Previously on LOST

A man, Jack opens his eyes, staring around him in amazement. He appears to be in a jungle, with a single shoe above his head. He runs through the leaves and brush until he sees an enormous plane wreck, burning fire, people screaming, basic carnage. He stares in horror.

Sawyer is cutting wood when Kate appears behind him.

"What do you want, Sawyer?" She asks him. He smiles at her, flashing dimples.

"Hell, Freckles, all I want's a kiss," he replies. She stares at him in disbelief.

Michael is walking through the woods when he suddenly comes upon a half-naked Sun, washing. They stare at each other, surprised. Embarrassed, Michael hands her a bra and walks past.

Charlie and Hurley attempt to spear a fish.

Jack, Locke, Charlie, and Sayid walk over to Sawyer. Jack hands the other man a gun and asks him to join them in the fun sport of Ethan-hunting. Sawyer smiles and agrees to come. Kate walks up and demands to come. Off-handedly Jack refuses, but Sawyer reaches into his tent and gives her a gun. Jack looks at the two of them in disappointment.

Jin walks around without a shirt.

Ana-Lucia bitch-slaps some people.

Kate and Sawyer have a pleasant swim in a lagoon which is never pictured again, despite the fact that many of the other survivors would also probably enjoy a swim, even if there are dead people floating in the bottom.

Charlie and Hurley do a scary golf-dance.

Jack hauls Sawyer into a shower to bring down the fever from the infection in his shoulder. Kate stands in the doorway, a look of fear and grief expressed on her face. Jack, seeing her then, yells at her to leave and get gauze. Later, he attempts to force-feed Sawyer anti-biotics, but seems unable to get the other man to swallow. Kate sweettalks the redneck, and he swallows. Jack looks disappointed.

Mr. Eko grabs a Scripture Stick and takes out half of the force of the Others. Charlie takes out Ethan. Ana takes out Goodwin. The Others: 1. Survivors: 6.

Boone dies. Shannon takes refuge in Sayid's arms. Sayid attempts to comfort Shannon with some consolation sex. It appears to work pretty well.

Jin and Michael have it out over a watch. Right guys. . .a watch. More like a SUNdial.

Charlie and Hurley attempt to sing to baby Turnip-Head.

Sawyer lies in bed, shivering, with Jack attentive at the side of the bed. Sawyer convulses, licks his lips, and mutters "I love her."

Jack looks disappointed.

Right. So. Begin scene. . .NOW.

The young woman suddenly opened her eyes, only to close them immediately as the noon sun blazed down directly. Attempting to sit up, she groaned, reaching toward her lower back and then placing the hand on her head. More composed, she opened her eyes again.

She looked around in confusion. The last thing she could remember was being in a plane, headed out to Sydney with two of her best friends. They had hit a bit of turbulence, and after that her mind went completely blank. She took the hand down from her head, not particularly surprised to see it coated with sticky blood. Well, at least she'd have a scar to prove that her head fucking hurt.

She stood up, repressing a groan as she did so, and looked around. Above her there hung a single, pink shoe. Alyson's, she realized, and jumped up, just barely managing to grab a shoelace, and pulling it back down. All right. Now that she had one shoe, a splitting headache, and no idea where she was, it was time to form a plan.

Based on her current condition, she decided that the best plan was just to place one foot in front of the other.

Meanwhile. . .on the beach. . .

Jack kept looking nervously toward the jungle. Knowing his luck, Kate would be back any moment, insisting that she be allowed to accompany them into the jungle. He couldn't stand for that. In the first place, it would be dangerous, and he hated the idea of the beautiful woman being in danger. In the second, somebody had to stay behind on the beach, that people would listen to. After all, he was the doctor, and when he was gone, everything was in shambles.

Admittedly, people could go talk to Sayid, but all they would find was a blubbering puddle of Iraqi Republican Guard, who would tell them for hours "we were strangers. . .but I loved her." There was Mr. Eko, but he would just quote Scripture. Jack could just picture the conversation:

"Hey, Mr. Eko, it looks like The Others are trying to kill everyone!"

"And the Lord speakest and say 'turn the other cheek'"

No, that wouldn't work. Charlie always liked to help out. Then again, Charlie's idea of helping had resulted in one fish, a tiny section of a golf course, and a baby bundle. Not exactly the best representatives of leadership. Sun was level-headed, but most of the survivors didn't even know she spoke English. Hurley. . .no. He just had to laugh at that idea.

Which left Kate. Good old dependable Kate. Admittedly, he could have left Locke behind, but that would just be silly. He was a doctor, not a tracker. He could have left Jin behind. But Jin didn't speak English anyway, so that would have been useless. He could have left Sawyer. But he didn't want to.

"Are we ready to go?" Locke asked, walking over. He smiled around a mouthful of cantelope. Jack sighed. He just didn't understand why the bald man couldn't just eat fruit like any normal person.

"Yes, we're ready!" Michael almost screamed. "We need to find my son!"

"Walt," Jin said helpfully. Michael tearfully hugged the other man.

"That's right! Walt's my son! My son!"

Jack sighed. It would be a long trip. He turned to the final member of their little expedition party. "Sawyer?" he asked. "Are you ready to go?"

"Ready and rearin'," Sawyer drawled. "But I gotta say, Doc, the shoulder's hurting a bit. . ."

"Don't worry," Jack said curtly. "I'll take care of it." Sawyer just stared at him for a minute. Jack shrugged, his eyes darting quickly away. "Besides, we need everyone who can handle a gun."

"I can handle a gun," a female voice interrupted. Jack tried to stifle a groan.

"You're not coming, Kate," he told her.

"But I wanna," she whined. Sawyer smiled at her.

"Listen, Freckles, if all you need is a gun. . ."

"They're gone," Jack interrupted. Everyonoe stared at him. He shifted uncomfortably under the weight of their combined gazes. "I mean. . .Locke changed the combination. We can't get to them."

Locke raised his hand. "I'm right here. I know what I changed it to. . ."

"No time," Jack said. "Come on guys, time to go."

"Walt?" Jin asked. Everyone nodded indulgently at him.

"Ja-ack," Katie whined again. Jack just shrugged his shoulders and walked off.

"Sorry, sweetcheeks," Sawyer shrugged, actually looking genuinely concerned for once. Kate crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. She stomped her foot once on the ground angrily before wandering off. Jack glanced over his shoulder quickly, just to assure himself that she was gone .He allowed himself the slightest smile before continuing.

Meanwhile. . .

"Do you have. . .an ace?" Danielle Rousseau asked. Desmond shook his head.

"Sorry, sistah. Go fish." As the Frenchwoman drew a card, he looked around the table at the other players. "All right, my turn. . .um. . .Security System, go fish."

And yet again the game wa stalled as everybody realized that the huge blob of black smoke was unable to pick up a card.