Moonlight
Chapter 9
Janine gazed into the mirror over the sink wondering just what she had gotten herself into. She had been so stupid these past few days. What self- respecting werewolf went and forgot about the full moon? Her stupidity had very nearly gotten her killed. Had it not been for the timely intervention of Michaelangelo she'd have been skinned and discarded by now. Fortunately, she had been incredibly lucky.
Her thoughts turned to her unlikely saviors, four giant talking turtles and a rat. Living in the sewers of NYC, no less. It sounded like a bad urban legend; no if that was the case they'd be alligators. She laughed to at the thought of walking talking alligators. Somehow that seemed absurd, yet the turtles did not. Despite their looks, they seemed just like regular people. Good people in fact. She knew to trust her instincts. If they felt safe to her, they must be.
Opening the door, she found a different turtle waiting for her outside the bathroom.
"Donatello?"
He looked a bit startled. "Yes. I'm surprised that you were able to recognize me."
"I'm pretty good at picking up visual cues."
He shifted his position slightly. "Splinter wants me to take a look at your wound."
"Yeah, he said the stitches might need to come out."
"Oh no, its much too soon for that," he said with confidence, "but the bandage will at least need changing."
"You might be surprised. So where are we doing this?"
He started down the hall. "The infirmary, right this way."
"You have an infirmary?"
"Well, we can't exactly see a doctor or go to the hospital when we're hurt, so we've set aside a room for patching ourselves up after fights." He opened the door at the end of the hall, and flipping on the light switch, ushered her in.
She looked around the room as he headed to one of the cabinets. It was much better lit than the rest of their home. There were two twin-sized beds in the middle of the room, headboards against the wall; a sink on the wall to her right complete with soap and paper towels; numerous cabinets and drawers; and a few chairs. The room was also spotless. She was quite impressed, and would have said so, except Donatello had piqued her curiosity. She looked towards him; he was opening drawers looking for something. "Fights?"
He paused a moment, pulled a sheet out of the open drawer and turned towards her. "It's a long story, we've ah, made a few enemies. People generally don't take well to us."
"I'd imagine not. People normally react to that which is different through fight or flight. If you're not like them you must be evil or something. So if you have the misfortune, or fortune depending upon your point of view, of being different from the majority you must either blend in or conceal yourself."
"You sound as though you are familiar with such a way of life."
"Of course I am. Werewolves aren't supposed to be real. We're supposed to only exist in fairy tales and monster movies. Do you know what people might do if they knew?"
"Hunt you."
"Cage you and study you."
"Experiment upon you."
"Exhibit you as a 'curiosity'."
"Lynch you."
She sighed, "And of course, there is the very slim chance that you just might be accepted. But it's not bloody likely. Humans are notoriously intolerant of themselves; just think of how they'd feel about knowing that separate sentient species exist."
"It sounds as though we have something in common."
"You know, until today I've never spoken to anyone about this outside of my family."
"Well you have five fellow non-humans to speak about it with now. You need not fear that we will reveal your secret."
Janine had paced about the room throughout the exchange and now stood before him. She took a deep breath and released it, speaking quietly, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He blushed slightly and looked down at the neatly folded sheet over his arm. He looked back up and held it out to her. "Here. Um, you're going to need to take your jeans off so I can get to the wound. I figured you could sit on the bed and put this over your lap."
She took the sheet from him, and he headed to the sink. She walked over to the nearest bed and quickly removed the jeans, which were a bit loose and long on her. "Whose clothing am I wearing anyway?"
"They belong to a human friend of ours. I'm sure you'll here all about her later. She keeps a set of spare clothing down here because traipsing through the sewers can be a bit messy. You ready?"
Janine sat down and wrapped the sheet to cover her lap and backside. "Sure."
Donatello walked over with a tray full of bandages, cotton balls, and a bottle of antiseptic. He set it next to her on the bed and kneeled down beside her. He carefully cut the gauze wrapped around her leg and peeled back the bandage. Gasping in surprise he spoke, "This is almost completely healed!"
She smiled, "The transformation will do that. It doesn't completely heal injuries, but it gives them a jump-start."
"Wow. I will have to take the stitches out. I'm afraid it's going to hurt a bit though."
"Don't worry I can handle it."
"I don't doubt it. You were a real trooper last night." He picked up a tiny bladed scissors and began working.
Raphael worked frantically at the dishes. He didn't want to miss out on a single thing involving Janine. He also wanted to know whether or not Michaelangelo had really only poked her in the belly button. He seemed awfully embarrassed about the whole thing. "Gonna have to get him away from everyone else and find out," he thought.
