Coming Of Age
Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians. I also deny ownership of the character of April.
Chapter Five: Questions and Answers.
Mike shook his head as he watched Rama sleeping in the infirmary bed, he reached out and tenderly caressed her brow.
Don glanced towards his brother " With her having a concussion I didn't want to give her any painkillers. Why don't you go on to bed Mike? I'll keep watch over her."
Mike sat back on the stool " Don you ought to be in bed with your wife. I'm fully aware of what to do for concussions" he declared simply, but there was almost a hint of dismissal in his tone.
Don smiled and shook his head slightly he knew full well that he wouldn't be able to talk Mike into leaving Rama. Whenever Rama was in the infirmary so was Mike. Yet Mike could use his rest too " Let's do a split shift then I'll cover half and you cover half," Don offered.
" I'll consider it" Mike mumbled.
Don rolled his eyes knowing what that meant.
" I don't know how Rama could have misjudged the vehicle's speed. We taught her…"
Don sighed as he walked over and placed a hand on Mike's shoulder " telling her is one thing" he began, " A speeding vehicle is far different depending on the driver's speed it would have been very easy for Rama to miscalculate. Rama knows how to handle driver's who travel at posted speeds only."
" Yeah, I guess who ever hit Rama though ought to consider himself lucky." Mike said smiling slightly as if something had occurred to him.
" Why is that?" Don wondered puzzled.
" Well by hitting one of the cities only mutants he won't have to worry about having his ass sewed off in court." Mike gave a chuckle, " wouldn't that be some thing though?"
" By that standard you are lucky in the fact that she has probably suffered nothing worse then a broken leg. Hopefully the driver of the truck didn't get a good luck at Ramiela or we might have to consider company."
Mike smirked " The driver if he saw anything is most likely trying to figure out what it is he saw. Maybe he'll figure it was a little space alien." He joked then sobered up " We are far enough from Rama's entrance that I doubt we really have to worry about unexpected company. I just wish she hadn't been hit in such a damn foolish way."
Don shrugged " Cut her some slack Mike we don't get much traffic in the sewers and New York traffic does take some getting used to." Don replied in Rama's defence. " I'll go tell Leo what's up." He said simply as he turned to leave the room.
" Wake up. Come on Rama waky, waky." Mike nudged his daughter giving her a bit of a shake.
" What?" Rama mumbled still half a sleep.
" What's your name?" Mike asked cheerfully.
" You know my name" Rama grouched as she pulled the blankets over her head.
Mike grabbed a hold of the blankets and pulled them back and away from Ramiela " I want to know if you know who you are." Mike insisted.
" I'm Ramiela your daughter, oh, forgetful one and I'm seriously thinking of disowning you." Rama retorted grumpily.
Mike chuckled at her response, sure she was sick, tired and in pain but that wasn't going stop her attitude any. He choose to ignore it as he continued " How old are you?"
" I don't want to play twenty questions!" Rama griped.
" You are not going back to sleep until you answer" Mike cajoled her.
" Alright all ready. I'm nine and a half and my birthday is April fifteenth. All right?"
" What is your cat's name?" Mike shot back.
" Baka! And I am starting to believe the name is far more appropriate for you." Rama gave a massive yawn then shifted in the bed, suddenly wincing as the slight movement hurt her leg.
Mike decided that all was well, nothing to alert Don on. After all Rama had answered all the questions correctly, though she had been a little difficult to wake she had responded in sufficient enough time to not be too concerned over. " All right you can go back to sleep now if you want Rama" he relented.
" I have a feeling you are enjoying this." Rama said as she buried back under the blankets.
By morning when Don checked her out she was still answering any question put to her correctly so Don felt the worst part of the concussion was over, at least medically speaking. Don knew that Ramiela was bound to feel the effects of it for a few more days to come.
He then checked her leg out, though he trusted his own skills he called for Sara, for a second opinion, just to see what her verdict might be.
Sara was a small woman, but she made up in attitude what she lacked in size. Sara glanced over the wound and gently with skilled hands carefully checked it over " It looks all right fairly clean. Close it up but allow some drainage room." She advised, then snorted as she glanced at Don " You know I think this family keeps me almost as busy as my job does in the trauma department."
