Thanks so much for all of the reviews, I'm glad everyone seems to be enjoying this fic so far. And I think I'm going to have to make it at least three chapters, the story is taking longer to play out than I thought it would. So look forward to another chapter next weekend. :)
And thank you to K. Palafox for the help with this chapter. I would have never been able to write it without you!
The song is Running Away by Midnight Hour. They aren't a very well-known band, but the song is amazing. It was featured in a wonderful episode of Ghost Whisperer and I have loved it ever since.
Chapter 2: The Feeling of Truth
Don't lie and say that it's okay.
It's alright here, there's nothing more to say.
So I'm running away,
I'm leaving this place.
Yeah, I'm running away,
I'm running away.
And faster than you can follow me from this lonely place.
And farther than you can find me, I'm leaving,
Yeah I'm leaving today.
And I, I'll never let you find me.
I'm leaving you behind with the past,
No, I won't look back.
And I don't want to hear your reasons.
Don't want to hear you tell me why I should stay.
Kate awoke to find one of her arms strapped to her chest, the rest of her body covered in aches and pains. And she couldn't help it, instantly she panicked. She'd always hated being restrained, but now this was worse. Without opening her eyes, she could almost picture the jail cell she was surely placed in.
The overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia made her thrash around violently, even though one arm was still unmovable. Then a wave of pain hit her, feeling like nothing she had ever endured before. She thought she'd experienced agony many times throughout her life, but she realized all of those previous ordeals were nothing compared to this. This was torture.
And so she screamed.
Suddenly a hand came to rest on her shoulder, the shoulder that wasn't too sore. She stiffened, not even wanting to think about who was touching her. As soon as she stopped moving, the hand quickly left her shoulder. But she could still sense the presence of another person beside her.
Kate felt herself starting to shake so she opened her eyes before her imagination got out of control. As she had grown older, she'd learned that reality usually wasn't as bad as the creations of her own mind.
Nevertheless, when she saw the bright lights shining above her, she didn't understand. At that moment, her entire situation became that much more confusing. And confusion was never a good thing.
So she curled up in a ball, as much as her sore arm would allow. From her position she had a clear view of the green curtain hanging down in front of her. But she could also see the crisp white sheets she was lying underneath, and now she felt the soft pillow beneath her head as well.
Those images, combined with the smell of disinfectant and the faint odour of blood helped Kate come to the conclusion that she was in a hospital. This wasn't so bad, she realized. It was easier to escape from a hospital than a jail cell after all.
Why was she here, though? That was the first thing she had to find out before she could leave. What's the last thing I remember? she asked herself. There had been a cop, she knew that much – the one who had seemed so familiar. He'd caught her as she ran past his car, but then she'd managed to escape.
The last memory she had was of an object speeding towards her amidst the screech of tires and the honking of horns. And after that, nothing.
She shuddered slightly, not enjoying the scene in her mind. Then, hearing movement behind her, Kate flipped over and cried out in pain when she rolled onto her injured arm. She bit her lip to stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks as she stared up into a very familiar face. Soon she blinked and the familiarity was gone, leaving a kind but complete stranger looking down at her. All she knew was that he was a doctor – because he was wearing a lab coat.
"How are you feeling?" the man asked gently. His voice was relaxing and despite her best efforts, Kate found herself falling into his deep brown eyes. Slowly she rolled onto her back after realizing that she was still lying on her unmovable arm.
Seeing the sling strap on her shoulder, suddenly the rest of her memories came rushing back. She remembered the car, the impact that sent her flying across the road, her limbs sprawled out around her. And now here she was.
"What...what happened to me?" she asked, meaning medical-wise.
"Well based on your bruising and the extent of your injuries it's clear that you were hit by a car," he explained clinically. Then he paused as if trying to decide whether or not to tell her something. Kate took the brief silence to study him carefully.
His face was friendly – open enough that she could read the emotions as they played out across it – and he had short brown hair. For a moment she imagined his hair to be even shorter, almost cropped, but then it was gone.
