A LOST fanfic: Taken care of

Chapter 7: Waking up

"How much longer until she wakes up Jack?"

Kate had become restless. Pacing the room like a caged animal. Jack patted the stool next to him and then looked up at the clock on the wall.

"Another couple of hours Kate. You should get a little rest."

Shaking her head Kate crossed her arms over her chest and planted herself on the stool next to Jack.

"No she needs me Jack. I'm not leaving her. She needs us."

Jack stuck a hand inside the incubator and ran a thumb over Megan's left foot. Glancing up at the monitors, he sighed.

"Did I ever tell you that I spent four months working in the NICU at St. Sebastian's?"

Kate furrowed her eyebrows at Jack and squeezed his free hand. Swallowing, she spoke.

"Uh no you didn't."

Jack continued to watch the monitors as he told Kate the story.

"Now I know how all the other parents in the NICU felt. Knowing that their babies were very sick and some weren't going to make it home. There was a little girl in that NICU that was born 2 months prematurely. Her name was Erin. She had a congenital heart defect. Nothing could be done for her. All I could do was change the tubing out for new one's when needed and check on her. Her parents were grateful for anything I could do for her. Every day I went in and was hopeful that things would turn around, but the more time I spent in there, those chances grew slimmer. She held on for two months and then she was gone. By the time I finished my rotation, 15 babies had gone home. However, there were others who didn't. I vowed never to step foot in there again. That last day I told myself that I was going into surgery. I could fix people that way. When Juliet said that Megan was paralyzed all I could think of was that I needed to fix what was happening to her. I didn't get the fact at first that her being paralyzed was temporary. I just want Megan to be healthy."

Jack was still very wary. Counting to five wasn't going to work forever. Megan was their miracle. This island had taken many things; it had ripped Kate away from him, and then given her back a week later. He couldn't explain that one. His mind kept going back to the man/thing that wore his father's face. Why had he taken Megan? Kate squeezed Jack's hand in a comforting gesture as she watched the movement in the heated incubator.

"Jack, Megan's waking up."

Jack snapped out of his reverie and gave a smile that made his eyes crinkle. Juliet stood just behind him and looked inside the incubator.

"Ok, let's see how you're doing little one."

Both parents waited in anxious silence for Megan to cry. It was a few minutes before they heard a strong cry come forth from the tiny baby in the incubator. Another hour went by before Juliet began taking the monitors and tubing from Megan. After everything was put away, Juliet placed Megan into Kate's arms. Kate held back her tears and traced every feature on her daughter's face. Still worried, Kate turned her attention to Juliet.

"So she's ok?"

A smile crept to Juliet's lips as she nodded.

"You have nothing to worry about Kate. She's perfectly healthy."

Now all they had to do was protect her from the thing that looked like Jack's father. Jack approached Juliet with a frown.

"What was that thing out there in the jungle Juliet? The one who's pretending to be my father?"

The gaze Juliet gave Jack made him wish he didn't ask.

"I can't describe it. But we call it 'The black smoke monster.' "

To Be Continued...