The blue-streaked raptor snorted heavily, her warm breath reaching the man through the bars of her cage. Owen froze, his tired mind screaming to run from the predator before him. The trainer pushed those thoughts away, urging the rational parts of his mind awaken. She wouldn't hurt him. She could hurt him, but not right now. Right now she could only watch him.

She was awake and alert!

The trainer stood suddenly at the realization, fumbling against the wall for the light switch. With a faint click, fluorescent lights bathed the room in a cold, clinical light. Blue was watching him, her eyes focused exclusively on the trainer.

Owen let out a small, relieved sigh, sinking back to his knees in front of the conscious raptor. His girl had pulled through the worst of it. She was with them again; she would recover from this. His heart flooded with elation at the thought, and he found himself speaking quietly to the animal before him. Blue responded to his whispers with soft purrls and mewling whines. Her neck extended until her head reached the wall that separated them. Lowering her snout, the raptor gently pushed the top of her head against the metal bars.

She wanted contact. Owen had seen this plenty of times in the paddock, the motion being used by all four raptors to request contact, physical assurance that the pack still accepted them. Echo had used it plenty of times on Blue, usually after the two had quarreled. Echo would lower her snout and brush it against the alpha until she was received.

A sharp whine escaped the alpha raptor's mouth as she pushed harder against the bars that separated them. Tentatively, the trainer brought his good hand to the bars, hesitating only a second before he slid his hand through. Her head shivered slightly at his touch but didn't move.

Owen let his fingers slide against her scaled hide, feeling the ridges as he drew his hand across the top of her skull. She felt warm, warmer than usual, but not as hot as Delta was when they found her. A soft purrling escaped Blue's throat as Owen touched her head. The trainer absently brushed his hands across her eye ridges but never strayed from the top of her head. She suddenly pushed harder against the bars and Owen instinctively withdrew his arm.

Blue let out a frustrated whine, pulling her head back to give the human a look. When he didn't respond, she let out a soft growl, pushing her head roughly against the bars once more causing her neck to arch up as she tried to push through the constraining cage. When the trainer's hand touched her head again the raptor's growl faded back into a whine, but she still pushed against the bars, her neck trembling at the exertion.

She wasn't going to stop, Owen knew it. Pulling his hand away once more, the man gripped the bars and pulled himself back into a standing position. He took a moment to stretch his tired muscles before moving to the door of the cage. Blue pulled her head back and watching him intently, the whine returning as he stepped away from the prone raptor.

Grabbing the latch that kept the door closed, he paused. What he was doing was stupid. He also knew that Blue needed her pack, and while he couldn't take her to Charlie and Echo, he could at least keep her from knocking herself unconscious against the cage walls.

Glancing at the hallway door, he took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the cage. Blue was the only one watching him as she lay prone in the cage, her amber eyes fixed on his every move. Saying one more silent prayer, He unlatched the lock, pulled the door open and slipped inside with one fluid motion.

Blue didn't react. Her eyes never left him, but she never tried to move. She was laying prone but her head was raised in an attempt to match his height. Owen quickly latched the door tight again and stepped carefully over to the blue streaked raptor. He watched her intently, approaching his girl with caution born from years of handling experience.

The trainer stopped just out of her reach. Never taking his eyes off her, he put his back to the bars and let himself slide to the floor. He wasn't going to put himself any closer than he already was. Just being in the recovery cage with her was a grave risk. If she wanted contact with him, she would have to make the move herself; he would not invade her space any more than he already had.

The raptor's whine had died out when he entered the cage, but it returned when Owen stopped out of reach. Blue watched him for a few seconds before letting out a snort. Looking down, she shifted her weight, finding her feet beneath her.

When she tried to stand however, she only raised a few inches before her legs began to tremble from the effort. The blue streaked raptor let out a surprised bark when they gave out and she sunk back to the floor.

With a grunt of effort she tried again, getting no further than she had the time before. Her surprised barks raised in pitch and a panicked whine escaped her throat as she tried again.

"Easy girl. Easy."

His tone was soft but firm enough to make the raptor look at him.

"Easy, you've been sick. You still need to rest. Just take it easy. You'll be on your feet in no time."

Blue let out a frustrated snort, trying to stand again and failing once more. She was breathing heavily from the continued exertion, her mouth hung open in a tired pant; but finally, the tired raptor shifted again, abandoning her effort to stand. Instead, Owen was surprised to see her roll onto her side towards him as her neck stretched out to the trainer. Her snout finally came to rest inches from Owen's side. Her head lay on the cool cement floor, one eye looking at him and a frustrated whine escaped her throat once more.

It was enough for him, taking the risk Owen stood once more, causing Blue to raise her head and follow his movements with her piercing gaze. He slid along the barred wall until he was next to the raptor and let himself slide back down into a comfortable position on the ground. As soon as he settled, a large reptilian head snaked in front of him, one large amber eye watching his face.

