Radical Transformation
Sunday arrived quickly, and it was only one more day to go till they go back to school on Monday, tomorrow. Leo had been hoping that they would find something Saturday night on patrol. Something that would give them a clue to where this strange man might have gone. They had gone to every dark place - the docks, junkyards, where they met a couple of punk kids, the woods and very dark alleyways. Nothing. It felt to Leo like their time was running out. That at the end of the time they could say goodbye to their turtle bodies and live forever like they were now. Leo knew that the longer they were like this, the longer they would go to school, and the more his brothers would get attached to their friends and their lifestyle. That could be the end of their life back in the sewers. But as much as Leo wanted to go back, he had to admit this life was so much better. He was looking for a cure for their condition because it felt right that they should be doing something. It felt wrong that they were human, and having a good life, and it felt wrong because Splinter was still a mutant. Leo felt like they were playing a game, and if they won then they could change back. But if they lost, they would remain like this - and Leo didn't know if that was good or bad. He had spent most of his nights in the past week just thinking about this. Was it okay to enjoy this? Should he be feeling guilty that he was not all that bothered about finding that man? Yes, he told himself. He should, but he just couldn't. There was some guilt for Splinter, but just not for their problem. Splinter would be upset greatly if they actually said they didn't want to change back. Some of these thoughts drove Leo crazy, and he felt like he could just jump over a cliff and keep falling until he had sorted this out. He wanted to talk to his brothers, but he knew their minds were no more made up about this than he was. If he asked Donnie, his brother would probably say the others' decision should be heard before they come to anything. If Leo was to ask Mikey, he would compare the lives; being human is better because . . . being turtle is better because . . . Leo didn't even want to ask Raph. He knew he wouldn't give him an answer. It would be too hard for him. To Leo, this was torture. It was bad enough being separated from the human world when they were turtles, but now that they got their wish, it was just as bad, as now they didn't know what to do. These thoughts and questions followed Leo around all the time, and he knew they did his brothers too. But he wanted to make the most of the human life he had now, the problem he felt about this was that what if they didn't change back? Dwelling on these thoughts weren't making him feel any better, so Leo pushed these aside for now, and concentrated on the day ahead of him.
Sunday, and it was still raining. It was exactly like yesterday with the rain and the sun. The morning in April's place was a little different though. Everyone was up at the same time, and a little earlier than Saturday.
Since his brothers had got back very late last night, Mikey did not tell them about what was on the news when they left. But now, in the morning, he told them.
"Oh great, forget calling you anything," Raph said, rolling his eyes tiredly. "Let's just refer to you as 'orange'."
But Donnie turned to Leo. "Should we just start calling him Michael?"
Leo shook his head. "It would be too easy for anyone to spot. I mean, they've all heard us call him Mikey, so if we change it's gunna seem a little strange, innit? And besides, there are tons of Mikeys out there."
"Yeah, but there ain't tons of 'four suspicious boys' out there, is there?" Raph said wryly. He stood up off the couch where he was sitting next to Mikey. "This is just too easy for the cops - well, if they had brains . . . I mean, there are us, four teenager bros, one's called Mikey. Then I heard in school that they found all Donnie's technology in his room, we have a brainy bro - and then, when we were knocked down by that lorry, the cops brought us in to the hospital, and took our weapons off us. The SAME weapons as those they removed from our dojo! Are they just plain thick or what?"
He looked at his brothers, who were staring at him strangely.
"What?" He frowned.
"You've just pointed out tons of clues that the police CAN put together," Donnie said slowly. "And they all fit . . . man, I never thought of that . . ."
"Hey Donnie, you've got competition to be the brain of the family with Sherlock Holmes here," Mikey said, grinning.
"The cops who took us in to the hospital could figure this out in a zap," Leo said, clicking his fingers and putting on his thinking face. "I think . . . we should stay away from the cops, and keep our heads down in school," he looked at his brother. "We were meant to be doing that anyway, but now you lot made friends, it's just that little bit harder." He had disapproval in his tone that made his brothers lower their heads.
"Well, there's nothing you can do about this now, is there?" April asked, tucking her hair behind her ears.
"We could break into the police station and steal our stuff back, and Mikey's picture," Raph suggested casually.
"I don't think so Raph," Leo said, in a tone that told him he wasn't joking about this. "We should just stay away from the cops, and hope they're as dumb as we need them to be."
