ADAPTATIONS

12 - Disheartening News

Another week and a half had passed by. Everyone was sleeping soundly in their bunks, until an obnoxious ringing of a satellite phone shattered the silence. Even with the back bunkroom's door and Pet's room door closed, she could still hear the ringing. She grumbled and buried her head under a pillow to muffle the sound. Wait, what time was it? And why was someone calling? Ever since arriving to the dig site, they had never received a call. They were always the ones calling. Pet sat up and looked over at her alarm clock, its red digital letters flashing one-o-nine AM. Concerned something wasn't right, she slid out of bed and quietly opened her bedroom door to listen to what was being said.

Muldoon's heart sunk in his chest as a sickening feeling of overwhelming sadness washed over him. He had barely made out what the person on the other end of the line was saying through the masses of sobs. "Thank you, Lexi," he stated and hung up the phone.

Derek, who too had been woken by the phone ringing, propped himself up to better study his uncle in the dim light peeking in through the blinds of the back room. "What is it?"

"That was Hammond's granddaughter, Lexi." The next words were going to be hard for Muldoon to say and he sat up, wiping at his face. "John's passed away."

The words slammed into Pet and she gasped out a breath stealing surge of sadness. She brought a hand to her face and stiffened back a sob in repeating Muldoon's last words in her head. Before she knew it, she was crumpled on the floor in tears for why, she wasn't sure. It's not like Hammond was the best father figure in the past, but he did manage to pull through in the later years.

It wasn't long before a gentle hand rested itself on her shoulder. Heartbroken eyes gazed up at Muldoon kneeling down beside her. She flung her arms around his neck and almost knocked him down in the process. He embraced her trembling and sob wracked form against his chest and felt her tears damped the shoulder of his white t-shirt.

Derek somberly approached the door and quietly spoke. "I'll go tell Dr. Grant the news." With that, he left the trailer in a whisper.


Knocking loud enough to be heard on the trailer door shook Grant from his sleep and he jumped up to quickly see who it was. Was another trailer on fire? Damn drunks and their smoking inside the trailers! He pushed open the door to see a grim looking pair of brown eyes. "What is it? What's happened? Is it Veronica?"

Derek shook his head. "We, uh, just got a call from John Hammond's granddaughter, Lexi. At twelve thirty-two this morning, he passed away."

A knot tangled itself in Grant's insides. "I see." He lowered his head for a moment before nodding.

"Pet's taking it a bit hard since he was technically her biological father and all."

"I'll be over in a minute."

Derek turned and walked away. Inside the trailer, Grant looked over to his right to see a groggy Billy standing nearby. "What's going on? Something about Mr. Hammond?"

The senior scientist answered. "He died shortly ago due to health complications."

Billy frowned. "I didn't know he was Veronica's real dad."

"It's complicated," was all Grant could say before disappearing into his room to change into something more appropriate than pajamas.


Inside Quarantine, Grant tried to give what support he could to the hybrid. He was seated next to her on the couch with an arm wrapped around her shoulders. She had since stopped her sobbing, but the occasional tear still managed to escape the corner of her eye. He wanted to tell her it would be alright, that her father was in a better place now but couldn't. All he could do was hold her in comfort.

Pet sniffed and wiped at her nose, speaking. "It was only a matter of time, really. He'd been in such bad health the past little while that...it was only down to borrowed time."

Grant pressed his lips into a thin smile. "At least you got to see him one last time. I hope things were on a good note?" She nodded.

Pet sat up and wiped her teary lashes and sodden cheeks. "I was hoping to see him one more time before he passed… to tell him I was sorry."

Derek, who sat at the small dining table, questioned. "Sorry? For what?"

"For not being who and what he wanted me to be." Pet struggled to fight back another bout of sobs, this time with the guilt she could never rectify.

Muldoon spoke. "Don't think that. He was proud of you. The last time I spoke with him, all he could talk about were your accomplishments and everything you had done...How proud he was of you." Pet looked up to meet his weary grey eyes. "He regretted not being able to brag about you to the world. About how you battled a T-Rex twice and lived, wrestled raptors and chased other dinosaurs for tagging and capture. Not to mention everything you did for the zoo. You were more than he ever could have imagined. He loved you more than he wanted to admit."

His smiling made the hybrid smile. "I just wish I could've seen him one more time to tell him that I loved him, too."

"Well," Grant stated behind his own teary eyes, "he knows, now."

