A LOST fanfic: Taken care of

Chapter 17: Making amends

Kate was sleeping soundly as Jack tidied up their tent. He'd put Megan in the sling while he did his work. The next thing on the list was doing laundry. He'd have to bring the cradle outside under the palm tree while he washed his and Kate's clothes. The pile of their laundry, two weeks' worth lie in what was left of some sort of wooden crate. Jack struggled with the cradle and tried to keep Megan from waking up. Sawyer walked up with his signature smirk and spoke up.

"Well if it ain't doctor giggles and the princess. Here let me help ya with that."

Biting back his pride Jack let Sawyer move the cradle next to a smaller trough used for washing.

"Thanks."

Sawyer nodded his head and started walking away. Megan cooed as Jack took her from the sling secured to his shoulder. Swaddling her in the blanket, he put her inside the cradle.

"There we go. All snug in your bed. Now you stay there while daddy does laundry ok?"

Megan gave Jack what he thought was a gummy smile. Letting out a tiny laugh, he shook his head.

"You think that's funny? You are just like your mommy."

Megan smiled and cooed at Jack. She had Kate's stormy eyes, but his eye color. He dunked his green shirt into the small water trough. Removing it from the water, he set it on a rock and applied some soap. Using the rock as a washboard, he began to scrub his shirt. Juliet peeked into the cradle where Megan had just stuck her hand in her mouth.

"Hey little one. Are you keeping daddy company while he does laundry?"

A happy coo came from Megan and Juliet turned to Jack when he acknowledged her.

"If you've come to check on Kate she's asleep inside our tent."

Juliet stared at Jack and crossed her arms. She hadn't come to pester him about Kate. No this was about Megan.

"I didn't come to check up on Kate, Jack. I came to check on Megan."

Jack stopped scrubbing his shirt and gazed at Juliet.

"So how is she? Megan?"

A smile crept to Juliet's lips as she finished testing the infant's reflexes.

"You have a very healthy little girl Jack."

A hint of a smirk crossed Jack's lips as he went back to scrubbing his green shirt.

"Well I do have you to thank Juliet. Without your help, Megan wouldn't be here. Neither would Kate."

Juliet bit her lip and shook her head. The weight she bared was sometimes unbearable. Of all the mothers and babies she'd desperately tried to help on this island, she could only give herself credit for saving three. Ethan, Megan, and Aaron.

"If you and Kate decide to have a second child I think I'm very close to a solution with my serum. To be fair Jack; I saved Megan. Not Kate."

Jack and Juliet could talk at tedium about the subject but it wouldn't change anything. Megan was hope. Jack puzzled by Juliet's words questioned her.

"If you didn't save Kate then who did?"

Juliet broke eye contact with Jack and peered back at the happy baby in the cradle beside her. Jack saw something was bothering her.

"It was a man called Jacob. He saved Kate."

Hands pausing over his soapy green shirt, Jack wasn't sure if he should be grateful to this Jacob guy or fearful. Swallowing the fear and refusing to count to five his determination took over.

"Where can I find Jacob?"

Juliet had clear confusion written on her face.

"Jack I don't... I don't know where to find him. It doesn't work like that. You can't just go looking for him. He shows up whenever he feels like it."

Jack had just hit a brick wall. He knew he somehow had to get into contact with Jacob. How was going to be the hard part. He had to make amends with Kate first.

To Be Continued...