-CC Day One-
Taking a deep breath of salty sea air Roxie watched the sun rise, painting the sky in a gentle pink just before the mighty star burst victoriously over the horizon. Shielding her eyes with her hand as the light glittering and dancing across the waves caught her with it's glare. As she took a lavish drink from her paper cup, the woman was grateful that she had decided to make the trip to the main park for the posh coffee before starting her day. Employee services and rewards certainly did come with it's perks, she thought, relishing the lightly sweetened cream that balanced in the form of a foam floating just beneath the lid.
Having woken up much earlier than usual Roxie couldn't help but feel a burst of excitement. After all of the rigid organization and waiting, the setbacks and then the accelerated timetables, the day had finally arrived. Hopping down from hood of the SUV she climbed back into the driver's seat and revved the engine to life. Driving over the established, but not quite worn in dirt road, she was already planning the day before her as she headed back to camp.
Once there the head counselor immediately set to work ensuring that everything was ship shape and in Bristol fashion. From walking the expansive treehouse, inspecting every inch for cleanliness, and making triple sure that the kitchen was well stocked with both snacks and staples, to checking the tire pressure and petrol in the Jeep, and phoning ahead to confirm the docking schedule of the boat she was hard at work battening down the hatches and making preparations for any inevitability. Polishing up the observation binoculars on the north balcony the woman felt a swell of pride as she took in her surroundings.
It didn't feel like so long ago that she was toiling away at university, halfway to her bachelor's in teaching and education when, as she had been criticized for throughout her academic career, she became restless. Shifting gears unexpectedly she, much to everyone's surprise went into Zoology with a focus on biodiversity and conservation. Graduating with high marks Roxie got a job at Whipsnade Zoo with ease. There she spent the next few years caring for a variety of animals in the massive park that stretched six hundred acres and housed over three thousand six hundred different species. It was wonderful. Every day was a fresh adventure, the animals all having their own quirks and personalities, the thrilling rush of handling a big cat, or the humbling power of a 'light' touch from an African elephant.
Eventually word got out however, of openings in the fabled zoo to end all zoos that was Jurassic World and caught in the frenzy Roxie, as with probably every other person on the face of the planet that worked in any field remotely related to animals applied for the job. To her chagrin, the woman was rejected.
Still, far from being one to give up Roxanne kept her ear to the ground and refused to be deterred, focusing in the meantime on spearheading an outreach and education program at local schools. Then, when last fall, rumor began circulating of a Jurassic World summer camp in the works she saw her opportunity. While the prospect was spurned by others Roxie who felt given her credentials and background that she was uniquely qualified for the position which was one part babysitter, one part teacher, and one part lion tamer, threw her hat into the rink as they say, and much to her surprise landed the job.
She was just sitting down to toast and jam when Dave, her counterpart in this whole crazy endeavor walked into the kitchen, just in time for the bad news. Head bobbing to a beat only he could hear as the man drummed every surface he passed, clearly attending a concert of the mind as he half hummed a song.
"Roxie-roo, what is up with you?" he beamed, twirling a mug dangerously on his index finger as with the other hand he started the coffee machine. The woman fixed him with a look from where she sat. "I mean, morning! How goes... things?" he said changing his tone. First impressions of Dave, Roxie thought looking at him with deliberation through her eyelashes, not the best. While he did work hard the man seemed to lack motivation, and had an irritating habit of thinking of everyone as his best friend, and that he could charm his way out of anything.
"Not good actually," Roxie sighed scrolling through her itinerary, making notations on various activities as she reread the email, phone in one hand tablet managed with the other. "I am at a complete loss for our entire day two schedule, the shipment never arrived, there was an issue with the shale apparently."
"Ah, it's sedimentary my dear Roxie, we shale postpone the activity until a later date granite we have the time!" the man said laughing at his own joke as he sat at the table across from her.
"Oh my God." the woman said smiling in spite of herself, it was terrible. "You're not even that punny, I do hope you realize."
