Chapter Eight!
The lair was frighteningly silent... and looked as though a tornado had struck it. Toppled and shredded furniture was strewn throughout the kitchen and living room. Broken wood was scattered in the hallway, and four young turtles were nowhere to be seen...
Splinter walked into the kitchen, careful of the broken glass that peppered the floor. He set the food bag down on the counter and turned to go look for his sons. Splinter was about to go into the living room when he heard a small noise behind him. He turned to find Raphael trying to push his way out of the cabinet.
"Raphael, what happened here?" Splinter asked as he righted the table and helped his son out of his prison.
"That dog got into the lair and came after us", Raphael said.
"Do you know where your brothers might have run off to?" Splinter asked.
`I--I don't know", He answered.
When Splinter heard this, he started to worry. What if they ran off into the sewers? Who knew where they could be by now? What if the dog injured one of them?
He quickly stopped himself from panicking. His sons needed him now, and he could not fail them. Once he re-centered his thoughts, he brought his son into the living room, away from the broken glass. He looked around the den for any sign of his other sons, but found nothing.
"Raphael, I need to go find your brothers", Splinter said, " stay here and do not go anywhere, understand me?" Raphael nodded quickly, and Splinter started his search of the lair.
He first entered the boys' bedroom, scanning the area when he saw a small pile of blankets in the top bunk move. Splinter slowly approached the bunkbed and lifted the blankets. Michaelangelo's face peered out from underneath.
"The dog is gone my son", Splinter said softly, " you can come out now."
"It's gone? For real?" Michaelangelo asked worriedly.
"Yes it is, Michaelangelo, there is no need to be afraid", Splinter reassured him. Mike conceded and came out from under the blankets, letting Splinter take him down.
"Oh no", Mike said as his father lifted him out of the pile, "The dog chased Don down the hall, and Raph is still stuck in the cabinet--"
"Calm down, my son" Splinter said kindly, "Raphael is sitting in the living room, and I am going to go look for Donatello and Leonardo." At hearing this, Mikey wrapped his arms around Splinter's neck and hugged him, grateful that he had returned and that everything was going to be okay... hopefully.
"I hope Leo and Don're okay", Mikey said nervously, " that dog was really scary."
"I am sure they are", Splinter said," Go and sit in the den while I go look for them." Mike headed to the living room, leaving Splinter to continue his search.
Donatello continued to hide underneath the cot, still holding onto his brother protectively. The dog had disappeared about five minutes ago, but he was worried that it would come back. The dog had tried to get them so many times, and at one point almost did. Donnie was terrified. Never before had he been so scared in his entire life.
He kept back towards the wall, hoping the dog wouldn't return. He tried desperately to wake Leonardo, but to no avail. Why wouldn't he wake up? Just last night he had seen him awake and talking. Was he getting worse? If there was something Donatello wanted more than anything in the world, it was for his brother to be okay...
Splinter walked by his study when he heard a low squeak, like a stifled sneeze. He paused, listening. He knew it to be Donatello. He went to open the door when he heard something else... Donatello was talking to his `comatose' brother.
"Leo, I...I hope you get better soon. I--I'm sorry for letting this happen to you. Its all my fault--if I hadn't tripped...you wouldn't have had to rescue me. I'm *sniff* I'm sorry, Leonardo", Donnie said to his brother repentantly.
Splinter thought for a moment and shook his head. `Donatello is blaming himself for what happened to Leonardo', Splinter realized, 'He feels as though it was he himself who did this.'
Donatello could hear movement outside of the door and cringed, pulling his brother closer to him. Why did he have to sneeze at that exact time, of all times? `No matter what', Donnie told himself, `I'm not gonna let Leo get hurt again because of me.' The door suddenly creaked open, and he gasped. Could it be the dog coming back to get them? The fear gnawed at his stomach, and he felt sick with fear.
"Hey, what's going on?" Donnie snapped his head down and saw his brother awake in his arms.
"Shh, the dog's coming back in", Donnie whispered silently, signaling to his brother to be quiet. Leo nodded his head and huddled beside his younger brother. They kept as still as they could, dreadful of what might be coming inside the room.
Splinter slowly opened the door and entered, looking around the room. His gaze stopped at the cot in the corner, and he sensed the frightened presence of his sons. `I had a feeling they would hide here', Splinter thought to himself. The master knelt down and looked under the bed. He saw two short, purple tails from a bandanna... and then two very tear-streaked little faces.
"Donatello, Leonardo," Splinter whispered. The young turtles looked up slowly, their eyes full of fear.
"You can come out, my sons, I am here," Splinter said softly. Leonardo slowly crawled out from under the cot, but the other young turtle shook his head fearfully.
