Subject V.2.3A | "OMEGA" (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
cerhadivision) wrote2017-05-14 09:57 pm
cerhadivision) wrote2017-05-14 09:57 pm
Isla Sorna
2
Forbluebetabitch
When you spend a long time building something with your own two hands, it becomes difficult to wrap your mind around the idea of the work being done. Owen grew up around that kind of mindset, and knows very well how it feels to be in the same grip. But he doesn't mind. That's the thing about having a family: it expands, and the world around it needs to expand with it. Little by little, the house came up around them, and they settled into it, and he's never really stopped working this little world of his over like an ever-evolving project that he loves with his whole heart.
They're settled here. Officially. No one can deny it, and even though Owen still has dreams sometimes about InGen -- or anyone -- hunting them down to rip the girls, or even the boys, out of his hands, those fears evaporate every morning. The girls get along as well as any sisters do, and even the squabbling has died down in recent months; the boys have adapted beautifully, and although Chi and Psi still exhibit behavior that looks odd alongside the girls from time to time, they no longer struggle to meet expectations that were completely alien to them for most of their lives.
And then there's Blue and Omega.
The difference in Blue between her youth on Isla Nublar, and the young womanhood that quite clearly blossomed in the Santa Lucia Mountains of central California, is not only noticeable, but striking. Always the one he could rely on over the others, Blue has managed to develop into a creature that is both an extension of his right arm and yet still a highly independent person who no longer looks to him quite so often for cues; she still values her space and her privacy, but those withdrawals from the pack just to brood and sulk have all but disappeared. And while Blue's temper will always strike fear into the hearts of her siblings -- adopted or otherwise -- she's learned to balance it with patience, a trait that would always thwart her more than any other. Until now. Owen always wanted Blue to learn that balance between animal instinct and human rationality, and he knew she'd get there in her own way sooner or later. Now, it seems she has, and it's a beautiful thing to see.
Then, as if her own transformation wasn't enough, she'd somehow managed to turn her mate into an entirely different person.
If Blue's maturation is impressive, Omega's has been nothing short of miraculous. All right... Owen is a professional behaviorist; he knows there's no such thing as miracles, only hard work and dedication. Only this time it wasn't his. It was Blue's time, effort, and uncharacteristic affection that turned a furious, hateful killing machine into something that could be now what he might have been then, before InGen had their way. Omega lives in the house now. He eats when they do. He joins the family in their gatherings, as long as Blue is with him, and although his temper is still zero to 60 when roused, these days it's much harder to set him off than it used to be, even if that wouldn't be saying much. He prefers his mate and solitude over anything else, but his violently aggressive tendencies have been all but curbed for the sake of keeping Blue happy.
For obvious reasons, Owen has kept a close eye on them both from day one, and even from the very beginning Omega has treated Blue like the center of the universe. Owen himself has salvaged his share of abused, wild animals -- it's literally part of the job -- but he knows without question that no one could have done this but her. And her success is absolutely indisputable.
Case in point: today, Omega's dislike for interacting with unfamiliar people had outweighed his desire to be with Blue as often as possible, and instead of throwing a tantrum he simply hadn't gone with her down the mountain.
For Barry, it was supplies; Echo wanted clothes; Blue was only interested in procuring necessary parts for her nearly-restored 1979 Pontiac Phoenix Firebird, a task built upon very specific requirements and one which she would never entrust to any of her siblings. The day is very nice for a sojourn into the city, considering the length of the drive: blue skies and a mild breeze, not quite so far into spring that the air is anything more than comfortably warm. Psi is helping Delta collect chili peppers and the new experimental plums. Chi fell asleep in the grass up the hill. Charlie is giving Owen a hand with replacing some worn poles along the stone steps leading down to the boys' den, when they hear the familiar sound of the Jeep rolling up the long hill that serves as their driveway.
Only, it sounds like it's coming up fast.
Owen and Charlie look at each other, and immediately drop what they're doing to meet the car just as Barry rolls up, screeching to a stop and diving out of the driver's side to rush around to the passenger door. He looks frantic. And he's helping Echo out of the car. She looks like she's about to pitch right off her feet.
"Owen!" Barry calls out urgently, eyes widening immediately as Owen rushes to them. "Owen!" He has to wrap an arm around Echo's back to keep her standing. And then, to Owen's surprise and dread, Barry yells again. "Omega!"
Owen doesn't actually know where Omega has been this whole time. But suddenly he's there next to him, clearly as alarmed at being summoned as Owen was to hear it, and Owen can practically feel the tension in the male raptor's body triple because they both realized the same thing: that Blue is not with them.
"They took her," Barry says, breathless, and the bottom falls out of Owen's stomach.
Echo tries to rouse herself, flopping a little, mumbling in groggy frustration as she tries to shake off whatever is wrong with her and help explain. But Barry keeps his hold on her and barrels right through it.