"Great plan as always, Leo," Raph said sarcastically.
"Well, since we can't do anythin' about it, let's have breakfast!" Mikey chirped.
It was Saturday morning all over again, except this time they didn't have to go out and get the ingredients from the shops. And this time April made it, while Mikey told her what she needed, and it turned out a bit different than yesterday, but just as delicious. And with the rented films they watched again, it was just as enjoyable.
But as the movie finished, and Donnie got up to take his plate and Leo's away, he remembered the time, and almost dropped the plates.
"Agh!" He cried, looking at them with the plates in his hands. "We were meant to be in hospital half an hour ago!"
"Ah well, tell 'em we were watching a movie and'll make it some other time," Raph said lazily.
"Raph," Leo warned.
"Or tell 'em we got knocked down by another lorry, and we can't make it at all 'cause their hospital's jinxed."
"Raph! You wimp!" Mikey shouted at him, grinning. He began making chicken noises.
"Am not!" Raph's face turned angry and he made to punch Mikey, who dashed out the way, but tripped on his injured foot. Raph gave a 'ha!" and sat back.
"Ow!" Mikey moaned.
But Splinter soon cleared it up and had Mikey sit back down, nursing his foot, and ordered Donnie and Raph to get their trainers on, while April rushed around pulling hers on, and grabbing the car keys. She and Donnie practically had to force Raph into his trainers.
"C'mon, let's go," April said, slapping the baseball cap on Raph's head, who was still looking grumpy. She opened the door, said goodbye to the others and walked out, followed by Donnie and Raph.
Mikey giggled. "I bet Raph comes back crying, with a sticker and a lollipop!"
()()()()
Donnie remembered the hospital just as it was now, except for a slight change he noticed. He nodded proudly to himself for recognising.
"What're you nodding at?" April asked. They were walking through the waiting room now.
"Just noticed a few little things have changed since we were last in here," Donnie said, shrugging.
"Like what?"
"Like the Aspidistra plant has been replaced with the Fig plant in the corner over there." Donnie nodded with his head to the corner.
"But they're almost the same."
Donnie shrugged, and smiled at April's face. He looked at his brother, who hadn't been listening to the conversation. Raph's eyes were darting everywhere. Donnie sighed, then turned his head to someone calling his name.
"Hey Donnie," Tyson Zera walked over. Donnie hadn't seen him since the baseball game in PE, and was slightly surprised to see a small gauze bandage taped to his temple.
"Hey, Tyson," Donnie smiled at his friend. "What are you in here for?" Surely he couldn't have JUST had the bandage out on.
"Oh, just come to check up on this," he pointed to the bandage. "It was a little more that a bump on the head, but this was my last check up. I'll be fine. Why are you in?"
"Just having some stitches out," Donnie said, hoping Tyson wouldn't ask about it.
Luck was with him, Tyson's brother called him over before he could open his mouth; he said bye and walked away.
"Who was that?" April asked. She and Raph had hung back and listened.
"Tyson Zera, he's in some of my classes." Donnie said, and then looked over April's shoulder.
April and Raph turned around to see a woman doctor walking towards them, a smile on her face. It was Dr Hera.
"Well, you finally came," she said, coming to a stop in front of them.
"Er, yeah," Donnie said awkwardly. "We got -"
"Knocked down by another lorry," Raph muttered, cutting in.
Hera laughed, and motioned them to follow her. They headed to a curtained bed in the corner.
"Just as long as you weren't hurt again." Hera said. She closed the curtain behind Raph, and turned around to face them. "Okay, who's having their stitches out first?"
Donnie shrugged. "Me."
While Hera got what she needed and started on Donnie's arm, which was a long, thin line on his forearm, she chatted to April about the world of a reporter. Raph watched rather tensely as Donnie winced slightly when the doctor pulled on his scar.
"Bet you've been busy lately, with all these robberies happ'ning," Hera said to April, looking up from Donnie's arm.
"Yeah, it has been pretty busy in the office," April nodded.
A minute later the doctor finished pulling out the last of the stitches on Donnie's arm, and bandaged it back up.
"There, that's healed quite nicely," Hera said, smiling satisfactorily.
Donnie stood up from the bed and smiled back. "Thanks." He rolled his sleeve back down over it.
Hera turned to Raph and patted the bed. "Your turn."
Raph, not really wanting to show his leg to anyone including a doctor, didn't move.
