...let me..."With that, her knees buckled, Jack catching her against his chest.
She was quiet for a minute, breathing deeply. Closing her eyes, that sick feeling passed. Realizing her close proximity to Jack, she tightened herself, stepping back.
"It's okay...to lean on me, you know."
Kate nodded. "I know.I just...Can we...sit?"
He helped her onto the mattress, leaning her against the wall. "Thanks."
"It's no problem."Jack said, his arm still around her shoulder.
Kate realized this shortly after he did, but felt too comfortable to say anything. Carefully, she leaned her head against his shoulder. "Do we have anything to eat?"
"Uh...Yeah..."Jack said, reaching for a box of cookies.
"That's...not exactly breakfast material..."
"Yeah...but I figured by now, you'd be pretty burnt out on Fruit and that noodle stuff Sun cooks up."
Kate laughed, looking at him. "I..haven't felt this relaxed in a long time."
"Me neither..."Jack said, still not moving his arm.
She took a bite out of a cookie, not breaking the line of sight they had. "You know...you can stop staring at me anytime now.I'm not gonna fall apart."
Jack smiled, shrugging. "I guess I was...taking care of a patient."He said.
"You always this comfy with your patients?"Kate said, not quite sure how to react.
He shook his head. "No."
"Mmm...Okay..."She said, wiping crumbs off from around her mouth. "What makes me different?
"Way to be suttle."Jack said, laughing.
Kate shot a glance his way. "I'm being serious, Jack."
He stared back at her, not sure if he was ready for what she was approaching. "Kate-you know maybe we should get you back into the other room...you're...looking a little pale."
She shook her head firmly. "No, Jack...I asked you a question.I'm not just going to go back to my corner like a good little girl...seriously...what makes me different?"
Jack's fingers intertwined with hers, more out of habit than anything. He had expected her to pull away, but he had to admit he was glad when she didn't.
"I don't know where to start."Jack said.
"The beginning's always nice."
"That's true...I just...feel this...thing."He said, unsure how to say it. Looking at Kate, she seemed quiet-vulnerable almost. He didn't want to do anything to upset her.
"Thing?"Kate asked.
"I don't know,Kate...you sure you wanna go there?"
She nodded, sighing. "This isn't medication talking...this is me.Jack...you keep pushing me away every single time..."She stopped, closing her eyes.
"You alright?"Jack asked.
Kate opened her eyes, nodding. "I just have a headache...I'll be fine if you'll-"
"You wanna know the truth, Kate...I can't get you out of my head, okay?From the moment Sayid brought you into the sick room...you've been the one constant...every time I close my eyes I see the image of you in his arms, limp...pale...wet...vulnerable...''
"I can't get you outta my head.And you know what?I'm okay with that. I'm okay with loving you...I'm okay with seeing that sarcastic smirk on your face every single day.But staring at you...sleeping...sick on a bed like that...I can't take that, Kate...I see you.Not this...fake front you put up.Wether you admit it or not...that's not you.And you know what?...I'm okay with that."
Kate's mouth hung open not sure what to say.
"Jack..."
"I'm...I'm sorry.I shouldn't have..."
He looked away from her, afraid of seeing the look in her eyes.
"You meant it, didn't you?"Kate said, breaking the tension in the room.
"What?"
"You...you said you loved me.You meant it, didn't you?"