Chapter 3
Sorry I haven't updated I have legit been so busy! The quarter is ending this week also... so for my OUAT fanfic readers i Hope to have it up sometime this week but definitely by this weekend! Muah xoxo
"You look cozy?" Jack said coyly as he eyed Kate. Night had fallen over the camp and Kate was leaning against a piece of metal under a blanket. Riley was cuddled up next to her.
Earlier that night Kate had been setting up her own bed for the night and laid down a couple of broken off seat cushions then went off to find a blanket, because the temperature dropped to pretty damn cold after night fell on the beach, especially with the Ocean breeze. Jack was with Riley and set her down on Kate's makeshift bed. When Kate returned Riley was already fast asleep. She turned around and saw Jack staring at her intently. "You're joking?" Kate asked cocking her head.
Jack shrugged, "She needed a bed."
"I need a bed." Kate rolled her eyes.
Jack pointed, "Look there's still plenty of space. Just let her stay there." Kate glared at him, "She's a little cuddle machine." Jack tempted.
Kate leaned down and thrust the blanket over Riley before laying down next her, making certain to be as far away from her as possible while still laying on the cushions.
That was about an hour ago so now Jack had come by and saw Riley snuggled into Kate's neck. He'd been watching them for a little while. Kate looked nervous at first when Riley rolled over and clutched at her shirt, but now Kate looked relaxed.
"What are you doing?" Kate inquired.
"I'm just going to lay down." Jack pointed, "Right over there." Kate shivered in response; the blanket was only covering Riley. "Are you cold?" Kate shook her head no.
Jack leaned down and smiled, "Liar." Then he carefully tucked the blanket around Kate's shoulder so they both had some blanket.
"Thanks." Kate finally said as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Kate didn't know what time it was but jerked awake to Vincent's barking and Riley tugging on her shoulder. Kate stood up, hearing the sounds coming from the fuselage. She patted Riley's head and followed Jack.
"What is it?" Kate asked as Riley came up behind Jack and grabbed his hand.
Claire looked worried, "Somebody's in there."
"Everyone in there's dead." Sayid reminded them.
Jack turned to the right and remembered his less than pleasant experience with the conman, "Sawyer." He said.
"Right behind you Jackass." Sawyer replied from the Left.
Jack grimaced, pulled a flashlight out of his pocket and turned to Kate, "Stay here." He let go of Riley's hand and walked towards the plane.
"Jack?" Kate said questioningly. Kate moved to follow and Sawyer held up his hand to stop her and followed Jack. Like hell Kate was going to wait here on babysitting duty. Kate grabbed Riley's hand and trailed after them.
Sawyer snorted, "You brought the damn kid." He muttered to Kate as they walked forward, who glared at him in response. As they approached the fuselage they could see the outline of something rummaging around, and they could certainly hear it. Jack shone his flashlight just barely in, cautiously.
"Pft, I'm gonna shed some light on this thing." Sawyer said and shone his flashlight directly at the beast, who howled in response and charged towards them.
"Run!" Jack yelled.
Riley screamed and Sawyer picked her up running after Kate. Kate fell over onto the ground and Sawyer tripped over her dropping Riley. Kate clutched Riley to her chest while Sawyer had his arm's protectively around Kate as they huddled together on the sand.
"They're gone." Sayid finally said. Everyone saw whatever the animal was dive into the jungle disappearing into the dark night. Kate slowly stood up and followed everyone to get a better look while Riley had her arms locked in a death grip around Kate's neck.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Charlie asked.
John Locke nodded, "Boars."
After people had relaxed slightly and settled down again, because you can only be so relaxed when wild boars just invaded your camp. Jack was examining the scrape on Charlie's side. Sayid and Kate were standing behind them trying to figure out a solution. Riley was holding onto Kate's leg.
"Those boars were looking to feed." Jack said as he poured alcohol on Charlie's cut, "We have to get rid of the bodies."
Charlie's winced, "Bury them? There's a whole bunch in there." Dozens and dozens of bodies filled the fuselage and surrounding area's, including Riley's mother.
Sayid nodded, "More than twenty. Digging will be difficult without shovels."
Jack shook his head, "We're not burying them. We need to burn them." He said firmly.
Kate's jaw dropped, "They're people. Husbands and wives, siblings" She looked down at Riley who was sucking her thumb, "Parents."
Jack looked at Kate aggressively, "I know they're people, Kate."
"Burning the remains, they deserve better than that." Sayid protested.
