Chapter 2

Emily rubs up and down her arm that had been wounded from the crash. She looks down at the gash that ran all the way up her forearm. It wasn't bleeding as much now, but now
and then she could feel blood trickle down on her leg. She was starting to feel weak, which worried her. She remembered an episode of ER she saw once where some woman had
this wound and everyone thought she was fine because she wasn't losing alot of blood. Then she passed out from blood loss. This worried her a great deal. The last thing that she wanted was to pass out on some deserted island with no help coming. It worried her even more that she didn't feel any pain.

She quickly snaps out of her thoughts when someone shouts out in pain. The sound was coming from underneathe a blue tarp about two hundred feet or so away. A man was
screaming at another man who was trying to bandage a wound on his leg. This other man was obviously a doctor, and if he wasn't, he was doing a wonderful impersonation of one.

"Ow! What the hell are you doing?! That's my leg you son of a bitch. Be careful." shouts Sawyer.

"Look, can we just get through this? There are alot of other people that need my help. Hold still so I can wrap this tight enough." Jack says, letting out a sigh.

Emily walks over to the tent and stands behind Jack. "Are you a doctor?"

Jack holds his hand up, finishing Sawyer's leg. "I am. Hold on a second." He turns back to her, "What's the pro-" Jack stops, looking at her arm.

"It looks alot worse than it feels. I don't feel anything actually. Is that normal?"

Jack moves aside for her to sit down, "It's not a good thing, no. It usually means that you've lost alot of blood. How long have you been conscious?"

Emily shakes her head, "I don't know. Maybe an hour? I can't say for sure."

"Why didn't your parents send you over here sooner?" asks Jack, beggining to wipe the blood away with a towel and wrapping her arm with gauze.

She looks out at the water, "I was on the plane alone. No parents here. Every teenagers dream until you're stranded on an island."

Sawyer cracks a smile, but Jack could tell that she was being serious. "Hell I would have done damn near anything to get rid of my parents at- what are you like twelve?"

Emily rolls her eyes at the blonde, Southern man. She had sized him up the minute she saw him under the tarp as an over-confident, asshole who thought he was God's gift to
women everywhere. She'd known guys like that her whole life. She'd been with guys like that, and had told herself long ago to give all of them the cold shoulder. This was no exception. "Four years ago, Tex."

"Touche." Sawyer retorts, flexing his leg.

Jack stands up, "Ok, I have to go and get some more gauze for that arm. I'll be back."

She nods as he walks down the beach, stopping to help someone on the way.

"He's not much of a Doc if you ask me. But I've always hated anything having to do with hospitals on principle so I may not be the best judge." says Sawyer.

Emily could feel tears rising as her thoughts shifted elsewhere.

"Hey. You ok? You're not gonna pass out or nothing.." asks Sawyer, looking at her.

"I'm fine."

For some strange reason, Sawyer couldn't help but feel sorry for this kid. She didn't have her parents on the island and had probably never been on her own in her life. She was probably scared out of her mind. "Someone will come. I wouldn't worry about it. They always track planes. Someone's going to notice that we're missing"

She stands and starts running down the beach.

Jack returns a few minutes later with Kate who was helping him carry medical supplies. He looks around, "Where's the kid?"

Sawyer shrugs, "She took off."

"And you let her?" says Jack, putting the supplies down.

"Didn't have much of a choice, Doc. She didn't explain herself. Besides, I ain't her Daddy. It's none of my business."

Jack turns to Kate when he hears a man call for him under the tarp. "Would you find her while I take care of him? I'm worried about her arm. She was bleeding pretty badly."

Kate nods, putting her bundle of supplies down. "Sure, what does she look like?"

Jack closes his eyes, trying to remember. He'd seen so many people in the past two hours it was hard to keep track. Everyone's faces seemed to run together. "Sixteen, small set, medium length blonde hair.. She had on some kind of a uniform with a plaid skirt and a long, white blouse. She should be easy to spot. I haven't seen many kids that age around the beach."

Sawyer smiles, "What do you know, Freckles? He's a doctor and a cop. Aren't we lucky?"

Kate gives him a once over and turns to leave. "It's Kate. I'll bring her back after I find her. She probably didn't go far."

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Emily throws rocks into the ocean angerily, trying to keep from losing her mind. She doesn't even look up when someone sits beside her on the shore. "Hi." It was a woman's voice.

"I'm Kate. Jack sent me to find you. He needs to finish treating your arm."

"Who's Jack?" Emily asks.

Kate giggles, "The doctor. What's your name?"

She wipes a tear from her cheek. She hated crying in front of anyone. She wanted to kick herself in the ass right there. "Emily. Emily McCallister. Look, I just want to be left alone, ok? My arm's fine- so.. It doesn't even hurt."

