The past couple days had gone by without much issue. Through most of it, Owen had been busy enjoying the cool, overcast weather by actually taking the time to catch up on some well-needed work. By comparison to most days — where the Central American heat was practically unbearable — today was rather comfortable, if not a little on the humid side. Were it not for the fact that his eyes were irritated that day, Owen would've taken the opportunity to take it easy and relax at his bungalow. Instead he was back at the raptor paddock, taking turns with Barry to try and get the girls to listen to their commands. It was easier to not focus on how dry his eyes were when he was focused on something else.

"Blue! Blue!" Barry attempted to bark over the railing. Owen looked down to the raptor pack as the Frenchman barked at them. His lips tugged into an amused smirk as it seemed that Blue had gotten bored of listening to him, and the other raptors had followed her lead to chase at something they thought they saw in the underbrush. When he moved, Blue's eyes flickered back up to the railing, and she stood at attention. Damn good that she knew who to listen to.

"I don't know how you do it, man. You manage to make them look like puppies."

"Helps that I hand-raised 'em," Owen chuckled.

"They sure as Hell listen to you more than they do me. How am I going to keep up on this while you're gone?"

"Can't get a boat to the Mainland, and I'm not riding with Hoskins." Barry only stopped at that, eyeing his partner with incredulity.

"So… what… you're staying here when you're sick?"

"C'mon Barry… I'm not sick today. I feel right as rain." The Frenchman couldn't help but push up Owen's sunglasses, revealing his irritated eyes to the overcast light. Pulling back and hissing in light discomfort, he brought the eyewear back down.

"Right… and Blue listens to me all the time," the man confidently pointed out. "First your stomach, now your eyes. You're coming down with something serious. You need to get off the Island to go get some help." Owen only rolled his eyes at the obvious, matter-of-fact statement from his fellow trainer.

"I couldn't find a boat!" Owen protested, "And I couldn't leave with Vic knowing… how long do you think it'd take him to find someone else to give him what he wants?" Barry remained quiet at that, knowing full-well that Hoskins was up to something. An indignant and harsh bark from one of the raptors below snapped their focus. Seemed that Echo was having another go at Blue. From what Owen could gather from the times he wasn't there, Echo and Blue were both getting into spats with one-another. He had his suspicions, but it was better to simply get their attention.

"Hey!" Owen called out to the pair, now circling each other and hissing with fore-claws splayed out in territorial displays. "Eyes on me!" he called. Both raptors did turn to look at Owen. Echo's lips curled in obvious irritation, a low growl rumbling from the dromaeosaur before she ran off into the brush. Only Blue looked expectantly. Not wanting to leave the raptor without a reward for good behavior, Owen pulled a slice of ham from the bag he'd been snacking from. It seemed that ham was the only thing he could stomach right now, so he always had an ample supply on hand. Even drinks beyond water seemed to upset his stomach.

"That's good, Blue!" he called down, tossing the treat down to the waiting dinosaur, who snatched it out of the air with precision before wandering off. After she was gone, Owen turned to look back to Barry. "Look, s'long as I can stand up, and keep something down my stomach, I'll be fine."

"Hey, Owen!" called a voice from the wall. Owen looked up, seeing the wrangler gesture over past it.

"What do they want now?" he muttered to himself, walking on over to see a familiar Mercedes was parked near the control tent. Claire was dressed about the same as expected: blinding, overly professional and pushy white. Thankfully, the sun being hidden behind the clouds meant that it wasn't blinding, but it still made her easy to pick out. As soon as she caught sight of him, the park operations manager was already heading up the stairs, heels clacking on the metallic steps. Her smile remained just as insincere and corporately distant as ever.

"Mis — O-Owen," Claire hastily corrected, already acknowledging the pursing of the man's lips as she greeted him. "I hope that your recovery's been… swift."

"'Bout as well as I can hope," the trainer answered honestly. Claire took a moment to awkwardly find her train of thought in that moment as Owen didn't bother with any of the usual niceties. He just wasn't in the mood.

"I… can see that. The fact you're working again hopefully means that your recovery period was acceptable."

