Chapter 15 - The Breakthrough
"Was it you or I who stumbled first? It does not matter. The one of us who finds the strength to get up first, must help the other." - Vera Nazarian
oOo
The following night, Henry Wu returned to the basement with a grocery bag. He didn't go back yesterday, although he had said he would. He had avoided Dennis Nedry for an entire day, not wanting to face him. The truth was, the more Nedry confronted him, the harder it was for Wu to keep pretending that he made the right decision to align with Lewis Dodgson and Biosyn. All his rationalizations and justifications were beginning to crumble. It was only a matter of time before he was forced to face the harsh truth about his choice to betray John Hammond and InGen.
"I get to ask the questions this time," Nedry mumbled while trying to stifle a yawn. He twisted in the gurney, trying to watch as Wu locked the door behind him. "They may break it down if you don't let them in…" he yawned fully this time. "The door, you know…"
Wu glanced over his shoulder at the door and then approached the gurney. Nedry's left hand trembled slightly. There were dark circles under his eyes, his speech sounded slurred, and he looked like he'd fall asleep at any moment. He's sleep-deprived, Wu observed. He set the grocery bag on a nearby desk that was situated near the gurney. Slowly, he removed several items from the grocery bag, while watching to see if Nedry was paying attention: a spoon, napkin, an empty bowl, a box of Honey Nut Cheerios, a milk carton, and a small container of orange juice.
"I got you breakfast food. Honey Nut Cheerios." Wu held up the cereal box and poured some in the bowl. "It's night, but it's better than nothing."
"I'm not eating that." Nedry watched him and then turned away.
"Why?"
When Nedry refused to answer, he tried to get more information.
"I thought you'd be hungry. What's wrong?"
"Everything's wrong, Henry! Geez, you're…" he yawned, unable to finish his thought. "You probably laced it with arsenic." Nedry stole a glance at the cereal box, revealing that he was very hungry, but then turned away again, indicating his refusal to eat what Wu provided.
"I wouldn't do that."
Wu was serious. He admitted to himself that he had been horrible to the InGen staff after leaving them in the dust for Biosyn—but he wasn't capable of murder. The very thought of purposely taking another person's life twisted his innards. He tried to get Nedry to reveal why he wouldn't eat.
"What happened?"
Nedry sighed as he reluctantly opened up. "Raúl force-fed me sour milk with a funnel, and Roland shoved stale bread in my mouth for lunch. Dog food was for dessert." He grimaced as he remembered what had happened. "First time I've been given food since being dragged down here. I spat it all out while they busted their ribs from laughing so hard."
Wu tried to keep a flat expression as he finished pouring the milk in the bowl. Lopez and Tembo were disgusting—they were entertained by their horrible treatment of Nedry.
"You're on a hunger strike now? I was gonna feed you."
"Were you listening to anything I just said?!"
"Guess I'll eat it myself." Still standing, Wu scooped up a spoonful and crunched down on the Cheerios. He finished chewing and swallowing, and then offered a half-smile. "Mmmm, so good!"
"You're being weird." Nedry watched Wu in a weary manner. "I've been on a sleep strike."
"It's not gonna do you any favors."
"It's not voluntary—I can't sleep. Any time I close my eyes, Sonya throws ice cold water on my face or plays loud rap music in my ears."
"That's miserable."
"You think?" Nedry sounded annoyed. "And I never know if Raúl and Roland will sneak in here and start with the waterboarding again."
"Why waterboarding?!"
Wu was deeply disturbed. He was familiar with the form of water torture which involved covering a prisoner's mouth and nose with a cloth or towel, and then pouring water over their face. It was meant to simulate the sensation of drowning. Some experts called it "slow-motion suffocation". A news reporter had once claimed waterboarding wasn't that serious and when he subjected himself to it to experience it firsthand—he immediately recanted. Wu understood that the possibility of being waterboarded was terrifying. Experiencing it had to be worse though since Nedry had no idea if it would happen again.
"Because they wanted to make me talk."
"Talk about what?" Wu feigned ignorance.
"About how I messed up the park inspection on purpose."
"You mean when Steingarten and Rossiter came to the island?"
Nedry closed his eyes, refusing to answer his question for the moment.
Wu knew it had happened yesterday. He had purposely avoided returning to Nedry's basement prison. By the time he had changed his mind, it was early evening. He had taken the elevator to the basement, while making sure to avoid Sonya, King, and Baselton as they tended to wander around the building. Just when the elevator's doors opened, he had heard Dodgson shouting with rage.
You fucked up the inspection on purpose! You thought you'd get away with it?!
Silence followed and then there was the unmistakable sound of water being poured. Right after that, Wu heard Lopez laughing hysterically. It was always accompanied by loud banging. Wu thought it was Nedry struggling to avoid the oncoming water and trying to free himself from the gurney's restraints. Whatever it was, it wasn't good at all. The most horrific part was hearing Nedry sputtering and coughing up water. Wu imagined Lopez wrapping the cloth tightly on Nedry's face to prepare him for what was about to happen. Then he pictured Tembo pouring the water. Out of everyone on the team, they hated Nedry the most and enjoyed being cruel to him. They carried out torture tactics as if it was an everyday occurrence. Sometimes he found it difficult to discern who was more sadistic: Lopez or Tembo. Then he had heard Nedry gasping and fighting for air as he tried to answer.
I thought your bosses wanted to see the lizards up close.
