~Leo: Age 12; Four weeks before starting the sixth grade
Author Note: So this chapter wasn't planned at all, and just came up spontaneously in the middle of writing the previous chapter. One interesting thing about writing these stories is that sometimes even I'm a little surprised by what comes up. I had no idea that Leo was apprehensive about hospitals. But, it only seemed logical that they would consider taking him to one, and then his response to that seemed natural. I have to imagine that the turtles would all have a deep, ingrained distrust of medical facilities, even the 2k12 versions, who didn't have to deal with a particularly evil version of Bishop like the 2k3 turtles did. It just comes with being a mutant in a world where scientific curiosity isn't always ethical. Compound those underlying instincts with his traumatic experiences as a young Peter Eastman, and Leo's bound to have all sorts of issues with hospitals. I imagine eventually he'll grow out of it, like he'll eventually learn to overcome the deep seated abandonment issues that he's currently dealing with, but currently he is just a kid, after all, with an immature child's mind, no matter how Leo he is deep down.
Thus, while writing the last chapter, this scenario popped into my mind, and I couldn't help but enjoy writing it. The timeline in this story is fluid, I'll be adding stories as I think of them, and not chronologically, and more then likely this took place before the events of the last two chapters.
"This is perfect." Donnie crowed happily, alternating between examining the salvaged mechanical goods held in boxes in his two turtle brothers' arms and tapping at a tablet screen, obviously going through some sort of checklist. "We found the jackpot tonight, my brothers."
"So do you think this is enough?" Raph peered down at the cardboard box he held of wires, metal pieces, electronics, and small but broken appliances they had salvaged from the dump.
"It should be for now." Donnie said absently, going back to his tablet. "This will help a lot with several of my projects I have going, I might even be able to complete a few of them tonight!"
"Awesome." Mikey blew a large bubble and snapped it, before happily resuming his chewing. "If you're happy, then we're happy, bro."
"Uh, Mikey..." Raph gave him a look. "That was from the pack of gum April bought you, and not from the dump. Right?"
Mikey considered the question, and then merely settled for giving Raph a playful smirk as he deliberately snapped another bubble, skipping backwards lightly and easily, even with his hands full of their salvaged prizes. "That's a mystery for you to forever ponder, isn't it, Raphie?"
They were just entering the lair now, easily stepping through the turnstiles, and the scenario that greeted them made all three of them forget about Mikey's gum acquisition.
"Hamato Leonardo, you get out here right now!" April's voice had definitely taken up that dangerous parental 'I'm going to count to ten' tone as she knelt down on her hands and knees, looking underneath the coffee table. "We're going to be late!"
"Uh...?" Mikey looked around, blinking questioningly, setting his box on the table. "Yo? We're back?"
"Oh, thank goodness!" April noticed them, and stood up, brushing off her knees and looking annoyed. She pointed at the three of them almost accusingly. "Your brother is supposed to be at a doctor's appointment in half an hour for a physical and vaccinations for school, and he's suddenly nowhere to be found!"
"He ain't hiding in the weight room." Casey came out through a doorway, scratching his head. "At least, not that I could see."
"Leo's missing?!" Donnie immediately looked around, concerned, as he set aside his tablet. "You've checked the dojo?"
"Literally the first place we looked, dudes." Casey gave him a look.
"We've been looking in every nook and cranny for over an hour now!" April had moved over to the kitchen and began opening cupboards and looking under the sink, huffing and grumbling under her breath.
"You're sure he hasn't left the lair?" Raph frowned, looking around.
"Fairly certain?" April didn't sound very certain as she looked up, frowning. "Leo wouldn't. Not without telling anybody. He's not supposed to."
"He's also supposed to be out here, getting ready to go to his appointment." Donnie pointed out, heading towards his lab. "I'm going to check the security cameras."
"Maybe I should check around the entrance area in the tunnels." April frowned, looking at the entrance.
"Right. We'll keep looking here. Casey, follow here, and make your way down towards the garage." Raph took charge. "Leo's got to be around here somewhere."
"Right." the two adult humans nodded, and started out.
"I swear, once I get my hands on that boy..." April muttered. "I can't believe Leo of all people..." and then her voice faded away.
In a moment, it was just Raph and Mikey left in the kitchen.
"Think I'll go over the dojo again." Raph frowned, looking towards the cloth wall screen up above the pool of water, up where the training room lay. He was obviously far more worried then he was letting on.
Mikey clicked his tongue, shook his head, and walked over to the kitchen cabinets, opening one up and pulling out a small colorful pouch. "You guys need to work on your ninja tactics, bro." he said sagely, walking towards the dojo. "Sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to take the round about path."
