(Bangs head on desk) I know I should be writing my Transformers fics but TMNT plot bunnies have taken over my brain at the moment. This one was born from me wondering what would happen if Donatello got really badly hurt. I mean think about it! He's the one with a lot of the medical knowhow but if he was extremely hurt I doubt the others would know how to help him. It was at that point the bunnies grabbed my thoughts and said write THIS! NOW! So here we are. This is likely going to be a romance, likely with Donnie but that could change. I'm mostly a fan of the older 2003 cartoons but think there is a wonderful amount of play room with the 2007 movie that needs to be explored more. In this fic the turtles are older, between 20-25, haven't decided quite yet. Anyway, here you are and I'll update when the plot bunnies bite me again. THERE IS BLOOD AND MILD SWEARING! I'M WARNING YOU NOW! SO IF YOU DON'T LIKE DON'T READ! Kk? Read and enjoy!
Avaline was exhausted. She was happy that the patient had pulled through in the end; but the effort that she, the doctor and the rest of the surgery team had put in had left her drained in every sense of the word. Physically, mentally, emotionally and every other '-ally' that she could think of, so she was grateful that her twelve hour shift was finally over. Quickly she stripped off her bloody scrubs and gloves, taking care to dispose of them properly before going to the locker room for her things. She was eager to punch out and go home to bed and see her goldfish. As a single, twenty-two year old woman whose parents lived several states away from New York and only a few friends from work, Avaline really only had herself to worry about and answer to.
Avaline would be the first to admit that she was a bit of an introvert and a loner; it wasn't because she didn't like people, it was the opposite in fact. Avaline loved people, all people, and that was why she was so dedicated to her job and one of the youngest surgery nurses in the hospital. It just always seemed that she was on the outside looking in when it came to actually interacting with people. Her favorite pastime was to sit in crowded places pretending to read, all the while secretly watching the people around her go on with their lives. Some people might think of such a past time as creepy, but it wasn't something Avaline could help. It reminded her that these were the people whose lives, friends, and families she saved everyday here at the hospital. However, they were also the people she sometimes lost on the table when she failed. She was snapped out of her depressing thoughts as a wizened voice interrupted her.
"Hello Ava, are you just leaving? It's awfully late to just be starting."
Avaline looked up with a smile to the sight of Natalie just arriving to begin her shift. The older woman had graying hair and laugh lines around her mouth but stood straight backed and taller than Avaline's five foot nothing by half a head. Natalie was going to be retiring later in the year, much to the hospital staff's dismay. Nat usually manned the front desk, expertly assessing patients according to severity with skill and was practically considered a grandmother to many of the staff and younger patients. Even so the old woman was still strong enough to pin a thrashing patient when she needed to.
"No, I'm just getting off Nat. A heart replacement experienced complications and took a lot longer than expected. I'm hoping to go home and crash for the evening with a big cup of black coffee and pass out." Avaline said with a demure but genuine smile. Nat raised one graying eyebrow as she closed her locker.
"A cup of coffee before bed? Seems a bit counterproductive don't you think?" The older woman said in a teasing tone.
Avaline rolled her eyes and pretended to pout and blow a lock of hair from her face. Everyone on staff had some habit or unhealthy kick to get them through the daily stress of their job. Doctor Jobs had several energy drinks in the drawers of his desk, Nat always had a pack of lemon flavored gum in her pocket, and Avaline always had a fresh pot of black coffee brewing while she was on shift. She was the only one who could stand to drink it as strong as she brewed it, and she was often playfully teased for being able to drink the tar-like substance. Avaline took it in good stride and as long as no one tried to cut her off her caffeine addiction she remained pleasant to work with.
"Don't you have a job to be getting to Nat? I don't remember asking you to judge my life choices for me today." Avaline smirked playfully as she shrugged on her fleece lined jacket and closed her locker.
"I'm just looking after you kids. Heaven knows you won't do it yourselves." Nat muttered good-naturedly as they walked out of the locker room together.
"Of course, how could I forget. How will the hospital function without you here Nat?"
"I don't know, but that's for everyone else to figure out while I enjoy retirement. Now get out of here, have a safe walk home and try skipping that last cup of coffee before bed. You do that for me and I'll try to keep you off the call list for tonight, alright?" Nat said with a shooing motion towards the exit.
