Boone turned around to see Shannon standing in the doorway.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, getting ready to go over to her. Not that he'd be a right lot of help right now.
"No, I'm fine," Shannon replied, waving him off. "I just wondered."
"He's at the caves," Boone replied. "Didn't he say you were supposed to rest?"
"I rested," she replied.
"You shouldn't be walking around," Boone warned. "If you pop your stitches, he's gonna be pissed."
"You speaking from experience?" she asked.
"I didn't pop my stitches," Boone replied.
"You didn't follow doctor's orders either, did you?" she smiled, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, I was okay and he kept telling me I had to stay in bed," Boone said. "I wanted to do something useful."
"That's how I feel," Shannon said. "Except for the useful part."
"Right," he said, shaking his head a little.
"So do you wanna get some air?" Shannon asked him.
"Shannon, I don't think it's a good idea for us to go out, we're both injured, what if something happens?"
Shannon rolled her eyes. "What's gonna happen? I'm not talking about a trek, I just mean like literally sit outside."
Boone looked at her. "Just sit outside?"
"You're such a doofus, you know that?" Shannon stated.
"Is it entirely necessary for you to insult me every chance you get?" Boone asked her.
"Not entirely," she replied, giving him a smirk. "It's fun though."
"If we're just going to sit outside I guess that would be okay," Boone said, reaching for his crutches.
"You sure know how to live, don't you?" Shannon poked. "Who's on button pushing duty?"
"It's Steve and that new girl, Libby," Boone told her.
Shannon's face changed in an instant. "Ana-Lucia's friend?"
"I don't know that they're friends," Boone said. "She seems kind of nice. She's a psychoanalyst."
"Oh goody, maybe we can all talk about our feelings," Shannon gushed before giving Boone a killer look. "She can get bent."
"Look, I'm all for the Ana-Lucia hating, but I don't think Libby's like her," Boone argued.
"Whatever, you ready?"
"Lead the way," Boone instructed.
They exited the hatch and sat down on a fallen tree a little away. Boone took a deep breath and smiled. It'd been a while since he'd breathed fresh air and felt the sun on his face. It was nice. It made him feel warm in a lot of ways.
"So what's the deal with Jack?" Shannon asked.
Boone turned to look at her. "What?"
"He has more mood swings than me," she pointed out.
"I think he just... He gets stressed," Boone replied.
"Yeah?" she asked. "Well can you relax him? Cos he's getting on my nerves."
"He never talks about anything," Boone said.
"I didn't mean you should talk to him, I meant something far more fun," Shannon told him.
Boone gave her a look. "Of course, what else do you think about," he quipped.
"Seriously though, how is your lack-of-sex-life?" she asked.
"Not as lacking as it was," Boone told her. "We do some stuff now."
"What stuff?" she asked.
"Jesus, Shan, maybe I don't want to tell you every detail," Boone replied.
Shannon rolled her eyes. "Fine, be a prude," she sighed. "I wasn't talking details, I was talking positions."
"Positions are details," Boone countered.
"But you're having orgasms one way or another?" Shannon pressed.
"Can we talk about something else?" Boone requested.
"You told me about the problem, I'm just taking an interest," Shannon replied.
"Yeah, well, don't," Boone told her. "We're doing fine." He paused. "Except for that whole communication thing."
"Does he not do it how you like?" Shannon asked.
"For God's sake, Shannon, do you just have a one track mind?" Boone asked, trying to resist the urge to poke her in her stupid bullet wound. But if he did she'd probably just kick him in the shin. She always won at those games. One-upmanship was second nature to Shannon. Or maybe first.
"Sorry, it's just... I told you about me and Sayid and then I got shot and we haven't been able to do it again," she explained.
"Well I wasn't talking about sex," Boone told her. "I mean that he doesn't talk to me. He doesn't tell me anything about his life. Like when he was drunk the other night..."
"Wait, hold up, Jack was drunk?" Shannon interrupted.
"Well, yeah, a little," Boone replied.
"Where did he get alcohol? Is there like a stash in the hatch?" Shannon asked.
