Author's Note: This is my first posted FanFiction. I hope you like it. Please read and review. I welcome the feedback
Chapter One: A Trip to Paddock Eleven and Disaster
April lay on her and Juniper's bed which had been their father's. Sim slept on the couch in the main room. He insisted on the couch saying that he could respond quickly to any crisis that could arise. She sighed and looked at Juniper who was still sound asleep. She had just woken from a nightmare that had haunted her since they had failed to make the ferry nearly two months ago.
Juniper's face had tanned significantly since and April knew that she had as well. The bungalow had been a wise choice for shelter. The lake provided water and the multitude of compies made for alright tasting meat. They had made a point of looting main street and had walked away several gallons worth of soda and enough food for two months. However, during the first month they had had to fend of compies. They weren't sure as to how many compies had been slain. They christened a new jerky which they dubbed "Compy Jerky." When lightly salted and seasoned it was quite delicious.
The area surrounding the bungalow was now quite Compy free. During the Compy infestation they had lost nearly three weeks worth of food to the critters. Sim, who was ex-military and very handy with a gun, had also gotten them out some tight spots. Juniper who was naturally talented with anything electrical or mechanical had enhanced the generator that their dad had equipped to the bungalow in the event a tropical storm caused a power outage.
April was proud of her sister who at that moment woke up and turned to face April.
"So a death nightmare or the missing ferry one?" She asked tiredly
"Do you have to ask me that every morning?" April retorted playfully.
"I'm just saying you've been having them since day one." Juniper said, raising her hands in defense.
"And you haven't?" April asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course, I have." Juniper said before stifling a yawn "I'm sure we all have."
"What day we get out of bed now?" April said, throwing back the covers.
April went to the wardrobe and pulled out one of the few intact outfits she still possessed.
"I'll be in the shower." April said as she entered the tiny bathroom that adjoined the bedroom.
Ten minutes later fully dressed and feeling refreshed April sauntered back into the bedroom.
"Your turn!" She called cheerfully to Juniper before she exited the room.
The scent of bacon wafting from the stove made April's mouth water as she entered the kitchen. Sim was watching the bacon as it popped and sizzled merrily away on the pan.
"About time you sleepy heads got up." He said cheerfully
"Good morning to you too." April quipped back as she sat down at the table, "Juniper will be along soon."
Five minutes later Juniper skipped out of the bedroom and joined April at the table.
"Good morning!" She chirped.
Sim walked over to the table and divvied up the bacon between three plates. He returned to the stove and picked up a second pan.
"You know, we should ration our non dinosaur food." April pointed out.
"We are." Sim countered "I just thought that our two month anniversary of being stranded merited a traditional breakfast."
"Has it really been two months?" Juniper asked
April glanced at the calendar on the wall.
"Yes it has." Sim answered as he dished out the eggs he'd scrambled. After returning the pan to the stove he took his seat at the small table.
"Shall we?"
Both girls nodded their assent and the trio started eating. They had just finished eating when Juniper voiced the question they were all thinking.
"Will we be saved?"
Sim pondered the question but it was April who answered.
"I believe that we will." She responded with a warm smile "I don't know when, but we will be rescued."
"It's only a matter of time before someone comes." Sim chimed in. "I mean after all you two are the daughters of Owen Grady. He'd move mountains if he had to, just to come rescue you."
April had to agree. Dad would do everything in his power to get them safely home. A glance at her sister told her that Juniper was thinking the same thing. Sim gathered up the dishes and carried them to the sink leaving the girls to rise from the table to consult the map they had pasted to the wall during their first week of being stranded on the island.
The map was divided into different colored sections. Each section had the name of a carnivore and their were colored pins represent a sighting of the specific predator. Finally, there blank spots which simply meant areas they hadn't yet scoped out.
"So Junny, where we going today?" April asked her eyes roving across the map.
"How about the area surrounding paddock Eleven?" Juniper suggested
"Alright, we'll need to pack a lunch if we're going all the way out there." April said, nodding her agreement.
Sim finished washing the dishes and joined them at the map.