"Again, 'bout as well as I can hope." Before Claire could respond, Owen already beat her to it, his tone all business. He just wanted her to leave him be; he didn't have to deal with her, technically, until next week. "Uh, what d'you want, boss?" Her lips pursed as she clearly tried to find the best way to make her offer to him, and as soon as she started, Owen could already tell that his amusement at ticking her off was wearing thin.

"Owen, I need you to come and take a look at something… if you're not too busy." The trainer only looked away now, responding in a lazy, uninterested manner. Of course she needed him for something. It was always something business-related.

"I'm pretty busy."

"We have an attraction," she replied, practically ignoring him.

"S'not what you said last time I saw you," he teased in kind.

"I'm talking about the dinosaurs, Mister Grady."

"Owen." Owen's tone was dangerous now, turning again to face Claire as she batted away a mosquito that had landed on her shoulder.

"A new species we've made." Now the trainer looked on incredulously at the park operations manager, her unfading smile not fooling him in the slightest. He could tell she was annoyed with his lack of professional etiquette.

"You just… went and made a new dinosaur?" Owen asked, turning away to head back over to watch the raptors over the railing as she talked, heels clacking after him as he went along the walkway.

"Yeah, it's, uh, kind of what we do here." Her annoyance was palpable, and it did make some part of Owen smile as he watched Charlie engage with Delta in what looked to be a rudimentary game of tag. "The exhibit opens to the public in four months, Mister Masrani and Mister Francis both wanted me to consult you.

"Would you prefer consulting me in another three, maybe six days?" Owen asked, bristling at the prospect of her considering asking for his consultation and professional opinion on a paddock when he was technically still supposed to be recovering.

"Unfortunately, Mister Masrani didn't believe that this could wait. We'd like you to evaluate the holding pen, and later the exhibit, for vulnerabilities."

"Why me?!" Owen protested, turning around now to face Claire as Delta gave an indignant bark of attention. Claire didn't seem too perturbed by his irritation, instead looking like she was grasping at straws as she made her excuse.

"I… guess Mister Masrani thinks, since you're able to control the velociraptors, that you —"

"Listen, I don't control the raptors, Miss Dearing," Owen agitatedly said. "It's a relationship… one built on mutual respect." His gaze remained hard behind his sunglasses, eyes watering as he strained to keep his focus on her face. "That's why you and I never had a second date."

Now Claire was the one bristling, her face contorting into one of shock and annoyance with the trainer.

"Excuse me, I never wanted a second date!" she huffed.

"Who prints out an itinerary for a night out?!"

"I'm a very organized person!"

"Yeah, but what kind of a diet doesn't allow for tequila?!"

"All of them, actually!" Claire responded matter of factly, already brushing her perfectly-straight hair back into place as she tried to regain control over the situation. "And what kind of a man shows up to a date wearing board shorts?"

"It's Central America, it's hot!" Their argument seemed like it was getting nowhere, and the park operations manager clearly sensing this and already trying to bring back the focus onto their new dinosaur.

"Okay, okay… can we just… focus on the asset?" Owen sighed and shook his head now, disappointed that she learned nothing from when he last talked with her. It seemed that Delta down below was also rather disappointed, giving a low reptilian hiss up toward Claire as she likely thought of all the ways she could try and reach her. Blue had also come out of the brush again, cocking her head curiously toward Owen as though to ask what was going on.

"Look… Claire, I like these animals too much for you to consider them as spreadsheet numbers. I told you at Monroe's office. You need to show them a little respect. 'Till then, you don't get mine, and I stay out for the remainder of my time." He heard Barry shout on over for the raptors, gathering their attention and calling them over while he watched.

"And… there's nothing I can say or do to convince you to come and take a look at the paddock this week?"

"You said the exhibit opens in four months! It can wait another four days!"

"Mister Grady, I will not have you taking that tone with me anymore!" Claire protested. Owen then stood straight, looming over Claire now as he bristled indignantly. The operations manager practically shrunk back from the former sailor, his tone even and calm, but very serious.

"Look, I get it… you're the manager, I'm the caretaker for your 'assets', but I'm not your employee; I'm InGen's. InGen wants me on leave until I'm 'recovered', and unless there's a legitimate reason I have to believe that your people don't know what they're doing, I intend to stay on my paid leave 'till I'm one-hundred percent. It's not in my contract." Claire's lips remained pursed, her expression hardened as she said something that only made Owen even more concerned over how much she cared about this.

