The calming, peaceful jungles of Nublar were drowned out immediately by the harshness of Owen's alarm, the bungalo practically shaking as he sat up. The weekend hadn't been particularly kind to him. Headaches were becoming more frequent, and a trip to the doctor's on Friday afternoon after behavioral study of the raptor pack had left him with some nausea medicine to take. Sunday was the start of the week for Owen, his lips smacking away the tiredness as he rubbed his eyes.
Almost as soon as he got out of bed, however, something curled inside his stomach. Doubling over, the man gripped his stomach with prayers silently sent to god above that he wouldn't throw up his dinner from last night. Much to his dismay, however, Owen found himself already rushing to the bathroom to hurl into the toilet. These bouts of morning sickness were getting more than annoying, they were becoming a serious issue... but he couldn't do anything about it. Nor could he leave Barry alone with the girls; a strong pack required two alphas, after all.
But looking into the toilet bowl, Owen could definitely tell that he was getting worse, not better at this point.
"Ahh… shit," the raptor trainer said to himself, eyeing the undigested contents of Winston's Steakhouse the night earlier with a look of mild concern. Taking a deep breath after he was sure that he wasn't in danger of dry-heaving, the navy veteran stumbled back into his bedroom to get some anti-nausea tablets and some water to hold down. He'd push through the morning and see how he felt later on. Maybe he'd head back early if training went well enough. But before he would, he'd at least let Barry know that something was up.
Taking his radio from its charging port, the man slowly got himself dressed as he called out over it.
"Barry. If you're up, need to ask you something," he croaked. Man… he sounded like ass…
"Go ahead Owen," the Frenchman replied.
"Hey… I'm not feeling so hot… when we're done with morning drills, you think you can take over for the day?" A sigh was heard over the channel before Barry responded.
"Owen…"
"Barry, I just threw up Winston's," Owen pleaded. "I'm not gonna ask again after this. I think I'm comin' down with something bad, and after the new year, I'm gonna try and head to the Mainland and see if it's not something more serious. Please, just for today. Afterward, we can cancel the next two weeks of drills."
Silence was the only response from Barry for a solid 10 seconds before a warm chuckle escaped him.
"Blue's not going to like that."
"She's not going to like it? I don't like it. I don't like when Hoskin's is breathing down everyone else's neck 'cause I'm not there to tell him off."
"Vic can't see past what he wants, Owen," the Frenchman reassured. "I'll see if I can't get Control to suspend training after today." Owen gave out a "whew" in very obvious gratitude, setting the radio down as he put on his vest. Just one more day… just one more… then he could charter a flight back to the Mainland to get a checkup. Taking a few minutes to at least get some form of breakfast into him — a toasted waffle in this case — the man was out the door and already setting up his motorcycle.
Owen wasn't looking forward to talking with Control about needing to take some time off. "Miss Dearing" was such a cold woman that needed so much control over everything that he almost swore she kept tabs on him and everyone else that she didn't think she could control. Perhaps it was paranoia talking, but it made for an amusing thought to think that Claire wasn't above observing everyone's park activities even on their days off. After starting up his motorcycle, the rumbles caused a light lurch to his stomach, the man sighing as he tried to keep his only-just eaten breakfast down.
"Not now… just…" Owen's mouth slacked open as he took in deep gulps of air. A tense standoff with his stomach only made the notion of needing to go to the raptor paddock that much less appealing. He wanted to sleep the day away and not have Hoskins jump down his throat. But… he had to make do with what he had. Clambering on top of the noisy motorbike, Owen was quick to start his way up the road toward the paddocks. The trip felt like it had taken forever with his churning stomach not helped by the bumpy conditions. But when he arrived, the man was quick to lurch over, almost losing his breakfast as Barry came out to meet him.
"Owen… you look like shit."
"I told you Barry," the man grunted, giving a stretch. "I gave up my Winston's." He likely looked pale to the Frenchman. He felt pale… how could one feel pale?
