Certainly an interesting place, I began thinking to myself as we entered their home, which they affectionately referred to as the "lair."
Just as we passed some old turnstiles a large living room welcomed us, a kitchen off to the side and various other rooms attached. It was beautiful for being abandoned and under ground... much to my surprise but I didn't expect mutant turtles to live in apartment complexes either.
Mikey grabbed my shoulder, "You and I are gonna have so much fun!" He chimed, giddily jumping up and down. "I hope you like video games. Because I have more than Raph and Leo combined."
I managed a half smile.
While his pure happiness was a source of some joy half an hour ago- the long walk here had worn me out. My injuries burned harder, my energy was fading. My feet became heavier along the way, I didn't have much left in me. If I could lay down and sleep right now I would.
My sight was getting dim and focusing became difficult. To keep my anxiety at bay I brushed that off as shock from everything I went through today.
"This way." Donnie still soft spoken broke me out of my thoughts. He gentlely led me to the left which produced large steel doors. He shoved them open and gestured me into what one could call a mad scientist's lab.
It was neat and orderly besides the desk, which was more cluttered than my mind was foggy. He brought me to one of the four computer chairs surrounding said desk. I was more than quick to sit down and take a breath of relief.
He cleared the desk off hastily but calmly: stacking miscellaneous papers, half done projects and random bits and pieces of equipment on any other nearby available surface.
"So how close did this gun explode to your hand?" He asked, back now turned to me as he dug around in a cabinet across the way.
"It might as well have still been in my hand." I grunted, wincing as I lifted the tortured limb onto the desk. I leaned back and let the table take the weight of my arm, releasing some of the pressure of having to hold it up myself.
Donnie came around behind me, a box in his hands. He stopped mid stride, I could feel him gazing at my shoulder. I didn't dare turn my head to read his expression. During the walk here, I was beginning to learn limits. One of them was don't turn my head to the right. It pulled the skin around the gash on my shoulder and it wasn't pleasant.
"That's definitely going to need stitches." He uttered to himself before swiftly taking the seat in front of me and scooting it closer.
I tensed up thinking about it. He caught on quick.
"Not to worry. I have anaesthetics, same ones they use at a hospital." He stated, trying to sort through the box.
Barely a smile was all I was able to give in response as my injuries just made themselves more prominent with each passing second. The burning burning pain beginning to take over all my thoughts... or rather the few thoughts I had left.
He pulled out a vile and a syringe, he took a quick look at me and filled the syringe like he had done it many times over. Seeing the sheer confidence in his movements washed away any worries I had about a medically unlicensed stranger... a turtle no less... preforming any kind of medical attention on me.
From the doors, Leo popped through and made his way over. He grabbed a chair and brought it over to sit off to the side between Donnie and I.
"Any way I can help? Raph and I already restrained Mikey so he wouldn't keep harassing Koda." He chuckled.
I did my best to offer a grin when Leo turned to look at me. His smile faded a bit seeing me, he could tell I was in pain.
"There's not much you can help with. I think you did enough just by making Raph sit on Mikey." Donnie joked as he took out a tiny pair of scissors not breaking his focus. Ones to cut off the bandage I assumed.
Leo giggled. "He's not sitting on him. I just had Raph turn on the tv and Crognard re-runs did the rest."
They both laughed. They reminded me very much if my brothers. It was comforting if anything.
Donnie's voice snapped me from my thoughts. "I'm gonna cut this off. Would you like me to do it quick and get it over with or slow and move around the pain as you need?" The gap toothed turtle asked, clicking the scissors.
"Just treat it like a band-aid: quick and don't let me see it." I said, a hoarseness hitting my voice from holding back any thought of crying. I looked off to the right, just barely turning my head as to not agitate my shoulder. It brought me eye to eye with Leo. He studied me for a second then offered a hand, one to hold I figured. I placed my hand in his and-
Zip!
"Aye! Yup! Ow!" I yelped, trying my best to avoid swears once Donnie's scissors ripped through the stretchy fabric around my hand and wrist. I clenched Leo's large hand.
It tugged at every torn and shredded part of my hand as the drying blood stuck the skin to the bandage. In an instant with the pressure gone I felt my wrist throb and start to swell. Cuts in the corners of my fingers. A slice through my palm and who knows what on the other side. I wasn't looking but I sure could feel: Every. Single. One.