"It… tried to break the glass."

"What?"

"Mister Grady, Mister Francis believes that the asset is of significant risk to this park and its operations in its current paddock. While I am not convinced of this, he and Mister Masrani both believe that the opinions of caretakers as well as Jurassic World's Asset Containment should be taken into account regarding its public enclosure as well as its current holding pen." Owen remained quiet in that moment, thinking hard on the nature of what she had just admitted to him.

"With due respect to your time and your paid leave, Mister Masrani told me that, whatever decision you make, you will be duly compensated the rest of your paid leave time starting today, as well as paid an additional amount for the inspections of both the asset's holding pen and the public enclosure by the end of this week."

Owen was stunned into disbelief with that. Much as he wanted to strangle Claire for her one last ditch effort to try and get him to inspect the paddock this week, he had to admit he was impressed by her conviction to get things done as quick as possible, and her honesty in admitting such a glaring safety issue to him. But one thing still bugged him; it was still about control! She wanted to control this animal: an entirely new species, by her own words. He wondered if it had even seen the outside of its enclosures, or interacted with other animals.

"Claire… if I do this… then I need you to actually listen to me on this, and understand that what I'm going to tell you may not be what you want to hear." Owen watched her expression carefully, the makeup and the smile hiding any sense of annoyance from her at this point before he gestured for her to follow him with his head.

"Is that a yes, Mister Grady?"

"I'll think about it… but before I do, I need you to see what exactly I do here." Claire's brow raised as he made his way down the stairs to the cage nearby. He needed her to stop being such a corporate goon.


Blue was annoyed today. Stupid Alpha only showed himself a few times to give them treats, but Dark One was the one giving commands. Who was he to bark where she and her clutchmates would go?! Blue was damn good! She would rather Stupid Alpha over him. At least he was familiar. She may have known Dark One, but Dark One wasn't pack.

Echo was still angry with Stupid Alpha. Though Blue could tell she was being stupid about it. Echo refused to eat the treats given to her, and hissed or snarled in Stupid Alpha's direction whenever she'd see him. She didn't think that Stupid Alpha should be Alpha anymore, and it made Blue angry. Who was she to deny Stupid Alpha?! Whenever he'd pass on the walkway, she'd hiss at him, make him firm and frustrated. But Blue could tell it was all bark and no bite. Her clutchmates could tell as well.

Charlie had chittered something to her about Stupid Alpha looking better these past few days. He even smelled better… but there was still sick in him. Blue could smell it too. Stupid Alpha didn't always smell like he did: the earthy tones of the jungles, the weird, burning stench from his loud, fast thing… but there was something else now to the sick. She couldn't pinpoint what, but it smelled somewhat familiar.

A sharp whistle from the cage nearby drew Blue's attention. The raptor turned to look around and up above, thinking that the familiar whistle was coming from up high or on the tall walls.

"Blue!" he whistled again, followed by a stern call to her. The raptor chittered as she turned to the cage. She didn't want to go into the cage. She wouldn't! She was damn good, and she could spend as much time out of it as she wanted!

"Blue! Eyes on me!" Stupid Alpha's bark for attention. Why was it only her? She could see Charlie and Delta already looking at Stupid Alpha from the brush, but he wasn't focused on calling all of them. Still, she gave an acknowledging bark to her alpha before trotting over to the metal bars. There was someone else though… they were on the far side of them, two sets of metal bars between her and Stupid Alpha.

Whoever this other one was… she saw them on the high place where Dark One and Stupid Alpha usually stood. She didn't like the bright white. It made her eyes sting, and Blue couldn't help but bristle in indignation.

"Damn good, Blue… damn good." Of course she was! His affectionate chitters always tweaked at a sweet spot in the back of her head. She was damn good. Even if she hadn't stopped Echo from attacking Stupid Alpha, she felt good that he wasn't mad at her… at least… she didn't think he was.

