Clang...
A blood-stained bullet was extracted and dropped into a nearby tal tray. Dark, oxygen-depleted blood filled the transfusion tube, steadily flowing into Charlie's body.
"Aorrk..."
Charlie let out a weak moan. Zia's brow furrowed as she realized Charlie's condition was likely more critical than they had initially feared.
"The bullet grazed her lung..."
"Oh, god."
Claire, who had taken Franklin's place to help stanch the bleeding, clearly understood the grim implication behind Zia's words.
"Will she make it?"
Owen refused to give up hope.
"Interspecies transfusions always carry a risk of rejection. Now with the lung damage... whether she pulls through is entirely up to her. Damn it, I wish I had more surgical experience."
Zia let out a heavy exhale, resting her hands on her hips. She then placed a gentle hand on Charlie's side and whispered, "Fight it, girl."
Owen stared at Charlie on the operating table, frozen for a long mont. Once the wound was dressed, Claire whispered to the other two:
"Let's give them so space."
She led the way away from the table, giving Owen's shoulder a supportive squeeze as she passed. Franklin, never one for knowing what to say, lingered beside Owen for a while before retreating in silence.
"You did everything you could... Owen."
Zia's final words before leaving pulled Owen out of his trance.
"I know... I know..."
Now, only Owen and Charlie remained by the table. Sensing Owen's distress, Charlie let out a soft trill, as if asking what was wrong.
Owen wiped his eyes. Though he couldn't "speak" Raptor, his years of research made Charlie's intent perfectly clear.
A pack-mate's comfort.
"I'm okay, Charlie... I'm okay."
Honestly... it's been four years since I've even seen a Raptor. Why do I still rember it all so clearly? Why?
Owen leaned down, pressing his forehead against Charlie's. Tears tracked down his cheeks. Perhaps from the post-surgical pain, Charlie also had moisture welling in the corners of her eyes.
"I'm sorry..."
"I'm so sorry..."
…
"Watch this."
In the video, a sub-adult Charlie stood in the paddock while Owen stood on the observation catwalk above. Charlie tilted her head, studying him from below; Owen mirrored the gesture perfectly.
"Aok!"
Seemingly dissatisfied with Owen's imitation, Charlie let out a sharp bark. Owen straightened his head, unable to suppress a smile. He looked toward the cara and said:
"Velociraptors... they really are incredible creatures."
Reptiles, yet possessing such a depth of emotion and bond. It was as if you took the purity of an animal and added the cognitive capacity of a human. One mont they were as hyperactive as dogs, the next as aloof as cats.
To protect their own, they would sacrifice everything. How many creatures in this world are so perfect?
Well, apparently, there's a whole other pack of them.
"The Giganotosaurus have all been successfully evacuated?"
Suddenly, footsteps and the sound of conversation echoed through the laboratory. Maisie flinched, quickly scrambling into a hiding spot. She recognized one of the voices as Mills', but the other...
"Yes. No thanks to your Giganotosaurus friend. The sedation process took twice as long as projected."
Mills stopped, his tone thick with a grumbling, petty irritation as he complained to Dr. Wu.
"Is there a problem with that?"
Dr. Wu didn't see anything wrong with Carlo's behavior. To him, the creature was consistently magnificent, gentle yet powerful, unlike any other biological entity on Earth.
"The problem is we didn't have room for that many dinosaurs! And we still had to dart them."
Mills rolled his eyes, dropping the subject as he continued walking.
"Since that's the case, why do you still need the Velociraptor?"
Wu followed Mills, answering calmly, "The Raptor is the behavioral specin. We need Blue. She must survive."
"So that's your excuse for the delay? Wheatley lost an arm. You'd better pray he doesn't co looking for payback."
Mills was happy to accommodate Wu regarding funding, but in other matters, Wu's requirents were always rigorous; to Mills, they were simply pedantic.
"You don't understand... what we are doing here. Do you have any idea how complex it is to create an entirely new life form?"
"No, but I know how much it costs."
The two n were on completely different wavelengths. Mills passed by Maisie's hiding spot, heading toward the exit.
"To better master the next generation, we need an individual with similar genetics to establish a familial bond..."
Wu was still trying to get Mills to grasp the intent behind his actions. Mills, wanting no part of the lecture, cut him off.
"Speak human, Henry."
"She needs a family!"
Wu's voice bordered on explosive. A true scientist never trips over the sa stone twice; he would not repeat the glaring flaws of the Indominus rex.
Mills was startled by Wu's outburst and turned back to face him. Wu took the opportunity to elaborate:
"What is the ultimate difference between the Indominus rex and Giganotosaurus? They are both monsters, but the Giganotosaurus has a family. Because of that, he transford from a predator into a guardian. He integrated perfectly into the natural order. How can you not see that?"
"Empathy, obedience... the traits found in these Raptors are entirely absent in your prototype."
Mills had reached his limit; his face practically twitched with frustration. Finally, he conceded.
"Fine. How long will this take to finish?"
"This isn't a sprint, Mr. Mills. It's a marathon."
Mills let out a long sigh, hands on his hips as he paused. He looked at Wu and asked:
"Marathons sound expensive. I don't have the ti or the patience, Henry. Can't you just get your Giganotosaurus friend to cast a 'be-good' spell on it?"
Wu gave a dry, exasperated laugh. The man's understanding of dinosaurs was likely inferior to that of a seven-year-old. However, since Mills was the benefactor, he had to explain:
"If we rely on the Giganotosaurus, we will never be able to create another."
"Why?"
"The Raptors are my creation. But the Giganotosaurus you speak of... is not."
"He is the greatest gift God ever gave to Mother Nature."
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