Splinter had gone to his room to groom and dress for the day, leaving Leonardo and Michaelangelo in the living room. Michaelangelo flipped on the TV, surfing for cartoons. Leonardo watched him for a moment, debating whether or not to ask him about the events of the morning. His curiosity got the better of him.
"So Mike, what happened this morning?"
Michaelangelo frowned at the TV. "I accidentally stuck my finger in her bellybutton. End of story."
Leonardo moved to the chair so he could get a better look at Michaelangelo's face. "So how exactly does one accidentally stick their finger in a girl's bellybutton?" Michaelangelo shot him a dirty look and he raised his left eyebrow in response, "Well?"
"Its surprisingly easy when you're half-asleep."
"What did you think you were doing?"
Michaelangelo returned his attention to the TV, "I don't know. Now could we just drop this?"
Leonardo had the feeling that his last question had made his brother especially uncomfortable, but decided not to push the issue. Michaelangelo had finally settled on Sailor Moon. Leonardo tried to watch, but as much as he liked Japanese culture he'd never gotten into the sexy anime schoolgirl thing. He started thinking about Janine. She was petite, slender, and quite good-looking. Not stunningly beautiful, but then not many women were, and he suspected that many of those owed their perfect looks to plastic surgery and airbrushing. And best of all, she apparently wasn't human. "I wonder if she'd consider dating one of us?"
"What?"
Alarmed he returned Michaelangelo's gaze. He hadn't intended to say that out loud. Michaelangelo broke into a grin.
"Awww…don't tell me you're actually thinking about something other than perfecting your skills? Your katanas will get jealous!"
"I didn't mean me! Well, not that I wouldn't be interested if she were, that is. But, it's just that she's not exactly a human. Do you suppose there's any chance that she could become interested in one of us?"
Raphael walked into the room. "Me? Yes. You two losers? No way!" He flashed them a big grin and pretended to buff his fingernails on his plastron.
Michaelangelo returned his attention to the television with a scowl. Leonardo glared at Raphael, "Finished cleaning the kitchen in record time?"
"Well I—."
"Uh-huh. I'm checking to see if you're done."
Splinter walked into the room, "No need Leonardo, I'll check. Come Raphael, let us see how well you have done your chore."
Raphael shot Leonardo a dirty look and followed Splinter into the kitchen. Leonardo smiled and shook his head. He had no sympathy for his brother; he'd brought it on himself. Looking at the clock he wondered when Donatello and Janine would be done.
Chapter 9
Janine gazed into the mirror over the sink wondering just what she had gotten herself into. She had been so stupid these past few days. What self- respecting werewolf went and forgot about the full moon? Her stupidity had very nearly gotten her killed. Had it not been for the timely intervention of Michaelangelo she'd have been skinned and discarded by now. Fortunately, she had been incredibly lucky.
Her thoughts turned to her unlikely saviors, four giant talking turtles and a rat. Living in the sewers of NYC, no less. It sounded like a bad urban legend; no if that was the case they'd be alligators. She laughed to at the thought of walking talking alligators. Somehow that seemed absurd, yet the turtles did not. Despite their looks, they seemed just like regular people. Good people in fact. She knew to trust her instincts. If they felt safe to her, they must be.
Opening the door, she found a different turtle waiting for her outside the bathroom.
"Donatello?"
He looked a bit startled. "Yes. I'm surprised that you were able to recognize me."
"I'm pretty good at picking up visual cues."
He shifted his position slightly. "Splinter wants me to take a look at your wound."
"Yeah, he said the stitches might need to come out."
"Oh no, its much too soon for that," he said with confidence, "but the bandage will at least need changing."
"You might be surprised. So where are we doing this?"
He started down the hall. "The infirmary, right this way."
"You have an infirmary?"
"Well, we can't exactly see a doctor or go to the hospital when we're hurt, so we've set aside a room for patching ourselves up after fights." He opened the door at the end of the hall, and flipping on the light switch, ushered her in.
She looked around the room as he headed to one of the cabinets. It was much better lit than the rest of their home. There were two twin-sized beds in the middle of the room, headboards against the wall; a sink on the wall to her right complete with soap and paper towels; numerous cabinets and drawers; and a few chairs. The room was also spotless. She was quite impressed, and would have said so, except Donatello had piqued her curiosity. She looked towards him; he was opening drawers looking for something. "Fights?"
He paused a moment, pulled a sheet out of the open drawer and turned towards her. "It's a long story, we've ah, made a few enemies. People generally don't take well to us."
"I'd imagine not. People normally react to that which is different through fight or flight. If you're not like them you must be evil or something. So if you have the misfortune, or fortune depending upon your point of view, of being different from the majority you must either blend in or conceal yourself."
"You sound as though you are familiar with such a way of life."
