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ficinabottleTitle: Tracker, Chapter 5
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Skate, Jana, others
Disclaimer: I don't own LOST
Summary: Set during S2, immediately post-WKD, Kate, Sawyer and several other characters go off into the jungle after Michael, learning secrets of the Island along the way.
Spoilers: Season 2
A/N: Tracker is an extremely lengthy, multi-chapter fanfic that I wrote during Season Two. I plan on posting a couple of chapters a day if I can, so please check back! By the way, blame![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kirvash if you get hooked on it. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 5
The noon sun filtered through the jungle canopy; Danielle was taking them at a much slower pace, almost cautiously and she slowed and held up her hand. "Quietly, now," she said, and led them forward around a copse of trees.
Michael and Jin stared, dumbfounded. "What the hell is that?" Michael asked, looking aside at Jin, who glanced back at Michael plainly thinking the exact same thing. "The Black Rock? This is the Black Rock? Why the hell did you bring us here?"
"There are some supplies here we need. Stay here, I will be back." She disappeared into the hold.
Michael and Jin looked at each other, both clearly wondering if they had made the right decision in following Danielle. Michael didn't believe her at first, that she knew where to find Walt; she had been insistent, though, and Michael's need to find his boy allowed him to believe her.
He surveyed the clearing, and noticed a box a few feet away from the hull of the ship; he inspected it and noted uneasily that the word "EXPLOSIVES" was stenciled on the side. A few feet away there was a small crater, the earth around it scorched and burned.
Danielle finally emerged, carrying something draped over her arm. She strode up to them and lifted her rifle, cocking it and aiming it at Michael. "Drop your weapons." she commanded, holding the rifle steady over Michael's heart.
"Whoa, whoa," Michael put his hands up warding her off. "What's the hell's going on? Get that gun off me, you crazy-"
She fired a shot over his head. "Drop your guns," she repeated. Michael looked at Jin and they both pulled out the guns and tossed them to the ground. "Put these on," she said, and threw the things she had over her arms at their feet. Michael gazed at them in a stupor- chains?
"What the hell are you doing? Where did you get those? Those are freakin' chains, lady. You think I am gonna-" Danielle swung the rifle butt into Michael's gut and he fell to his knees, gasping for air.
Jin moved to go after her, but in a flash she had the rifle pointed at his head. She motioned to the chains on the ground, then to Jin. "Put them on."
They both complied. Michael hung his head, miserable. What a failure. He had failed everyone. Walt, Jin, Susan...why had he followed her? He knew better than to trust her. Everyone was going to pay the price now.
He hoped like hell Jack had started a search party after them. The irony was not lost on him, and he felt his spirits lift just a little as he looked sideways at Jin and smiled reassuringly. Jin hesitated, then smiled back. Han and Chewie, Michael thought to himself. They always got away.
* * * * *
"Run!" Jack screamed.
The horrible noises echoed through the jungle, making the ground shake and vibrate. It was coming closer. Ana-Lucia froze in terror, staring at the trees shaking and groaning before her; Jack grabbed her and jerked her into the brush, dragging her until she recovered and started running behind him. It felt like hours before they finally ducked into a stand of trees and cowered, listening as the Monster... moved away. It was going. Jack let out his breath, barely even aware that he had been holding it and he felt Ana do the same. He was suddenly very aware that his arm was looped around Ana's waist; her back was to him and he could feel her terrified gasps against his chest. "W-what the hell was that?" she finally asked.
"Security system." Jack said.
"Oh. Okay." She lifted Jack's arm from her waist, and holding it away from her, dropped it, stepping away from him. She turned, arms crossed, and said, "Why don't you tell me what it really is, Jack?"
He sighed. Well, she needed to know, right? "A few days after we crashed we took the transciever from the plane and tried to get a signal. We did, but when we tried to transmit one we couldn't because there was already something transmitting. It was a distress call from a french woman who has been stranded here for sixteen years."
Ana interrupted him. "Has been? Does that mean she's alive?"
"Yes. Sayid found her. She said the- whatever that thing is, it's a security system. To protect the island."
"From what?"
Jack shrugged. "You tell me."
Ana studied him. "And that's all you know."
Jack hesitated. "Yeah." He started walking back the way they had come. "Come on, let's find the others."
Ana watched him closely for a minute, then, smiling to herself, started after him.
