A/N: I do not own TMNT, therefore I borrow!
My bad! Can't count, looks like it's six. Though it may turn into seven for all I know (the ending is getting a little away from me) so yeah...but either way it'll all be posted relatively soon, so it's not too big of deal right? Again, thank you all so much for your reviews and favorites and alerts. Here's to hoping I can tempt a review from those who haven't yet! And of course from those who have. What can I say? I'm a greedy little thing XP
P.S. I just wanted to say that while I've done as much research as I can, I am by no means an expert on jellyfish or their stings, nor am I too familiar with ambulances (thankfully) or how to treat things such as allergic reactions as I'm no medic of any sort. I've done my best though and hope nothing I've written bends/stretches reality in anyway.
As always, please enjoy!
When Raphael landed on the roof of the Battle Shell, he took a moment to insure his balance was stable. The wind created from their speed blew his mask tails forward and they snapped irritatingly against his face.
Turning his head to glance over his shoulder so the wind would carry them away from his face, Raph spotted Leo easily making his way toward the front the vehicle, his plastron pressed to the metal to reduce wind friction.
Turning, Raph mimicked his position and followed after, claiming the driver's side so he could direct April through the open window if needed.
"Quit it," he snapped, glancing at his older brother out of the corner of his eye.
"Quit what?"
"Thinkin' like you have to shoulder all the responsibility," Raph replied. "He's my little brother too, an' we all look out for each other."
Leo sighed. "I know that. Why are you bringing this up now? Driving down the highway at seventy-five miles an hour on the roof of an armored truck doesn't seem like the best of times."
Raph's reply was shrug while he readjusted his grip on the car, then he smirked arrogantly in Leo's direction. That's when it clicked in Leo's mind. Raph was trying to make their abnormal predicament normal, and what was more normal than testing each other's patience?
Leo swallowed a smile. Trust Raph to pick a fight to provide an outlet for their frustration and uneasiness. His almost-smile quickly faded, however, when he realized that things were bad enough that an argument with Raph was having a positive effect.
"Seriously!" Raph barked, kicking the side of Leo's knee with his foot. "Knock it off. You're makin' me feel like we don't got any hope or somethin'."
"We don't need it. Mikey will be fine. I'll make sure of it."
Raph rolled his eyes. He didn't bother correcting Leo's I'll to we'll.
"Incoming," he said when they rounded a bend in the road and the ambulance finally came into view. They could feel April lightly applying the brakes as the ambulance zoomed past them, siren blaring, headed in the opposite direction...
"Hold on!" She called to them.
The two turtles had but a second to brace themselves before she performed a rather impressive hand brake turn. The back tires squealed as they locked and swung out from under the weight of the vehicle effectively turning them around back the way they'd come.
Leo's arm swung out to settle over Raph's shoulders to anchor him. Just in case.
"You two still okay up there?" April called up to them once the Battle Shell was flying down the road once more.
"Better than okay!" Raph called back before grinning like the cat that ate the canary at his brother. "I taught her that."
"I approve."Then Leo jerked his head toward the ambulance they were rapidly gaining on.
"Keep her steady, April!" Raph encouraged, lightly pounding his fist on the top of the Battle Shell. "A little closer!" He called. "Count of three?" He said to Leo.
Leo nodded.
"Three!" They shouted in unison half a second before they leapt from the Battle Shell to the ambulance. Leonardo landed smoothly on its roof in a crouch and kept low to keep himself balanced as he gripped the edges tightly.
Raphael caught the edge of the ambulance's roof and his body dropped down in a swinging motion to slam into the doors. He found purchase on the bumper and took deep shuddering breaths to regain his breathing.
"Raphael!" Leo's worried face appeared over the edge and he reached immediately for Raph's wrist, intent on pulling him up behind.
"I'm fine!" Raph barked, irritated that Leo had made it and he hadn't. It was stupid really, considering they leapt farther distances when running across rooftops. "Go! They've probably heard us!"
He considered glancing back to reassure April and the others he was okay, as they'd no doubt seen his little stunt, but he didn't couldn't even spare the second the gesture would take.
Leo's hand dragged across Raph's as he turned, like he was reluctant to just leave him hanging there, and he was, but Raphael could handle himself.
Once Leo's face disappeared, Raph made quick work of maneuvering his way toward the driver's door. He was relieved to find that just below the door was a step used to climb into the vehicle and praying that his luck would last, he reached for the door handle.
It was bad enough that he had to steal the thing, breaking a window would just add to the large amount of guilt mounting in his chest.
It swung open with little protest, but as Raph prepared to strike the driver he hesitated, for the surprised face he met belonged to a woman. Growling through clenched teeth, he swung his arm down, the edge of his hand connecting just an inch above the junction where her throat met her shoulder and she immediately slumped forward.
Immediately he reached across her lap, unbuckled her seatbelt and gently eased her across the seat. Swiftly taking her place, he slid her foot off of the gas pedal and replaced it with his own.
Once he and Leonardo were safely sitting in the front cabin of the ambulance with two unconscious paramedics between them and he was safely driving the vehicle, he slammed his palms against the steering wheel.
"Dammit!"
"What?" Leo demanded, turning slightly widened eyes toward his sibling, "what's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Raph parroted bitterly while he applied the brakes and coaxed the ambulance to the side of the road. "What's wrong? I'll tell ya what's wrong! I just hit a girl! That's what's wrong!"
"It's not like you wanted to," Leo protested.
"Obviously!" Raph snapped. "I don't hit girls."
"There is Karai..."
"Innocent girls." Raph amended.
"Well we don't exactly have a lot of choices here."
"That don't mean I'm not gonna question them!"
Leo sighed and scrubbed a weary hand across his face. "Yeah. Me too."
By the time Leo and Raph were climbing out of the ambulance, the Battle Shell was just pulling up behind them.
Raph gently scooped the unconscious woman into his arms muttering an apology she couldn't hear and carried her to the Battle Shell.
Behind him Leo came with the second paramedic, a man he had thrown over his shoulder as it was the only way he could support the man's weight.
"Are they all right?" April asked, poking her head out of the window.
"They're fine," Raph replied. "Will most likely have headaches when they wake up though. How's Mikey?"
"Really wish..." Mikey's voice trailed off as he took a labored breath. "You all'd stop asking that."
Supported between Splinter and Donatello, the three of them climbed out of the back of the Battle Shell.
"Sorry, Mike." Leo said, passing the paramedic to Casey who'd come around the front. He then moved to take Splinter's place, pulling Mikey's arm around his shoulders and wrapping his own across his back to grip the opposite side of his shell. "No deal. C'mon. Let's get you patched up." When they took a step forward Leo nearly stumbled under the full weight of his younger brother. The only thing that kept him walking seamlessly was his quick reflexes and Don supporting him on the other side.
Shooting a look over Mikey's bowed head, Donny returned it with a grim smile. Between the two of them they carried him to the back of the ambulance.
"Master Splinter," Leo said quietly when he turned to his father. "Do you—"
"I shall sit up front with Raphael," Splinter replied, giving Leo's arm a consoling pat as he passed in order to go to the passenger seat. "You should stay back here with Donatello should he need any assistance."
A faint, but grateful smile stole across Leo's face. "Thank you , Sensei."
"Let's get this thing back on the road," Raph barked as he passed, his shoulders thrown back and tense. He paused long enough to close the ambulance doors behind his brothers and then he and Splinter climbed up front.
As they pulled back out onto the road, the lights off and the siren silenced, the Battle Shell followed after.