TGIF! The plot thickens...
"All I'm saying is someone barley touches them and they fall, screaming in agony, for 15 minutes. That's the definition of acting like a pussy," I explained to Barry as he stood before a whiteboard transcribing notes about the girl's daily activities. "No, flip number one and two. Delta got to the pig first then relinquished control to Blue."
I was lying on the couch in Owen and Barry's office chewing on Twizzlers debating with him the merits of American football versus European football, more commonly referred to as soccer. My little swim in the river rewarded me with three cracked ribs, and too many cuts and bruises to count. I was ordered by Simon to take the full six weeks of medical leave my doctor had recommended. I tried to lodge a protest, but he simply ignored me, and my very detailed comment card, going about his business as if I wasn't in the room. Simon was kind of a dick sometimes.
For the first week I'd recuperated at my house with Owen or Barry stopping by at steady intervals to bring me food, dispense my pain meds, and attempt to relieve my boredom. After throwing a fit and tossing a Vicodin bottle at Owen's head in frustration he made the administrative decision to bring me to work with him every day. I told him he didn't have to, but kept my fingers crossed behind my back that he wouldn't abandon me in my time of need. I would have understood if he couldn't handle me at my worst, that shit was ridiculous sometimes. I don't know how he managed it, but Owen weathered my mood swings like a champ. I think he's trying for sainthood. If our situations had been reversed I would have smothered him with a pillow by now. Just sayin'.
I didn't do all that much given I could hardly stand up straight without crying in pain, but being here made me feel more useful than lounging in my house watching DVDs all day by myself. Right now, I was trying to convince Barry that American football was WAY better than European soccer (or futbol as Barry so eloquently pronounced it with his annoyingly sexy French accent) based solely on the toughness of the players.
"Futbol is not called the beautiful game for nothing Jo. It is the most popular sport everywhere in the world except the United States," he stated his case while making the correction on the board before turning to face me.
"Soccer Barry, it's called soccer. Football is where real men put on pads and try to kill each other in the name of sport."
"It's only called soccer in America," he clarified.
"I fail to see your point."
He smiled devilishly, "We aren't in America Jo. Therefore, it would only be proper to refer to the game by its true name, futbol."
I rolled my eyes. "First of all, no one talks like that so stop with the Gerard Depardieu. Second, you're not getting off on a geographical technicality. Soccer players are not as tough football players. It's a scientific fact."
Barry tried to look mock offended by my characterization, but I knew deep down he worked that French accent to his advantage. Chewing on another Twizzler I read the rest of the notes on the board while Barry stewed in his defeat. He was sporting an exasperated look on his face that made me smile. Truth was I really enjoyed soccer, especially when the World Cup rolled around, but messing with Barry was my primary occupation these days.
The door opened, Owen stepping inside surveying the office. "Are you trying to set some kind of record for Twizzler consumption?" he asked, pointing to the bag lying on my stomach, half empty.
"This is my first bag." This afternoon.
He smiled, shaking his head as he walked to his desk sitting down facing me. He reached in his pocket pulling out my Vicodin bottle.
"Are you going to corporate today and take your pill?"
"If I say no are you going to crush another one up in my sandwich?" I huffed at him. He just smiled back at me with a knowing look.
A day after the incident I'd been struggling with the pain my cracked ribs were causing me. The doctor had prescribed painkiller to help, but I wasn't too keen on prescription medication. Why did all medications came with side effects like 'anal leakage' and 'suicidal thoughts'? Why not 'the ability to fly' or 'spontaneous orgasms'? Those were some side effects I could get on board with.
Owen and I fought over it for half a day before I incorrectly thought I'd won the argument after he abruptly let the subject drop. I figured out why when I finished off the ham, mustard and potato chip sandwich he'd made for me. My head was woozy by the time I realized he had crushed up the pill and sprinkled it into my food. I yelled some things at him that would have made a sailor blush, but Owen didn't seem to care and continued watching my TV unfazed. I promptly fell asleep next to him a short while later.
"Gimme the pill," I conceded, holding out my hand. Barry laughed at our exchange then turned back to the whiteboard. "You know, what you did was illegal. I could have you arrested."
"I'm trembling with fear," he retorted, dropping the pill into my hand. I put it in my mouth using the remains of my Gatorade to wash it down. Owen continued to stare at me expectantly.
I opened my mouth, moving my tongue up and around to show him I'd swallowed the pill. "This is like being in a mental institution. Are you going to give me a sponge bath later too?"
He slowly rose from his seat walking towards me. He braced his arms on either side of the couch bending forward, "Is that an invitation?"
Yes! "No."
I wiggled as far back into the couch as I could get my eyes wide. I had to bit my tongue to keep from changing my answer.
"Liar," he hummed pushing off the couch.
