Disclaimer: Jurassic Park is not mine.

Chapter Eight

Richard Levine shook his head, confused. "Sorry, Peter; I haven't got a clue what's wrong with you."

Peter shrugged. He hadn't thought Richard would know. But Levine had insisted on taking a look at him, if only for lack of something better to do.

Just then, Grant, Malcolm, and Morgan came up with a very scared-looking Kelly.

Billy couldn't hide a sigh of relief. "You found them."

Morgan nodded. "Yeah, but Athos is in bad shape. T-Rex found them before we did. That was the scream we heard, Peter."

Peter nodded. "That explains a lot. Athos must have been trying to contact you when it happened, and since you were trying to wake me, it effected me, too."

Richard finally got it. "Contact . . . wait, you're talking about telepathy!"

Billy looked at him strangely. "Did you just figure that out? What did you think they meant?"

"I don't know. Hidden radios, or something." He paused. "Is that even possible?"

Ian sighed. "Richard Levine, it surprises me that as of yet you have not been eaten by a Tyrannosaur or torn apart by a few raptors. I have seen absolutely no evidence that you have any sense. Telepathy is as possible as them being able to bring us here in little more than a gust of wind. Like it or not, this is real."

Morgan smiled. "Thanks. You said that perfectly." She turned to the others. "Dr. Grant's going to show me where the river is. I'll need a few of your quivers to carry some water in."

Latano got up. "No, Morgan, you stay here. You'll need to save your strength. I'll go."

To Ian's surprise, Morgan didn't object. Instead, she nodded gratefully and sat down as the elf gathered up a few of the others' quivers.

Ian didn't sit down. "We should all stay together. Alan, we'll be over with Eric and Athos."

Latano nodded, handed his sword to Alan, drew his bow, swung his quiver over his back, and tucked the others under his arm. "I hope I don't have to explain how to use that."

Alan tested the blade against a small tree, splitting it. "Nope, I don't think so."

"Good. Won't do much good against a Tyrannosaur, but you never know what else we'll run into. Let's go."

Alan nodded as they left, wondering how much good it would do against a raptor . . .

Morgan could barely keep from wincing in pain as Ian helped her to her feet. "It's all right," he said reassuringly. "Just a little ways, then you can rest."

She could hear, almost sense, the hesitance in his voice, almost as if he wanted to ask her something but wasn't sure if he should. "What?" she asked.

"Well, I was wondering, the way we got here? Why is it we can't get back like that. Obviously, there's a reason, or else we would've done it already, but I'm just, uh, curious what it is."

Morgan nodded. "Okay, that I can answer. You know how Peter tried to get back to the church but couldn't because we'd already started going here?"

"Yes, but what was it in the first place?"

"Oh, okay. It's a . . . a talent some people have. But it's extremely rare in humans."

"Others of your group have it? The elves?"

"Latano, to some extent. The others, not really. It's not exactly common in elves, either, but moreso than humans."

"But what exactly is it? Teleportation?"

"More or less. None of us are really sure."

Ian nodded, accepting the answer more easily than most people would have. The world was full of things that couldn't be explained. "But, uh, what about the first question?"

"Why can't we leave like that? That's simpler. It doesn't work in any sort of prison or cage or whatever. Apparently, for some reason or other, this island counts."

"How easy is it to end up somewhere completely different from where you wanted?"

"Ridiculously easy," Peter answered, coming up behind them. "It took forever for me to get it right. And even now I sometimes mess it up. And you're never off by just a few kilometers, either. When you're off, you're completely off. You end up in another country, or another continent altogether. Anywhere. I'm not sure what does it."

Morgan shrugged. "Some little variable that you thought couldn't change anything changes and everything else skyrockets out of control as a result. I've told you before - that's Chaos Theory."

"Oh, no," Billy groaned. "There's someone else in the world who actually understands that theory?"

"Really?" Kelly asked, suddenly interested.

Morgan shrugged, somehow managing a smile. "Well, more or less." She looked up at Ian. "I, uh, listened to everything you said about the first island. And I read your book. I think I get it."

"You believed what I said?" Ian asked, astonished. "Even before what happened at the zoo in San Diego?"

Morgan nodded. "You have to understand. I live around the unbelievable twenty-four-seven. How many people would believe me if I said monsters were trying to take over the world? That all that was stopping them was a little island and a handful of ragtag warriors? No one, that's who. We were in the same boat."

"Except that people finally learned I was telling the truth."

Morgan nodded. "Exactly."

Ian shook his head in disbelief. "I can see where you'd believe it. But you understood it, too?"

Peter smiled. "Of course she did. Inherent instability. Unpredictability. She loves that stuff. Absolutely glued to the television whenever you were on."

Morgan shrugged. "It wasn't so much that. It was you, your personality, the way you explained it. You didn't sugar-coat things. You told the truth. That's a rare thing these days."

Billy nodded. "Because people don't want to hear the truth. They want to keep believing what they've been believing. They don't want reality. They want consistency. The want the ordinary."

"There's no such thing," Ian said confidently.

Morgan looked up. "What do you mean?"

Before Ian could explain, Billy whispered, "My goodness, what happened?"

Eric was kneeling by Athos, using his sleeve to wipe the blood off his friend's face. He had a hopeless look about him, like he'd done all he could but knew it wasn't enough.

Rona was by his side in an instant. "How is he?"

"Bleeding's stopped, but he's still unconscious."

"Not exactly surprised. Looks like he was thrown pretty hard. Latano and Dr. Grant are getting water."

"Good. Very good. Advice?"

