Playing God Chapter 1, a Jurassic Park + Walking Dead Crossover fanfic

A/N: Ta-da! A new Daryl Dixon story! And my very first crossover. I know a couple TWD/JP stories exist, and because I love both universes equally, I decided to put my writing to the test and see if I can shake things up for our favorite dirty redneck. I will also be continuing with my Negan story, so never fear. I just couldn't wait to get this out any longer. I'm excited for this story and I have a pretty good idea of where I want it to go. I will be pulling from both the movie and the book Jurassic Park for any references I may make or any plot lines I prefer. So sit back and hold onto your butts everybody. I proudly present the first installment of Playing God.

FYI, all of my chapters are pretty much posted once I finish typing them, so if there are errors, I apologize.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or its characters. I do not own Jurassic Park or its characters. All original characters and original plots, however, do belong to me.

Chapter I

Daryl Dixon hated airplanes; they were far too crowded, far too noisy, and frankly, they flew too goddamn high. He realized that was the whole point, but still, he didn't have to like it. The kid beside him had one of those Gameboy devices and the volume was up way too loudly, the baby at the front of the plane was throwing a conniption, and the business-suit in front of him was speaking agitatedly into a cell phone. Anxiety ran rampant through him, expelling itself in the forms of bouncing his knee and gnawing on his thumbnail. Finally, the flight attendants began their routine of shutting down cell phones and preparing the plane for flight. An older attendant tapped the suit in front of him on the shoulder, and the man waved dismissively at first.

"Sir," Daryl heard the attendant say in a clipped tone. "You need to shut your phone off. We're about to take off."

Take off. Daryl's least favorite part of flying—not that he did it very often, but his brother had been a persistent douchebag about his visiting for a week. The suit in front of him cut his conversation off and hung up the phone, turned it off seconds later, to the approval of the flight attendant. She moved further up the aisle, repeating herself to other passengers. Daryl huddled into his seat, glancing at the Gameboy beside him. He recognized the game; one of Merle's dealers' kids had one. Suddenly the speaker above him rang, signaling the captain's connection to the PA system.

"Welcome to Southwest Airlines: Isla Nublar Charter. It's a beautiful day for flying, and we will be taking off shortly." Daryl tuned out after that and glanced out the window. Fortunately, he was on the aisle, and so he wouldn't be forced to stare out at the clouds as they soared above them.

The captain went through the rules for flying, and at the heads of the aisles, the flight attendants demonstrated the procedure in the event of extreme turbulence. Daryl's stomach rolled with nervousness and he lifted his thumb back to his mouth to chew on the nail. His knee was still bouncing a mile a minute, and finally the kid with the Gameboy looked over at him and sneered.

"Can you stop?" he sassed. Immediately Daryl's leg stopped and he scowled. The kid wrinkled his nose. Little snot-nosed brat. Where were his parents anyways? Who let a kid fly alone? He scoffed to himself and turned his head to look up and down the aisle.

The plane moved forward slowly but suddenly, and Daryl involuntarily gripped his armrests with white knuckles. The kid continued Pokemon-ing away, ignoring his flight-mate. As the plane turned toward the runway and began to pick up speed, Daryl glanced out the window at the luggage trains and other planes as they whizzed by. His stomach rolled with nausea and he closed his eyes, preparing himself for take-off. He felt the front end of the plane lift up, and suddenly they were in the air, climbing higher into the blue sky. The plane levelled out, and the 'Seatbelt' light went off, allowing the passengers to get up and move around. Daryl made a beeline for the restroom and promptly vomited his meager breakfast into the airline toilet. He shoved a stick of gum into his mouth and sat back down in his seat, but not before asking a flight attendant for a Jack and Coke, as well as a ginger ale for his stomach. If he was going to be stuck on this flight with a snot-nosed brat, he was going to be at least a little buzzed.

He ended up sleeping for most of the flight after he put on an in-flight movie. Not even halfway through, he grew bored and his eyelids became heavy. The kid's Gameboy hadn't yet run out of batteries, but Daryl tuned it out as he let his exhaustion take over.

"Dr. Morley, to the hatchery. Dr. Morley, to the hatchery," chimed the PA system. The doctor in question sighed and leaned back in her chair, dropping her pen on the notebook she'd be scrawling in. She lifted the brim of her baseball cap and rubbed her thumb and index finger into her eyes. She'd been up since sunrise, and though it was only noon, she felt the tiredness in her head and in her muscles as she stood. The PA rang again.