"See? Nothin' too shabby. They come when called… but that's only 'cause I've been around her for so long. Watch what happens when I try to get Echo." Blue didn't understand him, but she knew that he was communicating with White. White's scent tickled the raptor's nose, causing a lip to curl and a hiss to escape her. She didn't like these unnatural smells, and the way they — she, Blue had to correct herself — the way that she held herself. It lacked respect. There was fear there… she should be afraid! She was damn good!

"Hey! No!" Stupid Alpha's stern tone told the raptor "calm down"… she'd do it… for now… but she would not tolerate White's presence too long. Stupid Alpha gave another calling whistle to the brush. "Echo!" Blue could hear the telltale clicker that he liked to use. Instead of the usual trot-up that happened, an indignant scree echoed from the brush. Stupid Alpha looked disappointed, but kept it up, calling again with his shrill whistle and a few clicks from his closed paw.

This time, Echo came barreling out of the brush and stopped only at the tall bars, snarling and hissing at Stupid Alpha. She was calling him so many names that she could think of. How dare Stupid Alpha disturb Echo! The sounds were attracting the other two, Delta and Charlie already pulling on up. Only Blue remained calm as Echo pressed her snout through the bars, trying to reach her claws. She'd be damn good for this. It was a test, she was sure.

"Good… good to see you too, girl." Stupid Alpha's tone held a hint of worry. He was afraid of Echo… Blue should've bitten Echo for being so bold to try and attack him through the bars. Delta hissed for Echo to stop, clearly annoyed by her clutchmate's anger. Charlie, meanwhile, took a spot between Blue and Echo, very clearly interested in whatever Stupid Alpha was testing them to do.

"Alright. Wanted only one of you… but you all will have to do," Blue heard him remark to himself. "Blue!" he called, the raptor snapping her amber gaze up attentively. Two clicks from his closed paw before he grabbed a big treat from the container next to him. He then opened up the door to the cage.

"Owen!" White cried out, "What are you doing?!" The sudden noise caused the other raptors to nervously tap their toeclaws to the ground, Echo growling deep and aggressively as she kept her sneering gaze on Stupid Alpha. Before she could go in after him, Owen shut the gate behind him. Now there was only one set of tall bars in the way… the ones with the gate that went up. What was he up to?

"Blue, Charlie, Delta! Back!" Blue knew this command, taking two steps backward. Charlie only did one, with Delta following Blue's lead in this instance. The pair chittered to each other. This was a new test. It wasn't like chasing the pig… maybe there would be a bigger treat at the end if they did it right.

"Echo… stand down," Stupid Alpha commanded, only resulting in snarls and growls as she determinedly tried to shove her way through the bars and get to Stupid Alpha. Blue didn't know what was going on, but she absolutely did not like the way Echo was acting. It was angry, but for what?! For being sick?! Stupid Alpha was always weaker than them… why now did she choose to consider Stupid Alpha to be prey?!

"Owen, you —"

"Hey. Trust me," Stupid Alpha crooned. It was affectionate… Blue didn't know what to think… was White a mate for him?! She didn't like White… White would be a bad mate. She could tell. White didn't respect Stupid Alpha. Stupid Alpha had to talk to her like he did to them… she was not pack. Another hiss escaped from Blue's lips, now matched by a snap at the air.

"Watch it!" he snapped. Blue's head reared back. She hadn't done anything wrong! She had just made her displeasure known, and did so again through a hiss to Stupid Alpha. He was being stupid again, least of all as he reached toward the snapping, snarling Echo. Her motions seemed to grow more frantic before she pulled herself back and rammed into the bar with a loud "clang". Charlie yipped and fell to her side while Delta turned to snarl at Echo. Watch it!

Stupid Alpha stumbled back, chuckling and calling for Echo's name before chucking the treat through the bars. She was the only one who stood still! she deserved the treat the most! She quickly moved toward where the fat dead prey was landing before catching it. She had a feeling that was Echo's, but Echo was being angry and stupid. She was the best. She listened to Stupid Alpha's orders, even when he was being stupid. She deserved the treat.

"Blue, no!" he whined, "C'mon!" Blue didn't care for the disappointment. The fat treat was only made all the better as Echo watched her swallow it before hissing at her. How dare she steal her treat! Blue only chuffed. Should have listened. Don't be stupid. Echo only snarled and snapped at the air in front of Blue, just barely nudging the scrambling Charlie out of the way before running off into the brush. She was done listening to Stupid Alpha right now.

