Owen was tired. Relieved, but tired all the same. Only two of her wounds had needed stitching, the rest were cleaned and left to heal in the open air. His little raptor was currently in a small recovery cubicle, sleeping off the anesthetics. He wasn't happy about using anesthetics, the birds he'd worked with often had a bad reaction to the stuff, but the vets assured him it was safe and had refused treatment until he agreed to anesthetize her. He had spent the next two hours cleaning wounds and assisting the vets in their work.
He now sat in a worn computer chair he had swiped from one of the vet's desks. His eyes drifted over the raptor's sleeping form, watching her breathe smoothly, her side rising and falling in a relaxed rhythm. He ran his hand through his hair, letting his mind process the afternoon's events. He knew what had happened, He was sure of it, but he was drawing a blank on what needed to be done next.
They hadn't met on neutral ground; the pack had the advantage in numbers and Blue had become distracted. The trainer had managed to hold the pack off until Barry could rescue his girl. He had challenged the trio's leader but they hadn't finished. He hadn't dealt with this before. His experience was with individual animals. Understanding how a pack hierarchy worked was one thing, but he had never dealt with an actual pack of animals. his mother would probably have some idea, but with the paperwork he had signed, contacting her was out of the question. Not that she would likely be in cell service anyway.
"A word please?"
Owen looked up to see the grim face of Vic Hoskins. He stood up to greet the man, only to be grabbed by the arm and pulled roughly into the hallway. When they were outside the recovery room. Vic shoved him roughly against the wall.
"What do you think you're doing Mr. Grady? Why on this god-forsaken island would you jump into a raptor pen?"
"I didn't have a choice."
"You didn't have a choice?" Vic groaned, his hand gripping his brow in frustration. "You could choose not to get yourself killed at the first opportunity! I hired you a week ago dammit. What on earth did you think you were doing?"
"My job!" Owen hissed back. "You and Wu hired me to train and care for raptors. That's what I've been doing! Something happened, things got out of hand. I handled it. Surely you can appreciate that."
"I appreciate solutions that don't risk the life of my employees!" Hoskins spat back.
"I was the only one in danger Vic. It was my choice."
"Wrong Mr. Grady. Your actions required personnel to open doors into a predator enclosure while predators were free inside. You risked the safety of every staff member in this facility. I shouldn't have to remind you what these things are capable of!" The officer's finger jabbed painfully into Owen's chest. "Jurassic World has not had a single loss of life since opening because our trainers follow rules that do not include jumping into a predator pit to protect your little pet."
Owen stiffened. "She's no pet, she's an imprint, I warned you that their would be complications and challenges because of imprinting. This is one of them."
"If that's the case Mr. Grady, then perhaps she's not even worth continuing the experiment with. A velociraptor that can't stand up against it's own family has no place being a leader like Dr. Wu was hoping."
"She's never even seen another raptor before today! She was outnumbered and afraid. They may be her kin, but they are not family; Wu ensured that much when he removed her from the others. Right now I'm her only family, her pack, the imprinting means she likely doesn't even know what she is!"
"Great, a dinosaur that believes it's a human." Vic sighed. "What I saw out there was natural selection, even other raptors don't want to be around that kind of weakness. We oughta go put her out of her misery right now and save the hassle; you have three more raptors you can work with."
"No! Vic, err Mr. Hoskins, that would be a mistake."
"A mistake? A mistake! Mr. Grady, a mistake is jumping into a pit with lethal predators, risking the future of this park and everyone in it! A Mistake is letting an unseasoned hire ruin a valuable park asset. A MISTAKE is the loss of 1.3 million dollars on this waste of genetic material in the first place when the other packs in this experiment are already making further progress than you, without risking lives I might add."
Owen stepped defensively between Vic and the doors leading to Blue, a look of determination on his face.
"No. InGen started this experiment in order to find a trainable raptor. I am telling you RIGHT NOW, she is laying in a cubicle behind THOSE doors. If you put her down now, you really will be wasting 1.3 million dollars."
Vic pulled back slightly, registering what Owen had said. "InGen wants a pack. She's weak, the others rejected her. InGen and Jurassic World have no use for something like her. The public wants to see vicious pack hunters, not a weakling with an identity problem."
