The LOST Writers' Island

Just Do It, Freckles

Kate sat in the back yard with her children watching them play in the sandbox and go back and forth to the jungle bars and the swing. 

“Mommy!!”  Her daughter Elizabeth called to her.  “Mommy!” 

“Yes, Lizzie, I hear you.”  Kate answered as she thumbed through the magazine and wondered exactly what horrendously earth-shatteringly terrible thing Elizabeth’s  little brother did now. 

“Jimmy, hit me!”  She said.

“No I didn’t!  She put sand in my hair.”  James, Jr. yelled.

“You liar!!”  Elizabeth yelled.

“Elizabeth Katherine Ford!!”  Kate stood up with her hands on her hips.  “You will not call your brother a ‘liar’, do you understand me?!”

“But Mama!”  Elizabeth interrupted.

“And as for you, James David Ford, you will not hit your sister.”  She relaxed her posture a little.  “Now, are you two gonna play nicely or should I discuss this with your father.”

They both shook their little heads violently.  “No, no Mommy, we’ll be good.”

“Good, because I can easily tell him, you know?  He’s just one the other side of the island.”  She held up her walkie talkie.  “He’s just a button away.”  The kids were really quiet and swallowed hard.  “You remember that.”

They actually kept the walkies so that they could reach each other at any time, because it wouldn’t be long and Kate would have the new baby.  They had lived in what Sawyer referred to as “new otherton” for almost 8 years now.  Both of their children had been born there and now this new one would be too.  Kate secretly longed for another little girl but she knew James wanted another boy. 

Little James, now 7, was just getting old enough to go fishing with his father and Uncle Jin and Elizabeth, at 5, was very much off into her little leap frog learning toys and Kate was really excited to have a new little one running around.  Of course the fact that James doing two a.m. feedings and rocking the baby in the nursery was one of her favorite sites as well.

Kate’s thoughts snapped back to the present when Elizabeth brought her sand bucket toward her mother.  The handle was broken.  “Mommy can you fix this?”  She asked.

“Alright let me see.”  Kate fumbled with the bucket a little as Elizabeth got more and more impatient.  “Mommy, I wanna play with it.”

“Alright, Lizzie, just relax.”  Kate said as she was trying to fix the bucket.

“Just do it Freckles!”  Lizzie said.  Kate stopped dead in her tracks. 

“Where did you hear that?”  Kate asked.

Lizzie wondered if she was in trouble.  She looked down and then back up to her mother.  “I, uhm, I heard Daddy say it.”

“You did?”  Kate asked, not wanting to sound angry.

“Uh huh, I got up to get a drink and I heard Daddy say it when the door was closed.”  Kate just about fell over laughing.  She fixed the little plastic handle and handed it back to Lizzie.

“Okay sweetie, here you go.”  Kate said.  She handed the bucket to Lizzie who scampered off down the beach with her brother.  “Don’t go too far!!”  Kate called.  The kids were still within earshot, so she sat down on the lounger. 

She had been relaxing there for a little bit when the walkie went off.  “I can see you!”  Came the soft Southern drawl on the other end.

“Don’t lie.  You can’t see me.”  She said.  “Where are you.”

“We’re testin’ the  surveillance system and I can see you layin’ there in the back yard.”  He said.

“Well you better make sure that surveillance system of yours doesn’t seen into the bedroom tonight.”  She said.

“Z’at a fact?”  He asked.

“Uh huh.”  She answered.

“Well, hope you’re plannin’ on bringin’ you’re A-game Freckles.”  He said.  She laughed a little bit.

“Oh speaking of ‘Freckles’,”  She said.  “We gotta be a whole lot quieter than we have been at night?”

“Oh do we?”  He asked.  “Why’s that?”

“Because Lizzie heard you last night, say ‘just do it, Freckles’.”  Kate said.  James was quiet for a little bit. 

“Oh, I see.”  He said.  “Maybe we oughta just build a bigger house.”  He teased.  “After all with the new little one comin’, we’ll need the room anyway.”

