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Jurassic Park Aftermath-Chapter 11
By Texasraptor
Chapter 11
Wide-awake, Alan snapped upright in bed. Wet with perspiration; every sense on alert, he peered into the dim light, searching for the intruder. Except for the sound of crickets outside, silence permeated the bedroom. There was no one in the room.
Alan looked at the bedside clock and groaned. Damn, 3 a.m... He lay back for a few minutes, but too agitated; he could not relax and go back to sleep. With a frustrated sigh, he walked into the living room. Tim was sound asleep; and for a moment, he envied the boy's untroubled sleep. He slipped out onto the patio, and collapsed in one of the patio chairs. He could not recall a nightmare, only his tense awakening. He propped his hands behind his head, stared at the stars, and tried to relax.
"Tim, time to get up," Alan said. Showered and shaved, he at least looked presentable. The second night of interrupted sleep left him exhausted; perhaps he would feel better after breakfast.
"Okay," the boy answered reluctantly, and with a yawn, climbed out of bed. "You guys get up too early."
"Early? It's 7:30 already," Ellie said. "You should see us in the field. We’re at work before six under spotlights when it’s hot."
"Oh, man," he moaned, sleepily walking into the bedroom.
Ellie smiled at the boy’s retreating form, then turned her attention towards Alan. Concerned about his continuing fatigue, Ellie slipped her arm around his waist and gave him a peck on the cheek. "You didn’t sleep well, did you? Did you have a nightmare?”
Shrugging, he kissed her back. "I don’t think so. I woke up all of a sudden, and thought someone was in the room. I couldn't get back to sleep." He caressed her cheek. “Hey, I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah…”
Ellie frowned doubtfully, but did not say anything further. She sat on the couch to wait for Lex and Tim to return.
Upon their return from breakfast, Alan glimpsed the message light blinking on the phone. "I’ll check the message." Maybe it would be the phone call releasing them from their captivity. Dream on, Grant…
"I’m going to be an optimist. Maybe it’ll be time for us to go home," Ellie said.
Alan dialed the front desk extension. "You're reading my mind," Alan said. “Morning, Manuel. Working the morning shift today?”
“Yes, sir," Manuel said.
"It looks like I have a message."
"You actually have two messages. One is from Mr. Reiling at the American Embassy, and the other is from a Dr. Rothman. He said you could reach him at the university.”
“Right, I have the number." He decided to call Joe first to check for any fresh news.
“Fine sir, can I help you with anything else?”
“No, that's all — oh wait — We need to ship a package to Montana. Does Federal Express make pickups here at the hotel?"
“They do. The next scheduled pickup will be tomorrow morning."
Alan grimaced at the news. "Are there any shipping centers in town? We'd like to get the package off today if possible."
"Yes, sir, there are several centers in town. I would think they could have it sent today. If you can hold for a minute, I’ll get the address of the nearest one.”
“Thanks.” Manuel put him on hold, and Alan grabbed the pen and paper they kept by the phone. After a few seconds, the man came back on the line and Alan copied the address.
“Can we get you a taxi?” Manual asked.
From their previous trips away from the hotel, Alan knew of a taxi stand, a block away, in front of a park. “We’ll walk to the taxi stand."
“Good day, Dr. Grant.”
"Thanks, you, too." He folded the paper in half, and stuffed it into his shirt pocket. “Joe called, and so did Nathan Rothman."
While Alan dialed the embassy, Ellie settled next to him. "I bet Nathan talked to Ben."
"More than likely. Hey, I've got the address of a Federal Express office," he said. "They won’t pickup from the hotel until tomorrow. If we send it from the shipping place, they should get it off today."
"Good," she said.
The embassy's receptionist put him on hold; a few seconds later, he heard Joe's voice.
“Hey, Alan, good morning.”
“Morning, Joe. How’d the meeting go?”
"Boring."
Alan laughed heartily. "I can sympathize. You should take in some of our faculty meetings. They're guaranteed to cure insomnia."
“I can imagine. Say, do you need to do any running around today? I'm free this afternoon.”
“Well, we've decided we’re going to be brave and explore on our own today.”
“Without your faithful guide? I’m hurt.”
“Poor thing, I’m sorry to hurt your feelings.”
