Hello everyone! Wow… just wow! You guys are all so amazing for everything! I've been getting so overwhelmed with the feedback on these past couple chapters in the best way possible. Mainly, I'm just happy that you guys seem to like the plot twist, even if it meant that I had Zach suffer an absolutely horrible fate. But, I'm glad that I am still able to deliver the element of surprise, so thanks for all the wonderful comments. Also, even though this is a bittersweet thing to thank you guys for, it actually really touched me to hear that this past chapter actually made some of you cry… and trust me I even cried when I was writing that part too. Lol. XD I'm just one of those people that gets so into their writing that I love to feel the emotion too. But that's a good thing in my opinion, because then I know if I'm able to make myself cry or laugh or what have you while I'm writing… then I know I'm on the right path. :) Haha. Also, I want to answer a question from Guestie in regards to Jimmy. Let's just say that Jimmy knows the absolute bare minimum when it comes to the whole vigilante thing and he is the only one of the original characters' kids that knows anything about it. Jimmy knows Molly goes out at night and catches criminals, but that's literally it. He just doesn't really care and just still treats Molly as if she's just his older sister that he likes to irritate. But Molly does think that Jimmy's ability to keep a secret in that regard is one of his few redeeming qualities in her opinion, so everything kind of evens out between them in the end. Haha. Anyway, this chapter starts right where the last one left off. Enjoy!
(Molly's POV)
I don't even know what to think right now.
I just feel… empty, just drained in every way possible.
I'm tired, my head is mess, and my eyes still feel like they were inflamed from crying and practically burning in my eye sockets right now. That and I still feel weak from just breaking down like that by the way, especially in front of my dad.
When I was growing up, my parents gave me and then my brother, one simple rule.
No screaming or crying or I'll give you something to cry about.
That's just our family philosophy, tough it out.
Sure my mom used to have something from her episodes at night, but my mom went through some really dark and horrible stuff when she was my age so she had an excuse more than I did, and that doesn't even happen too often for my mom anymore.
Because what's my excuse? It's not like I was the one that got… I had to stop my thoughts as I felt that pressure behind my eyes building and my stomach clenching from the tension I felt in my whole body.
But that was the least of my worries right now… I literally told just my dad everything that's happened in the past couple months up until now. As much as I really didn't want to, it was pretty unavoidable this time when my dad asked me what was going on once I started calming down.
Why did I have to finally tell my dad? Let's see? Half an hour ago I was going completely insane on the punching bag, I was crying uncontrollably, and my clothes are covered in blood; more specifically Zach's blood…
Yeah, that's not something where you can just use a brush off excuse to your parents. I had to come clean about everything that we've doing these past couple months.
The Turtelli's, Hun and the Purple Dragons, and then everything that happened tonight.
Now, me and my dad were just sitting next to each other on the floor of the basement in painful silence and I could tell my dad was still trying to figure out what to say.
I just feel so stupid right now, so weak, so incompetent, so...
My internal scolding stopped when I felt my dad's hand grab my shoulder, causing me to slowly yet reflexively look at him.
I was waiting for it. He's probably so disappointed in me right now.
I mean really, he and Uncle Leo turned full control over patrolling to Kaito and I and what did we do with that trust and responsibility? We failed miserably and crushed that responsibility and trust into tiny pieces before incinerating it and burying it in a shoe box in a backyard.
"Molly…" My dad started as I looked away and bit my lip to brace myself for the I told you so and telling off a lifetime.
I just shut my eyes tight, waiting for it.
"Why didn't you tell us about all this?" He asked, making me look at him in complete surprise that he asked that instead of telling me that he's really disappointed in me and Kaito for royally screwing up in the worst way possible.
But, I figured why not? There's no possible way it can get worse, right?
Our mission got jacked, my boyfriend got shot and was taken to I have no idea where, I'm covered in his blood, and I had a total break down and am still trying to hold myself together… So, why not?
I have nothing left to lose of dignity right now.