"The others never rejected her. They defended their territory from an intruder. They'll accept her in the right circumstances." Owen paused and took a calming breath. "I can do this. If I can train her, the others will follow eventually."
Vic Hoskins stared at the trainer for an uncomfortable time before taking a small step back. "Very well Mr. Grady, I'll let Dr. Wu know you haven't completely ruined his hard work, but he will expect a report on the matter by the beginning of next week." Owen began to nod but Vic stepped closer. "And let me reiterate. just so it is perfectly clear, one trainable runt is not a successful experiment. InGen wants a pack." Giving Owen a light shove with his shoulder, Hoskins strode past him before stopping a few steps away.
"Oh and Mr. Grady, you're not the first soldier I've met with a death wish, but if I hear about another incident like this, or if you compromise the security of this park and put anyone else in danger with your work, then you can be DAMN sure that I will remove you from this island, and your "pack" will be put down regardless of any experiment you may be a part of. Do I make myself clear?"
"Abundantly, Sir." Owen responded, biting the inside of his cheek with a frown. The younger man watched him leave before letting his back hit the wall, sliding softly to the ground a sigh of relief turning into a quiet laugh. Everything about today had been too close for comfort and now he had promised that Blue would be the key to Dr. Wu's goal. He let out another frustrated laugh and pulled his hair back, running his hand through it. He had really dug himself deep this time. He let out another exasperated groan, forcing himself to his feet. These problems could all wait until tomorrow morning, he needed to check on Blue.
Owen slept on the floor that night, next to the cubicle that housed his raptor.
He didn't sleep well.
He awoke the next morning to find Blue staring at him, her snout pressed firmly against the bars of the small cubicle. They watched each other for several minutes, Blue releasing steady, warm breaths through the bars, Owen trying to push back a growing headache likely an intruder from his restless night.
The vets released Blue into Owen's care an hour later. Along with her, Owen received a bag of her ointments and various medical supplies that he might need. He was duly informed the stitches were to be removed in seven days. The trainer shouldered the bag and with a labored grunt and picked up the carrier when the bag settled. She was only the size of a large housecat, but she was heavy, a body of solid, predatory muscle and she wasn't making it any easier to carry. Blue was currently shifting her weight constantly, making things more difficult as he made his way back towards where he was staying. He could only hope that she would settle down once she was back in his room.
She didn't.
Owen could handle the perimeter checks she ran around his room every five minutes. He could handle the vocalizations and staring contests she approached him with every hour or so. He even responded to her with his own calm words. Soft, but strong. What he couldn't tolerate was her decision to begin picking at her cuts when he rubbed the medicinal ointments in.
She was currently standing on the other side of the room fixing him with another dangerous glare. A long narrow cone fanned out around her neck.
"Don't give me that look. Blue. You brought this on yourself."
The blue streaked raptor continued to glare, a breathy snort was her only response.
"No, I told you to stop picking at it, I even pushed you away from it. You chose to keep picking." He let out his own snort. Focusing on the book in his hand, he continued to ignore the glaring amber eyes. "We'll take it off tomorrow and try again." Blue snorted and started pulling at the plastic cone around her neck once more.
She slept in the farthest corner from him that night. The trainer could feel her glare on him anytime she woke up.
Owen found an unpleasant surprise in his shoes the next morning.
Two days had passed. Owen and Barry were sitting in the observation room watching Charlie, Delta, and Echo as they milled around the small paddock sniffing and searching for anything of interest. They had reserved the room to make notes on behaviors and body language. It was similar to the nursery enclosures, but these had glass enclosed, air conditioned rooms built into the sides. Supposedly for the use of prolonged scientific observation, but more often than not, they seemed to house corporate guests hoping to view new attractions they could invest in. They had been there taking notes for several hours already, it was Barry who broke the calm silence of the room.
"Are you sure you want to re-introduce her so soon? My girls aren't terrible, but they'll seize an opportunity if they sense the opening."
