"You want to take a break?" Kate's voice called out to Kali, who turned to see the older woman leaning against the doorframe.
"I'm good" Kali shrugged, looking back to Sawyer, brushing some of his damp hair away from his eyes.
"You haven't left his side since you got here" Kate pointed out, taking a step forward.
"And I'm not going to" Kali replied, as Kate's eyes dropped to where Kali had linked her hand with Sawyer's.
"He seems a bit better. Not shaking anymore" Kate stated, coming to stand behind her.
"The antibiotics are kicking in" Kali muttered.
"That's good…isn't it?" Kate suggested as Kali turned to her with a sad smile.
"He's got sepsis, Kate. He needs an IV…he'll be too drowsy to swallow tablets soon and then…" Kali trailed off, with a shake of her head.
"Jack will be back soon from looking for Sayid with Billy. Jack will know what to do" Kate insisted.
"He's not a miracle worker" Kate mumbled, resting her cheek against Sawyer's hand.
"…What's the deal with Billy anyway?" Kate inquired, after a few moments of silence.
"What do you mean?" Kali turned to her with a frown.
"I mean why is he your ex when he looks like that" Kate clarified, as Kali shook her head fondly.
"He's a dick" Kali informed her.
"Bad breakup?" Kate guessed, making Kali scoff.
"You don't know the half of it" Kali laughed, sadly.
"What about you and Jack? You guys seem…cosy?" Kali suggested, a small smirk on her face when she saw Kate's cheeks redden.
"Nothing has happened" Kate retorted, as Kali quirked an eyebrow.
"Ah, because we crashed your first date?" Kali went on, referring to how the two had been playing golf when they found them.
"Good to see you haven't changed" Kate mumbled, as the pair shared a small laugh.
"…You should stay out of Billy's way. Hell, I think it was a mistake letting Jack go with him…" Kali trailed off.
"Why'd you say that?" Kate frowned, worry flashing across her face.
"Billy always has an agenda. If you get in his way...let's just say you'd regret it " Kali answered, as Sawyer let out a low moan in his sleep.
"I'll leave you two alone for a bit" Kate exclaimed, turning on her heel.
"…Are we good, Kali?" Kate questioned, just as she was about to leave the room.
"If you're referring to how you tried to steal Sawyer's place on the raft, it's ancient history…we're still friends as long as you want us to be?" Kali replid, as a small smile grew on Kate's lips.
"You bet" Kate nodded, exiting the room as Kali turned back to Sawyer.
"You would have been better off letting Kate take your spot…I guess hindsight's 20/20, huh?" Kali sighed, stroking Sawyer's hand slowly with her thumb.
"We should have never got on that raft, the plane…none of it" Kali muttered, rubbing a hand over her face.
"N-no…" A soft retort came from Sawyer's lips, surprising Kali, as she leaned forward.
"Sawyer? Hey, can you hear me?" Kali questioned, cupping his cheek lightly.
"Would have never met you" Sawyer muttered so quietly Kali barely heard it.
"No great loss there" Kali stated, as Sawyer squeezed her hand, giving his head one quick shake.
"Your gonna' be okay, Sawyer. I'll figure something out. I promise" Kali insisted, as his eyes fluttered open for just a second.
"Too late" Sawyer said, as a violent shake ripped through his body.
"If you seriously think I'm letting anything happen to you, then you don't me as well as you think you do" Kali explained, as Sawyer leant into her palm, letting out a long sigh.
"I…I'm sorry…" Sawyer stuttered, his brows knitting together in pain.
"For what?" Kali frowned, leaning in closer to hear him properly.
"I'm sorry…I couldn't be a better man for you" Sawyer finished, his eyes slowly opening once again
Kali bit her lip as tears began to well in her eyes, while Sawyer's hand weakly came up to cup her cheek. She felt her heart break as he brushed away a tear that fell down her cheek with a gentleness that she wasn't used to.
"I don't want a better man…I just want you" Kali admitted, as her eyes flickered down to his lips.
Before she could stop herself, Kali was leaning forward, her eyes fluttering closed as she pressed her lips against Sawyer's. Her heart beat madly in her chest as she waited for his reaction, a smile spreading across her lips as he kissed her back softly. She hadn't expected that. Kali let out a shaky breath, tilting her head so she could deepen this kiss, as he pulled her closer. His kisses were slow, as if he was savouring every moment, like it was his last. Kali pulled away to catch her breath as she realised that's what he really believed. She leant against him for a moment, as Sawyer's hand trailed through her hair, inhaling deeply.