"Better than what? Being eaten by wild animals?" Jack shook his head, "Because that's what's going to happen. Any bodies we bury are not going to stay buried for very long. Look, I know this seems harsh, but that fuselage in the sun—it's not about what they deserve. They're gone, and we're not."
Sayid grimaced, "What you say may be true, but for us to decide how these people are laid to rest—it's not right. No regard for their wishes? Their religions?"
"We don't have time to sort out everybody's god." Jack replied exasperated.
Charlie's eyebrows arched, "Really, last I heard we were positively made of time."
Jack looked to the group, "Look, I'm not happy about it either, but we crashed a thousand miles off course. They're looking for us in the wrong place. It's been 4 days, no one's come. Tomorrow morning we need everyone to start gathering up wood, dried brush, and turn that fuselage into a furnace. Wait until the sun goes down tomorrow night before we start the fire." Jack walked out thoroughly irritated. Why couldn't these people understand that he was just trying to do what was best?
Charlie stood up, "If he's so eager to burn the bodies why are we waiting until sundown?"
Kate stroked Riley's hair and her eyes followed Jack, "He's hoping someone will see it." She realized.
The next morning Jack announced to the group that they were planning on burning the fuselage. Kate didn't agree. She was holding Riley at the back of the group and deliberately turned her head when Jack made eye contact with her. Kate felt the bodies deserved more respect than to be burned.
Afterwards Kate gave Riley to Jack and went off to find Sayid. She wanted to see if Sayid had fixed any of the electronic equipment yet.
Jack was carrying Riley and wanted to go find some food this morning when he heard Sawyer and Hurley going at it.
"Well if one of us wouldn't eat more than his fair share…" Sawyer implied.
Hurley lunged for his bag, "That's bull and you know it. You're not happy unless you're screwing over everybody."
Sawyer pushed him off, "Hey I'm peachy here porky pie."
Jack set down Riley and got in between Hurley and Sawyer, "Guys knock it off." He said firmly.
"Stay out of this metro." Sawyer spat at Jack. Sayid who saw the fight stepped in front of Hurley and Jack pushed Sawyer's chest.
"What is going on?!" Jack yelled so he could be heard over them.
Hurley angrily pointed at Sawyer "Jethro here's hoarding the last of the peanuts."
"My own stash!" Sawyer pointed to the fuselage, "My own stash I found it in there."
People were fighting over one bag of peanuts. Jack thought this was ridiculous, "What about the rest of the food?"
"There is no rest of the food!" Hurley said he looked down at his feet, "We kind of…ate it all."
Shannon jumped up, "Wait what?" Everyone looked shocked at Hurley's announcement of the food supplies.
Riley had wandered her way in between Kate and Jack. Jack held up his hands, "Okay everybody just calm down." People were already flipping out over peanuts. They needed food and they needed it now.
Sayid ran to the center, "We can find food. There are plenty of things on this island we can use for sustenance."
Sawyer plopped himself down onto a broken off plane seat., "And exactly how are we going to find sustenance?" He asked.
Everyone turned as they heard a whooshing sound and a knife landed on the adjoining seat where Sawyer was sitting, inches from his face. Locke was standing in the back. "We hunt." Lock answered firmly.
Kate looked at him, "How'd you get that knife on the plane?" She accused.
Locke shrugged, "Checked it."
Jack pulled the knife out of the seat and handed it back to him, "You either have very good aim or very bad aim Mr…"
"Locke." Michael stepped forward, "His name is Locke."
Jack looked back to Locke, "Okay Mr. Locke, what is it we're hunting?"
Everyone turned to look at John Locke who took a deep breath, "We know there are wild boar on the Island. Razorbacks, by the look of them. The ones that came into the camp last night were piglets, 100, 150 pounds each. Which means that there's a mother nearby. A 250 pound rat, with scimitar-like tusks, and a surly disposition, who'd love nothing more than to eviscerate anything that comes near. Boar's usual mode of attack is to circle around and charge from behind so I figure it'll take at least three of us to distract her long enough for me to flank one of the piglets, pin it, and slit its throat."
"And you gave him is knife back?" Sawyer said disbelievingly. Locke did seem crazy. But hey if he was going to feed everyone Jack wasn't going to complain.
Jack looked at him and shrugged, "Well if you've got a better idea?"
Sawyer laughed, "Better than the three of you wandering into the magic forest to bag a hunk of ham with nothing but a little bitty hunting knife? Hell no, it's the best idea I ever heard."
Jack looked at Sawyer and opened his mouth to say something but shut it. Probably decided this redneck idiot wasn't worth the trouble, or Jack's time.