I let out a sigh as I pulled my knees close to my chest and said, being absolutely open now, "Because we wanted to prove that we could do it alone. You and Uncle Leo trusted Kaito and I to take over everything and we tried to do it alone without help to prove we were worth it. You, Uncle Leo, Uncle Mikey, Uncle Don, Mom… you guys took down an alien invasion and the Foot Clan and Kaito and I can't even take on street gangs with regular people in them. So what does that mean other than the fact that we aren't good enough? Aren't you disappointed… or mad… or… anything?!"
"Molly? Why the heck do you think I'd be mad at you? You think you're the only ones that ever screwed up out there?" Dad said back immediately, looking at me like I had birds flying out of my ears. But, I was looking right back at him the same way.
"Huh?" I say, still completely confused by what was going on, thinking I stepped through a rift in space time to a different dimension because of my dad's reaction.
"Molly, are you kidding? You don't think me and your uncles ever totally screwed up on a mission? Yeah, we took down the Foot and the Kraang, but do you have any idea how many times we failed before that stuff happened?" He said, still looking at me like I was crazy.
I just kept looking at him, still not believing the direction this conversation took.
Since I didn't say anything, dad just kept going, "Let me tell you something Molly, believe it or not? You and Kaito are actually way better than me and my brothers ever were when it comes to working on your own. I mean hell, me and your uncles would go out all the time, completely bite it on a mission, and then drag our sorry butts back to Splinter at the lair for help before getting things right the next time. Seriously, I look at you and Kaito and I can't believe that you guys were always able to figure stuff out by yourself all the time."
"Yeah, but dad look. Does this look like we had it?" I exasperate and motion to myself looking and feeling like a total train wreck.
My dad put a firm hand on my shoulder and looked right at me as he said, "Molly, you have always been a stickler to be perfect at everything like your mom. I remember when she used to flip out back in the day if she got an -A instead of an +A on anything and you are just like her there, school or fighting. This was the first time you completely failed anything and yeah I know it feels like crap to royally screw up, but you just gotta get up and put your fists back up and try again." He took a break before facing me and putting both of his hands on my shoulders.
"Molly, I know you think me and your Uncle Leo don't get it, but we do. We know that you guys want your space and for us to butt out and just let you do it on your own, but just because you ask for help does not mean that we think you or Kaito are idiots and can't handle it. These guys you're up against may not be the Foot or Kraang, but they also aren't the dipwad, nose pickers that you guys usually took down before them. So, if either of you guys need anything, just ask us next time, a'right?" Dad says, making me just look at him, not knowing what to say.
I didn't know what else to do… so I just looked at him and nodded a couple times before looking away. I kept looking down until my dad kneeled in front of me and put one of his hands under my chin to make me look back up at him.
"Molly, just listen to me on this, okay? No matter what happens out there, good or bad. You have still more than proved to me and your mom that your are more than tough enough for taking things on by yourself out there and I will always be completely proud of you because of that." He said, smirking a little at me.
I don't know what came over to me, but I just couldn't stop myself from leaning forward to give my dad a hug as I said, completely honestly and also completely relieved, but also trying to hold back from crying again at the same time, "Thanks dad."
I felt him return the hug slowly back at me before he kissed me on the forehead. "No problem, bruiser." He said back quietly.
Later that morning
I felt like I was still running off fumes right now after only getting about 3 hours of sleep, and not very good hours at that.
But, at least I was clean now and of course I also had to tell my mom what happened after she saw my patrol uniform covered in blood in the laundry basket. But… I knew that was coming and I just honestly didn't care anymore.
I got up and took a shower at 5 in the morning since there was no going back to sleep for me at all. Then I started calling and probably sounding like a maniac to the hospital receptionists at the places that I thought Zach might be at.
That was one of the main reasons if not the exact one why I couldn't sleep.
Ever since he got picked up last night and taken away by those paramedics, I just wanted to know. But, I guess he was still alive and in the ICU at this one hospital in Brooklyn, but it was closer to where the Riley's live.