As she stared, the fragments of a dream tugged at Kate's consciousness. It took her a moment to realize why he looked so familiar, then it came to her. This was the man from her dream – the one who had chased her nightmares away. Kate had no idea why she was dreaming about a person she had never met, but she knew without a doubt that the doctor standing in front of her and the man from her dream were one and the same.
What was happening to her? Have I been given medication? she wondered. She felt fine, other than the aches all over her body, but she had no clue what had gone on while she'd been passed out. Even though she knew the doctors would only want to help her, the idea was frightening none the less.
"You, uh, had some other bruising around your wrists though," the doctor continued softly. As soon as he said it, Kate felt her wrists begin to throb and she understood why. The blonde haired cop, he'd grabbed them, enough to leave bruises.
But she didn't say anything. Until she found out what exactly was going on, Kate wasn't giving anything away.
Her silence made the doctor frown slightly, then he brushed it off and flashed her a smile. "I'm being rude aren't I? You must be pretty confused right now, sorry about that." He ran his hand through his hair, a nervous gesture. Kate didn't know why he was nervous, as a doctor he probably had to talk to patients all the time.
She'd begun to realize that this situation was different though. Something had passed between them, something neither of them quite understood and maybe it scared him as much as it was scaring her right now.
If he was terrified though, he wasn't about to show it. Instead he stuck out his hand, giving them both a chance to start this uncomfortable meeting over again. "My name is Jack. Jack Shephard. And I'm the doctor who operated on you when you were brought in yesterday."
Kate stared at his extended hand, processing what he'd just said. "Yesterday? I've been here for a whole day?!" Her voice was rising in panic as she thought about how much time had gone by. She knew it had been afternoon when she'd dashed out into the street the previous day.
"What time is it now?" she demanded, trying to keep her fear under control.
Jack chuckled under his breath. "It's morning. Don't worry, you haven't been unconscious for long. We had to get you to the ER right away to clean up your injuries, but there was nothing serious." Kate eyed her shoulder sling doubtfully and he smirked. "Well, other than a hairline proximal ulnar fracture."
As her eyebrows knitted together in confusion, he laughed deeply. Kate found herself starting to enjoy listening to him. Jack's voice was soft and mysterious, while at the same time remaining polite and clinical. And his laugh was contagious. Soon she found herself giggling along with him, though nothing about the situation was very amusing at all.
Oh god, I have been medicated, she realized. Eventually she managed to control her somewhat hysterical laughter and she focused her attention back on Jack.
"Hairline proxy what?" she asked, still not understanding.
"You broke your arm," he stated simply, making Kate feel like an idiot. When she blushed, he ran a hand through his hair again. "Sorry, I'm not trying to out-smart you or anything. I guess I just haven't really talked like this to a patient in a while."
Despite her anxiety to get away, Kate was beginning to have some fun. "Like what?" she asked flirtatiously, making Jack attempt to stutter out a response.
"Uh, for more than a few seconds. Usually I just give them their diagnosis and then leave." An awkward silence filled the room once he finished talking. Kate shifted uncomfortably on the bed, scratching at her sling absently.
Jack put out a hand to stop her. "You really shouldn't do that, you know. If the skin gets irritated, it will only feel worse. And you're going to have to leave the sling on for a month or two. I've made you an appointment to come back two weeks from now, if that's okay."
Kate doubted she would still be in town at that point but she smiled and nodded. Jack nodded too. "Good, good," he muttered to himself.
Before the tension in the room could get even worse, a knock on the door made them both jump. A nurse with bright red hair poked her head in, motioning for Jack to come talk in the hallway. He patted Kate's leg gently as he walked away, looking back once more before shutting the door behind him.
Grateful to have a moment alone, Kate quickly scanned the room. From the little part that she could see, it was clear that there were no other exits. She debated climbing out one of the small windows, but with her immovable arm combined with the unknown height of the drop, she decided against it.
It didn't matter anyway because Jack was back inside before she could even get out of the bed. "There's someone here to see you," he said.
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Kate was in action. She rolled off the bed, ignoring the rush of pain and dizziness she felt as she stood up. Her terror about the mysterious visitor was what kept her going, dashing past Jack and out into the hallway.