"Eh, I still think I rock."
Unable to contain a fit of giggles Roxie folded her arms over the table and laid her head in them, letting the laughter spill out as the stress melted away. When at last she looked up the man was sipping his drink, smiling as though he'd just won some game she was unaware they had been playing.
"You'll figure it out I'm sure." Dave added leaning back in his chair.
After several long minutes of fretting and fawning over the schedule, and a few failed attempts to get ahold of someone at the genetics lab Roxie had no choice but to drop Dave off at the docks, just in case the boat arrived before she could get back and go handle things herself. Finding someone to talk to in person the woman was able to iron everything out at last, confidently and with relief swapping out her day three planner for day two. By then, she hoped the shipment would arrive and they could engage in a little paleontological discovery with the campers.
Speeding back to port Roxie skidded the vehicle into a stop. "So sorry I'm late! Welcome campers, I'm Roxie head counselor at Camp Cretaceous." she smiled, getting out and making her way to the assembled group of teenagers. The way they looked at her however made the woman wonder what Dave had said to them in her absence.
While the man ran through a brief overview of what to expect Roxanne got her first good look at her charges. Brooklynn she knew from her internet fame, and Roxie had to admit the pink did look better in person was busy filming. Darius and Sammy both looked eager and raring to go which was something every counselor liked to see. Yasmina stood apart from the group with a preoccupied look, arms folded across her chest. Then there was the last minute addition to the roster, far from the arrogant rich boy she had expected when Mr. Masrani contacted her about a personal favor, Ben who smelt like vomit hugged his stomach as he nervously pointed out that there were only five campers where six should have stood.
"He's right, we're missing one." Dave announced, quite the mathematician.
Then, as if preordained by fate a black helicopter descended from the heavens. "Speak of the devil." the woman muttered under her breath as the arrogant rich boy she had witlessly predicted stepped out with a flashy smile and a fair amount of bravado. Taken by surprise by a flying duffle bag, the counselor caught it, before throwing it with force back to its owner, knocking him off his feet. "Ok, let's go!"
"I don't think you're allowed to do that." Dave whispered as the pair watched Kenji Kon stand up and dust himself off.
With a shrug the woman jumped into the truck, the kids loading up in the back. "This is going to be fun." she smiled to the man as he climbed up beside her.
Glancing in the rearview mirror as they passed through the gate she gladly took in the wondering and awestruck expressions on the kids' faces. "Welcome to Camp Cretaceous!" Dave enthused, the woman chose not to tell him that the children probably couldn't hear him as well as he thought, and let him have his moment.
A sudden green blur darted across the road catching the driver by surprise. Stepping on the breaks Roxie felt the Jeep lose traction, fishtailing slightly in the loose dirt. Turning into it she compensated bringing them to a safe, albeit abrupt stop. Fetching electric prods while the teens asked with concern what was happening the counselors crept into the underbrush, in search of what they were sure was a compy, but knew it was better to be safe than sorry.
A sudden shriek from the back of the truck let Roxie know she had been duped. Retrieving a sheet from the back seat the woman skillfully caught the minute creature as it tried to scamper away. "Gotcha!" she grinned, making a gentle shushing sound, feeling the powerful muscles of the animal as it turned writhed with its entire body trying to get away.
"It's alright kids, gather around." she said slowly lowering to her knees. "This is the perfect moment to get some real one on one experience with one of our most populous species in the park. Come, sit, sit." she encouraged as Dave fetched a small crate for the animal.
"This is-"
"A real live compsognathus!" Darius cut in with wonder in his eyes as a semi circle formed around Roxie.
"Very good Darius!" she nodded slowly uncovering the animal. Keeping it's body tucked under her right arm the experienced handler gripped it's feet securely, while with her left hand she held it's head, fingers encircling it's snout to keep it from biting. The way the dinosaur pushed and twisted in her grip reminding her of the boa demonstrations she use to give at Whipsnade, only less grabby.