"James, I…" Kali trailed off when she pulled back to see his eyes were closed.
His hand dropped from her hair limply, as his breathing slowed. Kali withdrew more, letting out a sigh as she leaned back in her chair. If it wasn't for the way her lips tingled she wouldn't have been sure the kiss had even happened.
"No…no, stop…" Sawyer muttered, beginning to shake.
His forehead wrinkled as his hands balled into fists like they were clutching onto something. He seemed to be having a nightmare…or a hallucination.
"Hey, it's okay. It's alright, it's just us-" Kali was cut off as Sawyer's eyes shot open and he grabbed her wrist.
"Mom?" Sawyer frowned; his eyes unfocused.
"No…it's…go back to sleep, James. Just try and rest" Kali insisted, as his grip on her wrist loosened, and his head flopped back against the pillow.
Kali ran a hand through her hair, as she questioned whether Sawyer even realised it was her he was kissing. Maybe he thought it was just a hallucination. One of the many girls he had conned, maybe even Kate—
"Well, that was quite the show" Billy's voice boomed from the doorway, scaring Kali half to death.
"Jesus! Creeper, much?" Kali exclaimed, clutching at her heart which was thumping wildly.
"Let me just grab some popcorn and you can get right back to it…" Billy trailed off when he saw the tears welling in Kali's eyes.
"Oh fuck off, Billy" Kali muttered, seeing that he was sweaty, most likely having just got back from trekking through the jungle.
"Everything okay in here?" Jack announced, coming to stand behind Billy.
"I need to get some air. Can you look after Sawyer for a minute?" Kali asked as Jack nodded quickly.
"Sure…are you okay?" Jack asked, noticing her red-rimmed eyes as she gave him a quick nod before sprinting out of the room.
"Do you want to hit me?...I feel like you should hit me" Billy suggested, after having found Kali sitting on a log near to the hatch entrance.
"Maybe another time" Kali mumbled, from her hunched position, her long hair hiding her face.
"I figured you'd be happy. You and blondie finally got to make out" Billy went on, as Kali scoffed harshly.
"I don't think he even realised it was me" She admitted, as Billy came to sit close by her side.
"Hey, your gonna' get through this. You always do" Billy stated, as Kali shook her head.
"I can't…I can't do this without him" Kali confessed, her voice thick with emotion.
"Of course, you can-" Billy started, but she cut him off quickly.
"I don't want to" Kali mumbled, barely loud enough for him to hear.
"Alright, enough. I get that this is a hard for you but…get it together" Billy told her, as Kali turned to him with a look of disbelief.
"What?" She retorted.
"That guy is in there right now dying, and you just run out crying and leaving him with some doctor who seems about as much fun as getting your legs waxed. He needs you, Kali. And yeah, maybe he's not gonna' make it…but since when does that make it okay to run away? If he is going to die, you need to be there or you're going to regret that forever" Billy explained, as Kali's forehead wrinkled.
"…You know it's really annoying how your always right" Kali muttered, rubbing at her eyes.
"Yeah, it's a real curse" Billy replied, with a small smile.
"Do you think he knows I'm there?" Kali asked as Billy nodded.
"I know it. And I know he'd want his girl by his side…I would" Billy told her, as Kali gave him a sad look.
"Why does everyone I love die, Billy?" Kali questioned.
"I don't know...I really don't" Billy sighed, as he pulled her into a hug, his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder.
"…How do you know what it's like to get your legs waxed?" Kali frowned a moment later, referring to what he had said about Jack.
"A guy's still got to have some secrets" Billy grinned, making Kali roll her eyes.
"You ready to go back-" Billy cut himself off, his head snapping up when he heard a twig snap from nearby.
"Hello?" Kali called out, standing up from the log and scanning the nearby trees.
"Do you think someone was watching us?" Billy questioned, coming to stand close beside her.
"If they did…what's that?" Kali asked, spotting something shining in the treeline.
"A trap probably. We should-" Billy cut himself off, as Kali picked up a nearby branch and threw it towards the shining object.
"What if it was a bomb?!" Billy exclaimed, a look of disbelief.