It took him a while to react, but once Jack understood what was happening he was tearing off down the hallway after Kate. "Hey wait!" he shouted after her. Despite her injuries, she didn't slow down. Instead she ran faster, panicking at the sound of his voice.
"Dammit," Jack muttered under his breath, chasing behind her. She was fast, he had to admit, but she was also not in her best shape so he easily caught up with her. He clasped his hand around her wrist, only remembering the bruising when she cried out.
Immediately he let go, ashamed of himself. "Sorry," he whispered and Kate finally skidded to a stop then reluctantly turned towards him. Her eyes were shining bright with fear but she held her ground.
"I...can't," she admitted before taking off again. Jack cursed again and was tempted to let her go. There was no point in forcing her to stay in the hospital, he'd already treated as many of her immediate wounds as possible. But it was against his nature to just let things go. That strange attraction he felt towards Kate, it wasn't going away. And he wasn't just going to let this mysterious woman slip through his fingers.
So he tore after her, sliding around a corner and nearly crashing into the wall on the other side. Instead he ran into Kate, who was standing frozen in the middle of the hallway.
"Ah! Sorry," Jack shouted as he tried to stop himself from colliding with her. She didn't even notice him. There was a look of pure terror on her face and Jack spun to see what she was staring at.
The first thing he saw was a flash of dark hair, then a friendly smile. As the Hispanic woman gradually walked into full view, Jack was hit with a strong sense of déjà vu. Not about the moment, just the person. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn he'd met her before.
And from her expression, he was certain Kate was thinking the same thing. It's strange how I know how she's feeling even though I've only talked to her for a few minutes, he reflected briefly.
"There you are, took long enough. Did you get lost on the way here or somethin'?" The woman directed her question at Kate, but the brunette had no answer.
Jack took that as a sign to step in. "She's the one who came to see you," he told Kate gently. "When she heard you were at this hospital – "
"Yeah, I came to check on you, okay?" the woman finished impatiently. "Can we get on with this already? I'm Ana Lucia. And I'd say nice to meet you but these aren't exactly the greatest circumstances."
Kate continued to stand there, open-mouthed. Ana Lucia rolled her eyes then slowly walked over and stuck out her hand, waiting for Kate to shake it.
And after a moment she did, using her free hand gingerly. "Lucy," she introduced herself.
Jack was startled that she used a fake name, even though she had never actually told him her name he knew for certain that it was Kate. But he didn't say anything, waiting to see what she would do next.
"And thanks for coming to check on me, really. But I'm fine, don't worry about me." She tried to turn away, but the sudden seriousness in Ana Lucia's voice stopped her.
"You really don't remember, do you?"
Kate could only gape at her, eyes wide. Jack, on the other hand, frowned unhappily. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he demanded, angry that Ana Lucia was playing games with Kate when she was unwell.
"Oh cut the crap. We both know that this little invalid here is Kate, not some goddam Lucy." Kate recoiled as Ana Lucia put her hand on her injured shoulder. "Relax, I'm just trying to help. You'll thank me one day."
And as soon as the woman's arm came in contact with her skin, a torrent of images flooded Kate's vision. Each passed by so briefly that she couldn't get a good look at them. But she thought she saw Ana Lucia's body slumped against a couch and she definitely heard herself say, "She's dead."
Kate gasped for air once the images finally disappeared, swaying on her feet and weakly trying to pry Ana's hand away.
"What did you see?" the Hispanic woman questioned.
Jack stepped forward, pulling Kate away from Ana Lucia and towards him. "What was that? Did you do something to her?" he asked as Kate sagged against him. "And what do you mean 'help'? I don't think you're helping anybody!"
"It won't work if I tell you. I'm just supposed to help you out a bit," Ana Lucia replied cryptically.
"And how are you going to do that?" Jack wasn't buying any of this, but he kept playing along until he could figure out more about the situation.
"Like this." And before he could react, Ana pushed Kate away, wrapped her own arms around Jack's neck and pulled him into a kiss. He tried to push her away until he felt another set of lips on his and suddenly he didn't want to fight anymore.
