This is my first attempt a Primeval story. However, I highly doubt it will be my last since I have recently developed an obsession with this show. I am sure a lot of my writing will be about Connor and Abby in the Cretaceous because it's just so...open for interpretation.
Anyway, please excuse any screw ups in creature or era facts.
Current song: "A New Dawn" - In Flames
Erase darkness from my mind
Last remaining night
From here to everywhere
I stand alone and breathe again
I won't stop until this is through
The sun lazily climbed the horizon, bringing with it the sounds of a new day. Herds were roaming in search of the day's graze. A lone ankylosaurus wandered through the trees, bowing its large head to investigate the foliage in the area. It nudged the thick collection of woven twigs and branches that refused to give beneath its efforts. With a snort, it continued to prod around the suspicious enclosure until it found an opening. The opening was small, but the dinosaur was curious and inched its head inside. Something pricked it just below its eye and it withdrew, instinct telling it that this was home to another animal even if it could not see it. With an almost indignant grunt, it retreated, still shaking its head at the uncomfortable twinge on its face.
Connor Temple lowered his self-made spear with a sigh. He would have much rather been studying the creature, but he had to be territorial or they would be overrun and forced from their shelter near the anomaly site. The young scientist wiped at his eyes, feeling much, much older these days. He was tired but sleep was an elusive luxury anymore. He and Abby would take shifts staying awake ever since the pack of compsognathus had stumbled upon them in the middle of the night, leaving Abby with a vicious scar on her thigh.
He shivered at the memory. The wound had been so close to the femoral artery. Thank God that they were at least trapped here with their supply packs and Abby had been smart enough to include the medical kit. The comfort in that did not stop him from becoming physically ill, though, when he had been forced to stitch her up in order to keep her from bleeding out.
"Connor…" She all but whimpered, feeling her right foot go cold with pins and needles. She pushed on the wound in her thigh as hard as her body would let her. Connor was fumbling with the medical kit, holding an unopened suture kit between his teeth as he fished out antiseptic and bandages.
"Hang on, Abby." He laid everything out, moving her shaking hands from the oozing wound. The little buggers had tried to carve an outright hole in her leg. "I…uh…" He watched the blood soak her jeans for a moment, suddenly realizing he had zero confidence in his ability to handle this situation. "Abby, I don't have anything to numb this…I don't even know…" Her heard her sob and closed his eyes.
"It's…it's okay, Connor." She licked her lips and slid down to her back, trying to keep herself from shaking. "Just…just do your best, yea?" She nodded and picked up the suture kit, presenting it to him. Connor looked at her, lip quivering. There was a pallor to her face that made her eyes appear more gray than blue and her body was jerking. She was going into shock.
"Okay." He nodded, taking the kit from her trembling hand. "Okay." He felt a wave of nausea as the needle bit into her skin…
A sigh came from within the cave, the first signal that Abby was waking up. He smiled at the comforting sound, thankful for the millionth time in the past 3 months that he wasn't alone. Using the spear to push to his feet, he turned to enter the actual cave area and lean against the wall. She was still lying in their makeshift bed of leaves, covered in her foil blanket. The fire projected her shadow across the wall, so perfectly that he could make out the movement of her breaths. Her back was to him, still fully clothed. They feared sleeping without clothing or shoes, never knowing when they may have to run from danger or toward the reopened anomaly. Furthermore, it was also cold at night. Abby would always offer her blanket, which he would always accept but only to fold up next to him as he spent most of the night sitting quietly, enveloped in his thoughts and worries and hopes. What little time they did sleep at the same time, they had slept top-to-toe, but at least there was physical contact. He slept better then. Now, he would toss and turn and awaken to ensure Abby was safe.
"Good morning."
He visibly started, eyes moving from the ground to meet her blue gaze. "Hey." She smiled lazily and stretched. Her hair was getting longer, the longest layer just below her ears now. He'd offered to cut it for her after she had helped him shave down his thickening beard, but she would have none of it, calling it "more trouble than it was worth." She was probably right. Besides, he liked it longer. He wondered how his hair looked at this point. It was definitely longer, shaggier.
"I'm going to go gathering. Want to come?" She folded up the blanket and stuffed it into her bag. He shook his head and propped his spear against the wall. "Fishing?"
"Probably." He answered, pillaging through his bag for something.
"You okay?" Abby asked, sliding her bag over her shoulder and picking up the stick she had started carrying with her. He gave a jerky nod and mimicked her with his bag, grabbing his spear. She knew he wasn't sleeping. Truthfully, she wasn't sleeping the greatest herself. She grabbed his arm as he walked by her, giving him an encouraging smile. "Be careful, Connor. Catch a big one and I'll cook tonight, okay?" It made her feel better when he returned the smile.
"Deal."
And they went their separate ways.
Abby hated going gathering alone. In fact, she really hated going anywhere alone. She had to be on constant alert, which made sorting through bulbs nearly impossible. She had taken to just grabbing up what she could and sorting when she returned to the camp. It took less concentration and they would usually end up with enough to last at least two days.