"He's shy," Donnie joked, and steered his brother to the bed, hands on his shoulders. He pushed him onto it. He actually felt a little sympathy for his brother. He knew he hated situations like this.
As Hera started on Raph's stitches, she asked the two bros how they liked their new school.
"It's . . . er, different from the one back home," Donnie chuckled nervously, talking slowly.
Hera suddenly pulled a little too hard on Raph's leg.
"Ow! Hey, you tryin' ta take my leg off?!" He yelled, bolting upright.
"Oops, sorry," Hera smiled, easing him back down so his leg could relax.
"Hey, don't worry about him," April said. "He gets edgy in hospitals."
After finishing with Raph's stitches, Hera bandaged it up and told them to both take it easy, and to Raph she said:
"You shouldn't be walking too much on that leg, so skip PE classes and things like that; and you can keep your other brother, Mikey, off his foot while you're doing it."
They left the hospital rather quickly, after saying thanks, and drove back home. Raph remained quiet in the front seat, while Donnie yapped away to April, and to himself, how glad he was the police weren't there, and that Hera didn't ask any questions about things they wouldn't have been able to answer.
They were soon walking back up the stairs to April's apartment, and she unlocked the door.
On the floor was Mikey and Leo, playing a game of Ludo. Leo was sat cross-legged with one arm folded over his plastron, his other elbow leaning on it and his chin in his hand. Mikey was stretched out on his stomach. They both looked up quickly as April, Donnie and Raph walked in.
"Oh, hiya guys," Mikey said, then moved his piece on the board. "Did Raph faint?"
"Hey!" Raph said, angrily.
Mikey just giggled while Leo smiled, and moved his piece on the board.
Donnie and Raph took off their sneakers, and Donnie tightened his bandanna. Then he went and sat on the couch, watching Leo and Mikey's game. Raph limped over to the armchair and collapsed in it. His leg hurt a lot more now, and throbbed with his heartbeat. Funny, he thought.
"Where's Splinter?" Donnie asked. "Not still in bed is he?"
"No, he came out for a cup of tea, then went back in his room to meditate," Mikey answered, looking at the board game. "I think he's trying to hard to find this man. I don't think he's having any success."
"Master Splinter knows when it's pointless," Leo said. "He wouldn't waste energy on meditation if he thought he was getting no where."
A few minutes later their game finished, and Mikey sat up.
"Hey, dudes, let's go somewheres, I'm board." He said, shoulders dropping and head tilted to his brothers.
"The doctor told us you have to stay sat," Raph said, clearly it was obvious the doctor had said this, but he was about to twist it into his own words. "So, that means if you try to go anywhere, we have permission to strap you down." He grinned mischievously.
"Yeah right, Raph," Mikey said. "You can't walk either, so you couldn't hold me down if I was asleep!"
"God, I'm glad I wasn't injured," Leo muttered to himself, and catching April's eye he grinned.
"I can walk! What you on about?" Raph frowned angrily.
"I saw you limping! You look worse than when you went in." Mikey enjoyed small arguments with his brother.
"Yeah well you wait till you have your stitches out." Raph suddenly smiled evilly. "It's painful, you know. They actually rip the threads out, and don't give you time to scream about it because they've taken hold of the next one and are already pulling."
Mikey, wide eyed, stared at his brother. He hated hospitals, always had since they were little and had seen some things done to animals on TV. Plus from the warning Splinter had given them, and the tales he told them. But Mikey shook his head.
"Yeah right Raph, stop fooling around . . . you know how I hate hospitals . . ." Mikey stuck out his lower lip and stared at the board. Anything horrible said about hospitals always had an effect on him.
"Raph," Leo warned, shooting him a look. "Don't."
Donnie, watching this, tapped Mikey on the back and gave him a sweet smile.
"Hey, don't worry, they don't hurt too bad," he said. "Would it make you fell better if I broke my promise to Raph and told you how much he was screaming, and had to be strapped down?"
Mikey's face split into a grin, as Raph sat up in his chair and told Donnie, angrily, that that didn't happen.
After assuring Mikey that Raph really DID look nervous, and cheering his brother, Donnie got up to avoid the glare Raph was giving him, to make a pot of tea for them all. Just when he was handing them out, Splinter emerged from the guest room, and Raph moved for him to sit down. Donnie made him another cuppa as well.