"Goodnight Natalie, and thanks."
She said goodbye to Nat and waved to the distracted ladies manning the lobby desk before exiting the hospital out the front door. Avaline sighed in relief as she let down her hair from the tight bun she had put it in earlier to keep it firmly out of her way. It fell to her shoulder blades in slight waves of chocolate brown and she paused for a moment to appreciate the cooler fall air. She exhaled to passively admire how her breath hung in the frigid air before turning on her heel and starting the short walk to her apartment.
The shadows were long and dark in between street lamps but Avaline wasn't nervous about what could potentially be lurking there. This was a walk that she had made many times before and she lived in a fairly good neighborhood. She had been living in New York for five years now and walking this road since starting her job at the hospital. Nothing bad had ever happened to her in the short time and distance in between her home and her work. Avaline's longing thoughts of her bed faded as she slowly became aware of a prickling sensation that crawled along the hairs on the back of her neck. She tried to shrug it off as fatigue and foolish paranoia but the feeling only grew stronger as she continued walking along the empty streets.
'Calm down, it's probably just post-surgery jitters talking. Home is just around the corner and then you can go to bed for the night.' She thought to herself as she tried to calm down and dispel the feelingof being watched. Even so, her hand gripped tighter around her cellphone, which was her only line of defence should something happen.
Avaline smiled and relaxed a bit as her front door came into sight and reached for her keys in her pocket. Had anyone been awake or looking out the window as Avaline had passed that final darkened alleyway before her home they would have thought she had just disappeared. However the shadowy figure that grabbed her was very careful skilled, so no one saw. The young woman herself was stunned at the speed she had been grabbed. One moment she was anticipating her arrival at home and the next she was half way down an ally with a strangers cool callused hand over her mouth. Her eyes hadn't adjusted to the dark so she couldn't see anything yet, but she could feel the strong limb wrapped around her torso keeping her arms pinned to her sides and dragging her backwards.
"Yur gunna keep quiet alright? No screamin' and no funny business and we won't have ta hurt ya. We just need yur help wit somethin' and then ya can be on yur way." A breathless male voice with a Brooklyn accent spoke quietly into her ear with a small undercurrent of a threat hanging in his tone.
The reality of her situation sunk in with a click in her brain and Avaline suddenly began thrashing wildly against her kidnapper. The man swore, caught by surprise by her strength, but his grip on her arms didn't loosen even a fraction and instead his arms tightened almost painfully.
"Mikey, get over here and help me with this." The angry Brooklyn accent snapped impatiently.
Avaline didn't hear 'Mikey' come over but knew he was there when she suddenly couldn't see at all and something was tied firmly over her eyes. She fought harder, fear giving her more strength than she would normally have, but her captors were obviously stronger and faster than her in any case. In a quick motion of more than one pair of hands her hands were bound behind her back. The hand left her mouth but before she could scream a controlled punch to her gut knocked the wind from her lungs, effectively silencing her and with final push she was shoved off her feet.
Without her hands to catch her she fell hard, but not as far as she knew the ground was. She could tell by the feel of smooth metal under her and the change in sound around her that she had just been pushed into the back of a van or truck. Before she could even hope to gain enough air to call for someone's, anyone's help, the doors slammed shut trapping her. Panic ripped through her and she lashed out with her legs as her voice finally found her again.
"LET ME OUT!" She screamed and kicked the door again as hard as she could.
"SHUT IT OR ELSE!" The angry kidnapper roared dangerously as she heard him and his partner get into the front seats.
Avaline stilled at the wordless threat and bit back the whimper and tears that wanted to escape. The vehicle started and pulled away quickly and Avaline could feel from how quickly they were taking the turns that they were going much faster than the speed limit. Without her hands for balance Avaline rolled helplessly into one of the wall of the back but remained silent. She was only just able to get to her knees and huddle mutely against the cool metal.
A cool sweat covered her skin as she shivered in fear of what was going to happen next. Her erratic breathing and the sound of the vehicle was the only sound for a few very tense minutes. For a minute or two Avaline attempted to loosen the ties around her wrists but only succeeded in hurting her hands, so she instead tried her absolute most to remain calm and not think about what was going to happen to her when the vehicle stopped. She was able to achieve a small sense of detachment and numb disbelief that this was actually happening.
