JURASSIC PARK

14 - Left Behind

Carefully and slowly, the two proceeded to the visitor center, the hybrid pausing when she heard Hammond calling after her. She glanced back over her shoulder to see the stress worn man supporting Ian who was injured as well. Hammond spoke. "I was worried something had happened to you."

The older man went over to the battered Jeep and leaned Ian against it. Pet spoke. "It's been an experience, that's for sure."

Hammond continued. "I called for the helicopter. It should be here any minute now."

Pet's eyes brightened in relief. "Excellent. Let's get everyone loaded up and out of here, then."

Hammond held up a trembling hand and spoke. "There's, uh...there's just...one...thing."

The tone of his voice had Pet pausing in assisting Muldoon into the Jeep. She turned her worried gaze to the bearded man. Something was troubling in his eyes that bothered her even more. "John? What is it?"

Hammond struggled on how to explain the situation to the young woman. "You can't come with us." He could see everything within Pet shatter in her sinking expression. "When I spoke with the mainland, they told me there would be someone waiting for you...to shoot you on the spot should you dare leave this island." Pet gasped in disbelief. "I'm sorry, Pet."

The hybrid turned away from the man to continue assisting her best friend. She met his dilated gaze and could tell he was starting to succumb to the morphine. "All because InGen doesn't want to see me live...because of the liability I pose to the company."

Hammond rested a hand on Pet's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, suggesting she turn around to face him. He stared intensely into her glazed over raptor-like eyes. "I will come back for you, Pet. I promise. It may not be tomorrow or the day after, but I will come back for you. Personally."

Pet forced herself to nod, though she doubted the man's truthfulness. "What should I do in the meantime? Where should I hide?"

"In the emergency bunker. There's plenty of food in the main compound. Gather what you think you'll need to survive and stay hidden. You're an excellent hunter and even better survivalist. Robert couldn't have taught you better over the years." Hammond caressed the woman face and kissed her forehead.

Pet came to the realization; whether she went with the others to the mainland or stayed behind, she figured herself dead, either way. "Here, help me." Ian nodded to Hammond to show he would be alright for the most part as Muldoon now leaned against the park CO. Pet crawled into the back of the Jeep and lifted the back seats from their laying down position to allow more room for the others. Seeing how the supply cans would be in the way, the hybrid called out, "Watch out," and forcefully kicked a few times to knock them off the sides of the vehicle.

Using the side of the Jeep to lean on, Ian went around to the passenger side and opened the door the best he could. Meanwhile, Hammond and Pet assisted the game warden into the back seat followed by helping Ian, next. Hammond looked to the hybrid. "Pull the vehicle around to the front. I'm going to try and find the others."

He was about to go inside when Pet stopped him. "You drive, I'll find the others. With everything that's been going on, today, who knows what'll happen next."

She darted inside the building to hear crashing around as well as the shrieks and shrills of raptors. Hastily, Pet ran to the source of the sound to see Grant, Ellie, and the two kids be corralled by two raptors. She growled her own shrill and charged at one of the raptors, about to lunge at the group when she saw it; the Rex. Into the central lobby, it emerged, roaring and catching of the raptors in its powerful jaws.

The group of people looked up, almost mesmerized by the perfect timing of the Rex. It didn't take long, though, for the Rex to notice the people and was about to go for them when the second raptor attacked it. Pet saw this as an opportunity and charged at the Rex, too, digging her sickle claws into its hip.

Grant's eyes widened in horror when he saw this and called out to the hybrid. "Veronica, come on!"

The Rex grabbed the raptor's tail and pulled the smaller dinosaur off its back, biting down on it before tossing it to the side. The hybrid called out, "Go, get out of here! I'll be right behind you!"

The man watched the hybrid continue to distract the Rex as Ellie scooped up Tim and ran for the door. Grant and Lexi followed, them seeing the Jeep pull around to the front. They loaded into it, being careful to not further hurt the injured, Grant stating, "After careful consideration, I've decided not to endorse your park."

Hammond scoffed. "So have I." Tossing the Jeep into gear, Hammond tore off down the dirt road, eager to get as much distance between them and the Rex as possible.

In the back seat, Ian was morally torn. He understood why the hybrid was being left behind, whether he agreed with it or not. A painful, blood-curdling scream sounded from within the visitor center, getting the attention of everyone in the Jeep.

Grant was confused. "What about Veronica? We can't just leave her!"

Veronica? Did Pet con the scientist into giving her name? Hammond spoke. "I can't risk the safety of everyone still alive for one person." The words burned Hammond to say and clenched his jaw in anger. At least it was a justifiable reason for leaving Pet behind.

Grant looked back to the visitor center and watched it become smaller the further they proceeded down the road. He shook his head. "No, no we can't just leave her. She helped save us!"

Hammond tossed the vehicle into third gear, frowning. "She'd be dead, anyway, if she left the island. InGen would see to it. When I called for the helicopter, I was informed that should she be removed from the island, she would be destroyed upon landing."

