Under Wraps Part 13
Don did another sequence of chest compressions after the defibrillator gave the order. Eventually he climbed off Julie, waiting for the machine to shock her again. The beep came around and a jolt shot through her body, causing her to convulse. Her arms flopped back to her sides and she was still once again. Don quickly checked the machine and saw that the line was no longer flat, "She's got a pulse! Keep going Leo!"
Leo kept giving the poor girl air as Don constantly watched her pulse and dug through the first aid kit, looking for a bag and mask. When he found the parts, he quickly put them together. "Leo, put this over her nose and mouth and squeeze every five seconds." He handed the bag valve mask to his brother, who kept up with the instructions.
Michelangelo felt he wouldn't be much use at this time and focused on keeping the other two girls calm and if Donnie needed him to fetch something, he'd be ready. Bethany and Audrey were crying and holding each other, looking on as the turtles worked to save the teenager.
Julie's chest rose and fell with every squeeze of the bag valve and Leo was growing fearful that she wouldn't come back, at least until he saw her eyelids twitch. "Don, look!"
The two turtles hovered over Julie, watching her face for any movement and suddenly her eyes opened for a moment before her hands shot up, trying to pull the bag off her face. She was starting to panic. Don quickly grabbed her hands and pressed them to her tummy.
"Relax, relax! You're all right…" Don said, trying to comfort her, "Just focus on breathing."
She started coupling violently and her body shivered.
"Mikey, find a blanket!" Leo said urgently.
The youngest brother did as he was told and started digging around the lab, looking for anything to cover Julie. Audrey and Bethany, feeling relieved, assisted as best they could. Their limbs were still weak from the experiment but they scattered around the room, pulling the shelves apart until they found hospital gowns and sheets. Audrey carried a couple of the linens to the table where Don took two and draped them over Julie as Leo kept on squeezing the bag valve, ensuring a healthy supply of oxygen for her. Bethany and Audrey put on hospital gowns and tied them in the front.
Julie struggled for a little bit to catch her breath, but was slowly coming around. Bethany had approached the table first and took over the bag for Leo so he, Mikey, and Don could start scanning the labs and see if they could find an escape route. She peered down at the youngster and attempted to comfort her. "Don't worry, we're going to get out of here. I'll look after you."
"O-okay…" Julie replied weakly. Her voice was nothing more than a whisper.
"Can you sit up?"
"I'll try."
Bethany put down the bag valve and took Julie's hand to help her up. "It's probably too soon, but we have to do the best we can. The turtles will take us underground where we'll be safe." It was odd of her to say, but Donnie was true to his word before. Their lair was a safe zone and to be honest, she was starting to feel safer living underground than on the surface, even when she was fully human. "C'mon…" She helped Julie to her feet and gave her a hospital gown. "Put this on."
Leo and Mikey were scouting out the double-doors, looking into the hall to see if security was on patrol while Don gathered a bunch of medical supplies, including a scalpel and stuffed them into a small satchel.
"We gotta find our weapons and my gear," Don said, throwing the satchel over his shoulder. "Lets put the girls between us and head down the northern tunnel. I remember we entered from the west side, but we took a detour halfway. I'm predicting our weapons to be on the far side of the building."
"To keep us as far away as possible," Leo said.
Don nodded. "Exactly."
"All right, girls you ready? Julie? Can you walk?" Leo asked.
"I think so," Julie replied as Bethany linked one of her arms with hers.
"Let's get this show on the road," Mikey said.
Leo agreed, "We need to find the rest of the hostages first though. The cell block isn't far from here."
"What about security?" Don asked.
"Hm…Mikey and I will have to make a diversion. Donnie, you take the girls and go down the cell block while we go to the armory. There'll be less security by the prisoners while they're weakened. Easy for you to handle and the girls will be safer," Leo explained.
The group waited by the door until Leo gave the signal to split. He was peeking out into the hall again and when the coast was clear, he gave the order. He and Mikey took off in a flash while Don slowly led the girls in the other direction, passing by several more labs. They looked in every room to make sure there was no hostage inside.
Eventually they encountered two scientists, which Don easily them took out with a swift punch to the gut each and he stuffed them into an empty cell and locked them in. The next human was an armed guard who patrolled the cell block. He managed to fire a round at them, but Don's shell was strong enough to reflect the bullet and the unfortunate soldier received that bullet in his head. The body was stuffed into a closet and they continued until they reached the next cell block. Upon opening the first door, they spotted an unconscious male captive inside the cell. Don approached cautiously and knelt down next to him to check for signs of life.
"This one's dead," Don said.
