Under Wraps Part 11

Raphael managed to evade soldiers through the first half of the night with a very tired child on his hands. It was hard and he wound up carrying Luke, who desperately wanted to sleep. The little boy passed out on his shoulder as he searched for a temporary shelter. The best Raph could find was an old shed buried in the trees. It was getting extremely cold too and Raph could feel it in his toes, having walked around mostly barefoot his entire life. His feet didn't freeze unless the temperature dropped significantly. He pushed open the wooden door, causing it to creak and splinter at the hinges. Then he kicked it closed once they were safely inside.

It wasn't the best shelter, but it should work. Whoever owned it, must have used it for storage at one point because there were boxes everywhere. Raph put Luke down in a corner and started to rummage through the junk, looking for anything useful. Most of the stuff was exactly what it was, garbage. However, there was one box with old blankets and a few tools. Raph was glad to see there was large knife in the box and he pulled it out. It was a hunting knife that needed to be sharpened, but there were supplies in the box that would take care of that. He slipped the knife into his belt, happy to have a weapon finally. It felt so unusual to be carrying steel once again and it made him miss his sais. They were sitting at home, seeing as Leo still refused to return them. He found a whetstone and bits of cloth, but he wasn't going to sharpen anything right now.

First, he needed to get some much needed sleep and keep Luke warm. Raph scooped up all of the blankets and brought them over to the corner where the shack was the driest. He lay one blanket on the hard floor and fetched Luke. He held the child as he wrapped another blanket around him and then took a seat on the floor. He pulled the final and largest blanket up over the two of them. Luke didn't wake up once as Raph positioned him on his plastron and kept an arm wrapped securely around his back. Their body heat should be enough to get them through the night.

Hours passed…

The next morning, Raph had awakened to see that Luke was not in his arms and he panicked. He bolted upright and frantically searched the shack looking for the boy. "Kid! Where are ya?!" There was no response and Raph immediately rushed outside of the shack to see if Luke was outside. "Luke!"

Raph heard rustling in the bushes nearby and he drew his new knife, waiting to see what was lurking. Then he heard a small cry and instantly recognized it. He sheathed the knife once again and quickly took to the bushes and broke several branches before spotting Luke. He was leaning up against a tree trunk and coughing. His eyes were watering and his skin was pasty white.

"Kid, what're ya doin' out here?" Raph asked as he gathered him up.

"I had to go potty…" Luke muttered. His voice sounded terrible and he was wheezing.

"Shit…"

Luke must have gotten sick during the night. Raph quickly gathered him up and brought him back inside the shed. He wrapped him back up in a blanket and placed his palm against Luke's forehead. He was hot.

"Awe, kiddo…"

"I don't feel good," Luke moaned.

"I know. You're boilin' hot. We gotta find the others and get ya home. Bethany's gonna kill me for lettin' ya get sick." Raph then pulled part of the blanket up over Luke's head, so only his face was peeking out. "We gotta move. This place ain't safe and it ain't doin' ya any favors either." He needed to find a better place that was dry and warm. After poking his head outside the door, Raph peered through the trees. There was nothing he could see and he quietly stepped out with Luke in his arms, bundled up.

Raph slipped between the trees, keeping a lookout for enemies. There was not much going on around him…at least not until he heard a shot ring out. Raph dropped to his knees and shielded Luke as a stray bullet bounced off his shell. "Shit!" Raph grumbled and he quickly bolted for the thicker brush. Someone had spotted them and now several shots were going off. Luckily, a lot of the shots were lost to the trees and bushes. He needed to escape…

It was a very long night for Bethany and the turtles knew she would be in agonizing pain the following day, if she even woke up that is. After yesterday's torture, Stockman ordered two of the turtles to be tranquilized and moved to cells. Leo and Mikey were separated from Don and Bethany and taken away. Stockman knew that Donatello would have spent a lot of time studying Bethany and so he decided the pair would remain in the lab. Under heavy threats of violence against his brothers, Don was forced to cooperate with Stockman and the soldiers. Guns were locked onto the turtle as his restraints were removed.