Barry only chuckled in response, patting his shoulder before gesturing toward the paddock. The screeches and chuffs of the girls could be heard inside, practically begging for the opportunity to have a go at one of the employees.
"Come on. Just have to push through training today, tell Hoskins no, and then go home after. Easy, yeah?"
"Y-yeah," Owen burped, taking a moment to steady himself as he walked up the path to the paddock. Steeling himself, the trainer gave a sharp whistle to the men working around the enclosure to get their attention.
"Alright ladies, listen up! You know that Hoskins is gonna be here in a few! Time to show the man what he wants, and then grab lunch!" the team chuckled at Owen's nonchalance in telling them how unimportant Hoskins' role at the paddock was; after all, he was only an observing party for InGen. "Barry'll be in charge most of the day! I'm not feeling so hot… so try not to get on my bad side before I go!" he called out. With no questions or anything to show confusion from the other handlers, Owen was content to start heading over to the raptors' holding pens, making a twirling motion of a finger pointed up to the sky to prepare for the first drills that day.
The raptors chuffed and trilled in greeting at seeing him as he approached the side-pen, with the trainer chuckling as he leaned against the first set of gate bars to look into the enclosure. Smacking his lips as he tried not to think about his swirling stomach, he wanted to at least get a good look at his girls up close again — or as close as he could get without being suicidal — before he had to stay up high and away from them. Today would be a long day if the grumbling of his stomach was anything to go by, and he had to at least make sure Blue knew he was alright to go.
The loud noises of the humans cut through the jungle harshly. Blue was patient, but not patient enough today to deal with the loud, yapping chitters of the soft prey. Her clutchmates were nearby; she could hear them shifting through the foliage, waiting patiently though rather noisily. Stupid Alpha was up high, she knew it. It was the same as it was day after day: chase the pink prey, and walk over for smaller, dead prey-treats. Though Blue wished that Stupid Alpha would come down and hunt with them, she could smell just how sick he was; it was understandable.
Sick pack did not make for good pack. Sick pack made for easy prey for bigger predators. It was ingrained, something that Blue and her clutchmates knew since hatching. Echo was particularly ornery of it, already making challenges to Stupid Alpha. Stupid Echo. She couldn't understand that sometimes Alphas had their moments of weakness. Pack had to stay strong, even when some pack was sick. Otherwise what good was pack?
"1… 2… 3! Release!" Stupid Alpha barked to the other soft prey. The loud buzzing sound snapped Blue's attention toward the small sliding door, and she sharply screed to her clutchmates. Quiet; hunting time now. The pink prey darted out into the brush, Blue staying out in the open to keep its attention. She could smell her clutchmates closing in, the pink prey already shaking in anticipation for what was to happen. They knew what was coming, and as soon as Blue gave chase, the pink prey ran with a squeal. Giving out a bark, the raptor began to give chase, the others of the pack not far behind.
Pink prey was fast, but Blue was faster. She knew she could catch it, especially as it slid out from the underbrush and into the open. She was so close, she could almost jump onto it!
"Ho!" came a bark from above. Stupid Alpha's voice. Blue knew this drill… she didn't want to heed the bark, but she skidded to a stop out of reflex. Her gaze remained fixed on the pink prey slipping out of sight behind the tall walls, an indignant tapping of her lethal claw on the ground showing to Stupid Alpha to her annoyance. Blue's clutchmates were quick to follow, chittering their questions on where the pink prey was. How had she lost it? No! She hadn't lost it! Blue never lost anything: not a scent, not a view, nothing!
"Hey!" Gazes snapped up, all except Blue. She stared in the direction the pink prey had fled as Stupid Alpha gave his commands. "Okay. Eyes on me." The command came with a single click from Stupid Alpha's closed paw. She knew these commands, but she was still focused on the pink prey. Why did she let it get away?!
