Welcome To Jurassic Hell

Ch. 22: The Resting Tree

A/N: The song above is what I imagine Blake playing later on in the chapter, but you can think of whatever you'd like :)

"Where should we start?"

A few minutes after everyone gets their share of water — me not without a few coughs, of which I'm starting to notice are becoming more frequent — we head back over the the trashy camp.

"Well, we already have the supplies to build a shelter." Darius says, gesturing to the debris pile. "Sure, they're broken supplies, but we can work with it."

"Alright, let's get going, then!"

Yasmina leaves my side to limp over to the pile, though barely makes it half-way before she stops to put her hands on her knees, panting from her painful effort. Ignoring my own pain, I walk over and help her back up.

"Yasmina, maybe you should sit this out." I suggest, but she ignores me and pulls away. She gets to the pile, grips a piece of wood in her hands, and starts to pull it. Darius and I meet eyes, sharing worry, before he starts to back me up.

"Yaz, Blake's right, it might be best for you to just...rest."

"What? No, I'm totally- woah!"

The force of her pulling the wood sends her flying backwards and I scream.

"Yaz!"

She lands on the ground with a thump and groans as everyone starts to crowd around her.

"I-It's nothing. I'm fine. I wanted to be on the ground now."

It's clear she's lying from the strain in her voice and the way she clutches her leg. Her face is contorted in a way that makes it looks like she's in pain, but trying to keep up a steel expression.

"This isn't nothing! Your ankle is still hurt." Sammy claims.

"Ugh...I'm fine, the running just took a lot out of me."

Darius pulls the map out from Sammy's bag and looks it over.

"Based on this symbol, there might be some clinic nearby. We'll see if we can find anything for your ankle, Yaz. Just rest here."

"No way! I'm not sitting around while you go back out there. I can pull my own weight."

She hissed the last part as she attempted to get up, and Sammy pushed down on her shoulder gently.

"Rest." She urged. "You'll need that ankle to earn gold medals when we get off this island, okay?"

"And I'll stay behind to make sure she rests."

Both Yaz and I gave Kon unconvinced eyes. He didn't seem at all fazed, pointing to himself in quite possibly the most cocky manor he has so far made. I didn't doubt he just wanted to stay here to stay out of danger (though to be fair, no where on the island was actually safe).

"Can it be someone else? Anyone else?"

Sammy giggled and walked off, while I volunteered myself to join Kon. I didn't trust him to watch Yasmina, not a single bit.

"Thank, God." Yaz muttered.

I stood up when Darius beckoned for me, and suddenly felt another cough crawl up my throat. It tore through my lungs and nearly made me hunch over in pain as it poked at the already aching bones of my ribcage.

I let out what might've been the loudest cough of my life, bringing everyone's attention from Yaz to me in an instant.

"Blake? Are you okay?"

After a few more stinging coughs that nearly brought tears to my eyes, I looked up at the group awkwardly.

"I'm fine." I lie, rather unconvincingly. They all look concerned, so I quickly add, "I just drank...drank the water too quickly. Went down the wrong tube."