"It was InGen. They had an entire strike force, Owen, the streets are chaos now. They used non-lethals. Tranquilizers. Echo took a direct hit, but they left her behind. All of them were focused on Blue." He looks at both of them, Owen and then Omega, panicked and desperate. "They came for her."
The weather was gorgeous a minute ago. Now the entire world is ice. Owen's heart has stopped, his breath is gone. Delta and the boys come running up, but he barely notices them. Beside him is Omega, frozen; then suddenly the raptor whirls to him, eyes wide, and the fury -- the fear -- in them is apocalyptic.
Omega doesn't say a word, but Owen immediately finds his voice. "Go get her."
The male raptor is gone like a bolt of lightning. Owen turns and strides quickly to a hidden cache beneath the porch. He pulls out two assault rifles and a hell of a lot of ammo as Charlie shrieks behind him, "Why aren't we going with him?!"
"Because we're going to follow him." Owen tosses a rifle to Barry, and gestures sharply for everyone to get into the car, including the still-dizzy Echo. "After Isla Nublar, Omega found us in less than a week on nothing but Blue's scent and pure instinct. This time he knows where he's going. We'd only slow him down." The motor is still running. Almost before every door is shut, Owen jerks the Jeep into gear. His last words are almost a growl to himself. "With any luck, all we'll have to do is clean up."
The Jeep screeches in reverse, turns, and roars off down the mountain.
For
bluebetabitchWhen you spend a long time building something with your own two hands, it becomes difficult to wrap your mind around the idea of the work being done. Owen grew up around that kind of mindset, and knows very well how it feels to be in the same grip. But he doesn't mind. That's the thing about having a family: it expands, and the world around it needs to expand with it. Little by little, the house came up around them, and they settled into it, and he's never really stopped working this little world of his over like an ever-evolving project that he loves with his whole heart.
They're settled here. Officially. No one can deny it, and even though Owen still has dreams sometimes about InGen -- or anyone -- hunting them down to rip the girls, or even the boys, out of his hands, those fears evaporate every morning. The girls get along as well as any sisters do, and even the squabbling has died down in recent months; the boys have adapted beautifully, and although Chi and Psi still exhibit behavior that looks odd alongside the girls from time to time, they no longer struggle to meet expectations that were completely alien to them for most of their lives.
And then there's Blue and Omega.
The difference in Blue between her youth on Isla Nublar, and the young womanhood that quite clearly blossomed in the Santa Lucia Mountains of central California, is not only noticeable, but striking. Always the one he could rely on over the others, Blue has managed to develop into a creature that is both an extension of his right arm and yet still a highly independent person who no longer looks to him quite so often for cues; she still values her space and her privacy, but those withdrawals from the pack just to brood and sulk have all but disappeared. And while Blue's temper will always strike fear into the hearts of her siblings -- adopted or otherwise -- she's learned to balance it with patience, a trait that would always thwart her more than any other. Until now. Owen always wanted Blue to learn that balance between animal instinct and human rationality, and he knew she'd get there in her own way sooner or later. Now, it seems she has, and it's a beautiful thing to see.
Then, as if her own transformation wasn't enough, she'd somehow managed to turn her mate into an entirely different person.
If Blue's maturation is impressive, Omega's has been nothing short of miraculous. All right... Owen is a professional behaviorist; he knows there's no such thing as miracles, only hard work and dedication. Only this time it wasn't his. It was Blue's time, effort, and uncharacteristic affection that turned a furious, hateful killing machine into something that could be now what he might have been then, before InGen had their way. Omega lives in the house now. He eats when they do. He joins the family in their gatherings, as long as Blue is with him, and although his temper is still zero to 60 when roused, these days it's much harder to set him off than it used to be, even if that wouldn't be saying much. He prefers his mate and solitude over anything else, but his violently aggressive tendencies have been all but curbed for the sake of keeping Blue happy.
For obvious reasons, Owen has kept a close eye on them both from day one, and even from the very beginning Omega has treated Blue like the center of the universe. Owen himself has salvaged his share of abused, wild animals -- it's literally part of the job -- but he knows without question that no one could have done this but her. And her success is absolutely indisputable.
Case in point: today, Omega's dislike for interacting with unfamiliar people had outweighed his desire to be with Blue as often as possible, and instead of throwing a tantrum he simply hadn't gone with her down the mountain.
For Barry, it was supplies; Echo wanted clothes; Blue was only interested in procuring necessary parts for her nearly-restored 1979 Pontiac Phoenix Firebird, a task built upon very specific requirements and one which she would never entrust to any of her siblings. The day is very nice for a sojourn into the city, considering the length of the drive: blue skies and a mild breeze, not quite so far into spring that the air is anything more than comfortably warm. Psi is helping Delta collect chili peppers and the new experimental plums. Chi fell asleep in the grass up the hill. Charlie is giving Owen a hand with replacing some worn poles along the stone steps leading down to the boys' den, when they hear the familiar sound of the Jeep rolling up the long hill that serves as their driveway.