With another humid snort, Blue pushed her head and neck into his chest, rubbing her hide against his shirt and releasing a contented purrl. He let her nuzzle him until she was content. When she was finished, the raptor pulled her head back and gave him a soft warble, seemingly approving of his now matching scent. She laid her head down next to his side, the top of her head pushed against his leg.

Cautiously, he reached down and ran his fingers across her neck, causing her skin to shiver again at the touch. Her eyes closed a few minutes later and began to sleep, her head and neck tucked firmly against the trainer. Owen watched the predator nestled against him. He sat there for some time whispering to her and running his hand lightly across the raptor's neck, his own eyes growing heavier as he spoke.

It was quite the sight for someone to walk in on. The opening door woke Blue. It was the startled shriek and the clatter of plastic on tile that woke Owen. When his eyes snapped open, grey-blue scales filled his vision and a sharp hiss echoed in his right ear. Turning his head, he saw that Blue was now glaring at whoever had disturbed them.

"M- Mr. Grady? Are you okay?"

The trainer craned his neck around even further and raised his braced hand in a wave toward the stunned vet tech.

"I'm alright. Just checking on my girl, that's all." He could see the technician out of the corner of his eye. The lanky man in blue scrubs stood frozen in the doorway.

"But you're in the cage. W-with it." The young man still sounded frightened, his voice a shrill octave that explained the shriek that had awoken Owen.

"Only because she knows me. Raptors are pack hunters. They don't do well when they are alone." Owen pushed Blue's neck away and carefully stood. Blue paid him no mind, her focus completely centered on the frightened vet tech. "Look, Blue here hasn't eaten in over a day. Can I ask you to go fetch some food for her?"

The lanky technician gave a quick nod before practically bolting from the room, leaving the tray he had dropped and its contents scattered all over the tile floor. With a long sigh. The man pushed away from the raptor, stood, and made his way out of the cage.

Blue turned to watch him now that the terrified intern was gone, tilting her head as the man stretched his stiff arms and legs. When he felt more comfortable and a little more awake, Owen stepped over to the dropped tray and cleaned up the mess, quickly piling the contents onto the nearby counter. Grabbing two saline bags from the pile, he turned back to his raptor. He pulled the old one off of its hangar outside the cage and began to replace it.

Blue watched with mild interest as he worked. Her snout eventually followed the line from the drip bag into the cage where it was slowly dripping fluids into her hind leg. She craned her neck around and gave the I.V. a tentative sniff.

"Blue."

Her head whipped back around at the noise.

"Eyes on me."

The raptor locked eyes on him and he continued to work. She would probably tear the drip out of her leg at some point, but if he could delay it, that would be better. She needed the fluids. Finally finishing with her, the trainer moved over to the cage next to Blue's.

Delta looked no better than she had in the past two days. The green tinted raptor was laying sprawled on her side taking deep breaths. The muscles that ran along her neck and legs twitched and shivered every so often, sending ripples of movement down her limp body. She made no noise and no other movement. Owen watched her for a few more seconds, worry rising tightly in his throat.

Finally, he tore his gaze from the raptor and quickly replaced her saline bag. Blue watched him the whole time. A questioning warble echoed through the Carnivore Ward. The solid wall that separated each cage meant she couldn't see Delta, but he knew that she could probably smell her sister.

It was almost fifteen minutes later when the skittish vet returned with food. The lanky kid had a large bucket of hastily thawed meat. Owen took it from him with a kind thank you, offering the tech his help with anything that may need to be done. The tech shook his head vigorously and backed away from the entrance to the ward before turning and leaving without another word.

The moment Owen disturbed the bucket of meat with his hand, Blue began watching him with uncomfortable interest. Setting the bucked down, the trainer grabbed a cut of meat with his good hand. Blue's pupils contracted and expanded rapidly as she focused on the bloody chunk in his hand. She pressed her snout into the bars, trying to stick her muzzle through with loud hungry snorts.

"Eyes on me."

Her focus shifted to his face instantly, but a low growl escaped, and her lips pulled back to show her teeth. She was hungry and Owen was glad he was no longer with her in the cage. Giving her a soft click with his tongue, he tossed the meat through the bars. It never touched the ground. Snaking her neck back she caught the chunk in her mouth, swallowing it loudly with a frightening snap. Her eyes were back on him before he could even pull another piece out of the bucket.

She ate voraciously; scarfing down every bite of meat almost violently. Owen worked quietly but firmly. He never raised his voice to her, but he never backed down either. She would look to him with slivered pupils and address him with a hungry growl. He would wait for the right time before tossing her a bite. He obviously had her attention, but he needed her cooperation, especially in this enclosed space. Only when her growl faded and her posture began to soften did he toss another piece of meat.

Owen only had a couple pieces left in the bucket when Blue finally slowed down and lost interest in the food. She turned her head, sniffing the I.V. drip again before snorting and shaking her head. Her attention snapped back to Owen and she whined at him when the handler moved out of the room.