"Ah, thank you Donatello," Splinter said as he took his tea from his son. He was glad they were wearing their bandannas, as it was easier for him to distinguish them. He felt they had done it for him anyway.
There was nothing to do for the rest of the day now. They had watched all the movies April had rented, and then taken back. Mikey couldn't walk anywhere, and they didn't want to leave him, as well as Raph. Leo suddenly got headache, and laid down on the couch, and Donnie was board stiff with no computer to keep him happy. Their dream as a human seemed just the same as turtles; confined to the apartment and keeping a low profile that meant keeping away from cops and such.
At six o'clock, they were all so board, that Donnie, Raph and Mikey started a game of hangman, and Leo was still lying on the couch, one hand covering his eyes and occasionally massaging his forehead.
"Erm . . . 'A'," Raph said, tiredly.
Mikey, laid on his stomach on the floor with his head in one hand, writ down an 'A'.
"'Board'," Donnie said, flatly. He, too, was on his stomach, head in hand. His cheek pressed against his hand so his eye looked lopsided.
"Damn, you got it again," Mikey writ the whole word out and pushed the paper and pen to his brother.
Donnie grabbed the pen and jotted down a few lines.
"'A'," Raph said again. He was sat, leaning against the couch, knees pulled up to his chest and his head resting on his arms on his knees.
Their game stretched on, and Donnie scored more than anyone without even the fourth letter being placed down. Leo joined in a few times, and had just said the letter 'B', when April, who had been in the shower, came out and joined in too.
Splinter, in the armchair, sat and watched. He felt very tired, so he said goodnight and went to bed early.
Nobody really talked now, except to say a letter, and for Donnie to say the word.
Outside the rain became a roar and thudded loudly on the windows. The wind howled and sometimes the lights would flicker slightly. Maybe school would be out tomorrow, Mikey though as he watched April write a letter down.
From there, they all became board again, and soon only Donnie and Mikey were playing hangman because Raph had fallen asleep, as well as Leo, and April had retired to her room.
Okay, night ends there! Thanks for your reviews. More to come. And the reason I put about the plants was because the two are almost the same (aren't they?), I thought it was funny . . . (looks around to stony faces) Okay, maybe not . . . anyway, action going on in next chapter, stay tuned folks, lol. SFAM
Sunday arrived quickly, and it was only one more day to go till they go back to school on Monday, tomorrow. Leo had been hoping that they would find something Saturday night on patrol. Something that would give them a clue to where this strange man might have gone. They had gone to every dark place - the docks, junkyards, where they met a couple of punk kids, the woods and very dark alleyways. Nothing. It felt to Leo like their time was running out. That at the end of the time they could say goodbye to their turtle bodies and live forever like they were now. Leo knew that the longer they were like this, the longer they would go to school, and the more his brothers would get attached to their friends and their lifestyle. That could be the end of their life back in the sewers. But as much as Leo wanted to go back, he had to admit this life was so much better. He was looking for a cure for their condition because it felt right that they should be doing something. It felt wrong that they were human, and having a good life, and it felt wrong because Splinter was still a mutant. Leo felt like they were playing a game, and if they won then they could change back. But if they lost, they would remain like this - and Leo didn't know if that was good or bad. He had spent most of his nights in the past week just thinking about this. Was it okay to enjoy this? Should he be feeling guilty that he was not all that bothered about finding that man? Yes, he told himself. He should, but he just couldn't. There was some guilt for Splinter, but just not for their problem. Splinter would be upset greatly if they actually said they didn't want to change back. Some of these thoughts drove Leo crazy, and he felt like he could just jump over a cliff and keep falling until he had sorted this out. He wanted to talk to his brothers, but he knew their minds were no more made up about this than he was. If he asked Donnie, his brother would probably say the others' decision should be heard before they come to anything. If Leo was to ask Mikey, he would compare the lives; being human is better because . . . being turtle is better because . . . Leo didn't even want to ask Raph. He knew he wouldn't give him an answer. It would be too hard for him. To Leo, this was torture. It was bad enough being separated from the human world when they were turtles, but now that they got their wish, it was just as bad, as now they didn't know what to do. These thoughts and questions followed Leo around all the time, and he knew they did his brothers too. But he wanted to make the most of the human life he had now, the problem he felt about this was that what if they didn't change back? Dwelling on these thoughts weren't making him feel any better, so Leo pushed these aside for now, and concentrated on the day ahead of him.