Only, it sounds like it's coming up fast.
Owen and Charlie look at each other, and immediately drop what they're doing to meet the car just as Barry rolls up, screeching to a stop and diving out of the driver's side to rush around to the passenger door. He looks frantic. And he's helping Echo out of the car. She looks like she's about to pitch right off her feet.
"Owen!" Barry calls out urgently, eyes widening immediately as Owen rushes to them. "Owen!" He has to wrap an arm around Echo's back to keep her standing. And then, to Owen's surprise and dread, Barry yells again. "Omega!"
Owen doesn't actually know where Omega has been this whole time. But suddenly he's there next to him, clearly as alarmed at being summoned as Owen was to hear it, and Owen can practically feel the tension in the male raptor's body triple because they both realized the same thing: that Blue is not with them.
"They took her," Barry says, breathless, and the bottom falls out of Owen's stomach.
Echo tries to rouse herself, flopping a little, mumbling in groggy frustration as she tries to shake off whatever is wrong with her and help explain. But Barry keeps his hold on her and barrels right through it.
"It was InGen. They had an entire strike force, Owen, the streets are chaos now. They used non-lethals. Tranquilizers. Echo took a direct hit, but they left her behind. All of them were focused on Blue." He looks at both of them, Owen and then Omega, panicked and desperate. "They came for her."
The weather was gorgeous a minute ago. Now the entire world is ice. Owen's heart has stopped, his breath is gone. Delta and the boys come running up, but he barely notices them. Beside him is Omega, frozen; then suddenly the raptor whirls to him, eyes wide, and the fury -- the fear -- in them is apocalyptic.
Omega doesn't say a word, but Owen immediately finds his voice. "Go get her."
The male raptor is gone like a bolt of lightning. Owen turns and strides quickly to a hidden cache beneath the porch. He pulls out two assault rifles and a hell of a lot of ammo as Charlie shrieks behind him, "Why aren't we going with him?!"
"Because we're going to follow him." Owen tosses a rifle to Barry, and gestures sharply for everyone to get into the car, including the still-dizzy Echo. "After Isla Nublar, Omega found us in less than a week on nothing but Blue's scent and pure instinct. This time he knows where he's going. We'd only slow him down." The motor is still running. Almost before every door is shut, Owen jerks the Jeep into gear. His last words are almost a growl to himself. "With any luck, all we'll have to do is clean up."
The Jeep screeches in reverse, turns, and roars off down the mountain.
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Nevertheless, when Owen pulled her aside to warn her, Gwen blinked up at him, nonplussed. "Oh, absolutely. She knows what sorts of 'creatures' I worked with back at the park, and just how dangerous and unpredictable they are. You won't have any worries on that score, I promise. I've already advised her to let us put them both in Ben's old room--it's upstairs, at the back of the house, and quiet. It even has its own bathroom; well, it's shared between Ben's room and my old room, but there's no reason for either of them to ever come down the stairs, until we head back up north."
She tried for a reassuring smile, but it came out a little crooked, thanks to how tired they both were. "Mom's agreed not to even go upstairs while we're there. You and I can bunk down in my old room--it has a queen-sized bed, and it's right next door to the kids. So we'll be right there in case of any emergencies. Mom doesn't go upstairs much anymore anyway--although she did cancel the cleaning service this week, just as a precaution." Gwen dragged a hand through her tousled hair, sighing and thinking.
"But if Blue comes around soon--today, or this morning, more specifically--and an ultrasound exam--since I don't have a portable MRI machine in my pocket--reveals no further hemorrhaging or weakening of the vein wall, and she doesn't suffer any post-op complications and she manages to eat a little on her own, then we'll be in a van headed north just as soon as we can. Promise."
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"Fingers crossed," he answers with a small smile. Hell, if they could get Blue awake and eating, Owen would set up camp on the sidewalk if he had to. "I'm not rushing you or her back home." He glances around, eyebrow raised. "Just out of here. A little."
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But in less than two hours, the van was pulling into a cul-de-sac out in Claremont Valley and easing to a halt in front of a two-story house with a well-manicured lawn, a few surprisingly broad-leaved shade trees, and a white Impala parked in the drive. Gwen hopped out of the van first, hoping to intercept Marie before she appeared--she usually met guests at the door right away.
True to form, Gwen spied the front door open and her mother appear in it, all set to wave appropriate greetings, but Gwen hopped up the steps and cut her off before she could even get a word out. "Hey, Mom, we made it." She offered a quick squeeze and a smile, but rambled on before Marie could interject. "Blue's still not quite awake, but I'm expecting her to come around later on today, probably. She and Omega will stay up in Ben's room, it's quiet in there and at the back of the house so Fussie can't bother them and if you're in any way or fashion not okay with this, I can always check you into a hotel or a spa for a few days, but I just really need somewhere for all of us to stay that I can trust while Blue recovers..."
