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“Just my luck.”
He stared at the forecast, which showed a hurricane heading straight for the island. This isn’t the first time a storm has hit Isla Nublar, and it won’t be the last. They have protocols for every classification. Even though the worst they’d ever gotten was a two. Now, however, it was a category four storm, and the entire park was bustling with activity despite it being closed to the public.
The hurricane was just a few days away, and there was a lot of work to be done. If a hurricane is a four or five, everyone has to evacuate both humans and dinosaurs. After hearing the news, he went to the raptor padlock. There was so much that needed to be done, and he needed to get his girls ready to evacuate.
Protocol says they have to be unconscious, something he didn’t like but knew was necessary in order for the staff to feel comfortable transporting live animals. He’d have to break it to his girls and promise them lots of treats afterwards. He knew they’d be loopy and kind of out of it a few days after waking up. Something none of them liked and required a lot of cuddles to get through; otherwise, they get anxious.
When he reached the raptor padlock, he found his girls anxiously standing around. They knew a storm was coming and were looking at him for directions. Usually, when a hurricane hit, they’d go inside and they’d bunker down waiting for the storm to pass. If the wind wasn’t too bad, he’d let them out so they could run around for a bit.
He walked over to the padlocked gate and pet his girls, trying to soothe their worries. Blue nuzzled his hand and gave him a worried look. She was the smartest of her sisters and could tell something was wrong and that a storm was coming.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”
“Owen.”
Barry came over with a serious look on his face, and he had a bad feeling.
“Did they say when we’re loading the girls up to leave?”
“They're not going?”
“What!?”
He looked at him in shock, wondering if he had misheard him because there was no way.
“What do you mean they're not going?”
“I asked about evacuating the raptors and was told by management that they were being left behind.
“They can’t be serious?”
He gave his friend a look of disbelief.
“They’re living, breathing animals. They could die if they're not evacuated.
“I tried talking with them, Owen. No captain will allow them onto their boat; everyone is worried they’ll escape.”
“What about the T-Rex? Are they bringing her or are they leaving all the predators to die?”
He spat, suddenly feeling enraged. Behind him, his girls picked up on his mood and snarled. Their heads butt against the cage, wanting to protect him. He forced himself to calm down, not wanting to upset them.
“It's only the raptors who are being left behind. I’m so sorry, Owen. I told them we could handle it, but they still refused.”
“I can’t believe this. They're going to let them die.”
Sensing his mood, Blue barked, looking anxious. He reached out and gave her a reassuring pat.
“I’ll talk to them. They can’t just leave them behind.”
He stormed into the upper management's office wanting to know what was wrong with them and why they wanted to kill his raptors. If they were left behind, they would most likely die, and he wasn’t going to let that happen. He spent hours arguing with them, and in the end, he was forcefully kicked out with the knowledge that his raptors were being left behind and there was nothing he could do about it.
He’d gone back to the padlock, unable to face his girls, and locked himself in his office. Barry had gone after him, already knowing what he was going to say. The look of fury on his face was obvious to anyone.
“They don’t care. They're going to leave them to die.”
“I’m sorry, Owen.”
He paced back and forth, trying to come up with a plan to protect his girls as much as possible.
“If they aren’t going, neither am I.”
“What!? Owen, you can’t stay here.”
Barry looked at him in shock.
“I won’t abandon them.”
He paced back and forth, thinking about the supplies he’d need. Barry tried talking him out of it, but he was stubborn. When upper management found out, they dismissed him, believing his threats were empty and that he wouldn’t actually stay.
“Since they're not going, neither am I.”
He stubbornly told them, and they only gave him an exasperated look.
“If that's your choice.”
He watched as everyone else evacuated. Barry thought about staying, and he told him not to. This was his decision, and he didn’t want his friend to feel obligated to stay. His raptors were smart and knew something was wrong. They watched as the number of humans dwindle until it was just them.
While everyone else was preparing to leave, he was coming up with a plan. First, he began stockpiling food and water. He also grabbed a backup generator so his raptors' food didn’t go bad if the power went out. The paddock wouldn’t be safe for them, which meant he needed to find somewhere else for them to hunker down. Although he loved his home, it wouldn’t fit four fully grown raptors.
Walking along mainstreet he could see windows boarded up and sandbags placed around the buildings to protect him. It disgusted him to see more done to protect buildings than living animals. He stared at the welcome center and got an idea. Since they evacuated two days before the storm hit, he spent those days setting all his supplies inside. He made sure they had a comfortable area to hide away from the storm where they would be safe. Once it was ready, he brought his raptors over. They looked around, taking in the new sights and smells. He made sure they were comfortable and let them explore a little as long as they didn’t destroy anything.
When the storm finally hit, they spent the time cuddled together. None of his raptors liked the storm outside, and they’d occasionally bark or growl at it. He watched them in amusement and pet their heads in comfort. Blue stayed by his side the entire time, and they cuddled together just like when she was a baby.