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Post by Skinner Jones on Jun 12, 2008 12:50:38 GMT -5
Skinner sighed softly, pushing through the brush of the island. It was rather stupid for her to go out by herself, but she didn't want to ask anyone to join her really. It would have just been another show at how weak she truly was on the inside. She paused, sitting on a rock for a moment. It was the middle of the day, the broadest point of sheer heat, and she knew dehydration would come quick and swift if left uncared for.
She pulled her water bottle from her knap sack, and sighed. The fresh water was diminishing, and though they'd found a food source in the jungle, food wouldn't go far without water. She inhaled and exhaled, her bandanna that was wrapped tightly on her head soaked with sweat. If she could've spared the water, she would have poured it al over her to cool her heated skin.
Skinner was about to stand and walk further when she heard a crackle of a twig. She tensed, narrowing her eyes to look around carefully. She swallowed, standing still as a statue until the intruder, whoever or whatever it was, showed itself.
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Post by Jack Shephard on Jun 12, 2008 13:11:28 GMT -5
Jack was determined to go on a hunt for fresh water. He wanted to look for the transceiver in the cockpit, but the water it would require for those making the hike would be a good amount, so he wanted to find a new source for liquid nourishment before they ran out completely. That was how he found himself, hot and sweating, trampling through the jungle in a search for water. He was looking down at his feet, and therefore hadn't seen Skinner until he had nearly run into her, at which point he stopped and looked up, jumping back and smiling in the same breath.
"Skinner. God, scared me. What are you doing out here? You shouldn't be going out in to the jungle by yourself." He laughed, realizing he himself was alone and sounding a bit hypocritical. He also didn't want her to think that he was saying it because he was a girl. He ran a hand through his hair and smiled. "Sorry. I was looking for water. We're running kind of low, what are you up to?"
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Post by Skinner Jones on Jun 12, 2008 17:05:18 GMT -5
Skinner jumped at little at Jack's appearance, but relaxed. At least it wasnt' a wild pig or something God awful horrid like that.
"Oh, God. Ditto. I thought you were some ravaging animal or something like that," she teased, sending a grin. She cocked her head at his next statement, looking him up and down.
"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were rummaging through the jungle alone too. So, in order to keep best interests alive and not get eaten from a raging pig or something, perhaps we should continue this quest for water together." She shook her head and started walking a bit, throwing her pack back on her back. "I was heading for that cave up ahead. D**n water supply's low and we won't get anywhere, rescue or not, if we're fried eggs on the beach."
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Post by Jack Shephard on Jun 12, 2008 19:31:48 GMT -5
"My thinking exactly. Lead on Skinner." Jack fell in step behind her as they headed fro the caves which jack had also been eyeing. They were closer than he had thought, which shouldn't have surprised him. He had been walking with his head down for awhile. They pushed on through the dense underbrush and Jack thought he should probably provide an explanation of sorts for running off the other day.
"I uh, I'm sorry about the mango hunt, the other day. I have a guy back on the beach I'm trying to take care of and I remembered I was late for giving him his antibiotics... Not that it's going to do him much help if we don't find rescue. He could go as early as this afternoon if we aren't careful. Jack kicked at the ground as they approached the caves but soon, if only for a moment, all sorrow was forgotten.
Jack looked up at the strange sound that was slowly invading his ears. Running water. It was running water! He pushed past Skinner and ran towards the cave, towards the sound, and was amazed at what he saw. He let out a yell of joy, one that sounded like a grunt of triumph and relief, as he came upon the small waterfall which led into a freshly flowing stream. If a fear of microbes and parasites had not been instilled in him by Kate the day before, he no doubt would have pulled his shirt off and jumped in the water right then. As it was, he simply kneeled and filled a water bottle, holding it up to the sun to check how clean it looked, the overwhelming desire to drink it nearly sending him over the edge as he looked greedily up at the cold, clear water.
