Chapter 6
AN: Thank you so much to everyone who's stuck by and still reading. I hope you like this chapter- it really gets the plot going.
I know this has been so long in coming... I started the IB program at my school, which for those of you who don't know, is basically a really challenging program. It's kills. There's a LOT of work, so updates are coming more slowly.
Lostf4natic: Thank you so much for your reviews. I think they're the best ones I get and they really make me want to keep writing and make the story better. I will definitely take your suggestions to heart.
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Sawyer was still quite groggy from the sedative they had given him when they pushed him back in the cell. He was quite out of it, but he did notice the depressed, awkward mood in the air. "You guys have a nice heart to heart?" he mumbled, sliding down to the ground.
"Yeah. We're ok," Kate said placatingly, going to help Sawyer lie down properly.
"For now," Jack added darkly. Kate gave him a warning look and went back to tending to Sawyer.
"What did they do this time, Sawyer?" Kate asked.
He shrugged slowly. "More testing. Then they knocked me out. Alex said they just wanted to do some tests or somethin'. I told her 'bout her mum." Sawyer smiled lazily.
"That's good Sawyer," Kate said, and sat down beside him, confident he was ok. She knew Jack had rather reluctantly given her the go-ahead with Sawyer, but she didn't want to rub it in his face because it would be terrible for him. But at the same time, she wanted to be able to be openly with Sawyer. He had changed so much since they crashed… she remember back to the snide, scruffy southern con man who had pretended to steal Shannon's medicine and hoarded things people needed… and now- the amount of support he had given her since they'd been captured, his effort to get along with Jack and to get Alex to help them.
But what if she had totally missed her chance with Jack? What if 'being' with Sawyer was a mistake? How could she even be with him in these circumstances? What if, what if, how, why, when. Kate just shook her head and pushed the thoughts away. Right now, their number one priority was to stay alive.
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Dusk had fallen and most of the Others had settled into their tents for the night, eager to leave the trials of the day behind and rest. Alex couldn't sleep, though. She was sitting on the ground at the edge of camp, eyes darting around restlessly, brain furiously at work.
She didn't know why what Sawyer had said about her mother had struck such a chord in her. She had always wondered about the woman who was supposedly her mother… and what her life here would be like if she hadn't died in childbirth. But it had never been that much of a concern for Alex. She had always had Henry and Bea and all the Others who lived here and they had given her everything that she needed. Sawyer was probably just trying to scare her into letting them go or to try and get her to work against her own people. She knew that.
But what if he wasn't lying? What if her mother was still alive somewhere out here? Would she still think about the daughter she had lost almost sixteen years ago?
Alex got up, feeling restless. Usually she wouldn't stray far from camp; it was forbidden unless she was going on some sort of research mission, and was accompanied by an adult. But it was late. No one was awake still… and she wasn't planning on going far. So she padded quietly into the trees, intent on enjoying the tranquility and having some time alone with her thoughts.
The normal nighttime noises of the forest had never bothered Alex; she had never known anything else. The trees rustled slightly in the breeze, sticks broke beneath her feet and hidden creatures scurried away as she approached.
That's why she never noticed the dark haired man creep up on her silently, put a hand firmly on her mouth to muffle her startled scream and drag her into the night.
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That night in the cell was spent in very uncomfortable silence. Kate sat beside Sawyer against what would be the left hand wall of the room if you were to stand in the doorway and look in. She wasn't touching him; she was sitting with her arms crossed and her lips pursed together in a thin line. Jack was sitting in his usual spot across from them, in the back right hand corner of the room. He was sitting stock still, and like Kate, concentrating simply on breathing and trying not to think about anything that was going on.
Something was different with his body. He didn't want to admit it, but whatever they had done to him made him feel good. He couldn't explain it, and he didn't want to, because as a doctor he found the entire matter severely disturbing. But he was much more alert now, he needed much less sleep and his entire body just felt… powerful. There was no other way to describe it.
