Hello again. As a small warning, this chapter may get a little emotional. Themes like death and suicide are strong. Continue as you please.
Questions/Remarks:
Guest: Can you make kris become an indoraptor so he can be with blue please? (with a transfusion probably)
Sorry, but I must decline. Kris and Blue will both stay their respective species. Don't fret, however; they'll still be together. And, indoraptor will be a prevelant character (a long time from now) in the overarching story.
"Someone help me
Oh please, God, help me!
They're trying to take it all away
I don't want to die"
-Ride the Lightning, Metallica (Ride the Lightning)
X
Vincent's brow furrowed slightly as he watched his soldiers get ready. He knew many of them personally, and going into what could be a death trap, worried him greatly. He wasn't going to throw any of these souls into the meat grinder to achieve his goal. How could he live with himself if he did? Most of these men had families; a small portion of them weren't even trained to shoot a gun. Vincent had made sure to bring a few cooks and doctors just in case he needed them.
It was just about noon, and Vincent gave his soldiers a good ten hours of sleep and two hours to get ready for the day ahead. Now, they were just about to embark on a twenty minute walk that would lead them to the park. They would have to traverse through the jungle, and walk around the west side of the Mosasaur Bay to get there.
As they set off, Vincent was on high alert. He was prepared for Murphy to throw whatever low blows he could to successfully get rid of him. Even though Murphy had no knowledge of him owning the radio, Vincent was still on guard. At any moment, Vincent's muscles were tightly clenched as they walked through the dense wilderness.
Even though most of the soldiers uneasy, they were slightly calmed by the pleasant sounds that echoed through the trees. It was a cool December day (in Costa Rican standards), the roughly seventy degree weather cooling their nerves. Ever so often, breezes would flow through the leaves, usually against their back. It was coming from the east, as a result of the tradewinds which were blowing northeast from the Caribbean. Likely, some rain would follow as the moist air moved toward Isla Nublar.
Sounds of birds, croaks of frogs, and distant sounds of dinosaurs met their ears, capping off the beautiful scenery. However, none of them were really focused on that.
Eventually, they made their way to the park, but they would have to walk due west to finally reach it.
Vincent looked across the Mosasaur Bay as they walked in front of the hotels, just above the beach. To see his park in such ruin saddened him, especially since this was the peak time of the year. As school got out in Western countries, and Christmas approached, as well as cooling Costa Rican temperatures, tourists would flock to Jurassic World in late December. Now, however, the entire place was empty.
As far as Vincent knew, the only humans on this island were him, his soldiers, and Murphy's men.
α
Kris' head slightly leaned to his shoulder as he stared off, juggling a ball in his hands. He had been awake for around an hour, though his body fought to stay asleep. Blue was passed out, and he didn't want to wake her.
It had only been three hours since he slept, but he couldn't sleep further. The sun still hadn't come up as he sat in the darkened cell.
He was emotionally drained, and felt almost empty. He had tried to break out, but the iron door was stiffly locked, and the window was too small for him to fit through. As he paced around the room, he found a small rubber ball laying in a corner.
Picking it up, wiping the dust off, he decided to play with it. There was nothing else for him to do. He was cautious at first, careful not to wake the sleeping velociraptor at his side. However, after bouncing it against the wall a few times, he was convinced that Blue was not going to awaken any time soon. And so he had sat there, slumped against the wall, throwing the ball and carefully watching Blue.
Kris wasn't sure what they were going to do next. It seemed like there was no way out of the cell, and nobody was coming for them any time soon.
As he threw the ball against the wall, catching it as it bounced back, his mind drew a blank. Nothing was registering to him, and he wasn't thinking of anything. This didn't bother him, however. After another hour of slowly throwing the ball, Blue finally awoke. Kris quickly crawled over, checking on her. Her eyes met his, and her neck shuddered as she spoke.
"How are you feeling, girl?" he said softly, slowly rubbing the side of her neck with his good hand. A deep rumble formed within her.
Kris wrapped his arms around the raptor as she sat up, crooning at the display of affection. She closed her eyes, rubbing her snout against the side of his head. Kris still felt like an asshole for the events that took place the previous night, despite the fact that it wasn't his fault. Hurting the only thing that he now loved broke his heart, and he was on the verge of tears again. Kris didn't know what he would do with himself if he let Blue die. She was essentially the last of her kind. Of course, Delta was still alive and well, but how was Kris to know? After all of the ferocious sounds of battle that had reverberated into their cell last night, Kris was certain that everything but the Indominus was dead.
Blue's species had gone extinct before, and Kris didn't want to see it happen again, not on his watch. Kris, at this point, did not question their quick-to-bloom relationship. Before, it had irked him somewhat — now, it didn't disturb him in the slightest that they had grown close in the matter of days. Although, he did find it quite funny that just a week ago, Blue was trying to kill him.
As the two embraced, the soberness of their situation fully hit them as they realized that they were going to die in that cell. Neither of them were animated enough to escape by means of brute force; they had already gone over twenty-four hours without food or water. Their time was slowly running out.
Kris steadily lay down, looking up at Blue, whose head hovered over his. He reached up, petting Blue's snout softly as they shared their somber moments together. He only wished that their death would be quicker than the preserved suffering that it would be in reality. Kris would surely perish by the next day, the blood loss and absence of food and water killing him. He wasn't sure how long it would take for Blue to pass without a viable source of energy; but he was certain that he would die before her. That was something in which he did not want. He did not want Blue to see him pass, he didn't want the raptor to sit by herself in the confines of the musty cell as her time slowly expired.
The thought got to him over time, and he closed his eyes, doing anything to distract himself. And thus, he did the only thing that he could think of: he sang. While Kris would personally admit that his intones weren't the best, he didn't quite care in those hopeless moments, as he looked death in the eye.
"On the long and lonesome highway, east of Omaha,"
Blue listened intently as Her Human began speaking; although his voice was a little distorted. He sounded labored, and his voice was higher than usual.
"You can listen to the engines moaning it's one old song,"
He was hushed, yet forceful in his lyrics. Blue watched as he vocalized, petting her all the while. She still wasn't positive on what he was doing, but she did have a clue.