"I'm coming," she muttered in annoyance. She tucked her apartment key into her pocket and flipped the lock on the doorknob as she closed the door behind her. She jogged to the elevator, catching it for a ride to the fifth floor. A small woman was the lone occupant inside, and Liz couldn't for the life of her remember her name. Molly? Maggie? Something with an M. Either way, the woman smiled timidly and side-stepped into the corner to give Liz space.

The elevator cruised to the fifth floor and stopped, and Liz stepped out and hurried down the hallway. Clear plate-glass windows lined the hall, allowing people walking by to see the goings-on inside the lab. Scientists and biologists in lab coats and protective eyewear hunched over microscopes, flipped through clipboards, and typed away at computers. Liz grimaced; she hated computers. She didn't even have one in her apartment, having chosen to do all of her note-taking the old-fashioned way—pen and paper. The scenery in the lab changed as she moved along, and the familiar overhead sign for the hatchery greeted her. She scanned her identification card at the pad on the wall, and the small lightbulb lit up green. The automatic doors slid open silently, and she stepped through. She never got bored of the sight inside the hatchery. Four-foot platforms filled the room, each one with an indent inside to cradle a layer of straw that acted as pillows for every egg the lab produced.

The director of the lab, Dr. Wu, turned upon her entry and smiled. He had a clipboard in his hands as well, and Liz didn't think she'd ever seen him without one. He stepped over to her.

"How was field this morning?" he asked curiously. Truthfully, he lived for Liz's stories of her field expeditions; he himself was far too skittish to venture outside of the lab. He found safety and comfort in spreadsheets and graphs, and within the fences of the enclosures was somewhere he never wanted to be. So he instead chose to live vicariously through Liz.

"Insightful," she replied, meandering over to one of the platforms. "Observing herbivores' maternal instincts is definitely a sight to behold. One of the trikes nearly impaled a Gallimimus that ventured too close to her baby."

"And the carnivores?" Dr. Wu asked. Liz looked down at the massive, foot-long eggs nestled in the straw, a heating lamp keeping their precious treasures warm inside. One of them wiggled.

She sighed. "Still the same. The raptors don't take kindly to new infants. Found the carcasses of the two we tried to assimilate. The rex I'm not too sure of. She's been strangely elusive lately."

"Where's the infant now?" Wu questioned. He moved to stand beside her as the egg continued to wiggle. Liz had yet to see an actual hatching of an animal; every time a newborn hatched, she was either asleep or out in the field. Excitement bubbled in her stomach.

"We transported her back to the corral. She wasn't too thrilled when she woke up from her little snooze. What are these?"

"Apatosaurs. Our first clutch, so fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly." The pair watched as the first crack was made at the crest of the egg. "Gather round everyone! We're going to have a new arrival." The lab technicians crowded the platform to watch; there was a tenseness to the atmosphere as everyone held his or her breath and waited.

As the egg continued to crack, a tiny, yet long head slowly peeked out from between the cracks. The egg tooth on the end of the baby Apatosaurus's snout glistened with moisture from inside the egg. Soon, pieces of the egg began to fall away, revealing a wet, grey body underneath. The infant Apatosaur's long neck uncurled and its head emerged from the haven of the egg, to the delight of its audience. Its small eyes swiveled inside its head, taking in its surroundings before it let out a very infantile wail and moved to crawl from the egg. Its body glistened under the heat lamp, and the baby dinosaur lay in the soft hay, breathing heavily. On shaky legs, it attempted to push itself up, and quiet cheers flittered around the room as it remained standing. Liz felt a smile form on her own face as she watched the young dinosaur attempt to walk, wobbling on its skinny legs for the very first time. Its neck was nearly a foot long already, and its tail was even longer. It swung to and fro as the dinosaur waddled across the platform, bumping into the other eggs in the clutch—other eggs that, regrettably, remained still.

Wu turned to address an assistant behind him, ordering her to fetch the park's veterinarian for an examination of its newest dinosaur. The Apatosaurus raised its long neck and let out a small trumpet. The vet arrived quickly and slid on a pair of rubber gloves. He lifted the dinosaur into his arms and, to the crowd's disapproval, carted her out the door to his examination room. Liz bid goodbye to Dr. Wu and followed the vet.

