The little turtle:
Snow means it's too cold to rain (Bella - Twilight)
10) Winter sucks.
It was winter which meant it was practically freezing in our home, my brothers weren't too happy with that. Donnie said it had something to do with their blood being cold. It didn't make any sense to me, usually they felt pretty warm, but Donnie's usually right about these things. So I spend the day making them hot tea and filling warm water bottles.
"Are you still cold?" I asked them. They were all huddled together underneath a large comforter.
"A little, thanks sis." Donnie and Mikey said as they huddled over the newly heated water bottle, they seemed pretty comfy. Raph and Leo on the other hand, they wanted to be warm but rather not touch each other too much. They were momentarily having a short ceasefire-moment, but still being forced so close to each other meant that world war fifteen was just around the corner. I watched them probing each other with their elbows, yeah hell would break lose any moment now.
"Theng Sjen come with me and put on some warm clothes" Master Splinter said and handed me a sweater, "We are going outside for a little while boys we will return soon." He called to my brothers.
"Alright sensei" they all chorused. I quickly threw on my warm boots a scarf and two too large t-shirts.
"Later guys" I waved.
"Where are we going father?" I asked when I caught up with him.
"We are going to try and find your brothers some more blankets and warm clothes for winter." He said and adjusted my scarf a bit so it would cover more of my face. I must look like a mummy now.
"Can't we buy them some clothes, I've seen stores that sell lots of them" I asked, the clothes there looked really warm too, they also didn't smell so bad.
"Yes I know but those clothes are very expensive and we should save what little money we find to buy some fresh food from time to time." He explained, usually we got our food from warehouses. For some reason they threw away food from time to time, Leo said that they thought it had passed their expiration date but if we got to it quickly it would be still be good enough to eat. That didn't went for all foods though, out of experience I learned to stay away from eggs and milk, if they got thrown out it was for good reason.
It got me thinking, sometimes we found money on the street mostly coins but sometimes green papers too. With that I got to go and buy fresh stuff, but where do humans get money it had to come from somewhere?
"How do we get more money then?" I asked him after I thought it all over some more
"The only way we can get money in this moment is if we can find some."
"Alright, but how do humans get money? Do they all find it?" I asked. He smiled at me.
"Most of them work hard for it." he said, they work for it?
"What kinda work?" I asked.
"All kinds of things, remember that woman behind the counter when you go shopping?" I nodded eagerly, "she is working, the person who owns the shop pays her money to watch over it. There are countless occupations, some get paid better than others." He explained.
"Are there many human ninja's who get paid?" I asked, this caused him to stop in his tracks. He had a weird look in his eye as if he was remembering something he'd rather not.
"A ninja who has to be paid for their services is the worst kind of ninja." He said plainly, his voice got dark and scary and I feared I might have said something terribly wrong. But when he looked at me he softened his gaze and I knew this anger was not directed at me, he shook his head a bit as if trying to get the bad thoughts out and smiled when he took my hand.
"Why are you asking these questions my daughter?" he asked as he pulled me along. I wrapped both my hands around his large furry one.
"I just wanted to help get more money, I don't know anything other than ninja. But maybe I could do something else as well? Then we'd get more money and Leo, Raphie, Donnie and Mikey could get warm, new blankets." I said quickly, master Splinter smiled at me.
"You have a good heart my daughter, but you are too young to work. Do not worry we have gotten on without money, as long as we have each other we will manage." He whispered.
"So where can we find clothes?" I changed the subject, if I couldn't buy my brothers new blankets I would find them the best, warmest clothes out there.
"We'll check the junkyard and trashcans first."
"Alright, that's were Donnie always finds his cool stuff, I know! Donnie found a machine that makes cold air, can't we find one that makes warm air?"
"A radiator, perhaps that is a good idea my daughter" he praised.
When we got to the dump everything was covered in white, snow! I didn't get to see snow a lot. I pulled my ninja mask tightly over my head, to protect my face from the harsh wind.
"Let's go search, but be very careful don't touch anything that looks sharp! And mind your footing, the ice has made everything very slippery." I nodded, I knew this too from experience. Last year winter was really, really cold and in some places in the sewer the water had gotten frozen. Mikey had tried iceskating but all he managed to do was bruise himself up completely. Apparently ice skates are different from regular ones, Mikey learned that the hard way.