"We should get him to a hospital as soon as possible. I'd say the elves, but there's no chance they'll help him. None."

Eric nodded. "Can we move him?"

"We're not going to have a choice. Tandro's looking for us by the coast."

"Should we try to wake him?"

"What were you thinking of?"

"I could get in trouble for this," Pastor Brown grumbled. "You're not certified to fly this thing."

"Would you like to fly down there and land this in the middle of the forest. You've already told me this contraption was built for what, eight people?"

"Seven. I built it myself."

"And I'm going down there to try to pick up thirteen. You would add extra weight. I'm not bringing you."

"You won't be able to bring them all back."

"Look. What I do once I get there is not your problem. If they decide to try to fit us all into the plane, that's what's going to happen. If they want me to make two trips, taking anyone who's hurt back first, I'll do it. It's whatever they think is best. It's their call. I don't know the whole situation down there, but I do know it's pretty bad. Now show me how to fly this plane. Fast."

"You sure you want to try this?" Eric asked. "His mind could be damaged. He could be in shock. It might affect you."

"This was your idea," Morgan sighed. "Do you want me to or not?"

Eric thought. "It's your risk," he said at last. "Yours is one of the lives at stake in this. Do what you think is best, le Fay."

Morgan nodded, and took Athos' hand in hers. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to concentrate. She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder and knew it was Peter. She nodded, took a deep breath, and let her guard down.

The pain rushed at her like a wave. She could almost see what had happened, the huge dinosaur lifting him, the ground rushing up, then only the pain. She cringed, but held on, searching.

Watching her, Ian Malcolm shuddered. Morgan suddenly seemed so young, so small. Her forehead was covered in sweat, her muscles tense.

"What on Earth is she doing?" Richard asked.

"Whatever she's doing, it's working," Billy pointed out. Athos' breathing was becoming steadier, his face more relaxed. Finally, his eyes opened. Morgan opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. It was over.

Athos looked around. "Y . . . you came . . ."

"Easy, Athos," Peter smiled kindly, sincerely. "You've had a pretty rough day."

"K . . . Kelly . . . where . . ."

"I'm right here," Kelly said quietly. "I'm . . . I'm sorry . . . if I . . ."

"You did what anyone else would have done," Athos said gently. "There's nothing to blame about that."

Morgan smiled. Typical of Athos, hurt or not. "You remember what happened?"

Athos tried to nod, but started coughing. Finally, he caught his breath. "Who . . . who are these people?"

"This is Dr. Richard Levine, this is Billy, and this is Dr. Ian Malcolm."

Athos' eyes lit up. "You're Kelly's father. Of course. Malcolm. Should've recognized the name. Especially when Kelly mentioned Tyrannosaurs."

Ian stared, surprised at the sudden change. Athos was cheerful, alive, his eyes bright. Morgan and Peter, too, were smiling. Athos looked around. "Where . . . where are Latano and Tandro?"

Eric answered. "Latano is with Dr. Grant. They're getting some water. Should be back any minute. Tandro is back in the U.S. ready to fly down here to pick us all up in Pastor Brown's plane."

"Well, if that don't beat all," Athos laughed. "You've got everyone here. Alan Grant. Ian Malcolm. And Tandro's in an airplane. That I want to see."

"Thing is, he's looking for us on the coast."

"Oh. I get it." He tried to sit up, but pain shot up his right arm.

Eric eased him back down. "Take it easy. We're still waiting for Latano and Dr. Grant. And try not to put pressure on that arm. You hurt it pretty badly."

"Broken?"

"To say the least."

"Just get me back to the gleems; they'll take care of it," Athos assured them.

A silence came over the group. Athos looked around, then up at Morgan. "What?"

Mirage grinned. "Oh, dear," she said sarcastically. "What's she going to tell him? 'I'm sorry, Athos, but your gleems shot me and I'm going to die unless you find an antidote for the poison and give it to your enemies'?" She smiled. "This is where they become enemies."

Fasir shook his head. "No, Mirage. This is where love triumphs over the divisions of enmity."

"Would you two shut up?" Q complained. "Look over here. I've found you some enemies, if I ever saw them."

"It's an idiotic plan," Alan Grant was complaining. "It was an idiotic plan from the beginning. We'll never make it to the coast in time; Athos is in terrible shape. And your pastor friend can't stay in the air forever. Sooner or later, he'll run out of fuel and have to go back."

"So what are you saying?"

"We shouldn't have come here. This place is uncontrolled! And what about them back there? They're just sitting there! The Compys'll find them! The raptors'll find them. The Rex'll come back!"

Latano was keeping his cool. He'd been watching Alan since they met in the bar. It wasn't that he'd rather have left Kelly and Athos to die -- that was far from the case. He was simply frustrated with the sloppy way they were handling it, relying almost completely on instinct and intuition. He was angry not at Latano, but at the fact that, for the moment, there was no better way.

"Look," the elf said calmly. "If you keep yelling like that, the dinosaurs are more likely to find us than them."

Alan sighed. Latano was right. And besides, they'd reached the river.

Suddenly, there was a rustle in the trees, and a call that sent a shiver down Dr. Grant's spine. Raptors.

He glanced over at Latano. He'd heard it, too. The elf was slowly raising his bow. At the first sign of one, Alan knew he'd let the arrow fly. Alan raised the sword Latano had given him; it was surprisingly light, and felt comfortable in his hands.

Perfect.

xWhit3StaRx -- Muahahaha. Cliffhanger again. :)

a writer of fics -- Thanks. I'm trying to update more often, but things seem to keep getting in the way. Which is strange because it's summer and nothing's realy going on. :)