The other two had begun to shuffle away; they didn't like this training. Blue was always the last to get a treat, and it seemed Stupid Alpha didn't have anything else to give. They would remember that… maybe Dark One would give them a bigger treat.

"You see that, Claire? That is not control," Stupid Alpha chittered on to White. White looked scared, reeked of fear as he stepped out of the cage. His forepaws were now crossed as he kept his back to the cage now. He appeared to be looking to White while he chittered sternly to her. "You don't control these animals. I don't even control them."

"Okay… I get it," White huffed. "So… does this mean you'll do it?" Stupid Alpha only seemed to shrug, his shoulders tense as he clearly looked on to White with annoyance. Maybe she wasn't his mate.

"You'll know my answer after I have dinner. Or I could have an answer sooner to you… if you come my bungalow?" White seemed to sneer for a moment. Maybe she smelt something off Stupid Alpha. Blue's attention was drawn away, however, by the sounds of her clutchmates scuffling with each other. It sounded like Delta and Echo were snarling at each other over Echo being stupid.

"That's not funny."

"Hehehe… it's a lil' funny."


As Owen stepped back into his bungalow, he couldn't help but grimace at the twinges in his bitten shoulder. Monroe had given the wounds a lookover for the past few days. The scabs looked to be healing nicely, but he had suggested that Owen take it easy on the shoulder when he started complaining about the twinges, thinking there might've been some light nerve damage. Same went for his side. Collapsing onto the couch with a sigh, the trainer turned on the TV, switching it onto something he could just use as white noise. He thought it might've been CSI. It didn't matter. It was just white noise while he considered what Claire was asking of him.

Taking off his sunglasses, Owen's eyes immediately blinked at the irritation of the bright lights coming off the TV. Owen took a brief moment to let them adjust, grumbling to himself about how Eyedrops had certainly helped with the irritation, but he felt that it was only putting a Band-Aid on a bigger problem. Whatever was going on with him, it was clear that he needed treatment. The thought of using this opportunity to get a trip to the Mainland afterward was appealing.

With that said, he didn't necessarily think that Claire had really learned anything over his demonstration of what he did with the raptors on a day-to-day basis. At least, that's what the skeptical part of his brain told him. The other part of it, the part that wanted to see the good parts of the park operations manager, told him that she'd been humbled. Vic had been humbled too, at least from what he heard. Maybe Owen was just being too paranoid about it. His focus, clearly, should've been in getting off the island and getting to the Mainland for a proper checkup. He could only go to the veterinarian for so long before Monroe'd stop him from coming in.

Yet his focus was on other things now, like dinner. His stomach grumbled impatiently as he considered what would be good to eat besides more ham. Now that… that was the oddest thing. His stomach was being settled by deli meats, and not just deli meats, but uncooked. It unnerved him in some way. Echo was acting strange too. Was she sick as well? Had she given something over to Owen? He didn't really feel sick anymore… not since that Sunday. About the most he could find was the irritation in his eyes, and his inability to hold down anything but water and deli meat.

That thought alone settled it in his mind. The medical team on the island was primarily suited for the dinosaurs. He needed to get back to the States, and the only way he could do that was if he got back in touch with Claire. Grabbing his walkie off of his belt, Owen switched the channel over to Control.

"Hey, Control. Is Claire there?" Silence was Owen's only response for a few seconds before the voice of someone came on the other line. It wasn't Claire, and his voice reminded him of someone he wanted to sock back in his schooldays.

"Claire… just went out. Who is this?"

"This is Owen Grady. I need to speak with Claire on an offer she made to me." More silence, before another response came on, this one from a familiar suit.

"Owen, it's Doug. I can take a message to Miss Dearing," came his reply. Owen was shocked to say the least. Why wasn't the lawyer gone yet?

"Wasn't expecting you in Control… what are you doing there?"

"My job." Owen couldn't help but snerk at the matter-of-fact way that Doug responded to him. "Is this to do with her request to inspect the animal's paddocks?"

"Y-yeah… actually."

