Cpt 8

"Doc!" Sawyer cried out, "Sayid's bad."
Jack looked over at his friends, even from the distance he could see Sayid fading. He turned his head and watched as Juliet continued to gasp for air. He knew the bullet must have hit and collapsed her lung. Ben held her, propped up on his lap, his hand putting pressure on the wound. Juliet's arms were outstretched, her hands in fists fighting the pain. Ben stared intently at Jack.

"Jack please!" Kate screamed.
He looked at her, tears running down her cheek, fear and confusion on her face. Jack couldn't bare that look and began to run forward towards her. Towards Sayid.

"How many Jack," Ben said raising his voice so Jack would be sure to hear him, "How many men fell where you promised to stand guard?"
Jack stopped once again.
"The marshal, Boone, Shannon, Libby," Ben said then deepened his voice, "Ana Lucia."
Jack turned slowly to face Ben.
"Can you really turn your back on her? Can you live with yourself knowing Juliet fell too?"
Jack's eyes clouded with tears. He shook his head and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. When his vision cleared he saw that Juliet's fist had unraveled, her hand open towards him. He ran, ran as fast as he could.

"Juliet," he whispered as he fell to his knees.
Ben suppressed his smile of victory as Jack hovered over him, looking at her wound.
"Jack!" Kate called but he didn't look back. Jack had made his choice, and it was final. Pickett and Tom were already picking Juliet up and taking her back to the infirmary, Jack following close behind.
"What about them?" someone asked Ben referring to Kate and Sawyer.
"Let them go," Ben said, "We've got what we want now."

…..

Juliet lay in a hospital bed, Jack sitting in a chair in the corner.
"Well Jack," Ben said coming into the stark, white room, "You saved her life."
Jack glanced over at Juliet, still under the anesthesia, ignoring Ben.
"Sayid died," Ben said matter of factly.
Jack looked up at him, pain washing over his face.
"Was there any doubt Jack?" Ben asked, "Did you think you could choose and there wouldn't be any consequences?"
Jack stared blankly at Ben.
"You'll do the surgery now of course," Ben said stepping closer to Juliet's bed. Jack stood up, on the other side.
"What makes you think that?" Jack asked him.
"Because you're one of us now. It's not like you can go back, not after what you've done," Ben explained.
Jack glared at the man in front of him.
"The day after tomorrow. I'll let you rest for now. Pickett will take you back to the Hydra."
"What?" Jack asked surprised.
"Oh, you thought I'd let you stay with her. Sorry Jack, but I have other plans for Juliet. At least for now."
……

"Jack," Juliet mumbled as she came in and out of her morphine state.
She was told Jack fixed her. She was told he had performed the surgery on Ben, and that it was a success. She was told Sayid had died. She was told Jack blamed her for the choice he was forced to make.
"Jack," she whispered as a tear escaped and ran down the side of her eyes onto her pillow, "I'm sorry."
….

"You promised me Ben," Jack yelled from behind the glass, "You promised!"
"What do you want to go back for Jack?" Ben asked shifting slightly in his wheelchair. It had been a week since the surgery but he was starting to feel like his old self again. Jack was truly the brilliant surgeon Ben was told he was.
"Hmm Jack?" Ben said leaning forward, wincing at the pain, "You'd only be going back to nothing special, waiting rooms and ticket lines, traffic jams and other forms of boredom."

Jack paced the room, "I've had enough excitement to last me a lifetime."
Ben chuckled, "Yes Jack, I suppose you have."
"You promised you'd get me off this island," Jack said, standing back at the glass wall.
"So I did Jack," Ben said smiling up at him, "And a promise is a promise."
…..

Juliet stood at her kitchen counter mixing ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies.
"Now are you sure you're okay?" Amelia asked, cracking the eggs, "I don't want you to over do it."
"I'm fine Amelia; I've been lying in bed for days now. It's good to be doing something productive again, even if it's just baking cookies," Juliet smiled although she was still breaking inside from the loss of Jack.

"Amelia," Ben's voice came from behind.
The two women turned around to see Tom wheeling him into the kitchen.
"This is why we need locks on our doors," Juliet mumbled under her breath.
"Will you give Juliet and me a few minutes?"
"Of course Benjamin. I'll just pop over to my house and see about dinner," the elder woman said before leaving.

Juliet stiffened, "What is it Ben?"
"I have a surprise for you. A sort of welcome home from the hospital gift," Ben told her.
"I've been home for 4 days now."
"Yes well, a belated present then," he said as Juliet eyed him suspiciously.
"Tom," Ben said.

Tom left only to return a minute later, leading Jack by the arm. He took the bag off his head and Jack squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light.
"Jack," Juliet said.
"Juliet?" he answered, "What, where am I?" Jack asked Ben in confusion. Jack grew angry as Ben sat silent, "You said you were taking me off the island, you promised if I did the surgery, you gave me your word!"
"And I kept my word Jack," Ben said, "Why don't you explain things Juliet."

Juliet looked at Jack and immediately her heart broke for him. She stared at the ground.
"He must have drugged you," she began.
"He said it was so I couldn't find the island again," Jack explained.
Juliet raised her eyes to meet his, "Jack, he didn't lie. You're not on that island anymore. You're just not where you thought you'd be. This is another island," she said choking on her emotions.
"What?" Jack said the despair evident in his voice.
"Welcome to your new home Jack," Ben said, "I'm sure Juliet won't mind having you stay here. I know she has the room."
"Ben," Juliet said firmly.
"Well you do, don't you? I'm sure there's a vacant bedroom upstairs," he said as he motioned for Tom to take him out.
"Oh and Juliet," Ben said, pausing at the door, "I hope you like your gift because it's not returnable."