Part 177: Reconcile
Jack leisurely made his way through the jungle to the beach. It had been a rough couple of days. Most of it, he couldn’t take his mind off of it but he knew he should. He then decided to bury himself in work; doing the one thing that made his life any meaning.
His job.
Jack waved to a few of the people as he arrived at the beach. Most of the survivors were going about their daily routines; gathering firewood, fishing and gathering fruits. Most didn’t even know what went on with others. Jack had hoped to change that but failed. Most of the group trusted him to be the leader but in the end was he good enough? He decided not to think of that and focus on the task at hand. He wanted to make sure that Claire’s baby was still healthy.
Jack continued walking, waving to Micheal who continue to build the raft. As the doctor walked on, he caught out of the corner of his eye two people swimming. He paused when he realized it was Charlie and Claire. They were playfully swimming in the surf, tossing water at each other and laughing. Jack smiled at their enjoyment but where was the baby? “CLAIRE!!” Jack called.
“Hey, Jack!” she waved as she floated in the water.
“You guys . . .swimming?” he called back.
“Way to state the bloody obvious, Jack!” Charlie laughed.
“I was on my way to check on your baby. You want to come with me?”
“No, go on! He’s in the same place!”
“Well . . WHO HAS HIM??” he screamed.
“Jenny does!” Claire screamed back.
Jack felt a cold shiver of sweat trickle down his spine. Jenny has the baby? The doctor shrugged his shoulders. He was hoping that the checkup of the baby would go swift and painless. “Only if my luck changes.” He muttered to himself.
Jack continued on down the beach. He thought for a moment that he might need someone with him while he checked the baby and as a by product, talked with Jenny. He didn’t think anybody but Sawyer could berate him for what he’s done. But Jenny was different; he and the little teenager knew each other almost intimately. Jenny was very close to Sarah, and as a result, she knew what Sarah knew. There wasn’t much he could hide from her.
Jack sat her at Claire’s tent. She was holding the baby in her arms, rocking him back and forth. The doctor slowly walked up to her and stopped, waiting for her to notice she was there. The blonde teenager looked up and smiled. “Hey, Jack.” She smiled.
He raised an eyebrow; not expecting to even get a smile at her. “Hey, Jenny,” he sighed, “I am here to examine the baby.”
“Okay,” Jenny said, leaning up on her knees and holding the baby slowly out in her arms.
Jack kneeled down and began this examination. He checked the pupil dilation of the baby and checked it’s skin, looking for bug bites and any other type of rashes. As a result of his little housecall, the baby began to cry. “Shhhh,” Jenny said, “It’s okay, little one. Jack knows what he is doing.”
“Most of the time.” He whispered back.
The baby continued to cry. “No, don’t cry,” Jenny said, “Jack knows how to be a doctor. He doesn’t know much about being a husband though.”
Jack ignored her. He kept up his examination.
“Did you know that he stayed with my sister every day through her recovery? His devotion as a doctor was awe-inspiring. He truly was an angel.”
Jack looked at her.
“Then he decided to pop the question to my sister and get married. And they did for a while but Jack left my sister and got a divorce. I wasn’t as upset with him as I was with what he did. I though he was devoted to my sister and the truth is he was. He was devoted in every aspect of her life, but he didn’t love her. I only feel sorry for him that he didn’t realize he didn’t love her till after the marriage.”
Jack stared at her, tears slowly forming in his eyes.
“I don’t forgive what he done but in the end, I had to realize he did the right thing. Why continue living a lie? I don’t like that he had to hurt my sister in the process but she probably would have been hurt more if he stayed with her longer.”
“Yes,” he whispered.
“So, Sarah called me and I hoped the next plane to America. I had to be with my sister but the plane went down. I was stuck in the ocean for ten days with nothing but a bottle diet Coke. Then my friends and I discover that Jack is here on this island, the very man who hurt my sister. Now why do you suppose that could be, little one?”
Jack stopped his examination. The baby had stopped crying under Jenny’s soothing voice. In an amusing turn of event, not only was the doctor listening to her but it seemed the baby was interested as well. “I think the reason I came on this island was that I could see Jack,” Jenny cooed to the baby, “To make him understand the pain he caused me and my family. But you know what, I think he understands now. If he could take it all back, I bet you he would.”
