Take My Hand

Chapter 11

His skin was odd; the smooth veins folded up around the sides of his hands from the wrist that crawled up the first half inch of his fingers. She could feel how his fingers twitched as if he was having trouble keeping a grip. Blue eyes went to keep sight of the odd scars on the hand that held onto her wrist as she was hurried along, she wasn't sure how much longer she could handle this. Being tugged around by Leo and Donnie yesterday, running for her life and having to use her knee... She was tugged around a corner and she couldn't help the small whimper that she bit down on.

Raphael stopped, the sound triggering his "protect women" instinct. He turned to the girl who was standing with one knee slightly bent, all of her weight on her right leg. Auburn eyes scanned from her toe up to the top of her head taking in every little aspect of how she stood and just looked back as if she had not made a sound at all. But that look in her eyes, he had seen it too many times; she was hiding pain.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Bullshit," he snapped causing her to flinch from the sound of his voice.

He swallowed, trying to calm himself, he didn't mean to sound that rough. Letting go of her wrist he rubbed his fingers over his beak. What was wrong with him today? Usually the pain he could think past and it wouldn't trigger his anger but after what had happened yesterday; all the stress... He already had his hands full taking care of his family and now he had another one to keep an eye on and try to support. It didn't help that this one needed more care and diligent attention.

Slender hands pressed against his arm, gently taking a light hold of his sleeve. Those pretty eyes looking up at him as Mikey made a step closer, her limp causing her to press into him for a moment. She felt bad. He was only worried and so much had happened in the past few days; the least she could do was tell him what was wrong.

"I... I am sorry. My knee... hurt," her voice soft under the sound of the rain drumming on the umbrella the emerald turtle held over them. Just then thunder rumbled loudly, Mikey quickly burying her face into the light jacket the man was wearing. She trembled as she remembered being chased down the alleyway and how when she was twelve she had been beaten so badly for just being young and different.

Michelangelo was carefully pried away, pressed into her hands was the handle of the umbrella. She blinked, a bright blush coloring her cheeks as a strong arm went around her back, another going under her legs. Picked up into a bridal hold, her face came close to Raphael's as he spoke softly;

"Keep that over us okay?"

Nodding slowly, her eyes traced the tiny scars that speckled across his face that she had never noticed before. She tried not to stare, tried not to feel the beating of her heart that hammered in her chest. His eyes, his jaw line, the way he looked ahead as he carried her in the storm so that she wouldn't have to feel the throb of pain that shot up her leg when she stood...

To distract herself she looked ahead, her voice catching in her throat for a moment when she spoke up trying to move past the silence that only made her want to reach up and touch him.

"Um..." she tried to ignore the small amount of people in the early morning that gave them glances; a few people smiled as if it was the sweetest thing they had ever seen. "My knee hurt because of bully."

Raph came to a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change, "Huh?"

She took in a deep breath, she's never told anyone that she had a bad knee after it broke. Leo and Splinter knew only because they had been with her when she had her cast removed and when she had to have physical therapy. All of her friends had no idea, nor did her teachers back in Japan. This was completely new to her, to actually tell someone.

"When young... I got hurt bad when to home from school. Big storm, very frightening sounds, and bully was at corner of street with many... many people. He hurt me bad, broke knee."

The grip on her tightened pressing her dainty form into the broad chest as Raph only continued to look forward. Raphael was quiet for a moment until he could cross the street, finally he murmured, "I see."

"How get scars?"

Raph stopped before continuing on a bit faster, "An accident." He had forgotten to get his gloves when he was changing his clothes. Mikey saw his scars, she saw his hands... his hideous hands.

--

Splinter stood in the corner of the room as he watched his daughter interact with his old friend's son. They were at this botanical garden that held so many plants that when they were watered from the automatic sprinklers the air was little more than mist. There had been such a variety of foliage that it pulled at his curiosity and he was able to join Donatello when the turtle walked among the rows finding what he needed. The well educated terrapin told him from what regions in the world they came from and their significance in the development of medicine. He had been interested particular in the ingredients that the young man had gathered into his mortar.

Now that they had returned to the lab he watched as his daughter diligently ground the leaves, stems and clippets of root as Donatello instructed her carefully. He did not know what had happened earlier that day but something in deed had changed. There was something new with the two, something that had not been there the previous day. He smiled to himself when Donatello covered Leo's hand with his, trying to show her the proper way how to grind. They probably... no, they really didn't, see the new bound between them. If things develop any farther he would have to speak to his daughter. Though he was certain Donatello was not a bad person, he really did not fancy the idea of his daughter dating at such an early age.

"No, Leo, you have to fold the aloe in or it'll clump," Donnie leaned over the girl showing how to fold the creaming paste with the pistol. "There you go."

"So... what is this for? You still haven't told me."

The old rat blinked. Donatello- the way he moved now after the question, he had a secret. What would he have to hide?"

"It's... a kind of pain killer that's absorbed through skin."

"Really? Can't you just buy stuff like that at the store?"

Olive lips pressed together a bit before answering, "Not like this."

"We're... not making something illegal are we?"

He smiled reassuringly, "No."

"Then what's so special about it?"

Donnie put a hand on the top of Leo's head as he let out a small laugh, "You're full of questions today."

"You're the one who won't give me a straight answer," she frowned a little even though she slightly leaned into the touch.

"I'll tell you this much... It's to help treat severe burns."

"Burns?" Splinter finally spoke up gaining the attention of the two youths in the room. If he remembered correctly Yoshi had told him once about how one of his sons had been badly injured but he did not tell which one it had been.

Brown eyes softened as the turtle went to stand straight, his hand patted Leo who grunted from not liking that kind of attention, "Yes. The medical development to help treat burns and deep scar tissue is severely lacking. People rely to much on man-made chemicals that are too harsh on the body. Everyone wants to be healed right away when in fact the development of new tissue cannot be hurried with out causing permanent damage. This results in pain from the damaged areas." He looked to the green-brown cream that Leonardo was still working with, "I developed this medicine in hopes that after a prolonged exposure to the more natural elements that the body will start to correct the damage."

"Then... this medicine is of your own creation?" Splinter came closer, his nose twitching from the harsh smell of the different mixed plants.

"Yes."

"And whom -may I ask- has been the one to be the one to undergo the experiment of using this cream?"

Donatello became quiet. It really wasn't his place to say, but he couldn't help the words that slipped out of his lips, "My brother."

Leonardo slowed in her work. No wonder it was so special, this was a way to try and cure people -to treat his twin who had been harmed. She didn't know to what extent and it wasn't like she needed to be told in detail that Raphael had somewhere on his body a wound that had scared that would cause him pain.

It all made sense now; Donatello's actions, why he would snap whenever his brother was involved. He couldn't have protected the one he loved, just like she could not have protected Mikey.

She continued to mix, lost in her thoughts until her father's hand came to hers stilling her movements. Looking up she was surprised to see two faces smiling at her. Her cheeks colored a soft color of pink, "W-what?"

"You may stop now my child."

Donnie held up a small white container, "It's done, we can transfer it, clean up, and get going."

"All in time for the beginning of the tournament."

Donatello looked at his watch, "I'll meet you guys there. I've got to get this to Raph."

"We understand Donatello," Splinter helped hold the mortar as the medicine was scooped into the container. "Will you be participating? I heard from your father that you are excellent with the bo staff."

"Can't."

Leo went to the sink to wash her hands, "Why not?"

"Because I know the sponsor."

The girl dropped the bar of soap she had been using, "You... You know Orouku Saki?"

To Be continued...