"…Then I guess we'd be dead by now" Kali shrugged, stepping forward.
"You know, you were never this rash when we were together" Billy muttered, reluctantly following her towards the mystery object.
Kali's forehead wrinkled when she found it to be a wooden box with a shiny lock on the front, which must have been reflecting the sunlight. She cautiously crouched beside the box and found the lock was open and placed her hand on the lid. She realised this would usually be the time when Sawyer would insist he should open it, in case it was dangerous.
"You know a gentleman would open this for me" Kali pointed out, raising an eyebrow at Billy who was standing nearby.
"Good luck finding one" Billy retorted, as Kali rolled her eyes.
Before she could chicken out, she ripped the lid open, flinching at the thought of what could be inside. Her jaw dropped open as her eyes surveyed the contents of the box. Dozens of needles and syringes, numerous bags of fluids and…antibiotics.
"Ceftriaxone? Never heard of it" Billy frowned, as Kali picked up the nearest antibiotic vial.
"It's used to treat severe infections…even in the bones and joints…this can save Sawyer!" Kali exclaimed, excitedly.
"Well, what are we doing waiting around here then?" Billy insisted as he leant down to grab the box.
Kali grinned at him from ear to ear, too overjoyed at the newfound hope she had been offered to question where the antibiotics had come from. That would be a concern for a later date. They all but sprinted towards the hatch, already calling out Jack's name to tell him what had happened.
Kali nor Billy realised they were still being watched from the treeline, two pairs of blue eyes watching them intently. The two men shared a look when they saw their offering had been well received, as the shorter man stormed off angrily a moment later.
"Sorry man, I know this hurts. Kali said you pulled the bullet out with your bare hands, you'll have to show me how to do that sometime" Jack joked, as he cleaned Sawyer's wound.
"Where is she?" Sawyer all but whispered.
"You mean Kali? She…she needed a breather. She's been looking after you for the past 24 hours straight, you know" Jack pointed out, as Sawyer began muttering something.
Jack's forehead wrinkled as he leaned forward to hear what Sawyer was trying to say. His eyes widened when he realised what he was repeating over and over again.
"I love her…I love her…" Sawyer trailed off, as Jack leaned back on his chair, running a hand through his short hair.
What the hell was he supposed to do with that information? He knew first-hand the type of things people spewed out when they had fevers. They'd hallucinate, their whole personalities could change…but it could also make them more honest than usual. Did Sawyer really love Kali? Was it even his place to question that?
"Jack!" A voice boomed, as he heard the hatch door's swing open, causing him to stand bolt upright.
"What's wrong?" Jack inquired, as he saw Kali and Billy rushing towards him.
"IV Ceftriaxone!" Kali exclaimed, placing something in Jack's hand, as his jaw dropped open.
"Where…where the hell did you get this?" Jack queried, as Kali shook her head.
"Someone left it outside the hatch. But it can save him right? It could work?" Kali suggested as Jack took a deep breath.
"Y-yeah…yeah, it should do…" Jack trailed off, as Kali grabbed the ampule from his hand got to work.
"Did he say anything?" Kali asked, seeing how Sawyer's lips were moving silently.
"Jack?" Kali insisted when he didn't answer her, averting his eyes to the floor.
"...No. Nothing" Jack answered as Kali nodded, beginning to draw up the antibiotic.
Jack wasn't sure why he lied to her. Maybe he was worried that Sawyer would deny his confession when he came to? Maybe he wouldn't even remember? Or maybe Jack just didn't want to see them get together when he couldn't be with the woman he loved.
"Are you sure about this, Kali? We don't know what we're really giving him" Jack questioned, finding a nearby hook to hang the antibiotics from.
"He'll die if we don't do anything. At least this way we're giving him a fighting chance" Kali insisted, as she primed the line.
"I don't understand how this is possible. How could the exact antibiotic that Sawyer needs be left outside the hatch?" Kate questioned, having come rushing in when she heard they might have found a way to save Sawyer.
"Maybe we have an ally on the island" Kali mumbled, as she flushed the cannula she had just inserted into Sawyer's arm.
"There could be consequences for doing this" Jack pointed out.
"I don't care, Jack! If it saves him…nothing else matters" Kali replied, as she connected the IV to Sawyer's cannula.
"…Sayid let Ana go" Jack announced, as Kali turned to him in surprise.