That hadn't gone over well with Dodgson because Wu heard him give the order to repeat everything so that Nedry would feel like was drowning.
Again!
Wu hadn't rushed into the room and stopped it from happening as he had done when the team had searched for a wire. Instead, he had quietly walked up to the door, making sure to not make any noise. A devious grin had flashed across his face when he leaned close to the door to hear everything—and a sudden rush of anger had clouded his better judgement.
Nedry had deliberately sabotaged the park inspection during Biosyn's reign. He had ruined Wu's chance to achieve recognition many times over. Wu silenced the small voice in his mind that told him Dodgson and his minions were wrong for what they were doing. No, Nedry deserved whatever he got…he destroyed everything. Wu had clenched his fists, firm in his resolve to not go in and stop what was happening. He had walked back to the elevator as he listened to everything once more, before going back to his office. The rest of the evening, he isolated himself from everyone while imagining the awful scene repeat itself. He could've felt sympathy for the horrendous torture Nedry was forced to endure, but no traitor had ever deserved mercy and compassion…
Or so Wu thought.
"They went through with it yesterday," Nedry finally answered. "As always, that psycho asshole thought it was funny."
"Who?" Wu asked to clarify. "Which 'psycho asshole'?"
Nedry's eyes remained closed as he shrugged. "I dunno. Pick one: A for Dodgson, B for Tembo, C for Lopez, and D for all of the above. Take an educated guess."
Wu noticed he was visibly trembling. It was strange to see Nedry show fear—Wu always thought he was good at covering up his true feelings behind a wall of sarcasm and obnoxious backtalk. Even now, his terror was peeking through.
"I don't know if they'll do it again. It was horrible, all that water…"
"That's why you're not sleeping?"
"Yeah, at this point, they'll do anything. Today they gave me 'lunch'. After 'lunch', they stared at me for hours, not saying a damn syllable the entire time."
"That's it? No words? No attacks or conversation?" Wu didn't believe it. He thought the scenario sounded strange, especially for Lopez who loathed Nedry. He remembered that Tembo believed Nedry had a hidden recorder on him. Maybe that accounted for his silent treatment?
"Just wearing me down." Nedry released a long yawn. "One of these days, they're gonna pull some nonsense and I won't be ready 'cause I'm exhausted."
"And you didn't say anything either?" Wu sounded skeptical. "It's impossible for you to keep your mouth shut for any period of time."
"You'd be proud of me! I didn't utter a peep. Sonya was here just before you arrived. She hung around, said 'behave Denny', and then left. It was weird. Sometimes she shows up before her two lovers."
"Her two lovers?" Wu's eyebrows rose in curiosity.
"R&R. Also known as "Dumb and Dumber". Raúl and Roland." Nedry chuckled and yawned again. "I can't stand being this tired."
Wu was genuinely curious, and he glanced at the door as though making sure nobody was on the other side listening. He had meant to place a chair in place to keep anyone from barging in, but decided to leave it alone for now.
"How many hours since you last slept?" He was concerned for Nedry too, but he refused to admit that to himself. "Eighteen?"
"Has to be more than a day. Just put me out of my misery already."
"Lew doesn't want to finish you off. He said death is too easy for you. He'd rather keep you guessing, you know how he loves playing mind games."
"You're finally catching on. Very good, my pupil."
"He's like a predator playing with its prey." Wu shook his head, indicating what he truly felt about the situation. "It's sick," he muttered under his breath.
"You think what he's doing is 'sick' and yet you're still following him. Hoping to have your face splashed across international newspapers…" Nedry opened his eyes and turned in time to see Wu's gesture of disgust.
Wu didn't respond at first. Instead, he avoided answering Nedry by eating more Cheerios. After he swallowed heartily, he tried to encourage Nedry.
"You should get some sleep. If Dodgson decides to do surgery on you while you're awake, it'll be extremely painful for you."
An icy chill—that had nothing to do with the cold temperature in the basement—washed over Nedry when he turned in the direction of the tray of surgical instruments situated next to the gurney. Dodgson hadn't used them yet, but Nedry knew it was only a matter of time. The silver tools glimmered in the light.
"Do you know what he plans to do?"
"I wouldn't tell you even if I knew."
"I figured as much—and if he decides to play Surgeon Dodgson, it'll be painful no matter what. Why the hell do you care?"
Wu was quiet as he momentarily avoided Nedry's piercing glare and stirred the cereal. "I don't know. Maybe because you do."
Wu picked up the spoon to eat more cereal and then dropped it in the bowl. He thought about his decision to sneak behind Dodgson's back and speak with Nedry. He had an inkling of why he was doing what he was doing, but he didn't want to fully acknowledge the fact that Nedry was his only link to InGen.
"I care about what?" Nedry sounded irritable.
"You care enough to try to convince me to return to InGen. You're risking your life for me, of all people. I mean that both ways: you, of all people, risking your life, and it's for me, of all people."
"Huh?" Nedry bit down on his lip in a useless effort to suppress another yawn. "That makes no sense."
Wu sent him an annoyed look that read isn't it obvious?! "You risked coming here."
"For the last friggin' time—I didn't come here. You guys kidnapped me, after Lew told me to meet him at that restaurant. He set me up—all of you did. Sick of you twisting the narrative—" He yawned again.
"No one else would've risked their life for me, but you did—which is still quite the surprise." A sardonic smile crossed Wu's face. He knew it was true, but he didn't know how to explain it.