"You can think about the woman, or the girl you knew the night before,"
Her memory was a considerable time ago, when her sisters were still alive, confined to their paddock, when Old Alpha was still around, treating them with affection. The raptors were still quite young and curious about the world around them. Sometimes, Blue would hear Old Alpha's voice pitch up and fluctuate as he enunciated. She would always investigate, wanting to hear more of his songs.
"But your thoughts would soon be wandering, the way they always do,"
She would hear other humans do such actions with their mouths. As her distaste for humans grew, so did her displeasure at hearing their fluctuating tones.
"When you're riding sixteen hours, and there's nothing much to do,"
Blue could never see how humans found pleasure in such an act; she had tried numerous a time to imitate their singing with raspy and strained warbles.
"You don't feel much like riding, you just wish the trip was through,"
Blue could never go for a long while chirruping and trilling, as her throat would grow dry, and her head dizzy.
"But here I am, on the road again,"
Even though trying the act pained her, and she would ever be confused at the reasoning behind their melodies, Blue would always be interested when Old Alpha would sing.
"There I am, up on the stage,"
She would often lay at the gate of the paddock, observing Old Alpha, picking up on his traits. After a while, she began to enjoy his tunes.
"There I go, playing the star again,"
While she could never see how humans found satisfaction in their trilling, she could understand how they could enjoy listening to it. Possibly, Blue supposed, it was an act of comforting.
"There I go, turn the page,"
Kris' voice became too strained, and he began coughing. Blue looked down with concern, wishing that Her Human would stop the painful action. She supposed that he was attempting to comfort her. He continued, however, albeit in a voice that was just above a whisper.
As he sung ever so softly, Blue's enervated neck grew tired of supporting her head, and she slowly set it down. Her snout fell into his neck, and she could feel his throat thrum with every word he murmered; she could feel every breath he took; she could feel his veins rush and his heart pulse.
She closed her eyes as Her Human carefully sung his tune, enjoying his voice deeply. After a while, his song became nothing but a raspy, husky mess. He tried to clear his throat repeatedly, but he could no longer vocalize. His throat had dried up, and too with it his last efforts of trying to sing to Blue.
Blue was quite disappointed that his harmonies had ended, as she was beginning to lose herself in pleasant memories of her youth. She coveted the days of old that she used to spend with her sisters. Simpler times, when the only thing they had to worry about was not knowing what a certain object before them was. They had been blessed with the blissful unknowing of what lay outside of their paddock. Blue missed the enclosure, the familiar walls and humans that would walk above and around her as she zipped around. She missed having certainty with what would come next.
In possibly the first time in her life, Blue was scared. She had no firm comprehension of what death was; nor what would come after it. After killing so many pigs and other creatures, after seeing beings that she loved ripped from her, she slowly began to understand that death constantly loomed over her, quiet and always waiting. She knew it stood behind every corner, waiting for one simple misstep. She knew that it watched right now, likely cackling in its twisted satisfaction of her misery. She imagined death as a collection of all the beings that she had killed over the years, laughing in revenge at the site before them.
Blue didn't want to die; she didn't want her ever so short life to end. The four years that she had spent on the island, gaining knowledge, learning, developing; it wasn't enough. She wanted more. Blue was pushing bounderies, thinking about things that she had not thought about before. Her intellect was unlocked in its final form as she so desperately feared the moment that her eyes shut, and a shaking breath exhaled from her lungs for the last time.
For the first time in her life, she was uncertain. Blue was used to working her way around obstacles. She had never been faced with something that she couldn't solve. However, as she sat here, laying in Her Human's arms, she realized how little control she had. She realized that her time was up; she realized everything was soon going to end.
These thoughts ripped at her, tearing chunks of her sanity from her steadily. She wanted ever so desperately to break free of the limitations of which she was bound to; to be able to leave this room and continue living.
What would await her in death? The question nagged at her. What would happen? Would she forever see nothing, cease to feel, cease to be? Would she endlessly wander a black landscape, never seeing anything ever again? Would she see Old Alpha and her sisters?
These thoughts mentally destroyed what wit she had left. No longer did she have composure, no longer was she capable of keeping Her Human in the fight.
She was going to die here.
Closing her eyes briefly, a stuttering breath echoed from her lungs. Her neck shuddered as she tried to vocalize.
She slightly adjusted herself, one amber eye gazing up at Her Human. He was staring at the ceiling, watching nothing as he lay there, arm draped across Blue's neck. She noticed his eye lids cover up more and more of his blue irises.
Blue barked to him, though the attempted communication came out distorted and uneasy. Kris' eyes opened slightly, and he looked at Blue. She watched as his eyes slowly glazed over, and he put his head against the cold tile floor.
Blue watched as his eyes threatened to close. She snorted, shivered, chittered, cooed, roared, anything to get his attention. It didn't seem like he could hear her as he slowly drifted away into sleep.
Blue's voice slowly gave out until she could speak no longer. She watched as his eyes finally closed.
Blue began to panic, her tear ducts beginning to open. Was he gone, too? Did Her Human succumb into the mangled and ever growing hands of Death, who's presence was slowly reaching closer?
She raised her head slowly, watching Her Human carefully. She barked, calling for him to wake up. She barked again, tears freely falling. She continued calling, crying as she repeatedly barked and snorted to Her Human.
She didn't want him to die.
She didn't want to be alone.
The stress was beginning to grip at her consciousness; the pain was beginning to force her to slip into sleep. And so, suddenly, her head fell onto Kris' chest, her eyes closing.
Δ
Karen sniffed as she looked down at the nineteen story drop before her. She had learned about the passing of her ex-husband an hour prior, and that news brought her to where she was now.
Sure, their last conversation together hadn't been so pleasant, and officially they hated each other. Deep down, however, both of them still held the same burning passion that kept them together.
Losing their children, however, caused irreversible damage to their relationship. Those wounds could never be healed.
Even with the loss of her boys, she felt like all wasn't lost. Scott was still somewhere, and she knew that she wasn't alone in her misery. However, know that he was gone, Karen now knew what she had to do. She knew that a life in solitude, where she sat alone, bathing in her own sorrow, would not treat her kindly.
With one last sniff, one last breath, she closed her eyes, and took a step forward.
Λ
Murphy sighed as he continued driving. He was assuredly lost in the endless paths that snaked through Isla Nublar. He had drove the whole night, and he was extremely exhausted.