"The-the dog might come back! It--It might be trying to get us again! I don't wanna sound rude Master, but I-I'm not moving anywhere until I know that dog's gone for good. I really don't like dogs," Donatello said timidly. He was trying to hold back the tears, but they trickled down despite his efforts.
Splinter repositioned onto one knee and sighed. Splinter knew about his son's fear of dogs. The fear had always been rather strong since their first encounter with one when they were only three. The attack from the previous day and this episode just made that fear ten times worse.
"I know dogs frighten you. I was worried myself when I saw the dog come out of the lair. I was concerned that you four might have been hurt. I was relieved to see that the dog only made a mess of the lair-nothing more. It is all right, Donatello, the dog is gone now; Come out my son", Splinter said gently, and offered him his hand. There was a long pause, but Splinter breathed a small sigh of relief when he saw one small hand emerge slowly from under the cot and another latching onto his hand. Donatello crawled out from under the cot, visibly shaking, but otherwise all right.
Most of the day was spent cleaning and repairing the damage the dog had inflicted on their home. It took a lot of hard work, but they finally finished the work a few hours later.
Later that evening, after lair repairs were done, the turtles were allowed to have their free time. Leonardo and Donatello put the television on, and Raphael and Michaelangelo tried to beat each other at tic-tac-toe. Splinter sat in his chair, reading his book and keeping an eye on the turtles.
"How do you feel, Leo?" Don asked carefully.
"I feel a lot better than earlier', he replied with a shrug.
Donnie started to relax as he and his brother watched the TV. Seeing that Leonardo was getting better took some of the weight off his shoulders. He didn't have to worry about that Dog ever again. Or so he thought...
A commercial suddenly came up about a horror movie--called CUJO. Horrible scenes of a dog attacking someone trapped in a car flashed across the screen. The two turtles on the couch looked at each other in fearful remembrance.
"Don, you DID tell Splinter everything that had happened, right?" Leo asked. Don mentally slapped himself. He never told Master Splinter about what had happened. He didn't want Sensei to find out that the attack was his fault, because if he did, he might get disappointed with Donnie or punish him. He had to hide the truth, even if that meant lying to his brother as well.
"Um, ye-yeah, I told him everything", Donatello lied. "He knows what happened."
"You sure? Maybe I should go and--"
"NO!" Donnie said nervously, " I mean--no, you don't need to, he already knows."
"Oh, okay", Leo replied. He felt suspicious about his brother for some reason, call it a hunch. He was acting a bit strangely, and whenever he mentioned the dog attack, Don kept avoiding the topic. It bugged him, but he wasn't sure why.
`I'll go ask to Master Splinter, just to be sure', Leo thought to himself. Leo climbed down from the couch and slowly approached his sensei, keeping an eye on the couch. Splinter saw his son approaching him and set his book down.
"Master Splinter, can I ask you a question?" Leo said quietly.
`Yes, my son, what--"
"Not here" Leo said nervously, " um, out in the kit--"
"Alright, Leonardo" Splinter told him, " we can go to the kitchen and talk."
Leonardo and Master Splinter stepped into the kitchen, and sat down. Splinter could see something was bothering his eldest son, and looked at him questioningly.
"What is it you want to ask me, my son?" Splinter asked the young turtle.
"Master Splinter, did Donatello tell you everything that had happened? Well, at the dog attack", Leo asked, rubbing one of the bandages on his arm.
"No my son, your brother has told me nothing", Splinter replied, shaking his head. When Leonardo heard this, he shot a look toward the couch, and then to his father.
"Oh, okay", Leo said, trying not to look surprised, " Thank you Sensei."
"Certainly, My son", Splinter said. As he watched Leonardo leave the table, he could tell that whatever was bothering him just increased tenfold. Something was going to come to a head, and it was coming soon.
Leonardo went back to the couch and shot Donatello a steely glare.
"You lied to me!" Leo said to his brother angrily. Don looked to his brother, caught completely off-guard by the accusation.
"What?" Don said nervously, " n--no I didn't".
"You said that you had told Master Splinter about the dog attack. He said you didn't!" Leo's face grew red with anger. How could his brother lie to him--to Master Splinter?! He couldn't believe had tried to deceive him. Splinter needed to know this.
Donatello's face, however, grew red from embarrassment. He was caught! Now their father was going to find out! Raphael and Michaelangelo heard the squabble and entered the conversation.
"Don, you lied to Splinter about me too! What was with that?" Raphael quipped. Donatello could feel the uneasy feeling in his stomach get worse, and he had to think of what to say--fast.
