Editor's Note: If you want the back story on a couple of the characters in the following, it would be worth your time to read my first story, Of Hope & New Faces. For a simple point of reference,two years have passed in their timeline since the end of that story. I do not own the TMNT characters - as if I really needed to tell you that.
Luke hadn't planned on an extended visit at the hospital that night - he had actually only been coming in to pick up some mail that had been left, and discuss some of his availability with whoever happened to be supervisor on floor that night. What with several of the guys out of town, he'd wanted to make sure he got underground to see Donatello and Raphael before the day was over. Not that they needed a baby-sitter for that matter - they were definitely old enough to take care of themselves for a few days.
The rare opportunity to get away with April had come up rather suddenly, and it had been like pulling teeth to get Michelangelo to agree to going, while Donatello stayed behind. It seemed that Donnie had been progressing well with the therapy for his knee, but knew his own limits well enough not to push it. When he had opted to stay behind, it took some serious persuasion to keep Master Splinter on the trip as well. In the end he had rather grudgingly agreed to Raphael staying behind, and gone ahead with the others.
They had left the night before, and were headed deep into the Adirondacks. With their remote location getting a cell signal could be next to impossible, even with the the boosters Donatello had installed on all of their phones. With everyone else "out of touch", Luke felt more of a responsibility to check in with Donnie and Raph. Instead, he'd been roped into a meeting with an old friend from med school, who had nearly tackled him the second he got in the door. His friend Marcus had long ago established himself as a resident at St. Joseph's, and had made a sure point to try and pull Luke in further every time their paths had crossed within the last couple of months.
So now he'd been sitting in his office for over half and hour, when he all he really wanted to do was get moving before the rain seriously picked up outside. As Marcus was just reaching the pinnacle of his passionate lecture, there was a knock at the door.
"Excuse me - there's a phone call for Doctor Barrows on 101." A young receptionist told them.
"Would you mind taking a message for me Andrea?" Luke asked her.
"Sir, the caller said it was urgent. It was hard to understand him, but he says his name is Rapha–"
"Thank you Andrea, I'll take it in the next office." He interrupted, bolting upright out of the chair.
As he hurried out of Marcus' office, the man slowly picked up his own receiver. He knew a special trick he could do with the conference calling that wouldn't make it obvious he was listening in. He felt guilty doing it, but Luke had become so disturbingly distant...and if he could find out whether his gut feelings were true, he could hopefully just lay these concerns finally to rest. He held his breath and listened in as Luke picked up in the next room.
"Raph? Are you there?"
"Doc..." A strained voice answered. "I'm...sorry. I need you."
"Where are you? Are you hurt? Sick?"
"I was...over near 3rd and Main. I tried...there was..." As he trailed off Luke anxiously called after him.
"Raph! C'mon, stay with me buddy! Talk to me!"
"My head is killing me...Doc...I don't know...I don't know how to find Don...I'm..."
"Raph slow down, focus. Focus. What happened?"
"The drug deal wasn't what...so many of them...I thought..." The caller wavered slowly, and at that moment Andrea ducked back into the room. Marcus dropped the receiver a little startled.
"Sir, you have a call on 102." She told him.
"Uh, thank you. Thanks." He stammered.
Luke was still trying to get Raph to talk coherently. "Were you beat up?"
"Yeah..."
"Where are you? Can you see anything?"
"I made it...up the stairs. Balcony."
"The apartment? Raph did you go to my apartment?"
"Yeah...it's so cold Doc. Everything is fuzzy...I'm tired..." He trailed off again, and this time no amount of urging on Luke's part could get him back. The doctor swore as he hung up the phone, and ran back to the other office to grab his jacket. Marcus was just asking someone if he could call him back as Luke was yanking his arms through the sleeves.
"Luke, what's up?" He asked.
"I have to go, now. It's an emergency."
"Anything I can do?"
"No." He answered shortly as he headed for the door. "I just have to get out of here."
Marcus followed him as he swiftly started down the hall. "Luke, are you gonna be okay?"
"You don't have to follow me Marcus - I told you I have to go."
"Will you call me later?"
"Marcus, I'm leaving town. You want to help me - let the hospital know I'll be unreachable for the next week."
"Where are you going?"
"Marc, I don't have time for the third degree - I'll call you in a week!" Luke jerked away from him, and hurried out of the building.
Marcus went back to his office, slowly pulling out his bottom drawer. Silently he fingered a copied key to Luke's apartment that he had lent to him a couple of years prior to...prior to everything falling apart. He felt extremely conflicted. He knew it was unethical (and illegal) to go into Luke's apartment, but he had a strong feeling Luke was in over his head in something. He dropped the key in his pocket, and packed up to leave his office.
Luke dialed Donatello the minute he got to his car, and the turtle answered on the second ring.
"Hello?"
"Donnie! Where are you, right now?"
"I'm home - Luke, what's wrong?"
"Raph called me at the hospital - you know my darn cell phone doesn't work in certain areas there. I think he tried to break something up tonight, got hurt in the process. He said he'd made it to my apartment, so that's where I'm headed. Have you heard from him?"
"No! He left like two hours ago, I hadn't heard a thing!"
"Okay, look - I'll be home soon, and I'll call you when I know anything! Just stay put for right now!"
"Okay." He answered with difficulty, and they both hung up.
Luke couldn't find good street parking, and some jerk had taken HIS paid for parking spot. He parked around the block, dashing back to his building through the spattering of a few rain drops. He was so pumped on adrenaline by the time he got upstairs, that he was literally shaking as he unlocked the door.
He went immediately to his balcony door, and found Raphael. He bent over him, anxiously checking for signs of life. The turtle was completely unconscious, pulse racing somewhat frantically. Gingerly he pulled him half way off the ground, and struggled to get him back through the door. Inside, he switched to a fireman's carry that Leo had taught him.
With a grunt of exertion, he lifted with his legs and carried Raphael to the back bedroom, yanking the comforter off the bed with some difficulty. He slowly lowered him to the mattress, and began scanning him all over for injuries. A severe gash that ran about four inches along the back of his skull was the most prominent injury he could immediately find, and he instantly began applying pressure with one hand. With the other he took some scans to get vital readings on his temperature and blood pressure.
He had several more lacerations, a lot of bruising, and his skin was very cold to the touch. Setting down his scanner he picked up his cell-phone with his free hand and speed-dialed Donatello.
"Doc? What's up?"
"I have him. He's unconscious - dealing with a nasty looking head injury - probably a concussion. Maybe some rib fractures...there's a lot of bruising and other lacerations. Pulse is a little erratic. He's messed up."
"I've been getting some things together Doc - I'm on my way up there!"
"You're sure you're up to it?"
"I'm coming Doc."
"That's actually...probably a good idea. I'm a little limited in my formulas here."
"I'm bringing an array. I'll be there as soon as I can - I have a couple more things to get together."
"Okay, see you in a few." Luke replied swiftly, and hung up.
