Once Raphael returned (apparently he'd failed to catch up to his younger brother), he proceeded to lead me down into the access tunnels to a rather impressively large area that they'd cordoned off at their "garage". Here I was able to park my motorcycle, and take a quick peek at some of the vehicles Donatello seemed to be tinkering with, including the notorious Party Wagon. We didn't linger long though, as Raphael seemed a bit on the agitated side and anxious to make his way back to their home, but I was able to get him to agree to one small request before we moved on.

"Tess…can't we do this some other time?" Raphael glared at me, annoyance reflecting in his amber eyes as he crossed his arms and began fiddling with the toothpick in the corner of his mouth.

I released an exasperated sigh, slipping my phone out of the small front pouch of my backpack as I shook my head and ambled over toward him.

"Oh, come on Raph! We may not have another chance before we have to head out again." I paused, bumping him playfully with my upper arm as I slid up next to him. "Besides…I want the bragging rights of being able to say I'm the gal you took your first "selfie" with!"

Raphael rolled his eyes, literally growling at me as he gently brushed me away. "Forget it, Tess. I'm not doing this. Let's just get going."

I grabbed his arm, tugging lightheartedly as I bounced up and down and proceeded to beg with every ounce of adorable influence I had in me.

"Pleeeeeese Raph! For me?" I smiled coyly, doing my best to appear as innocent and persuasive as possible. "It's just one picture…and I promise to never show it to anyone…ever!"

Raphael's amber eyes narrowed, but I couldn't help but notice a hint of playfulness in his gaze as he sighed heavily and shook his head.

"Alright…but I want to see it. And if I don't like it, you delete it…got it?"

I couldn't hold back the soft giggle that escaped my lips as I quickly nodded my head and handed him my phone before he changed his mind.

"Ok…it's all set…just hit that button with your finger and the 5 second timer will start." I leaned back against his plastron, tilting my head up so I could admire those intriguing amber eyes. "And don't forget to smile…or at least, try not to look completely annoyed, ok?"

Raphael snorted at me, then quickly pushed the button and turned the camera toward us.

"Just keep pushing, Tess…I swear you'll end up with a broken phone…."

The trek back didn't take long at all; from the back of the garage, Raphael led me through several small passageways and up a short, metal ladder, and before I knew it, we were back at the place where the turtles called home. I glanced around, expecting to see Mikey bouncing here, there, and everywhere…or at least Donatello busy at his workstation…but Raphael's brothers were nowhere to be seen.

We both glanced at each other apprehensively, and I was just about to speak when we heard a scuffling sound from the upstairs landing. Glancing up, we saw Michelangelo – his blue eyes wide with panic, and his breath coming in short gasps as he steadied himself on the metal railing above us.

Instantly my stomach turned, and somehow I knew what Mikey was about to say. I flew past the still staring Raphael, taking the stairs two at a time as I heard Michelangelo give voice to the words my mind was begging him not to say.

"Please…please hurry…it's Splinter…."

Raphael and I hit the door at the same time, and I could already hear the sounds of Splinters labored breathing as I slid past the frozen Raphael and over to Donatello, who was standing anxiously at his father's side. Leonardo was also there, on the opposite side of the bed; he was holding Splinters hand and doing his best to speak as calmly and reassuringly to his father as possible.

"Just breathe, Dad. Just keep breathing…we're here. You just have to hang on…we'll have medicine for you soon…."

I glanced toward Donnie, trying to stay as composed as possible as he got me up to speed on the situation.

"Splinter's respiratory distress is increasing – his oxygen levels are dropping, pulse rate is sporadic…." He paused, his green eyes flashing nervously as he lowered his voice. "He's been slipping in and out of consciousness…becoming increasingly delusional…."

I nodded in acknowledgement. "Lack of oxygen…the damn "DM" must be shutting his lungs down." I grabbed the small flashlight beside the bed and turned toward Splinter, quickly checking both is pupillary response and the capillary refill time of his gums. I growled, not happy with either reaction or his paling color, and quickly turned back toward Donatello.

"Increase his IV fluid intake…and give him 3cc's of this…." I handed him a bottle of one of the injectable drugs I'd grabbed from TCRI. "…that should help. But what he really needs is oxygen…now." I paused, trying to think. "In the garage…Donnie…you had an Acetylene cutting torch, didn't you?"

Donatello's eyes widened in recognition. "Yes! The oxygen tank…that could work!"

I spun around, my eyes focusing in on Raphael. "Raph…go to the garage. Bring back the oxygen tank…and make sure you bring the hose attached to it…we'll need it."

Raphael's suddenly came to life; his amber eyes narrowing in determination as he glanced toward Donatello.

"Where is it?"

Donatello pointed toward the direction of the garage. "The back corner of the garage. It's the tall, green tank in the corner by my workbench. Just make sure you grab the green tank…not the shorter red one next to it."

"Got it!" Raphael nodded, then flew out the door like a flash of light. In his wake, Mikey stepped up beside me, his demeanor more serious than I'd ever seen it.

"What can I do, Tess? How can I help him?"

I paused, thinking. "Go to the kitchen. I need a funnel of some sort…the biggest funnel you can find. And duct tape!"

Mickey looked confused, but slowly nodded his head. Before he turned to head off, I laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder and quickly explained. "He needs a mask of some sort for the oxygen…so we're going to "MacGyver" one with the funnel and duct tape. The small end of the funnel should fit into the torch tubing, and we can seal it with the tape so Splinter can use the large end of the funnel like a mask to help him breathe."