Locke and Eko were waiting in the clearing. Neither one looked like they had just run half a mile, Locke had barely broken a sweat. Jack looked around at everyone. "You OK?" They all nodded. "Where's Sawyer?" Jack asked. "Where's Kate?"
* * * * *
"Sawyer!" Kate was frantic. He had been right beside her when they started running, but somehow she had lost him. She retraced her steps through the bushes, hardly daring to think about what she might find. "Sawyer!"
"I'm here, Kate."
Her heart stopped, his voice was so weak and he called her Kate. He only did that if something was wrong. She moved slowly, looking for him. "Where are you?"
"Here."
Kate parted some bushes and she stifled a cry; he was leaned up against a tree, deathly pale. a spot of red spreading rapidly over his shirt. She put her hand to her mouth went to him, slowly, close to tears.
He looked up at her and grinned weakly. "Hey, Freckles," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "I was hopin' you would stop by."
Kate dropped to her knees beside him; she unbuttoned his shirt and gingerly lifted the edge that covered his wound nearly bursting into tears. "Oh!" The thick bandage over Sawyer's shoulder was sopping red and as he looked down at it he paled even more. "I-I have to take it off, Sawyer," she said, swallowing hard.
"Well, I'm all for that, sweetheart," he said, grinning again. It faded quickly. "Which first? Shirt or..." his voice trailed off, and Kate looked down at him, panic clawing at her gut.
"Sawyer! Sawyer...wake up, baby...come on..." Kate tried to revive him. She was shaking and she couldn't breathe...panic was taking over. She started counting. "One...two...three...four...five."
She exhaled, trembling. Sawyer was still out. She checked his breathing, then sighed and lifted the edge of his shirt again, pushing it off of his shoulder; taking a deep breath she pulled slowly on the edge of the blood-soaked bandage and it came off with a sickening squelch. To her relief she could tell the bleeding had slowed, it was mostly just seeping around the edges but she didn't know what to do so she took a spare shirt out of her backpack and pressed it to the wound.
Sawyer stirred. "Kate..."
"I'm right here," she said gently. "Keep still."
He mumbled again. "Kate..."
The mumbling was scaring her a little; he sounded like he did in the hatch. She brushed a strand of hair from his eyes, touching his forehead. It was still cool, thank God. "I'm here, Sawyer. It's okay."
His eyes cracked and found her next to him and he smiled weakly at her as his good hand rose slowly and caressed her cheek. She leaned into it, looking into his eyes.
She moved the shirt and Sawyer groaned and dropped his hand. The bleeding had stopped but it looked horrible, an inflamed, ugly, purplish red. "Kate..." His eyes were drooping again. "I love you."
She froze. What? She looked down at him in shock, but he was already out cold.
* * * * * * * * *
Jack was pacing like a caged lion while Locke tried to figure out which way Sawyer and Kate had gone; he was trying to unravel the footsteps all around the clearingbut flying debris and flying feet had obliterated much of the trail. Jack's tense pacing was also unnerving him a bit.
"Which way did they go Locke? Do you know or not?"
"Jack, I appreciate your need to go after them, but patience is the key." He returned to studying the footprints.
Jack glared at his back. Ana, who had been lounging against a tree watching Jack and Locke for the last thirty minutes, went to him. "Jack, can I talk to you? For a minute?"
He hesitated, then glaring one last time at Locke's back, he nodded. They walked away until they were out of earshot."What is it, Ana?"
"You don't trust Locke, Jack. Why?"
Jack was taken aback by the question. "What?"
Ana-Lucia looked him in the eye. "I have been watching the two of you and you don't trust him. I want to know why."
"That's a pretty damn personal question, Ana, don't you think?" Jack was a little annoyed.
She leaned in and said, "Well, this is a pretty damn strange island, Jack. And I have the feeling you and Locke know a lot more than you are telling. If you two have been working together for the greater good then why don't you trust him?" She glanced away quickly, then looked back at Jack. "I guess what I am saying is I want to be a part of what goes on here. I'm tired of feeling like an outsider. But in order for me to make informed decisions, I have to be informed." She glanced in the direction of the clearing. "And I would like to have your version of the information first." She studied Jack for a moment, to see if he understood what she was saying. "So, why don't you trust him?"
"He lied. And that lie led to the death of one of us."
Ana's gut clenched. "Is that the only rea-"
"Jack!" Locke called. "I found it! It's here!"
He glanced at Ana then took off back to the clearing.
