100 Theme Challenge
35. Hold My Hand
When they entered the lair through the lab's side door the first thing that Don noticed was that the lights had been dimmed. The second was April as she stepped out of a shadowed corner to greet them.
"April!" Don called, relieved to see her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Donnie," she answered as she rushed over to him. Her quick hug was immensely satisfying. "How are you? You're not still hurt?"
She had a solid grip on his arm as she peered up into his face. The worried look in her eyes made him blush.
"It's worn off," Don told her. "Why were you waiting here in the dark?"
"I turned the lights off everywhere in the lair and closed all the bedroom doors. I was afraid my dad or Master Splinter might get up and wonder where everyone was. I wanted them to think we were all asleep," April explained.
"So no one knows we were out tonight?" Leo asked.
April shook her head. "I didn't want anyone to get into trouble."
"Your clothes and hair are wet," Don fussed. "You should have dried off and changed."
"Those other things were my first priority," April argued, "and I wanted to be here when you guys returned so I'd know everyone was safe."
"We're all just fine Red, thanks for waiting up," Casey said. "Why don't ya' head off to bed now and let Donnie get some rest?"
"Why don't you go change into some of the dry clothes that Raph and Don risked their lives to retrieve for you and I'll make sure Don gets tucked in," April retorted.
"I didn't exactly know that they'd be in that kind of danger," Casey snapped back. "If you hadn't insisted on coming along when I went to rescue them then Raph and I could have brought Don home a lot sooner than this."
"You didn't rescue m. . . ." Raph began to say but April cut him off.
"If I hadn't been there to lure the Kraang away from Don, they would have swarmed all three of you," April said, glaring at Casey.
"Oh so now ya' think ya' saved our butts?" Casey asked sarcastically.
"The only one I was worried about saving was Don's," April told him and then blushed, realizing how her words had sounded. "I mean, I was concerned about Donnie."
Don felt his mouth slide up into the smile that usually appeared when April said or did something that made him happy. He didn't much care that Raph always told him he looked goofy or a little creepy; April had just told everyone that her only worry tonight had been for him.
"Yeah, well if ya' were that concerned you'd get out of the way and let me help Don to his room," Casey said. "I'm the one that's been with him all night and seen what he went through. If he starts having problems again ya' ain't gonna know what to do."
"I'm perfectly capable of calling his brothers for help," April stressed. "That's exactly all that you would do."
"Look kid, you're starting to get on my last . . . ." Casey's diatribe was interrupted by Mikey.
"If you two don't keep it down, you're gonna wake the grown-ups," Mikey said. "That sort of defeats the purpose of hiding that we went out tonight."
April scowled at Casey one last time then turned to Don, "Here Donnie, hold my hand in case you start to feel woozy and let's get you into bed," April said, with a bright smile.
With their hands intertwined, April started to pull him out of the lab and Don followed without argument, barely noticing that his feet were still touching the floor.
"That ain't right," Casey protested.
"Come on Casey," Raph said in a soothing tone of voice. "Take your backpack and go change your clothes. I'll fix up the couch for you to sleep on since you don't need to be babied anymore."
Don paused when he heard that, pulling April to a stop as he turned to say, "You're still fighting an infection Casey, you need to stay dry and warm."
"I got this Dr. Don," Raph said a bit snidely. "You just worry about you."
"We will," April said, responding for Don. Pulling at Don's hand, she told him, "Enough stalling, I can't get cleaned up until I know you've been taken care of."
When Don began walking again, April wrapped her other hand around his arm so that she could press closer to him. On cloud nine, Don didn't notice that April had glanced back over her shoulder.
He also didn't notice the self-satisfied look she shot in Casey's direction. Or the way Casey's eyes narrowed in response.