"Blue," came Stupid Alpha's attention call. When she didn't answer, still wanting to go off to the tall wall to dig out the pink prey, another click came with a sharper call. "Blue!" Finally deciding to give Stupid Alpha the time of day, the raptor looked up toward him expectantly. She couldn't see his expression in the glare of the sun, but his tone held firmness behind it. "Watch it!" Another sharp click of his claws. A snarl came from her left clutchmate. Indignation with her for not listening to Stupid Alpha.
"Charlie! Hey! Don't give me that shit! Delta, lock it up!" To her rear, she heard her other clutchmate similarly snarl. More indignation, though it was quickly able to subside as Delta "locked it up" for Stupid Alpha. Blue was already getting tired of this drill. She wanted the pink prey. Why did Stupid Alpha stop the hunt?
"Gooood!" There was Stupid Alpha's praising croon, followed by a few attentive and sharp clicks from his closed paw. "Aaaaaand… we're moving!" Blue knew this one as well. She knew all of Stupid Alpha's commands by heart. She didn't heed them all, but she knew them. She knew more about Stupid Alpha than her clutchmates did. She was the best, and made that clear as she snapped at Echo trying to move the other way. As they moved, Blue was the only one that remained quiet as her clutchmates snapped and snarled at each other to get into position. Charlie remained indignant, wanting the treats that inevitably came from following Stupid Alpha to the left. Only Blue's gaze remained fervently and patiently on Stupid Alpha as they moved out of the sun's glare.
Now they were downwind, and Blue could see Stupid Alpha's look more clearly again. He really was sick. He looked like something had crawled out from his belly. She hoped that Stupid Alpha hadn't eaten something bad… it'd been like this for a while. Some days, Stupid Alpha would look and smell sick, other days he would look better, but still smell sick. It was one of the prior.
"Ho!" he called out, voice still strong in spite of how sick he smelt and looked. Everyone stopped now, able to wait expectantly near the treats. Blue and Charlie could see the buckets. "That is good, that is damn good," he praised, giving off a few more clicks. Of course she knew she was good! She was the best! It only annoyed her into a soft snarl as he continued to chitter his praises. Stupid Alpha reached into the bucket for treats, something stopped him, Echo quietly growling with impatience as well. Blue's head cocked to the side as Stupid Alpha doubled over for a moment. This wasn't normal, but neither was Stupid Alpha. Charlie seemed about ready to pounce up as soon as she saw Stupid Alpha take a few moments to recoup… he really was sick.
"See… Charlie, that's what you get," he belched, tossing down a small, dead prey-treat to her clutchmate; and then another, and then another. "Echo, there you go. Delta." Blue hated being saved for last, already looking back in the pink prey's direction again. Maybe next time Stupid Alpha would let them finish the hunt for the pink prey; that would be a real treat.
"Blue," came an attentive bark. Blue chittered her acknowledgement, looking up expectantly as he held a fatter prey-treat for her to observe before chittering his praise again; this one was more heartfelt though, masking his sickness. Maybe she'd forgive Stupid Alpha for now for being so sick and weak. "This one's for you." He then tossed it down, with Blue expertly snapping it up in her jaws. She knew that one was for her. It was bigger. It was better. She was better. That was why she was pack's beta.
"Ho!" came the bark for attention. "Eyes up!" She and her clutchmates followed the raising hand, straightening to get a better look at it. He waited for a few moments before bringing it down. "Go!" The firm command sent the pack running off into the less-brushed side of the tall walls. While her clutchmates were content to play around and look elsewhere for the now-gone pink prey, thinking of their own lives, Blue was more interested in looking to Stupid Alpha. Sick pack needed to be watched. And Stupid Alpha was very sick.
She could see Dark One coming up toward him with praising chitters, baring his teeth. Was it a threat? No… no… it wasn't, seeing how he brushed up to Stupid Alpha.
"Ha, ha, ha… you finally did it, man!"