"The first ever compsognathus fossil was discovered in Germany in-"
"The 1850s, the second one wasn't discovered for another century, that one was in France!" the excitable boy in the yellow hoodie cut her off.
"Right again, Darius," the woman nodded, briefly losing her tour guide voice. "This little fellows name comes from Greek words-"
"Kompsos and gnathos, and means 'elegant jaw!'" the boy enthused. "They're primarily scavengers like coyotes and vultures, bu-"
"But," Roxie said loudly, talking over the boy and taking back the impromptu lesson. "Have been known to hunt small lizards and birds. There has also been one confirmed case of a group of compsognathus attacking a human being. Would you like to teach the class Darius?" Roxie grinned, thrilled to have someone so eager among her first batch of campers.
A look of embarrassment flashed across his face as he glanced about at the other teenagers "No," he said. "Sorry."
"Don't be, keep it up," Dave chimmed in from beside Roxie. "You've got a future here for sure! I mean that passion, ten out of ten it will definitely take you places."
"Is- is it bleeding?" came Ben's tentative voice from where he stood far from the spot where the others were crouched. Roxie glanced down at the animal with worry before the boy spoke again. "Right there, on its neck." he explained pointing to the area beneath his own chin.
"Oh that? No! It's perfectly natural!" the woman said with relief. "That red marking on this little compsognathus' throat indicates that it is changing sex from female to male. It's a biological process known as sequential hermaphrodism. And in the case of female to male change its called protogyny." she explained smiling at the looks of interest and slight confusion the kids gave. "It is a common trait seen among plants but is more rare in animals." she went on. "This shift was seen in the animals at the original park and the phenomenon was attributed to the addition of frog DNA to the gene sequence, now however, we know that it is a process that is quite common among many species of dinosaur and probably help them survive in very unfavorable conditions when there wasn't enough genetic diversity, and since all animals in the park begin life as female we get a couple of these fellas from time to time."
"Dinos say trans rights!" Sammy laughed leaning forward for a better angle with her phone.
"Yes, I suppose they do." Roxie agreed, struggling to hold on as the compy arched it's back without warning. "Now who wants to come touch this lovely lady before I put her in the crate?" Hands flew out immediately to touch the side of the agitated animal that hissed and chirped angrily. "Come on Ben, come give it a try I see you've already got hand sanitizer you can touch her and wash up right away!"
"No, thank you." he said climbing back into the truck rubbing his hands together furiously.
"Roar!" Kenji growled loudly in Roxie's ear as he filmed himself frightening the innocent creature that nearly bucked free trying to escape him.
"Kenji!" Roxie yelled as the teen snapped his teeth in the compy's face. Standing she looked at him warningly, her brows knit together tightly.
"He's not that scary." he muttered, while Darius asked, "How do they keep the dinosaurs from, well... Uh, having babies if they can change se- gender like that?" he wanted to know as the counselors maneuvered the dinosaur into the crate.
"Well-" Roxie began before Dave cut her off.
"When she fully turns into a he, they are going to get a little snip, snip." he said making a scissoring motion with his fingers. "Ouch, am I right guys?" he laughed.
"Even though, unlike mammals, both male and female reptiles like dinosaurs carry their, um, reproductive organs inside of their bodies, it is still much easier and less medically invasive to fix a male that it is a female." the woman said carefully toeing the line of a precarious subject.
"Oh, cool." the boy nodded climbing into the truck bed, face plastered to the glass as he watched the compy in its little cage being loaded into the back.
"Did you radio for pick up?" Roxie asked back behind the wheel as everyone piled in.
"Sure did!" Dave nodded still drumming an unidentifiable song against the dash.
"Please stop that."
Once the little animal had been secured Roxie made her way into the treehouse which for the first time ever was full of life. Suitcases and duffle bags discarded with a haphazard disarray the woman watched with amusement as the kids darted around the interior of the massive building trying to take it all in at once. Pure anarchy.
