Chapter 49

Next up. After this, only two to go! Let me know what you think.

"Ok, three two one..." Jack stood with Sawyer, noticing he was holding a bit of his own weight. Not much, but more than before. He sat in the chair. As Jack moved to the sink, he saw him reach for the blanket, gasping in pain but not stopping. "What are you doing? Are you cold?"

"No. No I just..." Sawyer didn't look at him, finally managing to grab the blanket. Jack watched, expecting him to bring it over his front, but he moaned in pain as he tried to put it behind him. Catching on too late, Jack took it, helping to wrap it around his back, covering the scars visible. They didn't say anything, but when their eyes met Jack saw thanks.

He started pushing the chair as they heard Walt at the entrance.

"Come on dad."

"I'm here."

Walt was opening the hatch door, holding it for Mike. They walked into the main room, seeing Sawyer and Jack emerge from the room, Rose sitting at the table. When Walt saw him, he ran over.

"Hey Sawyer! How are you?"

"Hey kid, I'm good. You?"

"Yeah... I brought cards. We could play... if you want...?"

"I'm game." He looked up at Mike before Jack pushed him to the table beside Rose.

"Walt? I'm gonna go back to the beach..."

"You are?"

"Yeah son... I'll be back though. You'll be fine here."

"Aw, ok. I'll see you later." He sat across from Sawyer, who was staring at Mike. Jack walked him to the exit, they heard their whispered conversation, but not what was said.

"Right Walt... what we playing?" Rose brought their attention back to the cards on the table.

"Do you have a seven?" Jack looked around the table. They had been playing for almost an hour. He could see Sawyer loosing energy, but he hadn't said anything.

Rose handed over a card, looking sideways at Walt, "How's your dad been Walt? I haven't managed to get down to the beach for a while." She felt Sawyer shift uncomfortably at hearing this.

"He's fine."

"Just fine?"

"Yup. Do you have a two?" Rose hesitated before handing it over.

"So, he told me you were going to New York... when we crashed." Now Walt looked at her.

"Yeah. He lives there. I lived in Australia with my mum."

"Were you going for a holiday?"

"No. My mum died." There was silence.

"When?" It was Sawyer who spoke.

"Two weeks before... before we crashed." Walt was too busy looking at his cards to notice the three adults looking at him.

"I'm sorry to hear that Walt," Rose put her hand on his, drawing his eyes to her face. "That must have been very difficult for you." Walt just looked at her. "But at least you have your dad."

"I only met him... when he came for me. Two days before we crashed."

"But, you're lucky you have him."

"Yeah. Sure."

"You are. He's looking after you. Some people aren't so lucky." She looked at Jack, who was looking back at Walt. But Sawyer was looking at her. She couldn't quite place why his expression made her feel uncomfortable, but it did.

"Yeah. Whatever."

"How did she die?" Jack asked, hearing Sawyer sigh.

"She was sick. For a few days... then she died. I'm still sad about it."

"That won't go away. But you'll be ok." Sawyer looked at Walt as he spoke.

"How'd you know?" They were looking at each other as if the other two weren't there.

"I was a bit younger than you when my parents died. Believe me. You'll be ok." The silence was strong, both Jack and Rose looking at Sawyer, as if they had never seen him before.

"Both of them? At the same time?"

"Yeah. You'll be fine. You have your dad. He looks after you."

"How did they die?" His voice sounded loud in the silence, but it was only a whisper. Sawyer looked like he wasn't going to answer, not looking at anyone but Walt, but then he did.

"They were shot."

Walt was sitting watching the water. They had arrived back at the beach a few hours before. His dad and Sayid were whispering behind him, standing at the trees. But Walt didn't care. He felt them sit beside him, took the food his dad gave him.

"You ok? You've hardly said anything since you got back from the hatch?"

"I'm fine."

"Was Sawyer ok?" Sayid didn't look at him when he asked.

"Yeah, he was... fine." Both men looked up at the hesitation.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Walt..."

"I told... them about why we were on the plane. About mum. That she died." Sayid looked between Walt and Mike.

"But... that's ok. It's ok for you to say that. She was your mum, you can tell whoever you want about her. Don't worry about that." But Walt still looked out at the water.

"I told them... that I still missed her."

"That's ok. It's ok to miss her. You know that, right?"

"Sawyer said I'll be ok. 'Cos I have you." Mike looked at Sayid, who was staring at Walt. "He told me he knew I'd be ok, because his mum and dad died when he was younger than me. But I'll be ok, 'cos you'll look after me." Both men looked at him.

"Did he say how they died?" Sayid spoke in a whisper.

"Someone shot them."

Walt was asleep. Sayid watched as Mike left their tent, walking back beside him. He didn't wait for him to speak, "did you know?"

"Know what?"

"About his parents?"

"No. You?"

"I did not." They sat in silence, Mike jumping slightly when Sayid spoke again, "It does explain a lot."

"What'd you mean?"

"He only knows how to be alone. Not to count on people. And..."

"What?" Sayid looked around at Mike.

"When we were taken, I did not want to go."

"Go where?"

"I met him in the jungle. Then we heard you shout. Heard Walt shout. He did not think, he just turned. Acted. But I stopped him. Told him it was dangerous. He knew it was Walt, he didn't care if it was dangerous."

"I thought..."

"And then," it was as if Mike hadn't spoken, "Frank said to him he would kill him in front of Walt. On the boat. So, then he was compliant. He wanted to protect Walt. He knew he had to protect him. And they knew. They knew all of this. They used it against him." Sayid looked at Mike, "they made Walt watch as he was beaten. This is why. They knew. That was the true torture."