Connor shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another, trying not to bash his weight into the two other staff members stood either side of him, who's names he had already forgotten. He was tired, and aching, and he was suddenly aware of how long he'd been in these clothes. Over a year. And, it was as he stood here back in the ARC, though not as he recognised it, listening to Lester address the entire staff, after having escaped his prehistoric prison and saved the world from a large therapod dinosaur incursion, that he began to fully accept that he was back home.
He'd imagined this moment for months; imagined and hoped. He'd always tried to remain positive that they would get home, despite how defeated Abby had always acted, and dozens of scenarios had played out in his head regarding what his first words to the rest of the team would be, what his first meal would be, what size coffee he would drink in as few seconds as he could, what films he would sit down and watch, but now that the occasion was finally here he couldn't quite calm his brain down enough to really acknowledge that it was actually happening.
He tried to concentrate on the words that were spilling sarcastically from Lester's mouth, but the hum of the ARC machinery and the feelings of nostalgia that surrounded him were too distracting. His eyes wondered over the now very different physically ARC, yet he still recognised it. The place where he had turned into more than just an almost failed Palaeontology student, where he had started working on something much bigger than he ever thought imaginable with the Professor, where his life had changed so radically, and so quickly. He let out a sigh, not realising how loud it was going to be, his mind so tired and his body so drained as relief and excitement struggled to be the most prevalent feeling in his being, as the eyes of the crowd gathered around him fell upon him.
"Is there a problem, Connor?" Lester asked, his face stern and one eyebrow raised.
Connor looked at the man, suddenly aware that his sigh had sounded like an expression of complete boredom. The other members of staff turned their heads to look at him, and Connor could tell they were full of ideas and judgements regarding him, after all, they had been missing for so long, it must have been the talk of the place for some time. He shifted on his feet again, as he felt his cheeks redden, and he glanced around the group of people, his eyes spotting Captain Becker, stood slightly back from the rest of them, and Abby who nodded in a reassuring manner whilst rolling her eyes slightly at him.
"Uhh," Connor started, looking back at Lester, his mouth dry. "No, sir. There's no problem at all."
He tried to force a small smile, but it probably came across as a grimace.
"Excellent," Lester said flippantly, removing his gaze from Connor. "I suppose under the circumstances we ought to offer you some time to recuperate. This meeting should be over soon."
Connor let out a long breath, as slowly as he could to make sure he made no noise this time, and he looked around the group of people again. The girl who had excitedly squealed a welcome at him and Abby was smiling deeply at him, her face bright, happy, and full of glee. Connor nodded back at her, aware that his mind had made no attempt to retain her name. He took a deep breath, hoping that his meeting really didn't drag on for much longer.