“Well, if you insist on venturing out on your own, I won't stand in your way,” Joe said with a laugh. “Any word from the Costa Ricans?”
“Not a word.”
“Good, I hope it stays that way. Hey, thanks again for the dinner.”
"Anytime, Joe."
"Well, have fun today."
“We will, I’ll talk to you later.”
“You, too.”
“Did he want to cart us around?" Ellie asked.
"Yeah, I had to think of something fast." Alan dialed Rothman's number at the university. The call connected and he heard the voice of Nathan's secretary. "Dr. Rothman's office, Jean speaking, may I help you?"
"Jean, this is Alan Grant. I hear Nathan's been looking for me."
"Hi, Alan. Yes, he has. How's the dig going?"
"Well, the season’s been a bit spotty, but we did find a juvenile Velociraptor last week." After spending the summer in a mostly unsuccessful hunt for the predators which occupied the region, he would finish the season dissatisfied with their results. Although fewer in number than the dinosaurs they preyed on, the predator’s skeleton’s existed somewhere in the area, which the raptor proved. The riddle both intrigued and frustrated him.
Unfortunately, that line of research would have to wait. Intending for his entire team to return to the Two-Medicine formation next year, an ongoing political squabble between the Interior Department and some of the local citizens forced them to move west to the Hell Creek area next year. Fortunately, he had received permission for a small team to finish extracting the raptor.
"Oh, good. I'll put you through," Jean said.
"Thanks, Jean,” Alan said.
It would not make any difference if he could not replace Hammond’s funding. The hunt for replacement funds would begin as soon as they returned to Denver.
A few moments later, Nathan came on the line.
"Alan, can you hold for a moment? I need to ditch this other line."
Before Alan could answer, the line went back to the canned music. The music stopped again and Rothman came back on the line.
"Sorry. Tell me about this park accident?"
“Nathan, it’s a long story.”
“I have time.”
Alan sighed, then repeated the consultant story. The story came easier each time he told it.
“Ben said some people died.”
“Yeah, my investor, for one. It was a bad scene.”
“Unbelievable. At least you and Ellie are okay.”
Physically, at least, he wasn’t sure about the emotional part. “Nathan, I don’t think we’re going to make it back in time for the term to start, so we've arranged for Parker Dixon and Jan Thompson to cover our classes for us.”
"Okay, I'll have a talk with them when they get in.”
"Can you do me a favor? Karen's due back tomorrow, can you let her know what's going on?"
"Sure, no problem. Do you have any idea how long you’ll be there?”
“They won't give us an answer. The embassy's trying to help, but at the moment the Costa Ricans hold all the cards.” He glanced at the spirals on the table. Well, maybe not all the cards...
"He said some kids are staying with you."
"Yeah, Hammond's grandkids."
"Ben’s quite amazed, in fact he said you must be a pod person."
Alan laughed. "I’ll get him for that." He heard Nathan chuckle.
“Well, let me know if you need anything."
"Will do. I’ll talk to you soon.”
"Tell Ellie hello for me.”
“I will. Talk to you later.” Alan placed the phone back into its cradle. “Nathan says hello.” He checked the time. "Ready to hit the road?"
"Sure, let's go."
“Head ‘em up, move ‘em out,” Tim called out.
Ellie placed the spirals in her backpack, and behind her, she heard Alan chuckle. "What is it?"
"Ben thinks I’m a pod person."
“Why?”
Alan pointed to Lex and Tim and Ellie understood at once. It sounded like something he would say.
They strode to the taxi stand and stopped beside a battered station wagon at the head of the line; the driver, leaning against the door, glanced from his newspaper to Alan.
“Do you need a taxi, Señor?” the man asked in Spanish.
“Do you by any chance speak English?” Alan asked. He remembered a phrase he had heard before. "Eh…Usted habla ingles?”
The man shook his head. “No, Señor."
With a grin, he handed the paper to Ellie. “Want to handle this?”
Ellie showed the cab driver the address of their destination. “Can you take us here?” she asked in Spanish.
The man looked at the address and nodded. “Sí, Señora.”
"Gracias.”
The driver skillfully negotiated the city traffic, and soon they pulled alongside the Federal Express shop.