"You lied before?!" Mike said in astonishment. Leo looked ready to pounce on his brother and drag him to their Master. He wasn't going to let his brother get away with something like this.
Don had to think of an excuse...something reasonable and believable. So he blurted out an answer with out thinking.
"I didn't want to say anything...until you got better!"
"As I recall", a voice suddenly said, " You had said on Several occasions that you could not remember."
Donatello cringed as he turned to see Splinter standing in the doorway, with his arms folded. His face was a mixture of anger and disappointment. He had heard everything!
"Master Splinter, Donatello lied to me, and about Raph, and--"
"Yes, I know", Splinter replied.
"You're in trouble now", Leo said, looking towards his brother.
"You didn't have to say anything", Don muttered under his breath. Leo heard him and looked at his brother.
"You should have!" Leo told him heatedly.
"Why don't you--"
"I can't believe--"
"Enough, both of you."
The two turtles paused and looked to their sensei.
"But Sensei", they both started.
Their father had heard enough, though. Splinter put a hand up, silencing the room. He turned with a stern look to Donatello and Leonardo.
"Both of you, go into my study, sit, and do not speak to one another", Splinter ordered. His two sons stood up and hesitantly walked into the study. Splinter watched them leave and was about to leave when he looked at the small clock on the table. It was past the boys' bedtime. He turned towards Raphael and Michaelangelo, who were still sitting on the floor, looking at him. He gave them a small smile and approached, softening his face.
"You two go to bed, it is getting a bit late, understood?" Splinter told them. The two turtles nodded and got up from their seats on the floor. He hugged them and bid them goodnight when...
"Sensei, what are you going to do?" Mike asked quietly. Splinter knelt in front of his two young sons.
"Do not worry about it. This is between your brothers and I", Splinter told him. Then he turned to his other son.
"Raphael, was what you said about Donatello the truth?" Splinter asked. Raphael nodded his head slowly. Splinter nodded once and sent them on their way.
Splinter approached his study, shaking his head. Donatello had been caught lying...many times. His sons knew that he sternly disapproved of being dishonest. The speeches he had given on the subject, he had sorta hoped, had persuaded them not to do such a thing. He rarely had to deal with lying, but when he did, he disliked every minute of it.
It pained him to punish them in such a way, but he knew that it was the most effective punishment to teach the turtles right from wrong. He hoped that it would not come to that, but only time and the truth could tell...
The lair was frighteningly silent... and looked as though a tornado had struck it. Toppled and shredded furniture was strewn throughout the kitchen and living room. Broken wood was scattered in the hallway, and four young turtles were nowhere to be seen...
Splinter walked into the kitchen, careful of the broken glass that peppered the floor. He set the food bag down on the counter and turned to go look for his sons. Splinter was about to go into the living room when he heard a small noise behind him. He turned to find Raphael trying to push his way out of the cabinet.
"Raphael, what happened here?" Splinter asked as he righted the table and helped his son out of his prison.
"That dog got into the lair and came after us", Raphael said.
"Do you know where your brothers might have run off to?" Splinter asked.
`I--I don't know", He answered.
When Splinter heard this, he started to worry. What if they ran off into the sewers? Who knew where they could be by now? What if the dog injured one of them?
He quickly stopped himself from panicking. His sons needed him now, and he could not fail them. Once he re-centered his thoughts, he brought his son into the living room, away from the broken glass. He looked around the den for any sign of his other sons, but found nothing.
"Raphael, I need to go find your brothers", Splinter said, " stay here and do not go anywhere, understand me?" Raphael nodded quickly, and Splinter started his search of the lair.
He first entered the boys' bedroom, scanning the area when he saw a small pile of blankets in the top bunk move. Splinter slowly approached the bunkbed and lifted the blankets. Michaelangelo's face peered out from underneath.
"The dog is gone my son", Splinter said softly, " you can come out now."
"It's gone? For real?" Michaelangelo asked worriedly.
"Yes it is, Michaelangelo, there is no need to be afraid", Splinter reassured him. Mike conceded and came out from under the blankets, letting Splinter take him down.
"Oh no", Mike said as his father lifted him out of the pile, "The dog chased Don down the hall, and Raph is still stuck in the cabinet--"
"Calm down, my son" Splinter said kindly, "Raphael is sitting in the living room, and I am going to go look for Donatello and Leonardo." At hearing this, Mikey wrapped his arms around Splinter's neck and hugged him, grateful that he had returned and that everything was going to be okay... hopefully.
"I hope Leo and Don're okay", Mikey said nervously, " that dog was really scary."
"I am sure they are", Splinter said," Go and sit in the den while I go look for them." Mike headed to the living room, leaving Splinter to continue his search.