"Of course I am. Werewolves aren't supposed to be real. We're supposed to only exist in fairy tales and monster movies. Do you know what people might do if they knew?"
"Hunt you."
"Cage you and study you."
"Experiment upon you."
"Exhibit you as a 'curiosity'."
"Lynch you."
She sighed, "And of course, there is the very slim chance that you just might be accepted. But it's not bloody likely. Humans are notoriously intolerant of themselves; just think of how they'd feel about knowing that separate sentient species exist."
"It sounds as though we have something in common."
"You know, until today I've never spoken to anyone about this outside of my family."
"Well you have five fellow non-humans to speak about it with now. You need not fear that we will reveal your secret."
Janine had paced about the room throughout the exchange and now stood before him. She took a deep breath and released it, speaking quietly, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He blushed slightly and looked down at the neatly folded sheet over his arm. He looked back up and held it out to her. "Here. Um, you're going to need to take your jeans off so I can get to the wound. I figured you could sit on the bed and put this over your lap."
She took the sheet from him, and he headed to the sink. She walked over to the nearest bed and quickly removed the jeans, which were a bit loose and long on her. "Whose clothing am I wearing anyway?"
"They belong to a human friend of ours. I'm sure you'll here all about her later. She keeps a set of spare clothing down here because traipsing through the sewers can be a bit messy. You ready?"
Janine sat down and wrapped the sheet to cover her lap and backside. "Sure."
Donatello walked over with a tray full of bandages, cotton balls, and a bottle of antiseptic. He set it next to her on the bed and kneeled down beside her. He carefully cut the gauze wrapped around her leg and peeled back the bandage. Gasping in surprise he spoke, "This is almost completely healed!"
She smiled, "The transformation will do that. It doesn't completely heal injuries, but it gives them a jump-start."
"Wow. I will have to take the stitches out. I'm afraid it's going to hurt a bit though."
"Don't worry I can handle it."
"I don't doubt it. You were a real trooper last night." He picked up a tiny bladed scissors and began working.
Raphael worked frantically at the dishes. He didn't want to miss out on a single thing involving Janine. He also wanted to know whether or not Michaelangelo had really only poked her in the belly button. He seemed awfully embarrassed about the whole thing. "Gonna have to get him away from everyone else and find out," he thought.
Splinter had gone to his room to groom and dress for the day, leaving Leonardo and Michaelangelo in the living room. Michaelangelo flipped on the TV, surfing for cartoons. Leonardo watched him for a moment, debating whether or not to ask him about the events of the morning. His curiosity got the better of him.
"So Mike, what happened this morning?"
Michaelangelo frowned at the TV. "I accidentally stuck my finger in her bellybutton. End of story."
Leonardo moved to the chair so he could get a better look at Michaelangelo's face. "So how exactly does one accidentally stick their finger in a girl's bellybutton?" Michaelangelo shot him a dirty look and he raised his left eyebrow in response, "Well?"
"Its surprisingly easy when you're half-asleep."
"What did you think you were doing?"
Michaelangelo returned his attention to the TV, "I don't know. Now could we just drop this?"
Leonardo had the feeling that his last question had made his brother especially uncomfortable, but decided not to push the issue. Michaelangelo had finally settled on Sailor Moon. Leonardo tried to watch, but as much as he liked Japanese culture he'd never gotten into the sexy anime schoolgirl thing. He started thinking about Janine. She was petite, slender, and quite good-looking. Not stunningly beautiful, but then not many women were, and he suspected that many of those owed their perfect looks to plastic surgery and airbrushing. And best of all, she apparently wasn't human. "I wonder if she'd consider dating one of us?"
"What?"
Alarmed he returned Michaelangelo's gaze. He hadn't intended to say that out loud. Michaelangelo broke into a grin.
"Awww…don't tell me you're actually thinking about something other than perfecting your skills? Your katanas will get jealous!"
"I didn't mean me! Well, not that I wouldn't be interested if she were, that is. But, it's just that she's not exactly a human. Do you suppose there's any chance that she could become interested in one of us?"
Raphael walked into the room. "Me? Yes. You two losers? No way!" He flashed them a big grin and pretended to buff his fingernails on his plastron.
Michaelangelo returned his attention to the television with a scowl. Leonardo glared at Raphael, "Finished cleaning the kitchen in record time?"
"Well I—."
"Uh-huh. I'm checking to see if you're done."
Splinter walked into the room, "No need Leonardo, I'll check. Come Raphael, let us see how well you have done your chore."
Raphael shot Leonardo a dirty look and followed Splinter into the kitchen. Leonardo smiled and shook his head. He had no sympathy for his brother; he'd brought it on himself. Looking at the clock he wondered when Donatello and Janine would be done.