Jack rested on his knees, staring at her. “I read a book one time, little one. It was given to me for my birthday by my Jeet Kune Do master. It was one of Bruce Lee’s philosophy books and I had forgotten a very import phrase that he had said. He said Revenge is for the Weak. No one enemy lasts forever.”
“Jenny,” Jack said, tears streaming down his face.
“Jack has suffered enough. He already lost his dad. And he could not save a brave young man. Jack must learn to let the guilt go, as I have learned to let go of my hate. Jack is not my enemy. He is my friend. He always has been. What happened between him and my sister is there concern. I only hope that one day he’ll be man enough to go back to my sister and apologize for what happened. I hope he understands what kind of peace that would bring her.”
Jack shook his head, covering his eyes with his hand. He stopped when he felt Jenny touch his shoulder. He slowly relaxed, taking a deep breath and wiping his tears. “You’re going to make it off this island, Jack. And don’t think I ain’t gonna stop riding your ass,” she smirked, “But it will be a lot less than normal. I know these people on this island need you. I’m gonna ride your ass to do the right thing.”
“I would expect no less.” He sniffed.
“How is Turniphead?” she asked.
“Tur . .Turnip-Head?” Jack chuckled.
“Claire can’t think of a name so Charlie did. I hope it’s temporary.”
“The baby is healthy but Jenny . .about . . .what you said, . . .I . .”
Jenny put her index finger over his lips, signaling him to stop. She then pulled him close and kissed him on the cheek. The doctor hugged her around the baby. As they part, Jenny wiped her tears. “I am sorry I berated you but I ain’t sorry I punched you.” She smirked.
“I’m not sorry either,” he smiled, “You knocked out a tooth that had been bothering me.”
The two shared a laugh at his mutual joke. He paused, looking at the ground. The doctor then picked up his gear and got ready to leave. He leaned down and kissed Jenny on the top of her head. As he walked away, she looked at him. “Thanks for the five minutes, Jack.” She smiled.
“No, thank you,” he smiled back, as he kept walking.
His job.
Jack waved to a few of the people as he arrived at the beach. Most of the survivors were going about their daily routines; gathering firewood, fishing and gathering fruits. Most didn’t even know what went on with others. Jack had hoped to change that but failed. Most of the group trusted him to be the leader but in the end was he good enough? He decided not to think of that and focus on the task at hand. He wanted to make sure that Claire’s baby was still healthy.
Jack continued walking, waving to Micheal who continue to build the raft. As the doctor walked on, he caught out of the corner of his eye two people swimming. He paused when he realized it was Charlie and Claire. They were playfully swimming in the surf, tossing water at each other and laughing. Jack smiled at their enjoyment but where was the baby? “CLAIRE!!” Jack called.
“Hey, Jack!” she waved as she floated in the water.
“You guys . . .swimming?” he called back.
“Way to state the bloody obvious, Jack!” Charlie laughed.
“I was on my way to check on your baby. You want to come with me?”
“No, go on! He’s in the same place!”
“Well . . WHO HAS HIM??” he screamed.
“Jenny does!” Claire screamed back.
Jack felt a cold shiver of sweat trickle down his spine. Jenny has the baby? The doctor shrugged his shoulders. He was hoping that the checkup of the baby would go swift and painless. “Only if my luck changes.” He muttered to himself.
Jack continued on down the beach. He thought for a moment that he might need someone with him while he checked the baby and as a by product, talked with Jenny. He didn’t think anybody but Sawyer could berate him for what he’s done. But Jenny was different; he and the little teenager knew each other almost intimately. Jenny was very close to Sarah, and as a result, she knew what Sarah knew. There wasn’t much he could hide from her.
Jack sat her at Claire’s tent. She was holding the baby in her arms, rocking him back and forth. The doctor slowly walked up to her and stopped, waiting for her to notice she was there. The blonde teenager looked up and smiled. “Hey, Jack.” She smiled.
He raised an eyebrow; not expecting to even get a smile at her. “Hey, Jenny,” he sighed, “I am here to examine the baby.”