"Now, don't forget I want the girls in the stegosaurus room. Boys, you're bunking across the hall in the saurolophus room." she called out to them. "And please do pick up after yourselves!" she added after stepping in tortilla chips that she couldn't believe they'd have had the time to locate and begin eating let alone spill everywhere.
"This place is huge!" Sammy squealed bursting through a pair of double doors.
"Ow, watch it!" Yasmina who had been on the other side of them snapped, a hand on her forehead where the oak had bounced off soundly.
"Ice is in the freezer." the head couselor rolled her eyes, ignoring both the athlete's sarcastic remark to her and Sammy's fervent apologies.
Rounding a corner the woman stopped short, almost causing a collision herself as Dave emerged from a disued bedroom his arm around Ben's shoulders as he explained that no one was getting their own room. The boy looked ill, like he'd just swallowed a box of slugs, and she wondered briefly is he was about to throw up again, before deciding that even if he did Dave was more than qualified to handle the situation.
"Attention campers!" Roxanne called loudly from the loft above the main living space. "I need everyone to pick a bunk, put your bag on it, and meet back here in ten minutes for a little introductory film before the real fun can begin." she announced. There was a collective groan, but after a moment everyone began to gather their things and shuffle down the hall.
"This is a learning camp!" Kenji shouted loudly during the film that outlined the various activities that would take place over their eight week stay.
"Yes Kenji, this is a learning camp," Roxie called with exasperation from her seat at the back of the miniature auditorium where she had a clear view of all six of them. "Now quiet down or I'm going to have to restart the film and then we won't have time to ride the zipline before dinner."
"Zipline?" came a chorus is excited voices, as the kids turned to look at her. Smiling, Roxie would have been lying if she said she hadn't hoped for that exact reaction.
Not long after they were all standing at the top of a large tower in the growing twilight. Roxie listened with amusement while Darius rapidly named off several species of dinosaur as the herd walked back to their enclosures. Having forgotten, for an instant just how truly marvelous a place Jurassic World was the woman found herself leaning on the railing dreamily taking in the scene with a sense of romanticism. Dinosaurs walked the earth once more, it was easy to forget what an achievement that was when you mostly saw the little lizard like representatives of the class that managed to scurry out day after day, but seeing the gentle giants ambling by brought the magic right back.
She'd actually made it, she thought watching the large animals lumbering far below them. It was beautiful.
"Enough banter!" Dave said cutting through her musings. "It's zipline party time!"
Roxie couldn't help but roll her eyes. Dave was really just a big kid, she thought watching as he made the child clearly the most apprehensive about the entire situation go first. Honestly, if she had known that she was going to have to babysit him too she would have asked for a raise.
Riding down last the woman felt the wind in her hair, and a giddy flock of butterflies in her stomach. "Woo!" she yelled loudly spreading her arms as though she could fly, before leaning her head back, eyes closed. This was nirvana, she thought, losing herself blissfully to the wind.
"I'm sorry Ben, I would have thought all food allergies and dietary restrictions would have been taken into consideration before you arrived." Roxie apologized as everyone sat to dinner. "Next time just say something, don't try making a salad out if hamburger toppings, alright?"
"Alright." he nodded before adding. "And it's ok, I like peanut butter and jelly." with a little smile.
"Oh! You should try it grilled!" Sammy piped up, half rising out of her chair as she spoke energetically. "It's so good! You just got to give it a minute to cool down before you eat it or you'll burn your face off with peanut butter lava!"
"I think I'll pass." the boy said with a look of disgust.
"Oh that does sound good!" Brooklynn, who was busy trying to edit everything she had filmed for the day said without looking up. "My viewers would love it, the hot peanut butter challenge!"
"Isn't that a little dangerous." Yasmina scoffed from across the table picking at her french fries. "What if you send a kid to the hospital or something."
"Jesus it was just a joke." Brooklynn replied a hint of contempt in her tone.
