Ok so my hope is to get this done before May 1st. Just so everyone knows I'm basing this off of spoilers for that episode so if you don't want to be spoiled you might want to read this May 2nd haha but I'm not sure how close my interpretation of the spoilers will be so I guess we will just find out.
WE NEED A DOCTOR
Kate filled up her water bottle and took in the scene around her. Sun and Jin were cuddling and Jin was rubbing her pregnant belly. Rose and Bernard were arguing with affection. Juliet was staring at…well she was staring at Jack and she had an odd look on her face. She followed Juliet's gaze and realized why the blonde was frowning. Jack's coloring was bad he was pale with a greenish haze. Kate hadn't even realized she had moved until she was standing beside him.
"Jack?" she touched his arm and was surprised at how warm his skin was. The weather had cooled off slightly and it wasn't warm enough to heat someone to that degree of temperature. He glanced at her and she saw how glassy his eyes were. "Are you ok?" she asked.
Jack looked at her, he still lost his breath every time he saw her, even with all of the bad things between them he was still enraptured with her. He cleared his head and answered her.
"Yeah I'm fine, why?" he asked curiously.
"Jack you look like you're on death's doorstep. You're pale feverish and you keep rubbing your side." Kate stated.
Jack shook his head. "I'm fine Kate really I just haven't been sleeping. My side is hurting but I think I just pulled a muscle." Jack said waving off her concern.
"Then go rest Jack please? You really do look like you're going to fall over." Kate said. Jack shook his head and argued with her.
"I'm fine Kate really I am. I have too much to do anyway. I can sleep later. I'm…" he stopped when Kate stepped forward and took his face in her hands.
"Jack you're burning up and you look awful, please go rest. You're no good to anyone if you pass out from exhaustion on us." Kate said staring into his eyes.
"You're not going to drug me are you?" he asked with a hint of a smile.
"I just might." Kate said rubbing his arm.
Jack wasn't sure how he felt about Kate's attention to him. Back in the beginning he had lived for these moments. Now he sometimes felt better when she just left him alone. Sitting in the cage back in Otherville he had sworn that he would cut Kate out of his life. It wouldn't be too hard to do since he was never supposed to see her again. Then she had come back for him and his traitorous heart had leapt with joy. She had come for him so obviously that meant something right? But once again he was fooled by his own stupidity. They had returned to the beach and Kate had just jumped right into bed with Sawyer without even giving Jack a passing glance. They had made their way to the tower and he had professed his love, not to win her over but to let her go. He told her he loved her so that she would understand, she had his love now please stop breaking his heart. However after that there had been a change in their relationship. She was suddenly flirting with him and even though she lifted the phone from him when she hugged him, he knew the hug had been real. Once again Jack had begun to hope only to be kicked, in his opinion, for the last time. She had gone to stay with Sawyer. Jack had reached down into his soul and he knew he could not survive her games any longer, he would truly lose his mind. So he let her go. He made the decision that she was just a woman he was friendly with and that was all. In fact he had begun to think that he could care for Juliet. Then Kate came back without any real explanation and Jack dug his heels in, hell he had even kissed Juliet and the world didn't come to an end.
Now Kate was back to her flirting and he was doing his best to fight off the hope that stirred deep in him. He wasn't an idiot he knew the only reason she came back was because something had probably gone wrong between her and Sawyer. Whenever she decided to forgive the southerner for whatever offense he caused she would go running right back to him and Jack would once again be left behind. No he was done with that.
He pulled gently away from Kate's grip. "I'll rest in a bit, I just have to finish some things up." He gave her a friendly smile and he walked away but Kate could see he was still favoring his side. She turned and was surprised to see Juliet beside her.
"Something is wrong with him." Juliet said watching Jack. Though Kate hated to, she agreed with the woman.
"He's stubborn and won't listen to me." Kate said. "Last time he got like this I drugged him."
Juliet nodded. "I'll see what I can do, maybe he'll listen to me." There was no vanity in her voice, she wasn't rubbing it in to Kate's face that the brunette had lost her grip on Jack, but Kate still felt that way. She decided that she needed some time alone so she went into the jungle to pick some fruit.
The pain in Jack's side was becoming unbearable. A strained muscle would hurt but not to this degree, also he had taken some meds for the pain and they didn't help. He wiped his forehead, he was burning up. A strained muscle wouldn't bring on a fever and it wasn't hot enough to cause this kind of heat stroke.
He walked back to the water bin maybe he just needed to drink some more water. He stared at the water and a second later he was on the ground, and Bernard and Jin were at his side.
"Jack are you ok?" Bernard asked.
Jack went to stand he would give in and go take a nap. He tried to get to his feet when the pain in his side sent him back on his butt and he let out a pained moan. The sound of their leader in pain drew the attention of Rose, Sun and a few other castaways. Bernard looked at Jin.
"Go get Juliet." Bernard said pointing towards Juliet's tent. Jin understood and he ran to Juliet.
"Jack hurt" he exclaimed when he saw her. Juliet was on her feet and following him down the beach. She saw Jack on the ground and he was clutching his side. She dropped to his side and he let out another cry of pain. Juliet had to take a breath and fight the tears that welled in her eyes at the sound of the man she cared deeply for was in pain.