Rapidly bouncing my knee and clinging to Leo's hand trying to fend off the pain, I looked back at Donnie. My eyes watering from an actual searing sting. He was quick at work, the bandage was already out of sight and dabbing away he went with a wet cloth.
"Please tell me you're going to numb that real soon." I begged with broken voice, staring to the ceiling to avoid seeing my hand. I drew in a harsh breath.
"It'll be gone in a few seconds, I have to see what I'm dealing with and what needs to be numbed specifically." Donnie answered in a serious tone. Each dab or wipe on my hand leading to a prick of pain. Quickly becoming unbearable.
I hummed in pain still bouncing my knee, making my foot tap angrily against the floor. My vision getting white around the edges, I was on the verge of screaming-
Then just as quick as I had asked- the pain started to dull. It wasn't long before I could hardly feel my left hand, or wrist, or some of my arm for that matter. A dull ache still remained, reminding me this was only temporary relief.
I sighed bringing my head down to look, Donnie was busy stitching away. My hand was... mangled.
I didn't want to see anything else so I glued my eyes to the floor. A drowsiness hit me like a slap in the face and I felt my eyes get heavy.
"You alright, Koda?" I looked back at Leo, who still held my hand and now had one of his on my arm. He just studied my face closely, I realized I was leaning more heavily on him than the desk and I shifted my weight back over to the desk. Careful to not move my hand being mended. I felt uneasy and unbalanced, enough to the point where I wondered if I had just passed out.
"Donnie, she's kind of pale." He said pushing against my right side. I realized I had slid over again, my sense of balance was just dizziness. I shifted back over. I was really struggling to stay upright.
"It's alright, that was probably a lot of pain. Pain does that..." Donnie's voice worked its way down to just above a mumbled whisper, "...and loss of blood."
I took a second to attempt to process what the very focused turtle had said. But all I could draw from my mind was reply to the blue banded turtle who hasn't left my side.
"Y-yeah... I'm okay." I finally managed to mutter to Leo. Who gave me a comforting smile.
My voice was weak, my mind was trembley, my body felt exhausted. I was beginning to feel like I wasn't even here.
Adrenaline is one hell of a drug and you only realize it once it wears off.
"Well, forty seven stitches total... I think you're good to go." Donnie said as he taped a bandage over my shoulder and slid the collar of my shirt back up from behind.
I stare at my hand and wrist still laid on the table where I placed it from the beginning. Cleanly and neatly wrapped in fresh white bandages, cushioned by a layer of cotton between, professionally done. A bloodied towel sat off to the side on the desk, a reminder of what lay beneath the innocent looking bandages. A chill ran up my spine.
The tips of my bruised fingers of many shades protruded from the top. I couldn't feel any of my left arm at this point after Donnie had numbed my shoulder. But all I could think about was how much it was going to hurt when this wore off. It would be so tender. I was going to be sore for a long time. Just putting a shirt on was going to be a chore-
"Anything else hurt? Still feel ok?" Donnie asked putting a hand on my shoulder.
Hurting: yes. Feeling: fine... other than the room feeling like it was swimming.
I just nodded my head as I looked up. Caring brown eyes scanning my face.
"Yes to both? What hurts?" He asked with more concern as he plopped back down in his chair and leaned in to look me over.
"Head." Was all I could muster as I lifted my left hand clumsily to point towards my cheek and temple where it hurt... or at least hurt more than the rest of my head.
"Oh! Try not to move that." He said hastily but gently grabbing my arm and placing it back down. Loosely holding it down on the desk with one hand. I could feel Leo's stare as he too scanned me over. They both seemed very concerned.
"You do have a bit of a black eye... I didn't notice that..." Donnie trailed off examining the one side of my face, gears turning in his head.
"Here look into the light." He said swiping a small flashlight from his belt and turning a bright light on in my face. I squinted and looked away at first, not ready for the blinding light and splitting headache it gave me. But I was quick to do what he asked... or at least quick in my mind. In a sweeping motion he went from left to right then turned the light off. It left my vision more blurry than before and half blinded by the after flash.