“I can not park here, I will have to go around the block,” the driver answered, gesturing in a circle.
"Fine, we'll be back soon,” she said.
The driver nodded and they climbed out of the cab.
“He can’t park, so he’s going to circle the block,” Ellie said.
“I see,” Alan said.
“May I help you?” the clerk asked.
“Yes, we need to ship a package to the United States,” Alan said, relieved the woman spoke English. For a moment, he wished he'd studied Spanish instead of German in school.
"Please let me know when you’re ready to check out."
"We will."
After Alan chose the shipping envelope, Ellie placed the spirals in the envelope, while he took one of the address labels and began to fill it out. He wrote Charley's address on the label and used their phone number at the dig for a contact number.
“Señor, how would you like this sent?” the woman asked, after they prepared the box.
“We’d want to send it the fastest way possible,” Alan said.
“The international priority service will be the quickest." The woman quickly checked a chart. "The package will be collected this afternoon, and the delivery will be the day after tomorrow, in the afternoon.”
"We'll send it that way, then,” Alan said. “How much do I owe you?”
“The charge will be 32,425 Colons, Señor.”
While he counted the Colons, Alan mentally did the math and guessed it to be about $68. He handed the woman a number of Colons, and she gave him some change.
The woman handed him a few Colons in return. "Have a good day, Señor.”
"Thanks."
They walked outside, and peered down the street, searching for their taxi. “Bad timing, he must be going around the block,” Ellie said.
“He’ll be back,” Alan said, with a grin. “We haven’t paid him yet.” His attention drawn to the hat shop next to the Federal Express center, he walked over to the window to inspect the hats on display.
Taking note of his interest, the others joined him at the window; before he could suggest they go in the store, he heard the beeping of a car horn, signifying the return of their taxi. A new hat would have to wait until their return to Denver.
Entering the taxi, a germ of an idea began to form in Ellie’s mind. Instead of a wallet, did she dare buy him a new hat for his birthday? She had not seen the style he wore in the display, but they might have one inside the store. Although particular about his hats, she felt confident she could pick one he would like. But how could she sneak off without him?
"Alan, do you have anything planned for this morning?” Ellie asked.
“Not a thing, what do you have in mind?”
“Well, I bet Tim and Lex might want a morning swim. Am I right?”
“Definitely,” Tim said.
“Same here,” Lex said.
“You know, I think I’ll join you,” Ellie said. “Alan, how about it? Want to join us?”
“I think I’ll stand guard. I'd like to take a look at the guidebook you bought.”
Ellie unlocked the suite, and the two children raced into the bedrooms to change. “Okay.”
“I bet I can beat you back,” Tim said.
“I bet you can’t,” Lex shot back.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” she said.
Alan relaxed on the couch, relieved to have done something proactive, even if they never made use of the journals. He detested being passive, at someone else’s whim.
Tim returned first, soon followed by Lex. "Ha! I won," Tim said.
Lex plopped into one of the side chairs. "Big deal," Lex said, with a dismissive sigh. “Ellie said she’d be out in a minute.”
“Sounds good,” Alan said.
Soon, Ellie returned, and handed him the guidebook. “I’m ready,” she said. Making their way to the pool, they passed by the front desk.
“Looks like someone’s going swimming,” Manuel said.
“You got it!” Lex said.
“Did you get the package off?” Manuel asked.
“Yes, we did,” Alan said.
A loud crash behind them caused them to flinch and press together, the children clutching at the adults. All eyes turned to the source of the noise; one of the hotel's employees had knocked over a sign in the lobby.
"Are you folks okay?" Manuel asked.
"Uh, yeah. Sorry..." Ellie said, laughing nervously. "We've been a little jumpy since the boating accident."
"I understand. Enjoy yourself."
“Thanks,” Alan said.
"We sure did jump," Lex said, clutching at her chest.
"We sure did. Do you think we'll always be like this?" Tim asked.
"Eventually we'll all get back to normal," Alan said. “It’s going to take a while, but it’ll get better.”
Tim nodded, but remained silent.
The kids placed their towels on a table and jumped into the pool, and Ellie slipped off the cover to her swimsuit. Diving into the pool, she began to swim laps.