Suddenly, he slammed on the brakes. A large herbivore had waltzed onto the road, an edmontosaurus. The vibrantly colored dino looked at Murphy's truck with lazy eyes. It made a dull groan as it watched him.
Seizing the opportunity, Murphy grabbed the rifle on the passanger seat, and he took a small, clear capsule, holding it in his teeth.
He exited the truck, carefully looking around the road to make sure he wasn't being followed.
"Hey big guy," he said slowly through the capsule in his mouth, raising the rifle.
Murphy discharged the gun multiple times, bullet after bullet hitting the flat-headed dinosaur's skull. After the clip was empty, the edmontosaurus listed, eventually falling over.
Murphy swallowed, checking his surroundings again before approaching. He took the capsule and pushed it deep into the dinosaur's scales before pulling it out. Crimson had filled the container, and Murphy smiled at the sight.
"Thanks, buddy," he whispered, patting the side of the edmontosaurus as he returned to the truck.
Getting back in the truck, he started driving again. Murphy had, at this point, drove a full loop around the island. He had driven north on the east side of the island, drove around the backside of the volcano, and was now driving south across the west side. This was a good sign to him, as he guessed that if he kept driving south along this road, he would eventually stumble upon the airstrip.
Murphy was definitely worried about how he was going to get off this island. He hoped that by the time he returned to the airfield, that his army was still intact and ready to fight another day.
He had no clue as to how many soldiers Vincent had under his command, and part of him didn't want to find out. Murphy didn't know where Vincent was on the island, which worried him greatly. He was certain that bullets would suddenly shatter the windshield at any moment.
Rubbing the back of his hand across his nose, he gripped the steering wheel, mentally preparing himself for whatever would happen next.
π
"Look alive, boys," Vincent said, walking down Main Street steadily. "We don't know what's here."
He paused, looking down the road. He gestured to the almost completely destroyed gift shop, watching out of the corner of his eye as ten soldiers sweeped the building. Once he was certain the none of Vincent's soldiers were his shoulders loosened a bit.
"Alright, I want every building, every room cleared. Check your corners, listen closely, stick together."
Vincent broke off with four soldiers as they walked into a restaurant. The dining area was mayhem; tables upturned shattered kitchenware and glass scattered all over the floor. They moved down the staff-only hallway, checking every room.
"When did they install iron doors here?" Vincent whispered, looking at the three rooms that were guarded by the matte silver metal. Something wasn't right.
One of the rooms was open, and they slowly walked in. Assured the room was clear, Vincent lowered his rifle, observing in horror the sight before him. Blood stained the floor and table, and a pool of vomit lay below a chair. Flies swarmed the room. Worst of all: it was quite recent.
Vincent shook his head, motioning for the four men he was with the leave the room, not wanting to see the grisly sight any further.
One last room remained, and after seeing the last, Vincent wasn't sure he wanted to look into this one. Unlocking the door, he opened it slowly. An interesting sight greeted him.
A human and a velociraptor were laying on the floor, the dinosaur sprawled across the man. The room smelled like shit, and blood was similarly dropped on the floor in places. Vincent noticed the strips of gauze wrapped around the both of them. They both seemed to be sleeping peacefully.
Vincent picked up his radio, "Lee, can you come into the hibachi restaurant for me please? We're going to be in the far room of the staff corridor."
"Yes, sir," a crackled response met Vincent's ears.
Lee was one of the medics the Vincent chose to bring along. A veterinarian and doctor, the gentle fifty year old man seemed like the perfect person to bring along. Vincent was slightly worried for him as, somewhat ironically, his health was beginning to decline. He wasn't sure that seeing dinosaurs was good for the man's heart. However, Vincent wasn't given many other options.
Upon taking a closer look at the velociraptor before him, he noticed the long indigo strip that ran across her body.
"Blue?" he wondered aloud.
Vincent, being the long-time Vice President for InGen, was often tasked with traveling to Isla Nublar see how the park was operating. He recalled a time when he had to inspect the velociraptor paddock, and when he met Owen Grady. The man had gone into extensive detail about his 'best girl' and Beta, Blue.
Vincent remembered watching the blue striped raptor running through her paddock, playing around with her sisters.
He hadn't thought about her since, but here she was laying with some unknown human in a locked room. Vincent knew that Murphy was responsible for this, but he wasn't sure why he would do it.
His thoughts were interrupted as Lee entered the room.
"What's going on?"
Vincent gestured to the duo on the floor.
"We found them in here, the room was locked. Do you think you could see if they're alright?"
Lee sighed, pulling out the bag on his back. "I suppose, Vincent. You know, one day I'm going to roll over and go into cardiac arrest because of the things you make me do."
Vincent smiled at the man's dark humor, "You'll be fine, old man. We got your back."
Once Lee began approaching the velociraptor and human, Vincent told the men behind him to load tranquilizers only. He didn't want to kill the dinosaur or human for no reason.
The raptor suddenly opened one amber eye, raising her head and hissing at the humans. She slowly stood, a deep growl emitting from her jaws.
"She's injured, Vincent." Lee said while backing away.
Blue stood over the human, seemingly guarding him. "Easy girl, we're not going to hurt you."
Blue snapped her jaws, barking loudly. It took her all of her strength to vocalize as loudly as she was. All of the movement and noise suddenly woke Kris, who jolted up, his head nearly slamming into Blue's ribs.
He rubbed his eyes, looking up at the raptor quizzically. "What the hell— Oh shit," he saw the six men standing in front of them, five of them sporting rifles.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa guys, let's all...calm down," Kris forced out, pausing to cough as he slowly stood.
Vincent looked at Kris, face scrunched up with confusion, "Who are you?"
"Kris," he winced as he walked in front of Blue protectively, wrapping his right arm around her neck as she hissed.
"Did Murphy lock you in here?" Vincent said, ordering the men by his side to lower their weapons.
"Yeah. I assume you're Vincent?"
Vincent nodded, "Did Murphy talk about me?"
Kris smiled a little, "No, but he panicked like hell when you got here."
Vincent chuckled as a brief silence enveloped them. Blue was still watching the unfamiliar faces, making sure they didn't pull anything fast.
"It looks like we're on the same side, then," Vincent said, "Would you like to stick with us?"
Kris considered it for a moment, but finally agreed, seeing as they really didn't have any other choices.