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Post by Skinner Jones on Jun 12, 2008 21:14:53 GMT -5
Skinner chuckled as they walked, but turned solemn at the prognosis of the man Jack had cared for. Skinner hated losing patients, though she'd never actually done it herself. The closest to losing a patient she had gotten was messing up a final exam back in medical school in Sydney on a dummy. But she'd had a reason, always had a reason. When your eyes are nearly swollen shut from getting punching so many times you want to die, that's reason enough.
She laughed as she heard the running water, but made a mental sigh of relief. She was a little skeptical for a second, hoping Jack wouldn't jump in or anything. Tehy had enough issues to deal with without having parasitic infections around the camp before they could test the water.
"Hold it there, Skipper," she teased. "Don't jump in just yet. Must as I hate to say it, I don't think this is the movies and strangely enough, that might have parasites in it." She laughed softly, slightly musicaly, but repeated the same gesture Jack had to inspect the water. It seemd clear enough, but one could never be too sure. Unfortunately, it seemed they'd just have to drink it to see.
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Post by Jack Shephard on Jun 12, 2008 21:26:44 GMT -5
"Let's fill up our bottles. We can bring it back to the beach and boil it to get rid of any parasites or anything. Then we can drink it. Might not be cold, but it will be clean. Hopefully they've kept the fires going." Jack pulled out the 12 plastic bottles he had collected and began filling them two at a time to bring back with him.
"With this, we can start exploring the island some more. These caves are actually really nice. If we were going to be here longer, I think I'd rather be leaving here. Just a mile from the beach, more protection from mother nature... This could work."
Jack heard himself writing off their chances of rescue and put a lid on it. He wasn't trying to discourage the idea, but with every passing second, he felt the possibility getting smaller and smaller. The transceiver was really their last hope.
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Post by Skinner Jones on Jun 12, 2008 21:32:19 GMT -5
Skinner nodded and pulled out her own bottles she'd gotten from the beach. She began filling them up and her mind churned a bit. She sighed softly, looking over at Jack. She sort of wanted to ask him something, but her mind kept holding her back from it. She didn't know why. Jack reminded her a lot of her father, kind and gentle and just relazing to be around. Which was a good thing for her right then. But she did wonder a few things.
As she filled the bottles and zipped them into her pack she took a small break, sitting on a rock. "Jack, do you mind if I ask you something?" she asked, her resonant voice soft and slightly echoey in the cave.
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Post by Jack Shephard on Jun 12, 2008 21:41:52 GMT -5
Jack's mind was filled with thoughts of heroic deeds and saving the day with the discovery of water. So much so that he barely heard Skinner who had asked him a question. Her voice came from far away and when Jack registered it, it puzzled him.
"Uh, yeah, ask away Skinner." He paused from filling up her water bottles and looked over at her, wondering why her mood and tone had shifted so suddenly from the spunky, almost tomboyish nature he had observed before.
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Post by Skinner Jones on Jun 12, 2008 21:48:10 GMT -5
Skinner pursed her lips, thinking as she finished up her bottles, then she formed the question in her mind. "Are you a..spiritual man, Jack?" she asked. The question was important to her, but she dind't know why. Perhaps it was because everything was blowing at her from all sides, and her normally strong faith, or at least it had been before Erik, was swayed. And had been for a while. But she saw the stranding as a final sign. At least partially. Her mother who put such stock in the signs would call it a final calling. God would wait forever for her, Mindy had said, but Skinner's body wouldn't. The virtue she'd preached to her daughters and son so often that life was precious and could be stolen rang in her mind, especially when she thought of the man on the beach that was probably going to die in a vert short amount of time.
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Post by Jack Shephard on Jun 12, 2008 21:55:28 GMT -5
Jack was somewhat surprised by the question. He had been expecting maybe, "Which way is it back to the beach?" or "How many bottles did you bring?" The question made him fully stop what he was doing and look at Skinner. He thought back to Sarah, and what people had said about his surgery. That it had been a miracle. Now he knew it had been dumb luck.
"Uh, well... I used to be, Skinner. Not really anymore. I mean, I guess I believe in God and some sort of higher presence. I just don't think he's sitting around listening to us and catering to our every need." Jack continued filling up bottles. "Is that what you meant?"