The girls gasped and backed away from the door, huddling together in the hall. Don reappeared outside and pressed on. They moved along, passing three empty cells until they located another victim. The next occupied cell contained two. A woman and a man who appeared to have finished mutating recently. Both had tails and scaly skin, but the man was dark red while the girl was a gold tone.
Don rushed into the cell and checked the woman first. She was scared of Donnie at first, but the man beside her quickly spoke up.
"Are you other captives?" he asked.
Don handed both of them a hospital gown, "Yeah, we're escaping. C'mon, you and your friend are coming with us," Don quickly said and he took the woman's hand to help her up.
"This is my wife," the man said.
"Sorry, pleased to meet you both and it's unfortunate what's happened to you. Your names?"
"Daniel. And this is Kerrigan."
"Well, Daniel and Kerrigan, let's get the hell out of here." Leading the way, Don kept a close eye out for more victims. It was appearing hopeless when they passed by twelve empty cells. Then they stumbled upon a devastating scene…
When Don unlocked another door, he gasped. There was a mutant lying on the floor in a pool of blood and he saw that it was another female, heavily pregnant.
Bethany peered inside. "Oh my god!"
Julie gagged a bit and Audrey helped as best she could to keep the teenager from seeing this. Don was angry with how Stockman was using extremely vulnerable people.
"Is she alive?!" Audrey cried.
Rushing into the cell and stepping across the puddle of blood, Don quickly bent over and dropped his fingers to the woman's neck. "It's faint, almost nonexistent. She won't survive a trip to the labs where I can try to help her and she's bleeding too quickly. She's lost so much already…and I didn't bring any supplies to revive her if she goes under."
Bethany frowned.. She and the other girls looked at each other, not knowing what they could do.
Not once did Don lift his fingers from the woman's neck, at least not until the pulse stopped. "She's gone."
"There's nothing we can do for her?! The baby?" Bethany muttered.
"No. If the mom dies, so does the infant…" Kerrigan mentioned sadly and closed her eyes.
The room fell silent…
Don peered at the dead woman and then at her belly. His thoughts were mixed, eating away at him. He wanted to murder Stockman for putting these poor people through this. It was an act of true evil that not even his father committed. Don grit his teeth and swung his bag around, ripping through its contents.
"What are you doing?" Bethany asked.
He rummaged through the bag until he retrieved a scalpel.
"Don?" Bethany asked.
He took the plastic safety cap off the blade. "The mother died…I'm not gonna let the infant go."
"What? Serious?"
"I need your help, Bethany. Hurry! Time is running out!" Don shouted and he dropped to his knees, not caring about the blood staining his limbs and clothes.
Bethany left Julie in Audrey's embrace and she rushed to Don's side. The others had filed out into the hallway to keep watch and give Don space to work. He began by rolling the dead woman onto her back and he tore away at the shredded garment wrapped around her body until her skin was exposed. "Okay…" he murmured, not entirely sure what he was doing. He studied her for a minute, trying to judge the best area to cut.
"Don't hesitate!" Bethany said.
"I've never done this before. Just not exactly sure what…well…" he said, nervously.
"Like you said, we don't have time to waste! Here! Look where my scar is!" she said and lifted her gown, showing him where she once had her surgery. The scar was about a half an inch below the hipbones.
Having seen that, Don finally sucked in a deep breath and he quickly pressed the scalpel to the scaly skin and slid it across the abdomen, careful not to cut too deep. Blood poured from the wound and he had to work faster. He slipped his fingers into the gaping hole and pushed the skin apart until he could see the muscle fibers. They easily separated, revealing the internal organs. He almost gagged. No photos in a book ever made him feel ill, but this was very overwhelming. "I need you now. There's the uterus. Grab here…"
"There?" Bethany said, trying hard not to get sick herself. She grabbed onto the soft organ with both hands and gently lifted.
"Yeah, just hold the sac so I can cut without hurting the baby." He carefully dragged the knife across the uterus until a flood of amniotic fluid gushed out. "Careful…" He then reached inside and felt the infant's tiny body. He gently wrapped his fingers around the infant's torso and pulled slowly. Out came the infant, wet and unmoving. Don only had a moment to look over the infant. Sadly, the baby had mutated, likely a result of the mother's injection. This baby was a pale blue with a little bit of scaling and a stubby tail. The baby appeared okay physically, but Don was concerned if the infant would breathe on its own. He had Bethany unravel a thread from her gown while he flipped the baby onto its belly and held it across his forearm. He stuck his pinky in its mouth to make sure the airway was clear. Then he started to pat the baby on its back and rubbed to try and get it to move or cry. After a minute, Don was starting to lose hope until he heard a tiny whimper…
The infant gasped and then coughed before the crying took over. Don couldn't help but smile when he turned the baby back over and watched the little one squirm. Arms still a bloody mess, he handed the baby off to Bethany after taking the thread from her and severing the infant's umbilical. He tied off the cord. She took the bottom of her hospital gown and began wiping away the fluids from the baby's face and torso. The cries were going to be a problem at this point.
