Welcome To Jurassic Hell

Ch. 74: Dr. Turner

"You really expect me to believe that children survived alone on Isla Nublar for six entire months?"

"Believe me, it's hard for us to believe too," Brooklyn sighed. Meanwhile, I was staring at the woman and her tablet trying not to rage.

Why?

For one, her immediate thought upon seeing seven kids on another dinosaur island (that in and of itself is ridiculous and awful to think about) was that we were spies. That we were malevolent. Secondly, the last adults we'd encountered had kidnapped Brooklyn and nearly killed us all — not to mention the grown ups before them who also threatened our lives and had taken me hostage. I shouldn't be blamed for being cautious after all of that. I didn't doubt most everyone else was, too.

Ben and Kenji especially kept a close eye on the woman, like I was. So I definitely wasn't alone.

I scowl when the woman looks back at us skeptically.

"Why would we be making that up? What reason would a bunch of kids have for making that up?" I say, speeding up to walk next to Darius, who's next to the woman. I glare at her, and am proud when she appears uncomfortable.

"I guess that's true," she says. "I can't see any reason if you didn't have to. I mean, you don't even know me, either, so if you are I wouldn't blame you, but then again that would..." she stops, trailing off. "I'm sorry...am I yammering on? I've been out here for a better part of the month with no one to talk to, and I guess I've had a lot more to say than I realized."

The woman gripped her tablet tighter against herself, making my view shift to it. If I could just get my hands on that...

"Wait, you look familiar," Darius pepped up. Again, my gears change, and my attention goes to him.

Suddenly, a loud roar sliced through the peace of the forest. My heart practically throws itself from my mouth as I let out an undignified, shameful scream. I'm not the only one though, as all of us spin around to face the direction in which the sound had come from. Every organ, every blood cell, is all stops. My eyes stay glued to the other side of the small clearing we're in, waiting for something to emerge.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

But nothing happens. Nothing comes out.

I let out a relieved breath.

"Don't worry," the woman speaks up. "They're almost tuckered out. They won't bother us."

"How could you know that?" Ben asks her. It's then I realize he's standing next to me, hand gripping my arm uncomfortably so. But I don't force it off or say anything to him.

"I study dinosaur brains," the woman chuckles, as of earlier she hadn't been casually eating a sandwich as she watched two dinosaurs fi- play. "Behavioral paleoneurobiologist. I'm Mae Turner-"

Darius gasps then, lunging forward and taking the woman's hand. "Turner, that's it! You're Dr. Mae Turner! It's an honor to meet you. I read you book: A Theoretical Emotional Journey with Theropods."

Dr. Turner smiles. "Ah, you were the one."

Kenji sighs and steps forward. "Look, if you could just point us to a phone, we'll be on our way," he promises.

"Yeah...slight problem with that."

My eyes fold back into the same glare as before as he woman turns around the face us, fiddling with her tablet nervously.