Stockman laughed as he watched Don rub his now raw wrists. "I suspect you gained a lot of knowledge from this subject," Stockman said as he peered at Bethany, who was still unconscious on the table.

Don said nothing, but his eyes traveled to Bethany. He felt sorry for her, but did not attempt to approach her out of fear they would harm her again. But Stockman said something completely unexpected.

"You're free to clean her up. I don't need her at the moment." Stockman then went about his business, turning his back towards Don and beginning work with some of the blood samples taken from Bethany. The soldiers kept a close eye on Donnie and weapons at the ready, should he try anything.

Without hesitation, Don jogged over to her and his eyes fell on her shredded back. She was still bleeding in places, but it wasn't gushing. The clotting was poor and he could see some evidence of a bacterial infection forming around the wounds. He needed to get her skin clean and treated quickly before she got worse. He muttered under his breath as he began searching around the lab and spotted medical supplies and a first aid kit. The soldiers remained steadfast, not preventing him from helping her. Stockman probably wanted this. Getting Bethany patched up would mean he could continue testing on her when she healed somewhat. Don would have refused to help her if it meant she would be spared more testing, but he would never leave her to suffer. He grabbed everything that he could and carried the supplies to the nearby counter.

There were no gloves that would fit his hands, so he went without and washed his hands in the nearest sink. Then he dug through the materials until he found clean towels and antibacterial soap. With a small bowl, Don filled it with warm tap water and quickly went to work. He soaked a towel and applied the soap, letting it lather slightly before he starting moderately scrubbing the large cuts. He kept it up until all debris had washed away and fresh blood rose to the surface. Bethany awakened briefly, but passed out again before Don could tell her he was treating her.

Her wounds were much easier to see and Donnie assessed what he next move should be. "Stitches…" he whispered to himself. Then he dug around the supplies some more, but could not find anything to suture her back.

As f knowing what Don was planning, Stockman dropped what he was doing briefly and rummaged through a cabinet. Smirking, he carried over another medical kit and dropped it in front of the angered turtle. "Try this," Stockman mocked.

Even though he wanted to clock Stockman, Don refrained and opted to give the asshole a dirty look before digging through the bag. Everything necessary for stitches was inside. Don pulled out a sterile bag filled with medical thread and needles. He then started prepping the two and saw that Bethany had come to once again. She started to cry in pain.

"M-my…back…h-urts so much!" she whimpered.

"I know it does, " Don said gently and he dropped his hand on the back of her head, gently caressing it. "I'm taking care of it."

She then tried to roll over, but her restraints kept her on her belly. "W-what…?"

"Take it easy. We're still in the compound."

"My m-mother…"

"Stockman hasn't let us see the hostages yet," Don said sadly.

Bethany's heart was broken. What if her mother was suffering? She wanted so badly to get up and search for her and then she wondered about her son being out in the woods alone. However, the pain in her back brought her back to the current situation as she felt something pierce her skin. She cried out and shuddered, causing her body to react unfavorably to Don's work.

"Relax, relax! It's all right!"

"Like hell it is!" Bethany screamed. The soldiers all around them were now chuckling at their expense.

Don groaned at their ignorance and stopped with the needle temporarily. He lay the instrument nearby and quickly ran around the edge of the table until he was in front of her. Then he crouched and took both of her hands in his. She had her face hidden in her arms as best she could. The restraints kept her uncomfortably in this position, not able to move much, which honestly would benefit him for the time being. Otherwise her struggling would be much worse and he'd probably never get her back finished. He needed to try and calm her. "Bethany, please look at me."

She didn't move her head, but he could hear her muffled sobs still.

"Please look at me," he requested again. This time her eyes finally met with his and he saw the pained etched across her face. Her eyes were swollen and red and she was now squeezing his hand. "I know this hurts. But I need to put stitches in your back otherwise you won't heal properly. I'm sorry I don't have any medicine to cover up the pain. Just try to lie still. Can you do that for me?"

She hiccuped, but nodded and buried her face back in her arms.

