Still a Good Day
Today was the day and Owen couldn't have been more excited. They'd tried this drill successfully with makeshift audio, but the point was to see if his raptors could actually follow a live command and it was time that was tested for real. He was so proud of them. They done so well, better than he'd ever imagined. And grown faster than he'd imagined. They were almost teenagers now and the size of a large horse. It was the job of a lifetime and a welcome relief from the Navy. Animals, even wild raptors, listened better than humans. Just how well, well it was time to find out.
"Be careful," Barry told him, eyeing him warily. Barry was always the one to raise any caution. Barry had been getting more anxious as the girls got bigger. He wasn't wrong. You had to respect their power and Owen certainly did. But, to earn their respect you couldn't fear them either.
So, Owen just smiled as he stepped out into the pen. The raptors were still in their locked pens. He made eye contact with all of them, whistling and clicking the counter to each of them in turn, calling their names. "Echo, Delta, Charlie." He paused at the last pen at the head of the line. He knew he shouldn't have favorites, but he did. And he felt that they had already formed the elusive connection that was vital for this relationship to work. He slowly touched his hand to her head, pleased when she didn't recoil from him. "Ready to go, Blue?" He whistled and clicked to her. He backed up several paces, their eyes following him and repeated his whistle and click call. Then, he sneaked into the trees to find his first hiding place.
For the very first time, they'd figured it'd be better to take precautions by choosing a high ground just in case the raptors decided they liked him better as food than alpha. Owen situated himself so that he was standing securely up a few branches in one the trees, partially concealed by the leaves. He gave a short call on the walkie to Barry, "Set em free."
One second later, he heard the pounding as his girls raced out in to the open, followed by a stillness. He imagined them trying to figure it out, looking around, cocking their heads, sniffing the air. Owen let his call, a whistle and a click. Still no apparent change. He called again and this time he heard the slow, but decisive steps of the squad. He called again and heard them start communicating to each other. He thought he could see Blue through the trees. They were close. Good. He called again and heard a low, guttural whistle from behind him, across from where he'd seen Blue. They were searching as a pack. Blue came toward his tree, matched by Delta from behind where he'd heard the second call. Blue tilted her head and Delta came to her side. Owen peeked out from behind the leaves so that he was seen. Blue called out and Echo and Charlie weren't far behind.
Owen called out again, confirmation on their successful find. "Good girls." They were watching him as he was them, gauging their mood and behavior. Their heads were up, attentive and waiting. They weren't actively trying to circle the tree or move into an attack pattern. That was good. They were waiting on Blue's move and Blue shared his full attention. Very Good. Owen pushed out his hand as he had before. "Back. Blue, back." He smiled as Blue took a step back and so did the others. Excellent. Alright, well, they passed the first test. Owen kept his eyes on Blue as he slowly climbed down. Owen dropped to the ground, holding out his hands. He saw Charlie and Delta start to excite and he froze, but Blue had already let out a sharp bark and they stilled. "Good girls. Now, lock it up! Ho!" Owen started slowly stepping back, keeping his arms out. "Ho!"
Another step and he'd be out of their immediate eyeline again. Time for part 2. For it to be a success, they wouldn't move until he called. Then, they would find him. And lastly, go where he directed them from there. He listened carefully for any sign of forward movement as he took a few steps more back out into the clearing. Out of the corner of his eye, on the observation deck, he saw Barry breathe a sigh of relief, but Owen couldn't focus on him right now. So far, very good. He hadn't heard any movement. They'd test patience later down the road, but not today. Owen was excited as he whistled out, followed by his click and heard the immediate pounding of feet.
They found him in all of three seconds. Good. But, something was off. Blue wasn't as focused as she had been in the woods and consequently Delta and Charlie, at least, were more wild than Owen would have liked. Owen called out and Blue met his gaze. He motioned for them to line up. Blue hesitated for a second, but then called out for the others to follow suit. Echo obediently came to her side first and then Delta followed. In the next second for Owen to realize Charlie hadn't followed, something heavy hit his back and he landed hard and face first in the dirt.
"Owen!" Barry shouted. "Charlie! Back off!" But, the raptors didn't listen Barry as they did Owen even on good days.