"Can you, uh, tell Blue to stand down for me?" Vincent said.
Kris nodded, not questioning how Vincent knew her name. Kris took his hand under her jaw, forcing her to make eye contact with him.
"These guys are our friends, okay? They're going to help us." he whispered softly, scratching under her chin.
Blue's neck shuddered in response, knowing that Her Human trusted these men. She didn't want to trust any more humans after what that woman did to them; however, she saw that it was their only chance to survive.
"Do you have a doctor or something? Blue's hurt, badly."
Vincent pointed to the older man next to him.
"Name's Lee, it's nice to meet you Kris," he smiled warmly before continuing, "You don't look so good yourself."
Kris winced again, taking a glance at the gauze wrapped portions of his body. "Yeah, but I would prefer that you take care of Blue first."
They had started walking down Main Street, in the direction of the Innovation Center.
"There's a lab in the Innovation Center, medical equipment is down there. Lee will be able to help you guys."
Vincent had to assist Kris, as he couldn't put any pressure on his left leg whatsoever. Blue watched Her Human with concern, not liking the fact that he was in to much pain. She was almost certain that he had died an hour ago, and was still recovering from the shock it placed on her. She wasn't letting herself get to comfortable, however. She was still ready for Her Human to collapse at any moment.
Θ
May screamed as the glass doors suddenly swung in, her eyes shooting open. She had been trying to sleep in the lobby of the Pachy Arena, her eyes finally beginning to droop.
Five men with rifles stepped before her, and she immediately knew they weren't with Murphy. They were dressed in a different attire, and carried different weapons.
"Hands up!" one of them shouted.
May frantically threw her arms up, "I have nothing, don't shoot!"
She felt her arm forcefully get grabbed and she was escorted out of the Pachy Arena, where she was forced to walk back to Main Street. May did not want to go back to Main Street, as seeing the road brought back bad visions from the night before.
"W-where are you taking me?"
"The Lab, now be quiet," a man responded, his grip on her wrists tightening.
β
Kris slowly rubbed Blue's snout as Lee drew her blood.
They were in the Lab of the Innovation Center, specifically the medical portion of it. They were in a small room, which contained some medical equipment, a chair, and am operating table. A thick glass wall allowed them to see the rest of the Lab.
"She's going to be okay, right?" Kris said, his voice husky and raspy.
"Oh yes, she'll be fine. She's quite strong dinosaur, I must say. Although, you should clean out her wounds carefully ever so often."
Blue watched as the man poked at her, doing weird things with her body. She didn't want him to do these things, but Her Human had convinced her. She at first had panicked when the man first touched her scales, but as Her Human soothed her, and she realized that he was helping her, she relaxed slightly. He had unstripped the gauze that covered her wounds, checking and cleaning them before rewrapping them.
"How are you feeling, though, Kris?"
Kris sighed, looking into Blue's amber eyes as he spoke, "Not good. I don't know how bad Murphy fucked me up, but right now I could go for some food."
Vincent heard his request, walking off quickly. Kris assumed he was bringing back some food and hopefully a drink for him and Blue.
Lee sat back, observing the raptor that was laying on the table, slowly patting her side, "I'm positive that she's fine. The bullets didn't hit anything vital, thank goodness, and your quick thinking saved her from infection. She didn't lose too much blood, either."
Lee wiped his hands clean, letting Blue stand from the table. "Can you lay down for me, sir?"
Kris laid down, Blue coming to his right side.
"I'm going to remove the gauze from your arm first, and then I'll see what I can do. Now... I'm going to be giving you a regional anesthetic, which will be distributed from your collarbone. You'll still be awake during the procedure, but you won't feel a thing, I assure you. I'll do to same for your leg."
Kris nodded, and he began to get nervous as Lee unwrapped a portion of the gauze, "How long do you think this will take?"
Lee shook his head as he stuck a needle in Kris' collarbone, "That depends on how bad your arm and leg is."
Kris closed his eyes as the anesthesia was distributed through his upper torso, and he slowly felt the ability to feel in his shoulder, arm, and hand dissapate. He opened them again, looking to Blue. The raptor was watching intently at what Lee was doing. She wanted to make sure he wasn't doing anything bad to Her Human.
Vincent returned, holding two bags of chips, a slice of meat, and two water bottles. "I know it's not exactly a full-course meal, but it's all I could find."
Kris chuckled, "How'd you manage to find a slice of meat?"
"Murphy had a whole freezer of assorted meats in the gift shop. We're beginning to set up out headquarters in the Innovation Center. You can come eat a full meal once you're done."
Kris thanked Vincent, who turned and left. Blue chewed up the pork viciously, and although it was barely anything to satisfy her rumbling stomach, she couldn't leave to find more. She would stay by Her Human's side until he was better.
Kris opened the water bottle, offering it to Blue. She observed the plastic container carefully, eyeing the water inside. She wanted to drink out of it, but the whole was too small for her tongue. Kris opened his mouth, instructing for her to do the same. She did, and Kris slowly poured the water in her mouth. He was ready to stop whenever she was, but she drank the whole bottle. Once she was done, she chittered a thank you to Her Human before resuming to watch Lee.
Lee had removed all of the gauze, and was now removing bullets from Kris' skin.
"Goodness..." Kris heard Lee mutter under his breath.
"Is it bad, Lee?"
Lee grimaced as he took another look at his mutilated arm, "Yes."
Kris bit his lip as he attempted to open the bag of chips with one hand, "Should I look?"
"No," Lee forcefully stated, beginning to pull a bullet out, "I don't want to risk you going into shock. You've already had enough mental duress, and your heart might go out."
"Right," Kris breathed, his voice slightly shaking.
Blue looked at the gruesome sight that was Kris' arm. His arm was quite mutilated. Not only was he missing a finger, but thick cuts and scattered bullet holes covered almost every inch of his skin. Kris caught her wide-eyed gaze and moved him good arm up, caressing the side of her snout. She whimpered, pressing the front of her snout against his cheek, resting her neck against his shoulder. He swallowed, petting the raptor beside him. Kris could tell he was worried, and he didn't want her to brood over him.
"It's going to be okay, girl, I promise," Kris said, but he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to keep the promise.
"So I take it you two are friends, huh?" Lee said, digging deep to get a bullet that was lodged in Kris' radium.