Alan took a seat in one of the pool chairs and watched Ellie swim for a while, then began to read the guidebook. Engrossed in the book, he did not notice a man approach.
“Dr. Grant?”
Alan looked from the book to the man, in khakis and work shirt, who stood before him. “Yes?”
“The front desk clerk said I would find you here," the man said. "My name is Marty Guitierrez, Dr. Marty Guitierrez, from the Carara station. I found the Procompsognathus specimen.”
Alan shook the man's hand. “Oh, right.” He caught Ellie’s attention, and gestured for her to join them. She climbed out of the pool and approached them. “Hi,” she said, looking at Guitierrez with curiosity.
“Dr. Sattler, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Ellie, this is Dr. Guitierrez," Alan said. "He discovered the Compy specimen.”
“Oh, I see,” Ellie said.
“It’s a shame you both became involved in this. I know you and Dr. Sattler would like to get home.”
“We would, as soon as possible," Ellie said. "We only have a few days left to finish the season before winter sets in."
"Dr. Sattler and I have classes to teach, too,” Alan said. He motioned to the chair next to him. “Have a seat,” he said, curious to discover what information the man possessed. Ellie put her swimsuit cover on, and took the seat beside him.
“Thank you,” Guitierrez said. “I’m sure it’s the reason the Hammond Foundation supported northern digs. Perhaps they hoped to get more intact DNA material from cold climates.”
“Perhaps,” Alan said. Guitierrez’ words echoed his conversation with Morris. With irritation, bordering on anger, he realized once again that InGen had played him like a fiddle
Guitierrez watched the two children for a moment. “Are those John Hammond’s grandchildren?”
“Yes,” Alan said.
“Such a brilliant man, it's a tragedy.”
Alan did not respond. Hammond’s arrogance far outweighed whatever brilliance he possessed.
Guitierrez glanced at the two scientists before speaking further. “Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler, the authorities are afraid. Something odd is happening in some of the farming areas,” Guitierrez said.
“The babies?” Ellie asked, her heart in her throat. Alan had filled her in on the attacks on the way to Choteau.
“No, the attacks have mercifully stopped. It’s something else altogether. There have been strange tracks found in the Ismaloya Mountains this spring, and in a straight line, a group of animals moved from the coast into the mountains, then into the rain forest. They moved arrow straight, with no deviation from their course.”
Alan stiffened; beside him, he observed the same reaction from Ellie. “Like a migration…” he whispered.
"How big were the tracks?" Ellie asked.
"The size of the tracks could not be verified,” Guitierrez said. “I suspect the government has bribed the farmers to keep them quiet.”
“Yes, that would make sense. What did they eat?” Alan asked.
“Sometimes chickens, otherwise soy and agama beans. It’s a strange choice for food, don't you think?”
Alan exchanged a pointed glance with Ellie. Not if you're lysine deficient… “Where are the animals now?"
“They went into the rain forest. No one has seen them since.”
They would be impossible to locate once they entered the rain forest, unless they wanted to be found. Whatever the species, they would be free to reproduce.
“That’s why they won’t let you go,” Guitierrez said. “The government is worried there are more animals on the mainland," Guitierrez said, rising to his feet. He smiled and waved at the children, who hesitated, then waved back. “I’m sure they will let the children go soon. Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler, Costa Rica is a stunning country. I hope you enjoy your stay.”
“I get the feeling we’re not going anywhere, any time soon.”
Guitierrez smiled at both of them. “Dr. Grant, no one is going anywhere. Have a good afternoon." The man turned and walked back into the hotel.
Alan watched Guitierrez walk away, mulling over the conversation. He remembered reading in a brochure that the island was over 100 miles from the mainland. How could the animals have crossed the distance? It would be impossible for a small dinosaur such as a Procompsognathus to swim the distance. Could InGen have turned them loose on the mainland? He at once dismissed the possibility; the company would never have willingly allowed the animals out of their control.
Lex climbed out of the pool and walked towards them. “Who was that? I don’t know him, but he acted like he knew us.”
“He's a researcher we're familiar with,” Ellie said. "He came by to say hello."
“Oh, okay.” Satisfied, and without further comment, Lex jumped back into the pool.
“Do you think any Raptors could have escaped?” Ellie asked.