"Sounds like a plan." He said, sticking a golden pin where paddock Eleven was. "I'll stop by the armory."
They part ways Sim on his way to collect some guns and the girls to get their gear.
April lead the way out of the bungalow securing the door behind her. She walked over to where Sim was waiting inside the truck. They'd found the truck in the vehicle bay and used it to move any fuel they found to the bungalow. As usual Sim had the radio on. This morning however, he was listening intently. April listened to and felt her pulse quicken at the sound of her father's name.
"Former Raptor Trainer, Owen Grady has appealed to the Costa Rican government for the third time for permission to return to Isla Nublar, home of the dinosaurs, where, Grady believes that his two daughters Juniper and April were stranded. He says the Indominus Rex, the beast responsible for the Park's downfall and the subsequent evacuation, delayed them as they tried to evacuate the island. His daughters, along with many others are two of many presumed dead or missing as a result of chaos that took place during the fall of Jurassic World. Claire Dearing, the former Manager of Operations of the park, supports Grady in his endeavor to rescue his daughters whose fate is unknown. Dearing has also appealed to the Costa Rican government a number of times on behalf of Owen Grady.
When asked about who would go with him to rescue his daughters, Grady had no response. However, with a strict travel ban on the island for the foreseeable future any rescue mission will be put on hold. My name is Kyle Rasmussen and you've been listening to W.W.N.N. World-wide News Network radio. Tonight at seven eastern standard time: exclusive interview with former Jurassic World employee Vivian James about her take on survivors who may be stranded on Isla Nublar and the demise of the Indominus Rex."
Sim turned of the radio and a long silence followed. April's mind was racing as it processed the new information.
Finally, Sim broke the silence.
"Sounds like we don't have to worry about the Indominus any more."
April unconsciously nodded still lost in her thoughts. Dad was trying to get to the island but it seemed that there was some kind of ban preventing a rescue mission. Her mind began to buzz with questions. How much longer would they stay on the island? Could she keep Juniper safe? Her dad believed that she and Juniper were alive but what about everyone else? Would the Costa Rican government allow a rescue mission?
The trip across the island passed in silence. Only when they were outside the paddock was the silence broken.
"So what's the plan?" Sim asked as he unconsciously fiddled with the gun in his hands.
"We need to determine if there is anything living in the paddock or in the surrounding area." April responded "Junny, what do we have for predators nearby?"
"Giganotosaurus is the closest large predator and the carnotaurus has been sighted near here as well." Juniper responded.
"Stay alert." April cautioned "Remember this is uncharted territory."
She turned her attention to the paddock and a trickle of memories found their way to forefront of her mind.
[April held her sister close as they both trembled in fear. They lay next to their father on the gravel beneath one of the construction vehicles. April listened to the heavy footfalls as the Albino super predator stalked around a nearby truck behind which the security worker was hiding. Abruptly the truck was launched upward. Both girls let out shrieks as the truck crashed in to the ground. April glanced back in time to see the Indominus chomp down on the worker. She screamed and turned way. April could hear her dad doing something shortly followed by the smell of gasoline and something wet falling on her and Juniper. There was a growl from nearby before with a roar the Indominus Rex stomped off into the jungle. ]
April shivered at the memory which had been the first of the near death experiences that had occurred that day. She looked at Juniper and knew that her sister was remembering the same thing. April squeezed Juniper's shoulder reassuringly. Juniper managed a small smile in her direction before turning back to the paddock.
"Let's move." April said as she started toward the Paddock.
Behind her Juniper and Sim walked single file with Sim in the rear.
"Looks like the paddock gate is open." Sim commented, "Best be on our guard."
"Um Sim, that's where the Indominus broke out." Juniper said with some trepidation.
The former ACU officer looked from Juniper to the gate before nodding as he scratched the back of his neck.
"Oh, right." He said sheepishly.
April turned and stepped through the broken gate and stopped. While she had never actually been inside the paddock she and Juniper had been inside the observation area when the Information had attacked Owen and the two other men.
"I don't think anything large or medium sized is living in here." She commented
"How can you tell?" Sim asked.
