Alphabet Soup Part 8/8
Title: Alphabet Soup (Part 8/8)
Characters: Aaron, Kate, Kate/Jack
Summary: A series of drabbles. Kate’s POV. Post The End
AN: This is it folks ;) thanks for sticking around and for the amazing comments.
Waiting
Aaron rubs his temple under his finger tips and shakes his head slightly. The doctor in front of him goes on and on without saying much that is helpful.
“What you’re telling me is, you still have no idea what is wrong with her?” He interrupts the doctor, his palm traveling over his short cropped hair.
“I’m afraid so, sir,” the doctor explain, “We still need to do a few more tests.”
Aaron scoffs, his voice aggravated as he says, “you’ve been doing tests for over two weeks now and you still have no clue why she is dying. How many more tests are there left for you to even do?”
The doctor remains calm and replies, “I know this is frustrating, sir, but we are doing all we can to find out what is wrong with Miss Austen. There are a few more tests that we need to do, maybe they can help us understand…”
Aaron sighs, “is there anything we can do?”
The doctor smiles politely, “right now, just keep her company, and wait.”
Aaron nodded slightly, thanking the doctor and walking back into the room to wait; to wait with the woman who spent her life waiting for something she knew would never come.
Xerox
“And if you would just make copies of these papers, then we’ll be able to go ahead with the paperwork,” the older nurse says, “there is a Xerox machine just down the hall.”
Aaron looks through the list she handed him and collects the papers he needs, grabbing Kate’s wallet along with him to make copies of her ID and insurance card.
He pulls out her ID and accidentally pulls out something else with it. He turns the paper over and feels a sob escaping his throat. He finds himself staring straight into the familiar smiling eyes of his uncle Jack, sitting behind a two year old version of him at the park. He has not seen the picture in years; Kate had long removed it from the mantle, years after they came back from the island. Aaron was sad to see it go, he loved that picture, but his mom told him it was a good thing, a sign that Kate was finally moving on. He folds it back into it’s place as he realizes that taking the picture of the mantle was never a sign of moving on, she just needed it closer, needed him closer, to be able to see his face, sink into the warmth of his smile, to be with her at all times, a little piece of the perfect life she once had, so briefly before it all came crashing down around her.
Years
Aaron tries to get comfortable in his seat, twisting and turning, not once releasing the frail hand he wraps in his. He has not left her side once, refusing even to switch seats with Claire even for a few minutes to get a decent sleep on the more comfortable couch. No, he remains in the small desk chair next to Kate’s bed, holding her hand, hoping that she would open her eyes, even if for the shortest moment.
He wants her to wake up so he can get the chance to thank her, to tell her he loves her. He wants one last chance to look into the eyes of the woman who was the first mother he remembers having as a child; the sweetest aunt anyone can have growing up, the strongest supporter he has ever had (she has read his latest book 4 times already, his editor didn’t even do that) and the closest and best friend he has ever known.
The doctors had told them there was not much they could do. They could not diagnose exactly what was wrong with her, but she was dying. It left them perplexed that someone who is still young, healthy, no previous medical issues, would just collapse one day with no apparent symptoms and nothing appearing in all the tests they did.
Aaron let his tears fall freely, unabashedly, as he squeezed her hand tighter in his, thinking that, of course, the doctors cannot cure the woman who has spent years nursing a broken heart.
Zero
She can hear them but cannot find the strength to open her eyes; or rather, she does not wish to open her eyes, fearing that is she does, all this will end up being a dream. She does not want to lose this dream, not this time, not again. She has opened her eyes way too many times and lost his face, lost his touch, lost his voice to the dream world as she had to join the real one. This time, she is choosing to stay in this dream world.
She hears them talk and they think she is hallucinating (she was just talking to Desmond, and Claire points out that Desmond was miles away in London as far as she knows). An unfamiliar voice explains with medical terms she does not pay attention to, and she hears Claire cry and Aaron console her. If she wants to open her eyes it is only to tell them it is ok, that she is ok; to beg them not to cry because she is in a better place, a place where he is alive.
She feels Aaron sit down next to her and pull her hand into his. She wants to squeeze his hand back but she is distracted by the sight him walking in her direction, dressed in a suit and looking as handsome as she remembers. He is confused, distracted, and he starts trailing off about his son and missing the concert.
Aaron touches her face, wipes her hair of her forehead and she tries to smile, but Jack steps forward and asks her where he knows her from and it breaks her heart that he does not remember her, she wants to hold him and cry, she wants to be angry at him for not being able to see her yet, but instead she steps closer to him and holds her face in her hands, and she just tells him how much she has missed him, her voice, her eyes, pleading with him to open his, to look at her, really look at her. He closes his eyes and she holds her breath for a moment. She can feel his skin warming against her fingertips but he pulls back suddenly, and she knows it will take a little longer until he is completely ready. She asks him to come with her and he agrees. She smiles. As long as it takes, she thinks to herself as she walks a few steps behind him towards his car.
She’ll wait for him as long as it takes.
Aaron is crying now, his drenched eyes barely registering the red zero blinking on the screen in front of him, he could hear her and he knows she is with him. He wants to tell her to wait for him, to tell Jack that he misses him too, that he wants to be with them, but he knows it is not his turn yet, and that this is their chance to finally be together, just as they should be. Like his uncle Jim says,
What is meant to be is meant to be.
