Chapter Text
It is good having Ben back. Besides the pure unadulterated joy and relief at him being alive, it is also another set of eyes to watch their backs. Another set of hands to use around camp. Plus the bonus of having a friendly dinosaur on their side for protection.
Things are calm, for the moment at least, so they take their time to integrate him into their routines.
First, they tried having him do night watch, but he never woke Darius up when it was time to switch. Said he wouldn’t be able to sleep anyways. They don’t let him do night watch any more. Now they keep him in charge of collecting firewood and maintaining the fire when it's going. He seems happy with this.
Darius gazes down over their camp from his perch on the second story bed he’s made his own. He watches the others idly, feeling contemplative. Sammy and Yaz are seated near the slide, Sammy giggling at something Yaz says. Kenji stands talking with Ben on the ground, the two of them feed Bumpy the red berries that she favors and unloading a small stack of wood from her back that Ben just got back from collecting. He wonders what they’re talking about.
He sits on the edge of the bed with his journal open, the current page he is working on blank. As his book has started to fill up with over a month’s worth of writing and yaz's drawings of dinos, he has realized he needs to conserve what paper he has left. He did find a second journal, but he uses it for a different reason. Besides documenting his findings on dinosaurs, he has taken to documenting the camp's day to day activities. Not only to keep track of what needs to be done, but to keep track of what happens. He keeps lists of things, random thoughts, jokes, and he when he needs to he vents. He can’t keep everything in his brain all the time. That would be too much. So he writes it down. It relieves some of his stress, and if something were to happen to them… maybe one day someone would find their story.
A calm day for once. Let’s hope I don’t jinx it. Since Ben has been back, despite some of the awkward moments, things have actually felt brighter-
He is cut off, jumping in his seat when Brooklynn makes a huff of annoyance from directly under him. “Ugh. Out of water again.” She says walking toward the center of the platform from their designated kitchen corner. He looks down to her. She blows a strand of her pink hair from her face and lifts the empty jug. “Anyone want to join me for refill?”
Sammy begins to respond before Darius cuts in, jumping up. “Sure Brooks. Brooklynn. Was that weird? Brooks? Ah I’ll stick with Brooklynn.” He flops his journal down on his pillow. She laughs lightly and as he climbs down the staircase, tossing him one of the jugs. He plucks it out of the air easily. She grabs a second empty one that had been stacked on the floor. He assumes Kenji’s morning shower is what emptied them out.
“Yeah. Let’s just stick with Brooklynn. Or… I’ll also accept Superstar.”
He smiles at her response and rubs the back of his neck with his free hand before making his escape past the other two girls and down the slide, jug in lap. He can hear Sammy and Yaz giggling lightly from where they are perched. After his short ride to the ground he sighs and looks up to watch as she follows behind him.
“Going somewhere?” Kenji asks from behind him, apparently he didn’t hear the short conversation from above.
Darius turns to face him. “Just refilling the jugs. Seems someone didn’t fill them up once they emptied them out.” He says in a teasing tone, not actually annoyed. “Nothing crazy, Not like we’re going down to Main Street to find more food. It’s too late for that.” He looks up to the sky where the sun is already at it’s peek. The walk to Main Street is a couple hours alone. Ben raises an eyebrow but remains quiet. Darius shrugs at his look. “Though, I know, we could use a restock soon… that will have to wait for tomorrow so we can make it a full day of it.”
From his peripheral he can see as Brooklynn catches up and she nods her agreement with him. Nudging him with her elbow, they make their way to the river. Soft mud squishing under their shoes. The rains have been relentless as of late. For now though, the skies look clear. But that could change at any time.
The air smells wet and earthy. Darius can feel a gaze on his back and he glances over his shoulder to meet Ben’s intense eyes. Kenji climbs back up the ladder with exaggerated effort, mumbling about how the mention of food made him hungry. After a moment, Ben follows them, quickly letting Bumpy have the rest of the berries that were in his palm.