Donatello continued to hide underneath the cot, still holding onto his brother protectively. The dog had disappeared about five minutes ago, but he was worried that it would come back. The dog had tried to get them so many times, and at one point almost did. Donnie was terrified. Never before had he been so scared in his entire life.
He kept back towards the wall, hoping the dog wouldn't return. He tried desperately to wake Leonardo, but to no avail. Why wouldn't he wake up? Just last night he had seen him awake and talking. Was he getting worse? If there was something Donatello wanted more than anything in the world, it was for his brother to be okay...
Splinter walked by his study when he heard a low squeak, like a stifled sneeze. He paused, listening. He knew it to be Donatello. He went to open the door when he heard something else... Donatello was talking to his `comatose' brother.
"Leo, I...I hope you get better soon. I--I'm sorry for letting this happen to you. Its all my fault--if I hadn't tripped...you wouldn't have had to rescue me. I'm *sniff* I'm sorry, Leonardo", Donnie said to his brother repentantly.
Splinter thought for a moment and shook his head. `Donatello is blaming himself for what happened to Leonardo', Splinter realized, 'He feels as though it was he himself who did this.'
Donatello could hear movement outside of the door and cringed, pulling his brother closer to him. Why did he have to sneeze at that exact time, of all times? `No matter what', Donnie told himself, `I'm not gonna let Leo get hurt again because of me.' The door suddenly creaked open, and he gasped. Could it be the dog coming back to get them? The fear gnawed at his stomach, and he felt sick with fear.
"Hey, what's going on?" Donnie snapped his head down and saw his brother awake in his arms.
"Shh, the dog's coming back in", Donnie whispered silently, signaling to his brother to be quiet. Leo nodded his head and huddled beside his younger brother. They kept as still as they could, dreadful of what might be coming inside the room.
Splinter slowly opened the door and entered, looking around the room. His gaze stopped at the cot in the corner, and he sensed the frightened presence of his sons. `I had a feeling they would hide here', Splinter thought to himself. The master knelt down and looked under the bed. He saw two short, purple tails from a bandanna... and then two very tear-streaked little faces.
"Donatello, Leonardo," Splinter whispered. The young turtles looked up slowly, their eyes full of fear.
"You can come out, my sons, I am here," Splinter said softly. Leonardo slowly crawled out from under the cot, but the other young turtle shook his head fearfully.
"The-the dog might come back! It--It might be trying to get us again! I don't wanna sound rude Master, but I-I'm not moving anywhere until I know that dog's gone for good. I really don't like dogs," Donatello said timidly. He was trying to hold back the tears, but they trickled down despite his efforts.
Splinter repositioned onto one knee and sighed. Splinter knew about his son's fear of dogs. The fear had always been rather strong since their first encounter with one when they were only three. The attack from the previous day and this episode just made that fear ten times worse.
"I know dogs frighten you. I was worried myself when I saw the dog come out of the lair. I was concerned that you four might have been hurt. I was relieved to see that the dog only made a mess of the lair-nothing more. It is all right, Donatello, the dog is gone now; Come out my son", Splinter said gently, and offered him his hand. There was a long pause, but Splinter breathed a small sigh of relief when he saw one small hand emerge slowly from under the cot and another latching onto his hand. Donatello crawled out from under the cot, visibly shaking, but otherwise all right.
Most of the day was spent cleaning and repairing the damage the dog had inflicted on their home. It took a lot of hard work, but they finally finished the work a few hours later.
Later that evening, after lair repairs were done, the turtles were allowed to have their free time. Leonardo and Donatello put the television on, and Raphael and Michaelangelo tried to beat each other at tic-tac-toe. Splinter sat in his chair, reading his book and keeping an eye on the turtles.
"How do you feel, Leo?" Don asked carefully.
"I feel a lot better than earlier', he replied with a shrug.
Donnie started to relax as he and his brother watched the TV. Seeing that Leonardo was getting better took some of the weight off his shoulders. He didn't have to worry about that Dog ever again. Or so he thought...
A commercial suddenly came up about a horror movie--called CUJO. Horrible scenes of a dog attacking someone trapped in a car flashed across the screen. The two turtles on the couch looked at each other in fearful remembrance.
"Don, you DID tell Splinter everything that had happened, right?" Leo asked. Don mentally slapped himself. He never told Master Splinter about what had happened. He didn't want Sensei to find out that the attack was his fault, because if he did, he might get disappointed with Donnie or punish him. He had to hide the truth, even if that meant lying to his brother as well.
"Um, ye-yeah, I told him everything", Donatello lied. "He knows what happened."