She didn't have long to wait, within a few minutes the van slowed and with a few final sharp turns came to a stop and was turned off. Her sense of fear spiked again as the kidnappers hopped out of their seats and walked around to the back to grab her. As the back doors opened Avaline could hear a younger voice that sounded a lot like a surfer speak up to the angry one.
"Raph, are you sure-" The angry voice, whom she now knew was called 'Raph' interrupted in a harsh tone.
"It's a little late for doubts don't ya think?"
With that she was roughly yanked up from her seat and placed on her feet. A bruising, tight hand on her right arm led her forward while a more gentle and hesitant one was placed on her left. Avaline stumbled forward, sill disoriented and weak-kneed with fear. The sir smelled like dust and motor oil as she was guided/frog-marched into another room, there was a pause as the sound of a door sliding closed could be heard. Avaline startled a bit when she felt the floor moving and her heart sunk when she realized they were in some kind of elevator. She only had enough time to wonder where she was before the doors whisked open again.
'Raph' released his grip on her arm and stepped off the lift leaving 'Mikey' to lead her forward. Avaline had no choice but to let the stranger guide her into what sounded like a bigger space. At least his grip wasn't constricting the circulation to her arm. The air of this place smelled a bit old and the floor was stone, to the young woman's further fear and dismay she had a feeling that she was underground now. A few noises came from further in the room told her this place was fairly large in size, but that was all she could tell from her limited senses. Avaline nearly jumped out of her skin when a shout from someone other than 'Raph' or 'Mikey' came from further in. 'Mikey' must have noticed because his hand moved to her shoulder and he spoke in what would have been a comforting tone had he not just kidnapped her.
"Hey, take it easy dudette. We aren't going to hurt ya, ok?"
Avaline tried not to flinch from the hand that rested on her shoulder as she shivered again in fear as she heard a new set of footsteps approach. A new voice spoke up; it too was young and held a leadership-like tone as it approached.
"Raph, Mikey, where the heck did you go? We need to-"
The voice and footsteps stopped and Avaline tensed with anxiety at the strained and angry silence that followed.
"Raph… why… who?" The new voice stuttered in shock for a moment before becoming cold with a fury that made Avaline take a blind step back in fear. 'Mikey' let her do so, but kept his hand on her shoulder in what felt like an attempt to comfort her and keep her calm.
"What the hell have you done?!"
"I got us some help, Leo! I'm not just gunna sit on the sidelines and do nothing while Donnie dies! We don't know how to help him, so me and Mikey went to find someone who did."
"By kidnapping some stranger off the street? You idiot! Is your brain rotting out of your skull?! Haven't you put our family at risk enough already?!"
"We don't have a choice Leo! We found her coming outta the hospital-"
The conversation between the new voice, 'Leo', and 'Raph' dissolved into a shouting match filled with such venom Avaline tried to curl in on herself. She knew she was shaking like a leaf in a gale but she didn't care. She was scared, confused and wanted nothing more than to curl up in a corner and cry for a long, long time. She had no idea if she was even going to live through the night or what these strangers wanted from her. Her breathing hitched a little as she tried to remain quiet, lest the anger from 'Leo' or
'Raph' turn to take itself out on her instead. The hand on her shoulder tightened for a moment before releasing her and going to the bindings on her wrists.
Avaline froze in shock as whatever material around her hands fell away and 'Mikey's' hands also went to her blindfold. The voices of 'Leo' and 'Raph' continued to shout accusations and curses at each other. They were so intent on fighting they couldn't see that 'Mikey' was releasing her. The blindfold fell away and Avaline tried to adjust her eyes to the bright lights of the large room. The ceilings were high and like she had guessed earlier the room was made of stone. There weren't any windows but there were a number of doorways and what looked like tunnel openings, which supported her theory that she was now underground. The large room was cozy, with a living area and what might have been a kitchen area off in the back. However none of these things held her attention like the other occupants in the room did.
Her eyes widened in shock as she looked right at the sight of two large, green, things standing almost nose to nose and yelling at each other. One wore an ocean blue mask that framed steely gray eyes while the other wore a mask of fiery red over eyes of burning amber. The two beings were shouting in the voices of 'Leo' and 'Raph' and seemed to now be cursing in what sounded like Japanese. Avaline stared for what felt like forever at their clenched three fingered hands, green skin, two toed feet and… shells? Yes, they had shells, and she realized with a jolt that they looked an awful lot like humanoid turtles. Both beings looked like they were ready to leap for the others throat as they tensed like coiled springs.