"Okay… are you able to come tomorrow afternoon? I'm sure Miss Dearing will send someone to pick you up." Owen threw up his hand in the air.

"Sure… but, uh… Doug, if it isn't too much trouble… I'll need to extend my vacation time after this… by another week. I need to go to the Mainland, get my shoulder checked. Doc's orders." Silence met him as he hoped the lawyer would be able to supercede Claire on it. He was partly worried the woman wouldn't let him stay on vacation too long.

"That's fine Owen. InGen will duly compensate you for additional time. Now, besides you, the paddock for exhibition has been investigated by Vic Hoskins. He says it's up to ACU and InGen Security Division standards. He'll be with you tomorrow; is that alright with you?" Owen felt floored, now. He had to work with Vic on this?! Given that the man knew next to nothing about animals, he didn't trust his judgement to be sound.

"What makes Vic a good person to ask about this? The man thinks dinosaurs will be warfare's next great evolution."

"It's formality. He's the head of InGen Security Division, so he needs to help ensure the paddock is secure." It… seemed like a valid reason. But something seemed off about it. Doug, for a lawyer, seemed a little too informal about this. The way that he just overrode procedure made him feel all sorts of off… or maybe it was the slice of ham that he was now eating. He didn't know which it was.

"Alright. Thanks."

"I'll have Mister Hoskins pick you up tomorrow. Anywhere in particular?"

"Raptor paddock. I can do it in the morning."

"Sounds good." The line then went dead as Owen was left to his own devices. Setting down the walkie, the trainer began to finish the last of his ham… but he was still hungry. He must've went through the whole bag, and through the day, his stomach was continuing to bug him about eating something. Maybe he'd try something else, see if it'd get his stomach to stop. As the show droned on in the background, Owen couldn't help but let his mind wander to other things, like how Claire would've looked with less doll-like hairstyles. It only made him grin in response.


Loud. They were loud. The small things outside the walls. Her crimson eyes cracked open at the whirring and banging going around outside her paddock walls. She had no idea how long they had been making this obnoxious racket for, but she knew that she hated it. Her bones already ached enough without the constant cacophony drowning out the natural jungle. The noise and the vibrations they made only made her more irritable.

Shivering her jaws with malicious intent, This One stood to her feat, the snaps of twigs masking the crackling of her aching joints. She still felt like she had plenty of growing left to do, but it wouldn't help if she kept on being woken up by the small things. They were infuriating. Especially White. This One didn't like White; she seemed too put together, too stiff. It was looking at something unnatural whenever she'd see her. White had been coming more often. It started when Fat went away. Fat was always fun to scare. She had broken the glass to scare him, and it worked. Then White came in with two others. The one with darker skin… he seemed very interested. But there was someone else.

The one with the light hair, and a face that was a little too square for her liking. He was the one she was most interested in. He smelled like walking Death; and that was what she called him. His stench practically permeated beyond the glass. He needed to be put in the ground, have it leech from him his death-stench. She was tempted to break the glass and grab him, do that to him. But she knew somehow she'd be punished for it. She was punished for breaking the glass: the sharp sting in her neck. It happened whenever she'd misbehave. When she bit the small things for trying to feed her like she was some other animal, when she tried clawing her way out of the tall walls and left her claws bloody and raw, whenever she'd scare Fat… and she knew that killing Death and burying him would give her a punishment as well.

But there was something else. After White had visited with the three others, it was just her and Fat. She came now, every day, to observe her. Why was White suddenly so interested in her? Did she not know that she didn't like her? No, of course she did. It must've been why White was visiting: to punish her, again and again, for breaking the glass. This One couldn't take it… she felt so alone… ever since…

No… those were the bad thoughts. She didn't want to think about the bad thoughts. There was only one solace for it… but she couldn't focus herself, she couldn't go back to sleep to drive the bad thoughts away! The small things were busy with their loud things outside the tall walls! At some point, she had to escape, she had to leave this place, find somewhere the small things didn't have control over. But before she did… she'd start by killing Death. Death needed to be buried deep in the Earth. And White needed to be humbled. She was powerful… but she ached in many places, and right now, needed sleep. So she shrieked out to the small things. They needed to be quiet. She needed to rest. She was still growing.