"The gate hasn't been disturbed." She replied easily.
The group marched to the center of the paddock before pausing.
All was quiet. Too quiet. Then out of the brush to their right a pair of compies ran in front of them, stopping when they spotted the humans.
"Man, I hate these things." Sim hissed as he leveled his gun at the small dinosaurs, "Where there are two, there are more."
The gun went off with a loud bang that echoed around the paddock and the compies disappeared in a cloud of dust. When the dust cleared to reveal what remained of compies. April retched and turned away.
"Sim, I don't think that was necessary." She said when she had gotten control of the nausea, "Besides, we should go before more come."
Sim nodded and April led the way out of the paddock. When they reached the gate there was a loud hiss like air escaping an inflatable pool. It was joined by a second hiss. April dashed through the gate and stopped. A pack of compies were happily chewing on the tires of their truck.
"No!" she screamed, causing the compies to scatter right as Sim and Juniper exited the paddock.
"What happened?" Sim asked.
"Compies." April said gesturing to the car.
"Well isn't that just dandy." Sim muttered darkly, then he swore loudly
"Sim!" April exclaimed, jerking her head meaningfully at Juniper.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly.
Juniper looked at April "What now?" she asked
"We'll have to walk home." April said after a moment of silence. "I'll lead with Juniper behind me and Sim will bring up the rear."
She looked at each in turn and they both nodded.
They march well into the night before climbing a tree to spend the night in.
The next morning they set off again after a meager breakfast. They arrived at the bungalow as night fell and each gratefully went to bed for the night.
April felt like she had just laid down when the sound of claws on metal echoing through the night had her scrambling out of bed. Juniper shifted and mumbled slightly but didn't wake up. April slipped out of the bedroom and saw that Sim was awake as well. He was at a window peering outside.
"Sim?" She asked "What's going on?"
"Something is out side trying to get into the supply shed." He answered.
"And you haven't done anything?" She shot at the former ACU officer.
"I'm not stupid enough to go see what's out there alone." He said simply. He waved toward the front door, "Shall we?"
April slipped into the bedroom and as quietly as she could she retrieved her personal pistol from the nightstand. April paused by the bed, leaned down and kissed Juniper lightly on her forehead before leaving the room. She joined Sim by the door and nodded that she was ready. Sim led the way out followed closely by April. They stopped on the porch trying to peer through the darkness. April flicked her flashlight on, its beam lightly illuminating the supply shed. April gasped, the door of the shed was leaning off of to the side the bottom hinge broken. April slipped her pistol from its holster and cocked the weapon.
"Cover me." She said quietly before she approached the shed.
The shed was seemingly devoid of dinosaurs except for the Compy Jerky part of which was gone. Some of the food had been trashed. She groaned silently and took a quick inventory. From what she could tell they'd lost about half of what they had left. She turned to leave so as to report to Sim when she heard a soft growl behind her. It was her only warning as she started to run before she was knocked down just outside the shed. She scream as something in her lower leg let out a sound like a gunshot and a claw of the dinosaur pierced her back just below her right shoulder.
Sim saw that the intruder was a young ceratosaurus and shot a warning over its head. The dinosaur just bared its teeth and leaned forward slightly, increasing the pressure on April who cried out.
"Alright you've had your warning." Sim hissed softly.
But before Sim could shoot predator opened its maw and lowered it toward April's neck.
"No you don't!" Sim bellowed, shooting the ceratosaurus twice.
It roared angrily and charged Sim, kicking April in the back of the head as it went. Sim dove to one side firing as he did. The meat eater crashed into a tree and it crumpled into a heap. It lay for a moment before shakily standing up and staggering into the trees. Sim waited a moment to ensure that it was gone before dashing to April's side. There was blood oozing from a wound in her back and her lower leg was bent at an unnatural angle. Sim careful lifted her unconscious figure off of the ground and carried her into the bungalow. Juniper opened the door and screamed.
"April!" she cried "Is she okay?"
Clearly, the ruckus had woken her up.
"No," Sim said hurrying into the bedroom "I need to tend to her quickly."