He seemed to process the result as he watched my eyes very closely. I just blankly stared back, too tired to think or feel anything.
"Your pupils are out of sync. And this one stayed dilated under the light..." He said pointing to my left one as he trailed off again in thought.
"Sounds like a concussion." Leo piped in, patting my hand that he had let go a few minutes after my shoulder was numbed.
"I agree." Donnie said, stuffing the small flashlight back into his belt. "Do you feel any dizziness?"
I nodded.
"Tired or nauseous?"
"Just tired... very." I mumbled.
"And you remember how you hit your head?" He questioned intently.
Now I have to think- I groaned internally.
For second I did not remember, I had to dig for the memory as if it was running through other thoughts and hiding. Every time I had a hold of it, something else came over it.
My little brother trying to grab my leg before he disappeared behind the portal...
Seeing his bruised and dirty face when he picked me up...
Trees spinning...
The gun exploding...
Just as Donnie went to reiterate the question it came to me: the blast, my head smacking off the rocks.
I winced.
"My head... bounced..."
"Bounced? Off what?" He asked with a worried curiosity.
"Ground..." I looked to my hand and wrist, "from the gun."
Donnie glanced back quick at my wrist. As if building the scenario in his head, trying to figure out exactly how it happened.
"That sent you flying didn't it?" Leo asked sympathetically, putting his hand on my shoulder.
Looking down I nodded.
Getting sent for a ride is what I didn't remember, it was so fast. All I knew was that it happened.
My brother went flying too. I worried about what injuries he had that I couldn't see then.
Donnie's voice brought me out of my thoughts, which I kept getting stuck in when ever they were there. "Is it ok if I touch around the side of your head? I want to check for a few things."
I nodded.
He leaned in and reached up, delicately feeling along the side of my head and face. Dedicatedly searching for anything as he pressed gently along different spots.
Each time he pushed on a spot it sent a dull radiating pain through my eye. But as he started moving up it hurt more and more and spread to my whole head. Before I could sum up the words to stop or yank my head away, he pressed on a spot just above my temple past my hair line and my whole head just screamed.
A hiss made it's way through my teeth as I jerked my head away.
Donnie was quick to retreat his hand.
"Okay I think that's good for now, Donnie." Leo said.
"I'm done anyway. Everything feels alright. I didn't mean to hurt you, Koda." Donnie apologized quickly.
"..its okay." I reassured, rubbing the good side of my head and shutting my eyes. I just wish I could chase the dizziness away.
He sighed a breath of relief, then turned to the desk to start cleaning up.
"You definitely have a mild concussion, possibly more of a moderate one. I think you'll be alright to sleep it off." He swept the used medical supplies off his desk into a small waste bin then turned back to Leo and I. "I would be more worried if you didn't remember what happened or if you had been unconscious at any point."
I just gave a thumbs up inbetween rubbing circles on my other temple. I didn't want to be upright anymore. I really wanted to sleep.
"So we'll get you some ice, turn on the tv and you can rest up on the couch for a bit." Leo added, looking to me for approval.
I nodded.
Leo stood and offered a hand. Not knowing how well I'd be able to keep my balance once up: I took the kind gesture. And once I was standing I was almost certain I was going to pass out. Stars and blackness filled my vision immediately and I could not tell up from down. My hand flew for anything to grasp to steady myself.
I swayed for a couple seconds, waiting for the spell to fade. And it did but not completely. Once my vision was clear enough, I realized I was holding onto the front of Leo's shell. He stared at me with a surprised look. I promptly let go, aggravated I had to hold onto a stranger for anything. It made me feel weak and helpless.
I knew being concussed was going to make me agitated, nothing in my mind was working clearly or fast enough. I looked down, Leo still held me by my elbow and Donnie had a hand on my back. I was good, I stayed up. I didn't need help staying up.
Their worried eyes kind of irked me. This wasn't my first rodeo with a concussion.
I pushed their hands away. "I'm fine."
"At least let me take you to the couch." Leo said, taking a step torward the doors, he extended his hand again. Not wanting the help... but definitely needing it- I settled for grabbing his elbow instead.
I held onto that elbow with a solid grip all the way to the living room. Because I did on multiple occasions, almost stumble and fall on the way there. I was messed up.