Kate nods, "I get it. I like to be alone too. Most of time actually. Other than your arm, you don't look ok. I know you're probably scared. So am I. Everyone is."

"I'm not scared." Emily snaps, looking over at her.

Kate lowers her head, looking at the sand. This girl was tough. Much like herself. Kids that age shouldn't have to be that tough. Most of them hadn't had that many bad things happen to them yet. "I just meant, I know that this whole situation with the crash is scary. Not knowing if anyone's coming. But they will. I'm sure of it. It's just a matter of time before they find us out here."

"You don't anything about me."

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to help. I'll leave you alone." Kate pushes herself off of the ground to stand up when Emily starts to speak.

"Before the crash my Dad picked me up from the seventh boarding school I've been in in the past four years. That's why I'm wearing this stupid uniform. This ugly, stupid, goddamn uniform.." She pulls off the long blouse and throws it in the water, revealing a white tank top underneathe.

Kate stays put on the sand and silent.

"We didn't talk in the car on the way to the airport. I didn't even look at him. I hated him. I've hated him for so long. I can't remember a time when I didn't. He left my Mother and me when I was two for another woman.. had another family within a year. I saw what it did to my Mother everyday and it made me sick just thinking about it. I was sitting next to him on the plane when it crashed. I didn't look at him once. Not once. Not even when his seat blew out the back of the plane and he wasn't next to me anymore. I didn't look."

Kate puts her hand on Emily's shoulder, "I'm so sorry. Emily- I'm sorry." Kate hesitates for a moment for what she was going to say next. It had been awhile since she'd opened up to someone about her past. "I know how that feels. Hating someone you're supposed to love because of what they've done to you in the past. I know."

Emily looks at Kate, trying with all of her might not to stop crying. She'd always thought that crying was a sign of weakness. She hated feeling weak. "Why do I feel guilty? I shouldn't feel guilty."

Kate shakes her head, "No, sweetie, no. It wasn't your fault that the plane crashed. It's not your fault that he's dead. Not even close."

"But I didn't say anything! I could have said something. God, I could have looked at him when the plane was going down. Told him I loved him. Something. Anything. He- he tried to grab my hand when the turbulence started, but I wouldn't hold it. Now I don't have anyone. I'm out here alone."

"There's something else we have in common. So am I. I wasn't traveling with anyone. So I guess we're both alone. Maybe we can keep eachother company so we won't feel like that."

Emily didn't need a friend. Sure, she'd always made friends easily. She was always the life of the party and willing to try anything twice. But she never needed friends. She was always better when she went it alone. But Kate seemed different. She didn't seem to judge like so many other people did. "So, this is like a little sister program?"

Kate laughs, pulling her hair back in a ponytail. "No. Just someone a little older who has your back."

"Ok. You seem cool enough I guess." Emily looks behind Kate, seeing Sawyer limping down the beach towards them. She rolls her eyes. "Great, just what I need. For him of all people to see me crying like an idiot." She quickly wipes her eyes with the end of her shirt.

Kate looks back, seeing Sawyer approaching. "Should you be walking around?"

"The Doc released me. Even if he didn't I still would have left. I do what I want, Freckles. First of the many interesting things about me I'm sure you're interested in hearing." Sawyer says, standing next to Kate.

Kate looks back to Emily, giving her an 'oh please' expression.

"He wanted me to see if you'd found the kid yet. Which you have."

Emily stands up, "I don't need anyone to look at my arm. I'm fine. It's wrapped enough. This damn bandage is cutting off the circulation. And for the record, I have a name. Emily."

Sawyer puts his hands up. "Excuse me, Princess. Do what you want then. Just trying to be a helpful citizen since it looks like we're going to be on this damn island for awhile. Knowing the good old cop boys the way that I do they'll find us sometime next year. Perfect."

Kate balances herself on the sand, when Sawyer grabs her hand to help her up. "I've got it."

"Damn. You two sisters or cousins or something?" Sawyer asks, taking a step back from Kate.

Emily walks past Sawyer, "No, we're just skilled in the art of smelling bullshit and you wreak of it."

Sawyer turns and watches her walk away. "You didn't have to take the blouse off for me, Princess! I stick to women my own age!" he shouts after her.

She gives him the finger and keeps walking.

Sawyer shrugs, following Kate back to camp. "Figures. I've never been good with kids."

"I'm shocked. What did you say your name was?" Kate asks.

Sawyer smiles, "You can call me anything you want. How's that?"

"I'm Kate."

"Alright, Freckles. I'm Sawyer."

"Nice to meet you, Sawyer."