“I don’t know. I hope not. Even if they have, I'm sure they’ll stay out of the cities,” he said, noting her sudden unease.
“Do you think so?”
“Yeah, I do. They would have plenty of food sources in the rain forest, so they would have no reason to go near civilization.” He hoped it to be true. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Ellie shook her head. “Don’t be sorry, I don’t want you to keep anything from me. It might scare me, but I want to know."
Alan nodded. “How about some lunch?”
“Sounds good to me.”
Alan stood and walked to the edge of the pool, and the two kids swam over to his side of the pool. “You guys getting hungry?”
“I am,” Tim admitted. “Come on Lex, I’ll race you out of the pool.”
Walking past to the front desk, Manuel caught Alan's attention, and gestured his way.
"Dr. Grant, there was a man looking for you."
Alan nodded. "He found us."
"Good. You're a popular person this morning. You have another message. Mr. Kincannon called."
He glanced at Ellie. “I was going to call him later and tell them about the package.”
“I'll fix lunch,” Ellie said.
"Okay, I’ll give Ben a call," Alan said.
"What does everybody want?" Ellie asked.
“Peanut butter and jelly is fine with me,” Lex said. "I love peanut butter and jelly."
“Works for me,” Alan said.
“Me, too,” Tim said.
“With bananas, right?"
"Yep!" Tim said.
While Ellie began to prepare lunch, Alan dialed their number in Montana.
“Yo, Kincannon here.”
“Yo, yourself.”
“Howdy, Alan. How’s everything in Costa Rica?” Ben asked.
"We're fine." Except for jumping out of our skins every time there's a loud noise.
“No change?”
“Nope… Say, why aren't you out finishing the E-Saurus?" he asked in jest.
"Hey, somebody's got to do the paperwork."
Alan scowled; he usually kept the logs current. "Sorry..."
"No reason to be sorry. We’re in the middle of a frog floater here, so nobody's doing any work today. I figured I'd get the logs caught up. We did get the raptor protected, and if the rain will stop, we’ll get the E-Saurus finished. Let me tell you, that is one big sonofabitch.”
“Yeah, it is,” Alan said. Discovered by Ellie, Alan had nicknamed the Miasaurus “the Elliesaurus.” In time, they had shortened the designation to E-Saurus.
“We’re going to have to finish it quick. The weather guys are making noise about snow in a few days.”
“Wonderful.” Alan rubbed his head in newfound frustration.
"Tell me about it, it’s already gotten cold. The rain is supposed to taper off today, so we'll finish it as soon as possible."
Alan considered the options if they could not finish the extraction. "There's not much left to do, if you can't finish it tomorrow, winterize what's left, and the crew we send can finish next year."
“Okay… Did you talk to Nathan?" Ben asked.
"Yeah, I talked to him this morning. Somebody sent me a fax of an x-ray right before we left. Do you see it anywhere?”
“Umm… Let me check.”
Alan heard rustling on the other end of the phone.
“Nope, nothing here. I bet somebody tossed it.”
“Probably. You sure you have enough people to haul everything back?"
"We’re good to go. Dix is driving the trailer back to Bozeman."
"Thanks. Be sure, and tell him to tell Mike hello for us." For several years, as both a personal and professional courtesy, Mike Jamison had allowed them to store their research trailer at the Montana State University during the winter. Jamison, both friend and mentor to Alan, saved them hundreds of miles hauling the trailer back and forth to Denver each year.
"I'll tell him."
"Alan," Ellie called out from the kitchen. "The package."
"Oh, yeah… We’re sending a package to you by Fed Ex," Alan said. "It should be there tomorrow afternoon."
"Sending it to Charley’s?"
"Yeah. Take care of it, it could be important,” Alan said, his tone serious.
Ben paused before he spoke. "Sure, I'll pick it up myself,” he said, understanding Alan’s tone. “Look, if you aren’t back before we break camp, I'm going to send Sue back to Denver and stay in town until you get here.”
Alan pursed his lips, then nodded. “That might be for the best.”
“How are your boarders?"
"They're good. They just got out of the pool."
"Amazing."
"I know, it's not like me – and I’m not a pod person, either."
"Oops, you heard?"
