The sky grows darker, and the wind picks up, as our group sans Gennaro stand in a loose circle around Ellie, as she digs through and thoroughly inspects an enormous pile of triceratops dung that stands at least up to her sternum, the dung has hundreds of flies flying around it so much so their buzzing is loud.
"That is one big pile of shit!" Malcolm says, 'Thank you Captain Obvious!' I think and my stomach churns a little at seeing Ellie dig into the heap of dung going so deep in that the plastic gloves she's wearing the ones I used to use on the farm when artificially inseminating an animal or taking a waste sample for a vet, are tied off just below her shoulders, Ellie on her fourth dive in withdraws her hand from the middle of the dung.
"You're right, There's no trace of lilac berries…that's so weird, though…she shows all the classic signs of Meliatoxicity." Ellie sighs as she takes the gloves off, "Every six weeks…" Ellie thinks out loud as she looks at me before turning and walking out into the open field a few paces, I can tell that she's thinking hard on what's causing this issue.
Malcolm watches Ellie's ass like a hawk watches prey, before making a sour expression and looks back at the dung.
Malcolm then turns to dad, and says, "She's, uh…tenacious."
"You have no idea." Dad and I say at the same time, I can feel Lex's jealous stare on Ellie, as her gripping of my hand tightens a little bit more.
'Really what is up with this girl still holding my hand?...But aww, isn't that cute? You want guys to notice your tenacity too.' I think as Malcolm opens his mouth, "You-you will remember to wash your hands before you eat anything?" He calls after her.
'Hmm, Nerdy should be executing his program…any minute now…' I think feeling a sense of foreboding settle on my shoulders as I feel Lex's warm sweaty palm against mine and look at Tim who is looking at my father with something akin to hero worship.
'I don't want these people to be endangered…by the fall of the Park, but I also want to be endangered…do I stop this, do I save the life of the man who is about to cause at least ten deaths? Or if the game is cannon…then maybe Nerdy isn't mainly responsible for the park's fall. I really hope the Troodons don't exist…yet.'
The booming sound like thunder comes from the skies and causes a very strong sense of foreboding and urgency to find shelter.
Ellie and Dad are by the animal, a short distance away from the group, Dad has his thinking face on, before finally speaking his mind, "Ellie, I've been thinking there's something about the periodicity that doesn't add up.
"I know." Ellie says and I realize they forgot about my observation earlier and seeing Tim looking for some attention from the old man, I smile and retrieve one of the smooth rocks, I encourage the kid as I press a stone into his hand and give him a little push. "These look like Gullstones, go on."
Tim nods to me and walks a bit closer to Dad and Ellie and calls out, his voice comes out small and a little timid, "Doc-doctor Grant, Th-these look kind of familiar." 'He's not gonna get the old man's attention like that.'
I feel a tug on my hand and turn to see Lex looking at me in a sweet way, "Thank you…he was really excited to learn that your dad was going to be here."
"No problem, he's a cute and smart kid." I say back to her with a shrug of my shoulders, a soft laugh leaves Lex and I feel myself smiling as she leans against me just a little bit.
"The Triceratops was a constant browser, and constant browsers would be constantly sick." Dad mutters, Ellie following the same track, murmurs the words, "Constantly sick." As well.
"Not just every six weeks." Dad continues his mutterings, which Ellie follows like a champ, "Yeah, I know." Seeing this I reach forward and flick Tim's ear with my freehand making him round on me with a betrayed accusing scowl on his face pointed at Lex not me.
I lean in, "Speak louder, use the superpowers that come with being a kid below the age of thirteen, and be annoying to get their attention." I say to Tim he gives me an unsure look and then turns to Lex who gives him an approving if slightly sinister nod.
Tim smiles at us and then swaggers closer, "Hey, Hey Doctor Grant, Doctor Grant, I've seen pictures of these!" I break out into chuckles as the kid nails being exactly the type of annoying little brat dad hates most, Dad turns towards Tim and looks at him, a little annoyed.
"I've seen these before in your fully illustrated book." Tim says and puts his head down as he blushes up a storm, Dad just rolls his eyes, but heavens thank Ellie, because she takes an interest even if it was just to placate a young and cute child, and walks over to him to check out the stone in his hand.
"What's that?" Ellie asks as a light goes on in her eyes, Ellie looks to me and smiles at me, a knowing look in her eyes as she reaches out and ruffles Tim's hair.
"Alan, gizzard stones!" Ellie shouts and throws one of the stones to Dad, the two look at each other in amazement.
The two dinonerds get so excited, they start talking right over one another.
"El, that's it, it explains the periodicity, the-" Dad starts firing off only for Ellie to pop in, "-The undigested state of the berries because it's…" Dad cuts Ellie off, "Totally incidental and unrelated to the feeding pattern!"
"What are you guys saying?" Tim asks in awe and confusion.
Ellie turns to Tim, "It's simple, see. Some animals like her, don't have
teeth…" Dad cuts in, "...like birds…" Now Ellie cuts in, "...Like birds. What happens is, they swallow the stones and hold them in a muscular sack in their stomachs…"
Dad interjects, "...a gizzard." Now Ellie again, "Which is called a gizzard, and it helps them mash
their food, but what happens after a while…" Dad hops back in, "What happens is that after a while, the stones get smooth, every six weeks, so the animal regurgitates them." Ellie simplifies for Tim, "Barfs them up," now dad again, "...and swallows fresh ones."