"Owen!" Blue's gaze snapped attentively to Fat One walking up to Stupid Alpha from the tall walls. As did Delta's. Neither liked Fat One, but Delta liked him less; he smelled bold and brash. Both remained quiet however as he chittered out his noises. He looked slow and fat, even more than usual today. Maybe Stupid Alpha would let her hunt him after this time. Blue knew Stupid Alpha didn't like him either.
"I was starting to think I hired the wrong guys, but damn! You got 'em eating out of your paw!"
"You came on a good day, usually doesn't have a happy ending." Stupid Alpha's paw only moved to shake Fat One's, instead of the close curling of his entire arm around Dark One like he'd done earlier. Blue knew this. She saw some of the soft prey do it. It was a greeting, like the trills that she'd make to Stupid Alpha.
"That why you're not sending in your reports?"
"We've been busy."
"Not too busy to… cash in your paychecks!" Fat One exclaimed in a brutish, challenging motion. His tone was soft, but there was frustration behind it. Delta only gave out a frustrated shriek. She wanted to hunt Fat One too.
"Uhh… what d'ya need, buddy?" Stupid Alpha's tone was on guard, like he expected Fat One to make him angry. Blue didn't like that, though her attention snapped in the direction of approaching paws. A higher pitched bark from Charlie denoted her arrival. She wanted to know what was going on. Blue chittered to her Stupid Alpha and Fat One were talking. Charlie hissed in response. She didn't like that Stupid Alpha was being stupid again. Delta agreed with another indignant bark. He was sick. He needed to be resting, not talking to Fat One.
"Finally make progress, and that's the first thing he says? Make a weapon?" Dark One's tone was indignant, clearly not amused by whatever it was Fat One had said. Charlie was now arguing with Delta as Blue kept her nose down but ear channels up. She knew that Stupid Alpha would shoot him down over whatever it was that displeased him. Stupid Alpha always knew what to do with Fat One. He was better than Fat One or Dark One.
"It's grown-up time! Drones can't search tunnels and caves… and they're hackable. The minute a real war breaks out all that fancy tech is gonna go dark!"
"That fancy tech isn't gonna eat them if they forget to feed it." Their voices were getting closer along the tall walls, Blue's attentive gaze shifting between Delta and Charlie's spat, and Stupid Alpha's.
"Look. Look at these creatures," Fat One pointed out, now having Blue's full attention as Delta snapped a shriek to Delta, sending her off. Go play with Echo. Echo would enjoy the company in searching for the pink prey. "They got millions of years of instinct in their cells, instincts that we can program. Their loyalty cannot be bought. These guys are gonna run straight into the enemy's teeth and eat 'em, belt buckle and all!" Fat One was staring at Delta now, whose attention was focused away from him. She didn't like him. Meanwhile, Blue was looking expectantly to Stupid Alpha, pleading with him in chitters to send him away or to bring him down for a hunt. Stupid Alpha still looked sick. He looked like he was about to lose his meal as he tried to look strong in front of Fat One.
"What if they decide they want to be in control?"
"Well then, we remind them of who is, we terminate the rogues. Promote only loyal bloodlines." Blue was about to snarl at Fat One in return. She knew a challenging tone when she heard it. She would not tolerate Fat One challenging Dark One or Stupid Alpha, let alone her. Dark One seemed amused though, not about to take the challenge. Dark One was smart. So was Stupid Alpha, even if he did stupid things sometimes. As Dark One left with laughter in his throat, Stupid Alpha whistled and his expression lightened up. He may have looked sick to her, but clearly Fat One didn't see it. He was a strong alpha. He could make himself seem stronger by comparison.
"What? What's so funny?" Stupid Alpha only looked to him with that same mirth to him as he guided Fat One down from the tall walls, gaze on Blue the entire time as she looked back expectantly. Good riddance to Fat One in her eyes.
