The Mutant Ninja Turtles
Donatello's Biography: Part 5
By B.C.
A loud thunder crashes far away, and, as though summoned by it, it begins to rain. The clouds now hide the brightly incandescent moon and in place of its glow is now the constant drumming of falling water. In the sewers the sound of pouring water grows louder as though a great river was flowing through their very homes. It is the composition of the rain, and it is a song that the turtles know by heart. Tonight Donatello pays no attention to the rain's sonnet for he is immersed in his past and his loving memories of his late master Splinter. Sitting in his chair, that has no back rest, he types at his custom keyboard, and watches his story unfold through his words and the memoirs of his late father Splinter. What follows are his words.
"My God Yoshi, your face!" Dr. Tofu said in a shaky voice. He could barley contain his astonishment from what he was seeing, but he was able to remain calm. He then guided Yoshi in the back door, through the kitchen, down the hallway, and into the bathroom where Yoshi saw his face in the mirror. Upon looking his reflection in the glass Yoshi's body froze with shock.
"What is happening to me?" He said as he stared at his face in disbelief. His once long black hair had become a dark brown, his nose's skin had become ruff and black, and his face was nearly covered in hair. Yoshi was almost hysterical. A thousand thoughts came rushing through his head, but then he paused. He took a long deep breath. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He then turned to Dr. Tofu and began speaking in a calm voice.
"There is more to show you than just my appearance Dr Tofu, for my four friends have changed as well."
"My God Yoshi, we have to get you to the hospital."
"I can not be admitted."
"I know. We'll go later tonight. Chris will be there. He'll help." Yoshi agreed, said goodbye to Dr. Tofu, and went back to the sewer. We four turtles were huge by this time and Yoshi had to cram us all in a duffle bag. The weight of the four of us would have been too much for a normal human, but along with Yoshi's new look also came his new strength.
The hospital had been closed for hours by the time Yoshi and Dr. Tofu arrived. They came in through the back personnel door, and Chris, still wearing his light blue scrubs, was there to meet them. Yoshi wore a dirty brown coat that covered most of his body and he had a hood on to cover his face.
"Ah Chris, thank you helping us again." said Dr. Tofu as they walked.
"No problem Doctor. Besides after seeing the samples that you brought in yesterday, I'm kind of curious to see today's results."
"Yoshi, you remember Chris of course."
"Of course." How could I forget, thought Yoshi, this is the man who helped us steal a cadaver and fake my death.
"Did you bring… them?" asked Chris, a little anxious to get started. Yoshi nodded his head and patted the duffle bag. Chris cleared a table and motioned for Yoshi place them there. Yoshi lifted the duffle bag up and laid it on the counter gently. He unzipped it as both Chris and Dr. Tofu held their breaths, and then came the unique sound of crying baby turtles. All were stunned at the sight of it. How could they have changed so much in the past few hours, thought Yoshi. Tofu and Chris quickly snapped out of their amazement and started getting to work. They took all kinds of tests; CAT scans, DSR scans, DSA scans, MRI scans, PET scans, and X-rays. Blood was taken and so were bone marrow samples. In all, the results took many hours, but Yoshi was patient and he waited. This gave him time to think. He thought about his new strength. Is this new appearance the price for my health, and if so, is it worth it, thought Yoshi. Then finally, after much analysis and debating, they came to a decision. They gathered in the microscope room; each of them sitting uncomfortably in a cheap hospital chair, surrounded by the hum of high powered microscopes.
"You were right" said Dr. Tofu, "it was the green ooze." I knew it, thought Yoshi.
"How? How did it do this to us, and what is exactly happening to us?" Chris now leaned forward and began talking.
"We don't know why the "ooze" is causing this but we do know what it is doing and how it is doing it." Dr. Tofu now stepped in.
"When the turtles came in contact with the ooze, it began creating holes in their DNA. In fact, if an isolated animal were to come in contact with the…well…let's call it "mutagen" they would eventually begin to break down genetically, and eventually die. However, that was not the case here. Here you came in contact with them before they deteriorated. Mind you not just any contact would have done here. No no, here genetic contact was needed."
"Genetic contact? I did not have that kind of contact."
"I think you did. Your hands Yoshi are ruff and bleed regularly. They were probably bleeding when you touched them. Now their DNA is combining with yours. In a sense they are half turtle and half you. But before you ask why you are not turning into a turtle, I will tell you. Although you bleed on them, they did not bleed on you. There was another form of DNA on you. No offence Yoshi, but you are saturated with Rat feces, and there is DNA in droppings."
"I am becoming a rat." said Yoshi with disbeliefe. This was too unrealistic for Yoshi. He kept thinking that this isn't possible.
"However, it would seem that it is not just creating a hybrid from the two types of DNA, but evolving it as well. Their genetic structure is still changing even though the replacement or swapping of DNA is finished." There was a long pause as Yoshi stared at the ground.
"Will they be in pain?" Yoshi asked in a serious tone of voice.
"No, no they won't." replied Chris.
"So then what you are telling me is that these four turtles are becoming somewhat human, and that they now carry my blood in their veins. And I will eventually become a man-rat." Another pause. "Does that sum it up?" Both Chris and Dr. Tofu stared at the floor and nodded their heads. Yoshi then rose to his feet and began pacing with his hands behind his back.
"Yoshi?" said Dr. Tofu in a low tone of voice.
"Do you see this? I am walking. Why?"
"The combining of your DNA and the rat's has redesigned your skeletal structure. The bones in your body have been changed." said Tofu.
"And healed it would seem." Yoshi paused again and took another deep breath. "I will be back at your house tomorrow Dr. Tofu. However, I will need to talk to both of you. I have much to meditate on, and I will need tonight to gather my thoughts" Both Chris and Tofu nodded, and Yoshi left the hospital with the four of us wrapped warmly in blankets in the duffle bag. Once back at the lair, Yoshi gathered all the spare cloth and wood he could find. He constructed something like a crib and there he placed us all.
"I lost a son," Yoshi said to us, "and in return I receive four. This is my fate. I know that now. I was meant to live here, so that I would find you, and now I will raise you as my own. You are all my sons; bound to me by blood, and given to me by divine fate. I have been given the strength to protect you. That is why I have been healed, and will not let any harm come to you; my sons." Yoshi reached down and petted our heads, and for the first moment in many years Yoshi felt content with his life, and truly felt at peace.
End of Part One.
To Be Continued…
Author's Notes: I feel that this has been one of the better chapters. I hope that the slowing down of the timeline doesn't make it too boring or drug out. If you feel that it does, please tell me in your reviews or E-mail me. I can not thank you enough for your support and helpful questions. Thank you all again for reading this.