Gwen ran out of breath and sagged slightly; Marie caught her with a sympathetic little laugh and shook her head. "Oh, honey, of course it's all right for you to stay here with your dinosaur friends! I wouldn't have it any other way, you know that. Now, you look positively exhausted, why don't we get everyone settled and then you can get a hot shower and some sleep, hmm? And don't worry about Fussie, she'll be fine. I put her out in the back yard, just until everything calms down." Marie chuckled knowingly. "Don't want anyone to eat the poor old dear, do we?"
"Mother, please," Gwen grimaced.
"I'm just joking, dear." Marie patted her arm and smiled. "Now, what can I do to help you, mm? Oh, and you must introduce everyone," her voice fell to a conspiratorial whisper that was heard halfway down the block, "just so I know who I'm not supposed to pester."
Hiding under a bush wouldn't do much good here, Gwen reluctantly realized, and besides, she had to make sure that Omega didn't get the wrong idea about her mother's well-meaning presence and eat her. "Mom...just--please. Omega is the tall, black-haired--man, and Blue is our patient. They are the eldest of our hybrids, and are...married, for lack of a better term. He's insanely over-protective, it's sort of an issue with him. So while she's still recovering, it's best if we disturb them as little as possible, and you not at all. Just leave them to Owen and me--that's Owen, getting out of the van now. He's the girls', well, father, their legal guardian and all that. So what he says, goes. Understand me?"
Marie was listening with the same expression she wore whenever Gwen told her about a particular difficult case or surgery; that blank, incomprehensible look that signaled louder than words that her mother was listening out of politeness and not genuine interest; Gwen just mentally groaned. "Just...promise me you'll leave them to us. With everything, Mom, I'm not even close to kidding."
Her mother patted her arm again. "Of course, dear. I promise. Cross my heart and everything."
Omega was approaching the porch with Blue in his arms, the Beta still limp in the depths of her post-op coma. But her color was good and she was breathing on her own now, a good sign. Gwen resolutely and abruptly pulled her mother out of the way, instructing her to stay put, and gestured to the male hybrid to follow her, she'd show him where to go. With another warning glance at her mother, Gwen made the briefest of introductions, and led off into the house, gesturing for Owen to follow her once Omega had stepped over the threshold.
"Hello, there--Owen," Marie said, her smile warm and welcoming. If a little vapid. "I'm Marie, Gwen's mother, and it's lovely to meet you. Although perhaps not under these circumstances, a-ha." She made a little shooing motion with her hands. "But come in, come in, I've no doubt my daughter will be needing you upstairs--getting your kids all settled in, right?" She chuckled, still smiling. "You go on in, the stairs are right around the corner, and I'll fix some coffee, is that all right?"
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There is equipment to be unloaded, and although he's going to have to follow Gwen's lead on a lot of it, Owen starts to unload just to get everything inside while she runs interference on her mother. However, by the time he comes out of the van with the portable ultrasound machine tucked under one arm and makes it to the house, Marie Carruthers is turning to him with a smile that is familiar enough to leave him charmed by it.
"Pleasure's mine," he answers, with a smile that hopefully doesn't look too much like he woke up on a couch. "Thank you for letting us use your home -- if we're lucky, it won't be for too long. Coffee sounds great."
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"There's a bathroom through here," she told the male hybrid, opening the door to emphasize after he'd placed Blue carefully on the bed. "The windows open and have screens, so if you want to open them for some fresh air once in a while, feel free. Owen and I will sleep next door, it's through the bathroom there, so you won't even have to come out, if you don't want to."
After checking on Blue, taking her pulse and recording her vitals, Gwen promised she'd send up some food and water very soon before heading back downstairs to help Owen unload the rest of the equipment. Thankfully, her mother was comfortably ensconced in the kitchen, and Gwen left her there, hurrying back out to the van and wondering for the second time whether or not hiding under the bushes wasn't a good idea, after all.
It didn't take long to empty the van, and after Debra headed off, Gwen closed the front door with a tired, thankful sigh, contemplating sliding down to the floor, except for that it'd be damned impossible to get up if she did. What she really wanted to do was collapse on a horizontal surface somewhere with Owen behind her, the both of them simultaneously falling to REM 4 within a minute.
But instead, she shoved her way back upright and managed to make it into the kitchen, where her mother greeted her with a smile and a mug of steaming coffee, black with two heaping spoons of sugar and just a splash of cream.
"How does your Owen take his coffee?" Marie asked, pouring another mug. And giving her daughter a feminine "knowing" look back over her shoulder. "And Gwendolyn, you told me he was rugged, but you didn't tell me he was that rugged, my goodness." She chuckled, replacing the coffee pot on the warmer. "Reminds me of Harrison Ford, way back during his Indiana Jones days, I swear." She leaned over the island, trying to whisper but ostensibly failing. "...are you two sleeping together?"