Sunday, and it was still raining. It was exactly like yesterday with the rain and the sun. The morning in April's place was a little different though. Everyone was up at the same time, and a little earlier than Saturday.
Since his brothers had got back very late last night, Mikey did not tell them about what was on the news when they left. But now, in the morning, he told them.
"Oh great, forget calling you anything," Raph said, rolling his eyes tiredly. "Let's just refer to you as 'orange'."
But Donnie turned to Leo. "Should we just start calling him Michael?"
Leo shook his head. "It would be too easy for anyone to spot. I mean, they've all heard us call him Mikey, so if we change it's gunna seem a little strange, innit? And besides, there are tons of Mikeys out there."
"Yeah, but there ain't tons of 'four suspicious boys' out there, is there?" Raph said wryly. He stood up off the couch where he was sitting next to Mikey. "This is just too easy for the cops - well, if they had brains . . . I mean, there are us, four teenager bros, one's called Mikey. Then I heard in school that they found all Donnie's technology in his room, we have a brainy bro - and then, when we were knocked down by that lorry, the cops brought us in to the hospital, and took our weapons off us. The SAME weapons as those they removed from our dojo! Are they just plain thick or what?"
He looked at his brothers, who were staring at him strangely.
"What?" He frowned.
"You've just pointed out tons of clues that the police CAN put together," Donnie said slowly. "And they all fit . . . man, I never thought of that . . ."
"Hey Donnie, you've got competition to be the brain of the family with Sherlock Holmes here," Mikey said, grinning.
"The cops who took us in to the hospital could figure this out in a zap," Leo said, clicking his fingers and putting on his thinking face. "I think . . . we should stay away from the cops, and keep our heads down in school," he looked at his brother. "We were meant to be doing that anyway, but now you lot made friends, it's just that little bit harder." He had disapproval in his tone that made his brothers lower their heads.
"Well, there's nothing you can do about this now, is there?" April asked, tucking her hair behind her ears.
"We could break into the police station and steal our stuff back, and Mikey's picture," Raph suggested casually.
"I don't think so Raph," Leo said, in a tone that told him he wasn't joking about this. "We should just stay away from the cops, and hope they're as dumb as we need them to be."
"Great plan as always, Leo," Raph said sarcastically.
"Well, since we can't do anythin' about it, let's have breakfast!" Mikey chirped.
It was Saturday morning all over again, except this time they didn't have to go out and get the ingredients from the shops. And this time April made it, while Mikey told her what she needed, and it turned out a bit different than yesterday, but just as delicious. And with the rented films they watched again, it was just as enjoyable.
But as the movie finished, and Donnie got up to take his plate and Leo's away, he remembered the time, and almost dropped the plates.
"Agh!" He cried, looking at them with the plates in his hands. "We were meant to be in hospital half an hour ago!"
"Ah well, tell 'em we were watching a movie and'll make it some other time," Raph said lazily.
"Raph," Leo warned.
"Or tell 'em we got knocked down by another lorry, and we can't make it at all 'cause their hospital's jinxed."
"Raph! You wimp!" Mikey shouted at him, grinning. He began making chicken noises.
"Am not!" Raph's face turned angry and he made to punch Mikey, who dashed out the way, but tripped on his injured foot. Raph gave a 'ha!" and sat back.
"Ow!" Mikey moaned.
But Splinter soon cleared it up and had Mikey sit back down, nursing his foot, and ordered Donnie and Raph to get their trainers on, while April rushed around pulling hers on, and grabbing the car keys. She and Donnie practically had to force Raph into his trainers.
"C'mon, let's go," April said, slapping the baseball cap on Raph's head, who was still looking grumpy. She opened the door, said goodbye to the others and walked out, followed by Donnie and Raph.
Mikey giggled. "I bet Raph comes back crying, with a sticker and a lollipop!"
()()()()
Donnie remembered the hospital just as it was now, except for a slight change he noticed. He nodded proudly to himself for recognising.
"What're you nodding at?" April asked. They were walking through the waiting room now.
"Just noticed a few little things have changed since we were last in here," Donnie said, shrugging.
"Like what?"
"Like the Aspidistra plant has been replaced with the Fig plant in the corner over there." Donnie nodded with his head to the corner.
"But they're almost the same."
Donnie shrugged, and smiled at April's face. He looked at his brother, who hadn't been listening to the conversation. Raph's eyes were darting everywhere. Donnie sighed, then turned his head to someone calling his name.