Don gave her hands a gentle squeeze before he let them go and returned to his work. He prepared to thread another portion of her skin on the largest laceration. He pressed the needle against her and poked through, causing her to flinch and groan. She tried her hardest to hold it in but struggled a lot to keep from screaming. It wasn't really the needle itself that was the worst of it, it was the fact that Don had to maneuver her skin to line it up and pull it together. It was nearly thirty minutes before he finished the first one and she was pleading for a break.

By now the soldiers were all propped up against pillars and walls, chattering, obviously bored with simply watching Don sew up Bethany's back. Stockman had left a short time ago, stating something about collecting more dna.

Because Bethany was moving again, Don had to take a break. He knelt down in front of her again. "I know you're hurting, but the quicker I do this, the less pain you'll feel. I got the hang of it, so I can do the others faster."

"No more…I can't take it!" she cried.

"If we don't, you'll get an infection."

"Please…"

Don took extreme pity on her and dropped his head to the table so they were eye to eye. "You can do this. Pain's only in the mind." He placed a hand on her cheek, "Let me finish."

Incredibly depressed, Bethany closed her eyes, "Okay…"

From then on, Bethany grit her teeth and tried her hardest to keep from screaming and shuddering, which slowed down the process. Don was nearly finished within another two hours and her back was starting to resemble patchwork. After tying off the thread to the final wound, Don cleaned her back again with a disinfectant solution and started wrapping her with gauze. It was hard to do and Bethany had to lift her torso and hold it there. Once it was finished, a group of soldiers grabbed Don's arms and began dragging him away, much to Bethany's fear. What was Stockman going to do to her next? But she didn't have long to think about it because two more soldiers roughly untied her hands and pulled her off the table. In pain and scared, she was pushed behind Donatello and the pair were escorted towards the cell block. They were forced into confinement together and Bethany was left cold and topless. The gauze barely kept her warm, but at least it hid her body from view.

Don took in their surroundings. The cell was fairly clean, but it would be hard to escape since the door was steel and walls had no glass or weak spots from what he could see. Only one bed was provided with a thin sheet and pillow. He rolled his eyes, "I suppose the Hilton was too much to ask." He started pacing around the cell, trying to figure out how he was going to find his brothers and the hostages.

Bethany was moving over towards the bed, desperate to lie down. She carefully set herself down, avoiding large movements. "I'm so tired…" she moaned.

"You should sleep. It'll do you some good," Don said.

"How long do you think it'll take for my back to heal?"

Don chewed on his lip. "Couple weeks, maybe a month or two for full recovery. That large laceration is pretty deep. I can give you better medicines when we get home."

"If we get home…"

"Don't say that. We'll get out of here. I'm sure Leo is working on a plan too."

"We were supposed to see my mother right away." Bethany teared up. She had no idea if her mother was even alive.

"If Stockman is anything like his father, he's a liar too."

He listened as Bethany sniffled, but didn't say anything else. Sometimes comforting words only made the situation worse. There had to be a way out. He studied the door and looked for hinges. None. The door could only be opened from the outside and no visible lock to try and pick. This was a very secure cell and the only way out would be escorted by soldiers. Frustrated, Don began pacing around the room and spent a while just thinking about the predicament.

When more than an hour passed, he finally found himself exhausted and did not want to sleep on the cold floor. It made him squeamish, but he decided that curling up on the bed would benefit both himself and Bethany. Her body temperature was higher than his, so staying warm should be easy if the sheet covered them both and acted as an insulator. After pushing away his nervousness, he crawled onto the plain mattress and lay next to her. It wasn't a large bed, maybe a full and his feet hung over the side. For comfort, he had to lie on his side. Back aches were common for him, having a shell. He faced Bethany, who was out cold and her breathing was slow and steady. Due to the size of the mattress, he was forced to make skin to skin contact; his belly against her back. When he got comfortable, he tugged the sheet up over the two of them and rested his head down on his arm. He fell asleep quickly.

Around two hours later he awoke feeling something unusual. Don's eyes cracked open and he saw that Bethany had rolled over and was clinging to him, still passed out and her forehead resting against his collar. He also found that his arms somehow wrapped around her torso and his chin was pressing on her head. Her hand was pressed against his chest delicately. He didn't want to wake her and tried to untangle his limbs from her, but found it impossible. He carefully lifted the sheet and spotted her tail. It snaked its way between his legs and wrapped around his right leg, not squeezing, but firmly holding him.

