Chapter 4
Back at the center, systems were failing, and Anderson was very aware that the animals were not coming out. If they couldn't see anything, it would be more embarrassing for him than for Sherlock. Not good.
"Jim! What the hell do you think you're doing? What am I paying you for? Fix this!"
"Er... yeah... erm... just give me a bit and... erm... yeah."
"Arrrrrrggghhh!"
With John and Sherlock, there was yet another no show. They were outside the t-Rex paddock right now, watching a goat doing nothing. John couldn't say he was particularly disappointed. He didn't really relish the thought of being twenty feet from a huge scaly monster, even if he had of had his gun and his whole squad behind him, he thought he'd rather have the terrorists.
When he looked over at Sherlock on the other hand, it was quite clear that the converse was true. He looked bored almost to the point of death. Easily bored, it would seem. It brought a small smile to his chest as he thought of the almost childish tendencies of the other man.
It was so different from Sean, who was by contrast always so serious. Even in the beginning, they had had fun but he had always been markedly mature. Since then, he had grown more and more serious every year, and now the man almost never seemed to laugh anymore.
"So Dr Sawyer," began the current object of his attentions, clearly having grown bored of the world outside the car, "I take it you and Doctor Watson have been together for some time?"
John, unlike Sean, did not miss the slightly sarcastic tone to the man's voice. He frowned slightly. What was the man getting at?
"Yes, we have." He took John's hand in his own, giving the smaller man a small smile before returning to looking out the window, clearly not interested in continuing any conversation with the man.
"Ah, Doctor Watson,"
'New target squired then?'
"I'm wondering if you have ever heard of Chaos Theory?"
"Heard of it of course yes, but I admit I never really paid any attention. Not exactly my area of expertise you see." He smiled, and was surprised to receive one back, that seemed genuinely amused.
"Well then. Allow me to explain." At this, he picked up one of the cups of water and grabbed the hand of John's good arm. 'Odd, that he would have chosen that arm,' he thought, as it was on the side furthest away from the detective. John let him pull it up so that it was out in front of him, and watched as Sherlock dripped a drop of water on his hand from the tip of his middle finger.
"Did you see the way it went?"
"Yes," John giggled slightly. The man made it sound as though it was a suspect or something.
"Ah, so what if I do it again? Which way do you think it will go, do you think? The same way?"
"Er... yeah, same way."
Again, Sherlock dropped water on the back of his hand, then smirked at something behind John. Turning round he saw Sean flaring at the man. 'Why was he so angry?'
"Alas, Dr Watson, you were incorrect, but I am afraid I shall have to explain why at another time. Right now, it appears that one of Anderson's dinosaurs has finally managed to make an appearance, albeit a disappointing one."
"Wait, what do you-"
He didn't have time to finish his question. The taller man had already opened the door and swept out into the long grass. Likewise, John didn't wait any time to follow him, ignoring Sean yelling after him to stop and to wait.
What he found when he caught up to Sherlock, was a... triceratops? He thought that was what it was called, lying on it's side in the undergrowth, with a couple more men crowded round it.
"This is bit more interesting."
Even so, the strange detective merely glanced at the creature, appearing to only take a superficial look at it, though apparently it was much more in depth than John had thought, as he instantly spurted out: "It's been eating the Linton berries. Trust Anderson to have those in the enclosures."
"We know they're poisonous, but the animals don't eat them!" Objected one of the keepers.
"Except obviously they do. There are stains from the berries all around it's mouth, in case the symptoms didn't speak for themselves."
As if to emphasize his words, there was a sudden flash of lightning, followed almost instantly by a cacophony of thunder and wind.
"Sirs, I think you should get back to the car. They'll be wanting to get you back to the center before the storm hits, I expect." The keeper seemed affronted.
"Sherlock, you should go," said John, "I'm gonna stay here a little longer and take a look at this. Tell Sean I'll meet you both back at the center in a bit."
Sherlock narrowed his eyes at him slightly, though not in an unpleasant way, just in a way that told John that he knew what he was up to.
The truth was really just that he didn't really trust the keeper to be able to look after the animal properly after the fact that he hadn't even been aware that it was eating poisonous plants.
He may not be a vet, and certainly not an expert on dinosaurs, but a human doctor was certainly better than this prat.
He smiled slightly and bent down to look for pupil dilation as Sherlock walked off silently to join the others in the car.