The Night Shift

3- The Leap

The fresh air of Isla Nublar never ceased to feel strange to Yaz. Even though she'd been there for months, the feeling of being trapped in such a distant and dangerous place didn't go away. But what kept her even more trapped was Sammy's constant presence. No matter what happened, no matter the circumstances, Yaz always felt the same attraction toward her. Although she'd never had the chance to truly get close, her feelings for Sammy only grew, day after day.
On that particular day, Yaz walked beside Ben as the two headed toward the dinosaur area, as part of one of their tasks. The conversation seemed light, but to Yaz, every word that came out of her mouth was laced with something else. Something Ben didn't understand.
"Pertado is usually very social, but he's a little shy," Yaz commented, watching the dinosaur as they walked. Ben climbed up, his expression thoughtful as he looked at Pertado, the dinosaur accompanying them.
"And I get it, it's the biggest group he's ever been with. I struggle with being nice in large groups too. Remember what it was like just getting to camp?" Ben said with a somewhat nostalgic smile. Yaz couldn't help but smile back. She remembered perfectly.
"Hahaha, yeah, just like the two of us. Neither of us knew how to fit into it all," Yaz replied, laughing softly. Images of those early days, when everything seemed so uncertain, came flooding back.
Ben looked at her and continued. "It's a good thing I had Bumpy and you had Sammy, huh?" His tone was cheerful, etching those shared moments when they clung to the dinosaurs as if they were their only connection to the world.
Yaz nodded, a smile on her lips. "Yeah, best friends..." But something about his words felt different now. Although that relationship was special to her, there was something else she couldn't deny. Something that had been growing in her chest for a long time, a feeling she couldn't help but ignore.
"But you never thought maybe we could be something more than best friends?" The question came out before she could stop it. Yaz didn't look at Ben directly, but her mind was still caught up in the words, the unspoken emotions.
Ben looked at her, confused, and then let out a small laugh. "Yaz... Bumpy is a dinosaur. You can't..."
Yaz paused for a second, her heart pounding. Did Ben not understand what she meant? Confusion settled in, but she forced a smile, to smooth things over. How could she expect him to understand? Ben was her friend, her partner, but she couldn't expect someone like him to grasp what was in her heart. She couldn't expect anyone to understand, not even Sammy.
"Yeah, you're right," he said, forcing a smile. "I was just thinking out loud."
Ben looked at her for a moment, still not fully understanding, and then continued on his way, suspecting nothing. Yaz, on the other hand, stayed behind, staring off into the distance, as if the answers were there, waiting to be found. Perhaps one day they would understand, perhaps one day Sammy would see it too... But right now, all she could do was keep going, her heart still beating for her.

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Even though the conversation with Ben had left her with a pang of loneliness, Yaz couldn't help but feel her heart beat faster when she heard voices near the lake. She rushed ahead without thinking, running with renewed momentum. Excited, Rebel joined her, his energy mirroring Yaz's own restrained joy.
And then I saw her.
Sammy emerged from the lake like a chaotic and perfect vision. Wet, covered in mud, with messy hair plastered to her face and that radiant smile that seemed to defy the entire world. Rebel was quick to launch himself at her, knocking her over with the enthusiastic clumsiness of a young dinosaur. Sammy laughed, his laughter sounding like something warmer than the sun overhead.
"Sammy! This is amazing!" Yaz exclaimed, approaching without thinking. Her voice was a reflection of what she felt. Inside her, a tidal wave of emotions threatened to overflow.
Sammy, still laughing, petted Rebel as she sat up a little, still crouched. "Turns out Team Sammy can do the job alone," she said proudly, and Yaz felt her whole world stop.
She stood there, beside her. She looked at her, longer than she should have. What seemed like an eternity was nothing more than a couple of seconds. But for Yaz, in that brief moment, Sammy was everything. No matter the mud, the water, or the chaos around her. Sammy was beautiful. Not just on the outside, but because of what she radiated. Bravery, kindness, that silly, charming laugh... Yaz looked at her as if she were seeing something sacred.
"How can someone be so... her?"
She crouched down beside her, smiling softly, somewhat vulnerable, as if a part of her soul seeped into that gesture.
"Did you do this alone?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Sammy looked at her, and with a mischievous expression, her eyes shining with mischief and pride, she replied, "Of course!"
Yaz felt a chill run down her spine. That smile. That look. That voice. I mean. She wanted to say so many things. To tell her she wasn't just a friend. That there was something more. That she admired her, that she cared for her, that… that she loved her. But instead, she just stared at her, her heart pounding, begging for her gaze to say what her lips couldn't.
The moment, fragile as a bubble, was interrupted by the hurried footsteps of Darius and Brooklynn, who came running, breaking the stillness Yaz had treasured for a few seconds.
Reality came rushing back. Yaz stepped back a little, regaining the calm expression everyone expected of her. But inside her chest, the fire was still burning. No one else knew it. No one else saw it. But there it was. Growing stronger every day. More impossible every day.

