It had taken a few minutes to calm Claire to an adequate level but she was still distraught, and Charlie was still angrily defending her.

"It's a baby Jack; don't you care that it's a bloody baby?"

"Of course I care Charlie. Look, dawn is in an hour; I'll get a team together and we'll see what we can find…"

"They could be half-way across the island by then!"

"They could be half-way across the island now. An hour won't make much difference."

"Well if you'd actually been here when they took him."

"I know! Don't you think I know that!"

"Oi! Don't shout around Claire! She doesn't need that right now."

Jack wanted to say that, in fact, Charlie had been the one who had begun shouting in the first place but it wouldn't be productive. "I'll go collect people." He walked away, heading across the beach before he had the chance to get even angrier and snapped.

"Are you okay now?" He sat down next to Sayid who had managed to sit up, supporting his head in one of his hands.

"I will be fine."

"You think you can be moving in an hour? We're going after Aaron."

"Of course."

Jack found himself wishing that there were more people on the island like Sayid; ones who would follow orders, or at least ones that didn't become hypochondriacs at the slightest cut or bruise. He got up and was starting to go to Kate, who had left Charlie comforting Claire and had gone to get a water bottle when he heard a voice that made his blood boil even more.

"What? I ain't invited?"

"You're not well enough Sawyer."

"I'm well enough," to illustrate his point he stood up, positioning himself directly in front of Jack, trying to mask the grimace of pain that was contorting his face.

"If I say that you can come will you stop bothering me?"

Sawyer chuckled, an arm wrapped around his stomach, "why? The good doctor a bit annoyed?"

"Leave it, or I won't let you come."

"Fine," he disappeared into his tent and Jack went to see Kate, getting a sympathetic glace from Sayid on route.

"We're going after Aaron at daybreak."

Kate nodded, reaching down to collect another bottle, offering it to Jack. He took it gratefully, trying to distract himself from thinking about Kate. He had reservations about taking her with them but she knew how to track and, as the Others would be far gone by now, her skills would be indispensable.

"You asked Locke yet?"

"Why would I be asking Locke?"

"Because he can track…"

"You can track." He spoke more abruptly than he had meant to but he couldn't help it. He needed to do this without Locke, he didn't want to be controlled by him.

"Barely compared to him."

"I can't have him coming!" He flinched instinctively when she laid a hand on his cheek and looked at her. It was an unexpected show of tenderness and he wondered for a moment if it meant that she cared. She removed it almost as quickly as she had applied it and looked down at the sand.

"How about I ask him?"

He swallowed and nodded, not stopping her from leaving, even though he wanted to grab her arm, pull her back and ask what her hand had meant. Was she just being a friend? Was she finally ready to choose him over Sawyer? He sighed, not sure if he'd ever be able to understand anything she did.

"I'm coming." He was jolted out of his daydream by Charlie's voice.

"No, you're not."

"Yes I am! I've got him back before Jack."

"This is a bit different from Rousseau."

"I can be useful, I know how…"

"Too many people are dangerous. You need to stay here and look after Claire." The softening on Charlie's face told Jack that he had struck a chord. He made his own voice as gentle as possible, "go see her, she needs you now."

Over Charlie's shoulder he could see Kate talking to Locke, a smile spread across the other man's face. Jack felt his stomach clench with anger, he's pay anything to knock that smile away.