“Uh huh…” Alan could see Ellie motioning to him. "Well, looks like lunch is ready."
"I'll talk to you later, buddy."
"Bye."
"Well, it's raining in Montana, so they haven’t finished the Elliesaurus yet.”
"Elliesaurus?" Tim said.
Alan nodded. "You got it. Ellie discovered a Miasaurus a couple of summers ago, so we nicknamed it the Elliesaurus."
"You found a dinosaur? Cool!" Tim said.
"Tell ‘em how you found it," Alan said with a grin.
“Well, I was prospecting a new section one day, keeping my eyes on the ground as a certain paleontologist preaches," she said, nudging Alan in the side. "I found a promising bone bed—" She paused when Lex looked at her in puzzlement.
"What's a bone bed?" Lex asked.
"It's a concentrated area filled with fossil fragments," Ellie said. "When we excavate a bone bed, sometimes we find a more complete skeleton, and a lot of the time we discover clues how the animals lived and died."
"Oh... I understand," Lex said.
"So, I marked the site and headed back to camp to tell everyone. On the way back, I happened to look up at a cliff face; I could see a large femur sticking out of the wall. If I hadn’t glanced up, I’d never have spotted it. So see, sometimes you have to break the rules."
"Is a Miasaurus a meat eater?" Lex asked.
"Nope, it's an herbivore. Timmy, what does Miasaurus mean?" Alan asked.
"I know, it means ‘good mother lizard’," he said, with pride. “Lex, Alan found the first Miasaurus eggs and skeleton so he got to name the species.”
“You did?” Lex said.
"Well, my team and I discovered it. Give the young man an A for the day." It would be a pleasure teaching Tim. He found the boy’s enthusiasm contagious. "Ready to eat?"
"Yep," Tim said.
Along with the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Ellie decided to serve potato chips, oranges, some of the ginger cookies, and milk. She took a seat at the table and began to pass the dishes around. "I read about a museum which looked interesting. It's all about butterflies," Ellie said.
"Butterflies?" Alan asked.
"Uh huh, butterflies. It might be fun to go there this afternoon."
"I didn’t get to that chapter.” When Guitierrez had interrupted him, he had been reading about the history of Costa Rica. “You can do the honors. I think I'm going to take a nap this afternoon," Alan said.
"That's a good idea," Ellie said. He needed the rest, and it would give them a chance to shop for a new hat.
The phone began to ring and everyone paused, then looked at Alan. "I'll get it," he said, and wondered who would be calling. "Hello?"
"Dr. Grant?"
Alan did not recognize the voice. "Yes, this is Alan Grant," he said.
"Ah, good. My name is Estaban Aldolfo Sánchez. I am with the Costa Rican government. I would like to speak to you this afternoon at two this afternoon. Can you please be ready at one fifteen?"
Oh, hell, not again. "I'll be ready," he said, his voice grim.
"Thank you, Dr. Grant, I'll see you then."
Alan put the receiver into the phone, and muttered a curse under his breath.
Ellie noted Alan's slumped shoulders. "Alan, what's wrong?"
Alan turned around, walked back to the table, and then sat silently with his arms crossed in front of him.
"Alan?" she repeated, alarmed at his silence.
"My nap is going to have to wait," he said. "They're coming after me at one fifteen for more questioning, or whatever you want to call it."
"You're kidding?"
"Nope."
"Why do they want to talk to you?" Tim asked.
"Well, I guess they think I have more information they need."
Lex frowned. "They're mean."
Alan smiled at Lex. “They're not really being mean. They’re concerned about what happened on the island." His words sounded empty as he said them; what more could they possibly want of him?
"You have an hour or so, you could catch a short nap," Ellie said.
Alan nodded. "I think I will."
After finishing his meal, he placed his dishes in the dishwasher, which they would run before dinner, then went and stood behind her, his hand lightly resting on her shoulder. "So, are you going to the museum?"
"Yeah, I think so. You don't mind, do you?"
"No, of course not, you guys have fun."
"We'll hang around until you leave. When do you want me to wake you?"
"How about 1:15?"
"Will do. Want me to make you some coffee?"
Alan shook his head. "I'll see you in a bit."
"Try to sleep, okay?"
"I will."