"I'll give you your Valentine's Day gift when we finally escape this hellhole. It's a purple and pink plush lizard doll."
Wu rolled his eyes and then shoved away his irritation. "You really want me to go back to InGen."
"That's John who wants you back. Me? I couldn't care less."
Nedry acted indifferent, but Wu knew better. He had learned that beyond his sarcastic exterior, Nedry cared to an extent. Wu remembered when the team was beating up Nedry in jail. Despite the humiliation and suffering he was experiencing from his former friends, Nedry had tried talking sense into him. Back then, he knew Wu was uncertain about his decision to align himself with Dodgson. Wu had also known that Dodgson was watching him that night. The entire team had him under a microscope, analyzing his every move and word. To preserve himself, Wu had blown off Nedry's attempts to reach him and pretended he enjoyed punching him in the face.
"You couldn't care less?" Wu couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice. Who did Nedry think he was fooling?
"Nope! You've been kissing Dodgson's ass and ended up smeared with his shit. If you wanna continue down that path, then be my guest! Been there, done that, and ain't going down that path again."
"You're the one strapped to a gurney."
Nedry looked down at the straps restraining him and wriggled his right hand that had been injured by the Biosyn team when he was incarcerated in Costa Rica. His fingers had healed, although the memory of that horrific night remained...
"That I am, but you know it could've been Robert, Ray, or Gerry down here. I just happen to be the one that Hammond asked to do his dirty work."
At the mention of "dirty work", Wu walked across the basement, remembering how he had acquired the property for Dodgson using a fake ID and counterfeit money. Bradley Wong. Every time he thought of the crimes he had committed while under Dodgson's tyrannical boot, a wave of nausea hit him, and his head swam. He literally felt physically sick. He had fallen so far…and Nedry was the only one who understood what it was like to fall to the bottom. He turned back when he heard Nedry talking; his voice sounded raspy.
"I have only one week to do this, and I have no idea what day is today. All I know is you need to decide very soon."
"Decide what?" Wu asked as he cautiously approached the gurney.
"It's simple, Henry. InGen or Biosyn." Another long yawn.
Wu's eyebrows furrowed and then it dawned on him. Are you bugged? He mouthed.
Nedry nodded silently. Then he continued talking as though nothing had changed. "So yeah, it could've been anyone. Even Dr. Grant. Imagine if it was Dr. Malcolm?!" He let out a loud laugh. "Dr. Malcolm would really tell you about yourself!"
"There's no way it could be them because they don't understand—" Wu stopped himself. He hated being vulnerable—especially in front of Nedry. It was easier to turn the tables. "You said you had questions for me. Go ahead, ask whatever you want."
Nedry kept his eyes locked on Wu's as he considered what he was about to ask. Wu waited expectantly as he aimlessly stirred the Cheerios around.
"Were you the one who injected me when I was first snatched up?"
"You mean when Roland and Raúl greeted you?"
"'Greeted' me?" Nedry's eyebrows rose in amusement as he yawned again. "Sure, if you want to put it that way. I remember it a tad differently."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yep, I remember Dodgson said to meet at Carlos and Charlie's for old times' sake—as he put it. I was about to leave because I thought he stood me up. Lopez showed up in the parking lot. He distracted me so that Roland could use that chloroform. Then being tossed in the back of a van and an injection strong enough to put me out for an entire day." Nedry ticked off the events on his fingers. His tone sounded gleeful the whole time, but his facial expression remained deathly serious. "I woke up after forever and saw Dumb and Dumber standing over me—they started beating the hell out of me and it wasn't fair because I couldn't defend myself. I couldn't even talk. Then I got pricked with another syringe. Finally, I was thrown to the ground in front of Dodgson. The whole thing was shitty, but that syringe was your gift, right?"
"I'd say they gave you a warm greeting—they didn't shoot you on the spot. And yeah, it was me who knocked you out. That was my 'gift' to you."
Nedry's memory is good, Wu thought, while noticing he didn't mention everything. He had tried to forget that horrible night, but now it played back in his mind like a movie...
Wu had stood apart from Lopez and Tembo in the back of the van, trying to keep his distance after giving Nedry the first injection. Fifteen minutes passed and he remembered Nedry slowly waking up as the effects from both the chloroform and injection had started wearing off. Wu had been shocked—maybe he and Tembo didn't use enough chemicals to knock him out. Even in his drowsy state, Nedry had known enough to want to get away from them, although it was impossible. Wu had watched as Nedry backed himself into the furthest corner of the van—or tried to. The space was cramped, and his movement was slow and awkward as he inched away from everyone. Wu would've found it funny if the situation wasn't so harrowing.
Lopez had roared with laughter and told him he was "all tied up with nowhere to go". Tembo had grabbed his bound ankles and pulled him forward. When Nedry had tried to wrench himself free in a weak attempt to protect himself, Tembo threatened him. "Don't even think about resisting unless you want a broken arm and a busted kneecap." He couldn't speak thanks to Lopez gagging him after Tembo made it known that he wouldn't be given the chance to spit, bite, or talk back. Nedry had turned away, refusing to acknowledge him, and that's when his eyes had met Wu's. Wu had maintained his usual cold condescending glare. Nedry's expression was that of a cornered man. Even so, Wu could read what Nedry couldn't communicate aloud: You're part of this too?
