Owen was drifting in and out of consciousness. The blood loss and pain were weakening him further with every passing minute, and he wasn't quite sure how long he would be able to hold on anymore before he lost consciousness indefinitely.
"Indominus…?" He asked in one of his conscious moments.
Barry, sitting next to him on the floor, shook his head. "Still out there."
"She must… be…. destroyed." Owen mumbled brokenly.
"I know," Barry agreed, "from what I've been hearing over the radio they've tried just about everything. The only thing that is left is bombing the island when it has been completely evacuated."
"Let nature… have its course," Owen muttered, now looking right at Barry. A weak, yet determined twinkle appeared in his eyes.
Barry didn't immediately understand him. "What are you on about?"
"He means you need more teeth to defeat the Indominus."
Barry looked around in surprise at Gray, who had spoken from behind him. He was somewhat flabbergasted that Gray had understood Owen's meaning, while Barry himself had not. "More teeth, you say?"
"T-Rex." Gray shrugged his shoulders as if that were the most logical thing in the world.
Finally Barry understood what Owen's plan was. "You mean to set the T-Rex loose on the island as well?! Have you completely lost your mind?!"
"The park's gone to the dogs anyway," Zach piped up, "what does one more dinosaur matter?"
Barry hesitated. "Well…." He had to admit there was truth in those words, but he wasn't fully convinced yet.
"The T-Rex is the only one who has a shot… against the Indominus." Owen spoke slowly and with great effort. "Set it loose…"
Barry was speechless for a full minute, but finally reached the conclusion that Owen's plan was the only reasonable thing that was left to do right now. "Ah, merde!"
He rose to his feet, and moved over to the window that separated them from Claire. "Drop me off at the resort."
"What? Why?!" Claire asked as if he were crazy.
Barry sighed heavily to assemble his courage. "I am going to release the T-Rex."
Claire was completely shocked by the plan. "Are you out of your mind?!"
"I must be." Barry passed a hand over his face. "But we don't have much of a choice."
Owen did not speak again after coming up with the outlines of that plan. He lay on his side on the floor of the truck, hearing, but not really listening. He vaguely heard Barry speak to Claire, and Zach comforting Gray, but he did not register what was being said.
"Shouldn't we keep pressure on that?" Zach indicated Owen's wounds, which were still bleeding.
"It's better that we do, but…" Barry began. Zach's words, however, had made it into Owen's mind, and he interrupted Barry mid-sentence.
"If any of you touch that wound without sedating me into oblivion first… I swear to God, I will kill you all." Owen mumbled the words, but both Barry and Zach had heard it.
"Alright, easy." Barry raised his hands in apology. "I wish we had something here that I could give you for the pain, but everything in here is for animals."
Owen slightly moved his head to be able to look at Barry. "So?"
"I don't want to kill you just yet." Barry carefully placed a hand on Owen's shoulder. "We'll get you to a medic, and I'm sure they'll be able to sedate you into oblivion."
Owen smiled weakly at Barry's remark, before slumbering back into his state of semi-consciousness.
"We're nearly at the resort!" Claire called over her shoulder after they had driven for a while.
"Drop me off at the main entrance to the hotel." Barry called back to her. The tension and a strong realisation of what he was about to do sounded through in his voice. This might very well be the last thing he ever did…
Claire stopped the truck in front of the hotel. Barry jumped out from the cargo area, but made way for the driver's window to have one last word with Claire.
"Drive straight to the docks. Don't look around, and don't come back for me."
"But how will we know that you survived?" Claire looked horror-struck, knowing all too well what this plan could end up in.
"If I do, I'll find my way back to you," Barry assured her. Claire opened her mouth to say something, but was not able to find her voice.
"Good." Barry minutely touched her arm as a soothing gesture. "Take care of Owen, make sure he is alright."
Claire nodded, fighting back tears. "I will."
Barry made a run for it. Claire kept looking at him until the doors of the hotel took him out of her view. Perhaps this was the last time that either of them had seen each other…
It was another twenty minute drive from the resort to the docks, but Claire made it in just under fifteen.
Heavily armed troopers from the remaining members of Asset Containment were stationed all around the harbour to try and defend the guests and other survivors in case the Indominus attacked here.
One of the troopers waved a flashlight at Claire when she raced in their direction.
"Ms. Dearing," the trooper said when Claire stopped the truck right next to him, "I'm sorry, I did not recognize you. Please, drive straight ahead and make a right turn at the end. You'll find shelter there, and food and water."
"Thank you," Claire said sincerely, "but I need doctors. My friend, in the back, he's badly injured."
The trooper immediately reached for his radio. "Drive ahead, I'll make sure they meet you there."
Claire drove in the direction the trooper had indicated, and stopped at the end of the small street in front of one of the hangars. Sure enough, a few white-clad men and women approached her when she stepped out of the truck.
"Are you alright, ma'am?" One of the medics asked her, looking Claire straight into the eyes.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine." Claire waved away their concern for her. "It's my friend, he is injured."
Claire trotted around the truck and opened the back doors.
The medics gently pushed her out of the way. Two of them entered the truck and turned their attention to Owen, while a third medic ushered Zach and Gray out, and took them inside for further assessment.
Claire had not actually seen Owen's wounds yet, but was now faced with the full extent of it. She watched him lie, broken and defeated, on the floor of the truck, wading in a still growing pool of his own blood. The tears she had been trying to hold back for a long time, came spilling freely now, and would probably not stop anytime soon.
Owen felt the vehicle stop moving and he could hear voices outside. The cool night air washed over him as the doors of the truck were opened.
People kneeled down next to him, asking him questions, and touching his arms and shoulders. Oh, how he wished they stopped touching him! Couldn't they imagine that every single movement hurt?!
"Sir, what's your name?"
Owen managed to focus his gaze on the man kneeling next to him. It clearly was a doctor, judging from his attire and the stethoscope hanging around the man's neck.
Owen swallowed hard before he answered. "Owen."
"Alright, Owen," the doctor continued, "can you tell me what happened to you?"
A frown played on Owen's brow as he tried to remember exactly what had happened to him. The blood loss was making his mind foggy, and the memories of today all blended together.
"I… I got run over by Charlie… uhm… a Velociraptor." Owen managed to say with difficulty.
The doctor nodded encouragingly. "Can you tell me where you are?"
"Isla Nublar."
"And the date?"
"August 16th." Owen was getting a little fed up with the questions by now.
"I'm sorry, it's protocol I ask you these things." The doctor smiled apologetically, catching up on Owen's chagrin at the questions.
Another doctor had taken place on Owen's other side, and was carefully studying the wound.
"Laceration of approximately 30 centimetres, stretching from the shoulder blades to halfway down the back. Depth is estimated at 10 centimetres, possibly deeper at some points. Bleeding and soft tissue damage is substantial. Condition of muscles and tendons is unknown for now."
The doctor was giving the report to his colleague as if he were commenting on the weather.
"Owen, just one more question." The doctor facing him claimed Owen's attention again. "Tell me how you feel."
Owen took his time answering this question. "Foggy," he finally mumbled, "weak… cold… agonised… scared." The last word was barely more than a hoarse whisper.
The doctor understood. "Okay, don't worry. You're going to be alright, we'll take care of you."
Owen stared up at the man with pain-filled eyes. "Please…" he breathed out, before sliding away into unconsciousness again.
Thanks again for reading. All favs, follows and reviews are still highly appreciated ;-)
Next chapter will be up again asap.
