Influenza

Chapter One

Author's Note: Okay, not as many reviews last story as I would've hoped, but I can deal. Welcome back to those who(hopefully) came back. This story is seventeenth in a series, you might be confused if you hadn't read it. Oh, and give me a favor..please review. I never ask, but it's a little offensive if sixty something people view the chapter and only one or two review. I don't care if it's a flame. It usually either gives me a good laugh, or brings me back to reality. I love knowing what people think of my works, it keeps me going.

Disclaimer: I don't own Lost. And one could say the first time I heard the term "influenza" when Disney did that Even Steven's musical which, believe it or not, I watched. So just to be safe, that belongs to Disney. Inspiration for the "sickness" theory came from Shiggity and Jetmoon's stories "The Sickness" and "Broken Dreams". Inspiration for the flu plot came from Wildjinx's "Dreams, Regrets, and Hope". Inspiration for the Kate flashback(actually, the idea of it) came from Crazyhorsegirl88. If any of you have a problem with me doing this story, please let me know!

He was fine the first few days. Until the sneezing started. Then the cough. Then the headaches and pains. Your typical ingredients for your everyday flu. So why did Jack feel like he was dying?

"Hey..Jack-"

Jack had been walking out of his infirmary cave where he had been straightening things out from Mr. Sawyer's short stay.

"Woah," Charlie took a step back, "you look.."

"Leave it," Jack muttered, adjusting the strap on his backpack as he walked out of the caves.

The sunlight blinded Jack as soon as he stepped onto the white sandy beach. He shielded his eyes and squeezed his eyes shut to block out the pain. Loud yelling caused his head to explode, sending his brain cells to the max, but looking up, he saw that the fight was a few yards down the beach. He had to squint to pick Locke and Boone out as the fighters, but as he looked, he noticed it was more like Locke was the attacker, and Boone was the victim. Locke was on top of Boone, punching his guts out, from what it looked like. Jack watched as Sayid ran to break the fight up. Unlike most fights, where the attacker would fight back against whoever was trying to break it up, Locke just ran off into the jungle. Jack followed Locke's path with his eyes until finally taking off on foot.

(Space)

Boone flinched at the burning feeling of alcohol on the cut above his eye. Beside him, Shannon grabbed his arm, as if he were nervous about getting a shot.

"Get your damn hand off me!" Boone shouted, startling Sayid, which caused him to almost drop the alcohol swab he was holding, resulting in the liquid stinging Boone's eyes, making him shout out once more.

"God!" Boone cried, grabbing his left eyes with both hands.

"What's going on?" Jack asked, walking in the scene from the jungle.

"Jack," Boone said, relieved, "thank God."

Sayid stood up, just as frustrated as Boone, and thrust the medical supplies into Jack's chest.

"I now remember why I never wanted to become a doctor," Sayid said dully.

Jack chuckled, but a wave of dizziness made him stumble. Shannon glanced up to him, clearly annoyed, while Sayid looked at him and concern.

"Great," Boone muttered, "not you too."

"Not me too?" Jack repeated as Sayid helped me sit down.

"Locke's been acting all weird lately," Boone explained, "it all started when he had this headache the other day."

"So he just attacked you?" Jack said, thinking back to the fight. "You did provoke him?"

"No!" Boone said, as though he had been through this a dozen times. "He just jumped on me and-"

"All right," Jack repeated himself a few times, as if he had no control over himself, "just- be quiet for a minute."

He held his hands tightly to his head, trying to block out the nose, closing his eyes soo tightly that a whole new wave of dizziness came over him.

May, 1996

Kate shivered slightly as she watched the scene before her. Two cops were interviewing a clerk who worked at a nearby jewelry store. She cringed as a deputy who was with them casually glanced her way.

"Skipping out on graduation huh?" The voice behind her made Kate jump. "I guess it's the typical 'Austin' thing to do."

"You know I haven't set foot in that school for two years," Kate rolled her eyes and turned around, "heard them call your name though."

She turned around to face Tom, who now stood at 5'6 at the age of eighteen. He didn't have the best built body in town, but in Kate's opinion, he looked pretty good for someone who didn't regularly work out.

"Congrats," she finished.

"This came in the mail," Tom said, smiling weakly as he took an envelope out of his pocket, "it's from that college. I got in with a full ride scholarship. Starts in September."

"Looks like you've got you're life all played out," Kate said, returning the smile, and then looking down, quickly, to the ground.

"Yeah," Tom said, rolling back on his heals nervously.

He noticed the scene she had been watching get heated.

"What's that all about?" Tom asked, noticing Kate's interest in the argument.

"Someone robbed his place last night," Kate answered quietly.

"So why would you be interested unless-" Tom realized what was going on, "Katie.."

"Stop it," Kate said, "i want to go home."

"You mean to my garage?" Tom said, sounding a little amused.

"Yeah," Kate replied quietly, "there."

"Hey, Kate!"

Kate looked up as she entered the caves to find Charlie running to greet her.

"What's up?" She said, lowering her back pack to the ground beside the waterfall.

"Have you seen Jack lately?" Charlie asked.

"No," Kate looked up to him as she began refilling a bottle of water, "I've been looking for him though."

"No," Charlie shook his head, "I'm mean, have you seen him? He looks horrible."

"Really?" Kate stood up. "Horrible like exhausted?"

"Horrible like sick," Charlie explained, "I dunno, maybe you should talk to him."

Charlie left with a goodbye, and just as Kate was about to go back to the beach, she noticed Jack walking in, with Boone trailing behind him, exasperatedly telling some story as he followed Jack around the cave. Enough was enough, and everyone in the caves turned as Jack yelled at Boone to leave him the hell alone, and the stormed off.

Author's Note: Another intro chapter. Sorry about that.

Next time on "Influenza":

Jack takes up Kate's running habits, and Locke's absence strikes paranoia amongst the beach camp.

October Sky