The awkward silence was abated somewhat when Kate declared that she had to pee. "Yeah, and?" Sawyer asked, smirking.
"I want you to turn around," she snapped, blushing hotly. "It certainly wouldn't be the first time I had to go."
"I bet yousneak looks at my ass, Freckles" he said accusingly.
"I do not. Just shut up and don't look."
"Fine, fine," Sawyer acquiesced and did as he was told. Jack shuffled around too.
When she had finished she sat back down beside Sawyer again, a little closer. "Did ya use soap?" he deadpanned.
She smacked him lightly. "You smell," she said, too tired to think of anything better.
"You don't smell too much like roses yourself sweetheart," he smirked.
"Do you two want to shut up?" Jack snapped darkly.
"Gee, sorry, were we disturbing you while you were cookin' up a master plan or somethin', doc?" Sawyer shot back.
Kate shrunk into the wall, feeling deflated as her lighthearted mood slipped away again.
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Sayid dragged Alex backwards into the jungle, annoyed, but also impressed with the fight she was putting up. But of course, this slight sixteen year old girl was really no match for Sayid. They didn't have far to go before they got to the spot just outside of the Others' territory where Rousseau was waiting.
She had been very helpful; she had told them all of the places around the territory where they Others posted the fewest sentries and when they changed shifts. That was why he was annoyed with Alex's struggle; they had only a few minutes to get out of the general area. Sayid was armed of course, but he did not want to endanger Rousseau or any of the people back at camp by breaking their 'agreement'.
So, imagine his luck when Alex came wandering out all by herself on a night when Sayid was only planning on taking a look around. He seized his opportunity, snuck up quietly on the girl and nabbed her. He sincerely hoped she was the right one, but he didn't think the Others had too many other dark haired teenage girls in tow.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he hissed quietly. "I just want to talk to you for a minute," he released his grip around her whole body and took his hand off her mouth, but keeping the other clamped tightly around her wrist.
"Let me go!" she yelled, "I'll scream!"
Sayid clapped a hand on her mouth again. "If you scream, I swear that I will kill you," he said, dead serious. "I tortured people in the army for years, so believe me when I say that I could kill you and sleep soundly tonight if it were not for your mother, who is waiting for me a few hundred yards from here. So I would advise you to be very, very quiet. Do you understand?"
Alex nodded quickly, eyes wide with fear and wonder. "Are- are you from the plane crash?" she asked when he had taken his hand off her mouth.
Sayid shrugged. "Where else?"
"There have been others," Alex said.
"Like your mother," Sayid said.
"My mother died when I was a baby. I was born here, with the Dharma Initiative," Alex said, sounding much more sure than she felt.
"Wrong," Sayid said with complete conviction, still half-dragging her through the forest. "Your mother's name is Danielle. She and her science team shipwrecked here sixteen years ago. 'Your' people took you when you were barely a week old."
Alex didn't say anything. She just gulped. How could Sawyer and this man say the same thing about her mother? Of course, they had been on the plane together, but none of them knew Alex personally until about a week ago. It just didn't fit, unless they were telling the truth. Which they weren't, Alex reminded herself. They weren't. Really.
Sayid suddenly stopped walking. "Danielle," he called softly. "Danielle, come out. I brought Alex."
Alex looked around nervously, unable to see anyone. For a moment nothing was heard, and then the bushes rustled and a thin, ragged woman with long dark hair and impossibly sad eyes drifted out of the bushes.
"Alex?"
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The next morning…
Jack, Kate and Sawyer were all asleep when the Others came for them. They were all hauled to their feet roughly, each blinking and trying to shield their sleepy eyes from the bright white light that was pouring through the open door.
Henry Gale stood in the doorway, watching with an expression of satisfaction and the prisoners were roused. "Take them to The Staff," Henry said disinterestedly, his beady eyes lingering on Kate. "Except for her. Take her to my lab."
