Never truly gone
Connor's eyes were filled with unshed tears that threatened to spill out. He was struggling to breathe and the hot dry air only made it harder. His head hung low and he stared at the dry, hard earth with cold and lifeless eyes. Eyes that had once been so full of happiness, joy and laughter were now hard and dull. His shoulders dropped and his legs felt like mush, threatening to crumple beneath him. His entire posture oozed defeat. He felt cold and broken.
Without her, without his Abby, his whole life felt useless and without purpose. Everything he had done so far had been for her, for the two of them and for their family to be. What was he supposed to do without her presence? How was he even meant to carry on living without her? For as long as he could remember, she had been at his side whenever he needed support or love or comfort or friendly advice or even just a shoulder to lean on she had been there for him offering him support.
When Tom was killed by the prehistoric parasites she'd stayed up all through the night with him and they had grieved together. When Stephen was killed by those beasts trying to save them from Leek's gladiatorial games she had sat with him and they had cried together, mourned together.
When Cutter was shot dead by Helen in her scheme to kill off humanity, that night they had sat together and remembered the times they'd shared as a team and when they cried, they cried together. When they were in the Cretaceous, they'd sat together at night keeping watch for predatory dinosaurs and looked out for each other. When they were down in the hideout in the future that New Dawn caused and he was wallowing in guilt and self-pity, it was Abby who had been with him and encouraged him to keep fighting.
Abby had always been there for him yet when she had needed him the most, he had failed to be there for her. He'd failed, now she was dead and it was his fault, he was to blame for her death. He could still remember clearly what had happened on that day.
An anomaly alert had drawn the team to a deserted and disused textiles factory located near the forest of Dean. The factory had been used for producing textiles and fabrics for making clothing but been shut down during the late 1800s due to a terrible fire that destroyed the building and ten workers died, and since then it had fallen into disrepair and been overcame by the forest vegetation.
An anomaly had opened inside the factory and a Triceratops had come through. The horned, six ton plant eater wasn't dangerous unless cornered or startled and sending it back should have been quick and easy but the ceratopsian beast had left the factory and wandered into the forest. Becker and Matt went in search of the horned dinosaur while Abby and Connor stayed behind to lock the anomaly.
With that task done, the two sat down to talk but it soon led to kissing and then a steamy make out session on the factory floor. Suddenly a clattering noise split the silence and the two broke apart. Abby thought it could be the Triceratops returning much to Connor's annoyance, and taking a low power EMD left to investigate. Feeling disappointed Connor sat on a crate by the locked anomaly and waited.
Suddenly a scream of panic split the air followed by EMD fire. Realizing that Abby was in danger, Connor grabbed two EMDs and ran after her shouting her name. When he arrived at the scene, his blood ran cold.
Abby lay slumped against the wall holding an EMD in one hand and firing. Around her were three juvenile Dromaeosaurs, snapping and hissing. Even worse Abby was wounded. There was a deep wound in her side. She held one hand pressed against her side but blood was leaking from between her fingers and the scent was driving the raptors wild. Screaming her name, Connor raised his EMD and setting it to maximum power, fired multiple shots.
One dinosaur fell and died almost instantly and a second raptor was knocked unconscious but the third ducked and lunged with a roar. As Connor closed his eyes and waited for the killing blow, Matt and Becker raced into view. Whipping out his EMD, Matt knocked out the third Dromaeosaur. Once he opened his eyes, he raced over to Abby's side, moved her hand and inspected the injury.
Her wounds were deep and bloody and she was losing blood quickly. Already her eyes were opening and closing rapidly, she was on the verge of losing consciousness. He began begging her to stay with him. He screamed at Becker and Matt to help and the two sprang into action. Matt knelt beside them and began trying to stem the flow of blood.
As Connor watched he tore off party of his shirt and attempted to use it as a makeshift bandage but it wasn't working. Becker yelled into the comms for medics. Just then the Triceratops thundered into view. Spotting the raptorial dinosaurs, it began bellowing and swinging its horned head. Becker swiftly pulled up his EMD and fired two shots but both bounced off its thick hide. Startled the dinosaur pounded away and grunted.
Connor ignored the drama unfolding around him and clutched Abby's hand begging her to stay with him. Blood was flowing out faster and faster despite Matt's attempts. As Becker shouted urgently for the medics, Matt encouraged Abby to breathe normally and stay still. Just then her eyes flickered open and she turned to Connor "Connor" she croaked. "Yes what is it Abby? Speak to me love!"
"I- I love you and I'm sorry." She whispered. "No, Abby no! You stay with me Please ABBY!" And Abby Maitland drew her last breath, her eyes flickered shut and her body grew cold and still.
Connor broke down, screaming and sobbing he desperately kissed her hoping to save her. He fell onto her and sobbed his heart out. Matt sat back and his eyes glistened with tears that ran down his face. Becker was screaming and cursing himself for not saving Abby.
Just then a medic, bloody and injured limped up. The panicked Triceratops had charged head on and flipped their vehicle over onto its side. The other two medics were dead, killed by the collision and the van was burning. Just then a loud boom sounded and a cloud of smoke wafted up as the explosion blew up the vehicle and the two dead medics. There was no sign of the Triceratops.
