Chapters 1 and 2 were originally one chapter, but to reduce on the massive 13 page mega chapter I broke it up into two parts. I've had most of chap 2 and 3 planned out in my head for roughly a year and a half and those events written out for several months. There are many future chapters pre-planned and written out. A portion of those take place during the Jurassic World events.
PREPARATIONS
2 – Motivation and Medication
Calm, peaceful quiet…the lingering smell of lavender in the air…an unbelievably comfortable hotel suite bed…pillows Pet was willing to go to jail for should one or few come up missing after checkout...a down comforter so soft it felt as though wrapped in a cloud. The cushioning eased all the pains in her back so much it was the best sleep Pet ever had. But all that was ruined.
BWEP! BWEP! BWEP! BWEP! BWE-SLAM! Pet's hand flexed around the offensive alarm clock, her claws scratching into the plastic. She snorted a screech in annoyance and attempted to roll over when the pain of her back screamed out in protest. The hybrid laid there, grimacing and whimpering in discomfort. Pet squinted an eye at the alarm clock and frowned at the six AM time, staring back at her. It was time to start her first long ten-hour day. Most of that would be enduring interviews. She couldn't figure out why Simon just didn't conduct the interviews without her.
As far as she was concerned, she already did her part by sifting through the applications and forwarding the most promising names to Simon. Now, here she was miles away from her home in Montana to spend a week in London, England. It wasn't as bad as it could have been.
The hybrid grunted and groaned as she mustered her strength and got out of bed. She kept a hand at the sore part of her back and forced her weary body to her suite's shower. Its hot water from the therapeutic spigots hit all the right spots, allowing a brief break from the tense muscles.
By the time the soreness came back, she was already dressed and on her way downstairs to the lobby to meet Chuck. Who she found instead really didn't surprise her, but irked her none the less. Standing by the front desk and speaking with the receptionist was Simon looking his usual dapper self in a navy-blue suit and light grey dress shirt.
His dark brown eyes lit up, and a wide smile stretched across his face the moment he saw the hybrid step off the elevator and enter the hotel's lobby. He wasn't too favorable of her choice of clothing consisting of khaki pants and a black hoodie. Something more professional would have been preferred. Regardless, it was at least better than yesterday's attire of sweatpants and a sweatshirt.
"There you are! I was beginning to think I was going to need to send someone to your room to wake you."
Pet didn't exactly stride past the billionaire without saying a word. She more imagined herself dragging her half-broken carcass through the lobby and to the outside. Parked under the hotel's overhang was the black luxury sedan.
Standing beside the back-passenger door was Chuck smiling in welcoming. "Good morning, Ms. Veronica."
He opened the backdoor, allowing the hybrid entry followed by his worried employer. The entire ride to London's InGen building Pet kept wincing every bump and jostle the car made.
Simon arched a brow at the young woman. "Did you not take your medications before leaving?"
Pet cut her eyes down on the suited man and snorted a bark. She loathed feeling as though being micromanaged like a child or someone incapable of tending to themselves. "I'm fine. Besides, every time I take those things, I get incredibly groggy. Can't really lay down and take a nap in the middle of an interview."
Chuck turned a corner too fast, slinging Pet to the other side of the car's backseat. She crashed into Simon and yelped a screech in pain. She snarled and shot the car's driver a raptor eyed stare. Pet's dulled claws dug into the back of his seat, making Chuck jerk behind the wheel in sudden alarm. He honestly expected to get attacked in retaliation, only to find the hybrid was trying to return herself to her side of the backseat. Simon tried to help her by gently nudging her along.
"Although," Pet growled behind clenched teeth, "if Chuck, here, keeps driving like he's Frank Martin, I might have to take a pain killer or three before we get to the office."
Simon's brow dropped. "You're only allowed three in one day in eight-hour intervals."
"So, I'll just take my max allotted daily dose at once."
Chuck nervously cleared his throat. "Uh, I think that's called overdosing." A sharp, hissed bark instantly made him regret his choice of outspoken words. "Shutting up, got it."
When Pet nestled back into her spot, she kept a firm grip on the door's armrest. Chuck made sure to take the next turns slowly; one of which resulted in him getting honked at for going too slow. He'd rather chance the wrath of an impatient road rager in a separate vehicle than that of an angered human-Velociraptor hybrid seated right behind him.
By the time the three arrived at London's new InGen office, Pet needed both Chuck and Simon to help her out of the car. Luckily for her, she had a couple of her prescribed pain meds in a small plastic baggie tucked away in a pocket of her khaki pants. She wasted no time downing one and chasing it with a hefty swig of soda from a vending machine once inside the building's lobby.
A low rumble of a muffled belch came from the hybrid, next. Simon gawked at her, clearly unimpressed. While she did try to keep it low key, the billionaire felt she could've done a better job. "Feel better?" he asked placidly.
Pet shoved the little plastic baggie back into her pants pocket and sneered. "Not yet, but I hope to once my happy pill kicks in." That's not what he was asking about, and she knew it.
Whatever. He wasn't about to push the matter and walked past Chuck failing at hiding a snicker. Pet slowly followed Simon, arriving at the lobby's front desk a few steps behind.
Pet joined Simon and leaned against the desk. "Good morning, Ms. B. What are we looking at for the day?"
Buna hastily typed away on her computer's keyboard, her artificial red nails clicking loudly on the keys in the process. "Twelve interviews planned for today as of this moment. There were thirteen, but the nine-thirty called for a reschedule. Lunch is at noon before the interviews continue at one, the last being at three-thirty." She typed on the keyboard again.
