Counting to Five (Stayin' Alive, Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb)

Jack: Well, fear's sort of an odd thing. When I was in residency, my first solo procedure was a spinal surgery on a 16-year-old kid, a girl. And at the end, after 13 hours, I was closing her up and I, I accidentally ripped her dural sac. Shredded the base of the spine where all the nerves come together, membrane as thin as tissue. And so it ripped open. And the nerves just spilled out of her like angel hair pasta, spinal fluid flowing out of her and I … And the terror was just so … crazy. So real. And I knew I had to deal with it. So I just made a choice. I'd let the fear in, let it take over, let it do its thing, but only for five seconds, that's all I was going to give it. So I started to count: One, two, three, four, five. Then it was gone. I went back to work, sewed her up and she was fine.
Kate: If that had been me, I think I would have run for the door.
Jack: No, I don't think that's true. You're not running now.
- Pilot, Part 1

I was rewatching the first episode of LOST with will, and I was struck by the fact that as iconic as this scene is, I never devoted a song to it.  I decided I needed to do something about that, and this, my first LOST song in four and a half years, is the result.  Hopefully it will be the first in a new filking srreak!

Counting to Five

Jack: Well, I can tell by the way you stand and gawk

That you’re traumatized and still in shock.

Though you see my skin is torn,

You are treating my request with scorn.

Despite the drapes that you once made,

To stitch me up makes you afraid.

But don’t say “can’t;” I know you can.

I hope you’ll help a wounded man.

What can help prepare you when situations scare you?

Try counting to five.  Counting to five.

Let the panic fill you but never let it kill you.

Just try counting to five.  Counting to five.

One, two, three, four, counting to five.  Counting to five.

One, two, three, four.  Counting to five…

Well, now, fear is odd.  I’ll tell you why

I come across as such a fearless guy.

As a spinal surgeon, I refuse

To let small mistakes mean patients lose.

I nicked a poor girl’s dural sac;

I didn’t beat the terror back.

Once I used this trick of mine,

I sewed her up and she was fine.

What can help prepare you when situations scare you?

Try counting to five.  Counting to five.

Let the panic fill you but never let it kill you.

Just try counting to five.  Counting to five.

One, two, three, four, counting to five.  Counting to five.

One, two, three, four.  Counting to five…

Kate: If I had been there,

I would have bolted, just bolted for the door.

Jack: No, I don’t think so.  Your kindness moves you more.

Counting to five…

Jack: Well, I could tell by the way you stood and gawked

You were traumatized and still in shock.

Though you saw my skin was torn,

You were treating my request with scorn.

Despite the drapes that you once made,

To stitch me up made you afraid.

But no more “can’t;” you proved you can.

You bravely helped a wounded man.

What can help prepare you when situations scare you?

Try counting to five.  Counting to five.

Let the panic fill you but never let it kill you.

Just try counting to five.  Counting to five.

One, two, three, four, counting to five.  Counting to five.

One, two, three, four.  Counting to five…

Kate: If I had been there,

I would have bolted, just bolted for the door.

Jack: No, I don’t think so.  Your kindness moves you more.

Kate: I’m counting to five.

Kate: If I had been there,

I would have bolted, just bolted for the door.

Jack: No, I don’t think so.  Your kindness moves you more.

Kate: I’m counting to five…

Jack: Fear can’t defeat you.  Your kindness moves you more.