Chapter 7
"How is she?" I stepped into Alexa's room. She was laying on her bed her face twisted in discomfort. There were IVs in her arms Donnie put in since she's been passed out for two weeks. Last week Don hooked her up to a heart monitor.
"No change." My brother rubbed the back of his neck before standing.
I found her collapsed in the yard after Don told us we could go home, but we did find a dart in her arm. Unfortunately, we don't know what was in the dart. Don came up to me and put his hand on my shoulder.
"She'll pull through this." He walked out.
I sat in her rolling chair next to her bed and took her hand. She was so cold and was trembling. I should've told her how much I care about her. I should've said something earlier.
"I'm so sorry." I put her hand to my cheek. Oh god, I wanted her to wake up so badly. There was a constant ache in my chest, an ache that won't stop until she is well and happy.
Alexa started tossing and turning as she let out a high-pitched scream as if someone was beating her. I pulled her into my arms as tears poured down her face. I hated seeing her like this, there was nothing we could do for her. When it first happened Don gave her a painkiller, but she kept yelling even as the drug took its effect on her.
"Alexa, you're okay." I always told her trying to get her to relax.
"Leo!" Alexa screamed trying to pull away from me.
She spoke! She was actually able to communicate in some way.
"Help me." She sobbed.
"Donnie!" I called for my brother. Alexa seemed to be finally pulling out of unconsciousness. I heard him run up the stairs and he appeared by the doorframe.
"Leo!" Alexa screamed again and I looked at Donnie who smiled slightly.
I heard Leo's voice again! He sounded so close so safe. Bishop had told me they were dead and now needed me as an experiment. I sat in my cell with my eyes closed. I focused on Leo's voice.
"Alexa, you're okay!" He yelled.
Why did he sound so afraid? Why was I always hearing him? He sounded like he was here with me. Oh no, was he captured too?
"Leo!" I called out into the hallway.
I waited for an answer, but he didn't answer. I went to the back of my cell and sat down. I've been here FOREVER! I needed to get home, now.
"Please, wake up. I need you home. I need you safe." Leo's voice echoed. Why was he telling me to wake up?
"Just open your eyes." Leo begged and I felt his arms around me. I looked down at myself, but I didn't see him. What's going on here? I felt his arms tighten around me and his voice was now by my ear. I closed my eyes and listened to him breathing and talking. "Come back." His voice cracked and I heard him crying. It made my heart break to hear him like this. I had to get back to him and tell him I'm going to be okay. A beeping sound echoed with Leo's voice. I opened my eyes. I was so confused though because I was in my room. I looked down and saw Leo's arms. I was home?
"Leo?" My voice surprised me. It was soft and scratchy. I felt Leo jump and shift to look at me.
"Alexa?" he took my face in his hands. "You're awake." Leo had the biggest smile glued to his face.
"I-uh what? Awake?" I was at Bishop's being tortured.
"Donnie! She's awake!" Leo yelled at my door before coming back to my side.
I put my hand on his cheek and stared into his eyes confused. What was he talking about? Honestly, right now I didn't care. I was just happy to be home. I smiled as he put his hand over mine as Donnie ran in smiling as well. Don started checking to see if I was okay.
"So how'd you get me out of there?" I asked still holding on to Leo's hand.
They both looked at me, confused. "Alexa, you've been asleep for the last two weeks. Yes, it probably had something to do with Bishop, but he didn't capture you." Donnie explained.
"How?" I looked at my wrists, and found them unharmed. I wasn't in pain and I was in my ninja turtles nightgown. How did that feel so real? No way, it was real
"I still don't know for certain what the serum was, but it seems, in simpler words, it traps you in your worst nightmare." Don explained.
"No, I swear it really happened. Bishop was trying to track you guys down, and-and he wanted me to take him to you. I wouldn't do. I wouldn't let him hurt you." I put my head in my hands. Leo sat next to me and pulled me to him and I rested my head on his plastron.
The two turtles were silent for a moment then Donnie got up and left my room. Leo just stayed quiet and held me. I don't mind. I felt safe in his arms, they were strong and warm. I looked up when I heard Mikey running up the stairs. He was stopped at my door by an annoyed Raphael. Kristen and Sarah were behind them. They pushed past them and hugged me tightly, they were in tears.
"Hey guys." I said patting them on the back.
"I'm so glad you're okay." Kristen pulled back smiling.
Mikey came over to hug me and Raph just stepped into my room.
"Nice pjs, Buck." Sarah pointed at my turtles nightgown.
"My mom got it for me. I spotted it out literally from across the store." I blushed.
"It's got a cape." Mikey pulled at it gently.
I swatted his hand away. "Ya I have a shirt exactly like this." Donnie returned with my parents. My mom rushed to me and hugged me tightly. (Hug-fest again.)
"I'm so happy you're safe." Mom smiled. Leo moved and Jim came over to hug me too.
"Can I get out of bed now?" I asked Donatello. He nodded and I got up with Leo's help. I was a little wobbly on my feet but after a few steps I was back to normal. "How'd you guys get back?"
"Alexa, we never left." Leonardo sighed.
"But, I watched you go the portal."
"That was the injection making you see that." Donnie showed me a dart, presumably the one that shot me.
"It doesn't make any sense." I leaned into Leo.
"Dudette, I know it's confusing, but you didn't move anywhere." Mikey's face was full of worry.
I examined everyone. They all seemed to have their hearts set on my capture was a part of my imagination, maybe it was. We all left my room and went downstairs so I can eat; I was starving. Mom made me a bowl of broth. I wanted to go light on food. As I ate Leo and Donnie kept a close eye on me. This when I noticed Taylor wasn't here she was probably at our father's house.