"That's quite enough ladies," Roxie interrupted looking at them each in turn. "Now we have some ground rules to go over. Curfew is at eight o'clock, lights out at nine sharp, and I do mean sharp unless you are given express permission by either Dave or mys- unless I tell you otherwise." she said thinking better of the statement when she glanced at her counterpart.
"Wha-?" he asked wounded, mouth over filled with burger contents spilling out.
"I mean it, this is for your safety we're in a dinosaur filled jungle. You must always keep your distance or you could be seriously hurt, if not worse." the woman said making sure to look each and every camper in the eyes emphasizing her point. "There is also a basket by the main door, when we go out for our activities each day you will kindly deposit your cellphones into it-" the table exploded with lound complaints, Roxie waited for the noise to die down before going on. "With the exception of Brooklynn."
"What?" Darius practically shouted. "That's not fair I want to take pictures I- I-"
"Sorry dude, should have brought a disposable camera." Dave shrugged.
"What's a disposable camera?" the boy asked, with confusion.
"Am I really that old?" the man muttered into his food before taking another harty bite.
"What can I say," Roxie sighed. "It's in her contract"
"Must be nice being famous." Yasmina sneered.
"Wait you're getting paid to be here?" Kenji asked sitting forward.
"Yep! It's sort of a working vacation thing." Brooklynn said in a tone that made it seem like she was trying to sound more mature than she really was.
"And you won a contest?" the spiky haired boy went on turning to Darius. "You were given the trip as a thanks to your folks, and you're basically getting paid to be here because they're sponsoring you..." he went on going around the table, before throwing his hands up in defeat. "I can't believe it, am I the only one who was forced to come here?"
"Um..." Ben said meekly.
"Well that's not a surprise!" Kenji laughed. "Oh no look at me I'm Ben, I might touch a leaf, or a piece of dirt! Someone quick get the disinfectant!"
"That's enough Kenji. I'm sorry you don't want to be here, but that doesn't give you a right to be rude to your fellow campers." Roxie said irritably. "Do what we say, when we say it, and everything will be fine. Now hurry up and eat your food, we had a late dinner and you've only got an hour and a half before lights out."
Stretching out on the couch in the employee recreation area, tablet resting on her stomach, Roxie lounged with her eyes closed, grateful that Dave had offered to wash up. Things had gone extremely well, she felt the kids would settle in soon enough and really enjoy their stay. It had been a bit touch and go a few times but it was a first day the woman felt she could be proud of.
She jumped slightly when something smacked the bottom of her shoes where her feet dangled across the armrest. "Sit up." Dave yawned.
"Ha," Roxie said faking a laugh. "That's a good one."
"At least make some room."
"There are other couches." the woman grumbled as she curled her legs up.
"Yeah, but I want this one." the man said collapsing back into the space she'd made for him. "We did good today." he added after a minute.
"We sure did." the woman agreed, falling victim to the contagious nature of yawning.
"Did you do bed checks?" Roxie asked, startling herself awake after she had begun to doze.
"Yes." Dave replied in a way that made it sound like he was asking a question.
"Dave, seriously!" she snapped getting up. A cold chill laced her spine when they discovered three empty bunks.
"Think, where would they have gone?" Roxie shouted white knuckling the steering wheel as the counselors sped through the night.
"I don't know!" Dave responded at an equal volume. "Darius was really worked up about seeing dinosaurs do you really think he could have convinced the others to sneak out and see them?"
"I think it's pretty obvious that, that is exactly what happened!"
"Ok, ok, we can use this, think, just think..." the man muttered. "They've only been here one day and don't know the lay of the land yet, so they wouldn't know where the herd goes for the night... And the only enclosure you can really see from the treehouse in the dark is-"
"The raptor training paddock!" they gasped in unison. Roxie slammed on the brakes turning the Jeep around fast and hard, their heads snapping first one direction then the other. Racing towards the distant lights the woman's heart pounded in her chest. Please she thought gravely, please be alright.