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Post by Skinner Jones on Jun 12, 2008 22:03:54 GMT -5
Skinner nodded and sat again, curling her knees close a bit and a chill ran through her spine as the cave was somewhat cool. Coller than outside.
"Yeah. I was just wondering. I mean...." she blushed a bit and stopped, shaking her head. "Forget about it." She stood again, zipping her pack and throwing it onto her shoulder. But the thoughts wouldn't leave. She didn't know what she wanted, or what God wante.d Wow those words were strange, even running through her mind. How long had she pretty much shut the door on Him? Too long. Almost to long for her to believe in forgiveness. But someone was with her when she stood up to Erik. She'd felt it...
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Post by Jack Shephard on Jun 12, 2008 22:18:12 GMT -5
"Alright, I can forget it. If you want to talk though, have at it." Jack finished putting bottles into the bag and zipped it up, slinging it on to his back for the return trip. "If it's any consolation, what I do believe in is the human spirit. I think it's a lot stronger than anything else on this planet. I think if a person is strong enough and believes in themself, they can overcome any sort of problem they face."
He smiled at Skinner and walked over to the edge of the water to make a point. Kneeling down, he cupped some water in his hand. "Here's an act of faith for you." He drew the water from the river and dumped it over the top of his head, symbolically baptizing himself in island water. The coolness on his skin felt amazing as he stood back up. "Ready to head back?"
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Post by Skinner Jones on Jun 12, 2008 22:25:25 GMT -5
Skinner laughed and nodded. She swallowed and started to walk toward the cave entrance, but stopped. She kept contemplating in her head everything that had gone on. In her world and around her. And then things came back to her that just, didn't make sense, but then they did. Things that she thought she'd lost. Things like God.
She stopped and waited for Jack, wincing slightly at her bruise on her side that kept getting worse. But it was in those stages. The get-purple-and-feel-like-sh*t stage before it would heal itself. Just like her soul.
"You know, I used to be a woman of God. And then...well then things changed. And...and He's sort of suddenly came back to me. At least it feels like it. I can't explain it, but before I got on that plain I did something dangerous and life threatening, butHe was...there." She laughed at herself and continued walking. "I'm sorry. If none of that makes sense or you don't want to talk about it, it's fine." Her tomboyish charm was buried under those broken feelings that had begun to surface. Like her bruises, they had to surface before they could heal.
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Post by Jack Shephard on Jun 13, 2008 10:29:58 GMT -5
"It's fine Skinner, feel free to talk about whatever you like, I mean, we have a ways to walk back yet. I may not be spiritual, but I'm not going to infringe on your right to be so." Jack kept walking, pushing through dense undergrowth the way he had come. The way back towards the beach.
"I mean who knows? Maybe us finding this water was an act of God, maybe it was fate. After everything I've seen in the surgery, I tend to lean towards coincidence myself." Jack thought again on the surgery that had saved Sarah's legs, maybe her life. That had allowed her to dance on her wedding day.
"Strange things do happen. It's up to us to determine if we think it's a higher power, or just dumb luck. I suppose in the life of a spiritual person though, this is where I become known as the snake, trying to lead you away from the path, right?"
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Post by Skinner Jones on Jun 13, 2008 10:38:54 GMT -5
Skinner chuckled. "Something like that, but it's a good thing I'm not a hypocrite. I've been that snake many times."
She walked one through the underbrush and attempting to clear her muddled thoughts, but having no luck. Something her mother siad kept ringing in her ears, causing her head to almost expode in confusion.
"My mom, she's a doctor also--neonatal care. And she....she always said that there was only so much medicine can do. There comes a point where medicine doesn't matter and faith steps in. She had a baby once, who's mother was a crack w***e and a prostitute, and the baby was given up at the hospital. The child was born with the HIV in her bloodstream. But after 2 of treatments and careful T cell counts and such, she showed up negative on her third birthday. Our neighbor adopted her."
Skinner smiled a bit, fond of the memory. It wasn't the only miracle her mother'd seen or orchestrated, whichever you wanted to say, but it was probably the most touching to Skinner. "Things like that just don't happen with a little help."
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