"Alright" we searched for hours, but I didn't know what a radiator looks like and father didn't find one either. We did find a couple of blankets and sweaters and even an old mattress, but it was too soaked to take with us. My hands were red from the digging through the snow. I gotten a couple of scratches from pieces of wood and metal I didn't notice in time while digging.
"Let's go back and search the alleyways next" master Splinter suggested. I trailed behind him.
We didn't find much useful stuff in the alleys either and we had to hide because those evil people with the purple tattoos were in the neighborhood. They didn't see us, thanks to master Splinter, who pulled me into hiding when he sensed them. I was too focused on the task at hand.
"You have to be more aware of your surroundings daughter." He scolded.
"I know master, I am sorry, I was too busy searching."
"Just remember what you have to do when you run into trouble without me." he drilled this into every single one of us.
"Hide, if I can't hide try and run away, and only if I can't run away defend myself until I can." I repeated instantly.
"Good, now come along, I think your brothers are due for another cup of tea and so do we I should say." He commented, master Splinter didn't get cold easily it was because of his fur he said. It worked better than any coat ever could. I on the other hand was shivering from top to bottom, why can't humans get a thick layer of fur too?
I smiled up at him. When we got below the temperature had dropped a lot and my teeth started to clatter. Master Splinter noticed and told me to get some of the wet clothes off and wrapped a dry blanket around me.
"Let's hope you do not get a cold. I might have taken you out in the cold for too long."
"No it's okay, father, we got lots of new blankets for the others, it's fine." It was not his fault, I tried to keep my nose from dripping and to keep my shivering to a minimum.
"Alright, but if you are cold tonight, you will tell me." He ordered.
"I promise" I said and hopped next to him.
"Come on now, it will be warmer in our lair" he said when I didn't stop shivering.
I trailed along with him and crawled under the pile of blankets with my brothers when we got back, Raphie even gave me his warm water bottle.
"Thanks Raphie." I said and leaned against Leo.
"Yeah, thank you Raphie" Mikey teased.
"No fighting" I said, I didn't know if they'd listened to me or not, I suddenly felt incredibly tired and promptly fell asleep besides them.
…
I woke up in the morning still leaning against Leo and with Mikey snuggling on my lap. Master Splinter must of thought that we would be warmer this way.
Well I was too warm now, my back felt like it got stuck in the same position for too long and my head was hurting. I could tell it was morning because master Splinter's light was on in his room.
I tried to get from underneath Mikey but I couldn't get my legs free. Ow my head, what was wrong? Did I bump it against something? I did get master Splinters walking stick against my head during training yesterday but it wasn't that hard. Or maybe it was, why am I so hot all of a sudden, my brothers are still shivering. I pushed some of the blankets away from me to have more air.
But that move woke Leo up. He blinked a couple of times and yawned.
"Good morning Thanny." He said and stretched his arms above his head.
"go.." I started but it turned into a cough that just wouldn't stop great now my throat hurts as well. What is going on?
"Thanny what is wrong?" he patted my back when I wouldn't stop coughing.
"Hey who … what's wrong?" Mikey said when he too woke up with all the noise I was making.
"I don't know, she just started coughing." It finally stopped and I had to breathe deeply a couple of times to get air back into my lungs and to calm myself down. Everything is fine, everything is fine I said to myself. Tears came into my eyes when because of all the coughing my head started hurting pounding.
"Thanny talk to me, what's wrong" Mikey asked and took some hair out of my face. He quickly drew his hand back. "Dude she's hot, her head it's burning!" he said, I started crying. I didn't understand what was going on. What was burning? What was wrong with my head?
Donnie and Raph woke next and they too started to panic, until Leo decided enough was enough.
"Alright, Raph take her and place her on the couch, Mikey get some cold water for her head, Donnie search your books for answers, I'll go get master Splinter" Leo said, and everyone got up and did as ordered without complaint.
Raphie picked me up carefully and placed me on the couch, I started crying again.
"Hey don't cry, everything is going to be alright ok? Everything will be alright, master Splinter is coming he'll know what to do" he patted my back a bit, which seemed to calm me down.