Blue barked out sharply twice. A call Owen recognized was an order to stand down. The second hesitation gave him an opportunity. He didn't have time to try and get out, but he did have time to make himself small, still and protect his neck. But even that movement cost him. Owen let out a grunt, concealing a shout as he felt a sharp, hot, pain in his left thigh. Breathing heavily and trying to control his heart rate, he gave his best imitation of the raptor call for help. A second later, a he felt a heavy weight on his right side that flung him to edge on the pen, near the entry gate. He was dazed for a minute, his vision suddenly going in and out of focus. But, it came back in another second for Owen to see the scene. Blue was facing off with Charlie, both of them with claws in the air. This was a fight for dominance. Charlie had challenged Blue. Echo and Delta had moved out of their way. Owen saw Charlie make a slash for Blue when he felt a tug on his legs and then his vision went black.
"Owen. Owen! Buddy, can you hear me? Owen!"
Owen opened his eyes, taking a deep breath and immediately winced in pain. He was on the ground with a very concerned Barry looking over him, putting pressure against the inside of left leg. But, it was the breath and not the leg that Owen first noticed hurting. "Guess you want to say I told you so," Owen finally said.
Barry breathed a sigh of relief. "We'll talk about what happened later. Right now, you need a medic. I've already called them, they're…"
"Here!" some called, a twenty something girl with a red streak of hair that was otherwise brown came running over, already scanning him over. "Keep pressure on that." She ordered Barry, noting to where he already was pressing a rag against a deep gash on the inside of Owen's left leg. "Owen, my name is Annie. Don't move, okay." She ran her fingers over his left ankle. "Can you feel this?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good and this," he felt her fingers on his other ankle.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Okay, can you move your toes?" Owen did.
"Okay, good. Let's try and sit him up, slowly. Don't let go of that bandage."
Annie and another guy went to his side to try and sit him up. Owen let out a sharp yelp. His back was on fire and his stomach felt like a rock on top of broken glass. He didn't need them to tell him at least a few ribs were broken. "Yes." Owen answered her unspoken question as she tested his legs again. Annie wrapped tape around the bandage and tied a tourniquet around his thigh above it. She moved to his neck, gently palpating it. "Yes," he answered. "Alright. Owen, I want you to slowly try and move your neck to the side. Stop if anything hurts." He could move his neck just fine. Annie moved on with her assessment. "Good. You're back's scraped to hell with three partial depth punctures, but nothing deep." Annie glanced down to his leg. The bandage was red, but it wasn't soaked through. That with the fact he was still awake was a good suggestion that the raptor hadn't caught his femoral artery. Annie seemed to agree, saying, "I think you're one crazy, lucky guy. Okay, it's going to be easier to get you on a backboard than have you try and walk to the clinic."
"Wait," Owen grunted, "I need to see them first."
"Owen, you're covered in blood and they just attacked you," Barry pleaded.
Owen shook his head, "I turned my back and Charlie took the opportunity. You know as well as I do they're not pets. It's their nature." He paused a second, realizing in proud wonder, "but Blue didn't. Blue stood up for me. She protected me."
"If you call her side swiping you 15 feet across the pen with her tail protecting you, then yea, sure." Barry answered.
Owen disagreed. "Charlie could have kept at it and Blue could have joined in. Instead, she got me out of the way."
"Okay, Owen, you're in probably in shock right now. You're in no condition to go back out there." Annie insisted.
Owen was ready to disregard Annie's advice on the raptors and his condition. But, Barry he listened to more readily. He was right. Covered in blood and facing them back in the pen would be idiotic right now. But, he still needed to see them. He could not let this go unattended to for any period of time. "Miss, thank you. And, I will go to the clinic. But, Barry, you know I need to see them first. The obs deck."
Barry rolled his head, but consented. "Annie, take him to the observation deck first."
She started to protest. "Thank you," Barry insisted and she reluctantly agreed.
Owen grabbed the bucket of food, sitting up on the backboard atop the observation deck. The scuffle was over. Charlie hung back with his head down and tail low, whereas Blue had situated herself in front with her head and tail high. So, she'd secured her position as beta. He called out with a whistle; the clicker he could see had been left in the pen. It was enough after a second. Blue turned her head up to meet his gaze again, followed by Echo and Delta and even Charlie. But, it was to Blue he gave the message. He nodded his appreciation once and tossed her a chicken. "Thanks, girl." She swallowed it whole, nodding her head once in acknowledgement back.
Owen smiled and turned to his Barry. "It was still a good day."