After so much time spent trying to figure out how to move that body part, now she figures it out? In her sleep no less! Don sighed. Not knowing how to handle this, he could only sit tight and wait for her to wake up or roll over or something…

She turned her head slightly and he thought for a moment that she was up, but it wasn't so. She only pressed her face into his neck and he could feel her warm breath on his skin. Oddly enough, this was not helping and he could feel shivers starting to run down his spine. For a moment, he contemplated shaking her a little and spare him any other foreign emotions, but he suddenly felt her shift again and this time, her eyes cracked open.

He half expected her to panic, seeing that they were intertwined in such a provocative way. However, she did not scream, but looked up at him for a second, confused.

"Eh..I'm r-really sorry. I just, there was n-no…" he stumbled through an excuse.

"I'm so cold…" she mumbled and suddenly pressed herself even closer to him, squeezing her arms between their bodies to try and heat them up.

At this point, he didn't have the heart to get out of bed. He mustered up his courage and wrapped his arms even tighter around her. She did feel warm, but her teeth were chattering. "You're like a furnace. Your body kept me warm so I'll try my best to return the favor," he commented.

She flinched slightly when his arm accidentally touched her bandages.

"Sorry, I forgot." He lowered his hands down to the small of her back where there were less injuries and he relaxed again. He truly was comfortable being toasty-warm beneath the sheets, tail wrapped around his leg and all. They stayed that way for a while, at least until the lights overhead dimmed out and nothing but blackness filled the room. "Figures, a rich man like Stockman can't afford to pay the electric bill…" Then he felt Bethany's belly twitching, suggesting that she was chuckling. He couldn't help but smile. At least she couldn't see his face, because he was not one to make wise-cracks and he knew he was blushing a little.

When she calmed down a bit, she painfully shifted her position so she was more on her belly and her tail untangled from his leg .

Don swallowed when he felt her tail slide from between his legs.

"Sorry about that. I didn't realize it had a mind of its own," she sad sheepishly.

"At least we know the muscles are strengthening. Can you move it freely now?"

In her mind, she commanded the tail to move and it wouldn't at first, but she could tell the tip had curled and managed to get it to coil about halfway up the length. "It's getting there, see? Er…" She'd forgotten he couldn't see in the dark and mentally slapped herself for her stupidity. "Heh, dumb question…" Her breath caught in her throat when he blindly reached for the tail and caught it.

"Good. It should be fully functioning in a few more days then. So, does it feel like an extra arm?"

"Sort of. I can't really explain it. You know, I'm really…ugh!" She flinched when she moved in an attempt to sit up.

"You really shouldn't try to sit up," Don reminded and he put her tail back on the bed.

"Sorry. I can't help it. Staying in the same position is making my limbs ache and back stiffen." She then slowly turned onto her hands and knees and sat herself up. Her skin was burning like crazy and she just couldn't keep her tears at bay any longer. She wished she was still asleep to spare herself the pain. "It just won't stop."

"It's going to be a lengthy recovery, but you'll get through it," he encouraged.

"How do you manage to stay so positive?" she whispered.

"It's in my nature, I guess. My brothers have gotten hurt so many times and I've always helped them recover. I have no doubts you'll do the same." He placed a hand on her shoulder, reassuringly.

"You know, when I first encountered you guys, I was terrified. Especially after Raph…well, I don't think it's fair of me to keep bringing that up. You're just so different now. All of you."

"We're good people…eh, turtles. I'm just happy you weren't traumatized from your time with my brother. He's always been a bit much for us to handle sometimes. He's very protective of us though and when he screws up, he suffers emotionally. He just wants to make peace with you."

She sighed, "Yeah he's been working pretty hard. He gave me a few pieces of art and promised to show me how to carve some time. Actually, Leo was showing me how to meditate too. I'm learning something new from each of you, except you. But you've been so busy treating me…"

"I can teach you a lot. Just depends on the topic. First aid so you can help treat yourself if you want."