Ellie could see her close friend's sadness consume his features as he turned away from the now disappearing visitor center to slouch in the seat. She laid a hand on his arm and tried to smile reassuringly, but knew it was no good.

Pet stumbled through the visitor center main doors, a hand firmly pressed against a gash running down the length of her left side. She frantically looked around for the others or the Jeep. Did they manage to escape? She remembered Hammond mentioning the helicopter was on its way and knew, if anything, that's where the others would be. Due to her injury, she wasn't able to run as fast as she usually could when given a chance to but still pushed herself regardless.

Ahead of the Jeep, the passengers could see the helicopter descend through the treetops and land on the helipad. Hammond pulled up to the landing pad and crawled out of the vehicle, pausing before getting in the aircraft to look back in regret. He stood there, tightly clutching his cane and sighed. Such a grand dream it had been to imagine everything Jurassic Park could've been, but at the same time, was it worth it? The loss of lives? Losing her?

Grant came up behind him and although understanding the man's sadness, urged him into the helicopter. Everyone quickly situated themselves, being mindful of the injured, as the aircraft slowly lifted off. Hammond kept his gaze outside the window, still expecting to see Pet come into view until the helipad couldn't be seen anymore.

Hearing the rotors of the helicopter, Pet ran to the landing pad just in time to see it disappear over the ridge. Her heart sunk and she heavily sat down on the concrete, tears pooling behind the levees of her eyelids. Would Hammond stay true to his word and come back for her as promised? After all, she had done for him through everything, surely he wouldn't abandon her. She whimpered and broke down into sobs, doubling over and releasing a painful shrill.

Inside the helicopter, Hammond stared at his cane, frowning. He couldn't take his eyes off the tiny mosquito within the fossilized amber and heaved a shuddering sigh behind his threatening tears. His gaze then fell on Muldoon, who had finally submitted to the morphine as soon as he was loaded into the Jeep, and knew he wasn't going to be happy about the decision when he woke up.

Hammond whispered to himself, eyes back on his cane, "I'm sorry, Pet. It's for the best, love."

For twenty minutes, Hammond had allowed himself to be lost in his quiet sorrows and regrets to what had happened. The people he had known, who had trusted him to see to their wellbeing and he failed them. He abandoned her. Pet. He closed his tear heavy blue eyes and buried his face in his hand.

Grant quietly spoke, his voice just loud enough for others to hear without waking the kids. "She's quite a piece of work, your girl."

Hammond lifted his head to observe the man through blurry vision. "Pardon?"

"Your hybrid. She saved us, you know. From the T-Rex after it first got loose. She even helped us get back to the visitor center."

"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. She, uh, she's unique." The sober man gazed out of the window.

"I hope you don't mind, but I gave her a name." Grant watched the frowning man's expression uplift to sheer bafflement. "She mentioned always wanting one, and seeing how she had just saved the kids and me, I figured why not."

Hammond's bottom lip started to tremble beneath his white beard. "I take it it's Veronica?"

Grant nodded. "That's right. Veronica Renee. She said she wanted a name with the initials V and R for Veloci and Raptor as well as a name with a nickname within in. So, Veronica Renee, it was, Nica for short." The scientist watched the much older man shatter to emotional pieces as he sobbed a bit louder now.

After a few minutes, he managed to pull himself together and wiped at his face with a handkerchief. "She idolized you. Grew up watching your special on the tele every week for quite some time. Even then, after they were done and over with, she would watch the reruns. Ever since a little girl, she saw you as a hero." Hammond sniffed back a sob and dabbed at his nose. "I thought it was just a kid's infatuation until later on when she was older. Then I saw it was something else." His sparkling blue eyes locked on with the other man's speechless ones. "She was in love with you, Dr. Grant, and it doesn't surprise me that she risked her life for you." Ellie's jaw fell open and studied her very good friend. She could see something shift in his eyes from bewilderment to an almost unspeakable sadness. "I assure you, my lad, you naming her was probably the best thing you ever could've done for her."

Grant's thoughts instantly went back to that night in the tree. He remembered her mentioning how she always wanted to be named by someone who meant something to her. At that time, he thought nothing of his nice gesture as being anything more than a simple thank you for what she'd done to save him and the kids. Now, after hearing what Hammond had to say and how everything played out, it made sense. He ignored the signs, then, but it all made sense. It was his turn to tear up, now, as he refused to look Ellie in the eye. In the time he'd spent around the hybrid, he had unintentionally grown fond of and fascinated with her.

Half an hour later, the helicopter touched down and sure enough, to Hammond's expectations, there waited someone. A man, stocky and slightly bald, questioned. "Where is the girl?" In his hands was a metal gun case.

Hammond glared hatefully at the man and answered. "She didn't make it. She fell victim to the Rex," and strode past him, disappearing behind the double doors of the small, private airport terminal.

The short, stocky man gazed out to the horizon and squared his eyes. "We'll see about that."