"Help! Someone help!" Brooklynn was screaming from the catwalk above the enclosure, the sight making Roxie's blood run cold. Leaping out of the car the counselors ran up to the base of the paddock.
"Where are the boys?" Roxie called up to her. Tearily the girl pointed down.
"Oh God no." Roxie murmured swaying with a hollowed sense of dizziness, she felt faint and grabbed onto to Dave's shoulder to brace herself. Then they heard Darius and Kenji shouting.
"I'll get them." Dave said without hesitating, a fierce look of determination overcoming him as he ran around the tall concrete cylinder towards the door.
What could she do to help? The woman thought frantically, pressing one had hard against her temple, the other gripping the front of her shirt tightly, pain in her chest for how maddeningly her heart beat. What could she do? They were predators like lions, what would she have done if a child fell into the lion enclosure at Whipsnade? She asked herself trying to reason an answer out of an unreasonable situation. They needed a distraction, but what she fretted would stave off their hunting instincts? The loud grunting of the pigs in a nearby pen caught her attention, and like flash of lightning she was struck with a horrendous idea.
Running to the pen she grabbed the first animal she could get a hold of and drug it back over the waist high gate with her. Gripping it from behind the woman desperately began hauling it up a flight of stairs that led to the walkway above the cage. "Come on, come on!" she said between gritted teeth using every ounce of strength she had to drag the squealing animal up with her as it thrashed and fought for it's life. Roxie bellowed in pain, almost losing her grip when the hog threw it's head back the impact causing a flair in her vision as she tasted blood. "Please!" she wept loudly as it kicked, hooves scraping and cutting her forearms.
Finally making it to the catwalk the now crying woman pushed and heaved the biting animal against the railing until she finally managed to get it up and over. The pig hit the ground with a sickening thud, a scream of agony coming from it as it started convulsing in a seizure from the impact.
"Oh my God." Roxie gasped turning away only to see Brooklynn staring down in horror at what she'd done.
"Don't look!" the woman commanded hugging the girl to her chest and covering her ears. "It's ok, it's alright, just don't look."
Through her tears the counselor could see that her ploy had worked as three of the velociraptors turned on the pig vying with one another over the wounded animal. One still remained keen on her prey however and launched an assault. The scream that ripped itself from Roxie's throat was filled with such terror that she failed to recognize the voice as her own. Everything happened so quickly then, the door opened, Dave lunged forward and yanked the boys back grabbing hold of them anyway he could manage, putting himself between them and the dinosaur before a barred gate fell into place separating them.
Grabbing Brooklynn by the hand the woman rushed to check on everyone. Turning the boys this way and that she looked them over for anything amiss, and aside from pale, fearful expressions found nothing. "Dave?" she asked the man, putting a hand on his shoulder as he doubled over heaving.
"It's fine, it's nothing." he said trying to wave her away as he threw up. Several ACU vehicles pulled in surrounding the area, guns ready, one motioned for them to leave immediately.
"See, just a scratch." Dave smiled lifting his shirt to reveal a bloody gash in his side as they made their way back to the Jeep. Hands flying over her mouth Roxie gasped. "It looks a lot worse than it feels, doubt I'll even need stitches." he said dismissively before motioning to the woman's face and arms. "What did you lose a fight to?" he smiled, trying to defuse the situation by acting charming. The woman looked at him and sighed.
"Get in the car, now. The three of you are in serious trouble." Roxanne hissed between her teeth pointing back the way they'd come as more soldiers surrounded the paddock.
Trying to fight off tears as she screamed and drove Roxie didn't remember half of what she had said by the time they reached the tree house where she continued to tirade for another twenty minutes, only vaguely aware of how much she was swearing, and hitting the steering wheel as she did. "Now get up stairs." she concluded still shaking.
"You alright?" Dave asked as the kids got out of the Jeep.
"No. Are you?" she asked wiping her eyes.
"Not even a little bit." he smiled sadly. "I don't think I've ever been more afraid in my life."