Curious, Raph followed him through the curtained doorway and up the steps to the empty-looking dojo.
Mikey winked at him, then expertly crinkled the cat treat bag he held.
There was a thump, a small scuffle, and then a large black cat eagerly popped out and appeared on some pipes near the ceiling, revealing an almost invisible gap between two of the wooden wall panels, and jumped down, eagerly bounding over to Mikey, meowing and looking up at him expectantly.
"Fearless, you traitor!" I hissed out after him from my hiding spot up there, then, seeing my two brothers, quickly pulled back behind the wall.
"Oh no you don't, Leo!" Raph quickly leapt up to grab a pipe in one hand and hoisted himself up.
Far too large to fit into my small hiding spot, he nonetheless was able to shove his arm in, grasping around determinedly. I quickly turned and scrambled away, trying to retreat further into the small crawlspace between painted wall panels and stone sewer wall, but then a giant three fingered hand clamped around my ankle and started pulling me out.
"Raph! Leggo!" I protested, trying to grab a wooden beam to stop him, but I wasn't able to get a grip, and was quickly pulled out into the open to dangle by my ankle in my Red Shadow's grasp, now covered in a thick layer of grey dust bunnies.
Raph held me up in front of his face and cocked an eyeridge questioningly, obviously waiting for an explanation.
"We really need to start dusting back there." I tried to act nonchalant, dusting my clothing off even as I dangled upside down.
"The heck's going on with you, Leo?" Raph leapt down, landing lightly on the dojo floor while keeping a firm grip on my ankle.
"Yeah, dude, you must have heard April calling you!" Mikey finished feeding Fearless a treat and rubbed the cat's head, before standing up. "You're going to be late for your appointment! That's not like you, bro."
I looked around nervously as I continued to dangle. "She's going to drag me to the doctor's office!" I hissed.
He blinked at me in disbelief. "Really, Leo? That's what this is all about?"
"You're not actually scared of the doctor, are you Leo?" Mikey looked between me and Raph, obviously dumbfounded. "It's just an exam. They aren't a big deal."
"And shots! There's going to be shots!" I couldn't believe they were being so calm about this.
"Leo, you're the one with the seemingly supernatural pain threshold, and that's what's bugging you? They really don't hurt, y'know." Raph looked at me, unimpressed and obviously a little confused.
"You guys don't seem to understand!" I swung forward to grab Raph's face in my hands, grasping his beak firmly and looking him dead in the eyes. "Raph. Mikey. I'm going to be trapped in a medical building with very few escape options, most of the rooms don't even have windows. Locked in a small room, they're going to put me on an exam table, where I'm going to be poked, prodded, and closely inspected, completely at their mercy with sticks being shoved in my mouth and ears and stuff. Then, once they've documented every strength and weakness they can find, and entered all their observations about me into their databases for anybody to see, they're going to jab hollow steel needles into my muscle tissue, and inject some liquid chemicals into me!"
Raph and Mikey stared at me, and then looked at one another.
"Alright, guys, I'm pretty sure Leo's not in the tunnels, and I'm also fairly certain we're now late." April called out as she and Casey re-entered the lair.
Donnie stepped out of the lab. "Well, I didn't see anything on the video feed, and his phone signal is still coming from the lair. Raph, Mikey, you have any luck?" he called up to the dojo.
There was only silence.
"Raph? Mikey?" Donnie looked at April, perplexed.
Still nothing.
"Oh, for the love of..." April face palmed, and then stomped her way up to the dojo, where she only found Fearless chewing on the cat treat bag happily. "Oh, come on guys!"
Down below, Donnie noticed a slight ripple in the water under the tire swing, where their secondary exit lay. He moved over to peer down, and quickly spotted the three of us trying to quietly slip out. "Hey!" he leapt down. "Just where do you two think you're taking Leo?! He's already late for his appointment!"
Mikey shoved my into Raph's arms, and turned to throw himself at our startled Purple Brother, bravely sacrificing himself. "Fly, you fools!" he cried out, tackling Donnie into the water with a large splash. "I'll hold them off as long as I can!"
"Raph!" April-sensei seemed to catch on quickly, and she was already darting down. ""What on earth has gotten into you guys?! You bring Leo back right now! He has a doctor's appointment we need to be at!"
"You'll never take us alive!" Raph snarled, bolting down the tunnel, clutching me tightly as our angry red-haired human sister chased after us.
"Raph! Leo! Get back here!"
Author Notes: Later, after the doctor's appointment, April ended up having to buy EVERYBODY ice cream to help placate overprotective and slightly traumatized brothers.