Darius looks away back towards the river and can feel his pulse quicken. Does he need something? Maybe he’s curious about how we get our water, have we shown him that yet? No, dumb, of course he already knows where we get water, the creek is so close. He looked so serious…
Ben throws his an arm around each of their shoulders catching up just as they make it to the small creek’s bank. From behind them Sammy’s trilling laughter mixed with an exasperated groan from Kenji and the sound of the cabinets being riffled through can be heard over the tricking water. Yeah, they definitely need a restock soon.
Brooklynn carefully steps out from under Ben’s arm and goes to refill her jug first. Darius watches Ben openly, but the other boy doesn’t seem to notice and instead appears to be appraising her water collecting technique. “If you turn the opening the other way, so it’s facing downstream, you’ll pick up less dirt.” His tone is idle and friendly, not trying to be critical.
Brooklynn looks up, turns the jug around, and dips it back below the surface. And they are quiet again, Darius listens to the other campers reminiscing about food from back home.
No one is really sure how to talk to Ben yet Darius has noticed. He thought after the first day or two that feeling would go away, but it hasn’t. A tinge of sorrow for the other boy makes its way to the surface. He’s been alone so long and probably still feels lonely. When he came back, it was like meeting a whole new person. And it wasn’t like he was particularly close to any of them before he… before the monorail.
Before, He mostly kept to himself. Read a lot. All they can really say they knew about him was his incessant need to sanitize and his love for carob. He still keeps to himself mostly. So far anyways. Darius isn’t sure if it’s intentional or just by habit. Ben doesn’t seem to notice the slight discomfort the others have around him in any case. And, if he does, he’s never made any indication of it.
Brooklynn finishes filling her jug and pulls it up, it definitely has less sediment collected at the bottom.
“Huh. Thanks Ben. How’d you learn that one?” She seems to regret the question as soon as it leaves her mouth and turns her face away, but Darius can see how she cringes.
Ben smiles, unbothered. “Some of the books I read had survival stories.” Darius and Brooklynn switch places at the creek. And he follows Ben’s advice, pointing the jug downstream.
“I remember reading Hatchet. Don’t remember any advice about collecting water from that book… it’s been a long time though.”
“I also may have read survival guides. Couldn’t be too prepared.” He says the last bit almost in a bitter way, but he smiles. “Speaking of being prepared, are these the only jugs we have for water?”
“Yeah. One for the kitchen, other for the shower.”
“Don’t you think we oughta have extras, you know in case something happens?” Darius looks up to the camp, standing with his jug now full. “I suppose we could find more. With the water being right here, and with how often it rains didn’t really think it was necessary.”
Ben nods. “Yeah. You guys are right next to water. My camp was pretty close to a creek to.” Darius holds his breath, he hasn’t heard Ben talk about his camp before. Just Toro. “Not too long before I found you guys though it was completely dry for about half a day. Some blockage upstream that eventually dislodged I imagine. Would just suck for that to happen for you guys too and no extra water.”
‘You guys’ Darius can’t help but note how Ben always separates himself from them. A prickle of frustration tickles Darius and he presses his lips together. “Yeah actually. That happened to us too. Kenji and I got rid of the blockage though. Must have been the same thing that was messing with your water.”
“Really?”
“Yeah… then we found the Dino watering hole”
“Well, thanks. I didn’t know what I was going to do without that creek.”
They lapse into a silence again. Brooklynn already started to head back to camp. Darius can feel the frustration leave him as quickly as it appeared. He lets out a breath. “We can talk about getting more jugs when we go to main street tomorrow though. Okay? For now this is what we have.”
Darius isn’t sure Ben was paying much attention to his last sentence, his grey-blue eyes locked on Bumpy suddenly. Sensing the conversation being over, Darius follows after Brooklynn. They each lug five gallons up the small slope and pass by Bumpy, who seems antsy. Brooklynn climbs up first, and he hands her up the jugs before climbing up after.