"Hey Donnie," Tyson Zera walked over. Donnie hadn't seen him since the baseball game in PE, and was slightly surprised to see a small gauze bandage taped to his temple.
"Hey, Tyson," Donnie smiled at his friend. "What are you in here for?" Surely he couldn't have JUST had the bandage out on.
"Oh, just come to check up on this," he pointed to the bandage. "It was a little more that a bump on the head, but this was my last check up. I'll be fine. Why are you in?"
"Just having some stitches out," Donnie said, hoping Tyson wouldn't ask about it.
Luck was with him, Tyson's brother called him over before he could open his mouth; he said bye and walked away.
"Who was that?" April asked. She and Raph had hung back and listened.
"Tyson Zera, he's in some of my classes." Donnie said, and then looked over April's shoulder.
April and Raph turned around to see a woman doctor walking towards them, a smile on her face. It was Dr Hera.
"Well, you finally came," she said, coming to a stop in front of them.
"Er, yeah," Donnie said awkwardly. "We got -"
"Knocked down by another lorry," Raph muttered, cutting in.
Hera laughed, and motioned them to follow her. They headed to a curtained bed in the corner.
"Just as long as you weren't hurt again." Hera said. She closed the curtain behind Raph, and turned around to face them. "Okay, who's having their stitches out first?"
Donnie shrugged. "Me."
While Hera got what she needed and started on Donnie's arm, which was a long, thin line on his forearm, she chatted to April about the world of a reporter. Raph watched rather tensely as Donnie winced slightly when the doctor pulled on his scar.
"Bet you've been busy lately, with all these robberies happ'ning," Hera said to April, looking up from Donnie's arm.
"Yeah, it has been pretty busy in the office," April nodded.
A minute later the doctor finished pulling out the last of the stitches on Donnie's arm, and bandaged it back up.
"There, that's healed quite nicely," Hera said, smiling satisfactorily.
Donnie stood up from the bed and smiled back. "Thanks." He rolled his sleeve back down over it.
Hera turned to Raph and patted the bed. "Your turn."
Raph, not really wanting to show his leg to anyone including a doctor, didn't move.
"He's shy," Donnie joked, and steered his brother to the bed, hands on his shoulders. He pushed him onto it. He actually felt a little sympathy for his brother. He knew he hated situations like this.
As Hera started on Raph's stitches, she asked the two bros how they liked their new school.
"It's . . . er, different from the one back home," Donnie chuckled nervously, talking slowly.
Hera suddenly pulled a little too hard on Raph's leg.
"Ow! Hey, you tryin' ta take my leg off?!" He yelled, bolting upright.
"Oops, sorry," Hera smiled, easing him back down so his leg could relax.
"Hey, don't worry about him," April said. "He gets edgy in hospitals."
After finishing with Raph's stitches, Hera bandaged it up and told them to both take it easy, and to Raph she said:
"You shouldn't be walking too much on that leg, so skip PE classes and things like that; and you can keep your other brother, Mikey, off his foot while you're doing it."
They left the hospital rather quickly, after saying thanks, and drove back home. Raph remained quiet in the front seat, while Donnie yapped away to April, and to himself, how glad he was the police weren't there, and that Hera didn't ask any questions about things they wouldn't have been able to answer.
They were soon walking back up the stairs to April's apartment, and she unlocked the door.
On the floor was Mikey and Leo, playing a game of Ludo. Leo was sat cross-legged with one arm folded over his plastron, his other elbow leaning on it and his chin in his hand. Mikey was stretched out on his stomach. They both looked up quickly as April, Donnie and Raph walked in.
"Oh, hiya guys," Mikey said, then moved his piece on the board. "Did Raph faint?"
"Hey!" Raph said, angrily.
Mikey just giggled while Leo smiled, and moved his piece on the board.
Donnie and Raph took off their sneakers, and Donnie tightened his bandanna. Then he went and sat on the couch, watching Leo and Mikey's game. Raph limped over to the armchair and collapsed in it. His leg hurt a lot more now, and throbbed with his heartbeat. Funny, he thought.
"Where's Splinter?" Donnie asked. "Not still in bed is he?"
"No, he came out for a cup of tea, then went back in his room to meditate," Mikey answered, looking at the board game. "I think he's trying to hard to find this man. I don't think he's having any success."