"Yeah... We got especially close after all we've recently gone through."
Lee nodded, "I see."
He then waved over a man who was standing nearby, "This is my friend, and he's going to help watch you," Lee turned over to the man beside him, "Watch his vitals, his breathing, et cetera. I want to make sure the anesthesia doesn't spread to his central nervous system or interfere with his respiratory system."
The man nodded, grabbing equipment from somewhere out of Kris' eyesight. Kris closed his eyes, focusing on the raptor who was purring softly beside him. He scratched the underside of her chin, trying to calm her nerves.
A considerable time went by before Lee spoke again.
"Well, Kris, I do have some good news for you. All of the bullets have been removed from your arm, and none of them have seemed to puncture or severe any veins or important arteries. Somehow, Murphy was able to shoot in between your ulnar and radial arteries. Several times," Lee paused, leaning back to survey Kris' arm. "However, you do have multiple holes in your bones andmuscles. I'm sure that they will heal themselves over the course of the next few years, but until then you'll deal with complications."
"Complications?" Kris said, fear apparent in his voice.
"Weakness, numbness, aches and pains, that sort of thing."
"So you're saying I'm going to be okay, right?"
Lee nodded, beginning to patch up the lacerations on his skin. "Yes. But, you did lose a considerable amount of blood. Don't forget your leg, as well. You'll have to do a lot to recover from this, I assure you."
Kris licked his lips, locking eyes with Blue. Amber met blue, the colors linking as the two looked into each other's eyes. When they did this, they felt so connected; so whole. They felt like one; they felt like they could see what the other was enduring, what emotional and physical pain was hurting them. The contact they so affectionately shared was the most powerful feeling that either of them had experienced; neither of them wanted it to end.
Unfortunately, all good things end, as did their connection. Lee was talking to Kris again. Blue fought off a sharp bark as the human spoke.
"I'm almost done with your arm. However, you're going to be out of action for at least two days, based on how much blood you've lost. I'm not sure how bad your leg is, so we'll have to see how you're faring after that."
Kris looked to Blue again, whispering, "As long as you're with me I'm going to be okay."
Blue crooned at the affectionate tone of his voice. Kris began to chuckle at the cheesy line that he uttered, although his laughs descended into strained coughs. He was forced to sit up, hand coming to his chest. Blue stood up straight, claws twitching and she trilled with worry.
Lee pulled his hands away from Kris' arm, making sure not to harm him as he went through a coughing fit. Lee placed his hand on Kris' chest, face crossed with concern.
Blue growled at Lee's hand, staring at the man, teeth baring. Kris leaned back down, coming down from his sudden ebullition of coughing.
"I'm alright, girl, calm down. Be nice to Lee," he said before turning to the man beside him, "I'm okay, doc."
Lee nodded, continuing to work. "Try not to strain your voice to much. You might have another coughing fit and it could cause more complications."
Kris nodded, asking Blue to hand him the water bottle that was out of his reach. He pointed to it, and she leaned down, picking the plastic up between her jaws. She was careful to not break the material as she dropped it carefully into Kris' right hand. He opened it with his teeth, drinking the liquid. It was cold, and soothed his dry throat.
Lee finished patching up Kris' arm after about an hour and a half. When Kris was allowed to look down, he could still barely see his skin. Band-aids and gauze covered up most of the surface of his arm. His entire upper hand was covered with a thick layer of gauze, though he could see a dent in the fabric of where his ring finger should've been. The sight sickened him to his stomach, and he didn't ever want to see what lay under the fabric.
"Now, we'll work on your leg," Lee said, moving the rolling chair he was on further down the table.
Kris reached down, taking one of Blue's claws into his right hand. Blue cocked her head at the action, unsure of what this meant. She had seen humans do such a thing before, and had deduced it as a display of affection.
Back when Blue lived peacefully with her sisters in her paddock, she could remember two workers who shared the action many a time. They were obviously mates, and they held their hands together often.
As Blue stared down at their connected hand and claw, she wondered if Her Human was showing her the same affection that those two mates did. However, as she looked up, searching for the answer in his features, she realized that she was jumping to conclusions. Her Human had his eyes closed, his hand squeezing around her claw every time Lee had to pick his leg up. She assumed that he was attempting to reduce his pain.
Blue chittered softly to Her Human, nuzzling the side of his face with her snout.
Lee administered the anesthetic, and Kris slowly felt his leg go numb, similar to his arm. He was extremely tense as he asked his next question, "How'm I looking, Lee?"
"Not as bad as your arm," Lee said, and Kris exhaled the deep breath that he didn't know he was holding.
Kris let go of Blue's claw, reaching his hand back to her chin. She crooned thankfully once she saw him breathe again, his head leaning back in reasurrance. Blue looked to his leg, surveying the damage that he sustained. Multiple incisions cut deep into his skin, holes where the knife was plunged deep. However, it definitely wasn't as bad as his arm.
"You suffered multiple stab wounds, but it's nothing that can't heal over time."
Kris nodded, relief flowing over him.
"Although, you might need long-term treatment."
Kris swallowed as he looked to the doctor, "Is that bad?"
Lee's face scrunched up slightly as he began patching up wounds, "No, no. Just things like cleaning out the wound, packing it, re-bandaging it and keeping it clean, physical therapy, those sort of things. It's nothing that will bother you too much."
"Thank God," Kris sighed. Kris felt blessed to come out of that night without mortal wounds.
However, his wounds would scar beyond the physical level. The deep emotional trauma that night left behind would haunt him for the rest of his life; Kris just didn't realize it right now.
It would take another hour before Lee finally finished his work, flashing Kris a grin as he stood.
"Thank you so much, I owe you a lot."
Lee waved his hand, beginning to take his gloves off, "It's my pleasure. Take it as a favor."
Silence developed, the man assisting Lee departing the room.
"What should I do now?" Kris asked.
Lee sighed, pursing his lips in thought. "I suppose we should move you to the recovery bay so that you can lay in the confines of a warm bed. As for walking, you should probably refrain from it until tomorrow, at least."
Kris nodded, beginning to stand.
"No, no, no, stay here for now. The anesthesia is still very active. You're going to be numb for the next two days, at least."
Kris blinked, "But you just said that you're going to move me?"
Lee laughed, moving to wash his hands, "Well, we have to wait an hour or so before we do that. We don't want to risk the anesthesia spreading to your other nerves because of the movement."
