The Ninth Circle of Hell

by Sassy Lil Scorpio

Hammond returns to Isla Nublar and finds out everything that occurred during his hospitalization. Wu is miserable working for Dodgson and dreams of escape. Nedry is apprehended right after running into the Biosyn team. Hammond fights for Nedry's freedom on two conditions: convince Wu to return to InGen and bring down Dodgson and his gang. {Sequel to Reign of Chaos Trilogy} {AU}

21. The Prodigal Son

Chapter 21 - The Prodigal Son

Jesus told the story of the prodigal son to make a simple point: Never mind what you've done. Just come home.

- Glen Fitzjerrell

oOo

Corey Anderson entered the same interrogation room he had used when he first started leading the confidential informant assignment. It was a small room with drab gray paint on all four walls. A single light hung from above and the one-way mirror revealed nothing on the outside to those sitting inside. Henry Wu and Dennis Nedry had been brought in an hour ago and sat behind a table, talking quietly. They immediately became silent when Anderson walked inside. When they had first arrived at the precinct, their cuffs had been removed and they had been taken straight to the infirmary to have a nurse check over their injuries. Both men still had fresh bruises. It was imperative that they get photographed as evidence of what had happened prior to their detainment. Dried blood had been wiped away and scrawled words had been rinsed off. Nothing could be done about the incisions on Nedry's face that were in the process of healing into visible scars, except to make sure they were clean and not infected.

Meanwhile, John Hammond, Ian Malcolm, and Robert Muldoon had already arrived. Anderson had them sit outside in the car with another police officer. He wasn't ready to call them in yet—he needed to have this conversation with Nedry and Wu. Anderson instructed the police officer who was standing guard to leave and close the door behind him. Privacy was needed for this conversation. During the time that Nedry and Wu had been brought down to the infirmary, Anderson had a chance to hear the recordings from earlier in the day—and now he could confirm how Lewis Dodgson forced them to play Russian Roulette…but that wasn't all. There was something else in the recordings that deeply troubled Anderson and he needed to speak with Wu and Nedry about it first before Hammond saw them.

"I'm glad you both made it out of there alive," Anderson said, taking a seat across from them. "I see our nurse took care of you both."

Wu glanced at the door Anderson had entered from. "Where's John?"

"He's here, along with Dr. Malcolm and Robert Muldoon. I need to speak with you both first. A lot happened today and there's an important matter that I must address with both of you." Anderson paused, observing Wu. Wu didn't indicate that he knew what he was talking about. He then watched Nedry. "I know they took out the audio bugs, so you can speak freely here."

Nedry's eyebrows rose as though silently questioning what Anderson meant.

"I heard something that got recorded earlier today. It happened after you escaped from Dodgson, and it may impact you getting the sentence commutation you worked extremely hard for."

Right away, Anderson noticed the color drain from Nedry's face. He knows what I'm referring to, Anderson thought. "Do you know what I'm talking about?"

Wu and Nedry exchanged a knowing glance, but still said nothing.

"What you had originally planned to do when you came to California."

Nedry shifted in his chair in a jittery manner unlike himself, while Wu watched him, a worried expression on his face. Anderson observed them carefully, his interest piqued by how Wu showed genuine concern for Nedry. They still didn't speak, and Anderson found himself growing impatient. He didn't have a lot of time—they needed to talk about it.

"Molotov cocktail? At Biosyn's old headquarters?" Nedry mouthed.

Anderson nodded without saying a word. This was a start. He thought of how he wanted to approach the situation and he considered all the recordings he had heard ever since Nedry had left the precinct that night to meet Lewis Dodgson at Carlos and Charlie's. Nedry had obtained a lot of information. The recordings also showcased Dodgson's brutality, and his workers' groupthink when it came to following his every whim.

"I'll say this much…" Anderson wanted to approach this in a firm but sensitive manner. "I heard those recordings and I know you went through hell when Dodgson's group held you prisoner."

Anderson observed Nedry's body language which communicated what he felt but wouldn't say aloud. Nedry was furious; he refused to look in Anderson's direction. He had been abducted when Dodgson was supposed to meet him at that restaurant, which resulted in a week of terror, mind games, and painful torture. Despite everything he had been put through, he still managed to get the Biosyn team to talk about their previous crimes against InGen. More importantly, he persuaded Wu to return to InGen. Still, his silence was much louder than any sarcastic remark he could come up with.

As for Wu, Anderson could tell he was worried about what was being implied: Nedry could get more prison time for that careless stunt. Even though Wu played a role in throwing the Molotov cocktail, Nedry was on record saying he had planned it all along. Anderson didn't want that information to leave the interrogation room, but he knew it would come up when Nedry went back to court.

"I want you to start over and leave this all behind you. I don't want you locked up for more time because you made a poor choice—be it impulsively or premeditated…you know what I mean."

Nedry still looked the other way, as though the wall was far more interesting. He refused to acknowledge what Anderson was saying.

"The same goes for you too, Henry."

Wu gestured to himself.

"Yes, you," Anderson said.

"I wanted to—"

"Shut up, Henry!" Nedry twisted in his chair now as he faced Wu. "Don't get yourself in trouble over this. It's not worth it."

"Everything you both said is on record," Anderson repeated. "This is a major complication that I didn't anticipate."

"There's nothing major and nothing complicated about it."

"You burned down a building—or attempted to." Anderson leaned forward, locking eyes with Nedry.

"Too bad Dodgson wasn't trapped inside." Nedry mirrored him, also leaning forward. "Too bad they all weren't trapped inside."

Anderson's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. He didn't expect Nedry's blasé attitude. He was about to respond when Wu quickly interceded.

"He doesn't mean that." His eyes flickered nervously from Nedry to Anderson in a pleading manner. "Don't take him seriously—like you said, he's been through a lot."

"That's arson," Anderson said.

He knew Muldoon, Hammond, and Malcolm were probably in the precinct. The officer must've let them inside the building earlier than Anderson planned. He'd have to let them see Wu and Nedry. Of course, Anderson could stall longer, but he didn't want to. He turned back to Nedry.

"Even without Dodgson or anyone being trapped in the building, it's a serious crime."

Wu kept glancing at Anderson and Nedry, nervous about their tense exchange and the direction it was headed.

Nedry shrugged. "So?"

"So—"

"They kidnapped me, beat me, starved me, carved up my face, and made it impossible for me to sleep. I got waterboarded. Before that, I was their human dartboard—all for shits and giggles." Nedry ticked everything off his fingers and then gestured at Wu sitting next to him. "They played with our lives, turned it into a sick game, and placed bets on which one of us would be the first to shoot our brains out. It's not every day when you meet two Russian Roulette survivors."

Wu shifted in his chair when he heard Nedry's voice pick up. He had learned that Nedry was good at hiding his emotions—most of the time. His body language gave him away—Nedry kept cracking his knuckles. Anderson tried to interrupt him to calm him down, but Wu mouthed: don't.

"They threatened to pull my teeth out. Break my jaw, break my arm, and bust my kneecap—but I get lectured about arson." Nedry pointed at each body part as he listed them. "Unreal."

A long painful silence followed.

"I'm not lecturing you," Anderson spoke slowly. "I'm telling you because this may interfere with you having your sentence commuted."

"You're tone-deaf. I'm telling you that me and Henry could've been killed and you're still going on about that nonsense." Nedry cracked up laughing. "A sentence reduction, commutation, whatever the hell it's called—it doesn't mean shit if I'm six feet under."

"Dennis, stop sabotaging yourself…" Wu tried and turned to Anderson, unsure of what to say or do.

Anderson looked just as mystified.

"See? I told you that sentence reduction was a pipe dream! I'm not dead, so I get to be locked up for thirty years. I've already made my peace with it."

"Maybe it's real and you ruined your chances," Wu mumbled. "All on account of me."

Anderson noticed Wu's shoulders were slumped while Nedry kept laughing. He wondered what was going through Wu's mind. Guilt? Regret?

"I'm sorry for what they put you through," Anderson said and Nedry stopped laughing. He meant it. Anderson wasn't sadistic. Sometimes he was short-sighted when focused on a specific goal, but he didn't take pleasure in Wu's and Nedry's suffering. He saw that he had Nedry's full attention now. "That was never the plan. You weren't in your right mind after everything they did to you—no one would be."

"I sense a 'but'…" Nedry said.

"But your conversation with Henry shows premeditated intent." Anderson thought quickly about another way to approach this. "What they did to you—did it have any bearing on this?"

"It confirmed I was making the right decision—and it wasn't just what they did to me. It's what they did to everyone at InGen. Dodgson found it hilarious that Hammond had a stroke. Sonya wrecked Dr. Sattler's greenhouse. His brood of vipers hounding the people I used to work with—"

"That you also caused hell for," Anderson pointed out.

"I stopped after what I did to John and Robert. I have limits. Dodgson and his crew have no limits. They needed to be stopped." Nedry watched Anderson's face to see if he understood. When Anderson didn't respond, he lashed out. "They were planning on kidnapping John's grandchildren for God's sake!"

"It's justice," Wu said, his chin resting on his hand.

"No, the courts handle dealing out justice," Anderson corrected him.

"The courts are too slow, and he's gotten away with murder before. I'm sure John told you about the rabies experiment that killed ten Chilean farmers."

Anderson was quiet as he recalled that conversation in his mind. "He told me about it."

"I rest my case then, and so does Henry."

Wu nodded in agreement.

Anderson was stumped: Nedry had purposely thrown a monkey wrench at the plans meant to gain back his freedom. Why he chose to throw it all away—Anderson would never understand. Then again, Nedry sounded detached. Anderson thought he was trying to cope with all the violence he and Wu had experienced. Nedry was far removed from Dodgson, at least, for now he was. Then Nedry asked him a question he didn't expect at all.

"Are they gonna face consequences for kidnapping me, and for forcing me and Henry to play Russian Roulette?"

Anderson was taken back by Nedry implying everyone in Dodgson's group would walk free. "Of course, they will. They're all facing serious criminal charges."

"Good. Am I being charged with arson?"

"It'll be addressed at some point." That was the truth of the matter. Then he realized he was being vague. "It's a strong possibility. Same thing with the high-speed car chase."

"I thought you said we wouldn't face charges."

"That was before I heard today's recordings—and I never promised you anything. I said I would try to work with you if you cooperated—and you did."

Nedry was silent as he contemplated what Anderson said.

"Will I face charges?" Wu asked.

Anderson could hear the shakiness in his voice.

"It's possible. If I were you, I'd cooperate with the prosecutor in exchange for immunity. We have time—"

"I don't care if you write me a love poem, or if you charge me with arson, Detective Anderson," Nedry interjected. "Not after what that psychopath Dodgson and his loyal assholes put me and Henry through. I wanted to destroy Biosyn, simple as that."

Wu suddenly rose from his seat and Anderson could tell that he had to get something off his chest before the moment passed. "We weren't trying to harm anyone."

Anderson noticed Nedry relax slightly in the chair. His tone was less biting when he revealed his motive.

"We just wanted to wipe Biosyn off the face of the planet. Make them go extinct."

"By burning down their former headquarters?" Anderson asked for clarification.

"Yeah, so if anyone from that evil company is hiding out, they'll see what happened and get the message."

Anderson thought he heard footsteps outside—several of them overlapping. He stood up and opened the door, poking his head out and saw a police officer pointing down the hallway as she directed Malcolm, Hammond, and Muldoon to the room where Anderson was in. Anderson needed more time, but for now, he decided it might be better if he let them see Wu and Nedry.

"And that message is…?" Anderson asked as he turned back to them, while closing the door. "Make it quick, they're almost here."