"Jack, come on Jack," she eased him onto his back. "Tell me what is happening where does it hurt?" she asked. She grimaced when Jack clutched her arm when a wave of pain hit him.
"My side" he said through gritted teeth. Juliet touched his side and Jack jerked from her in agony. Juliet felt her stomach drop, no not this, not now. She looked up and saw Daniel and Charlotte watching them curiously. She knew deep down rescue wouldn't make it in time.
Ok Juliet, she thought to herself. Suck it up and do your job. You went through ER and Surgery rotations when you got through med school. You can do this, you have to do this.
She looked up at the people surrounding her. "Bernard, Jin I'm going to need your help, I need to move Jack up onto the table. Before we do, Rose can you throw one of the clean tarps on the table. Rose did so. "OK we need to get Jack up on the table. Sun I need you to get me a knife, alcohol and any pain meds you can grab out of Jack's tent. I also need clean cloths. Um I'm going to need a needle and thread." Juliet commanded.
"What is happening to him?" Jin asked.
"His appendix is bursting, that is if it hasn't already." Juliet couldn't think like that, if the organ burst Jack would die, there were no where enough antibiotics to clean out his system. "I have to operate." Juliet said. God she wished they had time to take him to one of the med stations where she could put him in a sterile room with a sterile table but there was no time left.
"Jack?" Juliet stroked his fevered cheek, he looked up at her with a glassy stare.
"Jack I think you're appendix is bursting. I have to do surgery on you. Jack I don't have the proper anesthesia." She said and Jack nodded he knew this was going to hurt like hell.
He took his hand and pointed to his side. "Cut here" he groaned. "If the appendix bursts Juliet you have to let me go." He eyes cleared for a few seconds. "You cannot waste meds on me if the organ goes. You can't save me don't try." Juliet felt the tears well in her eyes. She nodded to him praying that this decision would not have to be made. Sun was back with all the supplies Juliet had asked for and some more things as well. She nodded to the men and they, as carefully as they could, lifted Jack onto the table.
Juliet pulled his shirt off and Sun covered him with a blanket so they could keep his privacy but take his pants off. Sun was mixing something and she brought it to Jack. She looked at Juliet.
"Painkiller" she explained what the beverage was. Sun lifted Jack's head and made him drink, after spilling only a little the drink was gone and Jack was falling asleep. When Juliet was sure that Jack was out she picked up the makeshift scalpel. They had already cleaned the skin where the cut would go. Juliet placed the knife along his skin and took a deep breath as she sent a prayer into the atmosphere.
Kate came out of the jungle lugging her sack of fruit. She noticed a crowd was gathered near their 'kitchen'. Whatever was going on it had drawn the attention of most of the castaways. Kate sighed, now what? She was making her way over when she heard an agonized scream of pain. She dropped the fruit in the sand and took off towards the group. She broke through the crowd and saw something that would haunt her nightmares forever. Jack was lying on a table and Juliet and Sun were standing beside him. Along Jack's stomach and side there was a large incision, he was cut open.
"What are you doing?" Kate practically screamed.
Juliet answered without looking up, "His appendix is about to burst I have to take it out."
"I heard Jack scream." Kate said suspiciously.
"We don't have anesthesia we gave him a pain killer but it wasn't enough to cover the pain of the incision. He passed out because of the pain. Sun can you hand me one of those cloths?" Juliet said.
Kate was still having problems wrapping her mind around all of this. Juliet had her hand inside of Jack and his blood was all over. This couldn't be right, it couldn't be safe.
"So you do the surgery out here on the beach?" she asked she was looking at Jack's face praying this was all a bad dream.
"I didn't have time to get him to a med station Kate," Juliet said annoyed. "If the appendix bursts he will die. I can't do the surgery in a tent. I need him elevated high. I can't do surgery if I'm kneeling on the ground. I'm not a surgeon ok?" she snapped. "So if you're going to stand there doing nothing just leave Kate."
"I'm not going anywhere." Kate said her voice firm.
"Then shut up and help" Juliet said. "I need Sun to help inside of Jack I need you to keep pressing cloths down so we can keep the bleeding to a minimum. If we're lucky we can do this without too much blood loss. I don't want to risk a transfusion. I would need Claire for that." She muttered and Kate looked at her strangely.
The surgery seemed to last for hours but somehow the three women managed to work together and get Jack's appendix out. Juliet's estimate was another five minutes and the organ would have burst flooding Jack with bacteria and infection. At home they could pump him full of antibiotics and most likely save his life. Here he would have died. The bad organ was removed and the bleeding was contained. All Juliet had to do was sew him up.
"I'll do it" Kate said grabbing the needle and thread, noticing Juliet's look she said, "I've sewn him up before."
Juliet nodded knowing Kate wouldn't be as dumb as to say she could do something that important if she really couldn't. Not when Jack's life was still hanging on the precarious edge. He had lost blood and being they had little sterilization he could still get a fatal infection. Juliet wanted to scream this wouldn't be the case if the damn freighter had come for them. It was too close, Jack could have died, he still could.