"He listened to you. Said he wanted to be better, do better…there's going to be a funeral in an hour for Shannon. Sayid's going to bury her" Jack explained, as a conflicted look grew on Kali's face.
She felt awful. She had barely spared a thought for Shannon…or Sayid, for that matter. She had been too preoccupied with Sawyer and trying to keep him alive. She was supposed to protect Shannon while Boone couldn't. She had failed her.
"He'd want you there, Kali" Jack pointed out, as she let out a long sigh.
"We can't just leave Sawyer here" Kali stated, as Kate took a step forward.
"I'll stay. I want to stay" Kate exclaimed, as Kali still seemed unconvinced.
"What if something happens? You'd have to leave him to get help-" Kali began, as Billy quickly cut her off.
"I'll stay too. You could probably use some company, right?" Billy suggested, coming to stand beside Kate, who blushed lightly underneath his intense gaze.
"Sure" She smiled, as Jack looked like he was ready to throw up.
"I'll be back soon, okay? Just keep fighting" Kali promised Sawyer, as she leaned down to press a soft kiss against his sweaty forehead.
Sawyer's lips moved as if he tried to say something, but no sound came out. Kali prayed that the antibiotics would soon kick in. She just wanted him to be okay.
"Hey…you need some help?" Kali announced, finding Sayid digging what she expected would be Shannon's grave on the beach.
"I think I'm almost done" Sayid mumbled, leaning against his makeshift spade.
"Jack told me you let Ana go…because you wanted to do better?" Kali suggested, as Sayid gave her a look.
"Why'd you really do it?" Kali asked, after a moment.
"There would be no point in killing her because she is already dead inside…we both are now" Sayid spoke quietly, as Kali placed her hand on his shoulder.
"You couldn't have done any more, Sayid. You really couldn't" Kali insisted, squeezing his shoulder.
"Thank you…I wish that made it any easier" Sayid sighed, as Kali gave him a sad look.
"Dude!" A voice cried from nearby, making Kali jump.
Before she even had time to turn around, Hurley was grabbing her by the shoulders and practically squashed her against his chest, laughing happily. Kali was surprised to find herself wrapping her arms around his large body, not flinching the way she used to. When had that changed, she thought to herself.
"Oh man, I really thought you were dead…you're not, right?" Hurley inquired, as Kali let out a laugh.
"Not the last time I checked" Kali replied, pulling away.
She turned to see Sayid walking away with hunched shoulders, clearly not wanting to be around the reunion. Kali was just thinking about following him when she saw other members of the group approaching her.
"Kali!" An excited female voice exclaimed as Kali saw a familiar blonde rushing towards her.
"Claire…and my favourite baby" Kali chuckled, reaching out to stroke the baby's cheek.
"He's got a name now…Aaron" Claire grinned, as Kali shared the expression.
"A cute name for a cute baby" Kali giggled, ruffling the small baby's wisps of hair.
"Thank God, I'm not the only British member in this group again" Charlie stated, as he came to stand beside Claire.
"Oh God, you make us sound like we're in a rock band" Kali grimaced.
"Oi! What's wrong with rock bands?" Charlie argued as Claire and Kali shared an amused look.
Kali was surprised when she spotted Sun sprinting over to her, before pulling her into a tight hug. Considering that the two had never had more than a handful of conversations, Kali was confused to see the older woman treating her in such a way.
"Thank you. For everything you did on the raft. For making sure my husband got back to me" Sun explained, as Kali rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.
"Uh…yeah. No problem, I guess" Kali shrugged, not used to the praise.
"You're a hero, dude" Hurley informed her, as Kali gave him a nervous smile.
More and more people piled in to give her their thanks for everything that she had done for the group, as a strange feeling grew in Kali's stomach. She wasn't sure what the emotion was…maybe pride? Whatever it was, it felt good. She had found her people. They really cared about her, that was something she had never experienced before.
Kali decided she wanted to say her own private goodbye to Shannon before the funeral and was directed near to where her body was by Sayid. He allowed her to go the last few metres by herself, understandably not wanting to see the body of his girlfriend once again. It was heartbreaking to see the once so strong man falling apart in front of them. Kali needed to apologise to Shannon, if there was some part of her still around maybe—
Kali came to an abrupt halt when she saw someone crouching down beside Shannon's body, which had been wrapped in blankets and rope. Her eyes widened when the figure looked up to her, their blue eyes boring into her own. Kali stopped breathing altogether for a moment, as her knees threatened to give out from under her.