Wu sat down again and watched as Nedry answered fully what they had in mind when they threw the Molotov cocktail at Biosyn's old headquarters.

"That they're finished for good. For a company that tried to destroy its competition many times over, it's a necessary message to send, don't you agree? It leaves no room for misinterpretation."

"I hope they got the message," Wu added.

With his back facing them, Anderson opened the door again. His response came out in a strained voice. "I'm sure they did."

oOo

Anderson closed the door behind him, leaving Nedry and Wu sitting in the interrogation room. Hammond had just arrived with Muldoon and Malcolm. From the way Hammond kept looking past him, Anderson could tell he was eager to see get inside the room.

"Is Henry in there? Dennis, too?" Hammond asked, his eyes flicking from Anderson to the one-way mirror. Although it was obvious that he could see Wu and Nedry inside the interrogation room, he asked as though he needed to be sure they were there.

"They're inside. Before you all go in, I need to give you all a heads-up."

Hammond breathed a sigh of relief, but Muldoon and Malcolm exchanged an uneasy glance.

"What kind of heads-up?" Muldoon asked.

"I'm gonna explain everything going backwards. First, the building burning…I think you all know by now that was Biosyn's former headquarters in Cupertino."

Hammond nodded slowly.

"I can't get into it right now, but it looks like both Dennis and Henry were behind it."

Muldoon folded his arms across his chest, not believing what Anderson said. "Where's the proof?"

"In the recordings. Which leads me to what happened before that incident—what happened before is much more serious." Anderson glanced over his shoulder and saw Nedry say something to Wu, who shook his head vehemently. He turned back to the group that was anxious to get inside. "They're raw from everything they went through. I don't think they're in the best state of mind, especially Dennis. He's numb. Henry, not as much—he seems to be in shock."

"That's understandable given how recent everything is," Malcolm said.

"There's something all of you need to know before you see them," Anderson said, as he watched Wu and Nedry talk. He was aware that he was stalling what needed to be said. "There was a lot going on just before Dodgson got shot…"

Hammond didn't like Anderson's hesitating, but he forced himself to stay calm. Muldoon's eyes narrowed in concentration: he was steeling himself for whatever he would hear. It was Malcolm who pressed forward.

"What led to him being shot?"

Anderson thought about what he had heard in those recordings. Telling them about it was nowhere nearly as bad as actually hearing it all play out. He explained to them that Dodgson had forced Wu and Nedry to play Russian Roulette, how Dodgson's entire group took bets on who would die first—and that the surviving person would've been forced to commit suicide by shooting themselves—leaving the entire situation to be framed as a murder-suicide.

"Jesus," Muldoon whispered. He took off his fedora and wiped his forehead.

"That's a lot worse than we expected…" Malcolm said, his voice trailing off.

"We should give them a few days…" Anderson stopped when he saw Hammond shaking his head.

"I need to see both of them—especially because of everything you just shared." Hammond's voice broke when he pointed at the door with his walking cane. "Please, Mr. Anderson."

Anderson sighed, reluctantly. There was no telling how this reunion would go. "Sure."

oOo

"I don't understand why you said that nonsense," Wu said the moment Anderson stepped outside of the interrogation room. "Why are you sabotaging yourself?"

Nedry examined his right hand, turning it over palm up and then palm down. "I'm not sabotaging myself. I'm preparing myself. Big difference, Henry."

Wu stared at him, astounded. "For what?!"

"For the next thirty years of my life."

"You really don't believe you'll get a sentence commutation—that it's all a fantasy, a delusion."

Wu wondered if that's what accounted for Nedry's abrupt change in behavior. The fear of being handed down a life sentence, especially after all the abuse from Dodgson. When they were in the car surrounded by the cops at InGen headquarters to now sitting in the interrogation room and speaking with Anderson, Wu was struck by the change in Nedry's demeanor. It was as though someone threw off a switch: the sarcastic and humorous persona had been replaced by a cold and angry version of the same man…

"That's exactly what it is." Nedry folded his hands on the table now. "No reason to pretend otherwise."

Unsure of what to say in response to Nedry's pessimism, Wu decided to stay silent—for a fleeting moment. He knew Anderson was about to walk back in with everyone and needed to find out the answer to a question that was pressing him.

"Then why did you go through all that—getting kidnapped by Dodgson's group to get me to come back to InGen?"

Nedry glanced at him and then focused on the door Anderson exited from. "Because even though I have nothing going for me, I want to know I did something right."

Wu was about to ask him why he thought he had nothing going for him when the door opened, and Anderson entered the room with Hammond, Malcolm, and Muldoon following him single file.

oOo

Time seemed to freeze in place.

Muldoon knew that once he went into the interrogation room, he would go to Nedry first. He remembered when Malcolm returned with Grant, Lex, and Nedry when InGen was plotting against Dodgson and the Biosyn team. No one had greeted Nedry in the staff lodge. A welcome back party had been thrown for Grant, while Nedry hadn't even been acknowledged, although everyone expected him to rid the island of Biosyn. Muldoon wanted to change that, so he took the initiative and left Malcolm and Hammond standing with Anderson as he approached Nedry. He noticed Nedry remained silent, and his angry stare never faded. Muldoon wasn't sure what to make of that, but he wanted it to be clear that Nedry wouldn't be pushed to the backburner now that Wu was back. That was Muldoon's main concern.

Malcolm looked from Wu to Nedry. He noted how they both sat up straight in their chairs and watched him carefully as though on guard for anything that might happen unexpectedly—any threats. The heart-hammering terror from what they had experienced earlier in the day still hung about them, radiating off them. Malcolm could sense the tension from Nedry's piercing glare to Wu's anxious fiddling with his hands. He recalled telling Lex and Tim that Nedry's and Wu's betrayal of Hammond was a form of trauma, and how it would take time to heal. Malcolm now wondered about Nedry and Wu healing from all the violence Dodgson and his group subjected them to. He instinctively knew, simply by the way they seemed to mirror each other, that Nedry and Wu had formed a bond because of their shared trauma.

Hammond had rehearsed in his mind many times what he would say when he finally saw Wu face to face again. Although it might be a mystery to everyone in InGen, he wouldn't lash out against Wu, cross-examine him for his decision to join the corporate enemy, and shun him. Instead, it was the opposite for him. He imagined embracing Wu, telling him that he forgave him and wanted him to return to InGen because there was still a place for him on the staff. Looking at Wu now, Hammond saw how empty and frightened he was. The bright young man he had hired straight from grad school was a shell of his former self. Wu appeared nervous as he started pulling his fingers. Hammond wanted to tell him not to worry—that he would love for Wu to return to Isla Nublar, that is, if Wu wanted to do so.

Even with Nedry, he had come up with a speech of gratitude, but now his words abandoned him. Seeing the bruises and scars on Nedry's face, Hammond knew thanking him would be insensitive. He wanted to tell him he was sorry for everything Dodgson had done to him. He didn't want Nedry harmed when he agreed to be a confidential informant. The risk was always there, and Hammond was saddened that Malcolm's predictions had come true. Although Nedry was alive, Dodgson had made sure to leave his mark on him. Deep down inside, Hammond knew he had been more focused on Wu's return than Nedry's safety. That was the ugly truth and Hammond decided right then he would make it up to Nedry and he knew how…but it would be some time before he could put his plan into action.

For Anderson, that brief minute of cold silence felt like a long stretching hour. He looked around the room and saw five folding chairs against the wall. He pulled out two folding chairs and opened them, gesturing for Hammond and Malcolm to sit across from Nedry and Wu, which they did. He retrieved the other two for Muldoon and himself. Muldoon mumbled a quick "thank you" before sitting down.

Wu kept fiddling with his fingers and Nedry focused on the table, not acknowledging Muldoon who sat several feet away from him. Anderson looked from Hammond to Muldoon, seeing who would break the ice. Naturally, it was Malcolm who started the conversation.

"So, uh, here we are again, plus one." Malcolm pointed to Wu.

Wu stopped fiddling with his fingers and sent Malcolm a wary glance. He knew Malcolm referred to him.

"How does it feel to be back?" Malcolm asked, keeping his tone light.

"It's okay." Wu's voice was wooden.

Hammond watched Wu carefully. Was Wu glad? Relieved? Sad? Afraid? He found it difficult to read his facial expression—it was as though Wu knew Hammond was watching him. Wu's expression was flat. There was no indication of how he was feeling or what he was thinking. Then he noticed how Wu kept twisting and pulling at his fingers. He's anxious, nervous…he has good reason to be after what he went through today and after… Hammond didn't complete his thought. He didn't want to, and it wasn't necessary. As he had told everyone on Isla Nublar before he left: he had decided to forgive Wu.

"I'm glad you made it out of there safely," Hammond tried. He scooted closer to the table, where he sat directly across from Wu.

"So are we," Wu said, gesturing at Nedry, who nodded.

A beat of silence passed.

"Are you alright, Dennis?" Muldoon asked with a note of concern.

"Peachy." Nedry never faced Muldoon—or anyone. He kept staring at the table, making it clear that he didn't want to speak to anyone.

Another long aching silence. Anderson was about to say something when Hammond jumped ahead of him.

"I know this is a bit premature…but I'd like you both to come back to the island," Hammond said slowly, trying to feel out Wu's and Nedry's responses. "I want to…" He paused as he searched for the right word, "celebrate both of you. You've been through so much, you're both safe and alive—"

"What about what we did?"

Malcolm and Muldoon looked from Wu to Hammond, wondering how Hammond would respond. Both men heard the doubt in Wu's voice—Hammond must've heard it too. They could tell Wu wanted to ask Hammond: why would you want to celebrate us after we betrayed you?

Nedry sent Wu a sideways glance but remained quiet.

"We pick up the pieces," Hammond said, softly. "We heal and move on." He wished he could show Wu that he still accepted him and was willing to give him a second chance. Inviting him back to Isla Nublar didn't seem to be enough—then it hit him: what he could do to show that he forgave Wu. He placed his amber-tipped cane on the table. "Do you remember this?"

Wu nodded as he stared at the amber on the top portion of Hammond's cane. All the memories of how he met Hammond in grad school came rushing back to him. His hands started to tremble as emotions threatened to overwhelm him. The only thing he could do to focus was to crack his knuckles now. It calmed him down much like how the bubble gum kept Nedry calm but seeing that cane with the amber encased mosquito…He looked up when he heard Hammond speaking to him.

"We move on, Henry. Turning your back on InGen for that brief time doesn't lessen who you are or your accomplishments. You're still a miracle worker in my eyes."

Wu turned away. He didn't want anyone to see that Hammond's words hit him hard. Hammond still seeing him as a "miracle worker" was an eye-opener. Wu realized that not everyone would hold what he had done against him. It also seemed that Hammond had forgiven him, although he hadn't made amends yet. Wu wanted to do what Nedry had done: make amends—but he didn't know how to go about it, or even where to start. In his mind, he should earn Hammond's mercy—it shouldn't be freely given. Then there was the issue of trust. How would he go about earning back Hammond's trust?

Anderson continued to observe the strained interaction between all five men. Hammond turned to him.

"I'm wondering…could Dennis come too? I know he's in your custody."

Before Anderson had a chance to consider Hammond's request, Nedry responded for himself.

"No." He shook his head. "I'm not coming. I'm done with Biosyn, and I'm done with InGen."

Muldoon and Malcolm looked questioningly at Nedry, unsure of what to say. Hammond started to respond when Muldoon held up his hand as though saying: let me handle this. He had many talks with Nedry in the past, enough to understand him and get through to him. He believed he could get to the heart of the matter. He remembered Nedry telling him he wanted to do something right. Maybe he could go in that direction.