"Hey, you should breath before ya passout." The kinder, younger and familiar voice of the one called 'Mikey' said from her left.
Avaline dazedly followed his instruction to breath and inhaled just as stars started popping in her vision. She turned her head to see yet another turtle-like being gripping her shoulder where 'Mikey' should have been. A small part of Avaline was absolutely fascinated about these beings while most of her was too stunned to react. So many questions piled up in her head and she had no idea which ones she should be asking. She also felt like she should be doing a number of things; screaming and passing out seemed likely, making a run for it was a good second option, but all she seemed capable of was staring in shock and trembling with fear.
She noticed a few details as her gaze jumped back and forth between all the strange turtle beings. They all looked like they had been in a fight. The one in the blue mask had a heavy dressing around on of his ankles while the red and orange turtles were covered in shallow cuts and scrapes. The turtle, Mikey she assumed, seemed tense but he ignored the still shouting pair and placed both of his three fingered hands on her shoulders in a gentle grip. Avaline flinched slightly from the contact but his low voice all but commanded her attention, seeming to cut through the noise of the other two turtle beings.
"Listen, I know you're scared and stuff and this is a really bad way to meet but we really need your help. One of my brothers got really, really hurt, w-we can't go to a hospital and he might be dyi-" The turtle choked on the words, and Avaline could see the pain flash across his deep blue eyes, an agony that she recognised. Mikey looked at her again and whispered pleadingly.
"Please, we need your help."
The scared young woman stared at the turtle-like being for a long moment. This turtles eyes were a very clear blue and outlined in a bright but tearstained orange mask. For a long moment Avaline stared back and found that despite this beings strange, otherworldly appearance his eyes were very, very human. These beings were obviously human in some respect, sentient, feeling and rational despite their more reptilian features. The desperate, almost soul breaking look the one called Mikey was giving her was one she could recognise from the waiting room in the hospital. It was the gaze of someone asking the doctor to save the patient, and now that look was being directed at her.
Avaline closed her hazel eyes for a moment and resolutely ignored Mikey's gaze. She disregarded the shouting from the other two, shoved aside her fear and confusion and burrowed past her exhaustion until she found what she needed. Seconds later she opened her eyes and looked back into Mikey's, her gaze no longer that of a scared young woman, but that of a determined surgery nurse. She was no longer Avaline the scared twenty-two year old that lived alone, she was Avaline the level headed surgery nurse and she only had one question.
"Where is he?"
Mikey dashed away in a blurr of green and orange, Avaline only a close distance behind leaving the still arguing pair forgotten behind her. Her hands moved automatically to her hair and threw it into the tightest bun she could make as she threw the elastic band on her wrist over it. She swept into the room with only a glance to her surroundings. The room looked like some kind of lab, computer monitors lined one wall with scatterings of paper and well-read and used books piled in precarious stacks. Her attention focused on the other side of the room as her nose picked up the appallingly familiar scent of blood.
A fourth turtle-like being lay unconscious and bleeding heavily from a hole in his chest on a table turned into a cot. Avaline spared only half a glance at the huge rat-like being dressed in a brown robe that was pressing against the wound, before going to the sink she spotted in the corner. She turned on the water for as hot as it could give her and scrubbed her skin in the scalding water.
"I need gloves!" She shouted.
The orange banded turtle being appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, with a box of latex gloves in his strange hands. Without a word she snapped a pair on and moved toward the table and her patient. The gigantic rat looked at her suspiciously, his tail whipping back and forth in a way that reminded her of a pissed off cat. To her no-longer-great surprise the rat spoke in an old and Japanese accented voice to the turtle hovering behind her.
"Michelangelo, who is this?" The rat's tone was low and slightly dangerous as he regarded her with a wary gaze.
"Sensei, please. She's here to help." Mikey begged.
The rat being stared quickly but deeply into her eyes and Avaline looked back unflinchingly, even though she had the strangest feeling that he was gazing more into her than at her. Apparently satisfied with whatever he found he motioned her closer and her hands replaced his over the still bleeding wound. The rat took a single step back and Avaline scanned the turtle being under her hands. For just a split second she froze.