On the exam table, the Apatosaurus was putting up a fight. Dr. Carson kept a restraining hand on its head and tail, preventing it from swinging either at him in defense.

"She's feisty," Carson observed. "Hand me that sedative there on the counter." Liz turned and carefully lifted the syringe, passed it off to Carson.

"Now if you can just restrain her for me. Careful, she's strong for a wiry little thing."

The baby Apatosaurus could hardly be called little, as she was already nearly four feet long from her head to her tail. Liz grabbed onto the dinosaur like Carson had, one arm around her neck and the other around the base of her tail. She struggled to keep her still as Carson felt for a vein in the baby's neck, injecting the sedative slowly. Almost immediately the infant began to relax and drooped in Liz's arms.

"Good. She'll be quiet for a bit while I complete the exam. So, I heard that the herbivore adoption agency is now open for business." While he spoke, Carson hefted the large infant to a scale on the counter, taking down her weight before measuring her from snout to tail.

"With the Triceratops, it is. I'm not too sure how the Pachys are going to handle it. A few of the more dominant females have been butting heads like they're on a rampage."

Carson hummed as he checked the Apatosaur's teeth, eyes, nostrils, and feet. "Perhaps they sense something. Or they're just PMSing."

Liz glared good-naturedly at the vet as he grinned. The PA system rang again, pausing both of them.

"Dr. Morley, to security. Dr. Morley, to security."

"God dammit," she hissed. "We'll continue this talk later, doc."

"Sure thing, Liz. Good luck!"

Liz ducked out of the room and back into the hallway, opting for the stairs this time around. Security was on the other end of the compound, but she'd get there faster going two floors down and cutting through Accounting. She reached the security shed in a matter of minutes. Inside, computer monitors reflected the goings-on in every corner of the park—the cafeteria, the recreation rooms, the hotel hallways, plus the enclosures, gates, and everything in between.

A tall, nearly balding man with his back to her stood at the center of it all, turning his upper body as he watched each monitor.

"What is it, Merle?" she asked as she entered after flashing her card key. The balding man turned and grinned widely.

"There's my favorite doctor." Merle Dixon was a brute of man with the personality of a teddy bear—almost. His crass and often inappropriate humor left something to be desired, but Liz took it all in stride. Of course, there were plenty of moments when she wanted to deck him for some of the things that left his rotten mouth, but she never did. He was the head of security, and he took his job incredibly seriously.

She rolled her eyes. "Sweet talk, already? At least buy me dinner first." He barked a laugh and wrapped a long arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his side. He smelled like cigars, having no doubt sparked one on his break earlier. Liz politely shoved away from him and shot him a look that said get down to business.

"Rex has been pacing in front of camera four for a while." Merle's tone eked concern and to prove his point, he tapped one of the technicians on the shoulder. The wiry man pressed keys on his keyboard, and camera four's perspective blew up on the main monitor. On the screen, the massive female Tyrannosaurus could be seen, moving back and forth in front of the camera, shaking her huge head in agitation.

The way her jaws opened and closed told Liz she was vocalizing, but she was unable to hear them. The Rex stopped for a moment and one of her heavily-muscled legs, armed with eight-inch long talons, lifted and then dropped into the dirt. She dug at the earth, kicking up dust that clouded the screen. Liz observed her behavior for a while, watching the muscle ripple beneath her scaly skin. Her tail lashed out, and Liz watched in fascination.

"I know what's wrong with her," she said suddenly. Merle turned his head to look down at her, confused by the smile on her face. Liz glanced up at him, a twinkle in her eye. "She's horny."

"You serious?" Merle asked, turning back to the screen. Liz leaned forward and pointed her finger at the base of the Rex's tail, where, just barely, clear liquid could be seen dripping down into the dirt.

"As a heart attack. She's in heat. Probably why I haven't been able to find her for a little infant introduction. It's my theory that a female Rex will keep herself hidden and will vocalize for a mate. Kind of like when a bull moose trumpets. She calls for the males, and they come running and duke it out for the chance to, uh, get it on," Liz explained. "This nearly confirms it. Too bad we don't have a male to really test it out."

"Huh. A horny dinosaur. Who'd have thought? Oh, I told ya 'bout my baby brother visitin' by for the week, right?"