"You've done an amazing job—"

"I don't care about this 'amazing job' garbage—no offense," Nedry quickly added, trying to sting off his response to Muldoon. "It's nothing personal, John," he directed this comment at Hammond and then appealed to Anderson. "I did what you all asked me to do. Just send me to court so I can find out sooner than later about my sentence being commuted, or if I'm getting sent upstate for thirty years."

Muldoon thought about what Anderson had told them before they entered the interrogation room. When he put himself in Nedry's shoes, Muldoon understood he wanted to move on after everything he had been through. Nedry had put InGen through hell when he had first betrayed them, he more than made up for it by getting Dodgson's group kicked off the island. Now he had managed to get enough evidence to lock them up for a long time and he had convinced Wu to return to InGen. This time though, Muldoon realized Nedry had reached his breaking point. Dodgson had put Nedry through hell before, and he had always found the strength to bounce back. This time, he was trying to cope with the violent trauma of having been abducted, tortured, and almost killed during a twisted game of Russian Roulette. Traveling to Isla Nublar, even for a good reason, delayed the inevitable: finding out if he would be incarcerated for the next several decades of his life, or if he would be granted some semblance of starting over.

"I get it, I just think John's trying to say that he—all of us," Muldoon said, making sure to include Malcolm, "are appreciative of everything you've done and risked. We don't take it lightly."

"That's good to know." Nedry shrugged.

Anderson felt everyone's eyes on him. Nedry was still under his custody…Hammond wanted to treat Wu as the prodigal son…Muldoon agreed with what Hammond wanted…and it was apparent Malcolm did too… The decision rested on him—and he knew how he would execute it.

"Give me two days, and we can work this out," Anderson said.

Hammond smiled, relieved. "Thank you so much—and thank you for everything you've done."

"You got it," Anderson said, acknowledging Hammond's gratitude.

Wu didn't appear elated—he went back to twisting his fingers and cracking his knuckles. His anxiety hadn't lessened. Anderson figured he dreaded facing his coworkers. Nedry put his head down on the table to avoid everyone. Muldoon instinctively reached into his pocket for his flask and grasped at air. He was unable to voice his sadness at how this "reunion" had transpired. Drinking whisky would've been the perfect escape. Although usually one to comment, Malcolm stayed quiet. Hammond openly spoke about his plans to contact the control room to let them know everyone would be returning to Isla Nublar—mission accomplished! Anderson noted he was the only one who appeared happy.

Hopefully, the reunion at Isla Nublar would be a celebratory occasion with a jubilant mood felt by everyone.

oOo

Two days later, the helicopter descended upon the helipad at Isla Nublar in the early afternoon. Hammond was animated as he spoke with Anderson about Isla Nublar and Jurassic Park. Malcolm added anecdotes, while Muldoon watched Wu and Nedry the entire time. He tried not to be obvious that he was observing them. Wu and Nedry spoke quietly amongst themselves—it was Wu doing most of the talking while Nedry stared outside the window and responded with no enthusiasm. Muldoon knew Wu was uncertain of how he would be received by everyone, whereas Nedry was indifferent.

Anderson had kept his word and managed to bring Nedry with him. He had successfully convinced Judge Hoskins to permit Nedry to travel internationally, which was an anomaly given the circumstances. It was under the condition that Nedry would be under his supervision the entire time and restrained if necessary. The plan was to return to the States within forty-eight hours, which meant leaving the next morning to make sure they returned within that timeframe. Their time on the island wouldn't even amount to a full twenty-four hours. That was fine with Hammond—he was just glad Nedry was permitted to join them.

Soon, the helicopter landed on the helipad, and everyone disembarked. Two gas-powered jeeps were parked nearby. Hammond waved when he saw Gerry Harding and Alan Grant approach them.

"Gerry, Alan—thank you for meeting us on such short notice," Hammond said.

"It's not short notice at all, John," Grant said. He nodded to Malcolm and Muldoon, who returned the greeting. Then he turned to Wu and Nedry. "You actually did it—how did you—?"

He was at a loss for words at describing his amazement that they had returned alive, especially given the crazy circumstances. Malcolm had informed Grant and Ellie Sattler the night before how everything went down—including Nedry's success at bringing Wu around to InGen.

"I said the magic word, that's all it took." Nedry grinned, but there was no warmth in his expression.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Hammond asked, oblivious to Nedry's coldness. "And I have Detective Anderson to thank for making it work. He made everything come together." He quickly introduced Anderson to Grant and Harding.

"Pleasure to meet both of you," Anderson said, shaking both Grant's and Harding's hands.

"Welcome to Jurassic Park, Detective Anderson," Grant said. "How long will you be staying with us?"

"Only until tomorrow morning. It's good to meet you both."

"The pleasure is ours," Harding said. He turned to Wu and hesitated before he spoke. "Welcome back, Henry."

Wu had kept his distance when he first saw Grant and Harding. He didn't know what to expect and he hadn't noticed Harding's slight hesitation. "Thank you, it's good to see you."

"Likewise," Harding said, and then he pointed at the gas-powered jeeps. "Shall we? Everyone's waiting at the visitor center."

"Let's get going," Hammond said, gesturing for Malcolm and Wu to join him in the gas-powered jeep driven by Grant. "It's great to be back. We have big plans for today." He turned to Anderson who waited nearby with Nedry. "Detective Anderson, we have the tour planned for you."

"That sounds great. We'll meet up with you guys in a few minutes."

Moments later, Grant drove off with Malcolm, Wu, and Hammond, heading for the visitor center. Meanwhile, Harding got into the gas-powered jeep and turned the ignition key. Muldoon opened the passenger side in the front.

"Glad you made it back, Robert. Those two weeks felt like those two months all over again."

"Was it only two weeks this time?" Muldoon tried not to laugh when Harding mentioned "two months all over again". He knew Harding referred to the time when Biosyn left him and Nedry stranded on Isla Sorna.

"Yeah, thankfully only two weeks. The updates you gave Ray helped a great deal, but it still felt like forever. Speaking of forever," Harding said, turning back to Anderson and Nedry who were still standing near the helipad, "I'm sure it felt like forever for him. What Dodgson put him and Henry through is really awful."

"It is," Muldoon agreed.

He remembered when Anderson explained about Dodgson forcing Wu and Nedry to play Russian Roulette. He still couldn't wrap his mind around it, and he had no words to describe what he thought and felt about that terrifying situation. For now, though, Muldoon tried to focus on Hammond's plan to celebrate them. He was about to get into the passenger seat when he noticed the commotion between Anderson and Nedry. They looked like they were having an argument with Anderson pointing at the gas-powered jeep and Nedry shaking his head.

"Give me a minute."

As Muldoon neared them, he saw a glint of silver in Anderson's hand and heard Nedry's voice. His tone sounded exasperated. Muldoon wasn't sure why Nedry was angry until he realized what Anderson was holding: handcuffs.

"I don't want anyone seeing me that way—it's embarrassing!"

"You're still in my custody."

"If I'm still in your custody, then why didn't you cuff me on the way here?" Nedry waved his hand at the helicopter nearby. "Why now?!"

"You know the answer to that."

"I know that I do better when folks are consistently abusive assholes—not when they pretend to play nice and then switch it up on me. I really thought you were one of the good ones."

That caught Anderson off guard because Muldoon noticed a shadow flash across his face. Nedry stared angrily at Anderson who stood several feet across from him. They were still near the helipad and the helicopter was still there. The rotors were turned off. It seemed the pilot was waiting for their argument to be resolved before he flew away from Isla Nublar.

"I risked my life to get Henry back, and I got tons of info so that Dodgson and his merry maggots can be put away for a long time."

"You did. No one's saying you didn't."

"Then why am I still being treated like a worthless criminal?! Because I burned down an empty building? Why bring me back here? Why didn't I just stay locked up in California?"

"John wanted you to be here and I found a way to make it work." Anderson heard his edgy tone, but by now, he didn't care. He thought Nedry had been difficult when they were getting him ready to be a confidential informant, but he was more challenging today than back then.

"By making it work, you mean parading me around in cuffs 'cause you think I'll run away—and for the record, I didn't want to come back here." Nedry gestured wildly at the mountainous landscape around them. "This is the last place I want to be."

Anderson said nothing in response. He was tired of this back-and-forth. Any law enforcement official would've already dealt with Nedry's resistance. Anderson didn't have an aggressive personality though. If it was possible to do so, he'd rather talk someone down to deescalate the situation. He only became aggressive if the situation called for it—and this was not it. He realized this when he heard Nedry pleading.

"I promise I won't run…you have my word." Nedry swallowed nervously, ashamed that he was reduced to begging—especially because it wasn't in his character to do so. "Just don't let them see me that way."

Anderson almost caved, and then decided to remain firm. "It's standard procedure. This isn't anything new."

"That's ridiculous. No matter what I do, I'm still just a scumbag, a felon who deserves to be treated like dirt."

Muldoon decided he had heard enough. It was time to intervene. "What's going on?"

Anderson and Nedry turned around at the same time to face Muldoon. Neither man had noticed Muldoon approaching them. Nedry shrugged as though unsure of what was happening, but Muldoon knew he wouldn't say why he was upset. Anderson placed the cuffs in his pouch that he wore on his belt.

"Go sit with Gerry, Dennis. You can ride shotgun."

Muldoon watched Nedry hurry off to the gas-powered keep where Harding waited. It was obvious he wanted to get away from Anderson, which was saying a lot, given that Anderson wasn't an abusive cop by any means. Nedry refusing to speak up, also said a lot, given his usual sarcastic persona.

Muldoon turned to Anderson now. "What happened?"

Several seconds of silence passed. Anderson finally answered Muldoon but kept his gaze on Nedry the entire time.

"I can't take a chance of him escaping."

"He wants a brand-new start; he'd be bloody stupid to run off now."

Anderson thought back to everything he had learned about Nedry from Malcolm and Muldoon. "Didn't he leave the island after he helped you all? He traveled to the States, and I captured him in Cupertino."

Muldoon glanced behind him at Nedry who stood apart from Harding. Their last encounter before he traveled back to the States replayed in his mind. He felt like he was reliving that moment when he found Antonio Contreras' card in his pocket. Back then, he had thrown it into the lake in front of the visitor center. Muldoon had finally learned why Nedry had betrayed Hammond and made a personal decision to forgive Nedry. He didn't forget anything he had done; he had chosen to let it go. Nedry had gone through great lengths to make amends. At the time, Muldoon didn't think calling the cops to arrest him would help matters. In the here and now, Muldoon questioned if he regretted that decision. No, I made the right choice back then—and I'm making the right choice now.

"He left because I allowed him to. I didn't stop him, and I didn't call the police although I thought about doing so."

Anderson took a step back, surprised. What Muldoon had revealed to him, the ramifications…

"Do you know how much prison time you could get for doing that?"

"I know and the truth is everyone on the island would be guilty of aiding and abetting a fugitive—not just me."

Anderson was quiet as he took in this information. Muldoon was right.

"I understand if you arrest me because of what I just shared…but I will say this…" Muldoon spoke slowly and deliberately. "We need to stop punishing him like he's an unrepentant criminal. Stop treating him like he's the man he used to be. Otherwise, he may revert to his old ways."

Anderson didn't respond although he mentally acknowledged what Muldoon's stance. He knew many people in his own life who went back to their old ways. Many would think, What's the use? Treat me like a criminal, I might as well behave like one. It didn't excuse their deviant behavior, but Anderson had learned to try to understand how the frustration of constantly being punished—even after a person had made amends, did their time, and even corrected themselves—how it could take an emotional toll on someone and diminish their self-esteem.