Mike tried to keep from bursting out laughing " You married Raph woman what did you expect?" he demanded between his chuckles.
Don smirked " Besides Sara you are like Jen, you love the challenges this family gives you." He countered.
Sara didn't reply to either remark just cupped Rama's face in her hands " Try to be more careful all right?"
" Okay. I didn't know you cared." Rama said.
" Of course I care" Sara replied shocked.
Rama gave a wicked grin " yeah if I die dad and Uncle Raphael will be so hard to deal with."
" There is that" Sara agreed before leaving the infirmary.
After Don had stitched up Rama's leg Mike packed her out to the living room, lying her on the couch.
" If you need any thing call me or one of your Uncles. You have to stay off that leg as much as possible today" Mike ordered, " So you can do that in the comfort of the living room. That way you can visit with family, watch TV, sleep or whatever appeals to you."
Rama spent most of the day sleeping or visiting with what ever family member decided to keep her company, her cousins were kept away from her so they wouldn't disturb her rest or accidentally bash her sore leg.
Raph came in to visit Rama shortly around lunch he gave her a firm hard look " Ramiela remember, in the future, do not play chicken with the traffic. New Yorkers tend to take such things seriously and they will refuse to back down, they will even go out of their way to hit you to score points."
Rama knew her uncle was only teasing so she sat back and joined in the fun " Chicken?" she demanded, " I was trying to ninja kick the darn thing. I thought for sure I could take it on Uncle Raphael."
" Uh-huh." Raph nodded as if he had expected as much. " Just how much did you have to drink last night before coming home?"
" I had three beer." Rama said as honestly as she could.
Raph heaved a wearied sigh as he shook his head " Not that root beer crap again" he muttered.
" Yeah! Good stuff that root beer!" Rama claimed licking her lips.
" Now that was your first mistake. No wonder you thought you were invincible, that root beer stuff is deadly" Raph claimed.
Rama raised her hand to cover her mouth as she laughed.
Later that evening shortly after dinner there was a knock on the door and Leo had gone to answer it. " Hi April" he greeted their guest ushering her into the home.
" I just wanted to drop by quickly and see Ramiela for a bit. I got a card for her." April explained.
Leo smiled " I'm sure she will appreciate the card April."
" How is she doing? Mike told us when he called that she hurt her leg and it is suspected to be broken." April wondered.
Leo scowled slightly " Don still isn't sure if it is broken he is giving a few days rest if she can't bear weight after that then we will treat it as such. She also suffered a mild concussion when she fell off the ladder into the sewer."
April winced " Poor girl. She must be stir crazy and driving the rest of you batty with just sitting around."
Leo grinned and laughed a bit " Actually, she hasn't been that bad. She must truly be sick April because she hasn't even tried to take advantage of having us at her beck and call all day long." Leo replied as they headed into the living room " in fact she spent most her time sleeping."
Rama however was propped up in a sitting position on the couch and she saw the visitor immediately " Hi Aunt April. So when can I baby sit again?"
April sighed a bit then arched an eye brow " I think you have to recover first young lady" then April decided to tease the girl a bit, " If this is the way you come home from baby sitting I highly doubt that your father will be letting you do any more of it."
Rama groaned and rolled her eyes.
April laughed then smiled as she sat on a near by chair offering Rama an envelope. " So how are you feeling?"
" Tired mostly. Dad kept waking me up last night to play twenty questions but I'm really okay." Rama insisted as she ripped open the envelope and pulled out the card.
" That is good to hear. The leg bothering you much?" April asked.
Rama sat the card down " It hurts like crazy" she admitted. " Uncle Donatello says he might have to put a cast on it and then, I'll miss soooo many ninja lessons" Rama made a face at the prospect. Then brightened " Thanks for the card Aunt April."
" No problem hon. I was wondering though, if, when you were coming home last night, you saw a boy playing out in the street?"
Rama glanced away, her body tensing ever so slightly. She was sure that somehow, her Aunt had found out the truth and was now going to get her into trouble with her family.
" No I didn't see anyone" Rama replied abruptly. " Why do you ask?"