"Mother--!" Gwen nearly thunked her head on the granite countertop. "I think we have more urgent concerns than my sex life!" she whispered back fiercely. "Such as the young girl who nearly died up there, don't you think?"
Marie straightened, nonplussed by her daughter's unusual heat. "All right, all right, yes, you're right. But, you know, honey--"
Gwen cut her off. Sharply. "Mom. Enough. Just drop it. Please."
She looked over and nearly wept with relief to see Owen emerging into the kitchen, and Marie hastened to get him coffee and a stool next to Gwen, and inquire as to what else they might need, and what she could do to assist, anything at all.
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Owen doubts they'll have to replace any windows this time, but he can only hope that Blue will still feel safe here when she wakes up.
Then he heads back down to find Gwen and her mother in the kitchen. Gwen's expression is a dialed-up version of the look she has on her face when she gets off the phone with her mother. Here's the real thing, and Gwen hasn't had a lot of sleep. Maybe Owen should quarantine her as well until they can get out of here.
But he just gratefully accepts the coffee, and thanks Marie before they move on to the greater issues still at hand. "Gwen is running the show here," he says, "but right now, we're just waiting for Blue to wake up. Our home is pretty isolated, so we need to be sure she's recovering properly before we take her so far from a hospital." He meets Gwen's gaze briefly, before smiling a little bit at her mother again. "But she's a tough girl. Shouldn't take long."
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"Oh, I know," she dimly heard her mother saying, "way up there in the mountains. Gwen won't give me your address, of course. For security reasons, I understand. But I imagine it's just lovely, all those trees and way up on the mountain and all that." Marie put down her coffee cup and rested a hand sincerely on Owen's arm.
"And I do hope your little girl pulls through, Owen, I really do. Gwen's told me so much about those kids, I can tell she loves them very, very much. And it's just horrible, what some people will do to kids these days, isn't it?"
Gwen had to speak up before she toppled off of the stool. "It really is, yeah. But that's why we're fighting for them, to keep them safe. Mom, would you mind running out for some stuff if I make you a list?" That way they'd have a few hours of uninterrupted sleep, pray God. "Omega hasn't eaten anything in probably a week, Blue even longer, and Owen and I are running on fumes as it is." And they were all going to need a change of clothes, and soon. Not to mention a long hot shower. Eventually.
"Oh, of course, dear. I wouldn't mind at all. What sort of things do you need?"
While her mother bustled about getting ready for a shopping expedition, Gwen pulled Owen aside and said, "I'll send her out for fruit and meat; hopefully Omega will eat one or the other--I know he has to be starving. I'll go ahead and make a grocery list for her if you want to head upstairs for a shower. Towels are in the cabinet next to the tub."
She allowed herself a brief minute to just rest her forehead on his chest, then straightened and added, "Maybe we can all get another good nap, and hopefully our girl will be back with us by then."
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He doesn't exactly have high hopes about Omega eating before Blue wakes up, but it's worth a shot if they can wave some of his favorites under his nose and pray that instinct kicks in. Hell, maybe Blue would smell it and wake up just to take a bite. That's the basket they might as well put their eggs in, because the more time passes without Blue swimming up from that post-op coma, the more heavily the tension vibrates where it's clinging to his spine. Come to think of it, when was the last time they had a decent meal?
"I'll do that," he concedes to the shower (without really knowing what to put on once he gets out of it. Problems for clean Owen). He wraps his arms around her and squeezes gently, kissing her head again before he lets her go. "Don't take too long. I'm starting to think that Blue is the only one around here who's getting enough rest."
Owen kisses her one more time against the side of her head, and then departs for the second floor; he might as well check in on Blue one more time before he takes that shower.
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She saw her mother out the door and down the street before trudging upstairs, hearing the shower running in the "kids'" bathroom, and had just enough foresight to grab a couple of bathrobes out of the hall closet before closing her old bedroom door on the rest of the world. She did pop in her brother's room for a quick visual check on Blue, but retreated back through the bathroom to the other bedroom, leaving the navy bathrobe for Owen as she passed.
Her old bedroom was still full of her old keepsakes, pictures here and there, both of family and Gwen herself: photos of her late father were more common, as were single pictures of Gwen--sitting atop a bright bay horse holding a blue ribbon, displaying her high school diploma with honor braids, standing with her mother and holding her veterinary credentials in graduates gown. As well as other snapshots of her and the family, some together, others not. The mirrored vanity held her father's dogtags, as well as a framed photo of him in his Marine dress blues, and no less than four Ribbons of Merit and several Silver and Gold stars, as well.
Her mother had opted for a rather colorful quilt for the bed; Gwen dimly remembered it being a gift from her grandmother, ages ago. But right now, it looked like the deepest-feather Italian comforter on the planet. She gave a deep sigh, then plopped down on the edge of the bed, kicking off her shoes and closing her eyes, waiting rigidly upright for Owen to come out of the shower.
