Time for Bed
Splinter sat on the couch, a hot cup of tea in his hands and a book in his lap. It had been a long day and his three year old sons had been rather difficult throughout most of it. But now they were in their room, in their beds, finally asleep and he was free to relax and enjoy some free time. He picked up his book, a brown leather bound copy of 'Famous Painters and Sculptors of the Italian Renaissance'. A gift from his beloved late wife Teng Shen. A book he had read dozens of times, but it reminded him of her and the love they had once shared before the horrific accident that took her life along with their baby daughter Miwa. The book was one that had been with his father, and after he had passed it was one of the few possessions that he had to bring with him to New York.
As he sat back against the couch, tea in one hand, book on his lap, his ears twitched back as they held the small pitter patter of little feet approaching. He sighed in annoyance as he recognized the hesitant steps coming toward him.
"Daddy?" A little timid voice said. "You read me story?"
"Michelangelo." Splinter said trying very hard to stay calm. "It is very late and I have already read you a bedtime story."
"I wanta nodder one." He smiled up at him, his innocent baby blue eyes sparkled as his tiny green hands held out one of his favorite books: A collection of fairy tales. A book Splinter had managed to find at the junk yard on one of his many supply runs. It had become a favorite night time requirement for putting his little ones to bed.
Splinter sighed and rubbed his tired eyes, he did so want to have some alone time, especially after a day like today. A day when if one thing went wrong, everything went wrong. The kitchen sink had clogged due to a toy being put down the drain. When Splinter attempted to fix it, the water sprayed everywhere flooding the kitchen as well as soaking him. One particular turtle had been curious about where water went in the bathtub when it drained and had gotten his arm stuck in an attempt to try and feel for the end not realizing his arm was too short as well as too thick to fit, it took a lot of grease but eventually he had gotten his arm out of the drain, swollen and bruised and the little turtle crying till he was almost vomiting in fits. But the worse was when two little turtles could not stop arguing and fighting over every little thing. That had been just after dinner and by then Splinter had had enough and demanded they get ready for bed early.
He had managed to calm himself long enough to give them a bath, read a short story, kiss them goodnight and put them to bed. Now here was the youngest of his sons and he wanted another story read. Splinter didn't know if he had the patience for this but he was going to do his best to not lose his temper.
Splinter put his cup on the coffee table, picked up Mikey along with the book and walked him back to his room. "Michelangelo,"He said softly. "now is not the time for reading, now is the time to sleep." He said as he walked back to the turtle's room. He placed Mikey in his bed, kissed his forehead and once again said goodnight and was just about to leave the room when another turtle sat up.
"Daddy?" It was Donatello. "I have ta go ta potty." Splinter sighed again and, with a deep, calming breath, took his sons hand and walked him across the hall to the bathroom, he placed him on the toilet and turned his back giving him his privacy. When he had finished, he turned on the water to the sink and aided his son in washing his hands, gently as one arm was wrapped in a bandage.
"Your arm is looking better my son." Splinter noted as he dried his hands. "How does it feel."
"Fine." Donnie replied as he held his hands out to be picked up. Splinter wrapped his arms around him and went back to the room and placed Donnie in his bed. He kissed his forehead and was just about to say goodnight when a little voice called out in the darkness.
"Story now?" Mikey asked.
"No Michelangelo." Splinter smiled. "Bed now."
He walked away from the beds and was just about to leave the room when another voice called to him.
"Daddy, I thirsty." Raphael was by his side before Splinter had turned around.
Splinter gritted his teeth as he thought about his tea and book. He took another calming breath and walked once again with this son to the bathroom where a plastic cup was on the sink, he ran the water filling the cup and handed it to the small turtle who drank it gratefully.
"More?" Raph asked as he handed Splinter the cup.
"No my son." Splinter said as he took the cup and put it on the sink corner. "You must sleep now and having too much water will have you waking up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night." He explained as Raph looked up at him with wide blinking eyes.
He led the child back to the room and as he had done to the other two, kissed him on the forehead, said goodnight and walked toward the door.
"Daddy?" Mikey again. "Story now?" He held the book up hoping Splinter would take it to read.
Splinter clenched his fist and swallowed hard as he turned to look at the smaller turtle, "No Michelangelo." He said a little more stern this time. "Please go to sleep."
Again he was about to leave when a small voice called out to him.
"Daddy."
"Yes Leonardo." Splinter said a little louder and somewhat angry, much to his regret. "What do you need?"
"I love you." Leo said, his voice singing the words as his brothers echoed him.
Splinter swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and sighed. The tea could be heated up and his renaissance book could be read another night. He turned toward his four sons and smiling, walked over to Leo to give him a kiss on the forehead. He then walked over to Mikey, took the fairy tale book in his hands, sat in the middle of the room and began to read.
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I based this story on a recent incident that happened to me when my husband had to go on a weekend trip with his work and left me with our two very young kids alone for the first time. Any excuse they could come up with to not go to bed, they found it.
Hope you enjoyed the story, please review.