"Rrraphie" my throat was sore and it was hard to talk.
"Shh, it's alright, don't talk if it hurts too much." he looked around to search for Mikey. "Mike where is that water?" He yelled. Which made my head hurt again, I hissed and grabbed at it.
"Sorry" Raphie said and placed his hand on my head, which was much cooler.
"Here I am" Mikey said and placed a bucket of cold water and a clean rag besides Raphie, he wrung most of the water out of the rag and placed in on my head. "There you go is that better?" I nodded, the cool water did feel good against my head.
I was scared, I had never been sick before, everything hurt. I looked up at my brothers pleading that they could somehow make this better, I expected Mikey to comfort me like he often did when I got a cut or a nasty bruise. But to my surprise it was Raph who lend me some of his always present strength, he reassuringly patted my back while saying soothing, comforting words with a kindness that I was not used from him.
Then master Splinter entered and they both stepped back.
"What is the matter my daughter? Where does it hurt?" he asked carefully, I tried to speak but I knew that wasn't going to work so I placed a hand on my throat and one on my head. He seemed to understand. I broke into another coughing fit after that.
"A sore throat, headache and fever. Sounds like a bad cold." Donnie said while carrying a couple of his books. "I found some remedies too master. It says that honey is good for a sore throat and lots of water against the fever and headache." He explained.
Master Splinter nodded. A moment later, Leo came in the room with a cup of tea and some honey.
"Here you go little ninja drink up, Donnie and master Splinter say it will make you better." Leo said I tried to sit up but the more I moved the more my head hurt. So Donnie stabilized me a bit.
"Little sips daughter" I nodded and slurped a bit of the warm beverage. "There you go." When I had half of the tea. I pushed the cup gently away, I felt another coughing fit coming. This one worse than the first. Raph again patted my back reassuringly. Everything will be fine I told myself, it is just a cold, I'm just a little sick it will get better soon.
The next couple of days were hell, I was hardly awake. But when I was I found myself soaked in sweat, shivering. I couldn't eat anything and survived of tea and honey. My fever was the worst on the third day and they had put me in cold water for a while, to try and cool me down but also to clean all of the sweat of my body. Worse of all my brothers were not allowed close to me. Master Splinter said that they could get sick as well.
But they offered a lot of moral support, Donnie even found something in his book about the sickness. It said that it was contagious for the first couple of days, but after a while that would go away. Depending on his calculations that was two days ago, but master Splinter didn't want to take any chances of them getting sick as well.
So here I lay in master Splinters room, all alone, of course should I need anything master Splinter was but a cough away. My throat was better and my headache was almost over, the fever broke a couple of days ago.
I wonder how hard I'd have to train now, until I can join them again. I've taken off my ninja mask the first night that I got sick, I felt too weak to carry it. Ninja's are strong, they do not get sick, they do not cry.
I tried to move my arms, but the muscles hurt from not using them for a week. Still I tried to push myself up, it felt like my brain began twirling around in my head, but I knew it would pass soon. Tomorrow I can see my brothers again, I tried to cheer myself up, tomorrow, just one more night sleeping and they will come to see me.
I didn't want them to see me so weak, but I missed them terribly. Because of my throat I couldn't even talk to them as they passed Splinters room. No don't you dare cry again, if you are going to be a ninja again you will have to toughen up Theng Sjen.
I felt sleepy again and laid my head back down, I fell asleep promptly.
"Should we wake her up?"
"Don't you dare, she needs her rest!" that was Donnie's voice.
"Come on one little nudge, please" Mikey pleaded.
"Will you two shut up, do you want master Splinter to kick us out!" Raphie, I opened my eyes, they were all here. Don't cry, don't cry.
"Raphie" I said.
"Thanny, hey good morning little turtle how are you feeling?" Donnie asked, he was closest.
"Fine" I said, they had come, as soon as possible to see me. I smiled at them they missed me too.
" Hey, what's wrong? If your throat still hurts you shouldn't talk." Leo said.
"No I'm fine, it's nothing. I missed you." I said, oh is this what you call being stronger? Weak little human.
"Aww, Pinky we missed you too" Mikey said.