"Having him in cuffs the whole time would only humiliate him—especially after everything he went through to get Henry back," Muldoon said. "That wasn't John's intention when he asked if he could come back here."

Anderson sighed. "It's not being done to humiliate him. I'm not giving him a chance to run—"

"I already said I'm not gonna run!" Nedry shouted. "What part of that don't you understand?!"

Muldoon looked in his direction and made a neck-slashing motion, indicating for Nedry to stop. He didn't realize they were speaking loudly and neither did Anderson, who turned away. Muldoon walked closer to the helipad to put distance between himself and Nedry who watched them. He gestured for Anderson to come forward so they could speak privately.

"Look, I'll keep an eye on him for you, but trust me, he's not going to ruin what he worked so hard to obtain," Muldoon whispered as he motioned towards the gas-powered jeep where Harding sat with Nedry. Both men looked back at Muldoon, as they were waiting for him and Anderson. "He's afraid that he's going away for a long time."

"I know."

"He's hoping for the best but expecting the worst. Since you guys will only be here for less than a day, let him enjoy it. He's been through hell and back. Some of that is his doing, and some of it is Dodgson's doing."

Anderson considered what Muldoon was telling him. "Alright, fair enough. On the way back…"

"I get it and I'm sure he will too. You do what you gotta do then, Detective Anderson. Right now, Dennis just wants to be seen as himself. A sarcastic and brilliant hacker who enjoys candy bars—not as a number or convicted felon who may live in a bloody prison cell for the next three decades of his life because of his past—a past that he truly regrets and has made amends for countless times."

They both silently agreed and started towards the gas-powered jeep, where Harding and Nedry waited for them.

oOo

Wu felt like a decade had passed from the time Grant met him, Hammond, and Malcolm at the helipad, to the moment they arrived in front of the visitor center. The drive usually took fifteen minutes, but it seemed much longer. Wu wondered if it had to do with the fact that he hadn't been present on the island for months. Maybe it was because he felt a mixture of dread and excitement about seeing everyone. His nerves were having a field day and giant moths not dainty butterflies) flapped around in his stomach, trying to escape. He didn't know what to expect and had stayed quiet the entire time while listening to a Hammond and Malcolm update Grant. Now that Grant turned off the gas-powered jeep and Hammond and Malcolm were exiting the vehicle, Wu knew he had to do the same too. He couldn't stay inside there forever. When he got out, the first thing he saw was everyone standing on the visitor center's steps: Donald Gennaro, Ellie Sattler, George Lawala, Ray Arnold, Tim and Lex Murphy.

"Henry?!" Arnold rushed down the stairs and approached Wu, a wide brilliant grin splashed across his face.

Wu saw Malcolm, Hammond, and Grant watching him and Arnold. He thought they were glad to witness Arnold and him reunite—but he couldn't tell because by the time he realized it, Arnold was already in front of him.

"You made it back…I can't believe it…" Arnold stumbled with his words and Wu heard his voice cracking with emotion.

"It's good to be back." Wu didn't know what to say or how to react, so he figured it was best to take his cues from how everyone responded to him.

Arnold's hand reached down to the pocket of his lab-coat, searching for his lighter. "It's been so long." He sighed, relieved to have Wu on the island again. "We gotta catch up when we have a moment."

"We will."

Wu forced himself to smile—Arnold was the person he was most nervous to see. He was inwardly relieved that Arnold was welcoming to him. It could've gone the opposite way, especially given how Wu had tormented Arnold when he had first aligned himself with Dodgson. If Arnold had given him the cold shoulder or even told him off, Wu would've understood and accepted it. He wouldn't have been angry or offended. He just hoped he could still make amends to Arnold—just as he wanted to make amends to Hammond and everyone. Wu still hadn't the faintest idea of how he would do that though.

Gennaro was next as he stood behind Arnold, who stepped aside. "Welcome back, Henry."

"Thank you, Donald."

"Don't thank me. Ray was looking forward to seeing you the most," Gennaro said, turning to Arnold.

"He's right about that," Grant said, nodding in agreement.

Ellie and Lawala joined them. Ellie first went to Malcolm and embraced him. "I'm so glad you're all back."

"Me too, Ellie," Malcolm said, holding her close.

A moment later he released her and watched as Ellie and Wu faced each other. He motioned towards Wu, encouraging Ellie to be welcoming to him. Ellie's eyes darted from Malcolm to Wu, and back to Malcolm again. Wu noticed the exchange but decided not to overthink it. As Ellie cautiously approached Wu, Lawala held out his hand to Wu's who graciously shook it.

"I'm glad you made the right decision to return," Lawala said. "We're thrilled to have you back here with us."

Ellie offered a small smile. "Agreed."

Wu nodded. "Thank you both."

He looked up at the visitor center, noticing Tim and Lex were the last ones standing at the top of the stairs. They stood back, watching everyone. He took a chance and gestured to them to come forward, hoping that they would respond. When they were still hesitating, Hammond beckoned them.

"C'mon Tim…you too, Lex."

They listened to their grandfather. Tim came down first and Lex followed a few seconds later. Both teenagers eyed Wu carefully. It was as though they didn't know what to expect now that Wu had returned. He didn't blame them—the last time they saw him, he was standing with their grandfather's corporate enemy, Lewis Dodgson. No matter how anyone reacted to him—with caution like Tim, Lex, and Ellie—or with excitement like Muldoon, Gennaro and Lawala—Wu told himself to embrace it all. He didn't know if they had forgiven him, and he reminded himself he still had to make amends. At the very least, he was being welcomed back and that was a start. Still, in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder if some of the friendliness was a façade…

Harding arrived in the second gas-powered jeep with Muldoon, Nedry, And Anderson. Wu watched as they all exited the vehicle. Anderson kept looking all around him as he took in the surroundings. It was his first time on Isla Nublar and Wu knew Hammond would want Anderson to take a tour of the park. As though reading his mind, Hammond brought it up.

"We have lots of exciting plans! Detective Anderson will go on the tour so he can see and experience for himself the magic of Jurassic Park. We also have a very special dinner planned for later today. For now, though, who would like to go with Detective Anderson on the tour?"

Wu saw Nedry yawn in an exaggerated manner. It was obvious Nedry was annoyed by Hammond acting as though what happened two days ago—never happened at all. As though Wu and Nedry hadn't been forced to play Russian Roulette with their lives hanging in the balance. Maybe John hasn't processed it yet, or maybe he just wants to move forward for today, and then deal with the Dodgson stuff later, Wu thought.

"We'll go, Grandpa," Tim said. Next to him, Lex nodded eagerly.

Hammond made quick introductions with Tim, Lex, and Anderson. "My grandkids never get tired of going inside the park."

"It's nice to meet both of you," Anderson said. He didn't reveal the sadness he felt at meeting them face-to-face. It wasn't that he was upset to meet them after all this time—it was knowing that Dodgson had devised horrible plans to harm them. He put that in the back of his mind. "Will you both be my tour guides?"

"Yep, two for the price of one," Lex said.

"We'll go on the tour too," Malcolm said, gesturing at himself Ellie and Grant. "After everything, going on the tour is a much-needed respite."

Hammond turned to Arnold. "Ray, you can go inside and initiate the tour program, while Gerry and Robert will put the gas-powered jeeps back in the garage."

Harding and Muldoon left with the gas-powered jeeps and Arnold headed upstairs to enter the visitor center. He turned around and saw Wu was still at the bottom of the stairs.

"Come with me, Henry." Arnold beckoned Wu and Nedry to follow him into the visitor center. "You too, Dennis."

Nedry started up the stairs with Wu, and then turned back to Anderson. "Can I go with them, or do I need your permission? I can say the magic word if you like. Puh-leeze."

Wu caught the hard look that Anderson sent Nedry.

"You can go," Anderson said.

"Thank you."

Anderson shook his head, deciding to ignore Nedry's obnoxious behavior. He knew where it stemmed from, but he wouldn't engage in it. Instead, he turned to Tim and Lex, who struck up an animated conversation with him about all the names they had come up with for the dinosaurs in the park. Grant, Ellie, and Malcolm joined them as they waited for the tour vehicles.

"Donald and I are going to the cafeteria to finalize preparations for tonight," Hammond said. "We'll see you all soon."

Gennaro and Hammond got to the top of the visitor center's steps near the double doors and watched as Tim and Lex joined the first tour vehicle, while Malcolm, Grant, and Ellie, entered the second. As soon as the doors slammed shut and headed towards Jurassic Park's wooden entrance gates, they took it as their cue to go inside the visitor center.

"How's it going with the job interviews?" Hammond asked Gennaro as they headed for the cafeteria.

"We've been able to narrow down the candidates. I think you'll be very pleased with whom we selected."

They continued their conversation as they entered through the cafeteria's double doors.

oOo

Wu joined Arnold and Lawala in the control room. As Arnold typed rapidly on his console at his workstation, He walked around the control room, as though this was his first time inside. Lawala observed him examine everything—the computer consoles and the video screens. Now Wu watched the image on the large screen: the immense wooden entrance gates to Jurassic Park closed behind the two tour vehicles.

"It's been a while since you've been in here," Lawala said. He sat at Muldoon's station.

"That's true," Wu said as he resumed walking around the control room, checking everything out. "I don't remember the last time I was here." He did, but he didn't want to think about it. Last time he was in the control room, he was with Biosyn…

Arnold turned in his swiveling chair so that he was facing Wu. "Don't think about the last time. Try to focus on the here-and-now."

Wu paused in his steps as Arnold turned back to his console. Wu watched as he worked on making sure the tour ran smoothly. It amazed him that Arnold was willing to move forward. He was appreciative at first, but then the thought flashed through his mind for the umpteenth time: I never made amends… He remembered the conversation he had with Nedry about redeeming himself. Probably the best way he could redeem himself was to try and earn back Arnold's trust—but how would he do that?

"Thank you, Ray." He wasn't sure what else to say.

Arnold lit a cigarette and tossed his lighter near the keyboard. "Look…it'll take time, but…" He took a quick drag. "We'll get there. One day at a time. If one day seems like too much, then one moment at a time."

Wu stared at the floor. He didn't think he deserved Arnold's grace, but he appreciated it all the same. He glanced at Nedry's console—or where Nedry used to sit when he was with InGen. It hit him that Nedry hadn't returned yet, and neither had Muldoon. Where were they?

"I'm gonna step out for a moment and check out the second floor."

"Come right back," Arnold said, smiling. "You gotta be here so you can see Detective Anderson's reactions to the dinosaurs that you genetically engineered." He pointed at Wu when he said "you".

Wu chuckled. "Thanks for the shoutout. I'll be right back."

The moment he closed the door behind him, his joyful expression immediately faded. Wu didn't share Arnold's enthusiasm. It would have been great if Anderson enjoyed seeing the dinosaurs in the park, but Wu found himself feeling detached from everyone and everything. Even Arnold's willingness to rebuild what was broken between them…Wu didn't know how to connect with him after all this time. He felt like he was lost in the ocean. Arnold was throwing him a lifeline, and instead of grabbing it, he let it drift away…

The real reason he stepped out was to find Nedry. Moments ago, when Arnold and Lawala had gone inside the control room with Wu, Nedry had taken off to another area of the visitor center. Muldoon left shortly after, to go look for him. At the time, Wu thought nothing of it as he watched Arnold access the control room using his fingerprint and a PIN number. That security system was brand-new. When Wu had asked about it, Arnold explained to him that Nedry installed it after Dodgson's group was kicked off the island. Wu remembered visibly shivering at the mention of that time… He shook his head and forced himself to concentrate and not get lost in his emotions about the past. Arnold was right: be in the here-and-now.