Sawyer and Jack watched helplessly as Kate was dragged in the opposite direction. This was different from anything the Others had ever done. They had always been taken one at a time… and none of them had heard anything about 'The Staff'.
A sudden wave of hot, all-encompassing panic filled Kate. "Jack!" she screamed desperately, "Sawy-" the guard clapped a hand over her mouth just as the other two were pushed out of sight and she didn't get any sort of response from them.
Kate just went limp and dissolved into terrible, anguished tears, letting the guards drag her shaking body down the hall.
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Kate's screams echoed in Jack's ears long after they had been ushered out of the underground building and into the unbearably bright afternoon sun. It was the first sun and fresh air he had seen for at least a week, but he found he couldn't enjoy it at all. He glanced over at Sawyer, who looked quite pale and was wearing an extremely unsettled expression.
But God, that scream- it had been so blood curdling, so haunting. It was the same kind of scream that Kate had uttered their second day on the island, when they had been running away from the cockpit and the monster and Kate thought he was dead. Even though she had known him for less than forty eight hours, it seemed like a major loss. And now... God. Now it was even worse.
But the thing that bothered Jack the most was that fact that him and Kate had parted on such terrible terms. He had been sad and bitter and angry at her for choosing Sawyer- and now all he wanted was for her to be safe, for those monsters to keep their filthy paws off. He didn't care if she never looked at him again, as long as she was safe and happy and didn't hate him.
Sawyer was putting up a little bit more of a fight. He struggled and cursed the whole way, earning himself a new bruise on his face, until they were cuffed to the back of a dusty jeep and blindfolded so that the Others could keep their location secure. The feeling of dread in him was so awful that he thought he was going to throw up. He had never, ever felt so protective of a woman in his life. Right then and there, he made a silent vow to himself that if Kate came out of there with a single scratch on her body, he would kill every single one of those bastards and have no regrets.
Approximately a half and hour later, the vehicle lurched to a stop and Jack and Sawyer were uncuffed, but left blindfolded. They were escorted at gunpoint through a door and down stairs. Judging by the cool, dry air, they were most certainly underground again, though it smelled different. Instead of smelling tinny and dusty, Jack's nostrils were invaded by a pungent scent he knew only too well- that of a sterile hospital.
Their blindfolds were pulled off, revealing to them a narrow, white hallway with doors to either side. The walls were of painted white metal with tinges of rust, but it was otherwise spectacularly clean. Sawyer's eyes darted right to a door labeled "escape hatch", but he was smarter than to make a move at gunpoint.
What sadists, Jack thought, when they opened a door directly across the hall from the escape hatch, and pushed them in.
Sawyer inhaled sharply. This place was unlike anything they'd ever seen during their stay with the Others. It was like a fully furnished apartment, though a little small.
Jack and Sawyer drifted around, getting their bearings. Directly beyond the door there was a small sitting room with a table, books and couch, and also a small refrigerator and pantry. A door beyond that led to a small washroom and another to a bedroom that was furnished with two single beds and clean linens.
"Oh my God," Sawyer muttered, inspecting the bedroom. "Where the fuck are we? Jack?" he called, when there was no answer.
Jack had collapsed on the couch and was sitting with his head in his hands.
"Doc," Sawyer said cautiously. "You should take a look around. Much better than the old digs."
"I don't care, Sawyer," Jack said. "I just don;t care about anything right now."
"Look," Sawyer said gently, unsure of how to express to Jack that he felt the same way. "I know it doesn't matter. None of this matters if they do somethin' to her. But we gotta stay strong, because they might shove her in here in a few hours and she might be even worse than before, and she can't see us like this."
Jack didn't say anything, but he took a deep breath and looked up. As much as he hated to admit it, Sawyer was right. He had to get his act together.
Sawyer took this as acceptable progress. "I'm going to have a shower."
"Yeah," Jack said. "After I finish." He pushed Sawyer onto the couch, made it to the bathroom in the three long strides and slammed the door.
Jack was back.
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