"I'unno, you come here and you don't learn anything about these animals except what you wanna know. You made them, and now you think you own them."
"We do own them… extinct animals have no rights." There was that challenging tone again, and now Blue bared her teeth with a low hiss, ready to jump at the tall walls. She was patient, she was damn good! But she was losing her patience, and she'd take no treats for misbehaving any day if it meant forcing Fat One to have a little respect!
"They're not extinct anymore, Hoskins."
"Exactly! We're sittin' on a gold mine, and Masrani is using it to stock a petting zoo!"
"He just wants to teach people…" Blue kept her eyes on the tall walls for a little longer after their voices went out of earshot. Chittering to Delta, Blue couldn't help but give into their shared disdain for Fat One. Delta wasn't listening to when they were chittering on the tall walls. She didn't care to listen or look at Fat One when he was looking at her. Blue hissed that a challenge had been given. If Fat One came into their pen, he was no better than the pink prey. He'd be slower to catch too.
Delta staggered a croon in delight at the suggestion as they paced about. She'd be happy to listen to Blue or Stupid Alpha if they gave the order to hunt Fat One. Blue chittered out a new question to Delta. Was Stupid Alpha smelling sicker? He looked sick again… and so soon. Surely she was just exaggerating. Delta didn't know how to answer, her attention going to the sounds of pink prey squealing. Blue's attention was diverted as well as there were sounds of struggle. She paced closer as the sound of a door rattling caught her attention.
"Pig loose!" one of the soft prey called from the tall walls. It was repeated, a call to the hunt. Blue and Delta got ready to charge after the pink prey, already twitchy and ready to receive it as a treat for today's progress. She was the best! Her pack was best! She was damn good! She could see the pink prey, as well as the thing they used to wrap around its neck. Clearly Echo was faster, darting from the brush to snatch up the pink prey. Though in watching the pink prey, Blue and Delta didn't see the soft prey fall in with it, only hearing the thud. Blue gave a rallying bark, looking now in the direction of the prey, Delta screeching in its direction. Both began to stalk towards the panicked prey as she heard rushing paws. Delta, Charlie and Blue were all together now, leaving Echo to be the one to make the kill as they stalked toward it.
"Owen, no!"
"No, no! Hold your fire!" Blue's attention immediately snapped to Stupid Alpha sprinting into the tall walls toward them. He was running! He even looked better! Maybe he was here to join the hunt! Maybe some good prey would be all he'd need! Though, instead of rushing to join them, Stupid Alpha instead stopped in front of them with a splayed paw. Delta knew what was happening before Blue could give out an indignant snarl, snapping at Stupid Alpha in her displeasure at another hunt being interrupted!
"Hold your fire! Do not fire!" How dare Stupid Alpha! How dare he! She was good! She did well for him! He was well enough to hunt, and this was how he was going to repay them?! Surely she deserved to hunt this prey for not getting the pink prey! She could see the soft prey slipping away, crawling away wounded as he kept an outward-splayed paw. She and her clutchmates hissed in warning. He may have been Alpha, but he was being stupid again! Prey was meant to be hunted! He chittered something to the other soft prey on the tall walls, now all looking down at him. The prey was gone, and now it was just pack caged by the tall walls.
"Blue… stand down," came Stupid Alpha making a command for her. His tone was even and challenging… he… didn't want to hunt. And the smell of sick was already making her annoyed. He needed strength! A good hunt would do him well! "Stand down," he repeated, firmer now. Blue snapped with half-bared teeth at him in a way to tell him he was being stupid.
"Hey, hey! What'd I just say?!" His hand was beginning to get a little shaky now. The scent of sick was thick around him, and he looked like he was barely keeping it together. Blue now felt bad for snapping at him like that, but refused to back down. This was a challenge. She had to be a good beta. She was a good beta. "Delta, I see you, back up!" Delta was indignant at his equal attention toward her! She wanted to hunt, she wanted Stupid Alpha to stop being stupid and just hunt with them and screeched as such to him! It was two against him! What wasn't he getting?!
