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He is not okay, he likes to think that words don’t hurt, but he knows how deep they cut, much more when they come from someone you love, like your mother… father… aunt…
After all the chaos in the island, Zach only wants to see his parents, hug them, eat a jumbo hamburger and sleep for the next three days, but he only gets a pat in his back from his father and then his mother looks at him.
“you had to take care of your brother!” she hissed at him, looking around checking that no one was looking at them
Gray was quick to respond “mom! he did” he jumped from the chair he was sitting
“i-i did” Zach stammered
“then explain to me, why were you the last to get out of that island!? Why does Gray look like he had run all the way here? did you even stop to think about his safety? no, of course no, you didn’t even wanted to go with him” she accused her older son with hard words.
Zach looked at her, angry unshed tears burning his eyes “we had to escape! to run away from dinosaurs! how did you expected us to look?”
“do not talk to your mother like that!” his father grabbed his arm and shook him
“hey! take it easy man” Owen spoke to the father and came closer to the family seeing the young man distressed
“and who are you?” the man asked looking at him
“Owen Grady, and you should let go of that arm” he said putting his hand over Zach shoulder, instinct telling him to protect the young man. The father let go, but he was getting mad that they would treat Zach this way, he was a great young man, he saved his brother from the Indominus, fixed an old jeep, and tasered a velociraptor all without any help.
“please guys, Zach is just a teenager, he can’t be held responsible for this, he did what every teenager would, he broke a few rules, is not big deal” Claire said noticing the hard look Owen was giving
“he saved me” interrupted Gray again looking up to his brother
“not now Gray” said Rachel and took him by the hand “we will talk at home, just be glad that nothing happened to your brother”
“would you even care if something happened to me?” he whispered
“don’t be so dramatic Zach” called his aunt, but he was already running out of the hangar, Owen hot on his heels “Zach!”
“Zachary come here!” howled his father, but he kept running
“i’m tired of this, i’m tired of both of you, allways fighting, you never listen to us, never listen to me, Zach is my brother, and he loves me, i know it, he let me take his headphones so i don’t have to hear when you guys fight, he told me, he is going to get a job and a place so we can live together” screamed Gray face red and tears streaming down his face
“Gray you can’t believe everything Zach says, how is he going to get a job?” his father kneeled in front of him “don’t be naive kid, he is good for nothing”
“he got the job from the mechanic that lives around the corner from grandpa, he said he is good fixing things” called Gray “maybe is you guys who don’t know Zach” and he took off after his brother and the raptor trainer.
Zach didn’t get too far, he was tired of running, and out of breath in a few minutes, Owen caught him easily, and hug him when he saw Zach crying
“they think- they- they think”
“shhh, don’t cry i know you, we just met, but i know you, you are not what they say you are, you are strong, you are intelligent, you survived that shit and kept your brother safe” Owen whispered in his ear, squeezing him a bit more “it takes so much more than a teenager to do all those things you did today” he looked him in the eyes and kissed his forehead “you are so much more” and hugged him again while Zach kept crying.
Gray found them minutes later holding each other, and knew his brother would be safe with Owen, they would have to get back to their parents eventually, but right now, he would let him be.