Coming Of Age
Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonian. I also do not own their human friends April and Casey.
Chapter Two- A load of Worries
The driver of the delivery truck, Randy Gates, sat in the cab shaking slightly from the close call. Randy had problems stopping the vehicle, and he knew that there was little chance of either of the two children having managed to escape impact. As it was the truck had come to a stop about half a block a way from the incident. Randy was now trying to find the nerve to go out and check the area, in spite of the fact that he had a fairly good idea of what to expect.
Doing deliveries across a city as large as New York whether by night, or day was a tricky business. A smart driver learned to use any tricks that might be at their disposal to make up for congested traffic, or other problems of travelling in a big city that could easily put you behind schedule.
At night time one could make up a great deal of time by driving on quieter, more residential areas, it was also easy to pick up the speed in such areas, and Randy had been using both of those tricks tonight, just as he had done, numerous times before under similar circumstances.
Randy hadn't been worried about traffic on these roads, so he hadn't been paying as close of attention to the road ahead, as he might have if it wasn't so familiar to him. Instead he was focusing on getting this last delivery done and getting home.
He turned the corner and accelerated, turning to fiddle with the knob on the radio to find something to listen to.
He looked up and thought he saw a movement of something on the road ahead, but quickly dismissed it. The lack of streetlights and the rain was probably playing tricks on him.
It wasn't until he was closer before the lights had hit what was ahead he swore he saw a silhouetted figure, the shape triggering something that caused him to instinctively hit the brakes. The tires were finding it difficult to grab onto the wet road, and the truck only seemed to slide forward.
Randy inhaled cursing as he realized what ever was on the road he would hit. Then the headlights hit the objects. Randy could clearly see a girl grab hold of a young boy in her arms, and turn her face away presenting her back to the oncoming truck.
Randy had shut his eyes in that moment silently praying, though he was not a religious man. Randy knew though, that nothing could save those two children.
He waited for the inevitable thud, and when he didn't hear it he wondered if his mind had only blocked out the impact.
Now he sat trying to recover and also piecing together the events that had happened. He was so concerned and worried about the children. His mind hadn't even registered the fact that the girl wasn't normal.
Finally Randy realized the two children might need help and he reached for his cell phone and his flashlight. Quickly he called in the accident as he stepped out of the cab. Almost instantly he could hear the sound of one of the children crying.
He informed the person on the other end of the line of the news before ending the call and slipping the phone into his vest pocket.
With the flashlights beam guiding the way he soon found the boy sitting on the far curb, wiping his eyes with his hands. Randy could tell even in the bit of light he had that the boy wasn't seriously hurt, at least not by the looks of him.
Randy heaved a sigh of relief; that was until he recalled the second child, the missing girl. " Hey where did she go?" he asked the sobbing boy.
The boy only howled " Ball." He sulked his bottom lip coming out and trembling.
Randy shook his head in frustration as he realized the child was far too young to answer such questions. He shot the beam from the flashlight about on the ground and that was when he noticed the blood, on the curb and a few other places.
It hadn't come from the boy, which meant the girl must have been hurt so he began to call for her " Hey little girl? Little girl? Where are you honey?" Randy called out his voice tinged with concern. " Are you hurt sweetie? Listen it is all right people are coming to help you. You don't have to be afraid."
Randy paused but he didn't hear so much as a whimper in response to his earnest calls.
By the time the police and paramedics arrived a few minutes later the rain was starting to set in and had all ready wash some of the blood away. Randy still hadn't found or heard any further signs of the girl. The young boy however continued to carry on about his ball, proving he had quite the one track mind.
The police were getting what information they could from Randy while the paramedics checked the boy over.
Randy looked up at the two police officers, he had all ready told them about the missing girl who might be injured, and they had sent two of their comrades on a quick search of the area.
The two he happened to be dealing with were called Byron and Davis, though Byron seemed to be the senior officer in charge. Randy told them everything being, probably far more honest then he would had the situation been different but the fact that he could have killed the two kids was still rather disturbing to him.
There was a tapping on the car windows " We searched the area and came up with nothing no sign of a girl. Injured or otherwise judging from the superficial wounds on the boy I'd say she couldn't have been injured too badly." A female colleague informed the two.