* * * * *
Kate was still kneeling beside Sawyer, stunned. He loved her? He said it, didn't he? He was out of his mind, Kate! Get it together! She couldn't tear her eyes from him, she couldn't move...she was terrified. How could he love her? He knew what she was- a murderer, a liar- how could he? Because he is me, she thought. He's a murderer and a liar, too, and he gets me.
There, in a nutshell, was the difference between Sawyer and Jack. Jack would never really understand her. He could never look past her imperfections, no matter what she did or said he would always think of her as a murderer first and Kate second but Sawyer didn't give a shit if she was a criminal, it was as natural to him as it was to her. He was right- they had a connection. Kate was only beginning to appreciate how deep that connection could be.
Sawyer stirred and opened his eyes, some of his color had returned. He looked around, a little disoriented.
"You okay?" Kate whispered.
Sawyer gazed at her. She was kneeling beside him, strands of her hair hanging over her eyes and she looked so worried, so scared. He wanted to reach out for her, to hold her, but his arms were heavy.
"Fine," he croaked. "How long was I out?"
Kate was startled to realize that she didn't know. "Uh, just a few minutes, I think." It could have been five or thirty. "You need water," she said, and handed him a bottle. He drank it thirstily.
He looked over at his shoulder; the bleeding had stopped but it was inflamed and crusted with dried blood. "You think I'm gonna live, Freckles?" he asked, not entirely joking.
"I think so, Tex," she said. "You didn't get a fever."
"Fever-" he said, and started to raise himself. He grunted at the pain in his shoulder and sat back down, hard.
"What are you doing? Be still! What's wrong?" Kate asked.
"I need my pack," he said. "My pills are in there. I forgot to take one this morning." He looked at her quizzically. "What are you grinnin' at?"
She opened the pouch on her pack and pulled out his pill bottle. "You mean these, Sawyer?" she laughed. "You didn't leave them in your pack, you left them in your tent." Sawyer flashed her a disgusted look and she leaned over him and whispered, "I guess you do need a damn nursemaid."
He stared at her for a second, feeling her knees against his thigh and her hair brushing lightly against his chest and he kissed her. It was deep and slow and his hand wrapped itself in her hair, pulling her closer. She put a hand on the tree trunk behind his head, trying to balance herself so she wouldn't touch his shoulder and her other hand rested on his chest, her fingers curling lightly against it.
His tongue began a leisurely exploration of hers. She felt lost, she couldn't stop, he filled her senses; the feel of his skin, his fingers in her hair, the wild, animal smell of him, she could taste his sweat on her lips and she could hear his heart beating wildly against his chest. She opened her mouth wider, trying to swallow him in.
His hand left her hair and moved slowly, gently to her waist. She was wearing his favorite shirt- the purple tank top that rode up on her when she moved. He helped it along, inching it up as he slid his hand underneath, caressing the smooth skin on her back and he could feel her muscles gliding beneath his fingers. Kate let out a soft moan against his lips, and he felt a wave of desire and emotion so powerful he clenched his fingers into her, hard.
"Kate," he spoke, his mouth muffled against hers. "Stop. We have to stop."
She pulled back, reluctantly, flushed and breathing raggedly. She looked at him questioningly.
"My shoulder," he said, though it was a lie. She immediately leaned back, her eyes concerned.
"Are you okay?"
Not really. It wasn't his shoulder. It was the feeling. He wasn't ready for it. He'felt like a black hole was opening up beneath him and once he fell into it he could never get out again. No woman had ever made him feel like that and it was scaring the shit out of him. He nodded, more to ease Kate's worry than anything. "I'm okay."
They sat in silence, neither daring to move. The tension was almost something they could touch.
"Kate! Sawyer!" Jack's voice broke the moment sharply as he and Locke stumbled into the clearing. He took in the scene quickly. "You okay?" he asked her, looking relieved. She nodded, rising. "What happened, Sawyer?"
His eyes were still on Kate. She was staring back at him and he grinned before he broke his gaze to turn to Jack. "I fell when we were runnin'. Crawled up against this tree and passed out. Woke up to Freckles here administerin' CPR. Funny thing though," he smirked, " I was already breathin'." He looked back to Kate; she had her hand over her mouth, trying to cover up a laugh. His dimples deepened.
Jack looked between the two of them, his heart sinking. Trying to ignore them he opened his pack and took out the rubbing alcohol as he let an evil little smile play upon his lips. He was gonna enjoy this.