Lex watched Alan tread into the bedroom. “Ellie, is Alan all right? He seems really tired.”
“Well, he's having a little trouble sleeping at night,” she said.
Lex's face fell in sadness. “Oh… I wish I hadn’t got him up the other night.”
“You couldn’t help it, kiddo. He doesn't blame you.” She decided to tell the children about her birthday plans for Alan. "We have another little chore to do while we're out. The day after tomorrow is Alan's birthday, and I think we should get him a present."
"What are we going to get him?" Tim asked.
"Well, he misses having a hat, so I’ve decided to get him a new one if we can find the right style."
"At the hat shop?" Lex asked.
"Right. I want to go there and see if we can find one he might like."
"Can we get some wrapping paper?" Lex asked.
"And a cake?" Tim added.
"Hey, why not. After Alan leaves, we’ll take off, but don't say anything, it'll be our secret."
Tim and Lex nodded with eagerness.
Remembering she would need the address, she looked through the pockets of her backpack, and after a few moments, she found the piece of paper with the address they would need.
After they cleared the table, with care, Tim carefully carried the cardboard with the completed section of the puzzle to the table, and took a seat.
"Hey, it's coming right along," Ellie said, studying the puzzle.
"Yeah," Tim said.
Ellie looked at the loose pieces, and choosing one, she placed the piece here and there until she found the correct location, then clicked it into place.
Lex drifted over and they all three began to fit the pieces in. They continued to work in companionable silence, until Ellie heard a far off rumble of thunder. Turning towards the window, she gazed outside. In the distance, she could see a line of thunderstorms approaching. According to the guidebook, afternoon thunderstorms occurred with frequency during this part of the year.
"Is it going to rain?" Tim said.
Although nervous, Tim seemed to lack the outright fear of the other night. "I think so," Ellie said. "I don't think the museum is such a good idea. According to what I read, some of it is in the open air. I don't think the butterflies will cooperate."
"Are we going to get Alan's hat?" Lex asked.
"I don't mind the rain if you don't. I'll do whatever you guys want to," she said.
"I don't mind the rain," Lex said.
"Me either," Tim said, with an air of defiance.
"Good." Ellie glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. "I hate to do it, but it's time to wake Alan."
She went to Alan's bedroom and opened the door. In the dim light, she could see him stretched out, sleeping soundly. She wondered why his sleep could be so peaceful in the daytime, but so broken at night. She sat on the bed and watched him for a few moments, loath to wake him. Asleep, his expression was relaxed; the stress lines disappeared, leaving him looking years younger. At last, she knelt and placed a feathery kiss on his forehead. "Honey, it's time," she whispered.
"Hmm..." He rolled over onto his side, and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes halfway and looked at her, grinning sleepily.
"Have a good nap?" Ellie asked
He draped his arm over her legs. "I sure did. Time for my ride to come?"
"In about fifteen minutes."
"Wonderful," he said, sarcastically. He looked up when he heard the rumble of thunder. "Is it raining?"
"It's on its way. Part of the museum is open air, so I think I'll postpone the trip."
"I see." He stretched and sat up. "How’s Tim?"
"He’s a little uneasy, but much calmer than last night. Like everything else, I think it’s something he will adjust to in time. Well, I'll let you get ready."
"Okay."
Turning on the lamp he blinked at the bright light, then reached for his boots. He realized little pain and stiffness remained from his injury. After a quick trip to the bathroom, he entered the living room.
"Hi," Lex said.
"Hey, guys," he said. He looked outside; though not raining yet, the gray clouds hung heavy in the sky. "It’s too bad you can’t go to the museum."
Tim glanced at Ellie before speaking. "Yeah, maybe we can go some other time."
"Right," Alan said, his mind turning to the questioning to come.
Ellie sensed his preoccupation, and left them alone.
A few minutes later, Alan heard a rap at the door. "Right on time," he muttered opening the door.
"Dr. Grant?”
Alan nodded.
‘Good afternoon. I've come to escort you to Señor Sánchez."
"I'm ready." He turned towards the others, and frowned. "See you later."
"Bye, honey," Ellie sadly.
Alan got into the car with the unidentified man. He wondered what new torment they would subject him to.
3/10/2006 10:39:44 PM
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