Jack saw Riley playing by herself in the sand and went over to go check on her, little kid alone on an island without parents. A lot could happen. But luckily for him Riley wasn't too adventurous and wasn't always wandering off, or maybe she was just scared of what was in the forest but she hadn't left Jack or Kate's side since he'd pulled her away from her dead mother 2 nights ago. As Jack walked by he saw Kate admiring the knife before putting it back in its sheath.
"So? Hunting boar, now, huh?" Jack said playfully as he walked by.
Kate smiled and followed him, "Who says it's my first time boar hunting?"
"Uh-huh. Tell me something, how come every time there's a hike into the heart of darkness you sign up?" Jack lowered his voice, "You know what's in there."
Kate paused, "Actually, I don't. And neither do you."
Jack dropped the subject an eyed Lock, "What's your feel on our new friend?"
Kate shrugged, "Seems to know what he's doing."
"Call me paranoid, but anyone who packs a suitcase full of knives?" Probably is a little bit unstable in the head, was what Jack was thinking.
Kate smiled touched by Jack's concern, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're worried about me, Jack."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a problem staying in one place for very long, Kate." Jack replied seriously, Kate stared blankly at him, "So, you want to tell me why you're really going?"
Kate pursued her lips and opened her backpack revealing the transceiver, "Sayid gave me this so he can triangulate the distress signal we heard, find the source."
"This isn't about boars." Jack realized.
Kate turned to leave, "I'm a vegetarian." She said alluringly as she walked off.
Jack looked down at Riley feeling like a fool. Obviously this flirtatious bicker between them was something more. Marooned on an isolated island with gorgeous beaches. Hell they were already basically sharing a kid. A kid who didn't even talk. Jack wasn't a psychologist but he figured Riley should be saying something. "Hey you want to help me with something?"
Riley looked up at him confused at first then nodded standing up. She held up her arms for Jack to carry her. Jack smiled and turned around kneeling down so Riley could hop on his back, he hadn't realized how much it hurt your arms carrying around a 5 year old all day. Jack walked towards the fuselage and pointed to some sticks, "Okay you see those?" He felt Riley nod. "Those are sticks, you need to collect as many as possible and put them in a pile. Jack pointed along the perimeter, "Just in this area, don't go far." Jack turned his head back to look at Riley, "You got it?" Riley nodded again. "Yeah?" Jack asked smiling. He leaned forward and flipped Riley over his shoulder before she flipped over frontwards and Jack placed her on his feet, tickling her stomach. Riley's laughs filled the air. Everyone turned to look, forgetting how therapeutic the sound of genuine child's laughter was.
As Riley began gathering sticks for kindling Jack began to clear out the fuselage. He was growing more and more concerned with the way everyone was talking. Fending for themselves, already giving up hope of a rescue boat, it infuriated Jack. Not to mention about 5 different people came up to Jack and asked what they should do to help. Jack thought, "how the hell do I know? I'm not in charge." Jack was stacking wood when Claire came up.
"Excuse me. Doctor?" She didn't want to interrupt.
Jack dropped his armful of wood into the pile and looked up, "Claire, right? How's the…" He gestured to Claire's stomach.
Claire smiled, "Oh, he's good, yeah, thanks. Um, I thought maybe you should see this" Claire handed Jack what looked like a scrapbook and he opened it to see photo rolls of a couple, "Someone found it in there. They're collecting all the belongings. They're wedding plans for Steve and Kristin. They were on the plane sitting a couple of rows behind me. I remember because they looked so happy."
Jack shook his head, "I don't understand, Claire, what am I supposed to do with this?" He handed it back to her and walked away.
Claire followed him, "Oh, well, um, some of us were wondering if maybe we should do some kind of memorial service, or something. You could lead it."
"Uh, no, I don't think it..." Why was Jack qualified to lead a funeral for all the dead?
" Well, you know, just a few words, or we could just read their names from passports, and drivers..." She said eagerly.
"Look, it's not my thing." Jack finally said firmly.
"Oh, okay." Claire answered awkwardly, "Maybe I'll do it." She finally said.
Jack shrugged, "Yeah, sounds fine. Whatever everybody wants." Why was this his responsibility? Claire looked at Jack as he left wondering why he was acting like such an ass. Claire briefly wondered if he was worried over the pretty, young brunette who always went off into the forest.
Elsewhere Shannon was sitting on a broken off plane seat looking out at the water doing a crossword puzzle. Boone noticed the woman still sitting on the edge of the beach, away from everyone, she had been there all day so far. Boone walked over and knelt down in front of Shannon.
