A/N: Because the last chapter was so incredibly short, here's a nice long
one. It's sad and a little depressing at the end, but long. ;-)
Chapter Fifteen- By Dani
"Dana," Eric whispered.
"What?"
"We have to get out of here."
Dana rolled her eyes. "No, you think?"
Eric laughed. "Are you always this cranky when you have a mutilated ankle?"
Dana smiled. "Possibly. Now how are we gonna get down from here?"
"Very slowly, I guess."
"O-oook…" Dana answered nervously.
Eric climbed down to the next branch. Then he held on to Dana's arm and helped her down. She was careful not to put any weight on her damaged foot.
After about 15 minutes, they finally touched the ground. With Dana leaning on Eric for support, the two friends made their way into the jungle.
***********************************************************************
Meanwhile, back at the visitors' center, Billy, Dr. Grant, Cordelia, Lex, and Tim tried to figure out what to do next.
Cordelia was going around and around the room on her crutches. It was like she was trying to pace, but the crutches were stopping her.
"Oh my God. Where are they? Something's happened to them, I know it."
"Look, we're going to find Dana and Eric. Quit worrying, it's not going to help," Tim pointed out.
"Not worry? NOT WORRY? Good God, how do you expect me to not worry? That's my best friend out there! And my boyfriend! Alone out there with those… monsters… I think worrying is a very good idea right now!!" she exploded, saying the whole last part in one breath.
"Okay, okay. Breath. Take a deep breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Let out the anger. In with the good, out with-"
"-Tim, shut up! Man, it's like you never grew up!" Lex teased.
Cordelia almost smiled. The whole time, Lex and Tim had been the ones trying to lighten the mood. They tried to act like they always would, which made everyone laugh.
Billy smiled. It was amazing to him how everyone could be in this terrifying situation and Time and Lex, brother and sister, could still act like nothing was going on. Maybe one day he could be that kind of brother to Dana. Wait…what?
'You're just letting that family tree thing get to you. Dana Carter is a really common name,' he thought.
"Billy? Billy? Come on, we're going to look for Lia's friends," the sound of Lex calling him snapped Billy back to reality.
"Oh, sorry. I was just… thinking," he replied.
"Thinking? You? No way," Tim laughed.
"Okay, come on. We've got to find Eric and Dana before something else does," Dr. Grant reminded them.
The group grabbed as many first aid products as they could, then left the visitors' center and headed towards the jungle.
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"You doing okay?" Eric asked Dana.
"I'm alright. Just hot," she answered, fanning herself with her hand.
"Then why don't you take off the jacket? You know, that weird bathrobe thing?" Eric suggested.
"Hey! It's not a bathrobe, it's called a duster," Dana argued defensively.
"Well, it looks like a bathrobe. Why do girls always wear those things, anyway? It's a jacket, not a dress. Jackets shouldn't go all the way past your knees."
"Neither should shorts, but that doesn't change boys' minds," Dana shot back. Eric looked defeated.
Dana laughed and pushed up the duster sleeves. "I wouldn't have a place to put it anyway. It's too long to tie around my waist."
"My point exactly."
"Hey, Eric? I think I'm okay to walk now," Dana commented.
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, if you think so." Eric lifted his arm from around her and she began to limp along next to him.
"Thanks for all your help, Eric. You know you saved my life."
Eric shrugged. "What are best friends for?"
"I guess that's what they're for, and also for talking. I know you're worried about Lia. I am, too."
"I'm really scared something happened to her. Not to sound all "Boy Meets World" on you, but she's been my girlfriend since elementary school. I care about her," he said softly.
"Yeah and my best friend…" Dana's voice broke off as she saw something through the trees. The raptors were back. "Eric, where's the laser pointer?" she whispered.
Eric understood immediately and reached into his pocket, only to feel a hole. "It's gone!"
Dana thought quickly and had a sudden idea. She looked up towards the trees.
"Eric, run. Go find everyone else. I've got a plan. Just run," she whispered, tense. The raptors would see them at any minute.
"Dana, I'm not leaving you here alone. Especially with your ankle like that. You can barely walk."
"Eric, just go! Now! I'll be fine!" Dana urged with such seriousness in her voice that Eric had to listen.
"Ok… bye, Dana. Be careful!"
"Bye, Eric."
Eric began to run. When he turned back, he saw Dana racing up a tree. She was pulling herself up with her hands and hopping to each branch with her one good foot. The velociraptors surrounded the tree. She kicked one. "Eric, go!" she yelled, seeing him still there. He turned and ran, this time without looking back. Finally, he saw people through the trees.
"Lia!" he yelled.
Cordelia snapped her head around. "Eric!" she cried.
Billy, Alan, Lex, and Time turned to see Cordelia screaming for Eric, then saw him standing there in the distance. He was bruised, cut, and streaked with mud. His face was dirty and his hair was messy. Other then that he looked clear of any real physical damage.
But one look at his face and you could tell something had happened. He was scared and sad and shocked all at once.
Everyone ran towards him. Cordelia took huge leaps with her crutches, managing to reach Eric before anyone else. As soon as she got to him, she gave him a hug with one arm and held her crutches with the other.