When he reaches the top he notes Ben must have decided to stay down with Bumpy. He isn’t behind them. The other boy does that often. Preferring to stay on the ground with her than join them in the tree house. Darius hopes it’s not because he feels unwelcome. They are all so glad to have him back. They’re all just going through some adjustment. Growing pains, really.
Setting the water in their makeshift kitchen, he leans against the wooden counter. Brooklynn already set up their shower jug. He notices Kenji watching him and nods. “Hey, what’s up Kenji?”
“I’m wasting away here. We have no more canned food!”
Darius frowns. “Really? We should have had enough for a couple more days at least. Compys didn’t somehow get up here did they?”
“Don’t think so.” Yaz says. “I’ve been up here, they haven’t been around camp for a while now.”
Darius rubs his face and goes to check the food supply. A few bags of chips, stale old popcorn. It won’t last long, not even enough for them all to have dinner like he was hoping. “Wow. Yeah. Guess we’re going to need to restock ASAP.” Closing the cupboard, he goes back to the center table and pulls out a map of Main Street. Several of the buildings are crossed out. Already searched through them. “We could go to the hotel next?” The others let out some assenting murmurs and he nods circling the building.
The thought occurs to him that maybe they ran out of food faster than expected due to having the unexpected sixth mouth to feed. Shame lances him. He doesn’t want to blame Ben. He barely even sees the other boy eat their food, not after the incident with the peaches
Darius isn’t really sure what he eats though. Berries, obviously. But there is no way he’s lived so long on just those. He would ask, but there is something about the topic that feels as though it would be crossing a line.
Looking down between the floorboards, he can’t see the other boy, but he can hear Ben murmuring in a soft tone. Speaking to Bumpy. Darius wonder what he talks to the dinosaur about. Something in him burns when he thinks about it. He wishes Ben would just confide in him. Or one of them anyways.
He dispels the distracting thoughts and scrunches his face momentarily before focusing on the task at hand. Planning their trip to Main Street.
“Ok, so, I’m thinking for this trip we try to go earlier in the morning-” Kenji groans, and Darius ignores it, continuing on. “If we do that, it gives us some time to watch Rexy and either figure the best way around her or wait for her to go out uh hunting... plus it will give us more time so we won’t have to scramble to get back to camp before dark.”
Darius looks to Yaz. “Your ankle seems to be doing a lot better, you think you’re up to joining us this time?”
Yaz opens her mouth to reply before Kenji interrupts, she shoots a glare at him as he speaks. “Ohh that’s perfect. Yes, Yaz can go this time, and it will be my turn to watch the fort and keep away compys.”
“Who’s keeping away compys from what?” Ben asks. He looks up at them, devious grin. Darius has noticed his particularly odd relationship with the small chicken-like dinosaurs. He can’t tell if the other boy hates them or loves them. “They hate fire.”
Maybe he loves to hate them?
“Come up here, Ben. We’re planning our trip to Main Street.” There is a brief pause before they can hear him scramble up the ladder.
“If the T-Rex is at Main Street like you said, I don’t understand why you guys think its a good idea to go back. Plus all the other dinos in the jungle to dodge just getting there.” Ben speaks as he climbs, eventually joining them around the table.
“I thought we talked about this.” Darius frowns. “We need to stock up on food.”
Ben scoffs. “So Main Street is your first thought? Look around, there is plenty of food in the jungle right here. No. Main Street is a bad idea. Besides anything that would be left there is going to be nasty by now.” He shudders.
“There should be nonperishables, canned food-” Ben’s nose wrinkles. “and besides food we could get other things, like more bedding for you. Or, extra water jugs like you suggested.”
“I still think its a bad idea.” He makes an ‘X’ with his arms. “Veto.”
“Um, what?” Yaz asks, eyebrow raised.
“I’m vetoing it. It’s not a good idea. Totally unnecessary.”
“Fine, you don’t have to come Jungle Boy. Keep Kenji company. But we need food.” Yaz crosses her arms across her chest, eyeing him with an expression that dares him to argue.