"You did. Can I see the raptor enclosure please?" The main monitor changed screens and suddenly they were inside the velociraptor enclosure, surrounding by tropical underbrush. "Turn the camera, please. I'd like to see it all." The camera moved from side to side slowly.

"I'd like to take him 'round the park, show him some behind-the-scenes shit. That gonna be okay? I just wanna give him the full JP experience, ya know?"

"You're head of security, Merle. You don't need my clearance. Stop!" The camera stilled and Liz peered at the screen. A shadow passed rapidly through the underbrush, and then it was gone. She sighed. The Rex wasn't the only dinosaur being elusive—but at least the Rex had a reason why.

"I know, but you're kinda like my higher-up in a way." Liz quirked an eyebrow. "I think ya gonna like 'im. He's more nervous than a fawn but he warms up fast. I reckon he's pro'lly pissin' himself on his cruise over here."

"When does he get in?"

"Should be in in a couple hours. I'll meet him at the resort. We'll be back in time for dinner."

"Cool. I've got some things I need to see to. Preparations to make for tomorrow's tour. Will your brother be joining it?"

Merle smirked. "Hell yeah. Gonna make 'im sit through the whole Mr. DNA spiel."

Liz chuckled. "You are the evil older brother aren't you?"

"Like I said, full JP experience, babe. I'll catch ya at dinner."

"Sure thing. Take it easy boys." Then she disappeared from the room.

Daryl hated ships even more than he hated airplanes. His stomach was still roiling with sea sickness even as he stepped foot on the dock. A large grey sign advertised Jurassic Park in red letters. Daryl hitched his knapsack higher on his shoulder, sighed, and moved forward with the crowd, his suitcase rolling behind him. He took a shuttle from the dock to the resort, and as the bus rumbled along, he took in the view.

Rolling hills and mountains surrounded the island, covered in green foliage. Only higher up towards the summits did the trees thin out to give way to sharp cliff faces. The sun illuminated everything, giving the island an eerie, ethereal sort of glow. Daryl picked at his thumbnail, wincing when the bus hit a particularly large divot in the road. Soon the transformed school bus pulled up in front of the main building of the resort. Right behind the flat, wide building loomed the hotel, and even further where Daryl couldn't see, sat the operations building. Daryl stepped off the bus and it didn't take him long at all to find his older brother.

Merle towered over everyone else as they passed him to check in to their rooms. He was dressed in dark cargo pants, a grey shirt with the Jurassic Park logo embroidered on the chest, and what seemed to be a bulletproof vest with the same emblem. A radio, nightstick, and handgun were strapped to the utility belt at his waist. Daryl hadn't seen Merle in months, not since he took this damn security gig—if it kept him out of trouble, Daryl wouldn't be caught complaining—but not much about the man changed, aside from the fact that he looked…happy. Genuinely happy.

And sober.

"Little brother!" he greeted loudly in his raspy voice. He pulled Daryl into a quick hug, made awkward by the latter's knapsack, before pulling away to grin down at him. "How was ya flight?"

Daryl scoffed. "Sucked. Next time, put me out with one of them tranquilizers."

"Ahh, you were fine. You're gonna like it here, baby brother. One o' the best gigs I coulda landed."

"It's the only gig you've landed," Daryl retorted. Merle threw an arm over his brother's shoulder and led him into the building.

Inside, a life-size skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex greeted them. The main desk curled around the platform upon which the skeleton was attached, and the lobby split off into different corridors behind him. A winding set of stairs led to the second level. Behind the desk, a middle-aged brunette in a headset waited to greet them.

"Welcome to Jurassic Park," she said robotically, flashing a pretty smile. Merle sauntered up to the desk and leaned an elbow on it while Daryl let his eyes roam the interior. Framed fossils hung along the walls, and interior foliage plants had been strategically placed to decorate the area. Above his head, a banner was hung that read When Dinosaurs Roamed the Earth.

Daryl had never been a dinosaur fanatic; sure, he'd learned about some of them in school when he wasn't getting suspended, but he never truly took an interest in them. It was why he was so confused when Merle first told him about the security job he landed on an island for a biological preserve.

"What kinda preserve? Like a zoo?" Daryl had asked, feeling more and more dumbstruck the longer he listened to Merle.

