𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍 - camp cretaceous

The Beginning

When Kiara's body hit the floor, the campers crouched by her and called her name.

She didn't respond.

Her brother, Kenji, stared with his mouth hanging open. Her body looked so small and pale; it was unnerving.

"Darius, what happened to her?" Sammy asked.

Brooklynn shook Kiara's shoulders frantically, but Darius said nothing. Instead, he just stared at Kiara in silence. Sammy was distressed - she had seen and helped her family when they suffered injuries from wild cattle or protective females in the farm herds, but not once had the reaction been fainting, nor one so random. What was she meant to do?

"Darius!?" Her repeated words snapped Darius out of his daze, and he looked at her. The others were staring at him in silence.

"Compy venom," he said, frowning. The inquiring stares shifted to perplexity. What did compy venom have to do with Kiara fainting?

"It's venomous. It makes the victim weak and tired, and depending on how violent the bites are; it can cause swelling and headaches. Worst case scenario, the victim becomes paralysed, but that's if there are a lot of bites at once. But, unfortunately, I don't know how to treat the venom."

Darius sighed deeply, closing his eyes and turning away guiltily. "It's my fault it happened," he said.

"It isn't your fault Darius; we couldn't have done anything," Yasmina said. Darius glanced at her. "But the thing is, we could have- I could have."

Kenji blinked and stopped staring at Kiara to look at Darius.

"Will she be ok?" he asked fear and worry seeping through his voice. Darius needed to figure out how to respond. He only knew what compy bites did, not how to heal them.

"I'm... not sure, he replied after a moment's hesitation. Kenji's expression went dark. He picked up Kiara's light, frail and cold body.

"We should find some sort of secluded area to stay in until she wakes up," Kenji eventually said quietly, the others beginning to stand whilst sharing sad expressions.

Darius nodded and began to lead the way. They stopped in a closed-off area, the giant jungle trees giving limited cover.

"Is this fine?" he asked Kenji, who nodded, slowly lowering Kiara's body against the trunk of one of the trees.

"Ok... so Kenji, how about you and Brooklynn look for Kiara's bag. It had a first-aid kit, right? So something useful could be there!" Darius said suggestively. Kenji raised his brow at Darius, crossing his arms.

"Shouldn't I be staying here to look after my sister?" Kenji retorted.

"But Sammy, Yaz and I are already going to look after Kiara and check she stays alright? So it makes sense for you two to find her bag?" Darius said quizzically, frowning.

Kenji scowled at Darius. "I should be looking after my sister, though," he thought. "She is hurt enough as it is, and I want to be by her side."

"Look, Darius, I know you are trying to be a good leader, but it just makes more sense for me to stay with Kiara and you to go with Brooklynn to find her bag." Then, he turned to the others, "Does that not make more sense?"

Yaz, Brooklynn and Sammy slowly nodded, smiling apologetically at Darius, who began to feel annoyed.

"I don't care that you're her brother! I'm at fault here. Kiara. I'm the one who let her get hurt. She would be okay if I had never suggested we go to the tunnels, argued with the rest of you, or focused on the dinosaurs. I can't leave her now!" he thought.