"I'll be right back" Juliet said exhausted. She walked into the jungle, when she was out of eye sight she leaned against a tree and sobbed.
They finished the stitches and Sun and Kate dressed the incision and bandaged him up. Kate saw Juliet walk into the jungle she had a feeling for once in their lives they were both on the same track, they were feeling the same. This had been too close and too real. Kate settled on a chair they had made, next to the table. She took Jack's hand in hers and watched him sleep. She felt the tears fill her eyes. She hated herself at this moment more than any other time. She had betrayed him she had used him and she had broken him. She never truly appreciated him and he almost died. It was like she was suffocating, what would she have done if Jack had died. She actually thought she might have just crawled on the table and died right next to him of a broken heart.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered stroking his cheek. She wiped a stray tear that had strayed down her face. "I'm so sorry Jack, I know I have screwed up so many times that I don't deserve your forgiveness. But please Jack I'm begging just open your eyes and be ok. I promise if you do that I will do whatever you want me to do. I know you have been trying to stay away from me. You aren't mean or cruel about it but I can feel it when you take a step back from me when we're talking or how you always look defeated when you see me. God Jack I have screwed up my life so many times and even though I am a fugitive if I could go back and change one thing, I never would have slept with Sawyer. I would gladly spend the rest of my life on the run if it meant you would look at me the way you used to." She wiped her eyes as more tears fell.
"So here's the deal Jack if you want me to stay away from you, if you just be ok, I will do it. I will move to the other side of the island and live by myself if it would give you peace. Just know that no matter what happens between us I will never go back to Sawyer. I promise. I know you and Juliet are close and if she is the one who makes you happy even though I'll hate it, I will respect your wishes." She said with a small laugh. She grew serious again. "I never thought I could ever be good enough for you Jack, so in my own stupidity I settled with Sawyer. Then the day you told me you loved me, it was the greatest and worst moment of my life. It felt so great because I love you too. It was horrible because even as you said it I could hear your goodbye too. I went back to Locke's camp and yes I did see Sawyer. I spent the night with him but I couldn't sleep with him. Not when I knew you were out there. I came up with a lousy excuse to fight with him and I ended it with him. I came back here to be with you, I never planned on ever staying there. I couldn't be away from you like that."
She sighed and looked around the beach. "You did this Jack, we are all alive and surviving, even Locke's group, because of you. You saved us, you kept us going and this is going to sound so selfish but you have to come back so you can keep caring for us, cause without you we're idiots. I need you to come back because I won't survive without you, I love you Jack." Kate said.
"Anyone ever tell you, you talk too much?" Kate gasped and looked up to see Jack was awake and smiling at her.
"Oh Jack" she exclaimed she jumped up and was about to throw herself on him but realized that would be a very very bad idea. Instead she rubbed his cheek affectionately. "How do you feel?"
"Like I've been sliced and diced. Was it the appendix?" he asked and Kate nodded. "Did Juliet get it out in time?"
"Yeah" Kate nodding stroking his temple.
"Good" Jack said, "I'd hate to learn she didn't listen to me." He said with a sigh.
"What do you mean?" Kate asked.
"I made Juliet agree that if the appendix burst before she could get it out she would have to let me go. There would be no way to save me and I didn't want her wasting antibiotics and meds on me in order to try." Jack said tiredly a few seconds later he was sound asleep. Kate froze Juliet had agreed to let Jack die? The anger flooded her and before she knew it she was storming into the jungle in the direction that Juliet had left. It didn't take her long to find her because the blonde was coming back. She was wiping her eyes and had obviously been crying. She looked up and saw Kate and froze.
"Is he ok, did something happen?" she asked if Kate wasn't with Jack then something must have gone wrong.
"He woke up. He said a little and then passed out again. His fever has gone down." Kate said. "You were going to let him die?"
Juliet looked at her strangely, "What?"
"Jack told me that he made you promise that if the appendix burst you'd let him die." She couldn't hide the accusation in her voice.
"I never promised him" Juliet said quietly. "I nodded but I didn't promise him. As a doctor I should have, there are still a lot of people on this island who need the ability to be cared for. If I gave Jack all of the meds I'd possibly be sacrificing the lives of everyone else if they got injured. As a woman I would have sacrificed you all for Jack's life." She said looking Kate right in the eye.
"You love him?" Kate asked.
"Yes I do, you love him too don't you?" Juliet asked.
"Yes" Kate said choking on the tears that threatened to fill her eyes.
"What about Sawyer? You can't have them both." Juliet said crossing her arms across her chest.
"Sawyer was a mistake, a horrible mistake that I will regret until the day I die. I never loved him, never in the way I love Jack."
Neither woman noticed the group of people standing near them overhearing their conversation. Sawyer, Claire, Aaron, Hurley had all come back, they had also heard Juliet and Kate's conversation. Sawyer's heart broke as he heard Kate write him off. He felt a hand grip his arm and he looked down to see Claire holding his arm in a comforting gesture.
End of story.
Ok so this is a bit different than my other stories, but I wanted this to be my version of episode 4.10 which runs May 1st. So I guess we will see if I got any of it right. So that's why it ended abruptly it was supposed to end like the show does.