Then Lopez had suggested they "have fun". Wu's stomach had knotted up when he saw what Lopez meant by "fun". "Fun" meant punching and kicking Nedry until he drew blood. Wu had watched the entire scene play out, his heart knocking against his chest at the sheer violence on display. Tembo hadn't been joking that Nedry wouldn't be able to "lift a finger" to protect himself or attack them.
Wu had turned his back and tried to ignore what was happening until he couldn't anymore. In his eyes, attacking a defenseless man was unjustified and sadistic. That's when he remembered the second syringe in his pocket… Under the guise of putting in his own hits, Wu had knelt down and seized Nedry's right arm. He had made sure to stay calm even as Nedry tried to pull himself free from his tight grip. Wu jammed the syringe into his upper arm, pressing down on the plunger. The entire time, Wu had focused on the plunger because seeing Nedry's wide-eyed expression would distract him—or condemn him for being involved in this kidnapping plot. He didn't let go until Nedry's struggling completely stopped.
And now, Wu didn't bother to mention that the second injection was meant to make Nedry black out completely so that he wouldn't be Lopez's and Tembo's punching bag. They couldn't exploit the terror he must've been experiencing, and he couldn't feel any physical pain they wanted to keep inflicting. That put an end to their so-called fun, Wu thought. He soon realized that his guise wasn't as concealed as he thought. They had caught on quickly to what he had done. Now that he thought about it, didn't Lopez mutter under his breath that Wu was "becoming Robert Muldoon Number Two"? It didn't matter. Lopez and Tembo could stay angry for however long they wanted. Beating up a powerless man was extremely low in Wu's book—and he had done it before. There was no reason to put Nedry through that again.
"I knew it was you! You've had fun with me and a syringe before, remember?" Nedry was entertained by this revelation, and he raised himself up slightly. "Knocking me out the first time I tried exposing your two-faced self in John's bungalow. Lucky for you, Arnold and Muldoon didn't believe a word. They thought I was lying."
"Lying is your M.O."
"And self-deception is yours."
Wu's eyes flashed angrily when he saw Nedry's smug expression. Despite his own dark past, Nedry was far more comfortable than him and Wu was unnerved by that fact. Nedry was accepting of who he was—for better and for worse. Still, Wu knew he had to deflect. It was the best way to cope, especially when Nedry got under his skin—which he was very good at doing.
"Is that the only thing you're gonna ask me?"
"Nah, of course not…" Nedry couldn't stop yawning. "What else have you been up to since you and Dodgson's whores got kicked off the island?"
"Dodgson's whores?!" Wu was completely thrown off by Nedry's phrase.
"Don't ask. It's a long story and I'm not in the mood to tell it. Ask Robert, he knows."
"Robert's not here."
"When you see him again." Nedry tried to give a dismissive wave.
Wu frowned at Nedry's suggestion that he'd ever be permitted on Isla Nublar again. Nedry caught his facial expression and chuckled.
"Don't look so sad. You'll see Robert again. Same with Ray, Gerry, George—"
Wu looked up sharply. "George Lawala?!"
"Duh! Where do you think he's been all this time?" Nedry watched Wu carefully, curious to see what he'd say. "He made the best choice for himself, and soon, you will too."
Wu was dumbfounded that it had never occurred to him that Lawala had left Biosyn to join InGen. It was a complete reversal of him leaving InGen for Biosyn. Of course, he would never say anything to Dodgson about it. It was just as well. Dodgson hadn't asked about Lawala in months; it was almost as though he had forgotten that he had existed. Wu hoped that if he abandoned Biosyn to return to InGen, that Dodgson would forget him too, but he knew that would never happen.
"I had no idea…" Wu's voice trailed off. He didn't realize what Nedry had said about him making a similar choice.
"Well now you know! Let's see, who else? Oh yeah, you'll see Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler, Dr. Malcolm." Nedry sat back against the gurney. "Your buddy, Donald, and of course, John. Plus, his grandkids, Tim and Lex."
Wu was lost in his thoughts as he heard Nedry in the background mention everyone on Isla Nublar. He tried to imagine a happy reunion, in which he was welcomed back with open arms. That vision vanished and was replaced with the nightmarish scenario of returning to Jurassic Park—being outright rejected by the people he had once considered his friends… Then another thought interjected itself: Didn't he say John had sent him here to convince me to return to InGen? What if John wants me to return, but the rest of the staff don't? How can I even think of showing my face after everything I've done? Yet, another thought interrupted that flow: Dennis did…
"You didn't answer my question," Nedry said, pulling Wu from his thoughts.
"You didn't say the magic word."
"Please." When Wu still didn't respond, Nedry went further. "You see, the way this works, Henry, is I say 'please' and then you answer my question. That sounds way out of order, but whatever."
"Ask again." Wu realized that no matter how much he tried to avoid speaking on certain subjects, Nedry would pull it out of him.
"So, what kinda stuff…did you get into…I know Dodgson put you…up to more stuff…" Nedry squeezed his thoughts in between yawns.
"You mean what other espionage? Not a lot. I acquired this building with a fake ID, used counterfeit money…" There was more, but Wu didn't want to voice it aloud, especially the idea of genetically engineering hybrid dinosaurs. Nedry would probably make some off-handed joke that Wu and Dodgson were "interbreeding lizards". "I mostly worked with Raúl and Roland."
"I thought Roland was in the hospital."
"He was, thanks to Robert."
Wu was about to add that Sonya visited Tembo every day when he heard a strange silence punctured by breathing. Nedry had started to doze off.
