"Having better sleep lately?" Jack asked her a week later, plopping down beside her on the beach at sunset. He hadn't been seeing her lately, he assumed she turned in early for the evening each time. It worried him, this sudden taciturnness in her nature. He wanted to bring it up, but sensed that she'd say nothing, or worse, tell him something was wrong. So he let it go.

She shrugged. "Um, yeah, I guess. We've been working pretty hard recently." she told him, staring out into the sun. "We get an early head start, chopping firewood and getting water. Then we boil the water, and I help out with getting food-"

"Kate, relax. You don't have to tell me about everything you do in a day. I get that you're busy, and you do most of the day to day chores here. I get it." He told her simply.

"It explains my day, I just wanted to say," she clarified. What is wrong with her? She mentally berated herself.

He was thinking the same himself. Ask one question, and he either got no reply, or the floodgates opened. No halfway for Kate, he noticed.

"So, yeah, I'm pretty tired at the end of the day," she added lightly, trying to salvage the light mood she had ruined.

"Well, I'm glad you're finally getting some sleep," he commented.

"Why, are you checking up on me now too, Jack?" she asked wryly.

"It's second nature," he said softly. "Being a doctor, you know," he clarified.

She smiled. "Well, save the concern for the others. I can take care of myself," I always take care of myself, she told herself firmly. She had been close to wanting to make something resembling a relationship with Jack- a friendship, even,- but the ring was weighing heavily in her back pocket even then.

He shifted, adjusted his position beside her in the sand so that both of them were looking out into the horizon, yet his head was leaning towards her.

"You're one of the hardest working people here, Kate. It wouldn't hurt if you eased off a bit."

"Is that the doctor talking, or the tribe leader?" She asked him sarcastically.

He stiffened. They both knew that him being a doctor had immediately put him into a position of leadership in the island. He was never comfortable with the role, much like wearing an ill-fitting coat. As a result, he kept mostly to himself, dealing largely only on medical concerns that the survivors had. But, people still kept on coming, asking for help. He did as much as he could, and eventually resigned himself to just dealing with it.

"As a doctor, and as a person," he replied. "It doesn't take a genius to see that too much work with limited food drains your body's resources. Didn't you watch Survivor?"

Not much TV when you're on the run, an inner voice told her. "I don't watch much TV," she said instead.

He raised an eyebrow at that, then shrugged. "Well, don't overdo it. The cops won't come to take you away just because you're working too hard."

It was her turn to be wary. "Sorry," he added, realizing what he said.

"Well, same goes for you, Jack. Don't obsess over people, okay?" She told him. "I should ask you the same question; 'How have you been sleeping lately?'"

I don't sleep much. "As much as I need," he told her.

It was her turn to raise her eyebrows. "Cause it doesn't seem like you're taking your own advice.

Don't worry about me, Jack. I'm fine. Just take care of the rest of them. Do us a favor and don't get sick yourself, okay?" She stood up, brushed the sand off her legs. "Cause we wouldn't know where the hell to begin if you got sick."

It was the closest thing she could tell him. She took a step back, and turned to leave. "I gotta go turn in."