Chapter Text
Sawyer coughed hard. His throat burned like hell and his head spun. He wasn’t sure why, but he figured it was the flu or maybe just a cold. The symptoms had started early in the morning, right after he woke up. At first, it was just a runny nose and a light cough now and then. But soon, the cough got worse and his throat started to sting. Basically, he felt like shit (and also looked like shit). At first, he tried to go back to sleep, tossing and turning for a while, but eventually, he realized it was pointless. There was no way he was getting back to sleep.
He decided to get up and take a walk, pushing through the pain. He walked for a bit before sitting down near the seashore. His eyes locked onto the waves as they formed and crashed in front of him. He tilted his head up to the sky and watched for a few minutes, counting the stars.
Suddenly, Sawyer heard footsteps behind him. Jack's voice rang in his ears, and he immediately started coughing violently, clutching his chest.
"Are you okay, Sawyer?" the doctor asked.
"Of course I am, Doc. What makes you think I’m not?" Sawyer replied sarcastically.
Jack sighed. "Fuck you, Sawyer."
The blonde man opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by another cough, even harsher than the last one.
"Hey, seriously, if you let me check you over, I might be able to help."
"Get lost."
"I can't fucking understand you, Sawyer," Jack snorted, frustrated. He waited for the other man to say something, but when he didn’t, he just turned and walked away.
Sawyer stared at him as he walked away. He felt something rise in his chest, followed by a sharp pain that made him squirm and cough again. He looked up at the sky again. It was still a while before dawn. He lay down on the sand and tried to sleep again. This time, he finally managed to.