All Sparks
by Editors
You're answering questions that have not yet been asked
All sparks will burn out in the end
You burn like a bouncing cigarette on the road
All sparks will burn out in the end
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
In the end
Locke and the Key
Chapter Twelve
Sayid had unwillingly sent Ewan and Sun off to find some edible plants for breakfast. He had known Sun would be fine--she had eaten her dinner and got a good night's rest. Ewan, however, had pushed around his food making it appear he had eaten and he hadn't slept very much at all.
Ewan could feel his knees shaking as he trudged through the jungle. He felt the hunger in his stomach claw at his insides and twist them like rubber bands. He was feeling a bit light-headed too--from the sun, he supposed. All he could conclude was that today was not his best day.
Sun was leading the way, but turned back and said, "Come here, Ewan." She was pointing to a collection of red berries clinging to a bush. "I think these will be alright."
"They look disgusting," Ewan waved them away and continued on.
Sun bent over and picked several berries. She gently placed them in a tin can that had held last night's Dharma Intuitive baked beans. Forced to turn back round, Ewan pivoted towards her. "Sun," he said. "When do you think we will ever get back?"
"Sayid said it would be soon," Sun smiled as she wrapped her arm around the can and they continued on. "Do you miss everyone already?"
"Well…" Ewan began. "You have Jin. Sayid's a bit of a loner anyway and I… well… I don't really have anyone."
"You have me," Sun smiled warmly. She was not trying to be flirty, but that's how Ewan read her grin.
He stopped in his tracks. "I do?" he asked as he turned around.
"Of course," Sun eyed the jungle ahead. "You can always talk to me."
"Thanks," Ewan smiled as he took two steps forward. Sun awkwardly placed her free hand on Ewan's shoulder. He smiled and leaned in for a kiss. Sun hesitated.
She quickly turned away, "No. Sorry. No…"
Obviously hurt, Ewan backed away. The fire in his eyes dimmed and his frustrated lips forced into a frown. "I'm sorry…" he said.
Ewan continued walking and Sun followed closely behind him. She secretly slipped her fragile hand into his. She could feel the muscles in his hand tighten. He turned to her, his cheeks tinted pink. "I don't understand women," he smirked. "One minute they refuse a simple kiss and the next it's alright to hold hands? Make sense of that will yeh?" He leaned his nose in towards Sun's neck as he asked the last question.
Sun turned to him and batted her eyelashes gently. With the little English she knew, there was no possible way she could word her feelings for Ewan without sounding awkward. "I… it is hard to explain."
"Mmm…" Ewan smiled. "Is this hard to explain?" He leaned in and covered Sun in kisses.
Soon, Sun had dropped her tin of berries and wrapped her arms around Ewan's back. Ewan smothered her lips in kisses and Sun returned them. Ewan's shaky palms meandered their way down Sun's back. In between kisses he muttered, "Sun…"
"Yes?" Sun backed away.
"Nothing," Ewan realized he was wasting precious kissing time. He turned back to Sun with a smile.
"W-we should be going," Sun had had enough time to think about what she was doing. She turned away from Ewan, picked up the tin and continued on.
Sayid could tell that with every step they were coming closer to the beach. He had watchd carefully on their journey here and knew they were about one league away from the rest of the group--although, he couldn't convert that to walking time.
He was sitting on a tree stump staring at the black, jungle floor where the fire used to be. Jin was behind him, searching through the backpacks to see if there were any breakfast foods.
Suddenly, Sun came bursting out of the jungle in tears. Alarmed, Jin stood up and rushed to comfort his wife. Sayid asked what happened while Jin muttered things in Korean to soothe her. She sobbed and began her first two words in Korean. "He was--Ewan was angry. He said that he was tired of moving slow and stopping to rest. I tried to stop him. I told him not to go. He run ahead. He just run."
"What?" Sayid asked. "He just ran away? Why?"
"It was something I… said," Sun's sobbing had slowed down. "He was crying and then… he ran."
"Uch," Sayid sighed frustrated. He wasn't sure if he should search for Ewan or just continue hiking. After all, it had been his choice to run away. Chances are, he didn't want Sayid following him. But Sayid wondered what kind of trouble Ewan could get into, alone in the forest. Would he be alright if they didn't look after him?
Sun had calmed down now, and she walked over to Sayid. "We must go find him. I'm worried," she said. Her red, teary eyes pleaded for him to agree.
Sayid looked back at her coldly. "No," he stated. "We will carry on."
Ewan had been running for a good fiteen minutes now. It was the only thing he could do. The wind peeled his tears away from his cheeks as his sore feet pounded the ground with anger. He squinted his eyes at the bright sun and at the pain that came when his tears ripped away from him. His teeth bit his lip like a lock on his mouth, holding in the sobs that wanted to scream out.