"That woman's still sitting there." Boone told Shannon.
"Mhm." Shannon said uncaringly, she didn't even look up from her crossword.
"Her husband was on the plane." Boone realized.
"Right." Shannon said again in the same insensitive monotone.
Boone looked to Shannon, "Are you even listening to me?"
"What's a four letter word for I don't care?" Shannon snapped.
Boone shrugged, "I just think somebody should go talk to her."
Shannon looked up from her crossword, "I nominate you, Captain America. You just can't help yourself, can you?"
Boone looked at her astonished by her selfishness, though after 10 years of dealing with his unbelievably entitled stepsister, you'd think he'd be used to it. "Yeah well at least I'm doing something. All you've done is sit over here on your ass."
Shannon threw down the crossword puzzle, "I just went through a trauma here."
Boone stood up, "Yeah we all just went through a trauma, the only difference is that you're the only one who's actually given yourself a pedicure." Boone pointed to Riley who was looking for sticks, "Look even the shell shocked kid whose mom died is helping." Boon shook his head, "Just do something Shannon." He jumped up angrily.
Boone didn't have time to deal with the woman with PTSD, not while he was trying to provide his part to help with something while Shannon sat on her ass, as usual. He saw Jack walking by and walked up. "Hey doc, you got a second?" Boone asked.
Jack pulled down the handkerchief covering his mouth, "What's up?"
Boone pointed to the woman sitting on the beach still, "The woman's been sitting over there by herself. Maybe she's having trouble dealing with her husband? I don't think she's had anything to eat or drink." He looked at Jack, "Think maybe you can go talk to her?"
Jack threw a log down, "Why me? I'm not a psychiatrist. I mean, maybe you should..."
Boone shrugged, "I just thought you might want to do it. You're the one that saved her life." He replied earnestly.
Jack didn't know why he had to go talk to the woman but he felt bad. It was the same woman whom he'd told the turbulence was fine. Until her husband was in the section that broke off mid-air.
Jack patted Riley's head, "Stay here." He grabbed a water bottle and a blanket and headed for Rose.
When he reached her she was sitting on the ground rocking back and forth holding her necklace. Jack set the water down next to her, "Hi. Rose, right?" He draped the blanket over her shoulders, "Remember me, seat 23A? I'm the guy that told you not to worry about the turbulence." He looked over at the fuselage and saw Boone staring at him intently, "Everybody's getting pretty worried about you, Rose. If you want to be alone that's fine, but you have to take care of yourself. You should really drink." Rose didn't say anything, or even look at Jack, "Okay. We don't have to talk." Jack nodded, "Let's just sit for a while."
Kate and Michael followed Locke as he led them deeper into the forest. After walking in silence for most of the journey Kate asked, "Your son, how's he handling all of this?"
Michael sighed, "A hell of a lot better than I am. "
"You must be proud. He's a brave kid." Kate replied.
Michael smiled, "Yeah. I can't take credit for that. I wasn't part of his life. Till his mother passed away, two weeks ago."
Kate shook her head, "I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"That's okay. There were living in Sydney the past couple of years. I flew out last week, you know, to go get him." Michael paused in the awkward silence as they trudged on, "So how's your uh-… Riley doing?"
Kate deliberately avoided eye contact, "I mean, fine I guess."
Michael sensed Kate's reluctance, "Well I was just wondering since you been taking care of her an all."
"Well… she's not mine. I'm not her mother." Kate replied. Michael opened his mouth to say something else when Locke shushed them signaling the end of their conversation.
Jack had been sitting next to Rose for about half an hour before she finally spoke, "His fingers swell." She said.
Jack leaned forward, "Sorry?"
Rose twisted around her necklace, "Bernard, my husband, his hands swell up whenever we fly"
.Jack nodded, "The altitude."
Rose looked down at her necklace which Jack now noticed had a ring on it, "He started having me hold onto his wedding ring whenever we took a plane trip. Always wore it around my neck for safe keeping. Just until we landed." Rose turned to Jack, "You know, doctor, you don't have to keep your promise."
"Promise?" Jack asked.
The one you gave me on the plane. The one you made me—to keep me company until my husband got back from the restroom. I'm letting you off the hook." Rose replied.
Jack gave a small smile, "Well, you're not going to get rid of me that easily." His voice turned serious, "Rose, you shouldn't be out here alone. You're suffering from Post Traumatic Shock."
Rose almost laughed, "Aren't we all?"
