Chapter 6: No Limits
A/N: So here's April's chapter and the chapter where I introduce my OC, Kim. She's based on a friend of mine from college who was in a wheelchair due to spina bifida. I just thought it would be interesting to have a character who could relate to Leo and be an eventual friend for him. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your encouragement means the world to me.
Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and Kim Stevens.
April O'Neil woke up, ready to start a new day. She really didn't want to go to school and would rather be in the Lair with the Turtles so she could visit Leo. Ever since she heard about his accident, she'd been worried about him. But she knew that she had to go to school whether she liked it or not and that her father wouldn't allow her to stay home. With a sigh, she got ready and hurried to the kitchen for a quick breakfast.
"Good morning, Dad," she greeted her father who was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and some toast.
"Good morning, honey," Kirby answered. "Today's the day we get Leo's wheelchair."
"Yeah, I just wish we could give it to him sooner," April said wistfully.
"I know, but you have to go to school. It's important. I'm sure Leo will understand."
April knew he was right, so she said no more as she ate breakfast and then left to go walk to school. She met Casey and Irma and talked to them as they headed for Roosevelt High School. She could tell Casey wanted to discuss Leo, but both of them knew they really couldn't say anything in front of Irma without her turning suspicious. The three headed for their first class which was English. They settled into their seats and waited for their teacher to begin, but a distraction at the door caught April's attention. A student assistant was standing in the doorway with a girl who had to be a new student. She had short brown hair and brown eyes, but the biggest shock for April was that this girl was in a wheelchair. The rest of the class stared at the new student with faces filled with curiosity.
The teacher smiled at the girl. "Ah, this must be our new student," she said. "Class, I want you to welcome our newest student, Kim Stevens. Please make her feel at home."
The class stared as Kim wheeled herself to a desk right next to April's. She positioned her chair next to the seat and then moved her body to transfer to the desk chair. April was amazed at what this girl could do, and she was burning with curiosity to talk to her. But she knew that if she did so now, she'd get in trouble, so she was waiting for lunch to arrive so she could pick this girl's brain.
As it turned out, Kim was in all of April's classes and always sat right next to her. When lunch arrived, April stood in line behind Kim and asked if Kim needed help getting her tray.
"Yes, please, that would be great," she said. "I can't believe we have to get our food this way. They should make it where the students can just choose their own food instead of having the cafeteria ladies hand them the tray."
April smiled and got a tray for herself and Kim. After they got their food, April led Kim to an empty table as they waited for Casey and Irma to join them. April set down Kim's tray as Kim moved a chair out of the way so she could maneuver her wheelchair. Casey and Irma joined them and welcomed Kim warmly.
"Where are you from?" Irma asked her.
"I used to live in Indiana, but my dad's firm transferred him here," Kim answered. "This city is amazing, and I just love it so much. You guys are so lucky to live here."
"So, Kim, have you always been in a wheelchair, or did you have some kind of accident?" asked Casey.
April elbowed him. "Casey, that's rude!" she hissed. "You don't ask someone that!"
Kim, however, didn't look offended by Casey's question. "Actually, I've always been in a wheelchair," she replied. "I was born with spina bifida."
"Oh. Man, that's gotta suck though, right?"
"Not really," Kim replied. "I can still get around pretty well, and the school here is willing to adapt to my needs."
"So how did you get here?" Irma asked her.
Kim smiled. "I drove here," she replied.
"Wait, you drove a car?" Casey asked incredulously. "How did you manage that?"
Kim laughed. "I have hand controls that help me to operate the vehicle," she answered. "I may be handicapped, but I'm not going to let it slow me down. That's what my friend Joe always told me."
"You know, I have a friend who was recently paralyzed in a car accident," April said. "He's been really upset that he can't do what he used to do."
"Like what?" Kim asked her.
"Well, he was a martial artist, and now he can't move his legs, so he can't perform all the moves he used to. He's really upset about the whole thing."