Pet got up, thankful she let Derek talk her into at least putting some socks on for Billy was present, too, and standing nearby. Though painful to do, the hybrid did her best to walk flatfooted to avoid drawing attention to her obviously misshapen feet. She gave him a hug and felt him kiss her on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry for your loss," he whispered into her ear.


Two days later, Muldoon flew out to attend Hammond's funeral. He was leaving Derek in charge of making sure Pet would be alright, but knew it wouldn't be a problem.

The funeral itself was emotional and heart wrenching. So many people had shown up in support including one of Hammond's closest of friends, Sir Benjamin Lockwood. The wealthy man limped towards the familiar game warden with a hand wrapped around the top of a black cane that mirrored Hammond's iconic white one.

Lockwood outstretched his free hand towards the other man. "Mr. Muldoon, I'm surprised to see you here."

Muldoon pressed a smile. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world. John was a good man."

Lockwood glanced around for a familiar face and spoke in a hushed voice. "She…she isn't here…is she?"

Muldoon knew who he was looking for. "No, she's not. She's safe."

"Good. It's not safe for her to be here." Lockwood frowned.

"It's not safe for her anywhere."

Lockwood's already saddened eyes became heavier. "Not even on the islands. John told me about what InGen tried to do to her with their hunting parties and all."

"Is there anything you can do to protect her?" Muldoon sounded desperate. "Anywhere you know she can go InGen can't find her?"

Lockwood waited till a female InGen executive passed by before continuing. "I wish I did, but everywhere I know is crawling with InGen execs. It would only be a matter of time before she was found. She's a wonderful creation that should be treasured…not hunted and killed. John had no idea the potential and possibilities at second chances he unlocked when his scientist stumbled across her creation, accidental or not."

Muldoon narrowed his eyes down on the brilliant man. "You don't think her creation was accidental?"

Lockwood snorted a laugh. "There's no way a geneticist, even one of Dr. Jacob's lowest caliber, can miss the obvious like that. No, that was on purpose. It's just finding out why he went through with it, is all."

A throated groan came from the ex-game warden. "John knew how to hire them, didn't he?" Their conversing was interrupted when an all too familiar strawberry blond man approached them. Muldoon met the hesitant gaze of Terrence Mitchell. "Of all the people I didn't expect to see present."

The two men met in a handshake. "Robert. It's good to see you up and about since the last time we met."

Muldoon didn't blink off the other man. "You knew."

Terrence furrowed his brow. "Pardon?"

"Let's just say I'm not the only one who's 'up and about' since the last meeting." Terrence cocked a sly smile. "Speaking of, I could use your help with a…special…situation."

Terrence knew what was being suggested. "Good thing I'm looking to get out of my current job. Just give me the where and when and I'll be there."

Muldoon gave a single cocked nod of his head. "I'll be in contact you, shortly."

Lockwood's attention was broken off the two men to see another of John Hammond's close friends, a billionaire by the name of Simon Masrani. "Greetings, young man! It's so good to see you made it! I was worried you would've had your hands full with your family corporation."

Simon gave a polite nod to the other two present gentlemen, though a bit alarmed by the more scarred of the two. The intimidating man looked oddly familiar to him, though he couldn't quite place where he saw him from. He refocused his sole attention on Lockwood. "Sir Benjamin," he stated in a friendly tone and even warmer smile.

Muldoon gave Terrence a final 'I'll be seeing you' look and strode away. Terrence excused himself from the two wealthy men about to strike up what he guessed was a boring conversation and joined one of Animal Kingdom's veterinarians nearby that he remembered working with.

Lockwood exhaled a deep breath. "John said you met with him about obtaining the company."

Simon's dark eyes brightened. "I did, shortly before his unfortunate departure from this world, too, I might add. I meet with the board of executives next week to discuss the integration, further. It'll take some time before InGen will be completely beneath the Masrani banner."

Lockwood gave a thin smile. "John made a good choice, reaching out to you to re-establish his company. You've come a long way, yourself, with your father's. I know Sanjay would be proud of you."

"Thank you." A thought that had been nagging at the back of Simon's mind since his talk with Hammond came to surface and figured Lockwood might know something about it. "Tell me, Sir Benjamin, what do you know about John Hammond's greatest accomplishment?"

Terrence, still standing nearby, happened to overhear the conversation and perked his head up curiously.

Lockwood's peaceful guise changed into concern with the newest conversation topic. "That would be Jurassic Park, of course." He nervously laughed. "Why do you ask?"