In the moment when Jack was trying so hard to be a serious Doctor it was he who ended up laughing, "Yeah, I guess we are."
Rose smiled, "You have a nice way about you. A good soul, patient, caring. I suppose that's why you became a doctor."
Jack looked at the waves uncomfortable, "Thanks but I was just kind of born into it. Family business."
"You still have a good soul." Rose repeated.
Jack looked at her, "How do you know?"
Rose looked back to the fuselage where Riley was gathering kindling, following Jack's instructions, "You comforted me on the plane. And that little sweet pea. You know you saved her."
Jack followed Rose's eyes, "Kate found her."
Rose nodded, "But you rescued her and you have been taking care of her."
"I don't know what to do. I don't have kids. It's dangerous out here and she doesn't talk. Not to me or anyone." Jack confided.
"Baby she'll talk when she's got something to say. But for now you need to keep doing what your doing. Which is leading." Rose paused as Jack looked away, "In times of chaos people need a reliable leader, someone to protect them. And right now that's you."
"What if I don't want it." Jack asked as he looked back at Rose.
"I don't think you really have a choice." Rose replied.
"Rose, after the sun goes down, we're going to burn the fuselage." Jack was looking for any topic to change the subject. "It's just something that we have to do. There's going to be a memorial service back at the camp for those—for those who didn't make it. For everyone to say goodbye."
Rose nodded, "I'd like to be there for that."
"Okay." Jack stood up and helped Rose up, "Maybe if you'd like to say something, you know, about your husband."
"What?" Rose asked shocked.
"I'm just saying if you wanted to say goodbye…to Bernard." Jack reiterated.
"Doctor, my husband is not dead." Rose reassured.
Jack sighed, "Rose, he was in the tail section of the plane. It broke off in mid-flight. I'm sorry, but everyone who was in the rear of the plane's gone."
"They're probably thinking the same thing about us." Rose said as she started for the fuselage.
"Everybody the ceremony is going to start in 15 minutes." Claire announced loudly. Kate looked up at Claire then glanced back down at Riley who at the moment was being a huge pain in Kate's ass. Since the ceremony was partially a funeral everyone was putting on the nicest clothes they had, or could find, that were clean. For Riley that was her yellow dress which Kate was trying to put on her. Riley wasn't going for it. Kate sighed and dropped the dress on the ground, "Okay fine wear what you want." Kate said exasperated. Riley puffed out her lip and started to cry. "Oh shit" Kate muttered. Kate leaned down, "Riley I'm sorry." 'See this is why I shouldn't be a parent' Kate thought to herself as she wiped Riley's eyes. Kate picked up the dress, "Can you please just put this on?" Kate asked earnestly. Riley nodded and Kate pulled off the shorts and tank top before pulling the dress down over Riley's head.
As they finally made their way to the ceremony a kind of eerie calm had fallen over the camp. The night sky and burning fuselage colors complimented each other nicely. Nobody said a word as Claire started to read.
Kate stood towards the front with Riley next to her. Kate looked around for Jack and wondered where the hell he was, she didn't think he would miss this.
"Judith Martha Wexler from Denton, TX" Claire started, "guess she was going to catch a connecting flight. Um, she wore corrective lenses and she was an organ donor, or at least would have been." She picked up the scrap book, "Steve and Kirsten, I don't know their last name, but they were really in love and were going to be married. At least, wherever they are now, they're not alone."
Charlie came and stood next to Kate, "You seen Jack?" She asked him. Charlie shook his head.
"Jennifer Carter." Claire announced loudly, "Jen." Claire held up Carter's passport for everyone to see. Riley turned and buried her face in Kate's legs. "She was in my row along with her daughter, Riley. I remember her because she was such a great mom. All she talked about was her daughter. She told me they were flying back to Los Angeles after visiting Riley' father who lived in Sydney. She worked so hard to provide for her daughter, I hope wherever you are Jen, that you're resting."
Riley knew they were talking about her mother. She knew her mothers name, and though she didn't know exactly what happened Riley knew that her mother wouldn't be coming back. Riley turned to Kate and held her arms up. Everyone turned to stare at Riley their hearts growing heavy at the final realization of the orphaned child. As soon as Kate picked Riley up she felt Riley's hot tears on her neck as Riley snuggled deeper. Kate couldn't help but wonder where Jack was through the rest of the ceremony and wonder what to do with Riley. Most of Kate told her that the authorities would take care of the child when they were rescued. But I darker, less optimistic part of Kate, wondered what would happen if they were never rescued…