"Security will hear this," Don said as he pulled a fresh gown out of the bag and gave it to Bethany.
After wrapping the baby in the clean garment, the two of them exited the cell. They were greeted by the others, who were curious about the new baby, but they knew there were more pressing matters.
Raphael was so close to Luke's hiding spot and had managed to make it this far undetected. His limbs were scratched up and bleeding, thanks to pushing through trees and bushes with thorns. His feet were starting to get chilly again, but he ignored that. It didn't take much longer for him to spot the large boulder where he stashed Luke. He looked out into the open and went with his gut instinct that there were no soldiers around. He dashed towards the boulder and peered into the crevice. "Luke! I'm back!"
When no child appeared, Raph cursed and stuck his head into the crevice to find no kid. "Fuck!" The kid was gone! Luke was normally a good boy, would he have taken off? Doubtful. They must have found him and that worried Raph even more. Pissed off, he rushed back into the woods, heading back in the direction of the van to see if he could track his brothers and figure out how to get into the compound. There was no blood anywhere around the boulders, so Raph was sure that if Luke was taken, he wasn't injured.
He spent the better part of two hours tracing his way back to the van and eventually came across it. It had been ravaged and the equipment inside was scattered all over the ground. He quickly dug through the debris to see if there were any supplies left that he could use, but nothing. After leaving the van behind, Raph traveled the same direction his brothers disappeared in a few days ago. The trek was long, but led to an open field and a solitary lamppost stood. He studied the lamp, looking for any signs of entry to the compound. When nothing turned up, he grew frustrated and kicked the post. Then he lost his balance as the ground started moving and he was rising upwards. It stopped when he reached several feet in the air. He leapt down in front of the open hatch and saw a tunnel leading into darkness.
"If the guys went this way, then so do I…"
Raph descended the staircase and into the dark, knife in hand and ready to defend if someone attacked. He turned right at the first tunnel, not knowing exactly where he was headed. From what he could see, it was a storage facility and he pushed open the first door to his right. He was greeted with a large space filled with heavy artillery, from tanks to hummers. There was nothing he could carry from this room and he moved on until he barged into the next space. There were shipping crates everywhere and he wondered if there was something he could use. He pried open one crate with the blade of the knife and found a large supply of chemicals. He had no idea what it was and figured it was best left alone. Who knew if that shit could blow up with a single touch. When he attempted to bust open another, he heard something drop. It came from the other end of the large room and Raph spun around, ready to defend. He held the knife tight and peered around the space. There were so many crates standing in the way that whoever was in there with him had plenty of places to hide.
He glanced around the room, looking for any sign of movement. When nothing showed itself, he actually thought his mind might be playing tricks on him, until something slammed into him from behind, knocking him to the floor. He was up again in a heartbeat, knife in hand when the object slammed into him again. However this time he was ready for it and quickly grabbed onto what felt like a limb. He swung it hard and threw it against a wall. A body went flying across the room and Raph charged forward to see what it was. He was ready to strike at whatever he encountered or kill it if need be.
The attacker was quick and back on their feet immediately. Raph growled and watched as the enemy stepped out of the shadows and into the dim overhead lighting. Then Raph started to chuckle, "Heh…you hit pretty hard for a girl…"
It was a woman who struck him and knocked him on his ass. He almost put his knife away as a mockery to her. "So what next, sweetheart?" Raph asked. He studied her and from what he could tell, she was another one of Stockman's henchmen, but she was different. It looked as though Stockman had experimented on her as well. Her skin was bronze and dark brown and she had a tail that doubled in length from Bethany's, plus what looked like beads on the end of that tail. Her clothing was torn in several places, suggesting that she'd been fighting for a while. She was unique all right. Raph grew impatient waiting for her to respond. "C'mon honey, I ain't got all night!"
She drew a knife from her belt, "Pushy bastard, aren't ya doll?" she replied with a very heavy Brooklyn accent and a hint of sarcasm.
"Ah! From my neck of the woods, eh? I like ya already…let's do this, darlin'!" Raph shouted and he gestured for her to come. "Take yer best shot!"
