Thanks to everyone who reads this story and especial thanks to: TyphoidKat, staceycity and Besat5 who have either favorite or follow this story
Disclaimer: I don´t own Jurassic world or its locations, plots and characters, I only owned the characters I created
5.
After fully waken up, Claire didn´t know what to think or what to do, the dream she just had felt so real, but It was just a dream, right? Or was this the dream? Her head was spinning was fast and so hard she couldn´t tell up from down, she needed to do something before she lost her mind, so for the first time since forever Claire Dearing let her instinct take over for her, she hastily got up from bed and put on some clothes.
Before she knew it, she was on her way to the raptors padlock the need to know if Owen was there was and if he was ok so overwhelming it scared her a bit. Once at the padlock the Dearing woman was met with an almost empty parking lot, but some of lights were on inside the building that had the offices, lockers and vet station for the animals' monthly checkups as well as treating minor health problems that might arise with them and that have her hope and helped calmed her racing heart a bit. Getting out of the car her legs felt like Jell-O but finding her strength she walked to the padlock´s gate and walked inside, there was no one insight and that felt strange and made her feel unease, so Claire just kept on walking repeating on her mind as a mantra, please let me find someone, please let me find someone.
Owen Grady was just about to go back to bed and at least try to sleep, Delta had been under the weather lately and none of the vet seem to know what was wrong with her so, he was speeding his nights at the padlock and had insisted to be waken up anytime the raptor´s symptoms worsen. He was just taken his boots off when Jake a medium height, skinny, brown eyes with curly back hair and kindhearted vet who had been assigned to the padlock about a year ago knocked on his office door which it was now also using as an improved bedroom.
J: Owen you have to come up and see this (he said with a mixture of confusion and anxiety)
O: is it about Delta or the girls? (he asked almost too tried to deal with anything else)
J: No, but I assure you, you´ll want to see this (he answered with a slightly mysterious tone)
O: This better be good, Jakey (he answered, putting on his boots again and walking towards the door)
J: Ooohhhh it´s, trust me (said the younger man with a giddy smile)
Jake took Owen to the small control room where they monitor all parts of the padlock especially the Nest and the bridge. At first Owen didn´t see anything out of the ordinary and was about to call Jake on it, when out of the corner of his eye he saw it, a silhouette, one that was too short and slim to belong to one of the padlocks' employee, someone was blindly walking around in the darkness at his padlock, who would so stupid? So irresponsible? Then the silhouette turned around and Owen was shocked
O: Is that…? What is she doing here? And that is time? (he asked more to himself and to anyone else)
J: I don´t know bro, I was hoping you would know (he had seen the looked-on Owen´s face morph from wondering why he was there to realization when he saw no other than Claire Dearing appeared on the surveillance monitor. If he was completely honest his curiosity was peaked as well as his friend and he had the same questions that Owen had just made)
Without saying anything else Owen left the building and went to find both Claire and some answers, when he found her, she looked terrified, but she also had that determinate look on her face that he liked so much, as soon as she heard his footsteps, she turned around and in a minute her face changed to one of pure happiness and the next thing he knew Claire Dearing park operations manager and workaholic extraordinaire was hugging him and it wasn´t just any hug it was almost bone crashing, like the one´s his mom would referred to as bear hugs when he was a kid.
Claire couldn´t believe it when she saw Owen, he was standing right there in front of her, he was ok, the relief that wash over her was ridiculous, so she did the only thing that felt right and hugged as close and as tight as her body allowed it.
C: You are here, you are really here, and you are fine (she said as she continues to hug him and managing to place her face on the crocked of his neck and inhale the remaining scent of peppermint aftershave)
Owenwas more confused by the minute and didn´t know what to do or what to say, so he just let her hug him
C: I can´t believe it, you are safe (she now moved her hands to his face and was caressing his cheeks and looking straight into his eyes)
Hejust leaned into the touch and kept his gaze on her.
Claire finally she placed a soft kiss to his forehead, let him go and started to walk away, the loss of her body´s heat was what broke Owen from the trance he was in, she could leave now without any explanation or without answers.
O: Wait (the need in his voice sounding strange to his ears)
C: (turned around and locked eyes with him again and that made her stop walking) Yes, Mr. Grady is there something you need?