* * * * *
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Skate, Jana, others
Disclaimer: I don't own LOST
Summary: Set during S2, immediately post-WKD, Kate, Sawyer and several other characters go off into the jungle after Michael, learning secrets of the Island along the way.
Spoilers: Season 2
A/N: Tracker is an extremely lengthy, multi-chapter fanfic that I wrote during Season Two. I plan on posting a couple of chapters a day if I can, so please check back! By the way, blame
kirvash if you get hooked on it. Thanks for reading!Chapter 5
The noon sun filtered through the jungle canopy; Danielle was taking them at a much slower pace, almost cautiously and she slowed and held up her hand. "Quietly, now," she said, and led them forward around a copse of trees.
Michael and Jin stared, dumbfounded. "What the hell is that?" Michael asked, looking aside at Jin, who glanced back at Michael plainly thinking the exact same thing. "The Black Rock? This is the Black Rock? Why the hell did you bring us here?"
"There are some supplies here we need. Stay here, I will be back." She disappeared into the hold.
Michael and Jin looked at each other, both clearly wondering if they had made the right decision in following Danielle. Michael didn't believe her at first, that she knew where to find Walt; she had been insistent, though, and Michael's need to find his boy allowed him to believe her.
He surveyed the clearing, and noticed a box a few feet away from the hull of the ship; he inspected it and noted uneasily that the word "EXPLOSIVES" was stenciled on the side. A few feet away there was a small crater, the earth around it scorched and burned.
Danielle finally emerged, carrying something draped over her arm. She strode up to them and lifted her rifle, cocking it and aiming it at Michael. "Drop your weapons." she commanded, holding the rifle steady over Michael's heart.
"Whoa, whoa," Michael put his hands up warding her off. "What's the hell's going on? Get that gun off me, you crazy-"
She fired a shot over his head. "Drop your guns," she repeated. Michael looked at Jin and they both pulled out the guns and tossed them to the ground. "Put these on," she said, and threw the things she had over her arms at their feet. Michael gazed at them in a stupor- chains?
"What the hell are you doing? Where did you get those? Those are freakin' chains, lady. You think I am gonna-" Danielle swung the rifle butt into Michael's gut and he fell to his knees, gasping for air.
Jin moved to go after her, but in a flash she had the rifle pointed at his head. She motioned to the chains on the ground, then to Jin. "Put them on."
They both complied. Michael hung his head, miserable. What a failure. He had failed everyone. Walt, Jin, Susan...why had he followed her? He knew better than to trust her. Everyone was going to pay the price now.
He hoped like hell Jack had started a search party after them. The irony was not lost on him, and he felt his spirits lift just a little as he looked sideways at Jin and smiled reassuringly. Jin hesitated, then smiled back. Han and Chewie, Michael thought to himself. They always got away.
* * * * *
"Run!" Jack screamed.
The horrible noises echoed through the jungle, making the ground shake and vibrate. It was coming closer. Ana-Lucia froze in terror, staring at the trees shaking and groaning before her; Jack grabbed her and jerked her into the brush, dragging her until she recovered and started running behind him. It felt like hours before they finally ducked into a stand of trees and cowered, listening as the Monster... moved away. It was going. Jack let out his breath, barely even aware that he had been holding it and he felt Ana do the same. He was suddenly very aware that his arm was looped around Ana's waist; her back was to him and he could feel her terrified gasps against his chest. "W-what the hell was that?" she finally asked.
"Security system." Jack said.
"Oh. Okay." She lifted Jack's arm from her waist, and holding it away from her, dropped it, stepping away from him. She turned, arms crossed, and said, "Why don't you tell me what it really is, Jack?"
He sighed. Well, she needed to know, right? "A few days after we crashed we took the transciever from the plane and tried to get a signal. We did, but when we tried to transmit one we couldn't because there was already something transmitting. It was a distress call from a french woman who has been stranded here for sixteen years."
Ana interrupted him. "Has been? Does that mean she's alive?"
"Yes. Sayid found her. She said the- whatever that thing is, it's a security system. To protect the island."
"From what?"
Jack shrugged. "You tell me."
Ana studied him. "And that's all you know."
Jack hesitated. "Yeah." He started walking back the way they had come. "Come on, let's find the others."
Ana watched him closely for a minute, then, smiling to herself, started after him.