"Okay… good… gooooood," Stupid Alpha crooned, his tone now praising as he looked around at pack. Charlie hissed low as both she and Delta made feigning positions for a pounce. "Charlie! Stay right there." Another command… but it was clear that he wasn't holding it together. Stupid Alpha was weak and sick… maybe he didn't need to be Alpha for now. Maybe she could be the alpha while he got better. Pack needed to be better than this!
"Barry? Close the gate?"
"Are you crazy?"
"Hey… just trust me…"
But before Blue could understand what happened, their thoughts were interrupted as Echo quietly slid out from the brush. She'd been watching the exchange between Dark One and Stupid Alpha, bristling with the need to pounce, but held back until the buzzing sound. Her amber eyes glittered with intent. She was most ornery about him being sick. If he was too weak to be with pack, he was soft, stupid prey. Stupid Alpha didn't even seem to see her coming, his face beginning to pale again as the scent of sick stuck to him. Now Blue had to take charge, shrieking to Echo to stay back. But Echo didn't heed this time.
Echo pounced quickly onto Stupid Alpha, lethal claws already digging into his sides.
"Shit!" he shrieked out in distress. Charlie didn't know what to do, now startled back and eyeing the struggle as Echo bit into his shoulder, ready to tear a chunk of flesh out and forcing a cry of pain from him. Delta was first to act, already charging in to ram herself into Echo with a furious shriek. Stupid Alpha was stupid, and he looked like the soft prey! But he was pack, not soft prey! Blue followed quickly, ready to give Echo another scar for hurting Stupid Alpha. The scent of sick blood was thick in the air as the soft prey all made barks to one-another before she felt it.
Her muscles seized, and as did that of her clutchmates nearby. Pain shot through her and tore a shriek from her as she barely saw Dark One start pulling out Stupid Alpha from the tall walls! Why did she hurt so much?!
"Someone get him out of there!"
"ACU, keep them down!"
"Owen, Owen! Stay with me, man! Stay with me!" Blood, pain… she wasn't damn good. She should've stopped Echo before it happened. Stupid Alpha wasn't meant to hunt with them because of how soft he was, and now he was hurt and sick. Blue gave out a pitiful whine as she called out for Stupid Alpha, trying to see if he was okay.
Owen could barely focus as adrenaline pumped through him. He knew what had happened immediately as it did… he'd been so stupid as to not focus on his side. It was kind of hard to do that when all he could feel was the swirling of his stomach and the pounding of his head in that moment. He almost wanted to stay, stop ACU from firing on them. But he knew that this was bad; he needed to get to a doctor. His shoulder and sides felt like they were on fire and his stomach swirled at the extra adrenaline as the gate shut with a definitive "thunk".
"Owen, fucking Christ, what happened?!" he could barely hear Hoskins' yelling over the screams of the other handlers. His hand, now gripping his bitten shoulder, felt wet. Echo got him good… damn good… he shouldn't have been in there. It all happened so fast… the pig got out, the guy fell over the rail, and he was in there to try and save him. Animal attacks were nothing new at Jurassic World, but Owen knew that raptor attacks were serious matters, ones that could see his girls put down. If the injury was severe enough, it'd mean he'd be on the Mainland for an extended period of time.
But this proved a good demonstration to Hoskins, one could suppose. Owen pulled himself up, adrenaline already beginning to run himself low as he bled profusely from his side. Fuck, that was gonna need stitches… but it hadn't hit anything vital. At least, he hoped not.
"You see that Vic?" Owen berated through the bars, now looking at the serious dog of war with annoyance. "This is why raptors will not make good weapons!" His tone was exacerbated. He was tired… his stomach was swirling… his head was pounding. Were those stars dancing across his vision?
"Owen, that's a reach!"