"Wake up!" He set down the bowl of Cheerios on the desk and grabbed the bottled orange juice. He quickly removed the top and pitched the drink in Nedry's face. "You're not allowed to fall asleep. I still have questions for you."
Nedry was oblivious to the orange juice dripping off his face as he yawned for the umpteenth time. "I'm really tired. Can you stay here while I catch some shut-eye?"
"Only if you answer my questions." Wu remained standing next to the gurney and picked up the bowl of Cheerios. He glanced down at the cereal and realized he had lost his appetite. "It's my turn now."
"Go ahead, have a blast."
"Why were you and Robert so buddy-buddy when you came back from Isla Sorna?"
Nedry scoffed as he squirmed in the gurney. "What you're really asking is 'how did you and Robert make it out alive from Isla Sorna? How did you manage to not choke each other out?' Right?"
Wu nodded. "When I saw you both in John's bungalow, you were worst enemies. After Dodgson had the team abduct you both to bring you to Isla Sorna, you returned two months later acting like best friends."
He noticed Nedry staring at the tray of surgical tools again and was about to say something when Nedry answered his question.
"We were forced to cooperate so that we could make it out of there. It was either work together and survive or kill each other and neither of us gets off the island. The choice was obvious."
Wu thought about it for a moment, trying to decide if he brought Nedry's explanation. He shook his head. There was more to the story than what Nedry was telling him.
"You're not telling the whole story."
"I don't know what to tell you," Nedry said, noticing Wu's squinting at him in disbelief. "We went through a lot, and over the course of two months, I found out he wasn't perfect, and he found out I wasn't evil. I sound flippant when I say that, but the truth is I saw that he struggles with his own demons, and he saw that I struggle with mine."
He yawned, exhausted and spent. Nedry chose not to disclose the time he saved Muldoon from drowning. For some reason, he didn't think it would be a good idea to tell Wu. Or more so, he didn't think it would help matters.
"I thought you hated him."
"I did." Nedry closed his eyes again, appearing to doze off.
"Because he helped put you away."
Nedry's eyes shot open. "He didn't help put me away."
"What are you talking about?! Of course, he did—he testif—"
"No. I put myself away. I'm the reason I got arrested, and the reason I went to trial and was convicted. I put myself in prison." Nedry tried to gesture to himself.
Wu was going to pretend to be shocked, but he realized there was no reason to pretend because he was genuinely surprised to hear Nedry taking ownership of his own choices. "Do you really believe what you're saying? You always loved blaming him and Ray."
"It's not a matter of believing. It's a matter of owning your nonsense and accepting responsibility, so that you don't stay locked up forever. There's physical prison and then there's mental prison. Blaming others for your downfall keeps you locked up in a mental prison and keeps you from moving forward more than cuffs and shackles."
Wu's mocking laughter burst forth like a broken dam. "Does sleep deprivation always make you sound poetic?"
Nedry didn't crack a smile. "I'm serious, but I can tell you don't take me seriously. Next question—and hurry up, I'm about to clonk out."
"Does John have plans to open up Jurassic Park?"
"I have no idea, Henry." Nedry shrugged. "Why do you think I know about this?"
"The only condition that I'll come back under is if John Hammond opens up Jurassic Park to the world."
"Wow, aren't you quite the selfish asshole?"
"If Hammond wants to open up Jurassic Park, then Dodgson will find a way to sabotage it."
Nedry's face contorted into an expression that was both confusion and disgust. "So, you want to know when Hammond plans to open the park to the world—just so Dodgson can go screw it up?"
"That's NOT what I meant!"
"How else did you mean it? You're a hot mess, Henry. A walking personality disorder. I know what this is about." Nedry nodded, knowingly. "You know Dodgson has something up his sleeve—that he's planning to sabotage the park or InGen again. What's his plan this time?"
"Not a damn thing." Wu's teeth were clenched. "There's no 'plan'."
"You're a worse liar than me—you're—what the hell?!"
Wu flung the bowl at the wall. The bowl shattered and Cheerios flew everywhere. Nedry looked at Wu, his eyes widened from shock and fright. Wu glared back at him furiously. He was about to sit down again when he thought better of it. Without saying a word, Wu stormed out of the basement, while ignoring Nedry calling out to him. He flicked the lights off and slammed the door behind him, pitching Nedry into darkness.
oOo
Two hours later, after remaining cooped up in his office and unable to sleep, Wu had a change of heart. He didn't know what came over him, but something told him to go back to the basement where Nedry was being held prisoner. As he made his way there, snippets of their earlier conversation replayed in his mind.
Lying is your M.O.
And self-deception is yours.
Nedry was very good at seeing through his attempts to protect himself through self-deception. This defense-mechanism wasn't new to Wu, but now it was eating him alive. He couldn't stop thinking about it. Then the topic of Nedry giving a damn about Wu was explored. Wu thought it was a strange conversation, but he was still glad that they had it. Their voices reverberated in his mind:
Why the hell do you care?
I don't know. Maybe because you do.
I care about what?
You care enough to try to convince me to return to InGen. You're risking your life for me, of all people. I mean that both ways: you of all people risking your life, and it's for me, of all people.
Huh? That makes no sense.
You risked coming here.
For the last friggin' time—I didn't come here. You guys kidnapped me, after Lew told me to meet him at that restaurant. He set me up—all of you did. Sick of you twisting the narrative—
No one else would've risked their life for me, but you did—which is still quite the surprise. You really want me to go back to InGen.
