Unfit For Survival (Ark Fanfic.)

*Sneak Peek* Chapter 11: Set In Stone

My back hurt when I woke up the next morning. With five people and a small dinosaur crammed into the small hut, it made sense that it wasn't too comfortable. I was forced against the wall I initially chose for my nap with Benedetto against me. Next to him was Seb and then Dom. Benedetto didn't care about her enough to put her between himself and Seb instead of next to the stranger. At least he let Fish separate our group from the armless wonder.

"Hey, take off your shirt." I nudged Benedetto in the dark and tugged at his shirt. Though it was still covered in blood, he still wore it due to how cold it had gotten right before we went down for bed. Now that the sun was rising the hut was getting hot with all of us in it. He'd be fine. Plus I was already handing him the blanket. We only had one and I suggested we try sharing it with all four of us but he was quick to wrap me in it by myself and neither of the others complained about it. It had been extremely comforting being wrapped up last night. That included being in Benedetto's arms. Nothing could touch me then.

"I swear to god, if the two of you are trying to start something over there with the rest of us in here then I'm gone. I ain't sticking around to listen to you two have sex." Dom groggily spoke up from her spot in the hut.

"Do you promise? If so then you take your clothes off too Isabella," responding to her unfazed, Benedetto slipped one of his hands under the hem of my shirt and touched the skin of my waist. He didn't try groping me or anything, just sleepily messing with Dom.

"Oh for fuck's sake, I'm out." There was shuffling over by Dom's side and I heard Seb laugh.

"If he doesn't want to start anything with you this morning, Izzy, then mind if I tap in? I'll take one for the team- Ow, fuck!" Seb got cut off when Benedetto let go of me. The dull thump I heard made it obvious that my ginger friend got a well deserved hit.

"Ha ha. You guys are so funny. Really. I am in stitches." I spoke with a purposeful monotone tone but couldn't fight the smile on my face. Didn't want to either. It was a good morning so far. "Seriously though, give me your shirts. All of you. I need to get Fish out of here to go hunt. He won't go after me or Benedetto but I'm guessing everyone else in here is pretty attached to their toes. I'll wash your clothes while he hunts."

"If I'm taking my clothes off then I get the blanket. No way I'm staying in here naked with a bunch of guys." I heard Seb groan in pain and then Benedetto grunted. In the dark, I felt the blanket being pulled from my body and reached out to feel Dom's face right near mine. She had crawled over both guys to get to me. Who knows what her knees were pressing into. 

It took a bit of shuffling around before my friends were mostly naked and I was able to make my way out of the hut. I wasn't too surprised to see Benedetto leave after me but this time he didn't attempt to stick to my side. Instead I saw him starting a fire and once he got it going, he knocked on the door of the hut and Dom came out. She was naked and had the blanket wrapped tightly around her. It was nice of Benedetto to make a fire for her to keep her warm. 

Fish went after a compy that was wandering along the shoreline and I got to work with cleaning the clothes. In order to not lose them to the strong pull of the water, I made a hole that was about as deep as my arm was long and pushed the water into it. I ended up swirling the clothes around in the water with a stick I found and it almost looked like a washing machine, except for the soap. But obviously it was helping because before long the water had turned a translucent orangish-red. 

"They done yet?" Coming over to me, Dom stared into the water.

"Not yet. Going to make another hole because this water's fucking gross," I responded while digging another hole. Dom started using her foot to kick the water into it. "Where's the guys?"

"They went off hunting. Didn't want to sit over there alone."

"Well I happen to love your company."

"Do you now? Can't blame you for having great taste."

We shared stupid grins and I kept working on the clothes. I rung out the fabric and rinsed them in the ocean before putting them into the hole filled with clean water.

"So... Does he bite?" Noticing Dom's apprehensive tone, I looked up to see her warily eyeing Fish who returned. Blood was splattered around his thick skin and his ferocious little mouth.

"I legitimately don't know if you're being serious or not. Because if you are then I'm sorry, but that's a really stupid question." I could barely contain my exasperated smile. 

"Obviously he bites but will he bite me?"

"Not unless I tell him to or you try attacking me or Benedetto. He's well trained." Pulling my hand from the cold water, I extended my wrinkled fingers to my little buddy. He eagerly approached me and nuzzled his snout into my palm. 

Dom let out an incredulous gasp. "He's like a fucking dog."

"Right!? Kind of like a vicious chihuahua. But if you think he's like a dog, just wait until you meet Mikey. For a giant turtle, he sure seems to like portraying himself as a lapdog." I couldn't hold in my smile when I thought about my final family member.

"There's giant turtles here? And you own one?" She looked bemused at the thought of it.

"Yeah. Most people just call them turtles but their real name is carbonemys. They're pretty harmless and won't do much more than bruise you with their head if you piss one off. And I don't say I own him. Fish either. Neither does really anyone in the tribe. Mikey and Fish are part of my little family that I have. It's me, them, and Benedetto. We've been together since I first got to the island." It was calming talking about them.

"You guys have been together that long? Really?" There was something about how she asked me that that made me tilt my head but I understood why she would question it. Me and Benedetto seemed like unlikely friends and survival on the island was obviously difficult. 

"Yep. We even have a cute little house back at the tribe's area. Fish and Mikey live with us too instead of in the animal house with the rest."

"Huh."

"What?" I tried peering at her and she shrugged.

"Just didn't expect that. Good for you though. He may seem like a dick but you clearly have good judgement. You kept me around, right?" Dom nudged me with her shoulder and I nodded along with a laugh. 

We continued chatting while I finished up the laundry. I had just rung them out and began laying them over the stick I used to stir the water when Fish took off with his neck frill completely flared out.

"The hell?"

"Fish! Damn it." Not caring that she was naked, I thrust the stick into Dom's hands and took off after him. I'd feel bad about making her drop the blanket later.

Fish was making a beeline to the camp. It was just out of eyesight from the water where I had been and I didn't see what had freaked him out as we approached it. The fire was still going and the guys were still gone. Fish's attention was solely on the door of the hut. It clicked then.

The guy had finally woken up.