At first, he couldn't find Nedry anywhere, not even near the vending machines. Then Wu had a hunch of where he'd find him. He headed for the cold storage room—the unit where the frozen embryos were contained. He was about ten feet away when he saw them. Nedry was standing outside, staring at the cold storage room while Muldoon stood across from him. Their conversation was hushed, and they didn't notice Wu nearby.

"Sometimes I can't believe I messed up my life over those things." Wu saw Nedry pointing at the cold storage room, referring to the frozen embryos that Dodgson had hired him to steal.

"I know, but you're getting back on track…try to focus on that," Muldoon said.

Wu thought he sounded sincere: Muldoon was truly concerned about Nedry. The strange connection between both men always fascinated him. He wondered if he would ever find out what had changed so drastically between them that they could have a real conversation without their previous hatred overshadowing it.

"That remains to be seen. I still have to go to court and find out my sentence."

"Are you worried?"

"I try not to think about it too much."

"Can I ask you something?"

Wu saw Nedry shrug as though saying "sure". Muldoon took that as his cue to continue.

"Did you really throw that Molotov cocktail at Biosyn's old headquarters?"

Wu thought Muldoon asked the question in a manner that demonstrated he didn't truly believe it. Nedry offered a mischievous grin.

"I guess that answers my question then," Muldoon said quietly. "I don't understand why you would sabotage yourself."

Thank you! Wu wanted to shout. He had been thinking the same exact thing, but then he witnessed the impact that Muldoon's reaction had on Nedry. His grin vanished and he turned away, unable to face Muldoon. Wu hoped Nedry wouldn't expose him, but then threw that thought away—he wasn't ashamed for his part in the Molotov cocktail fiasco, but now it appeared Nedry did feel shame.

"I don't know…for InGen, I guess…"

Nedry fumbled when answering the question, unlike before when he made it clear he wanted to destroy Biosyn—even if it was just an empty building that the lawless company once occupied. Nedry tugged at his jacket, trying to distract himself. Wu thought that was awkward, given how determined Nedry had been. Maybe Anderson confronting him about it and the possible consequences sobered him up.

"You didn't have to do that. Let the courts decide on their punishment."

"Everyone keeps spewing that nonsense."

"Because you're trying to get out of the system—not stay in it longer."

When Nedry spoke again, Wu thought his voice sounded odd like he was trying to keep his emotions at bay. He had heard that same tone when Nedry had shared about Muldoon and Hammond forgiving him.

"Why do you care? This doesn't affect you."

"Because you owe it to yourself to make better choices, so that you can start over again."

Wu heard a reluctant sigh.

"You're still a self-righteous prick, you know that?" Nedry asked, but there was no hint of hatred in his voice.

"With a drinking habit and a touch of self-doubt."

"Glad to know you're human."

"Of course." Muldoon noticed his unease and changed the topic. "John wanted you to come back even it's just for a short time."

"I know but I didn't want to return to the place where I made stupid mistakes and turned my life upside-down—and where I almost killed everyone with my dumb choices."

Muldoon sounded solemn after a lengthy silence. "He wants to celebrate you and Henry, especially after all the bloody nonsense Dodgson put you both through."

A dry laugh escaped from Nedry. "You don't know the half of it."

"I know more than you think."

Wu noticed Nedry turned back around to face Muldoon.

"You know he forced us play Russian Roulette?"

"I do."

Wu heard silence again. Both men were quiet for a full minute, unsure of how to continue. Muldoon glanced at his watch and Nedry took off the fingerless glove he wore on his right hand and then put it back on again.

"There's nothing to celebrate. I'm done with InGen, and I'm done with Biosyn." A dry chuckle escaped from Nedry. "I'm tired of repeating myself. I just want to move on with my life—whether that means life in prison or life outside of it…"

Wu wondered how Muldoon would respond to Nedry's quiet tone. He saw Muldoon fold his arms across his chest, a gesture he had seen Muldoon do countless times when he was frustrated or deep in thought. Wu found himself repeating Nedry's words in his mind: I'm done with InGen, and I'm done with Biosyn. I just want to move on with my life. Wu considered the weight of Nedry's words put into action: maybe he's onto something, he thought. Getting away from both InGen and Biosyn and starting over again might be for the best. He looked up when he heard Muldoon talking about Hammond's idea to have him and Nedry return to Isla Nublar. After hearing Nedry's words, Wu wondered if his time would be short…

"It's more about gathering everyone together, so that we get on the right foot," Muldoon explained. "Start over again."

"That's nice of John." Nedry waited before he spoke again. "Thanks for talking to Anderson earlier."

"You don't have to thank me."

"He's been decent all this time, and then out of nowhere, he wants to parade me around in cuffs."

"I know and I told him I'd keep an eye on you."

Nedry made some weird sound that indicated annoyance. "You don't need to babysit me, Robert."

"It was either I 'babysit' you or the alternative, which we both know you don't want."

"You're right…thank you for giving me my dignity…"

Muldoon and Nedry lowered their voices and Wu couldn't hear the rest of their conversation. Moments later, they left the area and headed back for the control room. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice Wu nearby. Wu waited several minutes until deciding to return to the control room so that he could watch the park tour with the rest of the InGen staff.

oOo

The cafeteria was decorated with white and turquoise pearlized balloons placed on all the tables. Tim and Lex had arranged the tables into a square shape so that everyone was situated in a manner where they could see each other. Ellie had placed potted heliconias as the centerpieces, the flowers were red, yellow, and orange. Wu forced himself to smile when he saw the banner and pointed it out to Nedry. WELCOME BACK, HENRY AND DENNIS! Nedry shrugged, indifferent.

"It doesn't take much to impress you, Henry," he mumbled.

Wu missed his comment.

"You're both the guests of honor, so you sit up front," Arnold said, gesturing to two seats at one table.

Nedry and Wu sat down at the same time.

"It's like we're famous," Wu said, looking around the cafeteria and enjoying the moment. Then he realized the significance of what he had said. "Or like we're royalty." He admitted to himself that his reaction seemed childish, but he couldn't help but feel excited about the efforts put by InGen into accepting him back. He still hoped he would be able to make amends for everyone.

Nedry drummed his fingers on the table. "I don't feel famous or royal."

They watched as everyone sat down. Grant, Ellie, Malcolm, Tim, and Lex sat at the table directly across from them. Gennaro and Detective Anderson sat at the left table. Hammond was with them too, and he was searching for something in his pocket. Lawala, Harding, Arnold, and Muldoon sat at the table on their right side. Hammond went over to where they sat.

"I've asked the chefs to prepare a very special banquet to celebrate you both—rodizio style," Hammond said, standing between Wu and Nedry. He pulled out a folded paper and opened it up. "Fire roasted meats including filet mignon wrapped in bacon, sirloin steak, grilled lemon garlic chicken, picanha—that means rump cover in Portuguese." He scanned the rest of the paper while Nedry and Wu listened politely. "Ah, we also have beef short ribs, lamb, pork sausage, lamb chops, grilled pineapple and banana—my favorite Chilean sea bass. All very delicious! Spared no expense!"

"This really isn't necessary," Wu said, protesting.

"It absolutely is! I'm beyond thrilled that you both made it out of there alive—that you're here with InGen. The servers will bring out the meat on skewers right to your table and slice it fresh from the grill." Hammond pointed to Tim and Lex who talked excitedly with Malcolm, as though making up for lost time. "The kids made the green and red coasters you see on all the tables. They had fun with the glitter," he chuckled, pointing out some of the sparkling red and green glitter sprinkled the table. "There's one for everybody, so that you can go at your pace."

"How does it work?" Wu had been to a Brazilian steakhouse before, a churrascaria. For Hammond's sake, because he could sense his excitement, Wu let him explain how it worked.

"You turn the coaster on the green side and the servers will keep offering you a variety of rotisserie-grilled meats." Hammond turned the coaster onto the green side. It said YES PLEASE in capital letters. "Think of it like green is for 'go' and red is for 'stop'." He flipped it to the red side, which had another message: NO THANKS. "When you've had your share or when you're full and want the servers to stop coming to you, you put it on the red side."

"Sounds good, thanks John." Nedry forced himself to be polite.

Hammond looked at Nedry and Wu, his expression was thoughtful. It was hard to read what either man was thinking and feeling. He hoped this gesture was meaningful to them.

"You both have been through the wringer; I'm hoping you'll enjoy yourselves."

"We will," Wu said and Nedry nodded.

Hammond hurried to his table as the servers had begun coming out and placing sides on the table: fried plantains, French fries, and mashed potatoes. A salad bar had also been set up at the opposite end of the cafeteria. Two servers came out and started filling the wine glasses, while two more servers came out with bacon-wrapped filet mignon and grilled lemon garlic chicken.

Wu ate heartily and took a sample from every meat offered, while Nedry barely touched his food. He sliced this bacon-wrapped filet mignon and then put down his fork and knife. As Wu helped himself to fried plantains, Nedry reached out and turned over his green coaster showing the red side.

"You alright?" Wu asked.

"Yeah, I am, why?"

"You're not eating your food."

Nedry stabbed his fork into the sliced bacon-wrapped filet mignon and shoved it in his mouth. When he finished chewing and swallowing, he turned to Wu. "There, happy now?"

"I thought you would be."

"I am, we don't get filet mignon in the slammer—especially not wrapped in bacon. Better enjoy it while I can, right?"

Wu dropped his fork on his plate. He had lost his appetite as Nedry's cold attitude was grating his nerves. He didn't know where it was coming from.

"You've been upset this whole time," Wu leaned over, whispering furiously. "What are you angry about?"

"What are we celebrating? What's the point of all this?"

Wu was tempted to tell him that Muldoon had explained Hammond's intentions about having them here—but he didn't want Nedry to know he had eavesdropped on their conversation. Right then, Hammond stood up to speak. Everyone quieted down as they focused on Hammond now.

"I want to thank all of you for being here. Thank you, Detective Anderson, for all your efforts in helping us. Thank you, Dennis, for the sacrifices you made to get Henry back to us…"

"You mean for being a sacrificial lamb," Nedry muttered under his breath.

Wu's head jerked in his direction. The constant gnawing of guilt would never leave him and Nedry's underhanded comment didn't help. "I'm sorry—I should've tried to leave Dodgson on my own."

Wu moved over to the end of the table. Hopefully no one noticed and remained focused on Hammond. He scanned everyone sitting at the tables. The only ones who seemed to realize that Wu had put space between himself and Nedry were Arnold and Muldoon who sent him a questioning glance. Malcolm noticed too as he stared in their direction—but Malcolm always noticed everything. It was impossible to hide anything from him and he had no qualms about making sharp observations, regardless of anyone's feelings. For a moment, Wu worried that Malcolm would bring attention to what he had done, but it never happened. He simply watched and let Hammond speak to the group. Wu then realized Malcolm didn't want to take away from Hammond's joy. He knew when to speak up and when to fall back.

Everyone else was riveted by Hammond's short speech.

Hammond didn't notice the side-conversation between Nedry and Wu.

"Henry has returned to our InGen family thanks to Dennis, which was an amazing and courageous feat," Hammond said as he gestured to both Wu and Nedry. "In the past, they were an integral part of our staff. Today, they're still essential in ensuring Jurassic Park's success."

Wu glanced at Nedry and noticed his right fist was clenched under the table.