As he disappeared into the bedroom Juniper grabbed a towel and the first aid kit staying in the kitchen long enough to get the towel wet. When she entered the room Sim was still holding April. Sim had Juniper arrange the bed so that he lay April down, with Juniper's help, on her stomach keeping head rotated to one side.
"I can tend to her back while you do her leg." Juniper said while preparing the antibiotic.
Sim nodded and using his knife, carefully slit open her pant leg revealing the bloody mess below.
Juniper did her best to ignore the sickening crunch as Sim pushed the bone back in place. Juniper took Sim's knife and cut open April's shirt, fully exposing the wound. She was grateful that April was unconscious as she cleaned the wound out. After applying the antibiotic Juniper used the towel to wipe the blood off April's skin. Then slicing off a portion of April's shirt she used the rag to dry the area around the wound.
"How her pulse?" Sim asked "I haven't checked it yet."
Juniper pressed her index and middle fingers gently to April's neck and felt a weak pulse.
"Weak, but it's there." She responded as she went to retrieve a needle and thread from the medical kit. Sim nodded and started to stitch April's leg back together. He soon finished and stood up.
"I'm going to get some sticks for a splint." He informed her before he left the room.
Juniper began stitching the wound on her back shut and had just finished when April stirred. Juniper paused part way through grabbing gauze as her sister groaned softly.
"April?" she asked softly
"Junny, is that you?" April mumbled weakly.
Juniper carefully helped her sister into a sitting position and removed April's shirt. Juniper placed a pad over the wound and began to wrap the gauze around April. When she had down four wraps she pinned the gauze in place and got April a fresh shirt. April flinched as pain shot up her leg and into her body.
"What happened?" she asked
"You were attacked by a dinosaur. Your leg is broken and your back was impaled by a claw." Juniper responded. "Sim's gone to find you sticks for a splint."
April scrunched up her eyes as though her head were hurting before saying "On top of all that I've got a heck of headache."
Juniper looked into April's eyes and saw that the pupils were different sizes. She help up two fingers.
"How many fingers am I holding up?"
April seemed to squint at the raised hand for moment before saying confidently,
"Three."
Juniper's heart sank. April also had a concussion on top of her injuries. She would have Sim check just in case. The thought had no sooner left her than Sim reentered the room with two straight sticks. He quickly fashioned a splint around the broken leg and as he did so Juniper told him her suspicions about April also having a concussion.
"I'll check." He promised
Juniper thanked him then gave her sister a soft hug, kissed her on the forehead and left the room. Juniper dropped into the recliner and drew knees up to her chin. She began to weep softly. Why did this have to happen and why to April? Sim stepped out of the bedroom and approached the distressed girl.
"Juniper." He said kneeling and placed a hand on her back consolingly. He had to repeat her name four more times before she finally looked up at him with red puffy eyes. "April wants to talk to you."
Juniper silently slid off the chair and disappeared into the bedroom. April was sitting up but was visibly shaking with the effort.
"You should be lying down." Juniper said without moving to enforce her statement.
"If you'll help me." April responded wearily.
Juniper helped her sister lie back and sat down on the bed next to her.
"Sim said you wanted to talk." Juniper ,,I'm going to need you to be the big sister for me while I recover." Each word seemed to be an effort for April to say. "Think you could do that for me?"
A second more pronounced silence fell over the sisters. After about a minute Juniper nodded.
"You can count on me."
April lifted her free arm "Hug?" She asked as the last dregs of her energy trickled away.
Juniper wrapped an arm around April and with seconds slow steady breathing announced that the older Grady had fallen asleep. Juniper got up and quietly sidled out of the room.
When she plopped down in recliner Sim asked
"So, what she want?"
"For me to be the big sister while she recovers." Juniper responded starting to feel tired now that the adrenaline had passed.
"That's a big responsibility." Sim remarked. "Think you're up to it?"
"Yeah." Juniper said stifling a yawn. "Listen, I'm going to bed."
"Alright." Sim said as she turned to go. "Night."
"Night, Sim." She said disappearing into the bedroom.