O: (face transformed into one of confusion) don´t you Mr. Grady me! not when you just hugged like that just a few seconds ago. I want to know what was that about? I believe I deserved to know (he said rising his tone just slightly)
C: (her face turning back to her usual park manager one, but her eyes seemed softer somehow to Owen) You wouldn´t believe me, if I told you
O: Try me (his tone and face getting more confused by the minute)
C: Trust me it's just better to leave it alone (she said with a half serious half playful tone)
O: What if I don´t want to leave it alone, I was clearly involve in whatever happened so I´ll say it again I deserve an explanation (changing strategies and giving her his signature puppy dog eyes that he knew no one could resist or say no to)
C: (saw the looked on his eyes and felt like telling him all her secrets. Damn those eyes!) Ok, ok what happened was that I….
In what moment Jake ran to them with eyes wide open and out of breath. Sincerely the last thing he wanted to interrupt whatever was happening between Owen and the park´s manager, it was an open secret around the padlock that Owen had a crush on Claire Dearing and for what he had seen on the monitors (of course he had been watching them, this was good gossip) she apparently had feelings for him too, but a noise coming from the Nest alerted him that something wasn´t right with the girls. So, he pulled up the vitals for the raptors and was surprised to see and Delta had a fever that´s why he ran to get his boss.
J: (looked slightly uncomfortable) Owen, we have a problem with Delta
O: (face changed into one of worry) What happened to her? Is she throwing up again?
C: throwing up? When did she throwed up? (her tone a mix between panic and anxiety)
J: (was very surprise to hear that tone on the park manager) During the morning
C: Have you called the vet? (she asked looking right at Owen)
O: (didn´t know what to think, the last time he talked to Claire, she didn´t seem to care that much for the animals, in fact she kept referring to them as "assets" and that really bother him, but now she seemed just as worried for Delta as he was) Yes, I called them and they didn´t know what was wrong with her, so they ran some test, the results should be ready in the morning, if you don´t mind I want to go see her and be by her side.
C: (all demanding voice) I´m going too
O: Claire, I don't think it´s a good idea, I mean you don´t know the girls, they can be moody (to put it mildly) around new people and since Delta is sick her sisters are going to be on overprotector mode (he explained trying not to freak out, while he began to walk away with Jake, the last thing he wanted was to upset his girls, especially when one was suffering)
C: Look I get it I´m a stranger, but you´re going to need all the help you can get, and I promise if it gets too complicated or if I feel overwhelm I´ll leave. So, let's stop wasting time and let´s go help Delta (she said with a confidence and need to help that she didn´t know where was coming from)
O: Ok, ok you can come with us and help, but the minute you feel like you are in over your head you tell me or Jake (the anxiety and urgency evident on his voice)
While they walked to the Nest, Owen and Jake formulated a plan to first controlled the three remaining raptors and then to take Delta to padlock´s vet station. Jake suggested setting a pig lose and then having to girls chase it while Owen though that could work with Charlie and Eco, but Blue would never leave one of her sisters behind, she was too much of a good leader for that. Owen´s idea was simpler he wanted to slip some sleeping pills into pieces of meat and feed it to the girls just like they did when it was time for their monthly checkups, that would give them 3 hours to get Delta´s fever down. At the end Owen´s idea was approved
Once in the Nest Owen and Jake prepared the meat and the pills, while Claire just stood back and watched them worked with worries eyes and her head spinning.
The girls stand up to attention when they walked up to the Nest, Blue as always was the first to glance directly at Claire and then at Owen, as to ask for an explanation, so then their alpha just reassure her that there were there to help Delta in the softest voice he could. That seemed to calm the beta and ad far as Charlie and Eco they were happy to follow Blue as always.
Jake oversaw preparing the meat and the pills meanwhile Owen and Claire had to move Delta into the stretcher on the vet station once the raptors were knock out. After getting Delta on the stretcher, Jake started working on lowering her temperature, he hooked her into an IV bag, administrate her a saline solution for rehydration and ibuprofen for the fever. In the meantime, Claire and Owen stood on the side just watching the vet working, both feeling useless.