"I wanted to have this dinner celebration to set the tone as we move forward together. There's been a lot of brokenness here for a long time. Today, I want us all to start off on the right foot. We can heal together. I want us to be a community, a family. Families go through ups and downs together, and hopefully, they come out stronger, more unified, and better than before. That's my vision for InGen."

Wu saw Grant, Ellie, and Malcolm murmur in agreement. Everyone else seemed to silently agree with Hammond's informal proposal of uniting InGen. Then Hammond went in a direction that Wu didn't expect.

"Thank you all for being here. At this time, I'd like to make a toast to two brilliant men who stumbled but found their way back." Hammond lifted his glass. "To Henry and Dennis."

Wu watched as everyone—including Tim and Lex—lifted their glasses. Malcolm and Grant leaned over to Ellie, who sat between them with her arms folded across her chest, as they lifted their glasses in unison. Afterwards, she lifted her glass. Arnold was mouthing a message, but Wu couldn't decipher what it was. Harding seemed slow to lift his glass while Muldoon urged him to do so. Gennaro and Anderson lifted their glasses with no hesitation, toasting to him and Nedry. Lawala pointed at Wu. "Congratulations, you deserve it," he mouthed.

Wu severely disagreed—but he couldn't say so. He didn't deserve any accolades—not after betraying Hammond for Dodgson, and certainly not after the horrible way he bullied everyone during Biosyn's reign. Although Hammond's toasting to him was a kind gesture, Wu felt uncomfortable with everything. He knew he should appreciate it, but the truth was he didn't want Hammond to toast to him. He hadn't done anything to earn that.

He wondered what Nedry thought of everything. Wu looked in his direction and saw Nedry tapping his foot, impatient and more irritated than before. It was like he couldn't wait to leave the cafeteria, the visitor center…and now Wu understood that Nedry was eager to leave the island. He remembered the conversation he had overheard with Nedry and Muldoon. Being here was only delaying the inevitable and after finding out that their Molotov cocktail stunt didn't go unnoticed, Nedry knew he had increased the risks of being sentenced to more prison time.

Wu was so distracted by his thoughts that he didn't see when everyone drank. He only realized the change as everyone went back to eating. The servers were still coming out and the conversation swelled in the cafeteria. Wu almost smiled—it felt like old times. He also noticed Nedry had moved closer to him and brought along the plate of food—because he wanted to tell Wu something important.

"I'm pissed off…" Nedry whispered as he glanced at the set-up of everyone sitting together.

"Why?" Wu whispered back.

Nedry's eyes darted around the cafeteria, watching for anyone who he thought might be watching him. "Because when I was trapped in that freezing basement, it felt like I could be easily thrown away…and that the only thing that mattered was getting you back to InGen by any means necessary." He started slicing the untouched grilled lemon garlic chicken.

"Do you really think no one cared?"

Nedry didn't look up when he heard Wu's question. "I don't know…I had all sorts of thoughts racing in my mind when I called for Detective Anderson to get us out of there and no one responded as fast as I hoped they would. Like why would anyone care about what happens to us? We've betrayed and hurt others, Henry. It's only a matter of time before we get our just deserts…or maybe we already have."

Wu wanted to counter what Nedry said by telling him he had overheard his conversation with Muldoon earlier—but again, it would reveal that he had eavesdropped. Muldoon and Hammond cared…Arnold wanted to be part of the healing process… Wu realized that he and Nedry weren't being cast out from InGen. Maybe Nedry had a hard time accepting why anyone would want him around, and on that note, Wu understood because he felt the same way. Their dark pasts hung over them like a black thundercloud ever since that time in the interrogation room during their detainment.

Nedry seemed oblivious to Wu's silence. He forced himself to take a bite of the lemon garlic chicken. It was delicious but he couldn't enjoy the rich flavor. There were too many recent memories of horrific violence that were getting in the way of everything—he wanted to share that with Wu, but he didn't know how to. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Dodgson standing over him with the scalpel. Other times, Lopez, Sonya, and Tembo flashed before his eyes as he remembered them taking bets on his and Wu's lives. Nedry dropped his fork on his plate and covered his eyes with his hand.

"Are you alright?" Wu asked.

Nedry pushed the plate of food away. "I can't eat. There's too much stuff in my head."

Wu's eyebrows rose—he had a sudden realization of what Nedry referred to. "I get it…I see it all happening again too." When Nedry didn't respond, he went in a different direction. "I know you risked it all. Everyone does."

Nedry uncovered his eyes as he faced Wu. "They know, but they don't understand, Henry. And I have no right to be angry."

"Of course, you do."

"No, I don't. I threw everyone's lives to the wind every time I turned off the park's security systems. All to make cold cash. I was beyond selfish…" His voice trailed off. "Having a pity party for myself when I almost got everyone killed is ridiculous. I'm the reason my life got screwed up."

"You were selfish back then, but that's not who you are anymore."

Wu noticed Nedry looked more sad than angry now. His shoulders were slouched, and his eyes stared straight ahead, unfocused. Wu thought Nedry looked how he truly felt inside—numb, lonely, and even depressed. Wu tried to hide all those uncomfortable feelings behind an appreciative smile and pleasant façade.

"I'll never forget what you did for me, Dennis."

"I appreciate that, but none of it will change where I may end up."

"Then let's be in the here-and-now. Since we know tomorrow isn't guaranteed." Wu paused as he thought about what else he could tell Nedry to help him get through. It hit him in a rush, and he felt like those cartoons where a lightbulb flashes above the character's head when an outstanding idea reveals itself. "Do what you told me to do: forgive yourself—or try to."

Nedry nodded as he placed his eating utensils on his plate.

Wu scanned the cafeteria. Everyone was enjoying the lavish banquet that Hammond had thrown for them. He met Arnold's eyes. Meet us in the staff lodge in an hour, Arnold mouthed, recreation room. Arnold was pointing at him and Nedry. Wu nodded; uncertain what Arnold had planned. He turned back to Nedry who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but there.

"Let's go to the staff lodge in a little while."

"Why? Do we have to?"

"Ray told us to, so let's go when everything's over. No ifs, ands, or buts."

Nedry rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Fine, Dad."

oOo

An hour later, Nedry and Wu stood in front of the new enclosure, watching the new species amble around in her home: Crichton's ankylosaur. The ankylosaur had adjusted to her living environment as she ambled around calmly, stopping every now and then to eat the greenery in the paddock. She seemed oblivious to her spectators who hung around on the other side of the fence.

"She looks exactly like I imagined her," Wu said, amazed. His eyes were glued to the ankylosaur.

"How'd you picture her?" Nedry asked.

"The spikes, armored plates…even the club at the end of the tail." Wu pointed.

"You're great at cloning lizards, Henry. I don't know the first thing about that."

Tim and Lex were walking nearby and joined them.

"Bumpy is doing really good, Dr. Wu," Tim said. "She's getting bigger every day!"

"'Bumpy'?" Wu's eyebrows furrowed together. That was…an interesting name for the ankylosaur.

"That's the name I picked 'cause of the bumps!"

"It's self-explanatory," Lex added.

Nedry chuckled. "Straight to the point. A bumpy lizard. Good job, guys."

"Thanks, Mr. Nedry!" Tim smiled.

Tim and Lex left shortly after, leaving Wu and Nedry still standing outside by the paddock.

"You know we found out this was your secret 16th species by accident. Dr. Grant told all of us to come to the hatchery, Dr. Sattler couldn't figure out which lizard it was, and then we realized this was your secret project. Crichton…I forget the exact name." As an afterthought, Nedry added, "It was the same day I left the island."

"Really? John and I purposely chose to clone Crichton's ankylosaur—because Michael Crichton wrote a novel that popularized paleontology."

"Oh, him…" Nedry sounded unimpressed.

"What is it?" Wu asked.

"Not a fan of this Mike Crichton guy. He writes gross things like disembowelment."

Wu turned to Nedry with a puzzled expression on his face. Then he busted out laughing.

"I don't know why you find it funny." Nedry was deathly serious, which only made Wu laugh harder. "He wrote nasty stuff like folks getting eaten alive. Gross as hell."

For Wu, this was one of the few moments he felt genuinely happy since returning to Isla Nublar. It was a moment where his joy wasn't a pretense, but a deep feeling he felt radiating inside him. He was amazed to see the outcome of Project 16/Operation 16 as a wonderful success! Even Nedry, who didn't care for the "lizards" was impressed to see how much the ankylosaur had grown since the time she had first hatched.

"Let's head to the staff lodge," Nedry said. "They told us to come within an hour, so we'll be fashionably late."

Wu agreed and they headed over to the staff lodge. It didn't take them long to get there. Wu went inside the building first and Nedry followed him inside.

"What do you think they have planned?" Wu asked as they walked down the hallway on the first floor.

"I have no idea, I just wanna sleep." Nedry yawned. "Anderson told me I have to be up early tomorrow."

They reached the recreation room. Wu was about to ask Nedry what time he had to wake up when the door was thrown open from the other side. Arnold, Muldoon, and Harding stood in the doorway.

"Welcome to the after-party!" Arnold said, shoving a noisemaker in Wu's hands.

Wu glanced at the purple handclapper just as Muldoon tossed a turquoise one at Nedry.

"Catch!"

Wu and Nedry walked into the recreation room just as Arnold closed the door behind them. It was decorated like the cafeteria with a welcome banner bearing their first names. The only difference was the line of whiskey, liquor, tequila, and vodka bottles on the table in place of celebratory balloons and blooming flowers. A row of five shot glasses with the Jurassic Park logo were at the end of the table. Wu gestured at the drinks, confused about what was going on.

"What's all this?"

"We're having us an after-party," Muldoon said. "InGen staff only." He pointed at the drinks. "Help yourselves and make sure to have seconds, thirds, and fourths. Maybe fifths." He went over and opened all the bottles one by one. "You can drink it straight from the bottle or we can get you a bloody flute glass if you wanna be all fancy."

"That didn't take long," Nedry said, leaning over to whisper to Wu. "Listen to him—he's drunk already."

Wu bit down on his lip, trying to keep himself from laughing aloud.

Muldoon whipped around, holding up his pointer finger. "I heard that!"

"I'm glad you did," Nedry snapped.

Meanwhile, Harding placed three buckets of ice cream on the table—Rocky Road, butter pecan, and pistachio. A can of whipped cream and a bowl of red cherries were at the opposite end.

"Let's make root beer floats, but with whiskey," Muldoon said waving around a bottle he had just opened. "Gonna taste good. C'mon, don't be scared. Whiskey doesn't bite and neither does liquor." He grabbed Wu's arm and pulled him forward. "Drink up, Henry!"

"You heard the man," Arnold said, grinning. "Drink up!"

Wu glanced over his shoulder at Nedry who remained standing near the doorway, while Muldoon shoved a tall drinking glass in his hand. Before he could protest, Harding was in front of him with the ice cream scooper.

"Which one, Henry?" Harding asked, pointing at the three opened ice cream buckets. "We have butter pecan, pistachio, and Rocky Road."

"Uh—"

"All of the above! This is Robert's version of root beer floats." Arnold shouted across the room where he turned on the television to a music station blaring 80s music. "Remember we used to blast this in the control room?"

"Yep." Nedry leaned against the wall, shaking the turquoise hand clapper so that it made a loud clacking noise. That was his level of participation.

"All of the above it is," Harding said and before Wu could protest, he received a scoop of each ice cream flavor in his drinking glass, stacked on each other.

"Now comes the drink—which one?" Muldoon asked. "I'm partial to whiskey, but you gotta do what you like."

"Give me all of it," Wu said, busting out laughing. He couldn't contain himself anymore, even if he tried.