And just like that Abby Maitland was gone. The Dromaeosaurs had been sent back to the Cretaceous era along with the Triceratops and the anomaly closed. Another medical van arrived and Abby's body was taken back to the ARC with Connor riding in it. Matt and Becker cleaned up the area and followed in their SUV.
Back at the ARC the cars were left parked and the team headed to Lester's office to deliver the news. At first sarcastic, Lester took it badly, at first he refused to believe them but Matt confirmed it and he and nearly wept. He sent then out and grieved on his own while nursing a bottle of whiskey, Lester took early leave that day and headed home
Then all the staff from all areas of the ARC was gathered in the ops room and the announcement was given via loudspeaker. There were tears and cries of shock. Many were deeply saddened and the ARC's menagerie workers were distraught Abby's assistant, Jim cried and left.
Jess was initially disbelieving and refused to accept it but when the body was brought in and she saw it, she began to cry and broke down sobbing. She was deeply upset, eventually a sad, and very subdued captain Becker led her away. Back at his flat Jess cried fir hours, mourning her loss while Becker held her feeling cold and lifeless; he had failed as the head of security. Back at the ARC, Matt shut himself in his biologist's lab for hours to mourn the loss in private yet finally he, the great hero gave in and wept.
Abby's second in command, Jim, was given Abby's position and took charge of the care of Abby's beloved menagerie. The more intelligent creatures felt Abby's loss. One of Abby's favourites, the Columbian Mammoth seemed strangely reserved. The dire wolf escaped and went looking for Abby before being recaptured and put back.
Rex became depressed and moody once Abby died; he kept escaping from the observation enclosure and tried to bite anyone who went near him. He stopped flying and stayed asleep for hours. Eventually refused to eat and the decision was made to give him to Connor. Desperate to hold onto anything Abby loved, he agreed and took Rex back to the flat.
Connor himself went through a perplexing number of stages in the weeks following Abby's untimely death. For the first few days, he simply stayed in the flat all day, moping and grieving. He barely spoke to interacted with anyone and rarely ate proper meals, only small snacks. He didn't do anything but lie in bed and cry. Finally after two weeks Lester asked for him and he returned to the ARC. But he stayed in his lab all day and didn't come out until it was time to leave and he was always the first to leave, he seemed almost eager to leave.
After another week, Connor went on his first anomaly alert with the team since Abby's death. Yet the creatures they faced were Utahraptors and resembled the smaller Dromaeosaurs that had killed Abby. He went berserk and using his EMD, killed every one of the dinosaurs. After discovering a baby raptor, he prepared to beat it to death with his EMD.
Luckily Matt stopped him and after sharply reprimanding him, sent it to the ARC to be placed in the menagerie, saying thanks to Connor killing its parents it would never survive in the Cretaceous. Feeling annoyed; Connor threw him off and told him Abby was dead because of these creatures and they were dangerous, particularly the flesh eaters. He then headed home. The next day he returned but refused to speak to Matt.
Later that day, Lester held a team meeting to discuss how to help Connor. They were his friends and they had to do something to help him. Jess suggested talking and support but Lester said that they all tried that and it had done no good. Becker suggested giving him leadership of the menagerie to feel closer to Abby but Matt said that was Jim's job plus Connor didn't know how to look after the creatures.
Emily suggested gifts to take his mind away from her death but Becker said that would make it seem like they were trying to bribe him to forget Abby. Finally Matt suggested they all act normally around him as though nothing had happened to give him time and space to recuperate and recover. Everyone was surprised but after Lester considered it, they agreed.
At last, a month after Abby's death he began to recover. He spoke to and interacted with the others. He went out on anomaly alerts yet was still more careful than usual around the carnivores. Now the day of her funeral had arrived.
She would be buried in the same graveyard where Cutter and Stephen had been buried. It was a graveyard used only by the Arc where people linked to the ARC who had died were buried. Cutter, Stephen, Sarah, and Ryan had been buried here along with many soldiers and ARC workers. Now it was Abby's turn. On that day, Connor woke up, wore his suit, fed Rex then locked the door and left.
The funeral service was a small one. The whole team attended; Jess, Becker, Emily, Matt, Connor and Lester. Abby's younger brother Jack attended as did the menagerie workers including Jim. Sadly, both of Abby's parents were dead and she had no other relatives.
After the service was given, the coffin containing her body was placed into the grave and recovered with earth. The gravestone read;
R.I.P.
ABIGAIL SARAH MAITLAND
12th July 1985-17th July 2012 You were the best friend anyone could have asked for and the best boyfriend a guy could have. You will be missed.
Hours after the funeral, the team left. As the others headed back to the cars, Connor stayed behind. The others exchanged glances and Jess turned to call but Lester indicated to her to give him a minute.
Connor knelt down beside the grave "I love you Abby, I always have and I always will. I'll never find another woman like you and I don't intend to try, I'll never forget you. Not ever, you'll live on Abby in us. Every time I pet Rex I'll remember you. Every time I go to the Arc, I'll remember you. I will always remember you Abby. You'll never be truly gone.