"Me either." the woman confessed before a quizzical expression crossed her face. "Oh God," she said. "I just realized, I quoted my mother to the kids a moment ago. Now, there's something I never expected to do!" The two shared a laugh before getting out of the car and following their wayward charges inside.
Pulling a chair in from the dining room Roxie parked it facing the wall. Swinging her leg over the seat the woman staddled it backwards, arms folded across the backrest she leaned her chin on top of them. A cool sense of panic still writhing in her gut she was determined to sit watch all night. Closing her eyes as she tried to calm her breathing the woman listened to two vary different conversations taking place in each of the rooms.
"What happened?" Sammy was whispering, rather loudly. "Is everyone alright?"
"Yeah, Dave and Roxie came in here and noticed you were gone and started threatening us with getting sent home if we weren't still in bed when they got back!" Yasmina hissed. "What is up with that, why am I getting the heat for whatever stupid decision you made?"
"I'm sorry, I don't know!" Brooklynn said, her voice sounded sad giving Roxie a twinge of remorse as she wondered if she had been too hard on them. "I was just trying to get a good video for my viewers and-"
"Surprise! Surprise!" Yasmina said sarcastically, before, by the sound of the bed springs turning away.
"Are you alright Brooklynn?" Sammy asked after a second. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I'm ok." Brooklynn replied, sniffling her nose. "And not right now... thanks though Sammy, I appreciate it."
"Well, I'm here if you need anything..."
"Did you see the way that thing came at us?" Kenji was saying enthusiastically in the boys room, his momentary shell shock forgotten.
"Yeah!" Darius laughed nervously. "That was insane!"
"I know it was like grrr, rawr, arg!" the older boy said falling into a terrible raptor impression.
"You all do realize I can hear you." the head counselor called out, causing the rooms to quickly fall silent.
The hush lasted mere moments before a dim light flickered to life in the room with a saurolophus on the door.
"Did you just plug in a nightlight?" Kenji asked incredulously.
"No!" Ben scoffed.
"Yes you did!"
"It's not a nightlight, it's a safety light, so you don't trip." Ben explained with indignation in his voice. "You're welcome!"
"Fess up it's a nightlight because little baby Ben is scared of the dark meanwhile me and Darius are out juking velociraptors left and right!"
"Kenji Kon, one more word out of you and you're on the first boat home!" the woman said in stern warning. Once again peace fell over the treehouse.
With a smile, one hand pressed tight against his side Dave walked over and handed her the medkit. "You got this?" he asked, wincing as Roxie cleaned out the wound with rubbing alcohol.
"Oh, I most definitely have this." she confirmed tearing the medical tape between her teeth to fasten the gauze she was applying. "Are you sure you won't go in? The bleeding stopped alright but you still might need some sutures."
"Nah, I'm fine, it's nothing." he shook his head. "You?"
"Just some bumps and bruises." she said just as nonchalantly, turning her attention, and the alcohol to the abrasions on her arms.
"Quick thinking with that pig." he said looking down at her. "I mean, it was fucking brutal, but good job." Roxie cringed at the thought.
"Says the man of the hour, how's it feel going head to head with a velociraptor and living to tell the tale?" she asked.
"Not as great as you might expect, ask me again in the morning." he grinned. "So, if you're sure you can handle things..." Dave added trailing off to give her the opportunity to interrupt or change her mind.
"The situation is well at hand." she smiled. "Get some rest."
"If you're sure."
"I am."
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
After cleaning out the scrapes and cuts Roxie settled herself into a comfortable position for the night. The stance of hugging the chair backing making her reminiscent of being on birthing watch for the giraffe back home. She remembered thinking that it was the most stressful thing she had done, or would ever do in her life. If she had known then, that in a few years she'd be babysitting a bunch of unruly teenagers in a dinosaur inhabited theme park, she probably would have been able to get some sleep that night. Fending off a yawn she couldn't help but laugh at how naive she had been.