I'll give you your Valentine's Day gift when we finally escape this hellhole. It's a purple and pink plush lizard doll."
You really want me to go back to InGen."
That's John who wants you back. Me? I couldn't care less.
He cares more than he wants to admit, Wu thought as he took the elevator down to the basement. John cares too…and if he cares, then so should I. It was a strange thought process, but Wu accepted it. Then again, maybe it wasn't so strange. If Hammond was behind Nedry's reasons for being here in the first place, then maybe Wu wasn't as much of an outcast as he feared. Both Nedry and Hammond were doing their part to get him out of Dodgson's clutches. It was why he decided to return to the basement. He needed to find out more. There was something else that gnawed at his conscience.
Time…
I have only one week to do this, and I have no idea what day is today. All I know is you need to decide very soon.
He had asked Nedry if he was bugged…and Nedry had confirmed it without saying a word. Nedry was working under a strict timetable. When he had revealed this, it made Wu realize that the police were involved. It confirmed what Tembo and Lopez were thinking but couldn't prove. There was no way the police would have him stay locked up as Biosyn's prisoner for an extended period. Wu was sure that both Hammond and Nedry wanted to make quick work of this, especially due to the dangerous nature of being a police informant.
Regardless of what happened now, Wu knew he'd decide before the night was over—to either remain with Biosyn or return to InGen. He hated himself for constantly waffling back and forth. One moment, he was confident about his decision to leave Biosyn, and then the next, he acted like he wanted to stay. Underneath the confusion was a gripping fear of what would happen once Lewis Dodgson found out that his true allegiance was with InGen. He had seen Nedry experience the consequences for leaving…
"You're back?" Nedry's eyes squinted as Wu flicked on the lights and locked the basement door. "You should've left the lights on. I can't sleep in the dark."
"Are you afraid of the dark?" Wu sneered. "Is that why you panicked?! "Stop Henry! No—don't!"
"I'm not—" Nedry was about to explain himself and decided not to. "I thought you went to sleep with your plush lizard doll."
"I couldn't sleep." Wu grabbed a chair and situated it next to the gurney. He remained standing for now. Nothing in his calm demeanor indicated he had broken a dish out of frustration—and had left Nedry in a pitch-black basement.
"That makes two of us."
"Still on a sleeping strike?"
"I was trying to rest until you showed up."
"Too bad." Wu searched for the cup of water that he had spied on one of the tables. Lopez had brought it down earlier, attempting to force Nedry to drink. "Wake up because we have more to talk about." He pitched the cold water in Nedry's face, forcing him awake.
"First, orange juice, and now water. Unbelievable."
"Be thankful that it's not dilo saliva." Wu remembered finding out about George Lawala's incident when he got temporarily blinded by a dilophosaur. It had occurred during one of Biosyn's heists.
"I can't believe I'm doing this for John. Robert, too." Nedry strained against the straps in a futile attempt to free himself. Closing his eyes, he gave an exaggerated sigh. "Just let me rest, is that too much to ask?"
"It is." Wu's voice was wooden.
"Just let me sleep for just a few minutes…maybe a half hour."
"Nope."
"Why are you such a lousy asshole?" Nedry asked while keeping his eyes shut.
"Because you're the selfish asshole who destroyed my dreams."
A weird silence passed between them in the basement room. Wu noticed Nedry's hands still shook, his questions and statements were punctuated by yawns, and the dark circles around his eyes looked worse now.
"Is that what this is about? Your baby grudge because I 'destroyed your dreams'?"
Wu ignored his question. "You're an arrogant son of a bitch, and yet you risked everything."
"I don't see it that way but…" Nedry shrugged and tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.
"What's in it for you? There's no way you're doing this out of the kindness of your heart." Wu sat down in the chair again.
"I was offered a sentence commutation." Nedry kept his eyes closed as he tried to rest. "On top of my original sentence, I'm looking at more prison time for the nonsense I did when I ran with Dodgson's gang. Even the stuff I did after I left the island and came back to the States." Another yawn escaped. "Any more questions before I crash?"
"Why did you agree to get the velociraptors?" Before Nedry could respond, Wu jumped ahead of him. "You never answered Sonya's question about it."
"And I don't plan to answer it now. Next question."
"Why not?"
Nedry opened his eyes and Wu could only describe his expression with one word: haunted.
"Because I don't have an answer for the biggest regret of my life—for the worst and most shitty thing I've ever done, okay?"
Wu waited before asking his next question. He heard Nedry yawn and saw that he had closed his eyes again. Right then, Wu knew that any shame he felt for betraying InGen would never come close to the constant guilt that ate away at Nedry for releasing the raptors. It would be a heavy burden he would always carry. It would never let up no matter how much time had passed. Wu realized he didn't want to know how heavy it was for Nedry to own his part for Hammond's stroke and hospitalization. Instead, he decided to pick up at the part where Nedry mentioned about having to face more prison time for what he did when he came back to the United States.
"What did you do when you returned to the States?"
"Got a fake ID, brought a used car with it—I racked up a grand larceny charge doing that. They also want to charge me with escaping from prison."
Wu thought for a moment. He and Nedry had both used fake IDs for several reasons. A sudden epiphany hit him hard: they both wanted to be someone else. Self-hatred, another consequence of betrayal, he thought. Another thought occurred to him:
"Hold up—didn't Dodgson break you out?"