"Do you want anything? Water? More tea? Something to eat?" Donnie fussed. I smiled.
"No thank you." I tried to sit up like I did yesterday, I just wanted out of this room. I want to watch tv and play with my brothers and most of all I want to train again.
"Easy there tiger" Mikey said as he supported my back when the room did the spinning thing again.
"You think master Splinter will let me out of the room now?" I asked. Mikey released me when he was confident I wouldn't fall over.
"We asked, he said that maybe if you manage to eat something."
"I want to eat." I said too quickly. It made Raphie smirk for some reason.
"Thanny, if you push it too much you can get sick again."
"I want to eat, please Donnie"
"Alright, but if you puke I'm not cleaning it up." He said and went to get master Splinter.
"Yes you will" Mikey teased. "Good job on the soulful puppy eyes Pinky I taught you well." He held his hand up for a high five, and I almost cried again when the best I could do was place my hand against his.
"Don't worry you'll get your strength back in no time" Mikey said.
"But I won't be strong enough anymore to train with you guys."
"Well not for a while, but you'll get there, little ninja" Leo said.
"If you want I'll …" Raphie started it was the first thing he said when I woke up and he frowned at us when everyone's attention was directed at him. " … I'll help you get better again." he said and quickly looked away.
"Really? You'd do that? You'll practice with me?" I asked, I couldn't believe it I thought he didn't like me anymore.
"I said I would, didn't I? Now you want to or not?" he asked … it would be nice to be around Raphie again for a while and he was the strongest person I know, besides master Splinter.
"Yes I would like that very much, thank you Raphie."
"Aww you made him blush, maybe I should call you Pinky instead Raph!" Mikey teased this time he got the wet rang splashed into his face.
"Keep it down boys your sister is still recovering." Master Splinter entered with some dry bread and water, Donnie followed and rolled his eye when Mikey looked sheepishly at him from underneath the rag. The look on his face made me laugh.
"It's good to see you smile again, Theng Sjen, now Donatello told me that you wished to eat something?" I nodded. "You know that you don't need to push yourself, if you are not feeling well enough yet maybe you should wait some more."
"I really feel better father, I'm a little weak and I think it is because I didn't eat so much the last couple of days."
"Alright, but remember small bites" I nodded and carefully munched on the bread. I swallowed it down with a lot of water because my throat was still hurting a little, but otherwise it went alright.
"She does look better, she doesn't look so pale anymore" Donnie said.
"Yeah and look she's sitting up" Mikey joined, I smiled at them they were trying to get Splinter to release me too.
"Fine, you can go out" they all cheered, Raphie even smiled. "But ! Just to lay down on the couch, you cannot walk around yet and if you feel sick again, you have to say so immediately" Master Splinter commanded, we all nodded obediently.
"Come on princess Pinky, let me Michelangelo your knight in turtle armor rescue you from this tower!" Mikey proclaimed, he's so silly. It felt so good to smile again. I took his hand and with Donnie's help they pulled me on my feet.
It was cold when I ventured from underneath my blankies and my legs felt a little wobbly but I didn't feel nauseous, that's one thing right?
I held onto them when I took my first step, I feel like a child all over again.
"You okay? We can carry you if you want?" Leo said.
"No I'm …" I had to stop for a second, the room started spinning again. Stupid brain, stay still, I closed my eyes and it helped a little.
"Come on little ninja, master Splinter said you couldn't walk around yet." Leo said and picked me up.
"Hey that's my princess you are stealing, I saw her first!" Mikey teased. I felt better now that I was off my feet again, damn my legs were even weaker than before.
"Just come along knuckle head" Raphie said and knocked him on the head. Donnie followed us, carrying my blankets and my pillow.
"Thank you Donnie! Oh thank you Leo" I said as I tried to hug him a bit.
"Hey what about me? I helped rescue you too!" Mikey complained.
"Thank you Mikey" I giggled, I turned around best as I could in Leo's arms to look at Raphie "Thank you Raphie, thank you master Splinter."
"Yeah, yeah, you're grateful we get it already" Raphie said, but he was smiling when he did so he wasn't being mean.
They then tucked me in the couch and watched some tv, when they had to go train, I wasn't allowed to watch them like I used to. So instead I decided to sleep some more.