Kris sighed, reluctantly agreeing with the doctor. He didn't want to lay on this table for the next two hours, with the only comfort being the pillow behind his head. Granted, he was used to sleeping on hard surfaces from the previous nights; but that didn't mean he enjoyed it.
"I'm going to go check and see if anyone else needs my help. Would you like me to send someone to get you food?" Lee said, turning to exit the room.
"Please," Kris said, but resumed before Lee left, "Can you tell them to bring some for Blue, too?"
Lee smiled, "Of course," and left.
Kris leaned back, closing his eyes briefly as he began to wait. Not being able to feel his left limbs was an interesting feeling, and he didn't like it. Turning his head, he looked at Blue.
"Hey, girl," he whispered.
Her eyes, having been closed too, opened as she met his gaze. She chattered softly in response, fighting to not let her eyes droop as he stroked the side of her snout.
"We're going to be okay," he said.
Upon saying the words, he smiled and slowly laughed, careful not to overexert himself. Just uttering the words seemed unreal. After what he had gone through the previous two nights, it was almost impossible for him believe that they were okay. However, seemingly, they were. Of course, there was still many things to worry about; say, being stuck on a dinosaur-infested island, for example.
"You know, one day, I'm going to leave this island," Kris said, his voice hushed as he looked into Blue's eyes, "And... I'm going to bring you with me, back to the U.S. I promise."
Blue didn't know what he was saying, of course, but the optimistic tone of his voice made her happy, and she gave him an accepting chirp.
"I-I know you can't give me permission to take you right now, but later, we'll see about it when where getting ready to leave."
Blue crooned, pressing her snout further into the palm of his hand.
There was still a somber blanket that softly coated them. The two were still in slight mental shock, and both had difficulty talking. Every time Kris spoke, he had to force it, and his body ached. Every time he moved it felt like hell. Blue was in a similar situation, her wounds burning and her body aching heavily. She wanted to lay down, but she wouldn't until she knew that Her Human was fully okay.
Kris averted his gaze momentarily, taking another sip of water, "I'm so happy I met you, Blue, I truly am."
Kris wasn't the one to get mushy, as it always made him a little awkward to do so. Blue listened to him, soaking in his affectionate cadence as she closed her eyes. He gently reached forward, kissing her on the tip of her snout. Blue moved her head down, and Kris moved his forward. His forehead pressed against top of her head, her scales meeting his skin. The scutes atop her head poked uncomfortably at his skin, but the sheer intensity of their connection allowed him to see past it. Their link empowered them to forget all the pain they had previously gone through. Neither of them had ever felt a bond as powerful as the one they now shared. Of course, Blue had great relationships with her sisters, and Old Alpha, which too were unbreakable at their heart. Kris had his strong nexuses with his parents and close friends. Yet nothing could campare to what they now had. Their love was so raw yet pure, real yet natural in every form; almost indescribable. After what they had experienced together, nothing could break their bond. They knew that whole-heartedly, that no force on this earth could separate them.
However, they had to, ironically, and grudgingly, separate when a knock on the glass ripped them from their connection. Kris opened his eyes, pulling his head away from Blue's. He instantly regretted it, coveting every moment they had touched. He forced a smile as his eyes lay on a man standing at the doorway. The man's foot was reared back, ready to knock again.
"Sorry for interrupting. Lee told me to bring you guys food," the man said. He eyed Blue cautiously as he approached.
Kris caught his gaze and attempted to soothe the man, "She won't bite, it's fine."
The man nodded, though he looked skeptical. He placed the one tray on the counter, the other on Kris' chest.
"Thank you," Kris said politely as the man walked away.
Blue quickly ate the three, rather large, slices of meat off the tray. Kris watched as she did so, chuckling, turning to his tray. A sandwich, filled with cold cut meat and lettuce sat atop the tray. A bag of chips and an apple sat beside it, two water bottles topping off the meal. Kris smiled as he dug in. Blue finished in two minutes (though she would've finished sooner if her stomach permitted it), and she turned to face Kris again. Normally, the meal would barely satisfy her needs. However, after going nearly two days without eating, the sudden change caused her stomach to lurch. Blue would have to slowly get back into the groove of things.
Kris was in a similar boat. The meal would've possibly filled him up normally, but he found himself only finishing half the sandwich and the bag of chips. His stomach was, however, and thankfully, satisfied.
The two connected at the head again, despite the soreness that bit at their limbs, and the fatigue that tried every so desperately to pull their eyes shut. For the next hour, they sat together, heads connected, Kris rubbing the side of her snout softly.
They were interrupted once again as Lee walked into the room.
Kris sighed, pulling away from Blue. The raptor fought off the urge to tear into the man as he entered.
"How are we feeling?" Lee said, opening a binder in which held many assorted papers.
"I'm alright, but I can't feel shit."
Lee pulled a paper out of the binder, holding it up to his face as he spoke, "Are you in any pain?"
"No."
Lee smiled, putting the binder down and turning to Kris, "Good. And Blue is okay, I would assume?"
Kris looked towards the raptor. He pointed at the gauze stripped onto her back and her tail. She closed her eyes briefly, knowing what he was asking. She saw the concern in his eyes; she knew he would worry if she told him how much pain it was causing her. She chirped happily, to show him that she was okay, despite the fact that she wasn't. Her wounds weren't mortal; however, they did cause her constant pain.
"She says she's okay," Kris said slowly, his eyes beginning to narrow at the raptor. She didn't seem okay.
"Alright, that's good. Now, I would like to conduct a test with you, to see if you show early signs of traumatic shock."
Kris tore his eyes from Blue, nodding to the doctor. Lee approached him, pencil and paper in hand.
The test was quite simple. Lee asked Kris a few questions, such as "Do you have trouble concentrating?", and Kris would answer. He also inspected his pupils, and some other bodily functions. The exam was over within twenty minutes.
Lee smiled, leaning back in his chair.
"W-well?" Kris asked apprehensively.
"Well, I don't know. We have to run the test over the next three days. The symptoms have to persist for at least three days before I can diagnose you."
Kris blinked, "Do I have the symptoms?"
Lee let out a nervous breath before speaking, "Unfortunately. You have some of them. Time will tell if you will end up having more."
