Cougar girl, thanks for your apology.
Did you all enjoy the new episode, "Plan 10"? I really liked it. ^^ And Mr. Dearing was in it, and I can't wait to write about it. :)
This chapter takes place before "The Wrath of Tiger Claw". ^^
Chapter 52: Keeping Promises
For the first time in what felt like ages Leo didn't feel like his skin was burning anymore. He just felt warm. He could breath and he didn't have the feeling that the flames were eating away all the oxygen. There weren't any flames anymore, Karai's face had disappeared too and he somehow felt like he would break through a cloud bank that had cut him off of everything else. He could hear someone breathing and moving. Suddenly, his mouth felt terribly dry.
"Th…thirsty," he croaked, and his voice sounded so completely different than it had during his time in the midst of fire or ice.
"What was that?" a surprised voice asked.
"Thirsty," Leo repeated. "Water, p-please."
Then he felt how a hand was shoved under his back and he was lifted a bit, and then, finally, something was pressed against his lips. He opened his mouth, and when the water touched his mouth, he started drinking eagerly. It was just water, but it tasted like the most delicious thing he had ever tasted as it ran down his throat, cold and freshening. When he had emptied the glass, he was lowered back on the sheets.
He turned his head to the side and finally managed to crack his eyes open and when his blurry vision focused, he found Raphael looking down on him with wide eyes.
"You…you're awake!" Raph called out.
"I guess I am," Leo said with the smallest smile one could think of, but it was all he could manage right now.
"I'll get Donnie!" Raph said. "Just don…don't move!"
And with that he ran out of the room.
"DONNIE!" it echoed through the lair a split-second later. "HE'S AWAKE!"
"Oh, that's awesome!" April said into her Tphone. "I'll stop by the lair later. Thanks, Donnie!" And then she hung up.
That was good news. Leo had finally woken up, and it looked like he would be recovering quickly from now on.
She needed to tell Madelyn. The little girl was so worried about her Mr. Turtle, she had to hear the good news right away. But before April could dial Mr. Dearing's number, she hesitated.
Telling Madelyn meant reminding her that Donnie had promised her she could give Leo her Get Well Soon-picture herself. And this meant that she would want to go to the lair. Donnie had been so sure that Madelyn would forget about that, once she had started working on her picture, but April had her doubts. No, she was pretty sure, Madelyn hadn't forgotten anything. And she was the one with the greater Madelyn-experience.
So maybe she should wait with her call until Leo was feeling well enough to visit Madelyn instead, maybe accompanied by his brothers.
No. April shook her head slightly. That would mean to leave Madelyn in the dark about Leo's condition even longer, and this just didn't feel right. She simply had to tell Madelyn the truth.
Besides, it had been Donnie who had given her this promise, so should he think of how to get out of this mess.
Sorry, Donnie, she thought as she dialed Mr. Dearing's number, but you've made your bed, now you must lie in it.
"Okay, April, another homework emergency?" Donnie asked as he climbed into April's room through the open window that evening. "You know: Please come over, I need your help! is quite gauzy."
"Well, it's not really about me," April replied.
"Huh?" Donnie looked at her surprised. "Then what is this about?"
"Oh, you'll see."
And with that April turned her head into the direction of the door and called out, "Madelyn, you can come in!"
And the same moment Madelyn darted into the room.
"Dr. Donnie!" she cried out. "I heard Mr. Turtle is awake! I have his picture here." She brandished said picture. "So can we go meet him now?"
"Well…uhm…," Donnie stammered. "I…I don't think so. He…uhm…needs a little more time to recover before he can receive visits." He smiled at Madelyn, but it turned out quite awkward.
Madelyn's face hardened immediately. "You said I can give him my picture when he is awake!"
"Well, I didn't say when exactly that is going to be..uhm…"
"When he is awake!" Madelyn repeated. "And he is awake NOW!"
Donnie looked at April for help, but she just shrugged, a devilish grin on her face. Yes, she had more fun than she should have right now, but it was just too funny.
Donnie looked back at Madelyn.
"But Madelyn…," he started again, but Madelyn didn't let him finish his sentence.