"Yeah, but I still made the decision to leave. As the judge put it, I made the decision to not turn myself in to the authorities once I was outside of the facility. It's weird because I 'escaped' when Sonya and Raúl came disguised as transport officers. I thought I was going to another prison, but they took me to Cupertino. In the eyes of the law, I still left prison illegally. I wasn't released because parole or whatever. It's still a prison break. And I didn't turn myself in at any point when I was with the team." The words rushed out in a mashed jumble. Nedry yawned and fidgeted in the gurney trying to get comfortable, although it was useless. "My head is killing me. Just stay here while I rest."
"When did you realize you went too far?"
When Nedry didn't respond right away, Wu stood up and was ready to shake him awake when he got a response.
"I'm not sleeping, I'm thinking about your question."
"You actually have to think about it?" Wu's tone was scornful. "That's ridiculous."
"Yes, I have to think about it, Doctor Genius." Nedry faced Wu directly. "Now are you gonna let me answer or not?"
Wu waved his hand as though saying, "go ahead."
"Robert told me that it was a good thing I returned to the control room that night and restored the power."
"You mean during the first park inspection when Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler, and Dr. Malcolm visited?"
Nedry nodded. "He said if I hadn't come back or if something happened to me that night, people would've died." He started yawning again and this time Wu yawned too. "It made me realize I went too far the first time. That was way before John had his stroke and before Robert was nearly mauled when I let the raptors out. When that mess happened, I thought I had gone too far. The truth is it goes back to that night of the park inspection."
Wu thought about what Nedry was saying. "It sounds like he's saying people could've been killed because of your actions."
Nedry looked away and found another point in the basement to focus on. Wu realized he felt genuine guilt and shame for the horrifying realization that Muldoon had pointed out to him.
"That really hit hard." Nedry closed his eyes again to rest. "I was furious at John and wanted to get back at him for almost destroying my career. I wanted what I felt he owed me—but I'm not a murderer. If my actions had gotten anyone killed that night…I don't even know…" He trailed off, unable to complete his thought. "If I had gotten killed that night…" He yawned loudly. "…then it would've been poetic justice…"
Wu contemplated what Nedry was telling him: how his betrayal had the potential to have a deadly outcome. Then he sat up in the chair as pride rushed through him.
"I didn't break any laws."
"Are you serious?! Do you hear yourself?!" Nedry was wide awake now. "You destroyed Dr. Sattler's greenhouse, you helped kidnap me, and you participated in that beatdown that left me with broken fingers—and before all that, you were secretly passing info to Dodgson right under Hammond's nose!"
"I didn't kill anyone when I joined Dodgson," Wu said as he preened himself, fixing his collar in a prim manner. He felt better about himself regarding his betrayal, as compared to Nedry's.
"I didn't either."
"But you could've. It's a stroke of luck that you came back alive that night."
"Touché." Nedry let a long pause pass before attacking Wu directly. "I'd say you did kill people, Henry."
Wu's eyes narrowed and he met Nedry's hard stare. "I didn't kill anyone."
"Not physically, but emotionally. You don't think it killed Ray when he pleaded with you to come back to InGen—and you left the island with Dodgson in the end? Ray was your biggest defender—he never wanted to accept that you had left InGen high and dry for dumb-ass Lewis Dodgson! He still can't!"
Wu's false sense of superiority vanished. He stared at Nedry, unable to formulate a response. Although he was tempted to get up and leave him in the basement, he couldn't tear himself away. Unable to speak, Wu folded his arms crossed across his chest, a position he often assumed when he was feeling defensive.
"It killed Robert too. He was like Ray—never wanting to believe that you sold out. No matter how much I told him that you had turned to the dark side, or even the phone conversation when I overheard you and Lew, no one believed me."
"Why should they believe a lying backstabbing traitor like you?"
"This isn't about me—this is about you! They believed you, Henry, and they believed in you!" Nedry's fists were clenched as he struggled against the straps. "We won't even get started with how Tim and Lex felt awkward around you, or what John must've felt when he finally returned—and you weren't there!"
"SHUT UP! Wu bolted out of his chair. "You have NO right getting all self-righteous when I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you!"
"Be a man, Henry! Own your crap like I own mine! And be grateful!"
"Grateful for what?!" Wu was eye to eye with Nedry now.
Nedry lifted his head as he challenged Wu face to face. "Be grateful that John asked me to do this for you—and that I agreed to it!"
"You did it to save your skin, Dennis, and nothing more," Wu said, easily pushing him down again. He circled the gurney, taunting Nedry. "You've always been about you, you—and oh, you again! Big surprise there!"
Nedry shook his head vehemently. "I walked into this knowing that I might not walk out alive, so your point is bullshit."
"It's not—"
"Shut up and let me finish, okay? Then you can sit there and hide behind your fragile ego." Nedry was emotionally and physically spent. The recent burst of energy died down, leaving him feeling like he'd fall asleep if he closed his eyes.
Wu stepped away from the gurney now, as though respecting the fact that Nedry demanded he be allowed to finish making his point. He thought Nedry was done when he heard him start up again. Wu turned his back on him, trying to shut him out, but now Nedry's words were hitting him hard.
"Be thankful that Ray practically begged you to come to your senses—"
"Come to my senses…" Wu scoffed.
"To come back to InGen!" Nedry shouted over him. Then, as though he realized the volume he had used, his voice dropped. "You should appreciate that anyone reached out to you. Ray and Robert said they should've done the same with me. Even if they had, I wouldn't have listened, but you—Henry, you have an entire company willing to stand behind you, and a boss who cares enough to help you get out of a bad situation that can end your career—although you betrayed them! Doesn't that mean anything to you?!"
