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Zia had just finished stitching Blue's wound and had given her more sedatives to help her sleep. Owen was just standing by her head rubbing it as Claire helped Zia clean and bandage the surgical site. Blue had finally fallen asleep and Owen stepped over closer to the women tending to her. He lifted his eyes to look at Claire.
He found himself smiling again as he watched her gently wiping the blood from the area around the wound, carefully trying to avoid causing the raptor any more pain. Her tears moments earlier were just another reminder of why he loved her so much. Her rodeo ride on the back of a T-Rex was another. And all of her actions made him think she might still be in love with him too.
She looked up and caught him staring at her and their eyes held for a moment before she blushed and looked back down. Owen's smile grew wider before he too looked down to see Zia rip the last bit of tape on the bandage.
“She's all done.” she said before tossing the tape back in her bag. “She'll probably be out for the rest of the ride.”
“We've got at least twelve hours to fifteen hours. Maybe more.” Owen said, trying to judge their distance home.
“We can take turns watching her. If she starts to move at all, we'll wake you,” Claire said, “Why don't you guys crash now and I'll take the first shift. I'll wake you in a few hours.”
“You sure?” Franklin asked.
“I've got too much adrenaline right now. I'm sure.” she replied.
“Sweet. Wake me if you need me.” Zia said before curling up in the corner with a blanket. Franklin found another blanket and laid down as well.
Owen was still standing and looking over Blue. He didn't think he could sleep either. Now that things had calmed somewhat, he found himself thinking a lot about the woman across from him.
Forty eight hours ago, he was standing over the roof of his cabin when she appeared. He hadn't been fully ready for the impact of just seeing her. She was more beautiful than the last time he'd seen her. He knew she would come looking for him when Mills called him. She wouldn't really want to go back without him, whether she would admit it or not. They were each the reason the other survived the last time. If she had gone without him, there was every possibility she wouldn't come back. Their close calls just proved that. He knew he would never forget seeing her almost drown.
“Owen, why don't you get some sleep. I'll be up for a while.” Claire said, knocking him out of his daze.
“I'm okay. I may be awake a while myself.” he replied.
“You should probably at least sit, dude. You had a good size dose of sedative earlier,” they heard Zia say from her corner. “You're probably going to crash hard soon.”
“Owen!” Claire loudly whispered.
“I'm fine,” he replied.
She walked around to his side of the gurney and sat on the floor, “Owen Grady, you are going to sit.”
He rolled his eyes and shook his head before looking over Blue one more time, “Fine.” With his back to her, he smiled again at her stubbornness. He never thought he'd miss it so much. Giving Blue one last pat on the head and turning off some of the lights, he crouched down and slid back on the floor so that he was sitting next to her.
She was sitting with her back to the wall of the truck and her knees drawn up to her chest. He landed about a foot away from her with his legs stretched out on the floor. The moment he settled he began to feel the effects of the day and the sedative. He leaned his head back on the wall, content to just sit here next to her at the moment.
“I'm sorry.” she said quietly.
“For what?” he said, with his eyes closed.
“All of it. The island. Blue. Freaking sedatives.” she frowned and shook her head.
“Hey,” he said, lifting his head up, “I chose to come.”
“Because I made you. I guilted you into it. You came because of me.”
“I came because of me.” he pushed back, “I came because the two most important things in the world to me were here.”
“If I hadn't come....”
“If you hadn't come, I would have lost both of you. Blue to the island and you to the guilt that would have buried you if you didn't try.”
“Owen...”
“Look Claire, I knew what you were going through. What you're still going through. I think it's something you'll be fighting with yourself for the rest of your life.” he said looking at her before looking over at Blue, “I didn't want to face my guilt and what I'd lost. And in the process I lost you. I knew when I saw you that it was my chance to the fight my demons, but I still couldn't bring myself to say it. Then I went home and watched old videos. I'd been denying how much I missed both of you. The thought of losing the last two things in my life that held any meaning to me....”
“I missed you too, you know.”
He looked up at her and caught her eyes, “I'm sorry I left.”
“I'm sorry I told you to leave.” she replied.
He leaned his head back on the wall, still looking at her, “I should have known you couldn't stay in the van forever,” he smirked, “You were a penthouse suite kinda girl.”
“Meh, I'm over that. I now just prefer anywhere peaceful,” she leaned her own head back on the wall and closed her eyes, “Minus wheels.” she chuckled. “I couldn't help but notice you finally decided to land somewhere.” she hinted.
He turned his head away and smiled, “You're gonna make me say it, aren't you?”
“No.” she smirked.
He opened his eyes and looked over at her with a smile, “I may have had you in mind when I started building it.”
She turned her head to him, smiling, “You didn't need to say it.”
He turned his head away again, “Sure I did. I had to put it out there in case there was a dermatologist.” he said smiling.
“And what if there was?” she asked, still looking at him.
He turned back to her, “It wouldn't have worked out. You need someone who'll hop on a plane and go anywhere with you. Plus, I would see a mole on you before he would.” he grinned.
She laughed and turned away. After a moment she sighed, “I wish you'd felt that way two years ago.”
“We're both ridiculously stubborn, Claire. And I wasn't dealing with stuff very well either. It didn't mean I didn't want to run back and fix it. But you made your stance pretty clear that night.”
“You wanted to keep going like nothing had happened. I couldn't. Every moment I felt happy I remembered what it cost. It was like acid burning away at me.” She turned to look at him, “I just hoped you'd see it and and know I needed to stop it.”
“I did see it. Every time we came across news. Or your phone would ring. All I wanted to do was make it all go away for both of us. Your stronger than me, Claire,” he admitted, “You decided to face it head on because that's who you are. I've always know that. That's what made me fall for you in the first place.”
“Then why didn't you stay?” she finally asked, laying her head down on her arms.
“Because you told me to go.” he answered honestly.
“Typical. The one time you listen to me.” she smirked and he laughed.
“Maybe I don't wanna listen anymore.” he smiled as he turned away and closed his eyes. He was starting to really feel the effects from the sedatives, sleep calling him as he wanted to stay awake.
They were quiet for a few moments. Owen with his eyes closed and Claire, eyes open, still with her head on her arms, studying him, “Hey Owen.”
“Yeah?” he replied, his eyes remaining closed.
“I think I like the idea of a cabin.”
Owen just smiled before finding himself drifting off to sleep.
A couple hours later, Zia woke up and found Claire sitting next to Owen with her head back against the wall and her eyes off in space. She was obviously deep in thought. Owen was upright against the wall, sound asleep.
“Hey Claire!” she whispered loudly.
“Hey Zia.” she replied coming out her daze.
“Get some sleep, will you?” Zia smirked as she got up and threw her blanket over.
Claire smiled and nodded, “Wake me when we're close.” she said as she leaned her head on Owen's shoulder and drifted off.
Zia couldn't help but laugh to herself as she watched them so naturally gravitate to each other. Owen shifted slightly in his sleep when Claire made contact with his shoulder. Before long, Claire was moving so that her head and hand were on his chest and Owen had an arm around her.
They stayed that way until the ship reached harbor.