"And when she swallows the stones, she swallows the stones, she swallows the poison berries too, that's what makes her sick." Ellie finishes and gives Tim an impressed look, "Good work Tim." She says to the kid and ruffles his hair again and the kid practically glows at the praise.
Ellie turns, looks at Dad pointedly. Tim looks up at my Dad too, smiling from ear to ear.
Dad grunts, he's not so easily convinced, to praise the kid, thunder rumbles again signalling the storm overhead is about to bust loose.
'Huh, Gennaro is back.' I think and notice how scared the man is of more than one thing now, he puts his foot down, "Doctors, if you please, I have to insist we get moving."
"Oh, you know, if it's alright, I'd like to stay with you Dr. Harding and finish with the trike. Is that okay?"
"Sure. I've got a gas powered jeep. I can drop you off at the visitor's center before I make the boat with the others."
Ellie turns to Dad, "I'll catch up with you. You can go with the others."
"Are you sure?" Dad asks her and I can tell that he's feeling comfortable leaving her with a stranger.
"Yeah, I'll just finish…I really want to finish…things up here." Ellie says and bats her lashes at Dad, and if that is the signal there is a lightning flash now, with a skull rattling thunderclap right on its heels.
"I really must insist that we return to the vehicles, Now!" Gennaro whines like a little bitch, but it seems like the majority agrees with his sentiment of leaving before the skies let loose their hounds of war.
Lex finally lets go of my hand, which is both nice but…I also feel a quick fleeting moment of let down at the loss of touch, Dad follows Malcolm, and Gennaro with Tim and Lex following him right in his tracks.
Ellie and Harding return to the triceratops, and, 'Gerry Harding, that's his name…' Gerry Harding the Veterinarian, goes to his Jeep and grabs a gun looking injector and a clear liquid medicine bottle, "Do you think 200cc of…" I tune the two out as we reach the Explorers, but looking back I can see the triceratops starting to come back to life.
I notice Dad turning around as well either for one last look at Ellie, or the trike…I'm not sure which, not even as he raises his hand to wave, 'Okay, he's waving to Ellie, but she is turned the other way. He must be feeling a little silly right now.' I think as dad drops his hand and gets into the rear Explorer.
Just as he does, Ellie turns and waves to him, but with the way he's sitting he doesn't see it, cupping my hands around my mouth like a cone, "SEE YOU LATER ELLIE!!!" I shout and Ellie's smile turns to me, "SEE YOU LATER ALEC!" Ellie shouts back and turns back to the trike.
Dad looks at me and the man doesn't pout but his expression shouts I'm a pouty teenage girl.
Just as I'm getting back into the first suv the first raindrops fall on me and the tour vehicles, they're big, fat drops that make a loud smacking sound against the glass.
'This is going to be a hell of a storm.' I think with a smirk making its way onto my face as I close the front driver's side door, once I was fully inside the suv started moving, carrying us back to the visitor's center.
"Thanks Alec…Doctor-I mean I think your Dad likes me more now." Tim practically preens at that, making me smile, "No problem Tim, I think he likes you too…it just takes him a while to show it, is all." I say to the kid as I lean back against the door, tilting my back so that it rests against the glass.
Looking up at the tops of the foliage sky almost completely dark now, both because of dusk and the thick storm clouds, the wind is making the tops of the trees sway.
"So what kind of things do you like to do?" Lex asks me and I shrug, "Traveling, working on cars…anything with an engine and wheels, driving fast, racing, adventuring with Dad, digging up bones…talking to pretty girls…with red hair…" I say and joke a little, "What kinda things do you guys like? And I mean besides dinosaurs and my Dad Tim." I ask the two but can't resist teasing Tim, I realize that my vision isn't being impaired by the increasing level of darkness. I can see the kid blushing in the backseat.
Alexis has a smirking smile on her face, and an accompanying blush to her face before climbing into the backseat, "Hey watch it computer nerd!" Tim cries out offended as Lex sits partially on his leg, "Oh shut it, Dweeb." Lex shoots back with a shyness in her voice, and even though they just insulted each other Tim and Lex huddle together to whisper, I could eavesdrop but decide against it.
'I made things weird…I suck talking to beautiful girls…Onlyfans hoe's where you at?!'
"Lex, pretty much spends all her time alone...locked in her room playing with it, being a computer Geek." Tim says and I can hear the laughter in his voice...and also a bit of suggestion that she isn't only playing with her "computer", "I'm not a computer geek, I'm a computer hacker!" Lex growls out in a way that shows just how offended she is at being called a geek.
'Yeah…I bet she keeps herself locked in her room "playing" on the "computer".' I think.
"So…are you in highschool?" Lex asks me.
"Thankfully no, I just graduated a couple of days ago…I'm planning to go to a trade school in Connecticut for a mix of welding, body work, and auto mechanics at a more in depth level than my vocational school offered."