A frown darkened the hybrid's features. The sound of a printer came from somewhere beneath the circular receptionist desk. A minute later, Buna retrieved a single piece of paper, displaying a list of names and appointed times. It was handed to Simon, who then sighed at the canceled appointment highlighted in red.
Pet studied the list of names from over his shoulder. "I wonder how many of those people have what it actually takes to fulfill the job fields they're applying for. Robert and I only considered the applicants we thought had an ounce of a clue, but there's always the possibility of people lying about their experience."
Buna laughed. "Anyone who has actual qualifications for working at the park is already in Mr. Masrani's back pocket. Name me one person who has any experience or exposure working with prehistoric animals that's not already a part of this." Pet opened her mouth to speak, Buna cutting her off by holding up a hand. "Or hasn't been approached with an offer."
Pet closed her mouth, looked around, and finally frowned. "Ian Malcolm and Sarah Harding were already approached. They gave a flat hell no for an answer."
Buna nodded. "Mhm, and that sweetheart of yours, Dr. Grant, has already been assisting in his own way."
A devious smirk teased Pet's lips, her eyes on Simon to watch for his reaction. "There's always the Kirbys. They got plenty of exposure on Isla Sorna."
Simon spoke in a curt tone. "I am not about to approach the Kirbys for employment despite their exposure."
The hybrid chuckled. "Oh, c'mon, why not? They could help install the new bathrooms on the park!" Dark eyes glowered at the hybrid, making her laugh a little bit more.
A roll of the man's right wrist showed the time on his silver linked wristwatch to be nearing seven-fifteen in the morning. "Morning meeting is in fifteen minutes, the first interview in forty-five." Simon met the scheming blue-green eyes still twinkling with the urge to tease him over the Kirbys. She knew he greatly disliked the irresponsible parents. "I suggest you take this time to relax in my office to give your medication some time to kick in."
Pet knew she was being dismissed and excused herself. Simon stopped her. "Veronica…" He held out the piece of paper with the appointed names for her to take. "Please have the applications of those I am to be meeting today pulled up on my computer. I'd like to re-familiarize myself with their information."
The paper was accepted, and Pet went across the lobby to the elevators. The task took a total of fifteen minutes, leaving Pet bored for the remainder of the time leading up to eight AM.
The rest of her morning was spent unmoving while conducting interviews in a padded office chair Simon requested be brought into his office for her comfort. It was during the second interview at eight-thirty that Pet felt the pain reliever kick in. Almost all the unease and stabbing pains in her lower back subsided, and just in time too. Her soda had gone through her, and she needed to visit the lady's room before the third interview began.
Lunch wasn't bad. Simon had Chuck pick up an order of red lentil and tomato soup and drop it off at the office. It wasn't Pet's first time eating it, as her best friend had been known to make a pot of it on occasion.
After lunch, it was two more interviews. Halfway through the first afternoon one, Buna called informing them the one-o-clock called for a possible cancelation and reschedule due to personal issues. Simon gave it till one-ten before excusing himself to meet with a department head elsewhere in the building. It was up to Pet to conduct the interviews until his return. Great.
Blue eyes belonging to a blond-haired British man in his mid-forties visually studied the elaborate building before him. Blue letters positioned over double glass doors were the words InGen almost glowing in the early afternoon sun.
A level of unease settled in Paul McCroy's stomach as he felt very uncomfortable doing business with the company. If it wasn't for his good friend, Robert Muldoon, referring him here for a job interview, he wouldn't be there at all. He still had very negative opinions of InGen after accompanying his friend to Isla Sorna. The goal was to help rescue someone that was like a daughter to him from a hunting party InGen hired to track down and kill. Apparently, this wasn't the first time this happened, going by the stories he'd been told in the past. It wasn't until hearing how the girl was doing well and under the new company owner's protection that he finally decided to apply.
Paul glanced around at the many suited individuals going in and out of the building and felt even more out of place. Compared to their chosen attire, he felt significantly underdressed in his open blue and white striped button-down shirt over a white tank top and khakis. There wasn't a time Paul could recall ever needing anything above casual attire. He never attended fancy parties, maybe because he had never been invited to one, and wasn't one for weddings or funerals either.
Knowing it was too late to go back home and change, the man proceeded to go inside. Just as Muldoon instructed per email, Paul went to the front desk located in the lobby for check-in.
Buna looked up and smiled at the approaching newcomer. "Good morning, and welcome to InGen, sir. How may I help you?"
The man gave his best professional face. "Yes, I have a scheduled job interview with Mr. Simon Masrani at one-thirty."
"May I have your name, please?"
"Paul McCroy."
Buna hastily typed away on her computer's keyboard, her artificial red nails clicking loudly on the keys in the process. She asked as she worked, "What are you interviewing for today?"
"The Asset Containment Unit trooper position for the new park."
Buna adjusted her thin frame glasses on the bridge of her nose and replied. "You're to meet with Mr. Masrani on the fourth floor in his office. Someone will be here shortly to escort you up when it's your appointment time. While you wait, you can have a seat over there." Buna gestured to a collection of neatly arranged seats to the left of the lobby.
"Thank you." Paul trudged over to the waiting area and took a seat near a hallway's entrance. He checked the time on his watch to see it was nearing one-ten PM. It appeared he had a bit of a wait.
His wandering eyes led his attention to two vending machines just inside the hallway: one for sodas and one for various snacks. He debated on whether to get something to snack on but wasn't sure how long it'd be before the escort arrived. The last thing he wanted was to be caught with chip flavor on his hands and or smelly snack breath.
For anyone needing some refreshers on the OC Paul McCroy, he initially appeared in the RECOVERY chapter series at the very end of chapter 2. He will start becoming a regular OC more into this chapter series.