Locke and Eko were waiting in the clearing. Neither one looked like they had just run half a mile, Locke had barely broken a sweat. Jack looked around at everyone. "You OK?" They all nodded. "Where's Sawyer?" Jack asked. "Where's Kate?"
* * * * *
"Sawyer!" Kate was frantic. He had been right beside her when they started running, but somehow she had lost him. She retraced her steps through the bushes, hardly daring to think about what she might find. "Sawyer!"
"I'm here, Kate."
Her heart stopped, his voice was so weak and he called her Kate. He only did that if something was wrong. She moved slowly, looking for him. "Where are you?"
"Here."
Kate parted some bushes and she stifled a cry; he was leaned up against a tree, deathly pale. a spot of red spreading rapidly over his shirt. She put her hand to her mouth went to him, slowly, close to tears.
He looked up at her and grinned weakly. "Hey, Freckles," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "I was hopin' you would stop by."
Kate dropped to her knees beside him; she unbuttoned his shirt and gingerly lifted the edge that covered his wound nearly bursting into tears. "Oh!" The thick bandage over Sawyer's shoulder was sopping red and as he looked down at it he paled even more. "I-I have to take it off, Sawyer," she said, swallowing hard.
"Well, I'm all for that, sweetheart," he said, grinning again. It faded quickly. "Which first? Shirt or..." his voice trailed off, and Kate looked down at him, panic clawing at her gut.
"Sawyer! Sawyer...wake up, baby...come on..." Kate tried to revive him. She was shaking and she couldn't breathe...panic was taking over. She started counting. "One...two...three...four...five."
She exhaled, trembling. Sawyer was still out. She checked his breathing, then sighed and lifted the edge of his shirt again, pushing it off of his shoulder; taking a deep breath she pulled slowly on the edge of the blood-soaked bandage and it came off with a sickening squelch. To her relief she could tell the bleeding had slowed, it was mostly just seeping around the edges but she didn't know what to do so she took a spare shirt out of her backpack and pressed it to the wound.
Sawyer stirred. "Kate..."
"I'm right here," she said gently. "Keep still."
He mumbled again. "Kate..."
The mumbling was scaring her a little; he sounded like he did in the hatch. She brushed a strand of hair from his eyes, touching his forehead. It was still cool, thank God. "I'm here, Sawyer. It's okay."
His eyes cracked and found her next to him and he smiled weakly at her as his good hand rose slowly and caressed her cheek. She leaned into it, looking into his eyes.
She moved the shirt and Sawyer groaned and dropped his hand. The bleeding had stopped but it looked horrible, an inflamed, ugly, purplish red. "Kate..." His eyes were drooping again. "I love you."
She froze. What? She looked down at him in shock, but he was already out cold.
* * * * * * * * *
Jack was pacing like a caged lion while Locke tried to figure out which way Sawyer and Kate had gone; he was trying to unravel the footsteps all around the clearingbut flying debris and flying feet had obliterated much of the trail. Jack's tense pacing was also unnerving him a bit.
"Which way did they go Locke? Do you know or not?"
"Jack, I appreciate your need to go after them, but patience is the key." He returned to studying the footprints.
Jack glared at his back. Ana, who had been lounging against a tree watching Jack and Locke for the last thirty minutes, went to him. "Jack, can I talk to you? For a minute?"
He hesitated, then glaring one last time at Locke's back, he nodded. They walked away until they were out of earshot."What is it, Ana?"
"You don't trust Locke, Jack. Why?"
Jack was taken aback by the question. "What?"
Ana-Lucia looked him in the eye. "I have been watching the two of you and you don't trust him. I want to know why."
"That's a pretty damn personal question, Ana, don't you think?" Jack was a little annoyed.
She leaned in and said, "Well, this is a pretty damn strange island, Jack. And I have the feeling you and Locke know a lot more than you are telling. If you two have been working together for the greater good then why don't you trust him?" She glanced away quickly, then looked back at Jack. "I guess what I am saying is I want to be a part of what goes on here. I'm tired of feeling like an outsider. But in order for me to make informed decisions, I have to be informed." She glanced in the direction of the clearing. "And I would like to have your version of the information first." She studied Jack for a moment, to see if he understood what she was saying. "So, why don't you trust him?"
"He lied. And that lie led to the death of one of us."
Ana's gut clenched. "Is that the only rea-"
"Jack!" Locke called. "I found it! It's here!"
He glanced at Ana then took off back to the clearing.