Hearing this, Mikey gave me a half smile, then gently touched my hand with his own.

"Got it. Funnel and tape." He paused, his vibrant blue eyes moist with tears. "Thanks Tess."

I nodded, trying to smile as reassuringly as possible as Mikey turned on his heels and disappeared out the door.

At that point, I turned back toward Splinter's bed. Donatello was just finishing his injection, and Leonardo continued to gently hold Splinter's hand while speaking quietly into his ear. I slipped over beside him, resting a reassuring hand on Leo's shoulder as I leaned forward and checked Splinter's pulse. I frowned, then stood up with a nervous sigh and gently squeezed Leonardo's shoulder.

"We'll get him stabilized, Leo…then we'll get the meds, and have him better in no time…I promise."

Leonardo raised his head, and the wounded expression on his face nearly tore my heart to pieces. He sighed nervously, nodding his head in agreement as if trying to convince himself what I told him was the truth, then turned his despondent blue eyes back to his father.

I knew that look all too well…I'd been where he and his brothers were now…and it pained my soul to no end that there wasn't more I could do. The only option I had at this very moment was to be here…to stay with them…to let them know they weren't alone….

…and when the time came…to fight like hell to get Splinter well again.

A sound behind us made us all flinch, as Raphael and Michelangelo burst back into the room; Raphael with an oxygen tank slung over his shoulder, and Mikey with a roll of duct tape, and a medium sized plastic funnel clutched tightly in his hands.

I immediately leaped into action, pointing toward Donatello as I ran up beside Raphael and gently touched his side.

"Ok…set that down over by Donnie."

I glanced toward Michelangelo. "Mikey…let me see those, please?"

Almost as soon as the words had left by lips, both brothers had done as I asked. I then hurried over to Donatello, who helped me rig the funnel and duct tape into a makeshift mask to help better control the flow of oxygen to Splinter's nose and mouth. Once we had it set, I let Donnie take over regulating the oxygen flow, while Leonardo carefully held the mask to his fathers face. In the meantime, I grabbed another vial of medicine and pulled up a second injection, then slowly infused it into his IV.

After several tense moments, Splinter's breathing finally began to calm, and we all seemed to breathe a simultaneous sigh of momentary relief. I slid over closer to Donnie to check Splinter's pulse, at the same time lifting the edge of Splinter's lip to check the color of his gums. To my relief, I noticed they'd began to brighten ever so slightly, and I nodded with a hopeful smile toward Leo as his anxious gaze focused in on my own.

"Looks like he's stabilizing…." I hesitated, glancing toward Donatello. "…Now we just have to make sure he stays this way until we get him those meds."

Donatello nodded in agreement, his worried green eyes glancing toward the comms unit on his wrist.

"We've got precisely 1 hour and 13 minutes until the 10pm shift change at TCRI…but Splinter's condition is deteriorating at an unsteady rate." He glanced toward me, then around the room at his brothers. "In his current condition, he needs that medication as soon as possible…and at this point, I'm afraid to leave him unsupervised."

The brothers exchanged worried looks, and almost immediately Raphael stepped forward to speak.

"Then we go now! You said so yourself…Splinter can't wait any more. So we get in, get out, and get back home before he gets any worse." He paused, glancing toward Leonardo. "Donnie and I can handle it…you stay here with Mikey and Tess and take care of Splinter till we get back."

Leonardo looked about to speak, but I quickly lifted my hand like a student in a classroom.

"Um…if I may?" I paused, glancing tentatively at Leonardo, who nodded his head in acknowledgement of my request. "How about you, Raphael, and I go?" I paused, glancing toward Donatello as I laid a reassuring hand on his forearm. "Here's what I'm thinking: Donnie can get a jump start on the serum to counteract the "DM", so all we have to do is add the additional drugs to finish it off when we get back. If we do that, we can get it into Splinter's system sooner rather than later." Again I paused, this time glancing toward Mikey. "And Mikey can stay and watch over Splinter…that way, Donnie can work, and if anything happens…" I motioned toward Donnie. "…someone with advanced medical knowledge is here to take care of things."

Leonardo's blue eyes narrowed questioningly. "What about the electronic security in the labs? And destroying Stockman's research?"

I glanced toward Donatello, whose clever green eyes flashed back and forth as he quickly thought things through.

"I can do the majority of that remotely…so as long as we're in constant radio communication, it shouldn't be a problem." He paused, pushing his glasses quickly back up the bridge of his nose. "We also have the remote deactivation devices…which anyone can operate. And honestly, Tess is more familiar with the mainframe of the lab than any of us…." He paused, slowly nodding his head in agreement. "I think she's right, Leo. I can handle things from here, and get a jump start on creating the serum while Mikey watches over Splinter and you guys get the meds. Those conditions should result in the highest probability of success for all assignments involved."

Leonardo nodded solemnly, then glanced toward Michelangelo with a wary gaze. "Mikey?"

Michelangelo slid over to his blue-eyed brother, his own eyes more serious and determined than I'd ever seen them. "Dude…no falling asleep on the job this time. We've got this…just hurry back with those med's, ok?"

Leonardo nodded, then glanced toward me with a questioning gaze. I nodded my own silent reply, then watched as his eyes flashed with a steely resolve as he turned toward Raphael and gravely extended his clenched fist toward him. "Alright then. Ready, brother?"

Raphael nodded, lifting his own closed fist to gently bump Leonardo's knuckles. "Hell yeah. Let's do this!"