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, grabbing my ribs as they protested. Owen and Barry stood in front of the whiteboard discussing the observations. Owen pointed to a point on the board questioning the order of events.
"Jo was adamant it happened like this," Barry said, glancing at me over his shoulder.
"You're sure?" Owen asked.
"Well, yeah." I recounting the events from yesterday, taking brief pauses to stuff my mouth full of Twizzlers. I started with our arrival at the paddock, taking them through everything I remembered, from sitting with the girls talking to them while the veterinarians drew blood to the drills Owen put them through later in the day.
I added as much detail as I could remember. Outlining each raptors behavior throughout the day, their facial expressions, even the clicking of the claws in the sand when they were agitated. When I was done both men were facing me.
"What?" I said, digging out another Twizzler.
"How do you remember all that?" Owen questioned.
"It's been a slow couple of weeks for me. Other than sleeping I've been here watching the girls."
They both looked impressed by my recall. I gave them both a toothy smile, then turned my attention to more important matters...like Candy Crush. I understood their shock. Sometimes I amazed myself, other times I couldn't remember what day it was.
"Come on, it's time to feed the girl," Owen told me moving with Barry to the door. He stopped by the couch helping me up by the elbow.
"You would have made an excellent nurse, you know that?" I told him.
"I'll keep that in mind for my next career. Want to feed them today?"
I made a gagging noise in my throat, my body shivering with disgust. This had become a running joke for Owen and Barry ever since they discovered I found the dead rats they fed the raptors revolting. It was like something straight out of Fear Factor.
"It's not that bad. I'll even let you wear the gloves," Owen laughed, walking with me to the door.
I'd tried the gloves already. They hadn't worked. I couldn't even get close enough to the rat bucket to look inside without dry heaving. Just imagining their stiff, rigamortis bodies was enough to make a cold sweat breakout on my forehead. I was fine as long as there was a minimum distance of 10 feet between the bucket and me.
"No thanks, I'll leave this to the professionals."
Owen and Barry climbed the stairs to the catwalk as I slowly followed at a much slower pace. Once at the top I took a seat in the chair Barry had been nice enough to drag up here so I didn't have to stand throughout the whole routine.
The raptors had made incredible strides these last few weeks after we uncovered Blue's attempted subterfuge. I noticed it one day while Owen took them through their drills. Blue would make slight movements with her head or talon a split second before Owen issued a command. I mentioned it to Barry who confirmed he'd seen it as well. We discussed it over dinner one night eventually coming to the conclusion Blue was using the slight motions prior to Owen's command as a way of rebelling.
The raptors accepted Owen as their Alpha, but they knew he wasn't one of them. Blue was struggling with Owen for control, and her subtle movements were an attempt to portray a message that she was training Owen, not the other way around. A message for the pack that she was the one calling the shots.
Since there's not much in the way of research when it comes to training raptors Owen decided they only way to assert his dominance over Blue was to wait her out. I wasn't sure what that would entail, but it didn't sound like fun. The following day during their drills I found out what he had in mind. Turns out his plan was to show Blue he was more stubborn than she was. He simply stood on the catwalk refusing to toss Blue her rat until she remained immobile prior to him pressing the clicker. I'd always thought I was the most stubborn person in existence, but watching Owen and Blue that day I knew I came in a distance third. It was like watching a Mexican standoff, except it was only between two people. Well, one person and a Velociraptor.
It had drug on for hours. How Owen managed to stay immobile was something that should be studied. He didn't even wipe the sweat off his face as he held Blue's defiant gaze. Blue had been livid, stalking around growling up at him. The two of them stood there glaring daggers at each other for almost three hours before Blue finally submitted to Owen's demand for absolute compliance.
Since then the girls had obyed Owen's commands, more of less considering they were dinosaurs. I sat down in my chair, propping my legs up on the railing to watch the show. Not five minutes into the drills Hoskins lumbered up the stairs panting like he'd just finished a marathon and not a set of stairs.
He stopped at my outstretched legs, looking down at me expectantly, "Move."
"I can't. I'm injured. I have a doctor's note and everything." I didn't like being told what to do. Unless I'm naked, then I'm willing to offer some measure of latitude.
My response left Hoskins with two options. He could attempt to climb over my legs; an option I wouldn't recommend if he valued his twig and berries in their natural state. Or take the long way around the catwalk to get to where Owen was currently working.
He chose the long way around, huffing and cursing me under his breath as he went.
"Why do you antagonize him?" Barry asked, stopping to lean against the railing beside me.
"Because it's fun and I'm having a slow week."
"You do realize he's our boss, and can make our lives difficult, right?"
"He wouldn't do that. He needs you guys too much," I reassured Barry. "Besides, if he decides to make you guys' life difficult I'll just have to ensure Simon does the same to him."
I pulled a Twizzler out of my pocket as Barry and I shared a secret smile. Hoskins may be the head of InGen's security division and their boss, but Simon still owned the company. And Simon liked me more than he liked Hoskins.