"You sure? Maybe I should go and--"
"NO!" Donnie said nervously, " I mean--no, you don't need to, he already knows."
"Oh, okay", Leo replied. He felt suspicious about his brother for some reason, call it a hunch. He was acting a bit strangely, and whenever he mentioned the dog attack, Don kept avoiding the topic. It bugged him, but he wasn't sure why.
`I'll go ask to Master Splinter, just to be sure', Leo thought to himself. Leo climbed down from the couch and slowly approached his sensei, keeping an eye on the couch. Splinter saw his son approaching him and set his book down.
"Master Splinter, can I ask you a question?" Leo said quietly.
`Yes, my son, what--"
"Not here" Leo said nervously, " um, out in the kit--"
"Alright, Leonardo" Splinter told him, " we can go to the kitchen and talk."
Leonardo and Master Splinter stepped into the kitchen, and sat down. Splinter could see something was bothering his eldest son, and looked at him questioningly.
"What is it you want to ask me, my son?" Splinter asked the young turtle.
"Master Splinter, did Donatello tell you everything that had happened? Well, at the dog attack", Leo asked, rubbing one of the bandages on his arm.
"No my son, your brother has told me nothing", Splinter replied, shaking his head. When Leonardo heard this, he shot a look toward the couch, and then to his father.
"Oh, okay", Leo said, trying not to look surprised, " Thank you Sensei."
"Certainly, My son", Splinter said. As he watched Leonardo leave the table, he could tell that whatever was bothering him just increased tenfold. Something was going to come to a head, and it was coming soon.
Leonardo went back to the couch and shot Donatello a steely glare.
"You lied to me!" Leo said to his brother angrily. Don looked to his brother, caught completely off-guard by the accusation.
"What?" Don said nervously, " n--no I didn't".
"You said that you had told Master Splinter about the dog attack. He said you didn't!" Leo's face grew red with anger. How could his brother lie to him--to Master Splinter?! He couldn't believe had tried to deceive him. Splinter needed to know this.
Donatello's face, however, grew red from embarrassment. He was caught! Now their father was going to find out! Raphael and Michaelangelo heard the squabble and entered the conversation.
"Don, you lied to Splinter about me too! What was with that?" Raphael quipped. Donatello could feel the uneasy feeling in his stomach get worse, and he had to think of what to say--fast.
"You lied before?!" Mike said in astonishment. Leo looked ready to pounce on his brother and drag him to their Master. He wasn't going to let his brother get away with something like this.
Don had to think of an excuse...something reasonable and believable. So he blurted out an answer with out thinking.
"I didn't want to say anything...until you got better!"
"As I recall", a voice suddenly said, " You had said on Several occasions that you could not remember."
Donatello cringed as he turned to see Splinter standing in the doorway, with his arms folded. His face was a mixture of anger and disappointment. He had heard everything!
"Master Splinter, Donatello lied to me, and about Raph, and--"
"Yes, I know", Splinter replied.
"You're in trouble now", Leo said, looking towards his brother.
"You didn't have to say anything", Don muttered under his breath. Leo heard him and looked at his brother.
"You should have!" Leo told him heatedly.
"Why don't you--"
"I can't believe--"
"Enough, both of you."
The two turtles paused and looked to their sensei.
"But Sensei", they both started.
Their father had heard enough, though. Splinter put a hand up, silencing the room. He turned with a stern look to Donatello and Leonardo.
"Both of you, go into my study, sit, and do not speak to one another", Splinter ordered. His two sons stood up and hesitantly walked into the study. Splinter watched them leave and was about to leave when he looked at the small clock on the table. It was past the boys' bedtime. He turned towards Raphael and Michaelangelo, who were still sitting on the floor, looking at him. He gave them a small smile and approached, softening his face.
"You two go to bed, it is getting a bit late, understood?" Splinter told them. The two turtles nodded and got up from their seats on the floor. He hugged them and bid them goodnight when...
"Sensei, what are you going to do?" Mike asked quietly. Splinter knelt in front of his two young sons.
"Do not worry about it. This is between your brothers and I", Splinter told him. Then he turned to his other son.
"Raphael, was what you said about Donatello the truth?" Splinter asked. Raphael nodded his head slowly. Splinter nodded once and sent them on their way.
Splinter approached his study, shaking his head. Donatello had been caught lying...many times. His sons knew that he sternly disapproved of being dishonest. The speeches he had given on the subject, he had sorta hoped, had persuaded them not to do such a thing. He rarely had to deal with lying, but when he did, he disliked every minute of it.
It pained him to punish them in such a way, but he knew that it was the most effective punishment to teach the turtles right from wrong. He hoped that it would not come to that, but only time and the truth could tell...