I mean, sure, he's alive I guess, since they said he was in ICU instead of the morgue, but they didn't say anything else.
So, now I was sprinting through snow on the sidewalk and holding a coffee cup from a cafe on my way over to see what the hell was going on.
Finally I got to the hospital entrance and practically almost ran into the automatic door because it didn't open fast enough at the pace I was going. Eventually I was able to find out where the ICU was and took an elevator up to the 4th floor.
Since it was the holidays, the hospital was practically empty since almost everyone traveled out to the suburbs or out of state to be with their families… and here I am in a really creepy looking elevator with cheerful instrumental music playing over the speakers in it, and not helping whatsoever. If anything it made me want to jump up and rip out the speakers of the elevator's ceiling just to stop it.
I was pretty much on my final straw for everything right now and was probably this close to rocking in a fetal position on the floor while ripping out my own hair because of the stress of everything right now, but I was not going to rest or back off until I find out what's going on.
I could not get off that elevator fast enough as I was speed walking, almost running, through the plain and bland colored halls and following the signs until I finally found the Intensive Care Unit.
I just stood in front of the double doors for a second before I finally got close enough for the motion sensor to detect me so the doors could open. I stepped into the unit and looked around the area, I was standing in the central room that had the doctor and nurses stations with 12 patient rooms encircling the area.
I kept glancing around and no one seemed to know nor care that I was just standing here. Not even the ICU secretary noticed me.
My eyes kept glancing around, trying to see if I could find where Zach could be, but then I saw this piece of paper stuck to the wall with names written and/or scratched off on it to tell what patient was in each room, and the crossed out names were probably people who either got moved to a different room or… I felt my brain twitch as I shook that out of my head.
Definitely rather not think about that one right now, for the sake of my last shred of sanity.
Because for all I know Zach could have probably died and had his name crossed off on that stupid piece of paper before I got here since no one will tell me jack shit about how he's doing! I had to close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm myself down.
I was scanning and I saw something that took an ounce of anxiety off when I looked at the clear name next to the room 8 slot:
Zachary A. Riley.
Well, at least he's still alive according to the paper.
I immediately scanned my eyes around and finally found room 8, which was actually the reason why no one was paying attention to the fact that I walked in, Zach's room had the most activity in it at the moment.
Even though the wall looking into the room from here was glass, Zach's room had a curtain drawn that kept me from seeing anything.
My legs started walking painstakingly slow toward the room, my heart pounding against my chest slowly and my thoughts going in a million different directions as I approached the room.
There was a doctor and nurse talking to each other next to the door and I was about to walk in and see what was going on when the doctor put his arm in front of me. "Excuse me, miss. What are you doing?" He asks, his tone coming off very short.
"I need to go in." I say, not in the mood to have more people tell me what I can't do right now.
"Sorry miss, but due to the patient's current level of trauma, we're limiting the guest capacity of the room to direct family only." He explains, still trying to keep me out.
Ugh, this crap again?!
I could literally feel the blood building in every blood vessel in my brain to the point of almost explosion. Right as I was probably going to blurt out something to possibly get me kicked out, I heard, "Let her in, doc."
My eyes went wide for a split second and I swore time slowed down when I looked over the doctor's shoulder and saw the last person I expected.
I mean it, I thought a snowflake forming on the surface of the sun was more possible than who I saw standing behind the doctor in the room, Walt.
The doctor whipped his head around to look at Walt before saying, "Walter, I really must advise that for your brother's present condition that…" "Look doc, I'm 18 and this is my brother, so like you said earlier, I'm in charge of making decisions for him until my parents get here in an hour. But, I'm still in charge, so just do it." Walt interrupts, looking very determined, while I was just completely shocked that Walt, Zach's older brother, who I really don't like, actually was sticking up for me right now and making the doctor let me in.
It surprised me for a couple different reasons.
One, to me Walt has always been a total ass from how I've seen him act toward Zach. Then two, I'm surprised he was sticking up for me after I practically crushed his throat in death grip several hours ago.
