He walks amongst us, but he is not one of us.

[Just before setting off into port, you're being treated to another public service announcement, courtesy of the angry inmate doctor.

For the first time in what's probably a couple weeks, Jack isn't wearing scrubs or a lab coat when he turns on the video feed, but he's still in the infirmary. He's just in the process of slinging a backpack over his shoulder and apparently getting ready to leave.]

I know I'm not the first person to say it, but trust me - pack before you go running off into the woods by yourself. Bandages, plenty of water, food, something to build a fire, all of it. We have no idea how long we're going to be here, and you run out of things faster than you think you will.

If you get hurt and don't have any first aid experience, get in touch with me or one of the other doctors. Don't try to pull anything out of a puncture wound unless it's basically a sliver, I don't care what you saw in a movie about needing to dig a bullet out, and don't eat anything you don't recognize. [Which he feels like should go without saying, but considering some of the stuff he's seen people do here... yeah, going to say it anyway.]

Stay smart and stay safe. See you guys back here in a couple days.

[Spam for Scott]

[Jack hadn't asked too many questions about why Scott had seemed relatively insistent on hanging out with him versus doing... anything else. The doctor might not like being an inmate - and probably never will - but he's definitely become fond of his warden, and there are definitely worse ways to spend the next couple days than hiking around in the woods with him.

Really, he probably could have been saddled with just about anyone, and he'd probably still be having a nice couple days ahead of him. He's missed this. Missed it a lot, actually, so even if this planet isn't anything close to the Island, it's still nice to off the Barge and away from his old apartment and the infirmary and everything else, and part of him almost wishes he didn't have to go back.

Almost, but being here forever isn't where he needs to be, so here we are.

They've been walking for a while in silence, and while that's fine, Scott definitely seems a little... off. Not quite sullen, not quite unspeakably upset, but off, and after a while, it's not something he feels like he can get away totally ignoring.]

If you're getting tired, we can stop and have lunch. [Or you can talk about what's bugging you? Either way.]

[Jack's in the infirmary, and has been pretty much since port ended, give or take a few hours - it had been his first stop after getting himself cleaned up a little, and after finding out Banner and David are pretty much down for the count for the time being, he doesn't feel like leaving is really a responsible decision to make. He might still be feeling less than charitable towards a good percentage of the population here, but he's a doctor. He's pretty much the only one they've got right now, and he cares about enough people even tangentially to not want to leave.

Unfortunately, he's still not a warden, so his access to certain things is restricted, which is still a sore spot, but. He is trying to suck it up for the time being.

So he looks pretty well put together, in a clean set of blue scrubs with a white lab coat, and is currently standing in front of some of the cabinets in the infirmary. He looks a little tired, but attempts a smile for the camera, and it looks genuine enough. Again, tired, maybe a little strained, but not fake.]

For anyone who hasn't met me yet, I'm Dr. Jack Shephard, and I was a spinal surgeon in Los Angeles for years before coming here. The infirmary's still open for anyone who needs medical attention, but we're short staffed. If you've signed up as one of our on call wardens or have any medical experience or training at all, [with the obvious exception of Dr. Lecter :v] We'd definitely appreciate having some extra hands once you feel up to helping out.

And even if you think you might need medical attention, I suggest you stop by. Better to get it looked at now before you're face down in the hallway with a gangrenous blister.

[He's about to leave it at that, but then his face screws up in thought for a moment, because this is something he's been sitting on for a while now, and the port had really only made it worse.]

A few days after our plane crashed, we started running out of fresh water. We hadn't found any sources of it on the island yet, so everything had to be rationed, but there just wasn't enough to go around for forty seven people sitting around in the hot sun all day. This one guy - someone who'd tried to save a woman who was drowning earlier that morning - tried to come up with a way to pass it out to the people who needed it the most by stealing what was left of it, and everyone else ganged up on him when they caught him. One guy really started wailing on him, and then I showed up and-

[He stops short and chuckles at himself.] I ended up giving this - [His expression screws up again into something self deprecating.] Speech, because I guess everyone needed me to be the leader. Or just needed someone to be, and I happened to be a convenient nominee. Anyway, I said that every man for himself wasn't going to work, and that everyone needed to find a way to contribute, because before the crash? We were all strangers. On the Island, we couldn't be. So if we couldn't live together, then we're going to die alone.

[Which is being said with the conviction and finality of someone who still believes this, and who's said this phrase a million times since that day.]

"Live together, die alone" kind of became a catchphrase for us. Even for people who met up with us who weren't on the plane. [And he still misses them, and still hates that so many of them are dead, now. How many are even left? They still don't know what happened to Sun, why she hadn't been with them when Ajira Flight 316 had gone down.]

I still think that's true, here. Maybe we don't die permanently when we die here, but if we can't figure out a way to work together? You'll get left alone in a bad port like that, or get too busy fighting about how things should work to realize you're missing what you set out to accomplish in the first place. Find some way to contribute. I don't care if you're a warden or an inmate: we're all in this together. And for a lot of us, if we can't learn to live together, we really are going to die alone.

[Private to Scott]

We're getting you an inhaler, and giving ones to anyone else you trust to keep it safe for you in case something like that port happens again. [This isn't something you're going to have a choice about, if his tone of voice is anything to go by.]

Are you still having any symptoms, or did it stop once your powers were restored? And while we're on the subject, do you have a history of any other medical conditions I should be aware of if something like that happens again?

[Private to Stiles]

[... This is slightly more complicated, because he's definitely not a psychologist, and he's not even exactly certain of why Stiles bolted in the first place. They'd tried to follow him, but considering how little they knew about the terrain or whether they'd even been in this cavern before, it had pretty much been a lost cause from the start.]

Did you find Scott?

[That seems safe to start off with.]

[ooc: Feel free to spam Jack in the infirmary if you're in the mood for that!]

[Jack's in the infirmary wearing a labcoat and blue scrubs, and looks... pretty much exactly the same as he usually does. Maybe a little less angry and jumpy, because he's been here long enough now to calm down a fair bit - or at least get better at not being angry at everything every waking moment of every single day.]

Alright, this is probably one of the stranger floods I've been around for. [And he sounds more okay with this than anyone who has interacted with him thus far] Is anyone actually keeping track of what changes people are experiencing?

And I strongly encourage you all to listen to Dr. Banner's reminder in cause things go sour, considering how things usually go when different personalities are involved.

[A while later, there's a second note tacked on to the wardens. Note that this isn't on the warden filter, just filtered to them. Jack still has quite a ways to go before he's on the other side of this fence.]

[Filtered to Wardens]

[Now he sounds a little pissed, but it's really more just aggravation because:] I can't find my keys to the infirmary anywhere. I know they were in my room, and it doesn't look like anyone's been in there, but it still might be a good idea for someone to ask the Admiral to change the locks and for everyone else to make sure no one's wandered off with theirs.