Owen glanced over that the raptor sitting in the room with them. She was staring at the other three with complete interest. Anytime one would make a sudden movement her focus would shift, watching every action and reaction being made down below.
"We have to, the longer we wait with her the more complications we are going to face down the road. She needs to be accepted into the pack."
"My point still stands Owen, if they see weakness, then nothing is going to stop them from finishing what they started."
Owen chewed on his lip. Mulling the problem over. Below them he could see where the raptors had recently decided to lay, sunning themselves lazily. Their bellies had a slight bulge, the only sign left of the meal they had been fed an hour ago. Right now, they looked less like deadly predators and more like overgrown lizards bathing in the hot sun. Even the songbirds were less wary of their presence, venturing so far as to begin landing on the paddock bushes.
"We need to stack the odds." Owen finally replied. "Look at them right now, Barry."
Glancing down into the paddock, Barry's eye lit up with understanding. "I see, I'll give them an extra helping before the introductions then."
"Exactly, and I'll make sure to feed Blue after the introductions. If we can make them sluggish and tired, she may just have a shot at this."
"If she is accepted, it will still be up to her to find her own rank in the pack, you know that, right? You know this won't help you gain a position in the pack right?"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Barry. I don't even want to think about that problem yet. Let's just focus on making our girls next playdate a good one."
"What? You aren't looking to challenge my Charlie again? You were so eager last time Mr. Grady. Alphas aren't supposed to back down from a challenge. Don't tell me she scared you that bad." His new friend prodded with a happy smirk.
"Haha Barry, I'm also pretty sure that an alpha isn't supposed to throw themselves into a fight they can't win."
"I know, I know, but maybe you should fear her a little. My Charlie is growing into a strong alpha. You may not be able to take that from her when the time comes. And if Blue is a part of the pack, she will likely follow the alpha."
"When that day comes, I'll either succeed or I won't. Just try to fish me out before I die, would ya?"Owen responded with a chuckle.
"That's what I'm here for my friend. Caring for my girls and saving your sorry ass." Both men laughed, enjoying the banter that had come so easily. "You know she's really pretty smart."
"Charlie?"
"No, Blue. look."
Owen turned to find his girl had stopped watching the raptors below. She now had her back to the men, staring at her reflection in a polished wall plate. Owen watched as the young dinosaur eyed herself suspiciously. She extended her neck and let out a warble at the image in front of her. When no response came she began eyeing the image closely. When it eyed her back, she pulled her neck back tight.
Taking a couple steps back, she spun in a tight circle, her eyes never leaving the reflection before her. She finally stopped with her back to the reflection, head craned around to look at it. Along her back just above the base of the tail was a line of stitches, one of the two cuts deep enough, and the only one she couldn't reach despite her best efforts. When she saw it now, she hesitantly tried to reach them with her mouth. After a few seconds and some quiet snaps of her jaw. She turned to her side still eyeing her reflection.
Owen's jaw dropped as she began to back up towards the wall while watching her reflection. When her tail bumped it lightly, she lowered it, to the ground, snaking it between her legs before continuing to back up against the wall. Only when her rump reached the concrete siding did she stop looking at her reflection. Instead, she pointed her snout straight up, eyes closed in contentment as she scratched her stitches along the wall.
Barry let out a snrk, biting back a laugh. Blue jerked her head to the sound of the noise her amber eyes quickly locking on Owen's as she scooted away from the wall with an indignant huff.
Barry lost it.
Ignoring Barry's raucous laughter, Owen sunk deeper into his chair and rubbed his face with his hands. Another headache was coming on, and he didn't know what he was going to do with a creature like Blue. He knew she was intelligent, but creating and completing an MSR test on her own. That was intelligence. Something both worrisome and even a bit exciting.
It was half past noon. Everything had been set up for what Barry was affectionately calling "The Playdate". Charlie, Delta, and Echo had been fed nearly twice as much as usual leaving the slightly bloated raptors to waddle comfortably into the transport chutes. Blue on the other hand had only been given enough to curb her voracious appetite. If things went well, she would have another meal waiting for her when this was over. If it didn't, Owen had asked the vets to be ready for them.
