Chapter 25 -Dr. Johansson-
~~~

Donatello's pacing was driving Leonardo crazy. He opened his eyes, giving up his attempts at meditation, and sighed.

"Don, relax."

"How can I relax, Leo? We're locked in a cage again, and it's my fault."

"Donatello, it's not your fault. I'm the shell-head that let himself get captured first. You wouldn't have had to rescue me if I hadn't run off that night."

"What happened, Leo? How did Keagan get you?"

Leonardo sighed. He didn't want to re-live that humiliating defeat again, but telling the story would pass the time.

"It was Hun," he said with a sigh.

***

Leonardo raced across the rooftops, letting the exercise burn the fury from his chest, and the wind in his face blow away the ashes of resentment left behind. His shoulders began to relax as he ran, and the ache of tension to release.

Raph's annoying, but maybe I was a little harsh about the music. Splinter says we all relax in our own way. I meditate. Raph cranks the tunes. Mikey would say I was harshing his groove.

A smile passed over Leonardo's face at the thought of his younger brother's colorful vocabulary.

Even when he's not right here with me, Mikey can always make me smile, he thought.

It was about then that Leonardo heard the scream. Stopping, he crouched, orienting on the sound. Another scream, and a hoarse shout. Leo dashed across the rooftops, coming to a stop and kneeling, peering over the ledge at the scene in the alley below.

Just another night in the city, thought Leo. Two Purple Dragons had cornered a pair of young women in an isolated alley. One of the men lunged, and the girl screamed again, her voice high with fear. Leonardo winced.

How do they hit those notes? he wondered. Mikey's the only other person I know who can scream like that.

He dropped down the fire escape as lightly as the night itself, landing in the alley without a sound. The gang members never heard his approach. He never even unsheathed his katanas. Two quick punches, and the gang members were unconscious at his feet. He was about to slip back into the shadows when he heard a snicker. Turning, Leonardo stared. At least ten more Purple Dragons had slipped into the alley. Leonardo pulled his katanas, and the gang members backed up, grinning. Leonardo heard a distinct pop, and felt a sting on his shoulder. Glancing at the young women, he saw that they were no longer cowering, terrified against the fence. They stood, smirking at him, and one… One was holding a small pistol in her hand.

Leo brushed at the tiny cylinder in his arm, dislodging it. he felt light-headed, slightly dizzy.

I should call for back-up… but I need my hands for the katanas…

One of the gang members lunged forward, throwing a handful of powder into Leo's face. Leo screamed, dropping his swords and rubbing at his eyes. They burned and tears streamed down his face. He reached down, instinctively trying to retrieve his swords, but there was derisive laughter, and a clang as someone kicked his katana away. Another pop, and another sting. This time Leo couldn't reach the dart. Leonardo turned, forcing his uncoordinated muscles to function as he attempted to run.

He made about three steps before crashing into what felt like a solid wall. Leo found himself lying on his shell, his head brushing the chain-link of the fence. He heard a familiar, cold burst of laughter, and turned his sightless eyes toward the source. He knew, in his last moments of consciousness, who had him. Hun.

***

"You were blinded?" Donatello was staring at his older brother, worry and fury warring for supremacy on his face. Worry won out, just. Don pulled a penlight from his belt, and shone it into Leo's eyes. Leo turned his face away, annoyed.

"Don, I'm fine. That Johansson woman, she put patches over my eyes for a while, and then she used some kind of drops. My vision came back. I haven't had any trouble since."

"No blurring, no double vision? Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. I'm fine."

"At least he's provided you with medical care," grumbled Donatello, slipping the light back into his belt.

"It's going to be ok, Don. April and Splinter will get us out of here."

"If April didn't get caught last night, too."

"What? April was here?"

"Yes. We got separated. I noticed she was gone when I got into the room, but I was so happy to see you guys, I figured I'd get you out of the cage, and we'd go and find her. I shouldn't have let her wander off…"

"Don, if she had been in here with you, she'd have been caught, too. Maybe she got out."

"I hope so. Josephine saw me in here, right? So she might have helped April escape."

"Josephine knew about this?"

"Yes. April called, and pretended to be her aunt. She got Josephine to come to her apartment, where we talked to her. She agreed to help us get you out. Keagan's holding her here against her will as well."

"See, Leo, I told you Jo's all right," said Michelangelo, beaming.

"I don't know, Mikey," said Leonardo. "How did Keagan know to come in when he did? Don had the cage open, we were almost out, when Keagan came running in here. And Josephine was right behind him…"

"I don't know, Leo," Don shook his head wearily. "I might have triggered an alarm…"

"I don't think so, Don. We have to be more careful from now on. Josephine might not be our friend, after all."

"Leo, I'm tellin' ya, she's on our side."

"Mikey, we can't know that. We can't take a chance."

"It doesn't make any difference. We're stuck in here." Donatello stood up and walked over to the cage door. He looked longingly at his duffle, which Keagan had left in the corner of the room. "If I could reach my bag…"

"Do ya have a blow-torch in there, Donny? Or bolt cutters or something?"

Donatello sighed. "No, Mikey. Just some basic equipment. Sensors and things. Some medical supplies. I didn't know if anyone was hurt." He turned to face his brothers, pain etched in his features. "I didn't know about Raph."

"Raph's going to be ok, Donatello. Like you said, at least he's providing us with medical care."