Though he knew he was kissing Ana, in his mind it was as if his lips were locked against Kate's. And then the scene in front of him changed. He was no longer standing in the too-bright hospital corridor. Instead he was in a dimly lit hallway, Kate's warm body pressed against his. In his mind he deepened the kiss as she wrapped her legs around him. He wanted to be as close to her as possible, instinctively tightening his hold on her.
The intimacy and tenderness of the moment startled him. But he didn't get a chance to delve deeper into the scene because the vision ended once Ana Lucia broke away from him. They were both slightly breathless and she was resting against him.
Jack tried to untangle himself from her clutching limbs, giving up after a brief futile effort. He blinked and looked around, becoming aware that a solid object was resting against his back. And once his head stopped spinning, he discerned that it was the wall.
Then he felt the heat rising to his face as he thought about the scene he'd just witnessed in his mind. His broke Ana's grasp and stepped away from her, all the while his eyes scanning the hall for Kate. Eventually he found her standing a few feet away with an expression of disgust on her face.
Jack didn't even want to think about how she'd just seen him react to Ana's kiss. What the hell is wrong with me? he wondered.
Pushing aside his tangle of feelings, Jack was about to apologize for his embarrassing and unprofessional display of sexual behaviour. But Kate had already fled the opposite way. Starting to run after her, Jack was stopped when Ana held him back.
"Well, what did you see?" she demanded.
"I'm sorry but I have no idea what you're talking about," Jack replied scathingly, his patience wearing thin after he'd just made a complete fool out of himself.
"Don't lie to me Jack, I know you felt it."
Growing impatient, Jack couldn't help snapping at her. "Felt what for god's sake? And how do you know my name? I never introduced myself."
Ana sighed dramatically and nodded at his coat. Jack flushed in embarrassment when he remembered his name was stitched on the front. Damn it, why am I acting like such an idiot today? He thought back to his accident yesterday with the medical cart. Maybe the crack to his skull had screwed up something in his brain.
"But that's not important right now. What matters is what you saw," she repeated forcefully.
"And what the hell was I supposed to see?!" he shouted, startling a nurse who was walking down the hallway. Jack knew he was causing a scene and he could only hope that no one had seen him kissing Ana.
She glared at him deeply, frustrated that he wasn't understanding. "The truth," she said simply.
"Well that's great," Jack scoffed. "But 'the truth' is I have to go." Then he was off again, chasing after Kate once more and leaving Ana Lucia standing there speechless. But as Jack rounded the corner, she smirked in satisfaction, her job here finished.
* * * * *
Walking away down the hallway, Ana thought back to the incident yesterday that had changed her life. She'd been driving to a meeting, down a crowded street when all of a sudden a woman ran out into the traffic.
As she got a good look at that woman's face, memories of beaches and forests came rushing back to her. And along with the scenery, Ana saw that woman – Kate, she knew – along with a bunch of other strangers she had never met before.
But deep down she also knew that these people were more than strangers. She knew them somehow – not in this timeline, but an alternate one. And as ridiculous as it sounded, in her heart she was absolutely certain that it was true.
Though in the time it took for her to have this life-altering experience, she'd reacted a second too late as Kate came charging out into her lane. The thud and loud screeching of tires still haunted her more than she would like to admit. And that was part of the reason she came here today, to make sure Kate was alright. It was true – she didn't want any more deaths on her conscience.
But Ana had other, more meaningful reasons for her presence here today as well. Somehow she understood how important it was that others remember their alternate lives as well. And she'd thought it would be best to start with Kate. Finding Jack here had been an unexpected bonus, a 'kill two birds with one stone' kind of situation.
Not that it was surprising to find the two of them together. On the Island they had been inseparable, when Ana herself wasn't getting between them at least. Even though they didn't remember each other, it was as if fate had drawn them together. Ana had never been a big believer in destiny, but now she found herself starting to think about it more and more.
Would her involvement be enough to bring Jack and Kate's other memories back? Ana Lucia didn't know, but either way that was up to them now. She had more important things to do...
Up next: Jate time, involving an elevator and a special guest! Will our favourite couple finally remember? Does free will exist or is it their destiny to be together? ;)
I'm trying to put this in context with what we are learning on the show, which is why I added Ana Lucia to this chapter. ;) I hope it's not too confusing for anyone!
