A LOST fanfic: Taken care of

Chapter 8: Back to the beach

Jack had made a little sling to place Megan in out of a blanket from the plane. It was easier this way carrying her back to the beach. His eyes roamed over every one of her features, taking in the fact that she was indeed alive. He'd almost lost her today. Even though Megan was cradled inside the sling, he held her in his arms, supporting her entire body with both. Her tiny left arm snaked out of the sling as she scrunched up her face and began to cry. Sighing Jack knew that no amount of rocking would get her to go back to sleep. She needed to be changed. Jack kept trying to console her though.

"Hey there, I know you're probably uncomfortable. We'll get you into something clean and dry when we get back to the beach."

All three of them stopped in their tracks when they heard rustling in the bushes. Kate smiled when she saw it was only Walt's dog Vincent. Vincent barked and moved beyond the bushes and back onto the beach. Following him through the thick bushes what was left of the survivors came out of their tents to greet them. Even Sawyer came to greet them. But his main reason was to welcome Juliet back.

"Welcome back doc. Glad to see Megan is all right."

Kate gave Sawyer a bemused look and shook her head dark curls ruffling along the way.

"Sawyer. That's the first time you called my daughter by her name and not 'nugget head.' Thank-you."

Sawyer had always given nicknames to everybody. That was just who he was. Even Juliet. Some of them weren't very nice in the past but he was slowly changing his attitude.

"Anything for you freckles."

Jack and Kate slowly walked back to their tent together. It would be sunset soon. Kate knew it because the sky was turning pink. Had they really been gone all day? Jack had to keep an eye on Kate. He knew that soon she would be going through Post-partum depression. She was going to need his help getting through it. As he changed Megan, he decided to start a conversation with Kate.

"When I get her down for the night I want to have a look at those sutures. Make sure they are healing properly and there is no more infection."

Kate grew quiet as she sat down on their bed. She'd been having nightmares again, she just hadn't told Jack.

"I've been having nightmares again Jack."

As he swaddled Megan inside her blanket, he placed her inside the cradle and she fell asleep. His face fell at Kate's words.

"Can you tell me what they were about?"

The air between the couple became tense with worry. Kate stared out into the rolling waves of the ocean. It would be rough surf after dark.

"You and Juliet buried me alive Jack. I had dirt under my finger nails and some dirt got into my lungs."

Jack did his best to be open-minded and listen to her story without judging her. He nodded but he grew skeptical of the last part of her statement.

"Kate listen to me if that last part happened for real you'd be in respiratory distress. Our lungs aren't meant to have foreign objects in them."

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Jack wasn't quite sure what had woken him, but all the hairs on his arms stood straight up and fear invaded his gut. Kate was gasping for breath. He wracked his brain to see if he remembered Kate having any medical conditions. He came up with none. Taking her face in his hands, he tried to see if he could get her to focus on him.

"Kate look at me. Can you tell me what you're feeling right now?"

She was soaking wet. Her hair and clothes smelled like saltwater. Had she gone for a swim? But then that didn't make sense. In her clothes? He found Juliet just outside their shared tent, eyes heavy lidded but growing concerned as he turned his attention back to Kate. Her eyes were wide open now and she was confused and scared. He knew she hated feeling vulnerable. She lurched forward and clear liquid spilled from her mouth.

"Jack what happened?"

He motioned for her to enter the tent. The liquid kept coming, and Kate felt her lungs begin to burn.

"How did she get saltwater in her lungs?"

Had Kate been sleepwalking? Jack wondered how she could've slept walked to the shoreline and gone for a swim. Then came back to their tent. It didn't seem possible.

To Be Continued...