Boone shook his head. "It was the last of the miniatures from the plane."
Shannon gaped at him. "Jack?" she asked. "Christ, if anyone else did that he would throw the biggest hissy fit."
"Tell me about it," Boone replied. "So, anyway, Jack was kind of drunk and he was talking about his marriage and how something happened with him and his wife and they stopped having sex and I asked him what happened and he wouldn't tell me. He said he wasn't drunk enough."
Shannon shrugged. "Maybe they just stopped doing it for each other," she suggested. "Jack's kind of gay, apparently."
"He wasn't gay then," Boone said. "He's not gay now."
"Will you stop with that, it's getting really annoying," Shannon said. "He's dating you and, pretty as you are, you're definitely a guy."
"Anyway, it wasn't just that they weren't into each other anymore, there was something about the way he talked about it. He was upset about something. And he definitely said 'something happened'," Boone stated.
"God can you overanalyse stuff," Shannon complained. "Maybe you should go in there and talk to talk to Libby the psycho-what's-it-called."
"Psychoanalyst," Boone provided. "And why are you not getting this?"
"Getting what, Boone?" Shannon asked.
"Why this is a problem," Boone replied. "I just want him to talk to me. To tell me stuff. I want to know all about him and he's giving me nothing."
"Yeah, and he won't even have sex with you," Shannon stated. "He sounds like a sucky boyfriend."
"He's not a sucky boyfriend," Boone insisted.
"Then you don't have a problem," Shannon stated.
Boone sighed. "I just wish he'd stop keeping secrets."
"I don't think he's keeping secrets," Shannon told him. "Maybe he just doesn't talk about himself all that much."
"But I ask him direct questions and he refuses to answer them," Boone stated. "That's keeping secrets."
"Maybe," Shannon conceded. "Do you want me to talk to him for you? I can make him feel about two inches tall."
"Yeah, I know you can," Boone said dryly. "But it's okay. He'll come round."
Shannon nodded. "Yeah."
"So how are you and Sayid?" he asked.
"Good," Shannon said. "He treats me like a princess but not in that way that encourages me to be a total spoilt brat."
Boone smiled at her. "That's good," he said. "I didn't like you as a spoilt brat."
"Oh, I'm still a spoilt brat," she smiled. "For now. Baby steps."
Boone nodded. "Baby steps."
"This a jail break or something?"
They both turned around to see Jack standing behind them, hands on his hips but a smile playing on his lips.
"Hi, Doctor," Shannon chimed sweetly. "Just getting some fresh air, good for the recovery."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jack allowed, coming towards them.
"What, no lectures? No doctorly advice? No disapproving looks?" Shannon asked. "You're slipping, Jack."
Jack shrugged. "When I'm beat, I'm beat." He turned his attention to Boone. "Hey."
Boone smiled at him. "Hey. You're in a good mood."
Jack nodded a little. "Guess I am."
"Should I be jealous?" Boone asked.
"Of my good mood?"
"Of whatever put you in a good mood," Boone explained.
Jack shook his head. "It's a nice day. Everyone seems okay. Except Walt obviously but there's a limited amount we can do about that." He looked down and smiled a little to himself. "I was checking on the baby. He's really healthy. Which is pretty amazing when you look around at where we are."
"Yeah, I guess it is," Boone agreed. Not that he envied Claire for a second. Or Charlie for that matter.
Jack took his pack off and sat down next to Boone. The three of them sat in silence for a moment enjoying the sun and the scenery.
"Hey, Jack?" Shannon asked.
"Yeah?"
"What base have you got to with Boone?" she asked.
Boone looked at her. "Shut the hell up, Shannon."
"Well you won't tell me," she replied.
Boone could gladly punch her right now, never mind that whole thing about never hitting girls. She knew that Jack was clearly having a few issues with the whole sex-with-a-man thing and then she asked him that. Bitch.
But then he dared to turn to Jack only to find him doing that little giggle that he didn't do nearly enough.
"You know what, Shannon?" he replied. "If you want to find out, you'll just have to listen at the door like anyone else."