The water in the pool reflected the sky, and around them, the dinosaurs were enjoying a rare moment of tranquility. It was almost poetic to see them there, without fear, without danger, simply existing. For a moment, Yaz felt they deserved a break too.
As everyone else relaxed, her gaze fell on Sammy, unable to help it. Sammy laughed as he petted Pertado, his boundless energy reflected in every small gesture. He played with him, giggling softly whenever the dinosaur moved awkwardly or sought his attention.
Yaz felt her chest tighten. Every day it was worse. Every day it was harder to ignore. Every day he loved her more.
It wasn't fair. He couldn't allow himself to feel this way, not here, not now. Not when his only priority should be survival. But how could he avoid it?
I sighed, looking away momentarily, before focusing on Ben, who was calmly observing the scene.
"I think I finally understand Pertado," Yaz murmured, trying to distract herself, to find some way to rationalize what she felt. "She just needs to do things at her own pace. In her own way."
Ben nodded, giving her a calm smile. Maybe he understood what she was saying, though not in the way Yaz meant it. Maybe no one would.
His gaze turned to Sammy. Her smile. Her laugh. The way she tilted her head when she was focused. The way she seemed to light up wherever she went.
Everything about her was impossible to ignore.
Yaz closed her eyes for a moment, holding in a sigh. Not here. Not now.
She'd find a way to deal with this. Someday. When they got off this island. When this was all over.
For now, she could only do what she always did: suppress it.

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The sun was beginning to set behind the trees, dyeing the sky shades of orange, pink, and violet. The waterfall sang its constant song into the void, while the water below reflected the light in golden glints. Yaz and Sammy sat together, high above, right at the edge of the drop. They didn't talk much, but they didn't need to.
The silence between them wasn't awkward, but gentle. Comfortable. Warm.
Yaz glanced at Sammy, who was dangling her feet over the edge, swinging them casually as she admired the sunset. Dried mud still clung to her boots, her hair tousled by the wind, and her face illuminated by that magical light that seemed made for her. Yaz sighed silently. There were so many things she wanted to say to her... but this moment was enough. For now.
"Excellent work, Sammy," she said at last, in a low voice, almost like a secret.
Sammy turned her head slightly, and she smiled sweetly, the kind of smile that burns itself into your chest like a slow fire.
Before she could respond, they heard voices approaching.
"The dinosaurs needed a place to relax, but so did we," Darius said as he arrived, smiling with relief.
"I knew she could," Brooklynn added, crossing her arms proudly. "That girl's skilled."
"Yeah, that's true!" Ben added, climbing a rope with unusual energy.
Yaz beamed at her friends and, without thinking much about it, gently pushed Sammy's arm with her own. A playful, intimate gesture. Sammy looked at her, surprised for only a second... and then she smiled at her. One of those smiles that disarmed Yaz inside, that made her forget that she'd ever thought she could repress what she felt.
Darius was the first to jump into the water, shouting as always. Brooklynn followed with a squeal of excitement, followed by Ben, who looked at them both with a calm smile and a thumbs-up before diving in. Yaz gave her a small smile, though her eyes were, as always, fixed on Sammy.
She looked back at the water, then back at her. She hesitated. The timing didn't seem right, and at the same time... why not?
"Shall we jump in together?" she finally asked, her voice barely audible over the roar of the waterfall.
Sammy looked at her, surprised. She hadn't expected it. But her face lit up almost immediately, and with a mischievous smile, she moved forward with enthusiasm.
"Catch me if you can!" she shouted before running and diving into the water, as always, full of life, fearless.
Yaz couldn't help but laugh. That was Sammy. Always unpredictable, always free. Without another thought, she ran after her and dove in too, her heart pounding. Not just because of the fall, but because for a second, he allowed himself to imagine he was flying toward her.

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Extra...

The water enveloped them like a cold, savage embrace. Yaz emerged seconds after Sammy, shaking her head as the echo of her friend's laughter reached her. She opened her eyes and saw her: Sammy floating on her back, arms open, letting the gentle current carry her as the setting sun painted her silhouette in gold.
She was beautiful. Not in that magazine or movie way. Sammy had that lively, free beauty, the one that didn't try to be anything... and that's why she was everything. Yaz swam her a few meters away, splashing in the water like a little girl, laughing with the others, yelling Rebel's name when she saw him approaching the shore.
Yaz floated nearby, still not involved in the game. Just watching her.
"How do you make me feel this way?" she thought, swallowing as she fought back the emotions that threatened to burst out of her chest. She had learned many things since she was little: her pain, her tiredness, her emotions... But this was different. Sammy was different.
For a moment, she closed her eyes, letting the water surround her completely. She went under, seeking silence. And in that brief second beneath the surface, she imagined another world. One where she could say it. One where Sammy looked at her the way Yaz looked at her.
But when she came back up, reality was there. As real as ever. Sammy was closer now, spinning around in the water like a clumsy, joyful mermaid. Yaz clearly not wanting to.
"Hey!" Sammy shouted as she splashed water toward her. "I thought you were going to catch me!"
"I tried," Yaz replied, laughing, trying to sound normal, to keep her tone casual. As always.
They swam together for a few minutes, amid laughter, water races, and friendly shouts from each other. But for Yaz, every moment was a capsule she wanted to keep forever. She knew she couldn't confess it. Not now. Maybe never.
But she could swim beside her. Laughing with her. Hearing her voice. Being close. And that was better than nothing.
Even if it hurt. Even if every laugh left a small lump in his throat.
And so the afternoon went on: with the sunlight fading, the water sparkling, and Yaz's heart drifting, fuller of love than she could carry… and completely alone in it.

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