Davis chuckled " Maybe there was no girl."
" I saw her" Randy insisted, " She was wearing a brown coat, kind of a bulky winter coat. She might be seriously hurt. My truck must have hit her, while she protected the boy."
" If there was a trail the blood has been washed away." She stated, " Your truck shows no sign of impact either I checked it. If you did hit her it couldn't have been that badly."
Randy tried to keep from growling in frustration as he ran his hands over his face " Couldn't you get some dogs out…"
" Look" Bryon said kindly but with a firm authoritive tone, "we realize your concern for the girl but if she was seriously hurt she wouldn't have gotten too far. Plus there would have been more signs of damage."
Randy sighed as he realized he was being told, very tactfully mind you, that it was a waste of the officer's time. " I hope you are right." He muttered.
" Mr. Gates we really need you to come down to the precinct and fill out a proper report for us. Are you up to following us in?"
Randy felt like telling them to screw off, but he choked back that response " Sure I guess. What about the boy?"
" He'll be taken down to the precinct for a bit will see if we hear from any worried parents on a missing child report. He'll be fine."
Randy nodded there was that much at least, but he swore that he would come look for the girl once he was able if only to assure himself that she had survived relatively unscathed.
April and Casey were relaxing on the couch when they heard the sounds of sirens, not an uncommon sound in a city of New York's vast size. However when the sirens stopped near by April sat up straighter and scowled slightly. She got up from the couch and went to look out the window.
She could see the flashing lights just barely from her viewpoint and she shook her head sending her shoulder length hair bobbing slightly. April was fully aware that Rama travelled that route both to and from their place.
" Casey I think I'm going take a quick walk just to make sure Ramiela didn't caught on whatever is going on over that direction."
Casey snorted at that idea " Ramiela was probably home long ago April." He said.
" What if she didn't go straight home Casey? You know she isn't always that prompt in going back." April disputed.
" April look at the weather out there will you. Even Ramiela has enough sense to get in out of the rain." Casey replied.
" Well it won't take me long to go check it out. After all last thing we need is for Ramiela to be spotted by the NYPD." April decided as she went to the front closet to grab her coat. " I'll see you in a few minutes."
Casey waved her off and shook his head as his wife bustled out the door " Why the hell did I have to marry a reporter?" He inquired of the air around him.
April headed towards the corner, she spotted the truck parked near the curb and, noted that it was a delivery truck she walked up that way. She could tell that there was little or no damage to the truck so it couldn't have been in an accident. April scowled slightly, though she had to wonder what it was doing parked here.
April then went and crossed the road keeping out of the way of the activity that was taking place. April checked along the path and alley that she knew Ramiela would have used.
" Ramiela?" she whispered a couple of times, not really expecting to see her here. After all if Rama had been stuck on this side of the road she could easily make her way home.
April then crossed back over to the side of the road that she lived on. She could already see that the different authorities were starting to disperse and move off. "What ever happened couldn't have been too serious.' April told herself. ' Casey was probably right.'
Still April couldn't help checking the alley that Ramiela would have come out of to get to home. Once again she found no sign of the young mutant turtle. Feeling quite a bit more at ease that all was well April decided to hurry home.
Even if Casey had been right this time, April was fully aware how concerned Mike was on matters that touched upon his daughter. She knew that she felt the same for her two children when, they were out of sight.
As April headed back towards the corner and home she saw a police car still parked at the curb, as she drew near to it a woman inside rolled down the window " Excuse me Ma'am you live in this area?"
April turned and went over to the police car " yeah, my husband and I just moved here a few months ago. I live just around the corner. Why can I help you?" April asked.
"Possibly do you know this little fellow here?" the woman gestured to the seat be side her rolling the window down further.
April glanced at the boy he looked to be about Jeremy's age with dark hair but he was a large huskily built child.
The female officer smiled " He says his name is Nate, but he doesn't know his address or any thing else of use."
" I'm afraid I don't know him or where he lives." April admitted. Then curious and fishing for information April couldn't help but to ask, " he sneak out?"
