The small party of searchers froze at the sound of the gunshot echoing through the trees – alert to potential danger.

"What was that?" Michael asked nervously as an eerie silence followed – the jungle remaining unnervingly and unnaturally still as though the shocking reverberation had petrified all life into submission.

"It came from over there." Sayid pointed in the direction of a narrow clearing, just a few feet ahead of them.

They stood huddled together in a small group as they contemplated what was to be done. Silent seconds ticked by without a word or a gesture passing between them, holding their breath until they could do so no longer

The beating of their hearts echoed in their ears, and Jack could keep his silence no longer. As his initial shock wore off his desperation to find Locke before nightfall began to get the better of him again.

"Locke!" He called. "Locke!"

"Jack!" Sayid hissed, putting his finger slowly to his lips as Jack turned to look at him. "Shhhhhh."

Jack listened intently for a response, but, to his dismay, none came.

"Come on." He instructed the small group, before taking lead of them as he pressed on in the direction from where the shot had come from.

They had moved only a few meters towards the small clearing when some members of the group came to an abrupt halt. They could hear the sound of someone, or something, moving up ahead. Branches snapped beneath someone's feet and the barely audible sound of voices drifted on the silent breeze. As they continued at a steadier pace a short distance further Jack nervously withdrew the marshal's small, black firearm which he'd concealed within a makeshift holster fixed around his waist. He then turned to face Kate who was following directly behind.

"You know, you don't have to press on any further if you don't want to." He told her, whispering the words to her affectionately. "I could go on alone… at least until we've determined whether there's any danger."

She smiled back at him.

"I said we wouldfind Locke Jack," She told him, "together… I'm not turning back now. I wouldn't want to… not if it meant leaving you behind."

"I just want you safe." He said.

"I know." She smiled. "I want you to be safe too, and that's why I love you."

Their conversation was cut short however by the sound of a second gunshot – this time much closer.

Jack looked silently at Kate – almost willing her to change her mind – but Kate had made her decision and there could be no changing her mind.

The three men took off in the direction from which the second shot had been fired, and as Jack ran he glanced back briefly to see her closely following Sayid with the look of steely determination in her eyes which he so admired about her. He also noticed that Michael was struggling to keep the pace behind.

Jack stopped suddenly as he entered the clearing a little to quickly – and to his horror he came face to face with the barrel of a gun. He saw Locke at the foot of a nearby tree – a pained expression upon his pale face – and raised his own gun ready to defend himself as one by one the rest of the group came to an abrupt halt behind him.

"Rousseau…" Sayid starred shocked at her, crossing cautiously in front of Jack and putting himself between the doctor and the barrel of the gun. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

Having spent time with the woman he was fairly sure that she wouldn't shoot him, but he couldn't be entirely sure about Jack.

"Sayid…" She whispered as recognition immediately dawned on her. "I've missed you since you left." She told him, with a wistful smile – the haunting hollowness of her gaze a testament to her loneliness.

"I know." He nodded sympathetically, raising his hands in an unthreatening manner as he realised that she still had the gun trained in their general direction. "Please… just put the gun down." He implored her.

"I can't do that." She shook her head – and he could tell that she was clearly torn. She didn't want to have to shoot anyone, but there was a desperation in her voice which warned him to tread carefully. She was very evidently frightened, and he knew from experience that this could make a person unpredictable.

"Yes… you can!" Sayid tried to convince her as the breath caught in his throat. "Just hand me the gun and let him go." He pleaded with her, indicating the unmoving form of John Locke. It wasn't looking good for the man – who appeared to have limp. He was evidently still conscious as his eyes were still open, but they appeared dark and sunken. His complexion was so pale as to appear almost opaque in its nature, and the sweat was running off him in rivers. The twisted trunk of the tree against which he was sat was mangled by two large, gaping wounds – the obvious entry points of a sizable callaba bullet, fired at close range.

"But he's sick… he's contaminated." She said, with a startling air of conviction in her voice. "You knew this day might come." She told Sayid as she turned the gun back on Locke.

"Please…" Kate leapt forward, taking a few tentative paces towards Rosseau – but Sayid looked at her and shook his head, warning her not to proceed any further.

Kate stopped beside Jack, and he turned his attentions back to Rosseau.

"Don't do this." He pleaded with her, shaking his head – one arm outstretched as he began to edge his way forward, towards her. "Not again. You're not a killer Danielle. Seventeen years ago you thought you were alone on this island, you could sense death all around you and like anybody else in your situation you could see no way out… but you're not alone here anymore. We have a doctor, and he can help!"

"Don't you understand? There is no other way." She cried. Forcing the words from between her tight lips as remorse consumed her soul.

"Listen to me Rousseau. There are two others back at our camp. They've been sick for days, but one of them is improving." He explained. "People get sick, sometimes they die. It's a horribly cruel fact of life… but they can also get better if you just give us a chance."

"Please…" Locke begged of her hoarsely – his voice was barely an audible whisper, and he flinched as he lifted his head slowly and locked eyes with Rosseau. Jack deduced that he was probably running a dangerously high fever – he was shivering violently and his teeth chattered as he spoke. They didn't have long – even if Rosseau didn't shoot him he was likely to lose consciousness soon anyway, and if he did Jack knew that there was a chance he may never wake up.

She turned away.

Rousseau appeared to be contemplating her options – wresting with her conscience. She struggled to make a choice between sparing the life of the man before her, or complying with her own distorted perceptions of reality, and what they told her she must do – but finally she lowered her gun.

"If the worst should come to the worst you know what needs to be done." She told Sayid, before turning her back disappearing, once again, into the jungle.