"He is awake NOW!"
"I…I…"
"I want to see him NOW!"
"Madelyn, I don't think…" Again, he didn't have a chance to finish his sentence.
"You promised I can give him his picture myself! And you have to keep your promises, Dr. Donnie!"
"But…"
But instead of saying something, Madelyn inhaled sharply and held her breath.
Donnie's eyes widened in shock, and he winced a little. He looked at April again, although he knew he couldn't expect any help from her. And he was right. She just kept grinning at him.
So he looked back at Madelyn who still held her breath.
"Madelyn, please breathe!" he said, taking a deep breath himself. "I'll bring you to Mr. Turtle."
Madelyn exhaled and cheered. "Yay!"
Donnie looked at April once more. She had crossed her arms over her chest. She just kept grinning devilishly.
Donnie sighed again.
Mr. Dearing and Kirby were sitting in the kitchen, each of them holding a bottle of beer.
Kirby heaved a chuckle. He just hoped, drinking beer wouldn't become a habit. Or they wouldn't just be single fathers, but drinking, single fathers. And shouldn't this wait till their daughters were in college or something like that?
Madelyn came running into the kitchen. "Daddy, I'm visiting Mr. Turtle. I'll be back later! Bye!"
She quickly gave her father a peck on the cheek as he bent over.
And then she was gone.
Mr. Dearing looked after her.
He sighed. "You sure this is okay?"
"Of course it is!" Kirby replied. "They are all very nice and caring. They will take good care of her. And April's there, too. So no worries! April is with them nearly all the time, and she's doing fine."
Well, he better left out how often his daughter was involved in fights or that aliens and evil ninjas kept trying to kidnap or even kill her. Madelyn was in good hands. He was sure about that.
"Okay," Mr. Dearing said, but when he turned back to Kirby, he didn't look so convinced.
Kirby decided he had to distract him a bit.
"So what have you been up to? How are doing at work?" he started. "April told me you helped so that her photographs got published."
"Oh, yes, I did," Joseph said. "She is so talented! And it was my way of thanking her. Did you know that she wins the monthly challenges in this photographer's message board nearly every month? Madelyn is her muse and…"
Kirby smiled to himself. Now that had worked pretty well, hadn't it?
Donnie looked cautiously into the living area and choked a sigh when he found Splinter sitting on the couch and watching TV. Well, he had been sure that he wouldn't make it to Leo's room without being spotted, but he had hoped he wouldn't be discovered right away.
He was holding a blindfolded Madelyn in his arms. The little girl was holding her picture for Leo in her one hand while the other hand casually rested on Donnie's plastron.
Donnie heard April snicker behind him. Yes, for the hundredth time, she had been right. Madelyn had not forgotten about his promise, but did she still have to find this so funny she couldn't stop laughing? Hadn't her "I told you, I told you, I TOLD YOU!"-speech in her room when Madelyn had gone to her father to tell that she was going to see Mr. Turtle, been enough punishment?
He took a deep breath, then straightened up and entered the lair.
"What is this about?" Splinter asked immediately and got up.
"It was an emergency, sensei," Donnie said without stopping on his way to Leo's room. "I'll explain later."
"Hi, Mr. Sensei!" Madelyn greeted in a sweet voice and waved into Splinter's direction with her free hand. But since she had to go by her sense of hearing here, she waved at the TV instead.
Splinter looked confused, but lifted his hand nonetheless and waved back at her, but it was more out of reflex.
Donnie had now reached the aisle that led to their rooms when he heard April's voice behind him.
"You heard him, sensei, he'll explain later."
He choked another sigh. Couldn't April have at least taken this off his shoulders by telling Splinter what had happened? Did he have to do that all by himself?
When Donnie entered Leo's room, Leo seemed to be asleep. As usual, Raph was by his side, but when he set eyes on Donnie and their guest, his eyes widened.
"Donnie, what the…?" he asked.
"An emergency," Donnie said. "I'll explain later."
And with that he nodded at the door, and although Raph was frowning, he left.
"Hi, Madelyn," he said quickly, when he passed them.
