Part 274: The Journeymen . . .and women

The road was looking more and more bleak. It had been a while since they started walking and as a result, the dirt road seemed like it was stretching onto forever. “Well, this might be a good sign,” Locke said, “It’s entirely possibly this make shift road will go all the way to Broadway.”

“By any chance, will it go to Broadway, New York?” asked Shanna, wiping her sweat.

“No,” the older man smiled plainly.

Tony smiled, as the group continued their walking, making slide jokes here and there. He was sorry that the prisoners escaped in time to steal the jeep but they had walked across the entire Island to get to Jack and his crew last time. Walking to the other side of the Island shouldn’t be that big of a problem. Marita adjusted her hat then took Tony’s hand again, guiding him. The blind doctor turned his head toward her direction and smiled. The Latina was a little thrown back by the direction he tilted his head. “Tony,” she whispered, “ Are you looking at me?”

“If my eyes worked, yeah,” he grinned.

“Just wait, Tone. When we leave this Island, you will get the best doctors and they will fix your remaining eye and then you’ll be able to see again.”

“Sure,” he smiled.

He kept up the positive attitude, mostly for Marita’s sake. He didn’t know the extent of the damage to his eye so he wasn’t sure if any laser or surgery procedure could fix it. He wasn’t all that sad about it; he knew he would have Marita by his side.

Locke jogged ahead past Sayid and wound up with McKay in the lead. The bald man smiled as his fellow bald man. “Excited?” McKay asked.

“The Island never fails to keep me entertained.” Locke grinned.

“Makes me wonder something about you, old man,” the Australian mused.

“What might that be?”

“Say for instance, we do find a way off this Island . . . are you actually going to take it?”

“You think I might stay behind?” Locke chuckled.

“If you did, I think Mia might be heart broken.” McKay smirked.

“Yes, “ the older man smiled, “I think I would too.”

“You familiar with the Odyssey, Locke?” the Australian asked.

“Yes, once of Homer’s best stories. I prefer it to the Battle of Troy.”

“One of things I remember about Odysseus is that what was told to him by the blind prophet.”

“He kept focusing on the end goal but it was the Journey that made up his life,” Locke answered for him, “You see me as an Odysseus?”

“In a way,” the Australian replied, “I don’t think it’s the end goal that will define you for who you are. It’s the journey that will make up your life.”

Locke smiled. “I like that.” He agreed.

Behind Tony and Marita, Jack walked along until Sawyer came up to his left. The redneck lit up a cigarette then blew out the smoke into the air. The doctor groaned a bit, as he hated cigarette smoke. Somehow he suspected Sawyer knew that. “Sawyer, would it be possible for you to be any less annoying?” Jack asked.

“Possibly,” Sawyer replied, “But something tells me . . .I’d screw it up.”

“Well, at least you are honest about it.”

“Let me ask you something, Jack.” The redneck took a drag from his cigarette.

“Yeah? What?” the doctor inquired.

“McKay mentioned that Kate suggested me for this trip and it was you that gave me a vote of confidence to the group about it. That true?”

“Yeah, it is.” Jack sighed.

“Not that I don’t mind getting on your nerves but why would you do that?” the southern man questioned.

“You know the old saying, Sawyer,” Jack smirked, “Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.”

Sawyer blinked. “So we are enemies then?” he asked.

Jack looked at him, noticing the sincerity in his voice. “I don’t know,” he admitted, “Are we friends?”

The redneck finished off his cigarette and flung it away. “I don’t think so,” he confessed, “But I don’t want to be your enemy either. I reckon you and me . . .are somewhere in between.”

“I can live with that.” Jack smirked.

“Me too,” Sawyer extended his hand.

The doctor smiled and took it, shaking his hand. Behind them Kate smiled at the sincere if only brief show of brotherhood between them. She would rather they not bicker over pointless things anyway. The brunette turned to her redheaded friend; noticing that her head was tilted in a downward direction. “Stop staring at his butt,” Kate whispered to her.

“Sorry,” she whispered back.

Jack and Sawyer then turned around to look at them both. Shanna and Kate returned their gaze with bright, innocent smiles. The two men turned to each other, having confusing looks. They thought they over heard what the two young ladies said but the question was, whose buttocks were they talking about? Sawyer felt like questioning it but he was interrupted by Marita making mention of something. “There is a jeep ahead,” the Latina said.

The group turned their focus onto the wrecked vehicle further up the road. It was collided with a tree, practically hugging it. “Is that the jeep the old man stole?” Jack asked.

“Naw, “ Sawyer mentioned, “It’s Belmont’s jeep, when he took Co-cheese and the chica.”

“Is Belmont’s body over there?” Locke asked.

“Nope,” Tony sighed, “The Polliwog got him.”

“Then whose body is that?” McKay pointed as he got closer.

“It’s bound to be Pristine,” the blind doctor answered, “She was killed in the jeep when it crashed.”

“She isn’t in the jeep, Tony, she’s on the ground . .OH, GOD!” McKay turned his head.

“McKay, what is it?” asked Shanna alarmed.

“Don’t come up here, darlin,” the Australian warned.

Locke held his mouth as he took a closer look. Pristine’s body was in the front of the jeep and judging by the lacerations and missing pieces all over her body, it didn’t look like anybody moved it that was human. “She’s been ripped apart,” the bald man coughed, “Probably boars.”

“Oh, gross,” the redhead felt sick.

“Close your eyes, baby doll,” Sawyer said, extending his hand.

The drummer closed her eyes and allowed the southern man to guide her past the carnage. She held her mouth trying not to get sick from the stench. Kate helped push her past the body of the former female leader in the Liberation. The group finally made it past all of that and kept walking. Sayid mentioned it would be dark soon.

No choice but to make camp. They wouldn’t be able to secure The Rogue if they were dead tired from walking.