He currently stood on the catwalks above nursery number two. Blue had just been released from her own chute and was now curiously exploring the greenery in the enclosure. Initially, she had frozen in the doorway, but it had taken her less than five seconds to find him perched above her. Once she had spotted him, the young raptor was much more active in exploring the space around her.
The orange light on the far side of the enclosure flickered on signalling that Barry was about to open the chute containing the other three young velociraptors. Owen glanced nervously towards Blue and chewed on his lower lip. The stitches had been removed two days ago, the wounds themselves had healed nicely, but he could still see the lines of new flesh that had sealed the wounds, bright pink amongst the darker scaled hide around it. Owen could only hope the other raptors wouldn't focus too much on healed wounds.
The three well fed velociraptors stepped out cautiously this time. Charlie was the first to leave the chute, tailed by Echo then Delta, both raptors sticking tightly to their eldest sister. Sniffing the ground, Charlie gave a nervous bark. Echo and Delta quickly fanned out though neither moved far from Charlie's flanks. The trio hesitated only a few steps into the enclosure their eyes glinting in the afternoon light as each raptor's head jerkily scanned the foliage throughout the enclosure.
It was Echo that finally let out a hesitant warble, her neck extending as she surveyed the nearest shrubs. Owen's grip on the catwalk railing tightened as he watched Blue cautiously step out of the greenery with her head low and alert. Once she was visible she stopped, choosing to release her own careful warble. Charlie responded with a careful step forward, her nostrils flaring quickly as she took in Blue's scent.
The eldest raptor continued forward, her head held high but alert while Delta and Echo remained still. When she was close enough to touch the blue streaked raptor, she let out a short bark, lowering her head to carefully inspect the newer raptor. Delta and Echo responded, approaching quickly and taking up space around Blue.
Blue's entire body tensed as the three raptors began to examine her carefully with noisy snorts and sharp eyes. Still the youngest raptor remained still even as the others moved uncomfortably close. Finally, each raptor pulled away and the young raptor quickly sank to the ground, lowering her head submissively, despite her powerful legs tensing tightly, ready to move if things turned hostile.
Charlie stopped over the base of Blue's tail and eyed the newly healed wound carefully. Pulling her neck back she issued three sharp barks. Both Delta and Echo stepped away from the submissive raptor lowering their heads in a readied position. All three raptors stared at Blue.
When she issued no response, Charlie brought her neck around to Blue's side nipping her and causing the blue raptor to flinch. Charlie issued another three barks and stared. Again none of the raptors moved and Blue did not respond.
With a huff, Charlie lowered her head and rammed it into Blue's side causing the young raptor to shift and stumble slightly. Both Echo and Delta tensed, their muscles quivering in anticipation. Charlie lifted her head to call once more.
Owen had remained frozen since the inspection had begun. His knuckles were white as he gripped the railing. Now he moved. It was only the slightest shift of his weight, from his right leg to his left. But it was calculated movement, and it caught Charlie's eye. Her body stiffened and she turned to stare at the man she hadn't seen until now. The challenge between them could finally resume.
The tension in the air shifted. Charlie issued a low guttural hum, her attention now completely fixated on Owen. Delta and Echo glanced curiously between the man above them and their eldest sister. Neither stayed interested for long, and both quickly decided they were more interested in exploring the nursery, choosing to ignore both Owen and Blue.
Charlie's hum turned to a low growl as she stared the man down. Owen stared back, his mouth moving in quiet whispers, urging the raptor to sleep or sunbathe, take it easy and digest the big meal that was weighing her down.
It was a playful yelp and a bark that ultimately drew her attention away from Owen. Startled by the noise, Charlie turned to see Echo and Blue rolling in the dirt behind her, kicking up a small cloud of dust. When the two separated, Echo gave a bark and ducked into the underbrush. The green raptor watched as the blue streaked raptor stood and began sniffing the air, her tail swaying loosely back and forth. Echo's head poked out of the bushes and with a soft warble she called to Blue. The chase continued as both raptors dove back into the jungle leaves.
Charlie gave a snort and looked back up at Owen. With one last glare, she released a heavy breath and went in search for a good place to lay down