Kris leaned back, closing his eyes.
"Don't stress out, I would deplore you doing so. There are still two more days to go," Lee spoke, his tone inspiriting.
Kris controlled his breathing, Lee's optimistic words soothing him slightly.
"Now, I think it's time we move you to a more comfortable bed, yeah?"
Kris nodded, but had a question. "Is there any beds that would fit the both of us?" He gestured to Blue.
Lee's face scrunched up, deep in thought. "I'm not sure. But I will check."
Kris thanked him as he walked out. Kris had assumed that Lee would have questioned him for sleeping with a dinosaur, but he hadn't even looked at him differently.
Once Lee returned, a grin adorned his face, the wrinkles prominent. "You're in luck. There is — what seems to be — a queen sized bed. I suppose Mr. Masrani really did have his customer's best interests in mind. Oh, I'm just rambling now, aren't I?" Lee chuckled softly as he spoke.
Making sure that Kris didn't feel pain upon applying pressure to certain points in his arm, Lee picked him up.
Blue watched with worry as Her Human winced. Kris didn't feel any pain; he just felt nothing at all. It was weird to stand up without being able to feel his left limbs.
Lee helped Kris hobble to the bed, which was a three minute walk away. They passed some laboratories as they continued to the room. Once the three arrived, Kris surveyed the room. It was small, but cozy. It was also quite simple; the only thing in the room besides the bed was a counter and a extendable table.
Lee helped Kris settle into the bed.
"Oh, sweet Jesus that's the greatest thing I've ever felt," Kris gasped as his body settled into the mattress.
The sensation had grown so foreign to him; it had been roughly two weeks since he was able to sleep in an actual, comfortable bed.
Lee laughed, "I'll check to see how you're faring later."
Once he exited, Kris patted the side of the bed next to him. He reached over, pulling the sheets away with his good hand as Blue wiggle in. It was a process to fully lay down in the bed. First she had to jump on top of the mattress, then lay down, then wait for the sheets to be draped over her, all the while minding how much tension she placed on the bed. When this was done, she could freely move around. Kris could not lean on his side, and so he pulled the raptor close to him, smiling as her head took its normal position against his neck.
Blue was in heaven. She had never slept on a mattress, especially not one as soft as the one she now lay on. She sighed, bliss washing over her. Kris laughed, watching the raptor soak in the pleasure.
Despite the quick laughs, they were both debilitated, and it was time for them to sleep. Kris inched Blue as close as he could, so much to where one of her arms had to extend across his chest. The other was comfortably tucked against her chest.
They easily slipped into sleep after less than five minutes.
ζ
"So then why'd you do it?" Vincent yelled, slamming his fists against the table.
The blonde, British woman before him flinched, tears prominent across her face, "I-I don't know! I wasn't thinking, you have to understand!"
Vincent had been psychologically torturing the woman for the past hour and a half, digging as many answers from her as he could. He had upped the ante by performing his interrogation in the same cell Murphy held Kris and Blue. Now, he was trying to get the reason as to why she led Murphy to Kris. Her reasoning especially confused him after she confessed that she despised Murphy.
"Bullshit!" Vincent laughed, looking incredoously at the crying woman in front of him. He had succesdfully broken her. "I assume you knew what Murphy was planning to do to Kris and Blue, am I right?"
May shook her head frantically, "No, no! I swear I didn't. I was just doing as he told me, like always."
Vincent's eyes narrowed as he saw an opportunity, "Oh, so you don't know what he did to them?"
May froze, swallowing hard, "Don't tell me he killed them," she whispered.
Vincent frowned, placing a hand on the table, the other on his hip. "No, much worse actually. He tortured them. Probably mentally and definitely physically scarred them for the rest of their lives."
May wept. She never intended for this to happen. She wanted to go home, and go to sleep.
"How about this, May. I have an offer for you."
May perked up, wiping the tears from her red cheeks, nodding desperately.
"I'm going to give you two options, not that you deserve it. So, either you can work with me, and do as I say as you help me get to Murphy," he paused before continuing, fighting to contain the smile that threatened to tug his lips upwards, "Or, I can keep you here, without food and water — similar to how Murphy treated Blue and Kris — and wait for that velociraptor to recover so that she can personally rip your insides out slowly."
May swallowed, her breaths increasing at a rapid pace.
"What's it going to be, May? You know, I could leave right now an—"
"No! Please don't! I'll work with you, I swear!" she screamed hopelessly, essentially begging for her life.
Vincent smiled, "Good. Now, you will stay here, in this room, until I tell you to come out, capiche?"
May nodded slowly, exhausted.
Ξ
Kris shot up, his right harm frantically grasping whatever it could, his right leg kicking ferociously. He had a dream where he was locked in the cell, Murphy slowly torturing him as before.
Now he sat up, screaming wildly in the darkness. The door connecting the room to the rest of the lab was shut, and the room was shrouded in black.
A stiff bark echoed through the room, but Kris could not hear as he panicked. He was certain he was back in that cell. He was certain that death was tapping at his shoulder again.
A roar silenced him, and he turned to see two amber orbs glowing in the darkness. Kris breathed wildly, chest heaving. He felt distant pain in his aching body as he gasped.
"B-Blue?"
The raptor chittered softly, pushing him back down onto the bed with her head. Kris obliged, now close to sobbing.
"I don't want to go back, I don't want to go," he whispered repeatedly into Blue's neck as she purred softly.
The raptor cut him off with another bark, effectively silencing him. He listened intently, as he was pressed close to her. He could hear her heart rush, her veins pulse, her calm, steady breaths. It slowly mollified him.
Blue crooned to him, purring and trying to lull him into sleep. She knew that he needed it, and she wasn't going to rest until he did.
Eventually, he fell back into sleep, and Blue soon followed.
Σ
It had been three days since Vincent found Kris and Blue in the cell. They bided their time together, both of them equally as thankful to bask in each other's presence, both of them thankful to be alive.
Lee had diagnosed Kris with acute stress reaction, and Blue with a similar disorder; and it showed.
Every night was a struggle for both of the traumatized pair: they both had trouble finding sleep. Kris would frequently awake, yelling and gasping for air, swearing with fervor that he was still in the cell. Blue would wake up by his side, calling to him, crooning, nuzzling into him. She would remind him that he was in the present, with her, safe from the events that scarred him.