"Is it?!" Owen could already feel his breakfast beginning to come back up to bite him, but he needed to get in that last word before he puked over his employer's shoes. "Last I checked, you said they could follow orders! Well —" And there went his breakfast. Owen's tirade was interrupted as he quickly upchucked undigested waffles onto the floor, Vic's shoes and onto the ground. Barry couldn't help but get up to help Owen in keeping up straight, hands already on his shoulders as the trainer heaved a few more times. His sides hurt way more than they should've with that.
"My girls aren't going to be weapons, Hoskins… not with that kind of aggression," Owen panted out. Vic looked fit to argue again over it. If anyone needed to remember that it was grownup time, it was him. He was too focused on living weapons that he forgot that they were still dangerous, wild animals. And Owen paid the price for it. But instead, Hoskins held up his hands, expression one of defeat.
"Okay… alright… fine," Hoskins said, "Whatever you say… but InGen needs —"
"I don't care what InGen needs," Owen blurted out. "Just… fuck… ugh… Barry…" He was feeling mighty woozy now, moving away from the cage doors as he looked over to the guy he'd just risked his life for in the stupidest way possible.
"You're the… uh… new guy, right?" Owen asked, getting a relieved nod and quiet "yeah" from the handler. Looking to the cage, he could see his girls were now being wrangled by ACU towards the holding pens. Not only did his stomach hurt, but his heart hurt. He now had a good feeling that his girls would associate this forever as something bad that he did; he may have lost their trust, and cost Jurassic World a new experience to educate people with.
"You ever wonder why there was a job opening?" He saw the kid's face drop at that, Owen clutching his burning side weakly while Barry held his injured shoulder. Damn, it was now starting to hurt all over. "That's why you let the pig go… Barry, help me out here." The trainer weakly shuffled his way to the door, already guiding him to a parked Jurassic World wrangler nearby the paddock.
"That was stupid of you Owen," he finally chuckled in relief as he started up the jeep. The navy vet was only half-conscious at this point, looking to his bald friend with a hint of being done for the day. "I'll try not to go on the bumpy roads."
"I'd rather you just get me to damn medical quickly."
"Owen… I'm not having you throw up in my car."
"There's nothing to throw up," Owen croaked, giving both of them something to chuckle at as they left the paddock.
"Echo was gunning for you, man. I saw that look in her eyes."
"I was too cocky," came the weak response. "She probably smelled how sick I was and went for it."
"Owen… even if you weren't sick, that was still stupid."
"I know my animals… just had to… had to…" Slowly, his eyes fluttered as he tried to focus on staying awake, a bump in the road sending searing pain through his side and jolting him back awake with a hiss of pain.
"Oh fuck… hope she didn't hit anything important…"
"You'll be damn lucky if she didn't."
"Remember… remember Rodrigues? He… he did something stupid like that too."
"Blue took his leg… still has the boot." The laugh that they both got at remembering the previous handler that left the position vacant for the newbie made the trip seem to go by that much quicker. Owen could barely keep his head straight as he saw Jurassic World out the side window. If he was lucky, Hoskins'd take his advice and back off of weapons training and let the park do what it wanted with InGen's animals… if he was lucky. He'd rather they do races to show their speed, or show off their impressive vocalization and social skills over weaponization any day.
Driving up to control-side, the nearby medical facility loomed over the forest canopies, its tall walls hiding whatever dinosaur patients happened to be there that day. Unfortunately, Jurassic World didn't have a hospital of its own. But it did have medical staff trained to deal with both severe guest injuries as well as the staff getting attacked by smaller dinosaurs. If Owen had to be sent to the Mainland, he could only imagine what Hoskins would try to do to keep him indisposed of.
"Alright… get up. I can't keep carrying you around all day," the dark-skinned handler ordered simply, already moving out after parking to help Owen onto his feet and leading him toward the facility. This was already going to be a long Christmas break if this was how his girls repaid him for treats.