AN: errors in part 1 edited, and sorry if it feels like I jumped from injured to backtonorm stuff too soon.

Chapter 10 part 2: innocence and a hat

"Abby." Jenny tried to get her attention, but the blonde was either ignoring her, or, more likely, was too concerned for her former flatmate to pay attention.

"Abby!" Jenny Lewis hissed, taking her team member by the shoulders for a moment. Becker stayed on guard with the other soldier, watching with wary eyes for anything dangerous around them. Abby looked at Jenny, eyes wet with tears that were threatening already.

"What?"

"We need to think this out, okay? We can't just wander off into the forest, we need to keep track of where the anomaly is, and it won't help Connor if we get ourselves lost, right?" Abby blinked, nodding slowly. Trust Jenny to be the voice of reason at a time like this. Their PR woman had come a long way fro the uptight lady who'd been aloof. Abby managed a little smile, but her eyes quickly went back to scanning for any sign of Connor.

"Captain Becker, are there any track markers in that emergency kit of yours?"

"Yep, after the last time, I made sure to pack them."

"Which way's it gone?!" Abby tried to keep the desperation out of her tone. SHe hoped Connor was okay. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to find him in time.

Connor moved carefully, slowly, lest his quicker movements hurt him or draw the raptors' attentions to him. It felt like a little man was beating the inside of his head like a drum. A painful, constant beat that had him wincing and his stomach doing flip-flops. Every part of his body hurt or ached in some way. had he been dragged through the underbrush or something? His back and his right ankle were the worst, though when he slowly lifted a hand to the back of his head, it came away bloody. Not life-threatening. Headwounds always bleed a lot. That didn't mean it didn't hurt just as badly as the internal headache.

Connor inched forwards, biting down on his lip hard when the movement of his ankle made his whole leg flare with pain.

Okay, that was a no-go. He had to sit up. He did so, very slowly, keeping a watchful eye on the predators who were broody over their nest. If he wasn't feeling so bad, Connor probably would've marvelled at the chance to see the moment. But, as he could not feasibly get away on his own in the state he was in, the moment was just terrifying.

"Abby..." He murmured, shifting to hands and knees, holding his breath as he jarred his ankle, fighting to keep himself steady as he crawled along the floor of the cave. A glance over his shoulder told him two things.

One, he most certainly did not want to end up like the somethingasaurus bones littering the back of the cave. And two, the parents weren't watching him. That was definitely a good thing. Connor held no aspirations that he would get very far like this, but maybe it would be far enough.

"He was wearing a hat today." Abby suddenly commented, running her fingers over the prehistoric dirt she was crouched upon. Jenny raised an eyebrow, Becker blinked for a moment, before brightening.

"If it fell off his head, we might get a better idea of where he's gone." They had left the other soldier near the anomaly and had chosen a random direction, marking with a spray can of red paint on trees and boulders as they walked.

"Exactly!" Abby said, smiling a little. Jenny nodded, heading off a little ways, to look for traces of Connor's black felt hat.

A sudden screech from behind him made Connor panic, scramblign to escape the deadly claws. He jerked his injured ankle, and then searing pain hit both his leg and his back, and Connor blacked out with a scream.

"Becker, Abby! Here it is!" Jenny called, pointing to a slightly crushed but otherwise undamaged black trilby, half hidden by some bush like greenery.

"What?!" Abby exclaimed, running over as quickly as she could. Becker glanced over, but as worried as he was for Connor, he had to stay on guard if they weren't going to be. He had to make sure that they all came back alright. "Oh my gosh... Connor..." There was blood on the hat, a very small amount on the brim, but it was there.

"I'm sure he's alright." He said softly, trying to sound confident.

He's gotta be okay. Becker finished silently.

"I-" A sudden tell-tale scream broke the relative silence of the primeval forest, and Abby gasped, eyes wide. "That's Connor - Connor! Hang on Conn!" She yelled, tearing off in the direction of that pained cry. Becker and Jenny again did not hesitate for a single moment before following.

"Connor!" He cracked open an eye, and winced. This headache was definately worse than the last. And there was a lot more pain all over than before. Abby. That was her voice, her soft hand on his bruised cheek.

"Abby?" He was pulled into a sudden hug, but she gasped and slowly let him down when his response was a sharp little cry of pain. He couldn't help it. He wanted the hug, but his body did not.

"Oh, Connor, I'm so sorry. What hurts? Do you know what happened?"

"Uhm... Everything. Me ankle and me back're the worst... me head hurts something fierce 's well... I'm not sure... I woke up here... oh." He paused. "The raptors are gone... or did you move me?"

Abby's cheeks were wet, why were they wet? He had a hand stroking her cheek gently, mimicking the touch of her's on his face.

"We had to move you." Her voice was strained. His brain was muzzy, he couldn't focus well. Connor explained as best he could, in a halting, tentative manner, pressing as close as he could.

"Abby? Is he awake?" Jenny's voice popped up from behind them.

"Jenny? 'we'?" He blurted, surprised. Only a little, though. The team cared for its own.

"Becker, too, Conn." Abby told him. He shifted uncomfortably, wishing he didn't hurt so much that the prospect of trying to cuddle up to Abby left him imagining how much pain he would be in.

"I don't... understand... they didn't k.. kill... me..."

"Connor?"

"Sleepy."

"Don't go to sleep!"

"Mhhh?"

"Connor!"

He woke in hospital the next day. Sprained ankle, bruised ribs, no damage ot his skull, and a few lacerations from being dragged along the forest floor on his back and legs. Abby stayed until the nursing staff kicked her out, and she was back the next day, until later that evening when he was discharged.

Connor wondered if it was a bad thing that he wanted to stay in hospital for a little while longer. He had to go back to the ARC, facing reality where he no longer lived with Abby, but rather in the cold, white-walled-and-floored lab at the ARC. At least in the hospital, she was always there.

"Abby, is it okay if I come over? It's movie night..." Her bright smile answered him, and Connor relaxed in relief.

"Sure! You know, it's sort of Jack's fault you were injure. IF he hadn't been bugging him on my mobile, I would've been watching more carefully to begin with." She told him. He tilted his head.

"That's a yes?"

"Yes, Conn. He can afford a day out of the flat, and like I said, it's only temporary. We've no reason to end a tradition for him, yeah?"

"Great! I'll even let you pick which to watch!"

The one good thing about a romantic film, was that Abby would snuggle up close to him, her resting on his chest, his arm across her shoulders. He could pretend they were a couple, for a little while at least. He wondered, noticing out of the corner of his eye as two of the characters in the film kissed, but mostly watching Abby watching the movie, what it would be like to kiss Abby.

It wasn't the first time he'd thought about it, to be honest. Maybe at Christmas time. Mistletoe could work wonders for their sort of relationship, so Connor had heard.