Snakes on a...Kate?

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own "Lost", or any of the characters associated with it.

A/N: Heh well I thought up this idea while I was in a First Aid course the other day. Yes, I know that you're not meant to suck the poison out after snakebite, but for this story are we all cool to forget that little fact? ;) In other words, don't try this at home kids heh.

Enjoy :)

~*~

"Why are we doing this again?"

"I'm telling you, it'll be safer for everyone if we just collect the food and bring it all back to the beach." Jack Shepard called over his shoulder to his partner in crime. "You know I'm right don't you?"

"Of course Jack…You always are." Kate rolled her eyes in sarcasm as she followed him through the jungle, listening to the crunching noises under her feet as she walked over the multiple layers of dead leaves.

She quickly caught up to him, as she noticed him stop in front of a giant branchy tree, tilting his head upwards and grinning.

"Look." Jack told her, pointing towards a large bunch of berries that were sitting amongst the foliage of the tree.

Kate viewed the purple looking berries sceptically. "Are you sure they're safe?"

Jack nodded, squinting his eyes in the sunlight as he continued to watch the top of the tree. "Yeah, they're the same ones that Locke found the other day."

Satisfied, Kate dropped her backpack and approached the tree, formulating her best plan of action.

"I'm gonna need a boost to get onto the bottom branch, then I'll be 'right." She told Jack, gesturing for him to bend over.

Also dropping his backpack on the ground, the doctor did as she requested. She sat on his broad shoulders, and he stood, carrying them both over to the tree. Kate used its truck to balance herself, as she gingerly rose to her feet, standing on his shoulders.

"Jeez Kate." He teased, as a smirk danced across his lips. "How much do you weigh?"

"Shut up." She tossed back, looking down to him for the smallest of moments. "Unless you want us to try this again once I've put my heals on."

Grinning, Jack steadied them as Kate jumped onto the branch, leaving his arms raised momentarily in case she fell.

Kate braced herself, and stood on the branch, her head in the leaves as she held onto a higher one for support.

Jack suddenly frowned as he saw the leaves near her head move around violently, followed by a faint, yet unmistakeable rattling sound. The cold, desperate sensation of overwhelming panic suddenly filled his veins, as the realization hit him.

"Kate…" He said slowly. "Climb down now!"

"Relax, Jack. I can do this."

He started walking towards the tree in terror. "No seriously…Get out of that tree!"

Ignoring him, Kate moved closer to the leaves in order to get to the most reachable part of the higher branch. "I'm fine…" She trailed off, pausing for a moment in confusion. "Why is the tree rattling?"

Jack leant up and stuck out his hand to her, right before she let out a spine-chilling scream. Ripping herself from the branch, a hissing snake could be seen in the place that her face had just vacated. Thick dark stripes decorated its scales, and its rattle was shaking menacingly.

Kate was clutching her lower lip in pain, as tears began to fall from her eyes. She bent down, and Jack grabbed her by the armpits and began to pull her out of the tree, all the while keeping his gaze fixed on the snake.

When the snake decided that the two humans no longer posed a threat, it slid back into the protection of the leaves. Only then did Jack relax and let his cargo sink softly onto the jungle floor.

"What the hell was that?!" Kate cried, her words slightly muffled by the tears threatening to escape her hazel orbs.

Jack watched the snake's body retreat further up the tree, thankful that he was able to get another look at it. "Timber rattle snake."

"What on earth is a timber rattle snake doing on the island?" Kate asked quietly much to Jack's delight. Seemed that the hysteria had began to disappear.

Jack quirked a brow down to her. "You shoot a polar bear and think nothing of it, but finding a snake here confuses you?"

"But…"

"Sshh." He told her, studying her lip. "Let me take a look."

The colour once again began to drain from Kate's face, as she remembered once again why she was screaming in the first place. She wasn't quite sure what happened, but one second she had been standing in the tree, and the next, something darted out of the leaves and pierced her lip…Apparently that something had been a rattlesnake. She'd never heard of a timber rattlesnake, but she figured it would be similar to the others that she'd come across hunting with her father. Which meant…

"Jack." She whimpered, the realization hitting her brutally.

He ignored her, instead focusing on her lower lip. Two puncture wounds were clearly visible…And although it had only been a few minutes since she was bitten, there was no sign of swelling…Which was an extremely good sign.

"Jack." She repeated, this time more loudly.

"What Kate?"

"Rattlesnakes are poisonous."

"Yep." Jack began. "But luckily…"

Kate quickly gasped. "I have venom in my lip! Oh my God! Do something Jack!"

"Kate I…"

"Why are you still talking?" She exclaimed, looking up at him…Her skin getting paler and paler as her fear increased. "You're a doctor! Suck it out or something!"

Jack figured quoting the numbers on rattlesnake deaths probably wouldn't help the situation. So instead he tried to reason with the distressed women on the ground. "You don't get it, timber rattle snakes…"

"For God's sake Jack!" She injected, she was getting desperate now. "Just suck the poison out! Do you want me to die?"

Jack looked from her mouth to her eyes…The latter were clearly clouded with panic. He could see no shred of reason. Her hand was clutching his wrist tightly, the knuckles white and shaking. Her lips were impossibly red.

He sighed. Taking her shoulders in his large hands, he gently pushed his patient into a prone position and moved his body to a sitting position above her head. Kate's lids were clenched shut, images of poison infiltrating her veins no doubt flashing across them. Jack frowned before lightly placing his palms on her smooth cheeks.

He leaned down slowly, and following Spiderman's example, he kissed her.

No, he thought with his lips barely caressing hers. This was not a kiss. This was him obeying the orders of a hysterical woman.

Yeah sure, that's it.

He descended on the snakebite, capturing her bottom lip with both of his.

Underneath him, Kate felt herself relax into the leaves, for a moment almost forgetting how irritating they felt against her back.

Jack internally scolded himself for the butterflies that were fluttering in his stomach…Talk about unprofessional, in the real world he'd probably loose his license for this. He pursed his lips and sucked lightly, before his eyes suddenly widened.

Whoa.

This was getting hot. He pulled back momentarily, pretending to spit the venom away, before looking at Kate…She had relaxed now.

His lips were on hers again, and his kiss became just a bit more forceful…urgent almost. He nipped at her top lip, and traced along her bottom one where she had been bitten with his tongue. Kate whimpered, whether because it hurt or it felt good, Jack wasn't entirely sure. His tongue teased and poked. She puckered into his touch, desperate to feel every inch of his mouth.

The snakebite had been forgotten.

Kate's hand suddenly found itself in his dark hair, and the contact seemed to bring Jack from his peak of euphoria. He jerked away, groaning.

He had wanted to do that for a very long time.

"Jack?" Kate asked softly as she sat up. "What was that?"

He wouldn't meet her gaze. "What you wanted me to do…I sucked out the venom." He rose quickly and fiddled with his backpack, throwing it back over his shoulders.

"And the tongue?"

He shrugged. "Wanted to make sure that none got into your mouth." He offered lamely before clearing his throat. "Right, well, come on…We've got work to do."

And with that, he turned back to the jungle and continued on their previous path.

Kate brought a finger to her lips and smiled, before also picking up her backpack and following him further into the jungle.

And as Jack walked on ahead of her, he thanked God that Kate hadn't been a doctor.

Because if she had been, she probably would have known that timber rattle snakes don't release any venom when they bite.

End…