“Okay,” Jenny said, leaning up on her knees and holding the baby slowly out in her arms.
Jack kneeled down and began this examination. He checked the pupil dilation of the baby and checked it’s skin, looking for bug bites and any other type of rashes. As a result of his little housecall, the baby began to cry. “Shhhh,” Jenny said, “It’s okay, little one. Jack knows what he is doing.”
“Most of the time.” He whispered back.
The baby continued to cry. “No, don’t cry,” Jenny said, “Jack knows how to be a doctor. He doesn’t know much about being a husband though.”
Jack ignored her. He kept up his examination.
“Did you know that he stayed with my sister every day through her recovery? His devotion as a doctor was awe-inspiring. He truly was an angel.”
Jack looked at her.
“Then he decided to pop the question to my sister and get married. And they did for a while but Jack left my sister and got a divorce. I wasn’t as upset with him as I was with what he did. I though he was devoted to my sister and the truth is he was. He was devoted in every aspect of her life, but he didn’t love her. I only feel sorry for him that he didn’t realize he didn’t love her till after the marriage.”
Jack stared at her, tears slowly forming in his eyes.
“I don’t forgive what he done but in the end, I had to realize he did the right thing. Why continue living a lie? I don’t like that he had to hurt my sister in the process but she probably would have been hurt more if he stayed with her longer.”
“Yes,” he whispered.
“So, Sarah called me and I hoped the next plane to America. I had to be with my sister but the plane went down. I was stuck in the ocean for ten days with nothing but a bottle diet Coke. Then my friends and I discover that Jack is here on this island, the very man who hurt my sister. Now why do you suppose that could be, little one?”
Jack stopped his examination. The baby had stopped crying under Jenny’s soothing voice. In an amusing turn of event, not only was the doctor listening to her but it seemed the baby was interested as well. “I think the reason I came on this island was that I could see Jack,” Jenny cooed to the baby, “To make him understand the pain he caused me and my family. But you know what, I think he understands now. If he could take it all back, I bet you he would.”
Jack rested on his knees, staring at her. “I read a book one time, little one. It was given to me for my birthday by my Jeet Kune Do master. It was one of Bruce Lee’s philosophy books and I had forgotten a very import phrase that he had said. He said Revenge is for the Weak. No one enemy lasts forever.”
“Jenny,” Jack said, tears streaming down his face.
“Jack has suffered enough. He already lost his dad. And he could not save a brave young man. Jack must learn to let the guilt go, as I have learned to let go of my hate. Jack is not my enemy. He is my friend. He always has been. What happened between him and my sister is there concern. I only hope that one day he’ll be man enough to go back to my sister and apologize for what happened. I hope he understands what kind of peace that would bring her.”
Jack shook his head, covering his eyes with his hand. He stopped when he felt Jenny touch his shoulder. He slowly relaxed, taking a deep breath and wiping his tears. “You’re going to make it off this island, Jack. And don’t think I ain’t gonna stop riding your ass,” she smirked, “But it will be a lot less than normal. I know these people on this island need you. I’m gonna ride your ass to do the right thing.”
“I would expect no less.” He sniffed.
“How is Turniphead?” she asked.
“Tur . .Turnip-Head?” Jack chuckled.
“Claire can’t think of a name so Charlie did. I hope it’s temporary.”
“The baby is healthy but Jenny . .about . . .what you said, . . .I . .”
Jenny put her index finger over his lips, signaling him to stop. She then pulled him close and kissed him on the cheek. The doctor hugged her around the baby. As they part, Jenny wiped her tears. “I am sorry I berated you but I ain’t sorry I punched you.” She smirked.
“I’m not sorry either,” he smiled, “You knocked out a tooth that had been bothering me.”
The two shared a laugh at his mutual joke. He paused, looking at the ground. The doctor then picked up his gear and got ready to leave. He leaned down and kissed Jenny on the top of her head. As he walked away, she looked at him. “Thanks for the five minutes, Jack.” She smiled.
“No, thank you,” he smiled back, as he kept walking.
posted by Jason | 1:57 PM
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