* * * * *
Kate was still kneeling beside Sawyer, stunned. He loved her? He said it, didn't he? He was out of his mind, Kate! Get it together! She couldn't tear her eyes from him, she couldn't move...she was terrified. How could he love her? He knew what she was- a murderer, a liar- how could he? Because he is me, she thought. He's a murderer and a liar, too, and he gets me.
There, in a nutshell, was the difference between Sawyer and Jack. Jack would never really understand her. He could never look past her imperfections, no matter what she did or said he would always think of her as a murderer first and Kate second but Sawyer didn't give a shit if she was a criminal, it was as natural to him as it was to her. He was right- they had a connection. Kate was only beginning to appreciate how deep that connection could be.
Sawyer stirred and opened his eyes, some of his color had returned. He looked around, a little disoriented.
"You okay?" Kate whispered.
Sawyer gazed at her. She was kneeling beside him, strands of her hair hanging over her eyes and she looked so worried, so scared. He wanted to reach out for her, to hold her, but his arms were heavy.
"Fine," he croaked. "How long was I out?"
Kate was startled to realize that she didn't know. "Uh, just a few minutes, I think." It could have been five or thirty. "You need water," she said, and handed him a bottle. He drank it thirstily.
He looked over at his shoulder; the bleeding had stopped but it was inflamed and crusted with dried blood. "You think I'm gonna live, Freckles?" he asked, not entirely joking.
"I think so, Tex," she said. "You didn't get a fever."
"Fever-" he said, and started to raise himself. He grunted at the pain in his shoulder and sat back down, hard.
"What are you doing? Be still! What's wrong?" Kate asked.
"I need my pack," he said. "My pills are in there. I forgot to take one this morning." He looked at her quizzically. "What are you grinnin' at?"
She opened the pouch on her pack and pulled out his pill bottle. "You mean these, Sawyer?" she laughed. "You didn't leave them in your pack, you left them in your tent." Sawyer flashed her a disgusted look and she leaned over him and whispered, "I guess you do need a damn nursemaid."
He stared at her for a second, feeling her knees against his thigh and her hair brushing lightly against his chest and he kissed her. It was deep and slow and his hand wrapped itself in her hair, pulling her closer. She put a hand on the tree trunk behind his head, trying to balance herself so she wouldn't touch his shoulder and her other hand rested on his chest, her fingers curling lightly against it.
His tongue began a leisurely exploration of hers. She felt lost, she couldn't stop, he filled her senses; the feel of his skin, his fingers in her hair, the wild, animal smell of him, she could taste his sweat on her lips and she could hear his heart beating wildly against his chest. She opened her mouth wider, trying to swallow him in.
His hand left her hair and moved slowly, gently to her waist. She was wearing his favorite shirt- the purple tank top that rode up on her when she moved. He helped it along, inching it up as he slid his hand underneath, caressing the smooth skin on her back and he could feel her muscles gliding beneath his fingers. Kate let out a soft moan against his lips, and he felt a wave of desire and emotion so powerful he clenched his fingers into her, hard.
"Kate," he spoke, his mouth muffled against hers. "Stop. We have to stop."
She pulled back, reluctantly, flushed and breathing raggedly. She looked at him questioningly.
"My shoulder," he said, though it was a lie. She immediately leaned back, her eyes concerned.
"Are you okay?"
Not really. It wasn't his shoulder. It was the feeling. He wasn't ready for it. He'felt like a black hole was opening up beneath him and once he fell into it he could never get out again. No woman had ever made him feel like that and it was scaring the shit out of him. He nodded, more to ease Kate's worry than anything. "I'm okay."
They sat in silence, neither daring to move. The tension was almost something they could touch.
"Kate! Sawyer!" Jack's voice broke the moment sharply as he and Locke stumbled into the clearing. He took in the scene quickly. "You okay?" he asked her, looking relieved. She nodded, rising. "What happened, Sawyer?"
His eyes were still on Kate. She was staring back at him and he grinned before he broke his gaze to turn to Jack. "I fell when we were runnin'. Crawled up against this tree and passed out. Woke up to Freckles here administerin' CPR. Funny thing though," he smirked, " I was already breathin'." He looked back to Kate; she had her hand over her mouth, trying to cover up a laugh. His dimples deepened.
Jack looked between the two of them, his heart sinking. Trying to ignore them he opened his pack and took out the rubbing alcohol as he let an evil little smile play upon his lips. He was gonna enjoy this.
* * * * *
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