"Fine by me!" she yelled back before rushing him, leaping into the air and bringing her knife down on him.
He easily blocked the attack and laughed. "Gotta do betta' than that!" Their weapons clashed together again and they were face to face for a moment where he could see her eyes. They were a pale grey. His eyes quickly traveled to her cheekbones and lips. She had a heart-shaped face which was covered in light scaling. It really caught his attention and the fact that she wasn't afraid to take him head-on made her all the more likable. But there was a thing or two he could teach her…
The girl landed a knee to his stomach hard enough to mess with his balance and Raph reciprocated with a palm to her belly. He wasn't putting forth his full strength knowing he'd probably send her to the hospital with one good hit and to be honest, he wanted to draw out this fight. It clearly pissed her off that he took it easy.
"The hell's the matter? You afraid to hit a girl?!" she growled.
Raph grinned. "I've thrown a girl around before, don't tempt me!"
"How's this for temptation!" The girl got a running start and launched herself off a crate and over Raph's head. Her tail had wrapped around Raph's neck and she yanked him backwards until he crashed into a piled of small boxes. His knife fell a few feet away. Without removing her tail from his throat she leapt onto his chest, her knee pressed against his plastron and her knife held against his cheek.
"You got s-spirit," Raph uttered, his voice weakened from the strangle-hold. "B-ut…still not g-good enough!" He quickly forced his palm upwards, pushing against her neck and he gripped her armed hand, using brute strength to pull the knife away from his cheek. "Ya outclassed sweetheart!" He pressed forward, sitting up and taking her with him.
She was now on her back against the concrete with him on top. The tails of his bandana dangled in her face and she shook her head to keep them from tickling. Her body was crushed underneath his, unable to escape. Her legs were spread eagle with his torso pinning her hips down. "Get off me!" she cried and threw a punch to his cheek.
"Cut it out, girly…" Raph barked and took her other hand. He forced her arms up overhead and easily held them with one hand. "Why did ya attack me?"
"I've seen ya before…years ago. I remember Sacks bringing ya here and testing ya. I was young then and never got a shot at you! After the project failed, Sacks ordered most of us dead and the rest to be lab experiments! I survived em all and I blame you turtles for puttin' me here! Your escape sent me to hell! This latest serum put me in a new body and now Stockman's sendin' soldiers to try and kill me! Just another fucking test to see if I survive! And then I bump into you…so now's my chance to kill ya!"
"Not gonna happen and I'm sorry ya got labeled as an experiment. Now you know exactly how my brothers felt years ago. But right now I'm lookin' for a kid and my brothers and don't have time to fight ya. They're here somewhere and if I don't find them soon, they're gonna end up like you." He looked at her again, seeing that there was something more behind her fierce eyes. It was fear. "I can tell ya been through a lot. What if I offer ya the chance to escape with me? Will that end yer personal vendetta against me and my family?"
She thought about it for a minute. Escaping with this turtle would be a lot easier. Only moments before she started her battle with him did she kill two soldiers who hunted her. She was getting tired and not sure how much longer she could hold out. "I don't…how do I know I can trust ya?"
"That's up to you. Stay here and be tested for the rest of yer life or ya take off with me and be rid of this fucked up place." He then let go of her arms as a gesture of good faith and allowed her get up.
She then let her tail fall away from his neck and allowed him to get up. Her hand extended outwards to him. "Fine. I accept, but if ya try anything…"
"Relax…I ain't gonna." He climbed up off his knees and fetched his knife and grabbed hers as well. "But you betta' not try anything either." He gave back her blade and she slipped it into its sheath on her belt.
"You said you're lookin' for a kid?" she mentioned.
"Yeah."
"I heard one screamin' about an hour ago. Couldn't really tell how young, but he was being dragged into the compound."
Raph turned around. "You know where they took him?"
"Possibly the prisoner block…or the labs…"
Raph grabbed onto her shoulder and pushed her forward. "Lead the way lady."
"Watch it, freak…" she grumbled and started moving towards the hallway. "I still have my knife."
The insult made Raph nearly bust out laughing. "Already forgot you had a makeover? Your knife don't scare me either, darlin'. I can handle ya…now get movin'." With her a few feet in front of him, Raph still kept his guard up in case she tried to swindle him. As he watched her from the back, he studied her form. That tail was crazy long and he could see some of the skin on her legs where her clothes were torn. Patches of blood littered her body, which meant she was at least telling the truth about fighting for her life. Not only that, they passed a body lying in the corridor. "How many people you kill?"
"Hm, maybe…twelve? Why?" she asked.
"Because that's twelve less that we gotta kill now."