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There's a bathrobe waiting for him, which is very thoughtful of Gwen. But Owen can't help thinking again about how surreal this whole situation is. He has two raptor hybrids -- one of whom is his Beta -- lying unconscious and semi-conscious respectively in a room next door, on the second floor of his girlfriend's mother's house, putting on a bathrobe that doesn't belong to him, while said girlfriend awaits him in her childhood bedroom. Did he ever actually wake up from the couch in her office? He has to assume so, because he wouldn't be so goddamn tired in a dream.
At least the bathrobe smothers down any steam that was still rising from his skin when he emerges, finding Gwen sitting on the edge of the bed, either unwilling or unable to relax. He takes a seat next to her, leaning forward to look her in the eyes. "You want to wash up?"
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...where...?
Olfactory senses kicked in then, and she scented Omega, close, and then Dr. Gwen's familiar fragrance, and finally, Owen, thank God. Her stiff muscles relaxed and she took a deep breath, feeling as weak as a day-old kitten. But she was here, she was awake, and there wasn't a nightmare waiting in the shadows, too ready to devour her whole once again.
Instructing her arm to move actually worked; Blue reached out, turning her eyes to see a fuzzy dark shape nearby. She licked her lips several times, but managed to speak somewhat coherently after the third try. "...O...mega...?"
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He barely knows where they are, except as another unfamiliar room and a bed that isn't theirs -- does it even matter? Owen and Dr. Gwen are handling things. It's his job to protect Blue, and nothing else. He lets himself sleep only as lightly as it takes to wake at the instant he feels her stirring; he won't eat until she does, because if she doesn't... what's the fucking point?
Now, whether he was asleep or delirious a second ago, hearing his name makes him jerk upright and immediately catch the hand that, god, reaches for him, and the air leaves him in a rush; he jumps up and leans over her to stroke her face, touching his forehead to hers with eyes shut and jaw going tight.
But... while he's not going anywhere unless she's going with him, he's not as much of a help to her as he'd like to be. And he wasn't the one she was so desperate to see the last time she opened her eyes. So, although it takes him an impossibly long moment to tear himself away, he finally kisses her cheek and squeezes her hand.
"I'll be right back."
Then he dashes out of the room to drag her humans out of bed.
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But before she could dwell on it too much, the far door opened and three familiar figures came into view, all of them beloved and familiar. Dr. Gwen approached immediately, her tired smile no less comforting. "Hey, Blue," she said, a cool hand coming to rest on her forehead. "Glad to have you back again, sweetheart. How do you feel?"
Ugh, what a question. Blue tried to laugh, but coughed instead, Gwen helping her lean up a bit to clear her lungs so she could breathe easier. "...rough," she managed to get out. "Stomach...hurts."
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Gwen gets there ahead of him, which makes it no less of a relief whatsoever to see his eldest girl blinking at them from her bed, exhausted but lucid, with no more tears this time. Omega appears behind them, with a glass of water in his hand. As the male raptor circles to one side of the bed, Owen approaches the other, staying out of Gwen's way but coming in close enough to rest a firm, comforting hand on Blue's knee.
"Welcome back, baby girl," he murmurs, with just a touch of a grin. "You ready to fight some mountain lions yet?"
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She trilled for him softly, reaching for his hand so she might nuzzle it in profound relief, but then she huffed a small snort of amusement and gave a slight shake of her head. "...not...just yet." Blue eased back down to her pillows, not relinquishing her grip on Owen's hand. "m-m...maybe...t-tomorrow."
Dr. Gwen moved back behind Owen and said, "You're off the protein IV for now, Blue. Are you hungry, honey? Think you can eat something?"
Blue immediately shook her head; the thought of food right now still made her want to heave.
"All right, no rush. We'll bring something anyway, just in case you're tempted, okay?"
Nodding tiredly, Blue sighed and gently wiggled back into the pillows, gazing around once more. "...where...are we?"
Dr. Gwen smiled. "This is my mother's house, Blue. She was nice enough to let us stay for a while, until you're all the way out of medical danger, then we'll all go back home. Barry and the others are already there, waiting. It's just the four of us." She smoothed the covers over the end of the bed. "So you and Omega will have lots of rest and quiet, until you're feeling better, okay?"
Sounded good to Blue. She loved her sisters, she did, but not having to suffer through their own forms of concern sounded...great, really. So she nodded, letting her eyes drift closed again. She felt more than heard both of her human parents drift out, the door softly closing behind them.
A yawn escaped. She murred softly, once again wiggling down in the covers but this time a seeking hand reached out for her other half. "...c'mere," she drowsily entreated. "...'s big enough...for us both."
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Omega is hovering, but silent; Owen was more worried about him before he practically knocked Gwen's bedroom door off its hinges, but he honestly doesn't know what it would take to shut him down. Omega practically walked off a bullet to the chest. And... it took Blue just a couple of weeks to get over having her back torn open, so... yeah. He has a lot of faith in both of them.