"I was worried about you," Eric said.
"Me too," Cordelia replied. Then she got mad. "Don't you *ever* get lost like that again!"
"Sorry."
Eric suddenly noticed the crutches. "What happened to you?" he asked.
"Broke my leg, what's it look like?"
Eric laughed a little sadly. Then he remembered Dana and a feeling of guilt washed over him. Cordelia saw it.
"Eric, what's wrong? And where's Dana?"
He didn't answer. He just looked down.
Cordelia looked him in the eye. " Where is Dana?"
"She…she said she had a plan…she told me to go…I shouldn't have listened…"
"Eric, what? Where's Dana? Just tell me!"
Eric took a deep breath. "There were raptors. They saw us. Dana told me to run and find everyone. She said she had a plan. She told me she knew what to do. I believed her."
Billy joined the conversation. "Let's go. If we hurry we might still be able to save her."
"Yeah, Eric. It's not too late," Cordelia encouraged.
"You're right… then let's go! Follow me!" Eric cried, sudden hope blooming in his heart.
They all tore through the trees with Eric leading. He finally saw the place where he had left Dana. The raptors were gone, and Dana was nowhere in sight.
Suddenly, Tim saw something dark blue on the ground. He picked it up. It was a denim jacket. It was covered with something dark brownish red. Blood.
"Eric, isn't this the jacket you were wearing before? Why's it covered in blood?" Tim asked.
"Dana's ankle was…hurt. We used that to bandage it," he answered. He didn't tell them exactly what had happened to Dana's foot. He didn't want them to worry even more.
"Eric?" Eric turned to see Cordelia frowning nervously. "The 'cast' she was wearing is here, but she's not…"
"Don't worry, Lia. It doesn't mean anything. I could've fallen off when she was escaping," Lex suggested. Cordelia nodded and looked a little reassured.
Billy smiled at Lex and gave her a look that said 'nice job.'
Suddenly, something grayish- blue caught Dr. Grant's eye. It was some kind of fabric hanging off a tree on a low branch. "Look," he said, pointing to it.
"Oh my God," Eric whispered, recognizing it. He quickly scampered up the tree and grabbed the fabric.
He brought it back down, and then looked at what he was holding.
"No…" he whispered, feeling tears well up in his eyes. "No, no, no…" A teardrop fell onto the fabric. In Eric's hands, torn and ripped and covered with blood, was Dana's duster.
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A/N: Aww, I think I'm gonna cry. Well actually I'm not cause I wrote it so I knew that was coming anyway, but I would cry if I hadn't written that myself. Lol. Please review. Thanx.
Chapter Fifteen- By Dani
"Dana," Eric whispered.
"What?"
"We have to get out of here."
Dana rolled her eyes. "No, you think?"
Eric laughed. "Are you always this cranky when you have a mutilated ankle?"
Dana smiled. "Possibly. Now how are we gonna get down from here?"
"Very slowly, I guess."
"O-oook…" Dana answered nervously.
Eric climbed down to the next branch. Then he held on to Dana's arm and helped her down. She was careful not to put any weight on her damaged foot.
After about 15 minutes, they finally touched the ground. With Dana leaning on Eric for support, the two friends made their way into the jungle.
***********************************************************************
Meanwhile, back at the visitors' center, Billy, Dr. Grant, Cordelia, Lex, and Tim tried to figure out what to do next.
Cordelia was going around and around the room on her crutches. It was like she was trying to pace, but the crutches were stopping her.
"Oh my God. Where are they? Something's happened to them, I know it."
"Look, we're going to find Dana and Eric. Quit worrying, it's not going to help," Tim pointed out.
"Not worry? NOT WORRY? Good God, how do you expect me to not worry? That's my best friend out there! And my boyfriend! Alone out there with those… monsters… I think worrying is a very good idea right now!!" she exploded, saying the whole last part in one breath.
"Okay, okay. Breath. Take a deep breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Let out the anger. In with the good, out with-"
"-Tim, shut up! Man, it's like you never grew up!" Lex teased.
Cordelia almost smiled. The whole time, Lex and Tim had been the ones trying to lighten the mood. They tried to act like they always would, which made everyone laugh.
Billy smiled. It was amazing to him how everyone could be in this terrifying situation and Time and Lex, brother and sister, could still act like nothing was going on. Maybe one day he could be that kind of brother to Dana. Wait…what?
'You're just letting that family tree thing get to you. Dana Carter is a really common name,' he thought.
"Billy? Billy? Come on, we're going to look for Lia's friends," the sound of Lex calling him snapped Billy back to reality.
"Oh, sorry. I was just… thinking," he replied.
"Thinking? You? No way," Tim laughed.
"Okay, come on. We've got to find Eric and Dana before something else does," Dr. Grant reminded them.
The group grabbed as many first aid products as they could, then left the visitors' center and headed towards the jungle.
************************************************************************
"You doing okay?" Eric asked Dana.
"I'm alright. Just hot," she answered, fanning herself with her hand.
"Then why don't you take off the jacket? You know, that weird bathrobe thing?" Eric suggested.
