Someone was arguing.

Sawyer was actually grateful for the low, pissy voices that brought him out of the hellish nightmare that still haunted him every single night. He immediately recognized Jack's voice, and it took every ounce of restraint he possessed not to smirk at the Doc's authorative tone.

Jacko was giving someone orders. Wasn't that a shocker?

He started to open his eyes when Rambina cut in abruptly, "You're a fool, Jack. Why put everybody at risk like that? They're both dead. Leave them where they are and move everyone else out of here."

"No, I'm not going to just leave them, Ana," Jack replied firmly. "And their names were Edward and Rebecca. They're people we've eaten with, slept beside, laughed with for the last fifty-two days. We're going to say goodbye to them."

Well, well, well, Captain Hero and G.I. Jane were butting heads. Sawyer decided to play possum just a little bit longer; this was too good to interrupt just yet.

"Say goodbye to what? They're already gone. They won't care if they don't get flowers and a prayer because they're dead." Her words were slow, deliberate, with a condescending tone that even a damn two-year-old could've picked up.

Someone really needed to slap that woman.

"We're having the funeral this morning, Ana. End of discussion." There was a pause, then the sound of footsteps approaching his cot. Sawyer was careful to keep his breathing slow, even. It wouldn't do to have them know that he was awake, not yet.

After what seemed like an eternity, Jack spoke again, lowering his voice enough that Sawyer had to strain to make out the words. "Look, if you don't like the way that I'm running things, then you're more than welcome to leave, but don't think that you can come in here and just take over. We've been here just as long as you have; we know how to survive out here."

"You've survived this long because they've been too busy picking us off on the other side of the damn island to pay any attention to your side," Ana Lucia countered. "They have their sights on you now, and in case Bubba's wound there didn't tip you off, these people are armed. They're dangerous, and they don't play by the rules. You gather everyone together in the open and how many people do you think they'll be able to take before you can get us out of there? It's a stupid risk."

"Nothing is going to happen." Sawyer could tell the Doc's patience had damn near reached its limit. "If you want to help Locke, Sayid and Eko scout the area, that'd be great. You can even set up lookouts if that'll make you feel more comfortable, but no more second-guessing me, Ana. We're all in this together. Edward and Rebecca deserve to be put to rest."

Sawyer felt his temples start to pound as the sniping continued. As entertaining as it was being a fly on the wall for this little spat, he was sorely tempted to sneak out of there and hope that the two of them screwed each other stupid. Maybe then the rest of the group would finally be able to get some damn peace. He'd never met two people more in need of a roll in the hay in his life.

Neither of them said anything for a while, then irritated sigh finally broke the silence. "For all of our sakes, I hope you're right, Jack." Rambina actually gave in. How about that? "I'll scout with Eko and the other two, but you be ready to haul ass out of there if I give a signal, got it?"

"Sayid and Locke," Jack interjected quietly. "Why don't you want to learn our names, Ana? Do you think that not knowing who they are will make it less personal if they end up dead?"

She scoffed, but for once, there wasn't any derision in the sound, only a jaded resignation. "You sound like Libby. One shrink is about as much as I can stand."

"Libby sounds like a smart woman."

"Libby's good people. A pain in the ass sometimes, but good people."

Jack let out a short laugh. "I'm going to tell you the same thing that you told me back at the airport bar: the worst part's over. One way or another, we're going to get through this."

"Yeah." It was clear that she didn't really believe it, but Sawyer was more interested in the Doc's surprising revelation. These two met in a bar in Sydney? Was there anybody on this island that wasn't connected with Jack somehow? "You coming with us to find this French woman later on?"

"No, I need to stay here with Sawyer. He's not out of the woods quite yet."

"He'll pull through, if only to piss you off," Ana Lucia replied with wry certainty. Sawyer was grateful that his hand was still underneath the blanket; that way, he could flip her off with no repercussions. "Are you going to tell her? Kate," she amended quickly. "Are you going to tell Kate about yesterday?"

It was becoming increasingly difficult for Sawyer to feign sleep. What was Xena talking about? Tell Kate what? "No," Jack replied flatly. "Even if it was real, it's not my place to tell her."

"Have you told her how you feel about her yet?"

Jack laughed, but the sound held no humor. "How I feel," he repeated in exasperation. "Tell me something, why is every conversation with you either an argument or an interrogation? If I didn't know better, I'd think you were a cop."

"Funny," Ana Lucia retorted, but she didn't deny it. A cop. It didn't surprise Sawyer one damn bit. No wonder the chick irritated the hell out of him. "Someone needs to be blunt with you here. And I'll take that evasion as a 'no' to my question."

"You can take it however you want," Jack replied stubbornly.

"Fair enough." There was a light shuffling noise before Ana spoke again. "I'm gonna go scout, but let me give you a piece of advice. Whether you like it or not, Kate feels something for him. Don't need a cop's eyes to see that. So if you're gonna make a move, you'd better stop pussyfooting around, unless you want to see the cowboy ride off into the sunset with your girl."