It's the look that alarmed him, he realizes. Not now, but the one before -- when Omega chased after her, and when he caught up with her. Owen has never actually seen the male hybrid look afraid.
But he can tell now that Omega is as relieved as they are to have Blue awake and talking again, undoubtedly influencing his willingness to stay out of the way for the moment. After Owen and Gwen head back out again, through the closed door he faintly hears the sound of the bed shifting and gathers that Blue's mate has finally slipped in alongside her again. He's glad for that; sleep always comes easier and better in the arms of a loved one.
Speaking of which...
He catches Gwen by the hand and pulls her back to him, into a slow kiss that's waiting for her. She saved the life of one of his girls, and not for the first time. Steaks and bourbon aren't enough to make up for something like that, no matter what comes of them later. The kiss lingers, and when it finally breaks he only murmurs there against her lips. "Let's get some sleep."
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She automatically discerned that all was well with her patient; Owen was still asleep, next to her, and the bedroom door hadn't bounced back off its hinges again to admit a nerve-twanging Omega. And although it would be so good to snuggle back down and drift right back to sleep, there were still things which needed tending to.
Gwen lightly stretched where she was, then gently eased out of Owen's possessive hold, but not before placing a soft lingering kiss to his lips, then sat up and fetched her own bathrobe, this one a plain white cotton. She padded barefoot a few feet down the hallway, peering into her brother's old bedroom to find both of the hybrids still asleep, Omega now curled protectively over his slumbering mate.
Well and good.
Leaving the rest of her little family to rest as long as they would, Gwen went downstairs, finding her mother returned and old Fussie waiting at the bottom of the stairs, wagging her stub tail erratically. After giving the old Rottie hugs and kisses, Gwen went into the kitchen, where Marie had coffee waiting.
"Good afternoon, dear. Did you all get some sleep, at last?"
Gwen fell on the coffee gratefully, gulping down about half of the mug before easing on the island's barstool. "Mmmhmm, not nearly enough, but some." She rested her cup on the counter, elbows propped up as well. "I feel like I could sleep for a week, and might just, once we get back home."
Marie chuckled in amusement. "And how's your patient, then? Has she come around yet?"
Gwen nodded, thankful to be able to share at least some good news. "She has. Right after you went out, actually. Which doesn't surprise me, given her condition. But she's much more coherent, now that we've flushed those disgusting drugs out of her system. She's still not really ready to eat, but I give that about a day, maybe less. I'm going to keep her off of the IV, just to see if she'll get hungry enough to eat on her own." She rattled off, realizing that her mother had drifted off into that blissfully vague expression again, and Gwen just finished with, "...but she's coming around."
"Well, that's wonderful, love," Marie smiled, nodding as if she understood every word. "I'm so delighted to hear it. Not that I want you kids to run back off up north or anything, but you know what I mean." Yes, Gwen knew what she meant.
Then the subject about clothing during their stay came up, and Marie offered some of Ben's old workout clothes for Omega, if he would deign to wear another man's clothing and surprisingly, she offered for Owen clothes which had belonged to Gwen's late father.
"They're not doing much except sitting in the dresser, waiting to be used again," Marie told her, but Gwen didn't miss the obscure pain still clouding her mother's eyes whenever either of them mentioned Thomas Carruthers. "And I don't think your dad would mind that your Owen's a Squid," she teased gently, holding her coffee cup in both hands. "Well," she amended with a little laugh, "not too much, anyway."
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He sits up, over the edge of the bed, to stretch and rub his hands over his eyes and face. After a shower and a nap, he feels... better, but still not quite himself. Things aren't normal, yet. And he's somebody's guest, as are his hybrids, which changes the dynamic of things significantly.
Rather than wander around in the admittedly comfy bathrobe, he once again pulls on his jeans and slides his shirt back on. Sticking his head out in the hall lets him catch the sound of Gwen's voice drifting up from the first floor, so that's the direction he goes, with a brief pause outside the other bedroom door to listen. Not a sound; both raptors are still asleep.
Downstairs, he finds his girlfriend in the kitchen, sharing another cup of coffee with her mother. "Afternoon, ladies," he says to both of them. "I hope you saved me some coffee."
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Marie returned with a full cup of black coffee for him and refilled both her and Gwen's cups, settling back down on the other side of the island. "Owen, I was just telling Gwen that I'm sure I can find some spare clothes for you and your kids, if you'd like. I have closets just full of leftover things from my son and my late husband. I'm sure neither of them would mind you all borrowing a few here and there."
She smiled over her cup. "Ben's tall like your boy upstairs. Lanky as a bean pole, the both of them!" She tittered genially. "And you're about the same size as my Thomas, mmm, perhaps a little thicker across the hips, but then his backside was starting to erode a little bit!"
Gwen stifled a groan, dropping her forehead down on one hand. "Mom..."