"Hey! It's not a bathrobe, it's called a duster," Dana argued defensively.
"Well, it looks like a bathrobe. Why do girls always wear those things, anyway? It's a jacket, not a dress. Jackets shouldn't go all the way past your knees."
"Neither should shorts, but that doesn't change boys' minds," Dana shot back. Eric looked defeated.
Dana laughed and pushed up the duster sleeves. "I wouldn't have a place to put it anyway. It's too long to tie around my waist."
"My point exactly."
"Hey, Eric? I think I'm okay to walk now," Dana commented.
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, if you think so." Eric lifted his arm from around her and she began to limp along next to him.
"Thanks for all your help, Eric. You know you saved my life."
Eric shrugged. "What are best friends for?"
"I guess that's what they're for, and also for talking. I know you're worried about Lia. I am, too."
"I'm really scared something happened to her. Not to sound all "Boy Meets World" on you, but she's been my girlfriend since elementary school. I care about her," he said softly.
"Yeah and my best friend…" Dana's voice broke off as she saw something through the trees. The raptors were back. "Eric, where's the laser pointer?" she whispered.
Eric understood immediately and reached into his pocket, only to feel a hole. "It's gone!"
Dana thought quickly and had a sudden idea. She looked up towards the trees.
"Eric, run. Go find everyone else. I've got a plan. Just run," she whispered, tense. The raptors would see them at any minute.
"Dana, I'm not leaving you here alone. Especially with your ankle like that. You can barely walk."
"Eric, just go! Now! I'll be fine!" Dana urged with such seriousness in her voice that Eric had to listen.
"Ok… bye, Dana. Be careful!"
"Bye, Eric."
Eric began to run. When he turned back, he saw Dana racing up a tree. She was pulling herself up with her hands and hopping to each branch with her one good foot. The velociraptors surrounded the tree. She kicked one. "Eric, go!" she yelled, seeing him still there. He turned and ran, this time without looking back. Finally, he saw people through the trees.
"Lia!" he yelled.
Cordelia snapped her head around. "Eric!" she cried.
Billy, Alan, Lex, and Time turned to see Cordelia screaming for Eric, then saw him standing there in the distance. He was bruised, cut, and streaked with mud. His face was dirty and his hair was messy. Other then that he looked clear of any real physical damage.
But one look at his face and you could tell something had happened. He was scared and sad and shocked all at once.
Everyone ran towards him. Cordelia took huge leaps with her crutches, managing to reach Eric before anyone else. As soon as she got to him, she gave him a hug with one arm and held her crutches with the other.
"I was worried about you," Eric said.
"Me too," Cordelia replied. Then she got mad. "Don't you *ever* get lost like that again!"
"Sorry."
Eric suddenly noticed the crutches. "What happened to you?" he asked.
"Broke my leg, what's it look like?"
Eric laughed a little sadly. Then he remembered Dana and a feeling of guilt washed over him. Cordelia saw it.
"Eric, what's wrong? And where's Dana?"
He didn't answer. He just looked down.
Cordelia looked him in the eye. " Where is Dana?"
"She…she said she had a plan…she told me to go…I shouldn't have listened…"
"Eric, what? Where's Dana? Just tell me!"
Eric took a deep breath. "There were raptors. They saw us. Dana told me to run and find everyone. She said she had a plan. She told me she knew what to do. I believed her."
Billy joined the conversation. "Let's go. If we hurry we might still be able to save her."
"Yeah, Eric. It's not too late," Cordelia encouraged.
"You're right… then let's go! Follow me!" Eric cried, sudden hope blooming in his heart.
They all tore through the trees with Eric leading. He finally saw the place where he had left Dana. The raptors were gone, and Dana was nowhere in sight.
Suddenly, Tim saw something dark blue on the ground. He picked it up. It was a denim jacket. It was covered with something dark brownish red. Blood.
"Eric, isn't this the jacket you were wearing before? Why's it covered in blood?" Tim asked.
"Dana's ankle was…hurt. We used that to bandage it," he answered. He didn't tell them exactly what had happened to Dana's foot. He didn't want them to worry even more.
"Eric?" Eric turned to see Cordelia frowning nervously. "The 'cast' she was wearing is here, but she's not…"
"Don't worry, Lia. It doesn't mean anything. I could've fallen off when she was escaping," Lex suggested. Cordelia nodded and looked a little reassured.
Billy smiled at Lex and gave her a look that said 'nice job.'
Suddenly, something grayish- blue caught Dr. Grant's eye. It was some kind of fabric hanging off a tree on a low branch. "Look," he said, pointing to it.
"Oh my God," Eric whispered, recognizing it. He quickly scampered up the tree and grabbed the fabric.
He brought it back down, and then looked at what he was holding.
"No…" he whispered, feeling tears well up in his eyes. "No, no, no…" A teardrop fell onto the fabric. In Eric's hands, torn and ripped and covered with blood, was Dana's duster.
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A/N: Aww, I think I'm gonna cry. Well actually I'm not cause I wrote it so I knew that was coming anyway, but I would cry if I hadn't written that myself. Lol. Please review. Thanx.