After he dropped the bucket off in the sink and washed the gore off of his good hand, Owen returned to his girl. There were no windows in the Carnivore Ward, but the clock told him that it was a little past five in the morning. He took a seat across from the streaked raptor and she whined, rubbing her head and neck against the bars. She wanted to be closer to him and when he didn't respond she let out a soft hiss, her nostrils flaring slightly as she still smelled the blood in the room. She tried again. Owen continued to ignore her.

That was the nature of an imprint.

She would be fiercely close to her handler, loyal to her pack. But instinct was stronger and it would drive her. Somewhere deep inside, it pained him to see her beg for contact, but underneath the begging pleas, he could see the feral glimmer brought on by the scent of blood.

She gave up and fell asleep not long after that. She was full and content, it was time to rest. She gave one more soft whine before she let sleep take her and she pressed her blue streaked neck and head tightly against the bars, as close as she could physically get to Owen.

"I better not lose my intern because of you."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare him."

Dr. Kirby's eyebrow raised but she kept her arms crossed. The clinic had been peacefully quiet until nine that morning. She had walked in minutes ago, fixed her eyes on the trainer, and proceeded to chew him out. "But you did mean to climb into a small cage with a sick, potentially violent predator?"

Owen looked away, unable to keep eye contact with the angry veterinarian. His silence answered her question.

"Owen, what the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that she's a pack animal calling out for her pack. I would have been stupid not to answer her." He finally responded, pointing to the sleeping Velociraptor.

"You're not a Velociraptor Owen. What would have happened if she realized you weren't one of her sisters? She could have killed you!"

"Vanessa, she was completely lucid, and she wasn't going to hurt me. I'm part of her pack. She imprinted on me when she hatched. I was perfectly safe. Ish."

The vet rubbed her temples tiredly. "This is the sort of information I could have used when you first arrived. Is there anything else you would like to share about your raptors Mr. Grady? Are the rest of them imprinted as well?"

Owen shook his head no, "Why would Blue's imprinting be important?"

"Similar to most animals, the dinosaurs on this island rarely show pain. The best way we can determine their health is by their behaviors. As I'm sure you are aware, imprinting an animal affects their temperament. Knowing that Blue is an imprint will help me judge her temperament more effectively rather than trying to compare her to the rest of your pack." She paused. "Do the other raptors accept you in the pack or is it just Blue?" She asked, the edge in her voice slipping away, replaced by curiosity.

"Sort of. I guess. They don't mind me being around them and Charlie will come up to greet me on occasion. The others just give me space, though I think it's more because of Blue's alpha position than anything else." Dr. Kirby nodded thoughtfully as he finished.

"And you're not worried that they'll turn on you?"

Owen looked down, chewing his lip thoughtfully. "I worry about it every day. I know they'll turn on me one day. One day, the opportunity will be too good pass up. Hell, Blue has already gotten me once when my back was turned. It'll happen again someday."

"And yet you still willingly climb into a cage with them despite the fact you can't control them."

"Absolutely, I work to fill a role in their lives. If the pack has a need, I'll answer it. If there's a threat, I'll remove it. I will never control them Dr. Kirby, but I can earn their trust."

"Do you trust them?"

"Hell no."

The veterinarian nodded slowly, processing the handler's words. "Remind me to introduce you to the other carnivore trainers sometime. I think you all would get along quite nicely." She raised her hand in a flippant wave, tossing the subject aside. "Regardless, don't ever do that again in my ward Mr. Grady. I need my interns to be willing to stay for more than a couple days. What I do not need is another handler injured while inside my clinic. Dr. Harding over in the Herbivore Wing would never let me live it down, the old bastard."

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

She accepted his promise with a nod. "I'll hold you to it Mr. Grady. Now fill me in, on what happened. Don't leave any details out.

He nodded, starting from when he woke up hours ago.

Delta showed promising signs of recovery two days later. Barry was there when she finally woke up. Her cries had been pitiful and mewling but she was responding to visual stimulus and the tremors running throughout her body subsided.

Owen had been helping transfer Blue to a small recovery paddock built behind the Clinic. Barry told him that Delta's cries were heart wrenching. The raptor struggled to move, but her body simply wouldn't let her. She had worn herself to exhaustion after only a minute. Her whimpering cries aimed at the only person in the room with her.

The poor girl was dangerously thin. She hadn't properly eaten in days. The small pieces of food that Owen and Barry had managed to force feed her simply wasn't enough to sustain her high metabolism, especially as her body worked to fight the virus. By the time she had woken up, her body had burned through its fat reserves and it was obvious to the two men that her muscles had been affected.

Barry hadn't left her side for more than an hour since the velociraptor had woken up. He hand fed her scraps of meat which the immobilized predator inhaled with a vigor. She spent the next day sleeping or eating from Barry's patient hand.

It was two more days before Delta was able to shakily stand. When she was finally able to eat on her own, she was transferred to the recovery paddock that housed Blue. The greetings they had given each other were enthusiastic if subdued. Neither raptor had recovered the energy yet to do more than walk from one end of the paddock to the next.

Everyone agreed that they would wait until the two had fully recovered before they reintroduced the whole pack together.