Ben frowns and he stands a little straighter under her gaze, squaring his shoulders out. At a very suddenly focused rapt attention. Something in his body language makes Darius uneasy.
“Ben… None of us just get to straight up veto ideas. We vote.”
Ben’s face falls as he looks away from Yaz to instead look at Darius. “But I-” He seems almost embarrassed, his expressed crumples into something submissive and his tone wavers. “Fine then, vote. But I am telling you, we can find food here without making unnecessary risks. I’ll show you where I find-”
“Find food like the grubs you’ve been eating? No thanks. I don’t know how you can stomach those things still squirming but somehow peaches make you vomit.” Kenji says, an unexpected bite in his tone. Arms crossed. Ben takes a half step back, as if he had physically been stuck.
Did something just happen that I missed? Darius is taken aback by the sudden shift in the tone of the conversation.
“Grubs are an excellent source of protei-”
“Right of course they are. Anyways. Who wants to vote to learn how to eat bugs?” This is the first Darius is hearing of Ben eating anything but the berries that both he and Bumpy seem to love. Looking at every one else’s shocked expressions, it is the same for them. Ben looks at them all, lips pressed firmly together. “And now who wants to go to Main Street and find actual food.” Everyone but Ben and Darius raise their hands. Ben glowering, and Darius mostly too shocked with the turn of the conversation to process the vote.
“That settles it then we’re going to Main Street.” Kenji says, satisfied, sitting back with his arms crossed.
“What happened to holding the fort?” Sammy asks meekly, clearly uncomfortable with the conflict.
“Well now I want to go.” He doesn’t give further explanation, but his jaw is set stubbornly.
Darius closes his eyes and drags his hand through his hair. Why does everyone have to constantly stress him out? He tunes them out for a short while, as the bickering continues. He hears as someone walks away and climbs down the ladder. Then, as before, he can hear Ben murmuring to Bumpy. He sighs and opens his eyes.
Interrupting the conversation between the others, he cuts in. “While we do need real food. That was not cool Kenji. Why were you so… hostile?”
“Why does Ben think he could tell us what, or what not, to do? He might have survived alone but that doesn’t make him our boss.”
“He’s adjusting.”
“We all are!”
“Some of what he suggests is actually really helpful Kenj.” Brooklynn says finally, after being quiet throughout the quarreling. “Like earlier, he showed me and Darius a better way to collect water. Won’t get as much dirt in you hair during your showers anymore now.”
“You want to learn how to eat worms?”
“No, I still think we should find what we can from the hotel. But just go easier on him, he’s trying to be helpful.”
There is a quiet moment before Sammy speaks. “Is something else going on Kenji?”
“What? No. I just don’t like being bossed around even if it is Ben.”
Darius looks past Kenji to make eye contact with Sammy. Yeah, there is definitely something going on. He sighs.
“How’d you know what he’s been eating?” Yaz can’t help but ask.
Kenji’s face pinches. “Thought he was foraging for those berries. Saw him with a handful of these white nasty grubs instead.”
Darius rubs the bridge of his nose and squeezes his eyes shut. The trickling sensation of overwhelm washes over him. He tries to suppress it, the others continue to talk. He turns away, though with his eyes still closed. Tears try to form. Why can’t they make things easy on him? He’s trying his hardest to keep things together, and really doesn’t need in-fighting. It’s like now that they’re mostly settled into camp they’ve forgotten they’re trying to survive.
Guess that means he’s doing his job well, he supposes.
Taking several calming breaths, and pressing the wave of staggering overwhelm away, he turns around again to face them.
“I am going back upstairs.” He points up to where he left his journal laying open. “We’ll figure out our plans in the morning, we can’t go out in the jungle unless we’re all on the same page because it just isn’t safe. And if you don’t want to follow Ben’s advise about finding food here, we’re just not going to have a proper dinner tonight.”
Without waiting for a response, he heads up the stairs, leaving them gaping.
-----
Looks like I did Jinx it. Today turned out to be less relaxing than I hoped.