Chapter 13

Next one - on time this week. Let me know what you think!

Ben and three others walked out the building, guns by their side. Mike was about to ask where Walt was, when he was knocked slightly to the side by the speed and force that Jack hit the gate with the palm of his hands.

"You son of a bitch! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Mike put his hand on Jack's shoulder to try and calm him, but it was shaken off. "He did nothing wrong..."

"He didn't, but Michael did."

"He wanted to see his son! There is nothing wrong with that!"

"We have to agree to disagree. Right, now it is time for the three of you to get back to work."

"We are not leaving him again," Sayid hadn't moved from his spot half way between the gate and Sawyer, his back still on the bars. He wasn't even looking at them, looking straight ahead into the jungle. Ben wasn't listening, instead ordered his man to open the gate.

"Get out, stand over there with your backs to us." As the gate opened, no one moved. "Now. Or we will move him inside with us and you won't see him again." This threat sounded genuine, making Sayid walk out the gate and stand facing the other way, saying nothing.

"You two as well."

Slowly, Mike and Jack look at each other and start walking. They both look back at Sawyer, who was sitting with his eyes fixed on Ben and his men. They joined Sayid.

"Good. Now we are going back to the dig site and you three are going to behave. If you do, we leave him alone. Tell you what, you go, say nothing all day, and I will even get some painkillers for him, looks like he needs them."

At the word painkillers Jack looked round. He stared at Ben.

"Really?"

"Really. Strong ones too."

Jack looked at Sawyer. He was trying to look unfazed, but it was clear how much pain he was in. They had no choice. "Ok," he didn't want to say the next bit, but had to, "someone needs to wake him every hour."

"We will. Good, let's go."

They followed him through the jungle again, finally coming back out at the same place as the day before, picking up shovels and getting to work. It was tiring work. They didn't speak as the sun beat down on them. They were allowed to break for ten minutes to eat and drink. The sun was losing its heat by the time they were told to stop. The walk back was a mixture of exhaustion and fear at what they would find once back at the cage.

As they walked into the wide opening, Jack saw Sawyer still sitting on the bench, where they left him. He was leaning back and his eyes were shut. As they got closer, he didn't move, not until Ben had opened the gate and the others had walked in. Jack walked over and crouched in front of him.

"Sawyer, can you hear me?" He said it quietly but he still jerked awake. His eyes squinted as he opened them, a small smile appearing.

"Hey Doc. How'd it go?" His voice was hoarse with disuse but he sounded more lucid than he did in the morning. But still in pain. Jack looked at Ben through the bars.

"You said he could have painkillers."

"Yes I did. And you three did behave, I'm a man of my word." He took a pill bottle out of his trouser pocket and threw it to Jack. Looking at it, Jack verified they were safe. He nodded slightly to Ben, who walked back into the building, leaving more bottles of water through the bars. Sayid brought one over, throwing another to Mike.

"Ok, here, take these. They'll help. They'll help with the pain," he fed two pills and some water to Sawyer, who drank it like he hadn't drank all day. He was about to ask questions when an ear-piercing siren sounded from the speaker they hadn't noticed above the cage. Sayid, Mike and Jack put their hands over their ears, Sawyer groaned and screwed his eyes shut. As suddenly as it started, it stopped.

"What the hell was that?"

"That was their wake-up call," Sawyer's voice was dark.

"What? That has been going off every hour?"

"Yeah. After you left, the guy from the boat came out, I asked to see Walt, then that started."

"Did you see him?" Mike was standing with his back on the gate.

"No." At the response, Mike turned to look at the building, his forehead on the bars.

"How's your head?" Jack focusses solely on Sawyer, looking at the still black and blue torso.

"Better."

"Still tired all the time?"

"No, not as much."

"Ok," Jack put his hand over Sawyer's right eye again, "what can you see?"

"Just shadows."

"That's ok, it's only been a day. What happened today? Any trouble?"

"No. Except the guy once in the morning, haven't seen anyone."

"Food, water?"

"Nothing."

Mike looked over his shoulder, finding Jack looked back at him.

"It's fine."

"Sawyer, it isn't fine. You need water," Jack grabbed the water bottle again and tipped some into Sawyer's mouth. He almost finished the bottle in one.

"Thanks."

They all sat in silence – Sayid watching the building again – as the sun began to set. They were just feeling somewhat comfortable when the ear-piercing noise began again. All except Sawyer jumped at the noise and covered their ears. Just as it went off, Ben exited the building and walked over.

"Don't say anything to him, Mike, we need him on our side, on his side," Jack had got up and walked to Mike, nodding his head towards Sawyer. As Ben came to the other side of the bars, Jack spoke, "He needs food and water."

"Ok, I'll see what I can do. How are you all feeling? He looks better," he looked around Jack to Sawyer, who looked back as though he would like nothing more than to hit him.

"We're fine. He just needs food and water."

"I see you won't be deterred, I like that. Ok, I'll bring some out." With that he walked back to the building and disappeared.

"What is he making you do?" Sawyer sounded as though he was scared to know the answer.

"Dig holes. We don't know why." Jack's answer seemed to make Sawyer relax.

As Sawyer was about to say something else, he looked over Jack's shoulder. Ben was walking towards them with a tray. Without a word, I put it on the ground and slid it under the bars, turned and walked away.

Jack took it over to Sawyer, helping him eat.