"What sort of martial arts did he do?"
"Ninjitsu," April answered. "Actually, I'm training under his dad."
Casey nudged April this time. "Uh, Red, do you really think this is a good idea?" he whispered to her.
"Relax, Casey, I'm doing this for Leo," she whispered back. Then she turned back to Kim. "So is there any way that he could still do what he loves?"
"Sure," Kim answered. "My friend, Joe, was a martial artist who also trained in ninjitsu. He mastered the twin katanas and was really good at them. After the accident, he began to focus on what he couldn't do, but then his sensei told him there were no limits to what he could do. He trained Joe to work with one katana and to use the other one as a spare. Joe was able to still practice martial arts despite his handicap, and it made him feel good. He's even taught me a few moves in case I ever get mugged or anything."
"That's amazing!" Irma gasped. "I never knew you could do anything like that."
"Well, you can. The trick is to focus on what you can do and not on what you can't do."
"So, do you think there's a way Leo could still practice martial arts, too?" April asked her.
"Definitely," Kim replied. "He just has to keep trying and focus on what he can do. With practice, he'll get the hang of it and he won't feel as badly as he does now. You know, this friend of yours sounds interesting. Maybe I could meet him one day."
"Yeah, maybe," April said, but she wasn't so sure about that right at the moment. Still, everything Kim told her gave her ideas on how to make Leo's life better, and she really hoped Donnie would be on board with it. They continued to talk about Kim's life in Indiana and April told her more about her family situation and about New York. April surmised that Kim could possibly be a potential ally for Leo and someone he could definitely relate to, and April hoped that maybe one day they could meet and talk.
After school was over, April went with Casey to get the lumber he needed to make the ramps for Leo's wheelchair and then met her father halfway to the Lair. Then they all entered the Lair and spotted the Turtles in the living area, all except for Donnie who was in his lab.
"Hey, guys, it's so good to see you," April said as she hurried over to them. She gave Leo a big hug and even hugged Raph and Mikey, too. "I'm sorry I couldn't come down sooner."
"That's okay, April," Leo replied. "We understand."
"Here's your new wheelchair," April said as her father wheeled it in.
Mikey hurried over to it and eyed it. "Man, this thing is cool," he said. "I think we should add some rims to this bad boy. Then it would look sa-weeeeet!"
Raph smacked Mikey on the back of his head. "This isn't Pimp My Ride, Mikey," he said. "Leo needs this to get around."
"Can I try it out?" Leo asked.
"Sure," Kirby said with a smile. "I think you'll really like it."
Raph picked Leo up and placed him gently in the chair. But before he could try it out, Mikey called to Donnie and Splinter to see Leo try out his new wheelchair. The two came out and waited while Leo used his hands to wheel himself a few paces forward then tried to move a few paces backward. Everyone applauded, and Leo gave them all a smile.
"Wow, that's not as hard as I thought it would be," he commented. "I can't wait to use the ramps next."
"How many do we need?" Casey asked.
"Well, I was thinking of one by the pit so I can go down and watch TV and one by the steps to our rooms."
"What about the dojo, Leo?" Raph asked.
"What would be the point? I can't practice with you guys."
"No, but you can still observe and guide your brothers," Splinter pointed out. "I believe a ramp for the dojo would be fine as well as a ramp for the entrance since I feel that you should be able to go out once in a while."
"Well, I was talking to the new girl, Kim, and she told me about this friend of hers who became paralyzed in a car accident. He was a martial artist, too, and after his accident, he was afraid he'd never be able to do what he used to. But then his sensei told him that there were no limits and that he could do anything he set his mind to. He specialized in twin katanas just like you, Leo, and he just learned to use one katana instead. And Kim said she can drive with hand controls, so maybe Donnie could rig it up so you can drive the Shellraiser and still go on missions."