Before he realized what he had said, Muldoon poured some liquor into the tall glass that Wu held. Next was the tequila, and then the vodka. Whiskey came last.

"Last comes best," Muldoon said, pouring in the whiskey.

Wu was about to correct him. Did he mean to say, "best comes last"? Before he could speak up, Muldoon handed him a long spoon.

"There, now shake it all around, spin it right round, and drink every last drop!" Muldoon paused as though he were forgetting something. "Whip cream." He flung the top off and it hit the wall near Nedry who ducked to avoid being hit. He sprayed the whip cream on top and then snatched a red cherry and daintily placed it on top. "There you go, now you can have your JP root beer float."

"You're crazy…" Wu said, holding the glass away from him, puzzled at the concoction that Muldoon had devised.

Arnold lit a cigarette and came over to where Wu was staring at the drink like it was poisonous. "We've been drinking these mixers that Robert invented when everyone's asleep."

"When do you sleep?" Wu asked.

"We're in Jurassic Park, Henry," Arnold said, taking a drag on his cigarette. "When do we ever sleep?"

"The lizards sleep more," Nedry said, picking up the whip cream cap. He stormed over, slamming the cap down on the table. "Ask Gerry, he knows what I'm talking about." He went back to standing against the wall, isolating himself from everyone.

"He's right, the 'lizards' have a more stable sleeping schedule than us." Arnold said, noticing that Wu still hadn't drunk his concoction. "You better drink up before Robert makes another one."

"Nope, I'm making one for Dennis," Muldoon said, standing over the table, gripping a tall drinking glass.

"I'm not thirsty." Nedry called out.

"Yes, you are. Stop bloody arguing."

"Fine. Just give me Rocky Road with liquor." Nedry finally joined everyone. "I'll do it myself; you'll mess it up, Robert."

Muldoon handed him the tall drinking glass. He lost his grip and the glass shattered to the floor. "Oops! John will spare expense!"

Arnold's head whipped around when he heard the glass shatter and Harding looked over in their direction. Nedry went to find a dustpan and sweeper in the rec room's closet. Wu shook his head, not surprised at the antics he was witnessing and experiencing. It reminded him of the park construction days when the staff would retreat to the lodge and get out all their stress by drinking, smoking, eating, behaving wildly… He admitted that he was enjoying himself—he missed the spirit of friendship amongst the InGen staff.

"Don't worry 'bout it, we'll just sweep it under the rug," Muldoon said, pointing at the carpet when Nedry returned with the dustpan and sweeper. He grabbed another tall glass. "Take this one, and don't drop it."

"That dropping was all you."

"Hammond said you got bloody fingers." Muldoon speech was slurred.

"No, he said butterfingers." Nedry corrected him.

"Same damn thing."

Nedry and Muldoon exchanged the items, making sure not to drop them. As Muldoon swept up the broken glass, Nedry went over to Harding who gave him a scoop of Rocky Road and then poured liquor, filling the cup halfway.

Wu drank half of the "JP root beer float" that was an interesting elixir of various alcoholic drinks along with all the ice cream flavors mashed in. His face twisted into a grimace of curiosity and confusion.

"What the hell did I just drink?"

Arnold shrugged as he reached for the ashtray on the table and tapped ash into it. "I have no idea. As long as you wake up tomorrow morning, you'll be fine."

"That's the litmus test," Harding added.

With that, everyone—even Nedry—busted out laughing.

oOo

"This is our staff lodge." Hammond said as he entered the building with Lawala and Anderson. "Everyone has their own living quarters akin to a luxury hotel suite, complete with a bedroom, private bathroom, and a kitchenette. We also have housekeeping services. My staff has enough on their hands with running the park, so I pay housekeeping staff to maintain their living quarters."

Anderson took in the spacious staff lodge. He felt like he had walked into the lobby of a five-star hotel. The lighting fixtures, the furniture, the welcoming aura—Anderson thought it would be wonderful to return to a place like this after his work was complete for the day. He noticed InGen's colors, turquoise and white, made up the patterns on the walls. Hammond truly spared no expense to ensure his staff had the best and most comfortable living arrangements, especially since they worked on the island during the year.

Leaning on his cane for support, Hammond guided them around the first floor of the staff lodge. They stopped outside the recreation room. All three men watched what was going on inside. Muldoon was pouring drinks into tall glasses, while Harding scooped ice cream. Arnold and Wu were laughing together. Nedry was off to the side, watching everyone and holding a tall glass filled to the brim with alcohol and chocolate ice cream. Hammond couldn't tell from where he stood what type of alcohol or ice cream was in Nedry's glass. In the past, he would've stormed inside and stopped the staff from doing whatever they were doing. Things were different now and Hammond smiled warmly. He was glad to see them spending time together, laughing, drinking—they needed to relax after everything they had been through.

"They're my Magical Five," Hammond said proudly as he watched them.

""Magical Five"?" Anderson asked.

Hammond nodded. "Yes, these were the five major players in designing the park. It's not an exaggeration when I tell you that they made my dream come true—they turned it into an amazing reality."

Anderson noticed how Hammond's voice softened. Even the way he watched his staff, there was no question how much he valued all of them.

"You know about Henry being the chief geneticist and Miracle Worker of Jurassic Park. Dennis is the genius who designed all the park systems from the ground-up." He gestured to everyone else in the recreation room. Nobody inside noticed him, Anderson or Lawala standing outside. "Ray is an experienced engineer with an impressive resume, he helped with the creation of Disney World. Gerry was a veterinarian at San Diego Zoo, specializing in avian care, and Robert worked on my preserve in Kenya; he's knowledgeable about wildlife and zoos."

Anderson's eyebrows rose in amazement. Until now, he didn't know the full credentials of Hammond's employees. "You hired the best of the best."

"That's right. All five of them are the top minds in their field. The crème de la crème. Speaking of which," Hammond said, gesturing to Lawala. "You're part of that special group now, George. Why don't you join them?"

Lawala shook his head, smiling. "I will next time. Right now, they need to have this time for themselves."

Hammond patted his shoulder in understanding. "I'm sure they will be glad to have you."

"They are, it's been a great experience so far."

"I'm glad to hear that." Hammond turned so that they could continue the brief tour of the staff lodge. "So, we'll finish up shortly and I'll show you your room, Mr. Anderson."

"Sounds good," Anderson said.

They continued down the hall.

oOo

"Drumroll please!" Arnold announced as he lowered the music that had been on full blast.

He stood at the center of the recreation room, trying to maintain his balance. Muldoon's version of root beer floats had finally hit him, and he wasn't the least bit unhappy about that. This was the first time since forever that he was free of the anxiety that always plagued him. Wu, Nedry, Muldoon, and Harding sat crowded together on the sofa in front of him. During the past half hour, the group had shared drinks, jokes, ice cream—they had let their guard down in a manner that he hadn't seen since before the park inspection. When Arnold thought about it more, he realized he was wrong. This was the first time where everyone was truly on the same page together. Wu appeared to enjoy himself, Muldoon had fun drinking, Harding hung back but still involved himself, and Nedry was finally laughing. Arnold wished he could capture the moment because of how rare it was for the entire staff to relax in the same room together without any stress about running the park (and eventually opening it to the world), arguing about computer bugs, and debating which dinosaurs needed to go back to being extinct.

"Gerry, are we ready?" Arnold asked.

"Yeah, we are," Harding said. Several wrapped gifts were situated on the floor near him. "Who's doing the drumroll?"

"Bloody hell, I said I would do it!" Muldoon called out, hitting his thighs in a clumsy manner.

"The whiskey is strong with this one," Nedry said, pointing at Muldoon.

Wu sat quietly on the sofa, restraining his amusement with a tight smile.

"We got gifts for you guys," Arnold said, pointing at four wrapped items at Harding's feet. Naturally, the wrapping paper was white and turquoise. "Who wants to go first?"

"Let's start with Dennis," Muldoon said. "'Cause he's so damn excited!"

"Oh joy," Nedry said as he watched Arnold take a gift from Harding. Arnold brought it over to him to unwrap. "Can I put it under the Christmas tree?"

"Open it now, damn it!" Muldoon's words were still slurred.

"Go sleep off your drunkenness, Robert. You're a hot mess when you're intoxicated." Nedry accepted the first gift from Arnold, who then went back to get the second one from Harding. "Let's see what we have here." He unwrapped the large rectangular gift, tossing the paper to the ground. He gasped in surprise when he saw the familiar dark brown wrapper. "Wow, you all know me really well."

He held up the five-pound Hershey bar while everyone applauded in unison.

"You're gonna make me put back the pounds I worked hard to lose! I gotta watch my figure," Nedry joked. "I'll freeze it and take a daily bite. Make it last a lifetime."

Arnold handed him the second gift. Nedry ripped off the wrapping paper, and this time, his reaction was more serious. He stared at it in silence as he took in the significance of what they had given him. In his hands was an award plaque with his name and a message engraved. It was eight by ten inches, the material was rosewood piano finish, with the engraved message on a white aluminum plate.

"Read it aloud so we can all read!" Muldoon said, pointing at it.

"You make no sense," Nedry couldn't help but chuckle. "Dennis Nedry: World's Most Badass and Bravest Hacker." A slight smile flashed across his face, but even with the subtle jovial expression, it was obvious that he was touched. "Thank you, this is really nice and thoughtful. There's just one thing."

Harding turned in his direction. He had picked up two more gifts for Wu.

"What's that?" Arnold asked. He quickly lit a new cigarette.

Nedry hesitated before he spoke. "I won't be able to take any of this with me when I leave tomorrow. Can you hold onto it for now and I'll get it another time? I don't want to take it with me, and it gets lost…or confiscated by…well, you know?"

Arnold's eyebrows furrowed in confusion when it suddenly hit him that Nedry wasn't staying long on Isla Nublar. He remembered Muldoon mentioning to him when they prepared for the after-party that Nedry would leave with Anderson the following day. The possibility of him being remanded back to prison was certain and if he took the items with him, he could get in trouble. Even the plaque award might be considered contraband since it could be fashioned into a weapon. Arnold realized Nedry was embarrassed to admit that aloud in front of everyone.

"Of course." He took the five-pound Hershey bar and the award plaque from Nedry and placed them on the table near the drinks and ice cream. "We'll hold onto it until next time."

Inwardly, Arnold wondered when "next time" would be.

"Make sure that none of Robert's drinks get on it. I don't want chocolate that tastes like whiskey and a plaque that smells like liquor."

"I promise. That means stay away, Robert," Arnold said, wagging his finger as though scolding him.

Muldoon found this hilarious. Arnold admitted that it was great hearing him laugh since Muldoon was so serious, that even getting him to smile was almost impossible. He picked up the first gift from Harding and handed it to Wu.

"Here you go, Henry," Arnold said. "Let us know what you think."

Wu tore off the wrapping paper. When he finished, he held up his gift to the light—a large amber deposit that was goldish-yellow and amorphic.

"This will make a beautiful paperweight," Wu said, and was shocked to find everyone laughing—including Nedry who had been closed off. It was only in the past hour that he finally allowed himself to have fun. Wu was glad to see Nedry in a lighter mood. "Either that, or I can put it on display in my office."

"Last one," Harding said, passing it to Wu.

Wu removed the wrapping paper and his heart lodged in his throat. The award plaque was clear acrylic with a blue base. He read the engraved message in a hushed voice.

"Henry Wu: A Trailblazer in the Field of Genetics. The Miracle Worker of Jurassic Park."

He looked up and met Nedry's curious stare. He could tell Nedry wanted to know what he thought about everything. Both men were appreciative…but also questioned everything.

