Back in the lair, Leo sat propped up on a bench, surrounded by his brothers. April hovered nearby, worrying her lip with her teeth. No one had said anything yet about her knocking Leo off the roof, but she knew it was coming. She flicked a glance at Raphael, knowing that it would probably come from him.
"Well," said Donnie, moving a finger across Leo's vision, watching his pupils move. "Definitely concussed. How are you feeling?"
Leo didn't answer immediately. "Kind of spacey." He winced. "Head aches a bit."
There was a growing lump just above his temple, already going purple. She picked up the icepack and sat down next to him. "Leo, I am SO sorry," she said, for what felt like the hundredth time. But it could never be enough. "Really, REALLY sorry." Gingerly she pressed the bag against the bump.
"S'okay, April." He smiled at her, but any attempt at comfort was ruined by his glazed expression.
"He'll be fine, April. Don't worry," said Donnie.
Raphael snorted. "Yeah. He's been knocked off a roof and dragged into a freezing river hundreds of times," he said. "Oh wait, no he hasn't."
"Raph," said Donnie, glaring at his brother. "I'm sure it was an accident."
"What did you drag him into the river for anyway?" said Raphael.
"I didn't! He ran off." She glared at Raphael. Why would she drag him into the river? How stupid did he think she was?
"I did?" Leo blinked.
She turned to stare at him. "Yes! And I tried to drag you back, but you kept going on about the singing."
"Singing?" Leo shook his head slowly. "I don't remember that."
How could you not remember?
"Well," said Donnie, standing. "Concussion can cause short term memory loss, and a ringing in the ears. That's probably why he thought he heard singing, and why he can't remember it now."
"But…" She felt stupid saying it, but she desperately wanted to justify herself to Raphael's contemptuous expression. "I heard it too. And there was the mist..."
"What mist?" snapped Raphael. "There was no mist when we got there."
"I've got it!" shouted Mikey, jumping up on to the bench seat. He struck an ominous pose, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Ghooosts." He leaped forward and landed in front of April. She found herself inches away from a twenty-megawatt Mikey stare. "Were there strange lights? Did you see bodies? Intestines?" His voice was breathless with excitement.
"Ewwww," said Raphael. "Mikey!"
Donnie rolled his eyes. "There are no such things as ghosts, Mikey."
"Oh yeah?" Mikey folded his arms across his chest. "Then how come there are so many stories about them?" His expression clearly said that this was incontrovertible fact.
"Because people are credulous and stupid?" said Donnie.
"Or maybe, because they are out there." Mikey wiggled his fingers, his eyes wide. He grabbed April's arms. "What else happened?"
"Weeell…" It was impossible to avoid the blue gaze. "There was all this mist-" Raphael snorted and she flushed. "And the singing coming from the pipes."
"Pipes? What pipes?" said Donnie.
"Big concrete ones."
"Well that explains it. It was probably just the wind blowing across the pipes," said Donnie.
"Or it could be the restless shades of the recently departed," said Mikey.
"Oh, enough!" snapped Raphael.
"But-"
Donnie swung around and glared at Mikey. "Mikey. There are no such things as ghosts! Now can we please concentrate on something real, like the fact that we lost track of the energy signatures again?"
"You did?" April took the opportunity to untangle herself from Mikey's grasp.
"We did. They just petered out. I don't understand it." Donnie flopped down on the seat. "It's like they're coming in some sort of wave, but I can't figure out why, or what would be producing an energy signature like that."
Mikey gasped. "Hey! Maybe the energy signatures are the-"
Raphael lifted his hand, ready to strike. "If you say ghosts I am going to smack you."
Mikey deflated like a balloon in the face of Raphael's expression. April felt sorry for him. Not that she agreed with him. Here, in the lair, under the lights, it seemed so ridiculous that she had heard singing, had got lost just a couple of feet into the river. And Leo didn't remember any of it. Ringing in the ears, Donnie had said. Well maybe she had just worked herself up and thought that the wind in the pipes had been strange music. She glanced at Leo. He was listening, but she could see he wasn't keeping up. No backup there.
Donnie was looking at his tracker with a dubious expression. "Maybe I need to make it more sensitive. I guess I could add some more receivers and then amplify the incoming signal." He stood and wandered off without a backward glance, still talking to himself.
April found herself the subject of Raphael's amused expression. "Nice work tonight, April." He sniggered. "I'm sorry I missed it."
Great. "Thanks," she said, her face heating up. "Glad I can entertain you."
"So what have you got planned for next time?"
She sighed. "I'm sure I'll think of something."
Raphael walked off, shaking his head and chuckling. She turned to find Mikey watching her.
He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. "It's totally ghosts."
"Yeah. Okay. Thanks, Mikey." She took the ice pack from Leo and went to the kitchen to refill it.
