Snapping at Crocs

Chapter 12

I wake up to the hustle and bustle of people talking and moving equipment from here to there outside of our tent. I take a second to let myself wake up a bit before sitting up, my sleeping bag sliding off of me in the process. A gentle coldness greets my skin and goosebumps pop up all over my arms from the lost layer of warmth. I stand up quickly and cross to the other side of the tent with the intent of getting dressed. 

Even in my groggy state of mind, I think to turn around and check if anyone else is still in the tent with me. Wes must have woken up a while ago because his stuff has been tidied up already. Robert, on the other hand, is sleeping peacefully with the covers pulled up to just below his mouth. 

I smile at how calm he looks. I've never seen him sleeping before. My smile grows even larger as I remember what it was like to kiss him last night, even if it wasn't for very long. 

I fight a giggle, partly because I would rather not wake up Robert when I'm a blushy mess, and partly because I know my friends would make fun of me if they knew just how flustered I could get over a boy. A very pretty boy, though. Who is incredibly intelligent. And has an extreme soft spot for animals. 

I shake Robert from my mind and quietly rummage through my bag for work clothes. I pull on my normal khaki shorts and tuck in the Australia Zoo shirt, still ecstatic to be adorning their logo. I tug on two long socks, patterned with rubber ducks, and slip on my sneakers. My hair falls into my face as I lace up the plain shoes. I blow the soft strands from my eyes and finish tying up the laces. I head to leave the tent, but hesitate before zipping it open. I turn back towards my duffel bag and rummage through it for a hair tie. My hand eventually lands on a soft and bunchy material. I enclose my fingers around it and pull up a light blue scrunchie.

I drag my fingers through my hair and manage to coax the twisted mess into a low ponytail. Robert seems to stir behind me as I zip open the tent and slip into the warm desert breeze. The air is heavy, and the earth underneath my feet is damp. I suppose it must have rained sometime in the night. I hope I didn't wake Robert with my noise and tread through the wet sand towards an easy-up tent. 

Wes and the rest of our crew are sitting underneath it in fold-out camping chairs. We had brought along one table with us, which was mostly covered in camera and tracking equipment rather than food. After all, it's conservation above all else. 

"Mornin', Ms. L/N," Wes greets. I nod in his direction and smile in response. No matter how much of an early bird I was, it took me a bit to wake up. Wes takes a sip of his coffee and returns to conversing with Chandler Powell. I hadn't spoken much to Chandler, but I knew he was kind and very good with crocodiles. 

I head over to the table and pick up the one thing that is set out in preparation for a meal. It's a portable water heater, which looks just like a kettle. The useful bit of the little contraption was its ability to heat up on its own. This way, you get warm water without needing an outlet. I look through a nearby bag for a bowl and a packet of oatmeal. I prepare my breakfast and bring it over to an empty seat. 

I sit and eat and wonder how helpful I am actually being on this exhibition. After all, with no crocodiles to photograph, I'm not actually doing much. There was the occasional bird I would capture to fill out my portfolio… but I wasn't feeling very important. 

I force down as much of the oatmeal as I can so I won't feel hungry during the day, and toss my paper bowl and the rest of its contents into our garbage bag. I grab my tripod and camera and drag it over to the side of the lake. The water looks less calm than usual, and I wonder if a fish swam up to the top of the water to get food. Though, the fish haven't done that since we've been here.

I extend the legs of my tripod slightly so the camera will have more of the lake in-frame. I secure the cameral, and jiggle it gently to ensure it is locked in place. Once everything seems safe on its own, I kneel down next to my set up. I brought along the mic but don't think there's any point in setting that up. After all, it appears that there's still nothing to photograph. Therefore, there is no action for people to talk about, and no need for a Mic.