"Hi, Mr. Red!" Madelyn replied.
When Raph had closed the door behind him, Donnie set Madelyn down and removed her blindfold. The little girl looked around the room for a moment, but then she set eyes on Leo.
"Mr. Turtle!" she called out and ran over to him. But Leo didn't react.
"Dr. Donnie!" Madelyn said reproachfully. "You said he is awake!"
"He is!" Donnie confirmed. "Usually."
"Madelyn?" came Leo's weak voice and he cracked his eyes open. He seemed a little confused, unsure if this was real.
"Am I dreaming?" he asked, lifting one had and touching Madelyn's cheek gently.
"No," Madelyn replied and gently shook her head, careful to not shake Leo's hand off. "I'm here."
Leo smiled and patted Madelyn's cheek before he took his hand away again.
"How are you doing, Madelyn?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she replied. "How are you feeling, Mr. Turtle?"
"Better," Leo said.
Madelyn smiled at him.
"I drew a picture for you," she then said and showed him the picture.
Leo took it carefully. "Wow, that's beautiful," he said, looking at the picture that showed him and Madelyn in what seemed to be a park on a picnic blanket, having tea.
"It's a Get Well Soon-picture," Madelyn explained. " Because I hope you get well soon, Mr. Turtle."
"Thank you, Madelyn," Leo said before he placed the picture on his bedside table.
"Okay, Madelyn, you gave L…Mr. Turtle his picture," Donnie said, suddenly all impatient and restless. He wanted to get this over with as fast as possible. He still had to face sensei and Raph and explain everything and he sure wasn't looking forward to it. So maybe he could procrastinate when he brought Madelyn home first. He didn't want to explain how he had promised Madeyn to bring her to the lair and how he had been forced to keep his promise by a little girl while she was still around.
Madelyn looked at him, opening her mouth to say something, but Donnie didn't give her a chance.
"Mr. Turtle needs his rest," Donnie said in a gentler voice. "He's still sick."
Madelyn just nodded and placed a peck on Leo's cheek before she went back to Donnie. The purple-masked turtle blindfolded her again and picked her up.
"Bye, Mr. Turtle!" Madelyn called out.
"Bye, Madelyn," Leo said, his voice still sounding weak.
And then, Donnie and Madelyn were gone.
When Donnie crossed the living area again, he found that Mikey and Raph had joined Splinter and April. Mikey, Raph, and April immediately got to their feet when they saw him – Raph to leave for Leo's room, April to join them on their way back to the surface, so she could bring Madelyn home, and Mikey to greet Madelyn.
"Madelyn!" Mikey called out.
"Mr. Beam!" Madelyn called out.
"Can I show her around the lair, Donnie?" Mikey asked, following his brother and April, but Donnie didn't even stop.
"No, Mikey, we have to bring her back," Donnie replied.
"But I can join you, right?"
Donnie sighed. "Sure."
"So, how are you doing, Madelyn?" Mikey asked when they left the lair. "Can we have another tea party soon?"
Raph had taken up his position at Leo's side again.
"Did you enjoy your sick bed visit?" he asked.
"I did," Leo said.
"You're feeling better?"
"A little."
But Leo's reply didn't sound right in Raph's ears.
"What's wrong?" he asked quickly.
Leo turned his head to look at Raph.
"I head some weird feverish dreams," he replied.
"So? What, for example?"
"Well, I once dreamed that you told me that you read Madelyn's letters and that you would take over my cleaning duty to make up for it."
"Haha," Raph chuckled insecurely. "Weird, indeed. But I'll take over your cleaning duty nonetheless. Because I…uhm…am feeling like doing it, okay? Although I don't have a reason to do so, haha."
But Leo didn't laugh, just frowned a little at his brother.
"Uhm…what else did you dream?" Raph asked when a few moments of awkward silence passed.
Leo's frown deepened and he turned his head to look at the ceiling, knowing Raph wouldn't like what he was about to say.
"Leo?" Raph asked further when Leo didn't answer right away.
"I dreamed about her," Leo finally said. "Karai."
Raph's eyes just widened in surprise.