"Look, it's not like that. You don't know her." Yeah, neither do you, Sawyer thought caustically. "Kate's the kind of person who can't stand to see someone else in pain. That's all. She doesn't have feelings for him." There was an edge of desperation to Jack's voice, like he was trying to convince himself what he'd said was true.

But that was impossible. Jack couldn't seriously see him as a threat to he and Kate's happily ever after bliss, could he?

"Right." Ana's tone wasn't derisive or condescending this time. It was knowing, almost pitying. "I'll see ya. Watch your back." Sawyer heard a light fall of footsteps that gradually grew more distant as Ana walked away. Looks like the Doc had won that round.

Barely.

He had to give Ana props for calling Jack on his feelings for Kate and the fact that he didn't have the stones to do anything about it.

Just like his old man. That apple sure didn't fall far from the tree.

The Doc was a damn fool.

But then again, Rambina also seemed to think that Kate had feelings for him. It was ridiculous... but then again, cops were able to pick up on that sort of thing, weren't they? And Freckles had stayed with him for nearly three nights straight. That was a little above and beyond the realm of sympathy.

Hot damn, he'd actually gotten to her.

Kate liked him.

"I know you're awake." Jack's curt voice interrupted his reverie. "I can see you smiling."

Fucking dimples. Sawyer cursed inwardly, opening his eyes to glare at Jack. "Maybe I was havin' a good dream."

"Uh huh," Jack replied dryly, kneeling beside him and pulling off the bandage on his shoulder. Sawyer's gaze drifted to the wound. It was still red, ugly, but it looked a damn sight better than it had a few days ago. "How's it feeling today?"

"I'm conscious, ain't I? Figure that has to be a good sign." It actually didn't feel too bad. The thing still hurt, but it felt more like he'd slept on it wrong as opposed to the constant, blinding pain from before. But the Doc had just told Ana that he still wasn't out of the woods yet. His gaze lifted to Jack as he tried to keep his voice casual. "Why, do you think it's bad?"

"It nearly killed you. Of course it's bad." Jack picked up a prescription bottle from the coffee tray and opened it, spilling two large white pills into his hand. "But like I told you last night, as long as you take it easy and keep up on your antibiotics, you'll be fine."

Yeah, right. "Then why'd you tell Robobitch I'm not out of the woods yet?"

Jack slammed the pills onto the tray, pushing himself to his feet. If Sawyer didn't know better, he'd think he just struck a nerve with the man. Nah. "So you were eavesdropping that whole time?"

"Kinda hard not to, with the two of you bickering like a damn married couple three feet from my bed," Sawyer shot back, completely unrepentant. What the hell; since everything was out in the open now, he may as well try to get some answers. "What exactly is it that you're hiding from Kate, Doc?"

"That's none of your business," Jack warned quietly.

"Sure seems like it's my business, seeing as it concerns me and all," Sawyer drawled in return. He didn't know that for sure, but it seemed like an accurate guess from what Ana had implied.

"No. It doesn't concern you, Sawyer." There was finality in Jack's tone as he turned to walk away. He halted after a few steps, placing his hands on his hips. "What do you want with her," he finally asked, without turning around.

What did he want with Kate. The laugh that escaped was bitter, even for him. Of course Saint Jack would assume that Sawyer was only interested in getting something from her. Well, far be it from him to shatter Jack's illusions. "I've been on this island for over a month, stuck livin' like a damn monk. What do you think I want with her," he sneered back.

His words got their desired reaction. Jack turned to face him and Sawyer pushed himself up into a sitting position, certain the Doc was going to come over and clock him. "She's too good for you," Jack said vehemently.

"But she ain't good enough for you, is that it?" Sawyer stood up, his eyes hard as they settled on Jack. To hell with illusions; enough was enough. "You want her, but a fugitive don't fit into your perfect little world. That why you haven't 'fessed up to her about how you feel?"

"Shut up." Jack closed the distance between them until they were nose to nose. It registered somewhere in the back of Sawyer's mind that he was indeed taller than Jack. "Kate and I are none of your business."

It wasn't a denial. Sawyer gave a knowing smirk as he stepped around Jack, fighting back the urge to knock some sense into the man. No, he wasn't probably wasn't good enough for Kate, but at least he accepted her for who she was. He trusted her as far as he could throw Hurley, but hell, he understood that she did what she had to do in order to survive.

He related to that all too well.

The others were gathered near the cave entrance, the A-Team at the front and armed to the teeth. He wasn't at all surprised to see Kate right there with them, loading a fresh clip into a Sig Nine. She looked up, her brow furrowing in concern as she met his eyes. She broke off from the group and headed toward them. Exhaling slowly, Sawyer turned to glance at Jack. "Always knew you were a damn fool, Doc," he said quietly, the usual smartass bravado completely absent from his voice. "But I never would have guessed that you're a bigger asshole than I am."