"Kinda. You'll see for sure, I promise," had been Merle's vague and kind of cryptic reply.

Daryl still wasn't completely sure what he expected to see at this preserve—elephants or lions or something. He'd never been to the zoo as a kid, so he felt odd agreeing to visit Merle on the island. Not to mention, he didn't do tropical vacations on faraway islands with fancy drinks in coconuts with little umbrellas. It just wasn't his thing. Now, as he studied the main lobby, he was feeling even less sure about this.

"Yo, Daryl." Merle's voice brought him back to the present. "Let's go, man. Get ya set up in ya room. Got a lot to show ya."

With that, the brothers walked around the Tyrannosaur platform towards the corridor at the back of the building. They walked through a dimly lit, wide hallway, upon which newspaper articles had been printed and framed. More fossils were on display as well, and a massive leg bone, from some dinosaur whose Daryl couldn't pronounce, sat protected in a glass case. Daryl marveled at the size of it, pausing to read the small inscription.

"Hey Merle? What's a…"

"Argentinosaurus. Big herbivore—leaf-eater. Come on, lots to see." Daryl fell back into step with his brother.

The end of the hallway revealed a set of automatic revolving doors. Daryl and Merle stepped into the next vacant space and exited the building. A beautiful terrace led the way to the hotel, and mulch beds full of colorful flowers and tropical plants decorated the path. Outside the hotel was a large terrace and sitting area. Wrought iron benches and tables and chairs allowed the guests to relax outside in the sunshine. Daryl thought he'd stepped into one of those travel brochures.

Merle led the way into the hotel and the brothers headed towards the elevators. Daryl's suite was on the top floor, courtesy of Merle. A large bay window at the end of the hall overlooked the island, but before he could get a glimpse, Merle was tugging him into one of the suites. It was big enough to be an apartment; it came complete with its own kitchen, a sitting area, and one massive king-sized bed. The room was fully furnished in earthy tones, and Daryl's suite overlooked the back of the building, where he could see for miles across the island.

Momentarily he was stunned, and he just stared out at the rolling landscape. He had to admit, Merle had something good here if this is what he got to see every day.

Merle helped himself to the mini bar in the sitting area while Daryl showered and changed into different clothes.

"Pick somethin' with sleeves, will ya?" Merle called out to him, twirling the glass in his hand.

"It's hotter 'n hell out here!" was Daryl's quick retort before the shower turned on.

He stood under the spray, letting the hot water wash away the airplane and cruise ship grime, as well as ease the tension in his shoulders. He hated flying and he hated the ocean, but Merle was determined to get him out here, so he dealt with it. He scrubbed his head and rinsed, shut the water off. With a towel draped around his hips, he wiped the mirror and debating on shaving. The small amount of facial hair he had was becoming unruly. Just a trim then.

Minutes later he reappeared in the sitting area, dressed in new pants and, to Merle's satisfaction, a short-sleeved shirt. His hair was combed but still hung in his face. Merle set the glass on the minibar and all but dragged Daryl out of the room.

"Le's go, baby brother."

Merle took him out of the hotel to the operations building nestled in the trees behind the hotel. It was a grey building with factory chimneys on its roof.

"Helicopter pad is up there," Merle pointed out, gesturing to the roof. He flashed his card key at the scanner on the wall, and the door buzzed and unlocked. Merle ushered Daryl inside and the elder brother saluted in greeting. "Morning, Tyreese."

"Morning, sir," came the security guard's short reply. He was standing at attention beside a metal detector, and the brothers dropped the contents of their pockets into the waiting bins. Daryl stepped through the detector and followed Merle to a set of stairs.

"So there's a lab in that main building where we checked in, but there's a larger one in here as well as the hatchery. Your tour will start at the main lobby in the other building and you'll get to see a bit of what we do here," Merle was explaining as they climbed. "In here, there's also the main surveillance room, and that's where we'll head first. We also have a vet's office in here, Accounting is in here, employee cafeteria, so on and so forth."

"How many people work here?" Daryl asked as Merle held open the door to the security floor.

"Hundreds, including tour guides and the concession stand workers."

"Shit. And they manage to pay all of you?"

