Kate is sitting, rocking back and forth, hands wrapped around her knees. You've never seen her so broken. All day long she had stood with the others. Planning the search for Jack, with not a single sign of cracking. You realise she had waited until the others left the beach. That she wanted to be alone. Was she really that distraught because Jack was missing? Really? Because that didn't quite seem to fit.

You know you're intruding on her privacy. If she had done the same to you, followed you to your secret place where you cried, it would have angered you.

You may have turned and left. But the baby made a noise, and her head sprung to look up at you.

"You followed me." She accuses you bitterly.

You didn't deny it.

"Are you ok?" You ask hesitantly.

"What's it to you? Shouldn't you be busy babysitting?"

"I thought you'd be looking for Jack." You comment.

"I am." She protests.

"In a cave?" You ask incredulously.

"Fuck off, Juliet. Just fuck off."

You cover the baby's ears. "Hey." You protest at her swearing in front of the child.

Kate only shakes her head.

Instead of leaving her alone as you know you should have, you find the strangest words about to escape your lips. You wonder if this baby has melted your brain. "You shouldn't have come here alone Kate, telling no one where you are. After what happened to Jack..."

"What are you, my mother?" She interrupts. And before you can answer, she adds."Besides. That, is not what happened to Jack." Her tone is resentful, angry. That's the Kate you were used to interacting with. Not this crying, helpless creature you'd seen when you arrived in the cave.

"What did happen to Jack?" You ask, accusingly

Her eyes cloud over, she looks away. You've lost her.

You place the baby down , your jacket wrapped around him to keep him warm. He whimpers softly and you murmur reassuring words to him, keeping him quiet for the moment.

You move closer to her, cautiously, fully expecting her to fling her arms up, push you away, telling you to fuck off, or to just get up and walk out. But she doesn't do any of those things.

"Kate?" You say it gently because ….you don't know why really. You reach towards her. It startles her, as if she didn't realise you were even sitting in front of her. As if she is in shock.

As she pulls away from you, she gasps in pain, her hand clutching at her side. She hadn't meant to betray to you that she was injured. You caught her off guard, but she pulls herself together. She casts a glance to the baby, and instead of swearing at you again, she says "Would you please leave."

"You're hurt."

"What do you care?" She wants to know.

You ask yourself the same question. What do you care? You don't. It's all about winning the trust of the people, so you tell yourself. That's why you're going to help the stupid girl.

You reach towards her. She holds her breath as you touch her, and your own breath catches in your throat. She doesn't push you away. You deduce she has a few broken ribs, some bruising. Nothing life threatening.

You can't help but think about how beautiful she looks. Even muddy, tear stained, insane and bruised. And when you touch her, it's like you can feel her agony, from your fingertips right into your soul. And you softly murmur her name. "Kate."

She doesn't answer you.

"You have some broken ribs." You tell her.

"No kidding." She answers.

"What happened?" You ask.

She only shakes her head.

"It hurts so much, just breathing." She finally speaks

"Well, that happens when your ribs are broken." You respond.

"No." She tells you. "Even before that.

You nod, not quite understanding what Kate means. But knowing all too well how much just breathing can hurt, when you are far away from the people you love. When you make one fucking stupid choice in your life and wreck your own future, and so many other peoples. Yeah, breathing hurts. But you have to move on. Because one day, when you least expect it, something happens that changes your life forever.

She is breathing rapidly, panic setting in. And you reach towards her. "Calm down, take a deep breath." You tell her. You brush the hair out of her eyes, you're not sure why. Then you see it, carefully hidden by the way her tangled curls frame her face, the deep laceration to the side of her head.

"Kate, what happened?" You ask again.

Once again, she doesn't answer you.

"Kate, where is Jack?" You ask.

Then, it is as if something snapped inside of her mind. Kate is on her feet faster than a person with that many fractured ribs should be able to move.

"Wait." You call after her.

"You think I did something to Jack?" She asks you.

This time it's you who doesn't answer.

"Why do you think that?" She challenges you. "Because I'm a murderer?"

You can't think of a single thing to say.

"Why do you think I did it? Killed my step father?" She asks you.

"Because he tormented your mother, you were trying to protect her, so I'm told." You answer.

"No. That's not the reason." Kate answers. "it was because I am evil. To the core. Because I turn everything I touch to ashes. So take that kid, Juliet, and fuck off."

You can hear the baby crying. The sound echoes loudly in the cave. But he is alright. He'll be alright for just another minute. You're finally getting somewhere, and you can't leave Kate here like this.

"What do you want from me?" She asks. "You want to know what happened to Jack?" She taunts you.

You nod, but what you really want to ask is – 'What happened to you, Kate?'

"It was an accident." She finally admits, softly....