An hour later, she had a nearly full bag and she wondered how Connor was doing with the fish. She thought back to their first month, Connor had been injured and sore but had stood in that water for three hours, throwing and retrieving a terrible rendition of the spear he had now. He had come back emptyhanded for days, hurting and disappointed. Then he had caught one. She smiled. It had been barely big enough to feed one of them, but he had been so happy. Now, he had no issue coming back with three large fish…but the happiness and the pride had long since vanished.
Abby headed toward the lake, content with catching a quick bath if Connor had already headed back to camp. The first few weeks of exploring had proven to be difficult. She had gotten lost on more than one occasion, leaving an injured Connor beside himself with worry. He had actually yelled at her when she found her way back to camp that night. He wasn't angry, of course. She had been able to see the fear pouring from those chocolate orbs. Now, she could navigate the area with her eyes closed and could see the water in the distance within fifteen minutes at a leisurely pace.
The zoologist pushed aside the foliage and approached the water's edge, sliding her bag from her shoulder to place it and the stick at her feet. It was quiet aside from the occasional buzz of an insect or distant bellow of an unknown creature. She took a deep breath and relished in the clean air. A bath was just what she needed. She allowed her coat to slip from her shoulders and began to go to work on her belt when she noticed the damp clothing hanging from a tree limb just above her. Connor's clothing. A quick scan revealed two large fish tied to his spear, which was lying across his bag at the very edge of the shallows. Connor was never more than a few feet away from his spear.
And this time was no different.
He came out of the water with a gasp, smoothing his wet hair back with both hands. She mentally cursed and ducked behind the closest tree, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. Her pulse drummed in her ears, so loudly that she was sure the young scientist could hear it. She searched for…something…anything that could give her a way out. A diversion. She licked her lips nervously and slid down the tree to fetch a stone. She raised it above her head and rounded the tree, but the stone never left her grip.
Her eyes were drawn to him; glistening beads of water were clinging to his skin. Longer, wet hair that was sticking to the back of his neck. The water was settled just below his hips, leaving little to the imagination. Her gaze traced the scar that led from his right shoulder to his left hip. Parts of it were still red, even now. The raptor had ridden him down, it's sickle-shaped talon filleting his flesh. Abby cringed. There had been so much blood…
"Connor?" He gave a feeble nod. "I've put you back together, but I've got to clean this." A tear dropped onto his cheek, bringing a bloodshot eye up to meet her worried gaze. "It's going to hurt again, okay?" He nodded again, squeezing his eyes shut. Abby had cried with him while she closed the wound. She whispered apologies like a mantra as the antiseptic cleansed the long row of stitches. "I'm going to bandage you up now, okay?" She retrieved the supplies and leaned to get a look at his face when he didn't answer. "Connor?" Unconsciousness had mercifully taken him. Abby took that moment to lean forward and cry into his sweat-damp hair. It was too close this time…
She shook her head and threw the stone into the water. The moment it connected with the water's surface, she saw his head jerk and took the opportunity to run. She stopped just beyond the trees and turned to look over her shoulder. She couldn't see him anymore…and hopefully, he had not seen her.
She made it back to camp in record time, falling to her knees inside the cave. What had just happened? She felt flutters in her stomach, somewhere between excited and nauseous. Her cheeks and neck were flushed, decorated with a lovely pink that she was sure wouldn't be disappearing anytime soon. Was it really Connor making her feel this way? He was her best friend. She shook her head doggedly. It was the situation. The desperation. That was all. She nodded to herself and reached for her bag. She could start lunch and Connor would be none the wiser. Right? Right. She glanced around for her bag, hearing Connor approach behind her. 'Where did I…?' Her eyes widened. 'Shit.'
She turned with a grimace, met with her bag dangling from two fingers. "Forget something?" She closed her eyes with a loud groan.
"It's not what you think, Connor." Opening one eye, she found her bag, coat, and stick sitting in front of her and Connor was sitting a few feet away, taking to the task of cleaning the fish for dinner. "I was just…" She chewed her lip. The truth. "I thought you'd be back here and I wanted to wash up."
"Why didn't you?" He asked nonchalantly. He didn't look away from his task, nor did he smile. Was he being serious?
"Connor, I…"
"I'm just joshing, Abby." He looked up through his lashes and smiled at her. She could see something more behind his eyes, but decided it best to leave it be and gave him a smile of her own.
"I'll make some lunch."
"I think I'd like to have bulbs." He nodded as she walked by with her bag. "And could we have a side of bulbs with that?" She playfully smacked his shoulder in passing and disappeared into the cave. "We could have bulbs for dessert, too!"
"Shut up, Connor."
And I can't wait to see the sunrise again
It's moments like this
I am what you'll never be
To better what I am
You won't hear lies from me
TBC - Reviews make my world go 'round. :)