J: (looking straight at Owen) all we can do now is wait (he said suddenly sounding very professional)
O / C: Just Wait?! (they both said at the same time, their tones like the one of scared parents)
J: (now addressing both) Yes, look guys Delta is young and this is the first time she has ever been this sick, so we have to wait for the lab results and right now concentrate on lowering her fever (he said with a calm tone)
O: I understand Jake I do but, that doesn´t mean I´m not nervous and upset. This raptors man, they are my family (he said with worry eyes and an almost desperate tone)
C: Are you sure there is nothing more? Maybe something nontraditional? (she asked while thinking of any reports she might have read on the topic because although it didn´t happen often Delta wasn´t the first sick dinosaur in the park)
J: Of course, why didn´t I think about it sooner. Try some cold rags with ginger. It was what Amy (Jake´s girlfriend who was also a vet but was doing research into alternative therapies on animals) had done when a stegosaurus was sick a year ago (he tone hopeful and happy)
O: Ok, I´ll go see if we have that somewhere (also sounding hopeful at the possibility of not just helping Delta but, to be doing something)
J: No need, my friend no need, my awesome girlfriend has some on the Ark (he said with pride) So, I´ll go find all we need, while you two watch Delta (he added as he begins to walk away)
While Jake was gone Claire and Owen found their way to each other´s arms again, but this time it was the raptor trainer who initiated the contact. He surrounded her with his arms, and she welcomed the gesture without a word, despite their height difference their bodies fit together like two puzzle pieces, he tough as she rested her head on his chest, right near his heart. The smell of her mango lotion doing wonders to ease the nervousness and worry off his body.
When Jake arrived back at the Nest fifteen minutes later, he found them standing by Delta´s side, Owen was petting the raptor´s head with his right hand, while Claire was telling him go hold onto hope, that Delta was strong and that she was going to make it, that brought a small smile to his friend face.
J: (entering the room with a plastic bag and a metal bowl in his hands and a hopeful look on his eyes) I have the ginger, how is the patient? (he asked as the walked to the monitor Delta was hooked to check her vitals)
C: (sounding a little defeated) she´s the same
J: (putting water and the ginger into the bowl he had just brought) Ok Ok so, Claire, I need you to get some gauze from the bottom of that self to your left (he said pointing to a medium size glass self) and Owen when Claire hands you the gauze dip it in this bowl and put the wet rags on Delta´s neck and we´ll change them every 2 minutes (he instructed using his serious tone of voice again)
Another half an hour passed and Delta´s condition remained the same, by this point Owen was ready to start walking up the walls he was so worry and nervous, Claire had to do something, so she took one of the stools that were on the office and sat down next to the raptor, took her paw and began to whisper something. It took the men a few minutes to released that she was indeed singing, the raptor trainer was surprised, how did he forgot about that, every time one of his girls was injured or sick, he sang to them Wham! or the Back Street Boys preferably but anything from the 80s and 90s will do, so he joined her side and began to sing Careless Whisper, Jake soon joined them knowing his friend "trick" to nurse the raptors to good health.
After that it took 7 minutes for Delta´s fever to begin to break, Owen made a comment that it was his amazing singing what had helped the raptor and Jake countered that Delta was recovering so she wouldn´t have to listen to his singing anymore, because he sounded like wounded walrus. Another 10 minutes and the raptor´s fever was all but gone, Jake was very happy and relieve for both Delta and her alpha, he honestly didn´t want to think what would happen to Owen if one of the girls got seriously hurt, for her part when Claire noticed the raptor´s fever going down until it was normal again the eased the felt almost made her cry and Owen oh Owen was over the moon his raptor was fine and he was going to make damn sure she and her sisters would remain fine, and on top of that Claire Dearing was showing him a completely new side of her and he would be lying if he said he didn´t like, because he did and lot, a smile formed on his lips as he saw her reaction to Delta´s recovery.
Jake broke the silence and announced that it was advisable for someone to keep Delta on the vet station overnight for observation, because even though she was well now he just didn´t wanted to risk it, so he was going to go call Amy to let her know that he was going to stay at the padlock all night, but Owen stopped him
O: Jakey I really appreciate the offer, but you should just home man, you have done more than enough tonight (he said with gratitude)
J: No, no bro I can stay really, it´s unfair you have been staying here for the past nights (he said taking his phone out of his pocket ready to call Amy when Claire´s voice stopped him)
C: I could stay too (she said hesitantly) and keep you company (she said looking straight at Owen)
O: Ok Jakey now you have to go (he said playfully) I mean you are a great friend and everything, but I much prefer the company of a beautiful woman (he added making Claire blush and Jake laugh out loud)
J: WOW Owen Grady you are a terrible friend (he said still laughing)
O: Oh, come on don´t act like you wouldn´t do the same if Amy was involved (he commented opening the door and gesturing for his friend to leave)
As Jake walked out, he muttered something under his breath that sounded a lot like children behave.
The sounding of someone clearing his throat was what wake them up, Owen Grady and Claire Dearing had fallen asleep on the floor and during the night her hand had found her way under Owen´s shirt right where his heart is and his were wrapped around her waist.
B: (with an amused tone) Owen care to explain what happened last night?
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