"Master Splinter knows when it's pointless," Leo said. "He wouldn't waste energy on meditation if he thought he was getting no where."
A few minutes later their game finished, and Mikey sat up.
"Hey, dudes, let's go somewheres, I'm board." He said, shoulders dropping and head tilted to his brothers.
"The doctor told us you have to stay sat," Raph said, clearly it was obvious the doctor had said this, but he was about to twist it into his own words. "So, that means if you try to go anywhere, we have permission to strap you down." He grinned mischievously.
"Yeah right, Raph," Mikey said. "You can't walk either, so you couldn't hold me down if I was asleep!"
"God, I'm glad I wasn't injured," Leo muttered to himself, and catching April's eye he grinned.
"I can walk! What you on about?" Raph frowned angrily.
"I saw you limping! You look worse than when you went in." Mikey enjoyed small arguments with his brother.
"Yeah well you wait till you have your stitches out." Raph suddenly smiled evilly. "It's painful, you know. They actually rip the threads out, and don't give you time to scream about it because they've taken hold of the next one and are already pulling."
Mikey, wide eyed, stared at his brother. He hated hospitals, always had since they were little and had seen some things done to animals on TV. Plus from the warning Splinter had given them, and the tales he told them. But Mikey shook his head.
"Yeah right Raph, stop fooling around . . . you know how I hate hospitals . . ." Mikey stuck out his lower lip and stared at the board. Anything horrible said about hospitals always had an effect on him.
"Raph," Leo warned, shooting him a look. "Don't."
Donnie, watching this, tapped Mikey on the back and gave him a sweet smile.
"Hey, don't worry, they don't hurt too bad," he said. "Would it make you fell better if I broke my promise to Raph and told you how much he was screaming, and had to be strapped down?"
Mikey's face split into a grin, as Raph sat up in his chair and told Donnie, angrily, that that didn't happen.
After assuring Mikey that Raph really DID look nervous, and cheering his brother, Donnie got up to avoid the glare Raph was giving him, to make a pot of tea for them all. Just when he was handing them out, Splinter emerged from the guest room, and Raph moved for him to sit down. Donnie made him another cuppa as well.
"Ah, thank you Donatello," Splinter said as he took his tea from his son. He was glad they were wearing their bandannas, as it was easier for him to distinguish them. He felt they had done it for him anyway.
There was nothing to do for the rest of the day now. They had watched all the movies April had rented, and then taken back. Mikey couldn't walk anywhere, and they didn't want to leave him, as well as Raph. Leo suddenly got headache, and laid down on the couch, and Donnie was board stiff with no computer to keep him happy. Their dream as a human seemed just the same as turtles; confined to the apartment and keeping a low profile that meant keeping away from cops and such.
At six o'clock, they were all so board, that Donnie, Raph and Mikey started a game of hangman, and Leo was still lying on the couch, one hand covering his eyes and occasionally massaging his forehead.
"Erm . . . 'A'," Raph said, tiredly.
Mikey, laid on his stomach on the floor with his head in one hand, writ down an 'A'.
"'Board'," Donnie said, flatly. He, too, was on his stomach, head in hand. His cheek pressed against his hand so his eye looked lopsided.
"Damn, you got it again," Mikey writ the whole word out and pushed the paper and pen to his brother.
Donnie grabbed the pen and jotted down a few lines.
"'A'," Raph said again. He was sat, leaning against the couch, knees pulled up to his chest and his head resting on his arms on his knees.
Their game stretched on, and Donnie scored more than anyone without even the fourth letter being placed down. Leo joined in a few times, and had just said the letter 'B', when April, who had been in the shower, came out and joined in too.
Splinter, in the armchair, sat and watched. He felt very tired, so he said goodnight and went to bed early.
Nobody really talked now, except to say a letter, and for Donnie to say the word.
Outside the rain became a roar and thudded loudly on the windows. The wind howled and sometimes the lights would flicker slightly. Maybe school would be out tomorrow, Mikey though as he watched April write a letter down.
From there, they all became board again, and soon only Donnie and Mikey were playing hangman because Raph had fallen asleep, as well as Leo, and April had retired to her room.
Okay, night ends there! Thanks for your reviews. More to come. And the reason I put about the plants was because the two are almost the same (aren't they?), I thought it was funny . . . (looks around to stony faces) Okay, maybe not . . . anyway, action going on in next chapter, stay tuned folks, lol. SFAM