As she felt the pulse of the heart under her palms and the scarlet blood flowing over the plastic of her gloves she was horribly reminded that she was way outside of her jurisdiction. She was a young and still learning surgery nurse, and certainly not a doctor by any means of the word. Not even doctors worked on a patient like this, alone, without some kind of support team or nurse. The hard yellow part of the turtle's shell/chest was cracked and bleeding, also reminding her that this wasn't a human she was working on. What if his anatomy was different? What if she killed him by accident?
Avaline's doubts took a very quick backseat as she remembered the orange banded turtle's eyes as he asked her to save his brother. She was the only option, as there was no hospital or other doctor they could go to obviously. In school she had heard stories and read papers about barely trained medics doing things like this, with less than she had, in war zones and still save lives. There were three turtles and a giant rat behind her that could help her. She was not alone, and neither was the turtle being on the table. She set aside her questions, reservations, feelings and uncertainties and got to work.
Avaline didn't know how many hours had passed when she finally allowed herself to collapse in an out of the way corner of the underground lab. It felt like both forever and no time at all since she had started trying to repair the fourth injured turtle being. Her hands were still shaking and her elbows just freshly cleaned from the nasty gore from her patient. Avaline had managed to pick up their names of her strange looking helpers in the chaos of saving the fourth turtles life. The young woman looked over to where Leo, Raph, Mikey and Splinter were clearing away the blood, cloth and tools she had used. She wanted to go over and help but couldn't find the willpower to stand at the moment.
The blue masked turtle, Leo, had been her main source of assistance, mostly because he had the steadiest pair of hands. He had followed her instructions carefully and without question holding what she needed while she sewed up his brother like a broken rag doll. Raph, the red banded turtle, had glared at her the entire time she had been working and had been all but useless except to give the patient blood through a few transfusions. They had assured her their blood type was all the same when she had asked. In fact when she told them the patient needed a transfusion Raph had all but jumped at the opportunity, she didn't have time wonder why. Splinter had done a good job keeping Mikey calm and the orange turtle had brought over the tools and supplies she needed the moment she asked for them. Whomever had labelled everything in this lab had saved them precious time, and likely the patient's life.
As it was, the wounded turtle had been lucky and Avaline had no doubt that if he had been human he would have died. From what she could tell from the wound and Mikey's babbling, was that he had been shot point blank in the chest by a Purple Dragon. The young woman had never had the misfortune to meet anyone from that gang. However she had seen enough of the PD's handiwork during her late shifts at the hospital to know all too well who they were. The bullet had been a low calibre, but at point blank had just enough power to crack through the turtle's chest armor, or plastron as she had learned it was called. Both fortunately and unfortunately, the bullet had come to rest against the aortic arch coming off the fourth turtle's heart. The bullet had caused a tear in the arch, creating massive bleeding, but blocked it enough to keep him from bleeding out immediately.
The plastron had been difficult to work around and gotten in the way, taking up precious time as blood continued to flow. Avaline had needed to give the patient three transfusions of blood from Raph, which was more than she was comfortable taking from the red turtle. However, in the end they had succeeded in removing the bullet and repairing the damage. The red masked turtle was now weak and slightly pale with blood loss but the injured turtle on the table was stable for the time being. Once she had finished stitching, Leo had taken more of the lead and shown her the resin solution that would heal the broken plastron. The injured turtles now looked like his shell had been colored white from all the bandages they had to wrap around his torso. Avaline might have found it comical, but at that moment she was far too tired to find much of anything humorous.
With the last dregs of her willpower and her flagging strength Avaline pushed herself up from the floor and went to double check on her patient. She did her best to ignore the looks the four strange beings gave her, which ranged from glares to wariness to full out appreciation. Mikey positively beamed at her and pulled her into an unexpected embrace, even though her front was still covered in his brothers dried blood. His skin was unexpectedly cool to the touch and the unfamiliar curves of his shell were unexpected, however she allowed the much taller turtle-like being to cling to her petite frame.
"Thank you. You saved him." He muttered in a shaky voice that sounded so very vulnerable for a being that was physically so much stronger than her.