"I can't believe he busted that glass," said Michelangelo, shaking his head as if he could throw out the memory of his brother lying so still, bleeding, under all that broken glass.

They all froze as the hallway door slid open. The inner door opened, and Josephine slipped into the room. She looked rumpled and pale, as if she'd slept in her clothes, or hadn't slept at all. Her hair was pulled loosely back into a ponytail. She approached the cage hesitantly.

"Good morning, guys." her voice was soft. "Donatello, are you ok?"

She received only glares from two dark sets of eyes. A blue pair looked uncertain.

"Jo, you didn't… tell Keagan Donny was here, did you?" asked Michelangelo, coming to stand next to the bars. "I mean, you were tryin' to help us, right? You didn't rat us out, did you?"

"What? No! No, of course not. I don't know why Justin came in here." Josephine looked up, her eyes wide with grief and anger. "I can't believe you thought I would do something like that. I risked my own safety to sneak April out."

"So April got away?" Donatello broke the silence first, coming to the bars. He watched Josephine with an intense gaze.

"Yes. She didn't want to leave Raphael, but there was no way to get him out of here. He's still sedated."

"Why?" Donatello's eyes narrowed.

"Justin says it's because he's violent. He wants to keep him calm until his injuries have a chance to heal."

"He can't keep him sedated that long! He'll go into a hibernation. Josephine, you've got to get me out of here. I've got to take care of him."

"I… I can't. Justin sent me to get you, Donatello. He wants Doctor Johansson to examine you."

"What? No!" Leonardo leapt up and lunged at the bars. "No! You're not separating us again!"

"Leonardo, calm down!" Don put his hand on his brother's plastron. "Listen. If I cooperate, they might let me see Raphael."

"And they might take you away and stick you in a cage someplace else, away from us!" Michelangelo caught Don's arm, clutching fearfully. "Donny, don't let 'em take you away!"

"Mike, it's ok. Really. Leo, I'll be fine. Let me do this. I've got to get Keagan to let me see Raph."

Leonardo watched Don with uncertainty in his eyes. "I can't lose you again, bro," he whispered.

Donatello grasped his wrist. "I'll be back, Leo. Don't worry about me."

"…Ok."

Don gave his brother's arm a squeeze, and patted Michelangelo's shoulder, before turning to the door. "Ok, Josephine. I'm ready."

Josephine unlocked the door, and Don stepped out. She closed the door behind him, avoiding the glares of the two turtles left inside. "He agreed I don't have to use the restraints if you'll agree to come quietly, but he'll never let you keep your weapon," she said softly. Donatello bristled but nodded.

"If I give my stuff to you, will you keep it safe for me?" he asked. Josephine swallowed hard, and nodded.

Donatello carefully removed his bo staff from its holster. Josephine took an involuntary step back, but he held it out to her with a small smile. "Here. It's ok, it doesn't bite," he said. His heart twisted, seeing his precious bo in the girl's hands. She laid it aside, near his duffle bag.

"I'll put these away while you're with Doctor Johansson," she said softly. "I can keep them in my room for you."

"Ok. Let's go."

Donatello let Josephine lead him from the room. She held his arm lightly, almost timidly, as they walked together down the hall.

"Donatello?"

"Yes?"

"You know I didn't betray you, don't you? I would never have done that."

"I hope not, Josephine." His dark gaze met hers. She returned his look without flinching.

"I'm trying to help you. All of you."

"Help me, Josephine. Talk to Keagan. We've got to get him to let me see Raphael. Using sedatives for an extended time will kill him. None of us are used to drugs. We don't exactly have access to a pharmacy."

"I'll try," said Josephine. "And I'll talk to Doctor Johansson about the drugs. If you'll talk to her, Donatello, it will make things simpler."

"She doesn't know we can talk?"

"No. Justin put a muzzle on Leonardo when she came to take the samples."

"What? What kind of samples?"

Josephine looked nervously at him. Donatello deliberately loosened the muscles in his shoulders, and unclenched his hands.

"I… I don't know," said Josephine. "Justin was pretty excited about it, but he wouldn't tell me what they were doing."

They paused outside a set of double doors. "You don't think he'll try muzzling me, do you?" asked Donatello, his expression bleak. It was one thing to allow oneself to be led off to a veterinarian, it was quite another to walk into the clinic.

"I won't let him, Donatello," said Josephine firmly. "If he tries, I'll speak up. I'll tell Doctor Johansson…"

"Tell Doctor Johansson what, Josephine?" The pair whirled to face a slender blond woman. She had kind brown eyes, and she was smiling.

"Doctor Johansson!" Josephine stared, open-mouthed. "I, uh… This is Donatello."

"Well, this is the fourth turtle. Why on earth is he wearing a mask?" Doctor Johansson sounded amused. "Were you playing dress-up?"

"Our father gave us the masks," said Donatello quietly. He watched the woman's eyes stretch wide with shock. She swayed, her mouth gaping open. Josephine caught her arm as her knees collapsed under her. She didn't actually faint, but she put her head down, between her knees and drew several deep breaths.

Finally the woman got shakily to her feet. She blinked, swallowing hard, and took another deep breath. She held out her hand to Donatello. He could see her struggle to hold on to her composure in her eyes.

"Hello, Donatello," she said. "My name is Karen Johansson. It's nice to meet you."