Merle grinned devilishly and scanned his card key again at another door. Inside, Daryl took in the half-circle of computer monitors and the employees behind them. Along the wall in front of them were more, larger monitors, with one massive monitor in the center. Each of the monitors showed some part of the park—including the enclosures. Daryl found himself rendered speechless as he focused on the enclosure surveillance cameras. On one of them, massive animals with diamond-shaped plates along their backs ambled in the forest, ducking their narrow heads to graze on the underbrush.

"This…this can't be real," Daryl murmured as he moved on to the next monitor. Here, the one dinosaur he recognized—Triceratops—grazed in an open field. The sun reflected off the protective frill on its head, and its three horns were sharp at the points. Daryl eyed the two over its eyes; three feet long and ramrod-straight, they were no doubt useful weapons against predators.

"This is that CGI shit, ain't it?" Daryl asked, but even he knew there was no way it could be. He exhaled in a long whoosh, stepping back a couple steps from the monitor. He looked to Merle, who was grinning at him.

"I had the same reaction, baby brother. When I applied for the job and InGen told me what I'd be working with, I wanted to deck the bastard for tryna play some sick joke. But then they took me on a Jeep tour, out into the herbivore paddock. Damn near shit myself when one o' them trikes wandered up to the side of the Jeep."

"This is…" Daryl rubbed his fists into his eyes. "I must be jetlagged out o' my mind."

Merle laughed and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "It'll pass, baby brother, but them creatures are as real as you and me. C'mon, time to see more." As much as Daryl wanted to stay and watch the animals—the dinosaurs—on the screens, he followed Merle out with new anticipation, wondering what else this park would show him.

"How did they—they're dinosaurs, Merle. How the fuck even…"

Merle continued to laugh. "Relax, baby brother. When you take your tour, you'll see soon enough. Speakin' of tours, here's ya guide now. 'Ey, Liz!"

Daryl's eyes zeroed in on the woman who just emerged into the hall. She was dressed in cargo shorts and a plaid button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail and shoved under a Jurassic Park baseball cap. She turned at the sound of her name and a smile lit up her face.

"Merle! Is this the brother you've told me so much about?" She came to a stop in front of them, and up close, Daryl took in the features of her face. It was heart-shaped, and her pert nose was dotted with freckles. Her eyes were the bluest he'd ever seen. Her skin was tanned from time spent in the sun.

"The one and only. Dr. Liz Morley, meet my baby brother, Daryl. Liz is the director of animal research and husbandry."

Liz threw out a hand, and Daryl hesitated for a second before grasping it. His skin was a shade tanner than hers, and his hands dwarfed hers. She smiled up at him, and for a second Daryl was lost in the blue of her eyes.

"Pleased to meet you, Daryl." Her voice was like silk. "Merle's told me a lot about you."

Daryl still had yet to say anything, and Liz cast Merle a concerned glance. The head of security just chuckled and slapped a hand to his brother's shoulder.

"Just came outta the surveillance room. He caught a peep at the trikes and stegos. Kinda shell-shocked him, I s'pose." Liz laughed and turned back to Daryl as they dropped hands.

"The first time will do that you ya. If you liked them, you're gonna love this. Come on."

The brothers followed behind her as she led the way down the hall to the hatchery. Daryl faltered in the doorway at the sight of the platforms that housed giant eggs. Some of them were nearly a foot long, and they were organized in a circle amongst layers of hay. Liz stepped up to one of the tables, where ostrich-sized eggs began wiggling. She turned to the brothers and waved them over excitedly.

They flanked her as they looked down at the eggs. One of them began cracking, to Daryl's astonishment. He found he couldn't look away as slowly, a small, glistening body emerged from the egg. It was small, not even a foot long, and covered in gunk from inside the egg. Out of the corner of his eye, Liz pulled on a pair of rubber gloves and handed a second pair to Daryl. He looked at them, clueless, until his eyes widened when she picked the tiny dinosaur up and cradled it in her hands. The infant looked almost animatronic—at least Daryl thought that was the word—as it curled and uncurled its claws and tail. It opened its tiny mouth, revealing a set of tiny, but no doubt sharp, teeth.

All of a sudden, the infant was placed into Daryl's gloved hands and he stared down at the thing with a mixture of shock, disbelief, and awe. It chirped in his hands, its eyes still firmly closed. Its tiny hands were tipped with sharp claws and on its middle toe, a long, curved claw twitched.

In his hands, Daryl held an infant velociraptor.

Thoughts?