Wu opened his eyes, trying to regain focus. He glanced at the basement door and imagined himself running out. He had to escape because Nedry had hit a nerve. He didn't think he deserved the grace that Hammond was giving him through Nedry, and mostly, he found it unbelievable. He had done so many horrendous things to everyone. He had lied to those who trusted him, especially Hammond and Arnold. He had given away company secrets to Dodgson. He had aided Sonya in the destruction of Ellie's greenhouse. He had bullied Harding and he had stood by and watched Dodgson's team abuse Nedry many times. He didn't count the recent occurrences when he tried to keep Nedry safe by being present in the basement—especially since he had helped the team abduct him in the first place.
Who am I? Wu asked himself. The question echoed loudly in his mind, and he knew he was afraid to answer it. What have I become?
Wu slowly started making his way to the door, but then stopped as thoughts swarmed in his head. The entire time he knew Nedry was watching him. He needed to reflect on himself, his actions, and when he had lost himself. At what point did he go too far in his desire to achieve fame and recognition? Why was it so important anyway?
Wu thought of everything he had done along the way. From getting Hammond to Site B under the pretense of working on developing the 16th species—while using that as a coverup so that the Biosyn team could conduct their heists. He had lied right in his coworkers' faces about the mole spreading info to Dodgson—when he had been the mole the entire time. Back then, he thought that spreading info to Biosyn would cause Hammond to get scared enough to open Jurassic Park to the world. Wu didn't know why he thought that then—it made no sense. Now that he thought about it more, none of his reasoning made sense and he had only justified his poor decisions because of the recognition he felt he deserved. Because of his own selfish ambition to be a world-renowned geneticist.
All his choices and actions kept replaying in his mind on repeat. It had been this way ever since he left Isla Nublar and even before that time. The two months when he aligned himself with Dodgson when he came disguised as "Cameron Thorne". He participated in Nedry's gang beating, the destruction of Ellie's greenhouse, and humiliating his former coworkers. Helping Dodgson to invite Biosyn's higher-ups to Isla Nublar and almost handing over Jurassic Park to the competition. He snubbed the InGen staff and rubbed it in their faces that he had fooled them the entire time. And he was at his absolute worst when Hammond confided in him—he acted the role of the dedicated and loyal employee. Back then, Hammond had no idea that the second traitor was "the Miracle Worker of Jurassic Park".
Wu swallowed a lump in his throat. In rare moments, he allowed himself to feel the heaviness of guilt about his decision to align himself with Dodgson and Biosyn. Now it was hitting him full force. The truth was he often thought of how he had changed into a man he didn't recognize once he decided to join Dodgson. He wanted Dodgson's approval, but he also wanted Dodgson to do everything he could to make him known to the world. He realized now that he had fallen for empty promises. Dodgson talked a good game about making him famous—but there was no substance behind it.
And if Hammond saw him now, he wouldn't view him as the same man that he had hired right out of grad school. What was Hammond's reaction when he finally found out the truth? That thought always haunted him. As he thought about it more, he remembered what Nedry told him in the beginning—how Hammond already knew that Wu was with Dodgson. Nedry was here because Hammond hoped he'd be able to reach Wu. Nedry's words when he confronted him in his lab reverberated in his mind. Even now, after all this time, Nedry's words cut him deeply.
You're a brilliant man, Hank. I know that—we both do. I'll never take that from you. What I didn't know is that you're a selfish egotistical spineless son of a bitch. At least I can go to bed knowing I'm an honest traitor. I've betrayed and hurt many. I know what I am. You betrayed yourself and That's worse. Keep betraying and lying to yourself. Pull the wool over your eyes because it makes everything clearer to you—that's how you think. Let me know when you can honestly look at yourself in the mirror again.
As that memory flashed through his mind, Wu sighed. He had enough for tonight and just as his hand reached the doorknob, he heard Nedry speak up one more time. From how exhausted he sounded and the frequent yawning, Wu knew sleep was about to overtake him. Staying awake for a full day, being terrified of Lopez's and Tembo's continued torture, and getting into a bitter argument with Wu had finally caught up to Nedry—but not so much that he couldn't try to reach out to his former coworker one more time.
"When we were left stranded on Sorna…I told Robert that everyone has a price. If you can be brought at any price, you will be. You gotta know your worth, Henry…and not allow yourself to be easily brought…like I was…"
By the time Wu locked the door behind him, he had made his decision. He hadn't voiced it aloud to Nedry because his pride got in the way. By now, Wu was familiar with his own flawed nature, and he tried not to let it cloud him too much. He couldn't even if he wanted to, because Nedry forced him to face himself. He forced Wu to evaluate himself and to know his worth. Wu just needed the space to make the decision on his own. Now it was only a matter of figuring out the logistics, and then executing his plan of helping Nedry escape—so that they could both be free of Biosyn forever.
Author's Notes: Christopher Hitchens is the name of the journalist who claimed waterboarding wasn't a form of torture until he experienced it himself. He is deceased now, but it's interesting how it didn't occur to him how terrible waterboarding could be until it was done to him. There's an article online about him admitting how terrible waterboarding is, and also a video on YouTube entitled "Christopher Hitches Gets Waterboarded" under the Vanity Fair channel. Thank you for your continued readership-we are halfway through the fic! -Sassy Lil Scorpio