Blue had her troubles as well, however. She would wake up, thinking for sure that she, and Her Human, were dead, floating in the endless void of Death. She would frantically feel around her, calling for Her Human to wake up. He would, and wrap his right arm around Blue, whispering affirmations to her. He would sing and hum softly, with her head tightly tucked in his neck, eyes jammed shut, until she fell asleep.
They would never truly be whole again; never once again would they be themselves. Their wounds would heal slightly over time, but the events of those two nights would remain with them for the rest of their lives.
Π
Vincent knocked on the door, waiting a few seconds before opening it carefully. The lights were on, so he peeked inside. Kris and Blue were laying on the bed, seemingly talking to each other.
"Hey, guys," Vincent spoke, feeling bad for disturbing their time together.
Kris looked up at him, "What's up, Vincent?"
"How are you feeling?"
Kris smiled, his arm protectively wrapped around Blue's body. "Better. Not one hundred percent, but better. I can walk now, so that's a start."
Vincent smiled, stepping in completely, "Well that's good. Would you like to take a walk with me?"
Kris shrugged, not having much else to do, "Why not?" he said, standing and gesturing for Blue to do the same. He stretched, carefully testing the amount of weight he was able to place on his leg. Soon, they followed Vincent.
Eventually, they arrived outside, on the steps of the Innovation Center. It was night now, and as such, they carried rifles with them. They sat on the steps, looking down Main Street.
It was lit up, and puddles scattered across the street from rain a few hours prior. It was still a little chilly, with breezes flowing. One of the hotels shone brightly in the distance, it's blue lights reflecting brightly on the Mosasaur Bay. The other, however, was ominously shrouded in darkness. They could hardly see it.
"Do you smoke?" Vincent said as he sat next to Kris.
"God, yes," Kris sighed happy as he took the cigarette from Vincent. A voice inside told him not to, and he knew Lee wouldn't allow him to. However, he continued, lighting the cigarette.
Blue was laying down, pressed against Kris' right side, looking down Main Street with her arms and legs tucked close to her body. She divided half of her attention to listening to the conversation, the other half to her thoughts.
Exhaling smoke from his mouth, Kris looked around, a question popping into his head. "Why is Murphy such a fucking nut? Did his parents drop him one too many times or somethin'?"
The two men chuckled softly at the joke, before Vincent answered, his head shaking dismissively, "I don't know, to be honest. He's had a pretty messed up and traumatic life. His dad died when he was in high school, and he got into drugs around that time, which was also when I met him," Vincent paused, eyes narrowed slightly as he stared off in thought, "He dabbled with everything, to be frank. I think that, mixed with the grief of what mattered to him the most just...broke him. He never really was the same after that."
Kris leaned forward, pressing the cigarette to his mouth, "Yeah, well, I've had traumatic experiences before, too. Doesn't mean I go around, trying to sell dinosaurs and cutting people's fucking fingers off, for Christ's sake."
"I'm not defending his actions by any means. He's a terrible human being, plain and simple. But... I think the constant pills and shooting up is what fucked his mind beyond repair. I'm pretty sure he has some kind of bipolar issue."
Kris laughed, patting the cigarette lightly, "Yeah, I could definitely see that."
Vincent sighed, looking away before turning back to him. "I'm really sorry you have to go through all of this."
Kris shook his head. "It's not too bad. Who wouldn't want to be stranded on a island with creatures that went extinct millions of years ago," he said, a humorous tone capping off his voice.
"Besides," Kris continued, one of his hands rubbing Blue's flank, "I wouldn't have gotten to meet Blue."
Vincent's eyebrows furrowed, "You know, I never thought to ask before now but... How the hell did you get on Isla Nublar?"
Kris bit his lip, recalling the events from two weeks ago. He hadn't dwelled on it at all, being too focused on trying to survive. With a exhale, he answered, "I was onboard the Miracle."
Vincent's head jerked toward Kris, eyes wide. Kris didn't meet his eyes, but saw his head turn. He nodded slowly, drawing the cigarette to his lips.
"How'd you get out?" Vincent asked, his voice almost a whisper. He felt as if he was staring at a ghost.
Kris shrugged, "I dunno. I was on the balcony, smoking, and I saw the mosasaur jump up. I got thrown off the ship, and the next time I woke up, I was here."
A long silence draped over them, the three sitting, smoke slowly drifting above them.
"How'd you get so close with her?" Vincent asked, genuinely curious.
Kris leaned back, elbows resting behind him. "Well, she tried to kill me for the first week I was here."
A smile formed across his face before he went on, "But eventually, we were both stuck together in a trailer. We'd both lost a lot by then. I'd lost my whole life, and Blue lost two of her sisters. And, she's still dealing with the loss of her trainer."
Vincent turned, "You mean Owen Grady?"
Kris shrugged, "I suppose. I was there for her when she needed me, and she was there when I needed her. We slowly bonded. And now, after what recently happened, we're inseparable."
Vincent nodded as they stopped talking for another short amount of time. Kris stood, seeing Blue's eyes beginning to droop. "I think we're going to turn in."
Blue steadily stood up, chittering at Kris. "I know, girl. We're going."
Vincent stood as well, taking one last look down Main Street before beginning to walk into the Innovation Center. Kris flicked what remained of his cigarette, exhaling the last bit of smoke out of his mouth.
With a parting goodnight, Kris thanking Vincent for his hospitality, they returned to their room. As they lay down, getting settled to enter their slumber, a knot formed in their stomachs, as they knew what would inevitably come when they drifted off.
Kris turned on his side, staring into Blue's eyes as he swallowed. Eventually, he closed them, Blue following suit, as they pressed their heads together.
And there, in that brief but blissful moment, just before they slipped into their horror-filled slumbers, they felt safe, capticated and reassured by their companion's presence.
Back to back 10k word chapters, how cool is that.
Some of you diligent readers may see that this is only part one. Originally, this chapter was supposed to be one, long, 20k word chapter. I decided against it, however, seeing that it might bore some of you. Thus, I've decided to divide Scars into 2 parts, with part 2 being Chapter 11.
Chapter 11 will be out soon, hopefully in the next week or so. Thank you for reading, as always.
The song that Kris sings is Turn the Page, Bob Segar (covered by Metallica).
~Σιhγμα