Sun had rejected him. After they kissed, she had told him that Jin was her husband and that she could not stay with Ewan. She said that she was sorry but she was not his to kiss. The harsh words had rung in Ewan's ears like the sound of an ambulance. They forced his lips tremble and his eyes to cry. Why was it that everyone on this island rejected him? Then his mind zapped back to the one person who hadn't--Desmond.
And that's why Ewan was running. The closer he got to Desmond, the closer he got to acceptance. Love. If he hadn't run, he would've suffered the long walk back to camp with Sun.
Hunger ripped apart his stomach like a raging beast and light-headedness invaded his brain. The ends of his vision were fading and his feet were as heavy as bricks. But still. He ran.
The guilt of not searching for Ewan was swamping Sayid's thoughts. He was almost positive he had done the right thing, but he still felt terrible. He figured Ewan was an adult. And if he wanted to run around in the jungle he should feel free to do so. Sayid shouldn't have to watch over him like a baby.
Sun and Jin lingered behind Sayid by just a few feet. They were talking about the recent events in Korean. Sun explained to Jin, "He was just so upset. I didn't know what he was going to do. And the next minute, he was off into the jungle. I called his name a few times, but he just kept running."
"He is so emotional," Jin smiled, trying to comfort his wife. "I wouldn't be worried about him." All of a sudden, Sayid stopped short and Sun took in a horrified breath. Jin looked down in the grass and saw what Sun and Sayid had been starring at.
Sprawled across the jungle floor, Ewan was completely knocked out. He had been there for a little while because the grass had moulded around his skinny frame. Sayid reached down and touched his warm, flushed forehead. "He's out cold," Sayid said gravely.
Sun kneeled down and pulled Ewan's head to her chest. She ruffled his hair with her fingers and whispered, "Wake up. Ewan, wake up."
Sayid kneeled beside her and pulled a bottle of water out of his backpack. He poured some water into his hand and sprinkled it across Ewan's dry lips. "C'mon…" he muttered.
Sun was beginning to get worried. Jin watched the action over her shoulder. No one could take their eyes off Ewan as Sayid sprinkled more water across his face. His hand twitched but nothing else moved. Sayid sprinkled more water around him. Sun grasped his wrist tightly and felt the throbbing beat of his pulse. Suddenly, Ewan's grey eyes fluttered open. His mouth gasped for air and his lips quivered with shock.
"Ewan, Ewan," Sayid watched him worriedly.
A small smile lit up Sun's eyes. "Ewan are you alright?" she asked.
Ewan muttered and groaned at the pain he was feeling. He was so hungry, the emptiness in his stomach crawled up his throat and made him want to puke. The sun was beating down against his forehead and piercing into his eyes. He groaned louder so that someone would get him some food. Sayid lifted the water bottle to his lips. "Drink this," he said gently.
The cool thrill of wetness leaving his lips and tunnelling down his throat was amazing. He sighed a short sigh of relief and looked gratefully up at Sayid. "Can I get you anything?" Sayid asked.
"I could use a bloody Starbucks," Ewan muttered with a grin.
"Are you hungry?" Sayid smiled.
Ewan nodded and Sayid turned to his backpack. Only one granola bar remained for his entire journey back. He unwrapped the bar and handed it to Ewan.
Sayid stood up and Sun moved over to where he had been sitting. She wrapped her arm around Ewan's back and helped him sit up with his back against a tree. "Are you alright?" she asked a second time.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Ewan smiled weakly.
He forced his hands to shake and pretended he was too weak to bring the bar to his mouth. He smiled innocently at Sun and looked down at his hands. Just as he had expected her to do, she gently removed the granola bar from his hands, broke off a piece and fed it to him. He wished there was someway for him to shoot a smirk over at Jin without giving himself away.
Sayid had been pacing in front of Ewan, Jin and Sun as if he were an officer during a military role call. He turned to Sun with a worried look on his face. "If we don't move quickly, we will have to stop at nightfall."
"No, no, we can't stop," Ewan tried to stand up, but Sun pulled him down.
"Do not go until you are ready," Sun pleaded.
"I'm ready," Ewan stood up this time and began to lead the way. Sun turned to Sayid to see his reaction, but Sayid had already brushed past her to follow Ewan. She turned to her husband and the two of them trudged on, side by side.
To be honest with you lot, I didn't think this chapter was that great. I mean sure it's all dramatic... (something dramatic seems to happen in EVERY chapter of this story) but I dunno... it's just missing something. I promise to make it up to you. Next chapter will be the best thing you've ever read.
Watch Lost tonight folks! I've heard that someone's going to die in this episode. My bet's on Eko because he's kind of ill and there's not really a doctor round. Good luck with that, Eko.
-Got Scots?