"That sounds great, April, but it could still be dangerous," Leo told her. "What if an enemy gets into the Shellraiser while I'm there? I know you said I could still train, but it's going to take a lot of practice and adjustments."
"Maybe Donnie could rig something up where you'd be able to defend yourself," April persisted.
Leo sighed. "I just don't know," he said hesitantly. "There's still so much that could go wrong."
"But this is your opportunity to still be a ninja," April told him. "You said you hated that it was taken away from you. Maybe it doesn't have to be."
"I believe April is right," Splinter said. "Many ninjas have had to adapt to changes. Look at Murakami-san and what he has had to adapt to. I know you can do it, Leonardo, and I am willing to work with you to help you keep up your training."
"Okay, we can try it," Leo agreed.
"Awesome!" April cheered. "Kim also wants to meet you, but I told her not yet."
"Why would she want to meet me?"
"Because she knows what it's like to be in a wheelchair, and I think you could relate to her."
"That will have to wait for another time," Splinter replied. "You will have to get her to adjust to who we are, and she may not take it that well."
"I won't say anything until you give me permission, Master Splinter," April promised. "I'll just be as vague as I can until you let me know when you think it would be good to meet her."
"That is fine, and perhaps Leonardo will benefit from having someone he can relate to in his life. She seems like a nice young lady from what you have said."
"She is, and I can't wait to talk to her some more," said April. For the rest of the visit, she and Donnie talked more about the Shellraiser and what would be needed to accommodate Leo while Raph and Casey worked on the ramps for the Lair. They managed to get the one for the pit and the one for Leo's room finished, so Leo tried them out and found them to be satisfactory. Casey promised to come back and work on the ones for the dojo and the entrance tomorrow. Kirby talked with Splinter about his job and other ways they could help Leo overcome his handicap. Mikey continued to find ways that they could improve Leo's wheelchair and how the Shellraiser could be a command post like in the show "Bait Car."
"That does sound like a good idea, Mikey, but it's still going to take time for me to adjust to all of this," Leo reminded him.
"I know, but we'll help you," Mikey told him. "We got your back, bro."
Regrettably, it was time to go, so April said goodbye to her friends and promised to visit again tomorrow. They dropped Casey off first and then walked to their own apartment.
"That was nice what you said to Leo," Kirby commented. "It's nice to know you have someone who knows what it's like to be where Leo is and how she realizes there are no limits. I think with that kind of person, Leo will be able to overcome any obstacle he has."
"Thanks, Dad, I was glad to help," April said. "I can't wait to have Kim meet him. I just know she'll really like him."
"Hey, one thing at a time, kiddo," Kirby warned. "Like Splinter said, you don't know how Kim will react to Leo being a mutant, so you have to go slow with this."
"I know, and I will. I just hate seeing Leo so upset, and I know Donnie does, too. He told me it hurts him to see Leo feeling like he does. But maybe Kim will be a good thing for him so he can see that there are no limits."
"I heard Donnie mention something about a new bed, too. Why didn't he say that before?"
"I think he forgot about it," April answered. "We can do that, right?"
"Yes, we can help out with that," Kirby replied. "Now you better get upstairs and get some homework done before bed."
"Okay, Dad, see you in the morning," she said as she kissed her father on the cheek. He kissed her back and she headed to her room. She was happy that things were looking up for Leo and that she was the one helping him to overcome his handicap. Hopefully, Kim would be able to meet him one day so he could truly see what it was like to live without limitations. Smiling to herself, Aril began her homework, excitement coursing through her at the prospect of talking with Kim the next day and learning more about how she went about her life. Yes, Kim would be a good friend for Leo, and that's really what he needed right now.
A/N: So, that's the end of that chapter. I had so much fun writing it, and you will see Kim again for sure. As you know, she's based on a friend of mine from college who really was in a wheelchair due to spina bifida. She does have a friend named Joe, but he's not a martial artist as I made that part up. I can't believe I reached nine pages on this one. Next chapter will be Casey's perspective. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.