"I thought he wasn't due back for another month?" I stated.
"Yeah, well, Owen's breakthrough with Blue moved up his timetable."
"You should stop sending him those reports."
"I delay them as long as I can, but if I send nothing he might just decide to relocate here to supervise the program personally," Barry warned.
That sounded horrible. I'd rather eat one of those dead rats while someone shoved bamboo under my fingernails than have Hoskins on this island permanently.
"Looks like he's wrapping up," Barry said gesturing to Owen. He tossed Blue her rat and quickly retreating down an opposite set of stairs, Hoskins hot on his heels.
I stood up slowly, stretching gingerly as I turned to go downstairs. I was hot and the medication Owen had shoved down my throat was making me groggy. Maybe I could take a nap on the couch while the guys finished up for the day. Barry told me to go lay down, turning the opposite direction to meet up with Owen. At the bottom of the stairs I decided to take a short cut between the supply shed and one of the raptor holding pens. It probably cut exactly 10 seconds off of the walking time. I didn't like to think of it as laziness. It was all about efficiency, and I was nothing if not efficient. Unfortunately, before I could exit the alley Hoskins stepped in front of me.
"You're a distraction to your boyfriend," he sneered.
I laughed. Really hard, and it hurt. A lot.
"My boyfriend," I stuttered, trying to contain my laughter for fear my ribs would snap again. "Jeez, did he tell you he liked me. I left him a note at his locker, but haven't seen if he circled yes or no." I crossed my arms over my chest, my eyebrows raised, waiting for Hoskins to move.
"I heard about your unfortunate fall into the river. Shame how it all turned out."
"If I didn't know better Hoskins I'd say you were sorry to see me still breathing," I said smiling slightly.
"You're alive because Owen pulled your sorry ass out of that river before you drowned. What he should have been doing was taking care of the raptors."
"Their dinosaurs Hoskins not Chihuahuas," I threw back at him. Hoskins had hated me on sight. I didn't think that was fair so I'd given that motherfucker about 1,000 reasons since the day we first met. This was just one in a long line of many.
Owen was at the raptor paddock when the storm hit. He was calling the control room to report their status when Lowery relayed my predicament. After ensuring the raptors could weather the storm unscathed he and Barry went to the control room to see what they could do to help. When I had relayed my grid location to the control room it was Owen who was able to decipher it.
"Not the point. You draw his focus away from the mission. To control these assets."
I shook my head disbelievingly. "You're fucking delusional if you think anyone controls these animals, but themselves." I took a step forward, my eyes scanning Hoskins up and down. "Get out of my way." I said each syllable slowly, making sure the asshole understood even nursing a few broken ribs I could still kick his ass.
He leaned in close to me, "I'd be careful Jo, you have a pretty smart mouth for someone in such a precarious position. You may not always be on Masrani's good side."
This guy really had no idea. My smart mouth was always getting me into trouble, and if it wasn't doing the job then face picked up the slack. If Hoskins thought some petty ass threats were enough to scare me off, especially from Owen, he was stupider than I'd originally thought. My life was nothing but a series of precarious positions. This just happened to be the latest.
Thinly veiled threat aside Hoskins had made a critical error by showing his cards. He stepped aside, and I walked passed him to the office. He'd all but confirmed what I already knew; InGen thought they could control the raptors for their own diabolical use.
What exactly they were planning, and why they wanted it so badly was still a mystery. All I needed was to do a little digging, and I was certain the proof I needed would present itself.
I wasn't there yet, but I was closer than yesterday.
It was a start.
localsamurai: Jo will always do what needs to be done, but she'll do it her own way that's for sure. Thanks for reading!
angelicedg: Glad you liked it! I have more planned, hope you stick around :)
Malfoy-Whitlock-21: Thanks for reading and I'm glad you like it. My plan after finishing this is to do a sequel that takes us through the events of the movie with Jo and the crew (if there is demand for it that is). It will be AU as well since, well, Jo wasn't really there...LOL! Don't worry, I have big plans for Owen and Jo.
xxyangxx2006: I wouldn't worry about Jo. One little boo boo in the jungle is hardly the worst thing she's had to deal with. Thanks for sticking around. Hope you enjoyed the latest!
animagirl: Thank you very much! Hope you like this one!
Storylover00: Thanks for saying that...I crack myself up with it all, but it's nice to have other people like it too :) Hope you liked the newest addition.
Desert Vulpes Zerda: First, I am having the hardest time finding a Desert Vulpes. Second, even if I find one I think my dog might just eat it so maybe not the best idea. Third, I loved writing that...I'm glad you loved reading it.
bip23: Thanks! Jo is fun to write and makes it pretty easy:) Hope you enjoyed the latest!
sarahmichellegellarfan1: smiley face right back at ya!