"Oh, shush, Gwendolyn, we're all adults here, we can be grown-ups about backside erosion, can't we? My goodness, you're a doctor, you should be used to these sorts of conversations." Sadly, there wasn't a rock nearby large enough for Gwen to crawl beneath as her mother simply prattled on, absolutely nonplussed. "Why, just last month, you were telling me about that friend of yours back in London, how they'd had to do a C-section on one of their elephants to save the mother and baby." Marie took just enough of a breath to look over at Owen.
"Can you imagine? A C-section on an elephant? My lord, how is that even possible, I mean, you'd have to perform the surgery with a carving knife, and then wade through I don't even know how much gush to even reach the baby elephant--what are they called, Gwen?"
"...calves." The answer was weak, coming from somewhere beneath the fall of Gwen's loose hair, hiding her absolute mortification over all of this.
"Calves, that's right. Well, my goodness, how are doctors supposed to deliver babies wearing hip waders and rain coats?" Gwen's forehead finally thunked on the island counter as Marie rambled on, not pausing for at least two minutes.
"--and to sew up that incision, good gracious, I'll just bet they had to use baling twine, the poor momma elephant, I know that had to hurt like crazy, even if she was out like a light." Finally taking a breath, Marie brightly looked from her daughter to her guest, inquiring, "So. Anyone hungry?"
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It's not that bad, of course. But Owen knows he wouldn't do very well listening to someone like Marie for very long, either. But she's wonderful, of course. Letting them use her home on such short notice, being so generous with food and clothing. The coffee. So wonderful. Of course.
When finally addressed, Owen clears his throat and takes a cautious sip of his coffee, to hide the fact that he'd completely forgotten about it until right that second.
"Clothes. Actually. Would be great," he says, pursing his lips. "As long as you don't mind."
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"God, Owen, I'm so sorry...she does this all the time. It's like she has no brain to mouth filter at all. And yet she gripes at me about propriety, but she's perfectly comfortable talking about backside erosion--what the hell--in the kitchen! With a man she just met this morning! Gah!"
Gwen stifled the grunt of exasperation--theatrical, mostly, because she really did love her mother, when everything was said and done--but dropped her head to Owen's warm shoulder this time instead of the cold countertop.
"...God," emerged from somewhere around his bicep, but it was distinctly muffled. But she lifted her head after a few more commiserating moments and again pushed back her hair, a bit more serious this time.
"But at least we'll all have clean clothes." She retrieved her coffee cup, leaned an elbow on the counter, and reverted to her 'professional' tone, saying, "We have enough groceries to feed a regiment, thankfully. Mom picked up a lot of meat, which Blue will definitely need in the next few days. Important thing now is to get her eating, so she can stay off the IV. We can take them a change of clothes here in a few minutes, and I'll cut some fruit and leave it in there, in case that'll tempt either of them."
Pausing for a swallow of coffee, Gwen continued. "Once she's eaten, I want to get Blue up and out of that bed. She's been on her back for almost ten days, which isn't good for her circulatory system. Omega can help her clean up, take a sponge bath, maybe, but we're going to need to get her ambulatory as soon as she's strong enough to stand." A corner of her mouth quirked. "And if I know our girl, that won't be very long at all."
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"Was she talking about how thick my hips are?"
Should he be insulted? Seems hard to tell. But he actually finds it more hilarious than anything else, and immediately turns back to Gwen with a grin, so thoroughly amused by her reactions to her mother. Amused, and also charmed, for that matter. He lets her drop her head against him and waits patiently until she can recover from such an ordeal.
"Sounds great," he says, in response to the plan she lays out before him. "Blue's gonna shake the rest of this off like nothing. At least, physically." And then his brow furrows, his expression shadowed by something they hadn't really approached directly until now.
"I don't have a great feeling about the other side of it, Gwen. We need to be ready for that."
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"Neither do I, actually," she admitted in a quiet tone. "And if Blue goes off in her own head, what's Omega going to do then?" That was what truly terrified the doctor. "I have Thorazine, which might knock him out for a while, but Owen, if he's been conditioned to MORO, Thorazine might not even affect him at all."
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"What are you afraid he's going to do? He hasn't left her side." Even knowing full well what the male raptor is capable of at his absolute worst, Owen is -- for once -- not playing on the far side of caution right off the bat. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but Omega might be better equipped to handle whatever comes next than we are. The boys spent their lives going through what InGen put her through -- with one huge fucking exception."
There are not enough bullets in the world for what Owen wanted to do to Vic Hoskins.
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"I'm sure he is. But you and I both know that Blue is his only stopgap. The only one. I saw his face when he brought her down to the beach, Owen. He was terrified, but absolutely furious at the same time. I'll admit it to you right now, he still scares the hell out of me sometimes."
Hands in the opposite sleeve, Gwen rubbed at her arms. "This might all be a moot point anyway, at least I hope. But you can't sit there and tell me we shouldn't formulate a contingency plan."
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