Chapter Four

Sawyer sat by himself, checking his arm for the 30th time. "It's bad man, I'm telling you." "don't ya think I know that?" Sawyer replied numbly, without any of the usual zest, as he examined the cut.

Michael sat down beside him. "what happened man?" he asked quietly, "you weren't out here looking for me or Walt, were you." Sawyer didn't reply.

"Sawyer, where are the others? Jack, Locke and Kate?" Sawyer turned to look at him at the mention of Kate, "I got you and your damn son back, so leave me the hell alone, alright?" he motioned to Walt, who was standing a little way off.

He took a cigarette out and tried to light it, but his hands were shaking so badly he couldn't light it, and so he threw it away in a sudden fit of anger.

Michael didn't say anything, even though he was worried about Sawyer. Sure he was used to Sawyers moods, but something was different this time, something was very wrong.

"C'mon man," he said, wrapping Walt in a hug, "time to leave, you sure you okay?

Walt nodded, "yeah, dad." Michael looked at the other children who were standing behind him. "We're, we're leaving." He said, feeling nervous as they all watched him, "c'mon…"

Sawyer led the way, trampling through the bush making more noise than Michael thought was safe. It was like he wanted to run into more of them, so he could kill them, just like he had with the others. Not that Michael was complaining , after all, he had got him and his son reunited, but still, he didn't want to run into any more trouble.

"Is Vincent alright? Walt asked as he followed his father. Michael actually laughed. "Yeah man, Vincent's fine." "did Shannon take good care of him?" Michael sighed, "erm…yeah." He didn't want to tell Walt that Shannon was dead.

"When we get back, can I see Mr. Locke?" Walt was full of some many questions for a ten year old. "sure thing man," for once Michael didn't mind Locke and Walt being friends, "anything. You can even go in the hatch." "What's the hatch?" Walt asked in surprise. Michael just laughed, "what's the hatch? man are you gonna be surprised." He pulled him into another hug.

"Sawyer!" Sawyer!" Jack was panting with the effort as he ran, but he wasn't going to give up until he had found Sawyer. Her last words had been to him, and he wanted to know why. Why. And for once, he was concerned about Sawyer.

"SAWYER!"

"Hey, over here!" he heard a voice, but it wasn't Sawyers, it was someone else's…maybe one of them.

"SAWYER!" he screamed even more franticly, his throat felt like it would rip. "Over here man!" he cautiously made he was towards the sound, before leaping out, gun aimed.

What met his eyes made him lower the gun in amazement.

It was Sawyer, but not only Sawyer. There was Michael, and Walt-and at least 15 other small children.

"Jack! Dad is Jack!" Walt joyful announced.

Jack just stared at Walt, before mouthing his name. "Are you okay man?" Michael asked, he could see he both surprised and scared.

"Sawyer," Jack panted, pushing past him, "I have to talk to Sawyer." Michael yelled at him, but Jack took no notice, he just walked straight up to Sawyer.

Sawyer was pale, and his eyes were swollen and red from crying. He seemed numb to all that was happening around him, but as Jack got closer he burst into talk.

"I got em doc, I got those son-of-a-bitches!" he was breathing hard. "I got em doc, made it real slow too-got those son-of-a-bitches." His hands were shaking so badly that Jack told him to sit down, and Sawyer, for once, obeyed him without comment.

Jack opened his mouth, but he couldn't ask him, couldn't ask Sawyer what Kate had been sorry about, so instead he just asked what Sawyer did. "Are they-," "dead? Yes, every last one. I got even doc, just like I said I would."

For a while no one said anything. Then Jack couldn't stand the silence anymore. "kate…" he began, "what…what was she sorry for?"

Sawyer looked up, so that his eyes locked with Jacks. He didn't look away either, just stared into Jack's eyes for a long time.

"I conned her," he said quietly, "and we fought…so I'm guessing that's what she was sorry about." He let a tear fall, unashamed. "But I guess we'll never know." He looked away, and though Jack couldn't hear him, he knew he was crying.

"Wait a minute." Jack turned to Michael, who was standing behind him. "Kate, is she…she isn't? Is she?" Jack just nodded.

"Where's Jack?" "Pardon?" asked Locke, turning away from the dishes he was washing in the hatch. "Jack." Charlie repeated. "I can't find him anywhere, I wanted to see if he was okay."

"He went after Sawyer."

"What?" Charlie exclaimed, "After Sawyer…but Sawyer? He went after them, didn't he?" "Yes Charlie." There was a brief silence. "D'you, d'you think he'll come back?" Locke sighed. "I really don't know Charlie. Jacks upset, and angry, as is Sawyer, and I don't blame them for that. But going looking for someone in that state of mind, especially them-to me, it's a death wish."