Chapter Text
Sunlight filtered through the treetops. Everything was quiet—until a big, fat dinosaur’s roar cut through the peace. A herd of pachyrhinosaurs wandered past Darius’s hut, heavy steps thudding against the ground. Mostly peaceful creatures, just… a little noisy.
“I think I’ll clear the table,” Brooklynn said, pushing back her chair and collecting plates and mugs.
“I’ll help,” It was Sammy, who instinctively followed her, silverware in her hands.
While collecting more plates, their shoulders brushed. Ben noticed both girls exchanging small, warm smiles.
There was no sign that they had ever been distant.
Good for them, he thought.
Only two hours ago, he and Gia had arrived at Darius's little empire. While everyone bustled around him, she stepped closer.
“I’m heading off now. Call me if anything happens.”
Gia leaned down, giving him a quick, reserved hug—not the lingering kind he used to get.
No kiss, either. No spark in her voice.
But that was no surprise. Not after the conversation both had earlier this morning before their road trip.
Still, her rejection hurts.
“Bye, everyone,” Gia called, waving as she made her way to her vehicle.
Darius’s porch was suddenly busy with the campers moving plates, cutlery, and leftovers—half chaos, half comfort.
“Wait—Gia? Already?” the youngest of them all rushed down the ramp.
“Yes. I’ve got university deadlines, and Nonna hates being alone too long. But please,”
Her gaze flicked to Ben for a moment.
“Let me know if something happens.”
Feeling watched, Ben lowered his eyes —only to meet Yaz's gaze. Sharp and suspicious.
If anyone quickly noticed that something was wrong here, it was Fadoula.
She moved closer to his wheelchair and knelt beside him.
“Everything okay? I mean… between you two?”
Ben’s eyes drifted to a napkin still on the table—it was Kenji’s. Neatly crumpled up.
“Hey,” her voice got softer. “It’s okay. I won’t tell the others.”
“Yeah. Eh, thanks,“ he sighed.
This was difficult.
“I think I'm not ready yet. Can we, eh, can we leave this until later?”
“Sure. Of course.” She smiled and softly patted his back.
The engine hummed, and after, tires rolled.
Gia was gone.
Dusk fell, and within a few hours, the clearing was pitch black. Only the front yard was lit by a lantern.
There was no need to stay outside, so everyone had made themselves comfortable indoors.
Surrounded by soft yellow lights, Yaz and Sammy curled together on the couch.
Brooklynn sat in the armchair beside them, legs tucked under her.
Their voices floated through the room — something about the new agricultural program at the Gutiérrez Ranch.
Next to them in the open kitchen, Darius was busy washing the dishes while Kenji made himself comfortable in a chair. He explained the room layout to Ben.
"Sammy and Yaz are in my trailer, Brooklynn’s got the guest room upstairs. Darius and I are using his room — that’s why we thought it’s best if you stay on the first floor. No stairs. No slipping. No unnecessary risks. We set up a bed in the next room, right here.”
Ben raised one eyebrow while sitting in his wheelchair.
“This was my storage room. But I promise it's way more comfortable now.” Darius turned briefly toward them, smiling awkwardly.
“You'll be amazed. We've completely redecorated. By the way,” Kenji chewed on his lips.
“If you don’t want to sleep alone, I can bring my stuff down and crash on the floor next to you. Totally fine with me.” He waved with both hands.
“What? No!“ Ben blurted.
„Don’t sleep on the ground just because of me.”
“And here he comes,“ Kenji rolled his eyes.
“People-Pleaser-Ben. Dude, chill. It’s okay.”
“I am not people-pleasing…” Ben mumbled, annoyed.
“You do, and I’m not letting you.”
Before this could escalate, Darius got between them, a dish towel over his shoulders.
“Yo, Kenj. Didn’t Gia give you a list? Besides the meds?”
“Nope, she didn’t. Buuuut-,“ the black-haired pulled a folded paper from his pocket. “I made one by myself.”
“What list?” Ben asked. This time, both eyebrows up.
“Glad you asked, my friend.” Kenji nodded and unfolded it like a treasure map.
“Right next to your meds and when to take them, I noted everything we should reduce or avoid. Things to keep your little guy safe.” He gently patted Ben's chest.
Aka, he touched the spot where Ben's heart was supposed to be. Which (because of Kenji's tenderness) was beating a little faster now.
“Such as,” the oldest of them cleared his throat.
“No coffee, no alcohol, no spicy or fatty food, no sugar-”
“Wait. What?” Ben gasped.
“Yes. In addition, none of those body squats - and I quote - you do every morning or other extreme sports for now.“ As he said this, Kenji tried to mimic his younger friend.
“Hey,” Ben complained. Of course, he has trained a lot.
After all, he was able to-
Never mind. Not anymore.
Thinking about how weak he felt right now, while sitting in a wheelchair, was no option.