Characters: Aaron, Kate, Kate/Jack
Summary: A series of drabbles. Kate’s POV. Post The End
AN: This is it folks ;) thanks for sticking around and for the amazing comments.
Waiting
Aaron rubs his temple under his finger tips and shakes his head slightly. The doctor in front of him goes on and on without saying much that is helpful.
“What you’re telling me is, you still have no idea what is wrong with her?” He interrupts the doctor, his palm traveling over his short cropped hair.
“I’m afraid so, sir,” the doctor explain, “We still need to do a few more tests.”
Aaron scoffs, his voice aggravated as he says, “you’ve been doing tests for over two weeks now and you still have no clue why she is dying. How many more tests are there left for you to even do?”
The doctor remains calm and replies, “I know this is frustrating, sir, but we are doing all we can to find out what is wrong with Miss Austen. There are a few more tests that we need to do, maybe they can help us understand…”
Aaron sighs, “is there anything we can do?”
The doctor smiles politely, “right now, just keep her company, and wait.”
Aaron nodded slightly, thanking the doctor and walking back into the room to wait; to wait with the woman who spent her life waiting for something she knew would never come.
Xerox
“And if you would just make copies of these papers, then we’ll be able to go ahead with the paperwork,” the older nurse says, “there is a Xerox machine just down the hall.”
Aaron looks through the list she handed him and collects the papers he needs, grabbing Kate’s wallet along with him to make copies of her ID and insurance card.
He pulls out her ID and accidentally pulls out something else with it. He turns the paper over and feels a sob escaping his throat. He finds himself staring straight into the familiar smiling eyes of his uncle Jack, sitting behind a two year old version of him at the park. He has not seen the picture in years; Kate had long removed it from the mantle, years after they came back from the island. Aaron was sad to see it go, he loved that picture, but his mom told him it was a good thing, a sign that Kate was finally moving on. He folds it back into it’s place as he realizes that taking the picture of the mantle was never a sign of moving on, she just needed it closer, needed him closer, to be able to see his face, sink into the warmth of his smile, to be with her at all times, a little piece of the perfect life she once had, so briefly before it all came crashing down around her.
Years
Aaron tries to get comfortable in his seat, twisting and turning, not once releasing the frail hand he wraps in his. He has not left her side once, refusing even to switch seats with Claire even for a few minutes to get a decent sleep on the more comfortable couch. No, he remains in the small desk chair next to Kate’s bed, holding her hand, hoping that she would open her eyes, even if for the shortest moment.
He wants her to wake up so he can get the chance to thank her, to tell her he loves her. He wants one last chance to look into the eyes of the woman who was the first mother he remembers having as a child; the sweetest aunt anyone can have growing up, the strongest supporter he has ever had (she has read his latest book 4 times already, his editor didn’t even do that) and the closest and best friend he has ever known.
The doctors had told them there was not much they could do. They could not diagnose exactly what was wrong with her, but she was dying. It left them perplexed that someone who is still young, healthy, no previous medical issues, would just collapse one day with no apparent symptoms and nothing appearing in all the tests they did.
Aaron let his tears fall freely, unabashedly, as he squeezed her hand tighter in his, thinking that, of course, the doctors cannot cure the woman who has spent years nursing a broken heart.
Zero
She can hear them but cannot find the strength to open her eyes; or rather, she does not wish to open her eyes, fearing that is she does, all this will end up being a dream. She does not want to lose this dream, not this time, not again. She has opened her eyes way too many times and lost his face, lost his touch, lost his voice to the dream world as she had to join the real one. This time, she is choosing to stay in this dream world.
She hears them talk and they think she is hallucinating (she was just talking to Desmond, and Claire points out that Desmond was miles away in London as far as she knows). An unfamiliar voice explains with medical terms she does not pay attention to, and she hears Claire cry and Aaron console her. If she wants to open her eyes it is only to tell them it is ok, that she is ok; to beg them not to cry because she is in a better place, a place where he is alive.
She feels Aaron sit down next to her and pull her hand into his. She wants to squeeze his hand back but she is distracted by the sight him walking in her direction, dressed in a suit and looking as handsome as she remembers. He is confused, distracted, and he starts trailing off about his son and missing the concert.
Aaron touches her face, wipes her hair of her forehead and she tries to smile, but Jack steps forward and asks her where he knows her from and it breaks her heart that he does not remember her, she wants to hold him and cry, she wants to be angry at him for not being able to see her yet, but instead she steps closer to him and holds her face in her hands, and she just tells him how much she has missed him, her voice, her eyes, pleading with him to open his, to look at her, really look at her. He closes his eyes and she holds her breath for a moment. She can feel his skin warming against her fingertips but he pulls back suddenly, and she knows it will take a little longer until he is completely ready. She asks him to come with her and he agrees. She smiles. As long as it takes, she thinks to herself as she walks a few steps behind him towards his car.
She’ll wait for him as long as it takes.
Aaron is crying now, his drenched eyes barely registering the red zero blinking on the screen in front of him, he could hear her and he knows she is with him. He wants to tell her to wait for him, to tell Jack that he misses him too, that he wants to be with them, but he knows it is not his turn yet, and that this is their chance to finally be together, just as they should be. Like his uncle Jim says,
What is meant to be is meant to be.