Following, Part Nine [Jack/Juliet] [R] {WIP]
“Hold on: I’ll get the door,” Charlotte limped ahead of them, pushing open the obstacle in question with her shoulder.
“Thanks,” Juliet said as they moved outside. It was evening, and from his position on the stretcher, Jack could see stars poking through the blue sky like needles, forming a series of unnamed constellations above them.
They stopped moving when they had gotten a few meters away from the building. Juliet looked across Jack toward Daniel, who was carrying the foot of the stretcher.
“Is this good enough?” She asked, a little out of breath, “Will we be safe out here?”
“Well it’s impossible to know for certain,” Daniel panted, “But it’s definitely safer than being underground.”
“So, Dan, is it time for the powerpoint presentation yet?” Charlotte asked, “I mean, I think I’m starting to get what’s happening, as well as I’ll ever be able to get anything that involves that notebook of yours, but we should probably tell them the rest, don’t you think?”” she tilted her head toward Juliet and Jack.
“There’s something else you haven’t told us?” Juliet asked incredulously, taking the words out of Jack’s mouth before he was able to open it.
“Look,” Charlotte said defensively, “it’s not exactly like we’ve had time to sit down to tea and have a chat.”
Juliet seemed about to reply when Daniel spoke.
“Why don’t we?” he asked calmly.
“What?” Charlotte turned toward him in surprise.
“Sit down to tea and have a chat,” he repeated her words and then turned to Juliet. “What I have to tell you is-big. It’s going to take a while to explain. And you’re definitely going to want to be sitting down for it.” He looked down at Jack as if he’d just become aware of his presence, “Uh, figuratively, anyway.”
“We can go to the houses, get some sleep there first,” Juliet offered, nodding in the direction of the Others’ camp “There are beds, supplies, food.” She looked back at Daniel, “Unless you don’t think it will be safe.”
“It should be as safe there as it will be as anywhere else,” he nodded, “Just as long as we stay on ground floors.”
“Sounds good to me: I’m knackered,” Charlotte agreed, “God, the idea of sleeping in a real bed right now-I think I’d join Linus’ side if it meant getting into that camp.”
“Jack?” Juliet looked down at him.
He nodded slowly, unable to keep his eyes open. As they dropped shut, he felt himself tipping over the edge of consciousness. He was already dreaming, and in the dream, Juliet was leaning over him.
~~
The light glared whitely, forming a cold phosphorescence around Juliet as she looked down on him, scalpel in hand. When she pressed the knife into his torso, he didn’t struggle: he could see the blood and feel the blade, but it didn’t hurt.
But then someone was coming up behind her, and he struggled to find his voice, to warn her. He couldn’t move: he could only gape in surprise as he watched the dark figure move into the light.
Scrubs and a mask. His father’s eyes.
Jack knew his father’s eyes.
He squirmed on the table, irrationally uncomfortable. He didn’t want his father to come near Juliet. Yet Christian didn’t look particularly malevolent today: he wasn’t drunk or angry. His eyes were cool, disinterested. It was just a routine surgery, after all.
“You ready?” He asked. It sounded like a challenge. Jack had almost started to nod when he realized his father was talking to Juliet.
“Of course,” she answered, her gloved palm opening against Jack’s stomach.
“Just count to five if you’re nervous,” his father advised Juliet, looking down on Jack indifferently, as if he was just another patient.
Juliet sighed. She watched Christian for a moment, her eyes scanning his face as though she could see through him. Then she turned back toward Jack, resuming the incision.
“I’m not nervous,” she said.
~~
Part Ten