"Boone?" She gasped, taking a cautious step forward.
"You…you weren't supposed to be here…" Boone stuttered, pushing himself to his feet quickly.
"I can't believe you're really here…that you're okay" Kali smiled, rushing forward, as Boone backed up a few steps.
"I just wanted to say goodbye to her, I never got to before" Boone exclaimed, as Kali went to approach him.
"Where have you been? Did you escape from the Others?" Kali asked as Boone looked away from her.
"I…I have to go" Boone told her, as she tried to reach out to him, but he brushed away aggressively.
"What?! You can't just leave! We have to tell-" Kali began, the smile falling from her face, as Boone cut her off.
"No! You can't…I can't explain everything, not now. But you have to promise me you won't tell anyone I was here" Boone insisted, as Kali looked at him in disbelief.
"Are you kidding me? Everyone thinks your dead, Boone!" Kali shouted as Boone tried to shush her.
"And they need to keep thinking that, for now at least. Shit, Kali, there's so much you don't know…" Boone trailed off.
"Then tell me!" Kali retorted, starting to get angry.
"You'd think I'd lost my mind if I told you everything" Boone scoffed, as Kali crossed her arms.
"I'm already beginning to question that" She stated.
"You need to be careful, Kali. You can't trust anyone. Least of all me" Boone muttered, his eyes darting around as if he was looking for something.
"What does that mean?" Kali frowned.
"I'm so sorry, I wish there was a way I could save you, but it's already too late-" Boone told her, as Kali cut him off, growing more confused by the second.
"Stop talking in goddamn riddles! What do you mean 'save' me?" Kali insisted as Boone gave her a sad look.
"You need to stay away from me when I come back. Warn the others if they'll believe you but just stay away. Because the next time I see you..." Boone trailed off, as Kali's frown deepened.
"What?" She questioned.
"I'll be there to kill you" Boone answered, as Kali felt a shiver go down her spine.
Kali opened her mouth to push further, but a bright light from deep inside the jungle stopped her, as it blinded the pair for a moment. Boone let out a long sigh, as he began to walk towards where the strange light had come from.
"I've got to go…remember what I said. Maybe it will change things" Boone warned her, before he rushed off into the treeline, as she lost sight of him.
Was she seeing things or had Boone really just threatened her life?
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I rewrote this update a few times and I'm still not happy with how it turned out, so I'll blame the bad quality on my lack of sleep from night shifts, haha. We got our first Kali/Sawyer kiss in this one...sort of, will Sawyer remember who he kissed? And will Jack continue to cockblock them? Please leave a review:)
carmelitajones: If anyone get Sawyer to do something, it's Kali. Thanks for the review:)
scripturient3201: After killing one of the original members of the group, I don't think she'll be finding much redemption in this story. I really do feel for Sayid in these chapters, and throughout really, he had such a tough life. Billy has one goal on his mind, and we'll find out what that is in a few chapters. Glad your still liking them! Thanks for reviewing:)
DrLexieSloan: Kali will continue to hate on Ana for the foreseeable future. There was a cute scene with Billy and Kali in this chapter, which shows how much they definitely care about each other. However, something soon is going to split this two up...for good. That's all I'm saying, haha. Thanks for the review:)
whiteink24: Aw, thanks for this review! I'm glad this story got you back into rewatching the show again:) I totally get where you're coming from with the inconsistences, the whole not looking for Boone much is going to come up later in this story in a big way. While I agree it is out of character, when you consider everything that has happened in the couple of weeks Boone has been gone, I really don't think the group would have had the time to search for him. I think at the time of the funeral a lot of people truly believed that Locke had killed him or at least given him to the Others and they wouldn't ever see him again. All of this will get addressed in the story though, don't worry! Hurley is the only one with the manifest as far as I was aware, and in a couple of chapters, we'll see that he shared this information with Locke, which will he will talk to both Sawyer and Kali about. I'm glad you like Kali! Oh yeah, that's definitely one of my favourite chapters too. While Kali and Sawyer are endgame, both Season 2 and 3 are going to be a very rocky time for their relationship due to the different issues they have. I hope I cleared things up for you:)