"Well, yes. That would be useful." She had to think about it for a minute. All this time, Don was direct, truthful, and very kind to her. And she still hasn't really done anything but give him grief nor thanked him for healing her so many times. "By the way, thank you for treating my wounds…"

"It's no trouble."

"But it is! I've been difficult since day one and haven't really shown you my gratitude. All I've done is run off, get captured…"

"You already thanked us for saving you."

"But not for everything else! You let me stay with you, bunk in your lab, kept me healthy, looked after my son, and-

"Stop, stop. You really don't have to…"

"I owe you so much,"she muttered, feeling guilty. There was a bit of a pause in their conversation and she felt Don shift on the bed. "Still tired?"

"I was, but it'll be a little bit before I get back to sleep. Honestly, I'm getting a little chilly again," he admitted and tugged the sheet up a bit.

"Oh sorry. I was your furnace, as you put it." She then lifted the sheet and slid back underneath so her chest was pressed against his side and draped her arm across his belly.

It was only now that Don felt his heart start racing. This wasn't like anything he experienced before. This woman was lying here next to him, willingly. It was something he never thought would happen in his lifetime. Even worse, he felt a stirring in his stomach, but did not utter a word about it to her. Something about her hand resting on his lower belly brought on even deeper emotions. He didn't realize it, but his arm was slowly snaking around her and bringing her even closer, but careful not to touch her back.

"Your body is so much colder than mine," she whispered.

"Yeah, our temperatures vary a bit more than a human. Cold weather and turtles don't mix and being down here is not helping. But, you're doing a pretty good job keeping me regulated and I really like it…that is, uh…" Oh he screwed that up!

That little admission was not expected. In her experience, he never let private thoughts slip. If anything, it didn't bother her and she wasn't sure why. Don was the one who kept watch over her and somehow this felt right, even more so than her first marriage when she thought her ex truly loved her. Don was dedicated and smart. A little blunt sometimes, but overall very sweet and charming. She gasped. What was she thinking?! This was Donatello! A turtle! She is a human, or part of one! How could thoughts like these suddenly manifest? Perhaps she was looking at it the wrong way? Even though he was a reptile, he was sentient and more like a human than anything. She just stopped noticing his physical differences after getting to know him.

Her silence concerned him. After his silly comment, who could blame her? Just another oddball statement out of his mouth to scare her away! He waited for her to roll away, but was surprised when she crawled up on top of him, her skirt and legs sliding between his knees and her belly resting against his and their faces were only a few inches apart.

She had no idea what she was doing or why, but her every move was being controlled by her subconscious. Donnie was nothing like her ex and he didn't mind kids, always a fine quality in a man. His many other talents made him that much more attractive as well…

She could no longer help it and leaned in closer until her nose touched his and then she pressed her lips against his.

Don's eyes widened and his glasses suddenly slid a bit down the bridge of his nose. He was perplexed and unsure of what his move should be. Was this for real? He even pinched himself on the thigh to make sure. When Bethany's weight remained on his body, he was certain it wasn't an illusion. Her lips were so soft and he could feel her breath against his cheeks. Without really thinking, he put forth an effort and returned her gentle kiss. Not wanting to push his boundaries too far, he kept his hands at bay by his sides. There was a thing or two that he learned from the internet and various movies and he decided to exercise that knowledge. He closed his eyes and prompted her to part her mouth. When she responded, his tongue dashed between her lips and wrestled her tongue for dominance. It was now that he realized things were heating up and his heart rate was so fast that he was starting to breathe harder. He liked that her arms had wandered up to his shoulders and wrapped around his neck to toy with his bandana. Luckily she had her skirt and he had his garments to keep her from feeling the steadily growing erection in his pants. He had to ignore it. She was far too injured to even think about that!

Growing more bold, he slowly brought his hands up and placed them on her hips. Heat was growing between their bodies, particularly at her groin. She was boiling hot! Before he could really press further for her affections, she broke the kiss and snuggled into his embrace, obviously tired and he stayed his hands. It was such a tender moment and he refused to spoil it. What would happen when they awakened next? Would this spoil their budding friendship?