Because Kenji had no intention to stop reading the things from his ‘What-is-Ben-no-longer-allowed-to’-list.
“But we definitely should walk a bit every day. To get your circulation back on track. Anyway, no salt, no-”
At some point, Ben stopped listening. Kenji's exuberance made him feel dizzy, almost sick. But the oldest of them still wasn’t at the end of the paper:
“Oh! And alarms.” Kenji continued.
“When to take your painkillers, beta blockers, and blood thinners. Tomorrow we’re setting up the next heart exam and ECG check.”
Ben rubbed his temples. “Heck, Kenji!”
Yelling like this at Kenji…
He immediately regretted it.
“Sorry, I mean, eh-” the younger one didn’t know what to focus on. He was too scared to cross Kenji's eyes.
“Please. Can we slow down? There’s no need to ban everything that tastes good,” he begged.
To his surprise, the black-haired smiled. Kenji even slid closer, wrapping an arm around him. With his free hand, he held his index finger in the air.
“Ah, ah. I promised to take care of you. Kenji-style, to be precise.”
Although Kenji was a little unsettled by Ben's outburst, he tried to keep up the mood.
“Yay,” Ben said while side-eyeing the older one. “I literally had pie and corn dogs today? Guess what? I am still alive.“
Alive.
Kenji swallowed. This word buzzed around in his head like an echo. “That was an only exception.” He pulled Ben a little closer to him.
“You’ll get used to it,” Kenji grinned. But inside, he didn’t feel like laughing at all.
Ben, on the other hand, felt it pounding in his chest. His heart was beating wildly.
That sudden closeness made him blush. His cheeks got so warm.
This was just like when Kenji had cared for him while Biosyn Valley.
So gently.
But now, he didn’t feel that dazed anymore.
Ben was fully alert.
His shoulder, the spot where Kenji's fingers touched him, tingled.
He liked it. Being touched by the older one.
Not just now. Ben could remember that being near Kenji was always pleasant and exciting.
Already back on Nublar. Back on the Mantah Corp Island. Also, when he had met him again, greeting him in front of his trailer with a shy handshake…
Kenji was different. He was… attractive?
And once again, Bens found himself blushing hard.
“Dude, are you okay?” Kenji had noticed those red cheeks. He quickly touched his forehead.
“You don’t have a fever, do you?”
“No! No. All good, all good.”
That was embarrassing. Ben felt himself getting hotter and hotter. How was he supposed to tell Kenji that his touch was electric and fluttery? Especially right in front of Darius…
All this yelling and talking had woken the interest of the living room trio.
“Do you think Kenji’s okay?” Yaz whispered.
“I don’t know. If you ask me, he sounds like a… control-freak,” Sammy murmured.
“Better keep an eye on things.” Yaz stretched, careful not to disturb her girlfriend, who was resting on her chest.
But Sammy had already lifted her head. “You wanna go to bed?”
“Hm. Yeah.”
Both got up from their cuddle position, back to their feet.
“Okay, guys, bedtime for us. Don’t stay up too late.” The oldest of the girls hugged everyone for goodnight—Ben last. “About earlier,” She held him bit tighter, but still careful.
“I am here if you need to talk.”
The younger boy smiled. “Thanks, Yaz.”
Hand in hand, the two girls left the hut, straight to Kenji's caravan.
Soon, Brooklynn slipped upstairs while Darius and Kenji brought Ben to his room. Both boys were on their feet, while Ben sat down on the edge of his bed.
“You’ve got everything? Just yell or call if you need us,” Darius said, holding up his phone.
“I am leaving it on loud.”
“Yeah, ‘kay.” Ben felt tired, and the attention was overwhelming.
I’m not that fragile, he thought, staring at the floor.
“I’ll be up in a minute,” Kenji nodded, facing Darius.
After the youngest of the group was gone, Kenji turned back to Ben.
“Good. First, here, I have all of your nighty-night-pills.” He reached for the medication box Gia had given him this afternoon. Next to it, a first-aid kit was lying.
“Oh, should we change the bandage now or tomorrow morning?”
“Well, my doctors said once a day. So for now I am good, I think.” the younger one said.
“Oh sure, ya, that’s good. I mean, it already healed pretty well, right? No need to be worried. You know, in case of infections or so.”
Kenji couldn’t stop scaring himself. How was Ben so chilled about his?
It’s just the same not telling us he died!
Carefully, Kenji took the three tablets out of the box and handed them to his younger friend. He walked back to the kitchen, searching for a glass. After it was full of water, he headed back, placing himself on the edge of the bed right next to him.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Kenji reached out and tugged the blanket straight without thinking.
“You comfortable?”
Ben nodded. “Yeah.”
Kenji smiled faintly. “Good.”
He handed him the glass.
“Okay. Here you go, Benjamin. Be sure to swallow them all.”
“Thanks.” One by one, Ben took the three pills.
Painkiller, blood thinner, beta blocker.
At least he no longer needed those antibiotics.