"She's in New York." Mom said as if she read my mind. Next to her, Jim's eyes hardened. Both Jim and I weren't very fond of my father.
"He didn't come in to see if I was alright." I rolled my eyes.
"No, he didn't even come into the driveway." Jim added angrily.
"Why can't she see he's not going to change?" I kind of asked myself.
"She wants her father to be here like he should be." Mom said.
"He doesn't want us! He never cared about us. All he cares about is himself and how he looks." My father made me so angry. One time I haven't spoken to him for six months, and then out of the blue I get a call from him just for him to tell me I was a disappointment to him. I ate some more of my soup to distract me.
"Of course he cares. He's your dad, isn't he?" Mikey asked.
"Michelangelo, I haven't spoken or seen him for almost a year. He had his chances to see me, and I have a phone he could've used to call me." I looked at his baby blue eyes. "He's the total opposite of Splinter. To me, he's like the Shredder." Mikey jumped at me saying the Shredder. "He abused me and my sister emotionally. I didn't let him break me, but my sister keeps crawling back to him. He tells her she can't survive without him."
"He sounds like a…jerk." Raph said watching his language. Mom has started hitting the turtles if they curse. She does that to my brother and sister. He received an approving look from my mom.
"He's a lot more than that." I mumbled and received a whack in the head by my mom. "Ow!"
"He's still your father." She argued. Mom didn't like my father either, but she didn't want it to seem like she was keeping us away from him.
"Do we have a DNA test to prove it?" I finished off my broth and found my mom glaring at me. I held her gaze for about five seconds. A new record! I got up put my bowl in the sink and went back to the table. "So what actually happened the day I was shot?"
"Don told us about having a way to go home. That was it. We decided to stay because we thought it was Bishop who shot the dart and we don't want to leave you here alone. If there is the slightest chance he's here we're not taking the chance." Leo answered.
"Raph called me, telling me what happened and I met up with Kristen and drove here as fast as we could." Sarah nodded.
"This is just so weird." I shook my head. "Is the Foot still here?"
"We're not sure." Raph said angrily.
"Okay, so we have Bishop, maybe Shredder, and possibly Hun." I looked at the guys and they just nodded. "Alright, then we need to plan something so if they do attack we'll be prepared. We need to be ready, if we're going to defend each other."
"Geez you sound like Leo." Sarah put her head down.
"You're saying that like it's a bad thing." I got up and leaned against the counter.
She just smirked at me. I returned to thinking about our enemies attacking. The shredder could have his Foot camping in the forest near here. They did that in 'Wedding Bells and Bytes', Casey and April were getting married and the Foot attacked.
"We should search the forest, or at least from the edge, ten miles in. He could have the Foot camped out there. No attacking," I specifically looked at Raphael and he pouted. "We just see where they are." I took out a piece of paper. "We go in groups. Leo it's your decision if I can go or not."
He looked down at the table with his thinking face on. "Since it's just seeing where the Shredder is and no fighting you can come."
"Okay. Since it is just spying on shredder, Kristen and Sarah should come maybe they can catch something we miss." I added.
Leo let out a sigh and nodded.
"Group 1 can be Leo and Mike, you guys will take the forest to the right of the house. Group 2 will be Don and Sarah, you two will get the left. Then Raph, Kristen, and I will get the forest directly behind the house. Does everyone agree with the plan?" I drew up our plan.
Mikey raised his hand as if he was in a classroom. "Yes, Mikey." I laughed.
"Are we doing the whole ten miles?"
"No we'll only do about three, for now." I glanced over at Leo and he seemed to be agreeing with my plan. "I don't want them getting close to the house."
"When do we start?" Raph spun his Sai.
"I'm feeling fine. So after I get changed and it gets a little darker we'll leave." I answered him and put my hand on his Sai. Kristen and Sarah were just going to sleep over so they called their parents and I got changed into my Iron Man shirt and jeans, then I went downstairs. I could here Mikey playing video games downstairs and Raph beating the punching bag. Don sat at the kitchen table with some sort of circuit board. Leo was in the family room meditating. "Where's Sarah and Kristen?"
"Downstairs with Mike and Raph." He answered without looking up from his project.
I nodded and went to Leo. "Mind if I join you?"
He opened his eyes and smiled slightly. "No go ahead."
I sat down next to him and went into a half lotus position and quieted my mind. I closed my eyes and 'threw away' all and any negative thoughts that came to my mind. I have a meditating class in my school, which is where I started meditating. The teacher always talked about focusing on your breathing to help quiet the mind and also think of your own little 'happy place'. She says think of a place that brings you peace, be it fake or real, and then added people or creatures, if you want. I always imagined a field surround by beautiful trees. The wind is blowing softly and I only add Leo to my paradise. I smiled at my paradise, it was quiet other than the sound of the wind. I shifted making sure I was still relaxed and I wasn't tense anywhere then I returned to my state of silence. Kristen couldn't take sitting in a chair doing nothing so she left the class, but my sister joined. My eyes opened when I heard someone approaching me; it was my mom. She had something behind her and I got up.
"What do you have behind you?" I smiled.
"Here." Mom handed me a small box.
I opened it and almost screamed. It was a necklace with a small turtle on it. The chain was thin and made out of sterling silver and the turtle was made out of the silver as well and had so much detail put into it.
"Wow. Mom it's beautiful!" I took it out of the box and put it on.
"I saw it at the store and thought of you. So I bought it for when you woke up." Worry clouded her face.
"I'll be okay, mom." I hugged her.
"It's dark. Let's go!" Raph yelled walking outside.
"I gotta go." I said.
"I know." Mom nodded and let me go. "Be careful."
"I will."
She motioned Leo to her and I headed out.
Let me know what everyone thinks. : ) thanks for reading!