But I didn't question it as the now perturbed middle aged doctor who just got told off by a high schooler got out of my way and I slowly made my way into the room.
There was a nurse on either side of the bed as I kept walking in until… I slowly walked closer until I was stopped by the foot of the bed as I finally saw Zach for the first time in almost 10 hours since they took him away.
I just felt everything lock up as my stomach clenched and my heart felt like it was working its way up my throat. I felt almost sick right now, but not a normal sick. Just feeling like I was completely out of it.
I knew without a doubt that it was Zach laying in front of me, but this also wasn't Zach. He looked completely alien to me right now from the image I had in my head that I usually associate with him.
Zach was laying flat on the hospital bed with his back ever so slightly elevated.
He was currently covered from the waist down by a hospital gown to provide some coverage since the nurses were connecting EKG electrodes to his upper body, letting me see his chest that was wrapped in sterile bandages and had blood soaking through in six different places that I remember way too well from earlier.
That was making me think that he definitely had emergency surgery earlier if they already bandaged him up like this.
His skin had almost no color to it to show any sign of visible life in him. His whole body complexion was a stark, sickly white and a sheen of sweat covered every inch of his body that I could see. His short, pale blonde hair was completely messed up in a state of disarray on top of his head.
I gulped and my stomach felt like it was being crushed in a vice when I finally looked at his face.
He had tube going into his mouth down his throat that was connected to a machine that looked like it was coordinated to the rise and falls of his chest, probably to help him breathe if I were to guess.
His eyes were closed and judging by the way the nurses were moving his arms to put more IVs or cables hooked up to him, I'd say he's still unconscious.
I just kept looking at him until I heard Walt say behind me, confirming my current thoughts, "He's been out cold since I got here, but the no one will tell me anything until our folks get here."
Right as I was about to look back, a nurse came into the doorway and asked, "Walter, are you feeling woozy from the donation earlier?" "No, I'm fine." Walt replied, his tone sounding very even.
I didn't even notice when I walked in, but Walt had a cotton ball taped down over a spot on the inside of his left arm, clear indication that he donated blood.
Okay, I am seriously believing I just stepped into an alternate dimension in the last 24 hours.
My boyfriend is in critical condition from gunshot wounds, my dad was being really cool with me about royally screwing up a simple mission, and Walt is sticking up for me and donating some of his blood to Zach?
Well, today is officially the craziest and weirdest day of my life… and that's seriously saying something coming from me.
(Leo's POV)
It was our usual Saturday.
Karai was getting Kaya ready, I was cleaning up after breakfast, and… I kept looking at my son. Usually around this time he's on the roof shooting, but… something wasn't right.
He was just sitting in his chair at the kitchen table and looked very dazed and zoned out. He looked like he was almost trying to look through the wall in a state of deep thought.
I tilted my head slightly at him as I said, "Kaito?... Kaito?"
He snapped his head over to look at me, practically whip lashing himself out of his realm of thought as he looked at me and said, "Oh, sorry, father… what were you saying?" "Nothing." I say, putting the dish towel down.
I walked over and sat at the table with him. I gave him a slightly concerned look as I asked, "Kaito, are you okay?" "Why?" He responded, sounding a little too quick, almost like he was hiding something.
"Kaito, if something's going on, just tell me." I say, trying to show him that I wanted to help if something was bothering him. He bit his bottom lip slightly before releasing it slowly, trying to relieve tension in himself somehow.
"Kaito?" I press.
Finally he glanced over at me, looking a little intense yet slightly hesitant before starting, "Okay…"
Well, this chapter was a bit of filler mainly, although I hope I soothed some of you with the detail that Zach's not dead or anything. I mean, he's obviously not great. But, he's alive! There will be more details on that next chapter. I hope you guys also enjoyed the father/daughter talk between Raphael and Molly… and it looks like Kaito is about to have another serious discussion with his father as well. Anyway, thanks again for taking the time to read and reviews are always welcome! Have a lovely weekend everyone.
-Dexter1995