She laughed a little.  “Speakin’ of.”  He said.  “How is the little bambino today?”

“Oh she’s fine.”  Kate said.  “I think she’s playing raquetball or something.”

“Well don’t let him wear you out.”  He said.  She knew he wanted a boy and he knew she wanted a girl so it was a fun little game they played with the he’s and she’s.  “Can’t have you barely walkin’ you know?  Oh wait, you’re already barely walkin’, ain’t ya?”

She laughed.  “Go back to work and I’ll see ya when you get home.”  She said.

“Okay.  I love you.”  He said. 

“I love you too.”  She said.  “See you in a little while.”

Kate noticed it was getting a little late and the sun was starting to sink a little.  “Jimmy!  Lizzie!”  Kate called.  “Come on in and let’s get dinner ready.”  She called.

The two little ones came running and they all bounded into the house.  “Wipe your feet now!”  She admonished.  “And wash your hands!”  Kate rolled her eyes, thinking she sounded entirely too much like her own mother.

“Mommy, what’s for supper?”  Lizzie asked.  “Well how about some fried chicken and mashed potatoes.”  Kate asked.  “We haven’t made that for Daddy in a long time.”

“Yea!  Can we make a cake too?”  She asked, her long dirty blonde curls bouncing as she talked. 

“Sure, if you want to , that’s fine.”  Kate said, getting the chicken out of the refrigerator. 

“Arrrggghhh!!!”  Jimmy jumped out from around the side of the kitchen counter wearing his pirate mask and scared Kate so much she just about dropped the chicken.  “James David!”  Then it started. 

Kate doubled over in pain and looked down at the floor.  Her water had broken and there was a puddle on the kitchen floor.  “Mommy did you pee?!”  James asked.

“No…no baby.  Get the walkie.  It’s on the counter.  Hurry.”  Kate said.  James quickly grabbed it and brought it to her.

“Mommy, are you alright?”  Lizzie asked in a scared voice.  “I’m fine honey.  The new baby’s gonna be here soon.”

“Oh. Does that mean I have to share my room?”  She asked. 

“We’ll talk about that later sweetheart.”  Kate took the walkie from James’ little hand.  “James?!  James?!!”

“Yea, honey, what’s goin’ on?”  James answered.

“James, come…ohhhhh.”  She tried, and handed the walkie to little James.

“Daddy, Mommy’s tummy where the new baby is, is hurtin’ her and she peed on the floor.”  James said.

Sawyer put it together that Kate’s water had broken although his son’s knowledge of medical terminology left a whole lot to be desired.

“Tell her I’m comin’.”  James said.  He left his office and ran down the hallway.  Since they’d been working all over the island now, he and Hurley had been able to get about 15 of the old Darma vans running and in very good shape.  The pathways and roads were wide enough now to drive on but the shocks weren’t the best on these old vehicles, so it was best to take it slow.

At least most of the time anyway.  James drove home and got there just in time to see Kate laying on the couch with the two little ones there.  They stood there counting and arguing over which number came next.

“Daddy!!”  They said in unison.  Kate sighed and reached for him. 

“Come on honey.”  He effortlessly picked her up and took her to their small hospital.  He was never thrilled to see Jack and he felt like the man still had some feeling for Kate, even though he and Juliet had 4 kids of their own. 

They got Kate to delivery and before too long they were bringing a new baby into their island paradise.  “Push!”  Juliet ordered.  James stayed right there with her and held her hand.  “Again, Kate.  Push!!”  She ordered.

Kate bared down and pushed hard again.  “I can’t.”  She choked.  “I just can’t.”

“Yes, you can Kate.”  Jack ordered as Juliet worked on delivering Kate and James new baby.

“Just do it Freckles.” Kate reached over and slugged him clean in the shoulder.

“Don’t you ever say that to me again!  That’s what got me in this position.”  She yelled.  And one last push and there the new baby was.

“It’s a boy!”  Juliet announced. 

Kate smiled and James leaned down and kissed her.  “Well you got your wish just now.”  She said.