Simon explained. "In my last conversation with him, he expressed concern over the wellbeing of his company's greatest creation…going as far as referring to it as 'her'."

Okay now Terrence was worried. Whatever the veterinarian was telling was drowned out by the conversation taking place behind him. What all did Hammond tell this Masrani guy? Why did he tell him about Pet, anyway? If the last InGen CEO was anything to go by, then this was a reason to be concerned. He knew all too well the deep hate InGen had in regards to the hybrid.

Lockwood's gaze reverted back to Muldoon striding towards the mansion's front door. He needed to know Pet was possibly in danger before it was too late. Lockwood quickly looked away before his lingering gaze on the ex-game warden drew too much suspicion, but he acted too late.

Simon followed the direction of his good friend's watch and grew curious. Did the scarred man have something to do with it?

Lockwood continued. "John might have been referring to the first dinosaur…a Velociraptor, I believe, that was ever recreated. I know he made sure all the animals on the island were female so that might have been the 'her' he talked about."

This made no sense to Simon. Why would a dinosaur, if even the first recreated, be so coveted for secrecy? Especially when a specialized theme park featuring the magnificent beasts, was to be opened to the public? Simon looked back at the vaguely familiar man walking further away.

Terrence also looked to Muldoon walking away. He needed to warn him before he left. Just as he was about to break away from his talking to the veterinarian, he was trapped by yet another familiar face he used to work with at the zoo.

Muldoon was closing in on the front door when he caught sight of a timid Lexi from the corner of his eye. She was standing with her younger brother, Hammond's cane in his hand, as they accompanied their emotionally distraught mother. Muldoon gave the young woman a sincerely apologetic smile and continued walking away.

"Mr. Muldoon?" The addressed man turned around to see Lexi sprinting up behind him. "I was hoping you would be here. I have something for you." She reached into a little purse she had slung over a shoulder by a thin strap and pulled out an envelope. "Here," she stated, handing it to the man.

Tim joined them and held out the cane for Muldoon to take. "Grandpa stated in his will to pass this on to you, that he knew it would find 'the right hands'."

Muldoon took the precious item with a heavy heart and just as heavy hand. Lexi continued. "I recommend waiting before opening the envelope." He got the point and gave the now young woman a supporting hug. Not wanting to stick around anymore, Muldoon calmly left the mansion's premises.

By the time Terrence was able to finally get away and look for Muldoon, the other man was no where to be found. He just hoped the next time they talked wouldn't be too late to relay the news of the ever growing threat against Pet's life.


Pet had refused to leave Quarantine since her guardian and best friend had left. She sat on the couch, slouched forward and empty of all words. For the past few days, Derek had tried to get her to eat by cooking her favorite meals. She would pick at the food, taking a bite here and there but never really finishing it. She didn't even finish the mostly raw steak he specially made for.

Evening was settling in as a familiar Jeep's engine pulled up to Quarantine. The driver's side door opened and closed, followed by Muldoon entering the trailer. His arrival wasn't only noticed by the trailer's occupants, but by Grant as well. He rushed to join the other man, taking hold of the door before the other could close it all the way.

Grant saw the signature white cane in the other's hand and frowned with a stabbing sadness. Pet saw it, too, and instantly teared up. She accepted it none the less as well as the envelope. Muldoon spoke while taking a seat next to the hybrid. "John wanted you to have that. He even wrote you something I think you should read."

Pet flipped open the envelope's tab and withdrew a single page note written down on a marble themed piece of stationary paper. She read the note to herself and in doing so, began to tear up more. She couldn't take it anymore and folded up the note after reading three-fourths of it. The woman took a couple minutes to compose herself and spoke. "Who would've known," she said in a sniff. "I often wondered why he chose this particular mosquito in amber as a cane topper."

Derek, leaning against the kitchenette bar, questioned. "Why's that?"

"Because..." Pet smiled behind the waterfall of tears glistening on her cheeks. "It's this little bastard right here..." She held up the cane topper to gaze at the tiny insect trapped in the golden yellow of the amber, "that had the raptor DNA used to help create me."

Muldoon nodded. "He kept it with him everywhere he went so no matter where he was or what he was doing, he'd always have a part of you with him." The hybrid broke down in another spasm of sobs, cradling the cane next to her.

R.I.P

Richard Attenborough

August 29, 1923-August 24, 2014