“I still could help you with… stuff,” Kenji said carefully.
He scratched the back of his neck.
“You know, if you want to shower, change clothes. Or if you're hungry, I could-”
But Kenji couldn’t finish speaking.
Because this was just too much.
“Kenji, stop!” Ben was now boiling with rage.
He felt exhausted. Irritable at the same time.
“I'm not completely helpless. Give me some privacy!”
Again, Ben knew he had gone too far, which is why the younger boy slipped from the edge and turned around.
Thank God, my bag is here, Ben thought while rummaging through it.
Anything to avoid the hurt look he knew would be again in Kenji's face.
The older boy froze. “I… didn’t mean to—”
His voice cracked.
“Sorry. Yeah. Sure.”
With quick footsteps, Kenji went back to the kitchen, just to pause briefly in the doorway.
Should I say something? But he didn’t know what to say. He left without looking back even once.
When he was all alone, guilt washed over Ben.
He didn't want to be that mean. Kenji tried to help and was worried. Probably all of them were. He couldn’t blame them.
Ben wasn’t able to remember everything clearly from Biosyn Valley. But he was pretty sure his friends had to go through a lot. And all just because of him.
His legs were shaking.
That his body gave out so quickly after he had been standing there for—how long? Maybe a minute?
Sitting on the edge of his bed again felt good.
He reached for his pajamas (which he had earlier found in his travel bag) and carefully slipped into the bottoms. His breathing got faster.
Damn.
Changing clothes was exhausting. And honestly? An extra hand would be nice.
There was no use. He probably had to beg Kenji for help tomorrow. Well, assuming Kenji would still want to help him after all that.
When Ben was about to put on his shirt, he suddenly paused.
He slowly checked the bandage on his stomach. Everything had healed really well by now. It'll leave a big scar for sure. Well, compared to what has happened, that was the lesser evil.
After he was fully dressed again, he grabbed his phone and opened it.
His mom had texted him. No call from Gia yet.
Why would she even call, idiot? Ben thought.
Then he typed:
“Sorry, Kenj. I didn't mean it. Thanks for helping me through all this.
And for being such a good friend.”
Just a few seconds later, a reply came.
“Don't worry about it. You're going through a lot. Sleep well.”
This response was far away from the messages Kenji usually wrote. So, yeah - all this yelling really had hurt him.
Of course it did. Ben hardly recognized himself anymore. He felt so frustrated and powerless…
Tomorrow will be much better, he thought while crawling deeper into bed.
The car drive, the conversation with Gia, camp fam reunion - this whole day had been so exhausting that it only took a few minutes before Ben was fully asleep.
But upstairs, sleeping was no option for Kenji. Too many thoughts swirled in his head.
Ben was already dealing with a lot, and now Kenji had to restrict him as well? Who wouldn’t be upset?
Maybe I deserve all this yelling? I need to be more patient.
A notification sound from his cell phone brought him out of his thoughts.
From Ben? Is everything okay?
Kenji was almost on both feet, ready to run downstairs, when he opened it:
“Sorry, Kenj. I didn't mean it. Thanks for helping me through all this.
And for being such a good friend.”
The older boy wasn't sure how to react. Reading the message just changed his way of thinking. On the one hand, he could understand why Ben was overwhelmed, and Kenji really appreciated his apology. It was nice.
But on the other hand … He was just worried, wasn’t he? Nothing bad, actually. He doesn't deserve to have everything taken out on him, does he?
Giving an overly positive answer… The older boy didn’t feel like it right now.
“Don’t worry about it. You’re going through a lot. Sleep well.”
After putting his phone away, he lay down again, checking on Darius.
“D? You awake?” Kenji whispered.
“Yeah… now,” Darius grumbled.
“Do you think I’m too clingy? Too overprotective?”
Kenji rarely opened up like this. Unless the pressure inside him was unbearable.
“Because of Ben. I just… I want him to get better. Fully. I can’t stand the thought of—” Kenji swallowed hard. “I can’t go through what happened back then again.”
Darius sat up, instantly serious. “Kenji… that won’t happen. Ben’s stable. The worst is over.”
“I know. But every time I look at him, that fear comes back. That he’ll die.”
His eyes filled with tears.
“Yeah,” Darius whispered. His voice got softer.
“I get it. I really do. Just… give him time. He is still a bit in pain, right? He can’t walk for too long and probably hates being this dependent. Who wouldn’t? After all those weeks of staying in hospital. Also,”
Indeed, it was dark, but Kenji could recognize his younger brother's smile.
“You’re not clingy,” Darius said quietly.
“Okay, you are. But for somethin’ good. That’s kind of your thing.”
Right.
This was for something good. Kenji didn't have to feel bad about himself.
Right?
“Thanks, man.” Talking with Darius helped most of the time.
The bad feeling in his stomach became smaller and smaller.
Tomorrow will be much better, he thought while burrowing back into his blanket.