"Thank you." Wu wanted to say more, but he was unsure of himself.

"Don't thank us," Arnold said.

"There's an elephant in the room…" Wu's voice still subdued, and his eyes focused on the carpet. He couldn't look anyone in the eye. "What are we celebrating? We're both traitors…" He motioned at himself and Nedry.

The semi-happy expression Nedry had shown when he saw his award plaque had now evaporated.

No one spoke until Arnold broke the tense silence.

"We're celebrating that you're both alive just as John did earlier with everyone present." He put out his cigarette in the ashtray he carried with him. "We know you both have been through hell."

"That's an understatement," Nedry mumbled.

"It is. We know what happened when you both were with Dodgson—we heard some of it from Robert."

Arnold looked at Muldoon, who nodded in a serious manner that was akin to his usual stoic demeanor and gave no hint of his previous drunken state. He pulled out a chair from near the table and sat down in front of the couch across from everyone. Seeing everyone together was important to him. It took Arnold back to all those years ago during the park's construction when they would play ping-pong to release their frustration, get drunk to relieve stress, and watch the international news channel to see what was going on in the States.

"Even though it was hurtful and difficult for us to understand, we know why you both chose to go in that direction—but the most important thing is you're here now." Arnold pointed at the ground to signify Isla Nublar. "You made the right choice in the end—you chose InGen."

"Right," Muldoon added. "That's what's most important, and what we're celebrating."

"We don't know what the future holds, but we'll go through the process of starting over, rebuilding trust…"

"We're glad you made it out of there. It wasn't easy listening to everything the entire time and being unable to get involved." Muldoon sounded like himself again, dour and stern.

Wu gave a slight nod, when he remembered that Nedry had told him how Muldoon, Malcolm, Hammond, and Anderson had been listening to all their conversations the entire time. Although he was comforted by Arnold's and Muldoon's words, he noticed that Harding remained quiet. When he looked in Harding's direction, he saw that he appeared expressionless. It seemed Harding was deliberately not revealing any emotions. Wu didn't know what to make of that, but he decided to push it to the back of his mind. Hopefully, he was overthinking it.

Muldoon bolted off the couch and grabbed the liquor bottle on the table. "You both are here now and that's all we bloody care about." He poured liquor into each shot glass that had the Jurassic Park logo. "Can't go backwards. Move forward—and let's have shots! Bottoms up!"

Arnold eagerly joined him. Harding followed, his gait calmer. Nedry and Wu slowly approached the table. They stood in a circle and every man took a shot glass and lifted it in the air for a toast.

"To Henry, for being brave enough to return," Arnold said, looking at Wu who stood on his right side. Then he turned to Nedry on his left side. "For Dennis, your future is uncertain, but you helped get Henry back."

"Thanks a million, Ray."

Everyone cracked up at Nedry's sarcasm and drank their shots.

oOo

The newly built fire pit was at the back of the staff lodge near the swimming pool. Adirondack chairs were set up in a circle around the pit. Wu watched as the reddish-orange flames whipped around. Before retreating to the back of the staff lodge, the "Magical Five" had taken a group photo together—this time everyone was smiling, unlike the old photo that Arnold, Wu, and Hammond had where Nedry looked bored. Harding had retired a half hour ago to his living quarters, with Muldoon following shortly after as he was exhausted. Before he left, he reminded Nedry about meeting with Anderson in the morning and to put his "best foot forward". Nedry gave a curt nod, knowing exactly what Muldoon referred to. Arnold was the last to leave and bid them a restful night of sleep. Now it was just Nedry and Wu who sat across from each other, watching the fire flickering and crackling.

"Since when do you smoke?" Wu asked.

Nedry threw him a scathing glance. "Since five minutes ago when I asked Ray to light one up for me before he left."

Wu shook his head, not surprised by Nedry's flippant reply. "May if I join you?"

"You don't have to ask."

Wu got up and sat down next to him. There was an awkward silence as they sat with neither one speaking. The night sky hung over them, littered with a multitude of stars. The day had been hot and humid and now it was cooler and more bearable.

"What's it like in there?"

"Huh?" Nedry didn't think he heard Wu right.

"In there? You know…"

"You mean prison?"

Wu stared up at the night sky. He thought he saw a shooting star.

"The first thing you need to know is that it's not like those T.V. shows. There are documentaries that show the real thing. Real inmates. Then there are shows for entertainment where a person is pretending to be an inmate so they can get info for the sheriff, warden, whoever."

"There's T.V. shows like that?"

"Yeah, and you get pulled out if you can't deal with incarceration. The participants are in county jail though—not prison."

"What's the difference?" Wu was confused—he always thought jail and prison were the same thing.

"Jail is when you're awaiting trial, or you've been convicted and haven't been sent to prison yet. Folks serving time for misdemeanors and less than a year are in the county jail. Prison is where you go when you are serving years of time—that's 'hard time'."

"Oh." Wu decided neither one sounded like a place he wanted to be at. "Jail is short-term, and prison is long-term."

"Right. On these shows, the participants can tap their right shoulder to notify the staff." Nedry mockingly tapped his right shoulder. "Or they can say things like 'I miss my morning coffee' and get pulled out for an interview by the producers. Those shows claim to be 'the real thing', but no inmate gets to go home just because they can't handle being locked up."

Wu waited to hear more. He was going to ask when Nedry continued.

"Everything is dirty and smelly. No privacy. You're completely powerless. It's demeaning and humiliating. Every decision is made for you, down to what you wear, what you eat, where you go, when you sleep, when you wake up. No control whatsoever."

Wu was quiet as he listened. He noticed Nedry putting out his cigarette in the ashtray Arnold had lent him.

"Some COs are decent. Others are worse than the inmates. I saw one CO tase an inmate who was cuffed and shackled—and all because the guy wanted to pee without the chains on." Nedry stopped when he heard Wu curse under his breath. "Trust me, you see things in there that you can never unsee…and you hear things you can't unhear… As for inmates—they can make anything into a shank. Whatever can be crafted to cut you open, they'll make it and use it on you if you're not careful." He rolled up his left sleeve showing Wu a long scar that Muldoon had seen before. The scar started at his wrist and stretched past his elbow. "That's how I got this."

Wu shivered at the sight of the hideous scar. He was about to ask about the story behind that scar—and then decided not to. It was better not to know…

"You're just a number in there. It's boring as hell, the same routine day after day. Silence is rare. There's always yelling, shouting, whistling, the COs radioing for someone. You can't show any sign of weakness, or you'll be a target for bullying inmates. You think cuffs are bad, try walking in shackles. Solitary confinement is horrible and it's easy to lose your mind in there. I got through it by exercising and talking to myself. You can get a work assignment for twenty cents an hour. If you're lucky, fifty cents an hour, but that's rare. It's terrifying. Hearing the steel doors slam—that sound will stay with you forever when you hear it enough times. You feel like nobody cares about you—because no one does. You have to constantly be alert for any threats…If you go, then keep your head down and do your time. Participate in work programs to make the time go faster. Don't be a stubborn jerk like me. The first time around, I made it worse for myself with all my carrying on. Arguing with COs, fighting with inmates…" Nedry shook his head. "I was stupid back then. Why do you ask, Henry?"

Nedry turned to him now. Wu felt his cold stare; it was obvious that Nedry was questioning his motives for asking him about prison, especially given how many times Wu had thrown it back in his face. Without thinking, he mumbled a response.

"I defended you when you were first sentenced. Then I was angry at you for—"

"That doesn't answer my question. Why are you asking?"

Wu shrugged. "I don't know…"

"You're afraid that you're gonna get locked up for all the—" Nedry paused for a moment, "the word John used for me is 'shenanigans'—the shenanigans you did while with Dodgson."

Wu focused on the palm trees rustling as the night air blew around them. He didn't want to answer Nedry's question, and now, he wished he hadn't asked about prison life at all. At the same time, he wanted to prepare himself in case he was brought up on charges. Then he realized that nothing Nedry told him would prepare him.

"Yeah, I wanted to know in case…."

"That's not gonna happen. If you testify against everyone from Biosyn, the prosecution will grant you immunity. Once all those lousy jerks are put away, you'll come back here to Jurassic Park. You'll put all this Biosyn nonsense behind you and become famous—even more famous than me."

"I don't think I'll be able to do that."

"Why?"

"I can't."

"Of course you can."

Wu shook his head. "I can't—and you're not famous, Dennis. You're infamous." He stood up.

Nedry looked up at him, noticing the sadness painted in Wu's empty stare. "You finally got it right." There was no glee in his statement.

Although Wu was downcast, he managed to focus on Nedry. "What do you think will happen at your next court date?"

"Maybe I'll find out if my sentence will be commuted. That's what I'm hoping for, especially after dealing with all that craziness last week."

Nedry didn't want to reveal the fear that gave him constant palpitations: being locked up for the next three decades of his life. To avoid experiencing the anxiety about it, he turned the conversation back to Wu.

"Why are you so down? You're back now and have lots to look forward to."

Wu approached the door, turning his back on Nedry. "I can't stay here, not after everything."

A long uncomfortable silence passed between them. With a sigh, Wu turned the knob and then heard Nedry reach out to him one last time.

"This is good-bye for now, Henry. Try to be positive about your situation."

Wu let go of the doorknob. "What do you mean?"

"I won't be here by this time tomorrow. I'm leaving early with Detective Anderson. Don't look so disappointed—at least I'm not on Con Air!"

"So soon?"

"Yeah. It's a miracle that he convinced Judge Hoskins to let me come here for this short time."

"Oh." Wu felt his face burn with embarrassment. He also felt angry at himself for not knowing what else to say. "I hope it goes the way you want—you know, with court?"

Nedry nodded. "Thanks, I need all the good vibes I can get. It's been fun—we had some whacky times in the past week."

Wu was tempted to turn around and thank him. As he thought about it, there were many things he was grateful for. He was thankful that Nedry risked his life. Wu was especially thankful that Nedry was bold enough to confront him when he couldn't even face himself. But the words wouldn't come out and he didn't know why. And now, Nedry was being optimistic again about Wu's future. Maybe it's easy for him to be positive for me because it's hard to be positive for himself, Wu thought.

"Give it time, you'll be fine. John will open the park to the world, and you'll get the recognition you've always wanted—and that you rightfully deserve," Nedry added.

Wu stood at the door, placing his hand on the knob again. This time he turned it, ready to go inside. Nedry was being genuine and not sarcastic—but he couldn't internalize his optimism although he wanted to. He was desperate to share Nedry's cheerful outlook, and yet, it eluded him. He realized he didn't know what he wanted, and that was the only thing he could think of saying in response to Nedry encouraging him that he would finally be world-known.

"I'm not sure what I want anymore…" Wu shrugged. "It's not fame though."

He went inside the staff lodge leaving Nedry outside, puzzled as to why he was dismissive of the fame he had once craved…

---

Author's Notes - The title of this chapter is based on the Biblical parable, "The Prodigal Son", in which one son leaves his father, spends his inheritance out in the world, and then returns to his family. His father receives him back with open arms and even prepares a big feast for him. The parable and analysis of it can be found online. The show that Nedry is referring to, is based on the actual show "60 Days In". It has 8 seasons and the full episodes are on YouTube. It's a show where folks go in "undercover" in county jails supposedly to help out the warden and sheriff's department find contraband, drugs, etc. But honestly, I think that's just the 'cover', and that the main idea of the show is to show how people who have never been incarcerated-how they fare two months in a county jail. I want to thank everyone who has continued to read the fic. 9 more chapters to go! :-) - Sassy Lil Scorpio