Avaline let herself feel just a hint of accomplishment before stepping out from Mikey's hug, and moving to her patient's side. She checked the bandages and compared the strength and beat of the fourth turtles pulse to Mikey's, making allowances for the orange turtle's elevated excitement levels. She sighed and looked to the four pairs of eyes that were watching her every move and waiting for what she had to say. She spoke calmly and quietly, making eye contact with each one as she spoke. Talking to patients and family members was something she had done before on the job, this was something she was familiar with. She did her best to both comfort and reassure them while also being honest.
"If he makes it through the night he should be ok, but I want to keep a close eye on him until he wakes up. His condition could still turn for the worse until then."
"It's morning now." Leo told her quietly, his voice sounded much softer than the steely yelling one he had used earlier. Avaline ran a hand over her face; her own internal clock was fried from lack of sleep and stress.
"Is it? Than he needs to make it through the day. I don't know enough to guarantee with certainty to you that he's going to be a hundred percent alright. You have to understand that I'm not actually a doctor; I'm just a surgery nurse."
"Are you saying that we just let a half-baked trainee nurse operate on our brother?" Raph stepped forward angrily, and even though he was weaker from loss of blood she tensed at this threat. Avaline knew that he could still easily do her great harm if he wanted to.
"Raphael!" Splinter snapped at the turtle, the threating reprimand in the rats voice was very clear in that one word.
Raph shot Avaline another glare, but to her intense relief backed down. The young woman glared back, defiantly meeting his gaze with one of her own. She was still in her 'nurse mode' and while she felt no fear at the moment she had no doubt that once she had a little time for herself she would freak-out. Avaline's hazel eyes bored holes into Raph's amber, a hint of animosity coloring her voice as she spoke.
"I'm saying that you kidnapped me off the street and got lucky that I know the theory behind this kind of operation. Your brother was very lucky in all respects tonight. He's lucky it was a low caliber bullet, that his plastron absorbed the impact, that the bullet stopped where it did, that you grabbed me and not someone who has no idea what to do in surgery." She all but hissed at the red masked turtle.
Raphael looked away; a flash of what could have been shame crossing his face before it disappeared, so quickly she could have imagined it. Avaline closed her eyes and gripped the edge of the table beside her as her waning strength threatened to send her to the floor. Her swaying didn't go unnoticed as Mikey stepped forward to support her with a gentle hand at her elbow. She stiffened for a moment at the unexpected contact but let him take some of her weight, the last thing she wanted was to land on her face. The rat-like being, Splinter, stepped forward with a compassionate look.
"You must have many questions my dear, but I believe they should wait until after you have rested. May we at least know your name?"
"Avaline Miller, but most people just call me Ava." She said while trying to fight the sudden heaviness of her eyelids and keep Splinter in focus. She had so many questions for them, but Splinter was right, she needed to rest. She was too tired to be scared of them or bother to wonder what they would do with her now.
"Thank you Miss Miller. We owe you a great debt for helping to save one of our own." Splinter said with a slight bow. Ava would have been a bit embarrassed for the recognition but could only had the strength to nod numbly back in response.
"Michelangelo will show you somewhere you may rest. Leonardo, can you watch over your brother for now?"
"Yes Sensei." Leo said with a respectful bow of his head. Splinter turned hard eyes to the red masked turtle that seem anxious but resigned to his fate.
"Raphael, you and I must speak. Alone."
"Yes Sensei." Raphael said in a tight voice and a ridged head bow.
Mikey took her hand and led her toward the door of the lab. She only paused long enough to catch Leo's eye and give a final instruction.
"Wake me if anything changes."
Leo seemed surprised but nodded, and Avaline could tell from the look in his gray eyes he would do so should something happen. Avaline let Mikey lead her through the strange underground home as she was too tired to take in more of her surroundings let alone walk under her own power. Her knees buckled and she all but collapsed into the cushions of the couch without Mikey's assistance. Blissful sleep dragged her into unconsciousness before the orange masked turtle had even covered her with a blanket. She didn't stir even once as a pillow was carefully placed under her head or as the other strange occupants around her exchanged quiet words and watchful shifts, over both their bother and their new guest.
Tada! What do you think? What are your thoughts on Avaline? What happened to poor Donnie? Does Raph come off as too much of a jerk? Let me know in the comments! READ AND REVIEW!