Chapter 3

That night, when they were cooking the last of the boar Locke had brought the day before, Sayid brought up the prisoner.

"I do not think she should be left alone. She must be frightened, and it would be disappointing if her friends came, and freed her in the night." He said, eyes staring into the flames.

"I know, Sayid. But what are we supposed to do? Bring her into one of the caves? Move her into someone's tent? You saw how she acted today. She wants nothing to do with us. And you, yourself woke up this morning with your own knife pressed to your throat." Jack answered, shaking her head.

"I know that. I know, but what are you suggesting we do? Just leave her there, tied to that tree? After what happened to Scott, and Claire?" Sayid answered, keeping his anger at that idea hidden, and masked.

"Sayid, for all we know, she could be one of THEM. She probably is one of them." Jack answered, keeping his gaze averted.

"I won't leave her tied to that tree, Jack. That is madness." Sayid answered angrily, standing abruptly.

"And I won't have you and her in the same tent, Sayid. She tried to kill you this morning, remember?" Jack looked up then, eyes locking with Sayid's, telling him to stand down.

"I'll take her." Sawyer said, and Jack and Sayid's eyes both snapped to the scruffy looking man, leaning on a boulder, and smoking a cigarette.

"What?" Jack questioned, bristling slightly at the sight of Sawyer.

"I said I'll...Take...Her." He retorted sarcastically, as if he were talking to someone who was 'not all there'.

"I know what you said, Sawyer. But what did you mean?" Jack snapped. Sayid kept silent, scanning Sawyer's face, looking for a motive as to why he would take the girl.

"Whoa, settle down there, Doc. I just figured, since I was practically the only one who managed to talk to her without ending up with a face full of spit, you'd be happy to let me take her off your hands for the night. Muhammad over there is right...you can't just leave her tied to that tree, she'll split before midnight." Sawyer answered, taking a long drag on his cigarette.

"And why would you want to watch her? Since when do you contribute to anything; when there is no profit in it for yourself?" Sayid asked, almost angrily.

Sawyer shrugged, "I don't really give a damn about the rest of you, Say—id. I just thought you might warm up to the idea, given the alternative. And hell, I barely sleep at night anyway. So I bet we'd have some real cozy conversations."

The way he said it made Sayid tense, and step forwards. Sawyer, smirked, and looked back to Jack. "What about it, Doc?"

Jack nodded, not looking at either at them, but staring into the flames. "Alright. Sawyer, you can watch her. FOR THE NIGHT, mind you." He said, standing up.

Then walking close to Sawyer, until he was only inches from his face Jack added, "But if you do ANYTHING to harm her...touch her, force her to do anything she doesn't want to...It'll be YOU who's tied to that tree tomorrow. Is that clear, Sawyer?"

And without even the slightest twitch, Sawyer answered...his trade mark smirk on his face, "Clear as crystal, Jackass." He turned and walked away.

Then Claire who had obviously just heard their little three-way exchange, toddled out from one of the caves, and came to stand close to the fire, a small, but uncertain smile on her face.

Jack smiled when he saw her, knowing she wanted to ask something, but wouldn't, for a couple of minutes at least.

"Um..." she started, and Jack nodded for her to continue. "Um...I was wondering whose going to feed the, uh...girl?" She finished, laying a hand on her distended stomach.

Jack looked to Sayid, the back to Claire. "I thought I would try. Any reason that you asked?"

"Well, yes, because today, when I was sitting by her, you know, reading and such. She well, she said, she said my name. And I thought, maybe, since she didn't try to hurt me, or spit at me or anything, maybe she'd eat if I gave it to her?" Claire said uncertainly.

"She said your name?" Sayid asked, leaning towards Claire.

Claire nodded. "Um-hmm, just 'Claire'. That's what she said, but she probably heard it from someone. Now that she's here, I'm not the topic of the gossip and whispers anymore."

Jack smiled at her masking his other emotions, and nodded, handing her an aluminum plate of boar meat, in two portions. One for Claire, and one for the girl. "You can try. Just don't set the whole plate within kicking range. Kate made that mistake earlier, and it cost us a water jar..."

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