The female officer nodded as if she agreed, " That would be my guess. Course we don't know for sure. Then he almost got hit by a truck."
April shuddered a bit at that information, April was used to how quickly a child could disappear or get into some mischief even with a responsible person near by. It was how so many children did end up hurt in the first place. However the consequences of Nate's little escapade could have been far more serious.
April winced a bit " I'm sorry I couldn't have been of any help to you." As she turned toward home April couldn't help but think that Nate's family would be considering themselves very lucky after tonight's events.
Mike glanced up at the clock it was almost eleven thirty and Rama ought to have been home by now. He had told her to call him if she was going be much later then the time that had been decided upon earlier and Rama had fully agreed. So there was no reason whatsoever for her not doing so. Mike was not about to accept any lame excuse for her lapse in obeying him on that count either.
He tapped his fingers on the coffee table then growled a bit in irritation before getting up and going over to the phone.
Casey picked up on the second ring proving that they were at least home as expected " Casey when did Rama leave there?" Mike asked shortly.
" About twenty to twenty five minutes ago Mike. She should be home by now unless…" Casey's voice trailed off.
" Unless what?" Mike demanded.
" There was some sirens and activity over on the next block just around Ramiela's usual route. April went to see if she got caught between here and there."
Mike sighed if that was the case then Rama hadn't disobeyed, in fact she might be waiting for the activity to die down before coming home so that she wouldn't attract attention to herself.
While the news wasn't totally reassuring it was far more comforting then a total absence of his daughter. " Well do me a favour and call me back to let me know if April did find out any thing or not. If she does make it back home I'll call and let you know."
" Sure thing Mike. Don't worry. I'm sure she will turn up safe and sound." Casey comforted his friend.
" I sure hope so." Mike agreed before hanging up and continuing to wait. He glanced at the clock, depending on April's words and what she might have learned, would determine his next course of action.
Rama had used as much of her ninja training and skills as possible to try and block the pain she was in. However the pain seemed far more determined to win out over her. Rama wanted to scream, or yell it hurt so bad, but she knew it would only attract attention to herself.
She began to bite her lip a bit, as much to give her something else to focus on, as to keep her screams trapped inside.
She knew she couldn't let people see her. Couldn't let anyone see where she was heading, she longed to be home though. She knew in her heart that if either her father or sensei had learned what she had just done they would be angry with her.
She knew she had jeopardized their safety all for the sake of one dumb kid who was too stupid to get out of the road!
The manhole cover in this alley didn't fit quite right for some reason, so far the city had yet to replace it until they did it made a perfect place for Rama to come and go by, for the loose cover was easier for her to lift.
Rama managed to lift the manhole cover, smiling at the rain, which she knew would wash away any blood that might otherwise lead people to where she had disappeared to. The rain, like the shadows was an ally in keeping her and her family safe. Especially considering the danger she had just put her entire family into.
Rama swung onto the ladder carefully doing her best to keep most if not all of her weight on her one good leg, as she moved the cover over the hole. Sniffing a bit and fighting back the tears she looked down the ladder.
Rama moaned softly knowing that it would not be easy to get down with her leg hurting the way it was. It seemed to protest the slightest bit of weight put on it. Even placing a toe down was enough to send waves of pain racing up and down her entire leg.
Rama gripped the sides of the metal ladder in her hand, shifting her weight to her arms and then hopping backwards on one leg, letting her foot find the next rung while trying to keep her sore leg still.
By the time she had made it halfway down her palms had grown sweaty and her body ached. Even the tiny bit of jolting her left leg received was enough to make her wish that she hadn't helped the dumb kid in the first place. She had to pause on each rung to rest a bit while mentally and physically preparing herself to make the next move.
As she went to make the move to the next rung her foot slipped a bit, her hands couldn't hold her either. Instinctively Rama kicked out hoping to gain purchase with one foot or the other. Not even thinking of her damaged leg, in her desperation to keep from breaking free of the ladder.
The kicking shot lightning bolts of excruciating pain up and down her leg in such hard fast waves, she couldn't tell where it started or ended. Rama couldn't hold back her scream this time.
Her hands refused to hold to the cold metal any longer and she found herself falling backward down into the sewer below.
TBC