" I found out today that a young boy by the name of Nate, had almost been hit by a truck last night. It probably happened around the same time you were heading home. I was just hoping you might have seen something." April explained, " the driver of the truck insisted a girl saved the boy's life and then disappeared."
Rama gulped and shook her head a bit " I didn't see any thing except for the truck, which almost ran me down" She said quickly, " Besides if the driver saw it was a girl, he probably would have seen if that girl wasn't normal" Rama declared then smirked " Did the driver say it was a giant turtle who saved the boy?"
" No he didn't say that. In fact he said the girl had dark hair and was wearing a large brown jacket." April admitted.
Rama breathed a noticeable sigh of relief sure now, that she was safe. " I wasn't wearing a jacket." Rama pointed out almost gloating. " I think a human would be able to see the difference between something like me and a human wearing a coat." Rama said.
Rama seriously wanted her Aunt to just drop this foolish notion she had. Didn't her Aunt realize she had no choice?
Obviously, from what April had just said the driver of the truck thought she was human. ' So just leave well enough alone please' Rama begged inwardly. Her family was safe now, so was the boy. It was, almost worth, being hurt knowing that.
But if her Sensei or family knew what she had done, then she'd be in for it for sure. They would not approve of her endangering her family, she recalled all the strict lectures she had received after the family had learned about her friendship with Jessie. On top of that having to pack up and move.
She knew that what she had suffered was nothing compared to the punishment they could inflict on her for breaking that rule for a second time.
As far as Rama was concerned though the case was closed with the knowledge the driver thought she was human. It was just too perfect!
However her Aunt's suspicions could get her into serious hot water and blow the lid off her secret.
April hadn't missed the changes that occurred in the young girl, while she didn't have a ninja sense about such things. April did have the next best thing, a reporters instincts, which had served her well in many situations before. April was positive that Rama did know something, about the incident. Still April was also aware she wouldn't get much more out of the stubborn child, nor did April have the right to press Rama into revealing these details.
April sighed " I guess your right Rama. You know who ever did save Nate, acted very ninja like I guess that is why I suspected you might have been, Nate's angel." April hinted hoping by saying that the girl would talk.
Rama just crossed her arm over her plastron, giving April a cold stare " Sorry Aunt April, I can't help you." Rama said with great conviction.
" All right. Thanks anyways Rama" April said as she got out of her chair.
Mike had overheard part of the conversation from the kitchen, where he had been cleaning up from dinner, and he followed April out into the main area of the sewer, doing his best not to be noticed.
He caught up with her " So do you mind telling me what that was all about back there?"
April huffed in frustration before telling Mike every thing she had learned.
" I think Rama does know something Mike. In fact considering how evasive she was I'd be willing to bet on it." April fumed.
" Come on April, Rama didn't say anything to us about a boy…" Mike protested, " I haven't sensed her hiding any thing. Course with her being sick and so out of it right now she probably could hide something from us. Thing is why would she?"
" I don't know Mike, still there are far too many coincidences in this. Ramiela was hit by a speeding truck, the boy that was saved last night was almost hit by a speeding truck" April began listing the points off on her fingers, " Nate's angel disappeared mysteriously without a trace. It happened around the time Rama was going home and it was directly on her route." April paused " I think she is Nate's angel Mike."
Mike furrowed his brow arching an eye ridge slightly " Why wouldn't Rama tell us though?" he asked clearly puzzled over that mystery.
" I don't know why Mike but the coincidences in all of this are overwhelming when you think about it." April gave a small smile and spoke hesitantly " Maybe she hasn't said any thing because she might feel that you won't approve of her actions. I know you have tried to teach her to avoid human contact but…" April paused wondering how best to say this without sounding too critical.
" Rama might be taking it too much too heart?" Mike suggested kindly especially after all the stuff with Jessie and his mother."
April nodded " That or maybe Rama might be feeling that you will be angry at her because she risked her life to help another."
" I suppose that is possible." Mike admitted, " Then again maybe Rama is telling the truth."
" It is possible but I don't know, just doesn't seem as likely to me. I got the feeling she wasn't being fully honest with me Mike her answers were very defensive."
Mike rubbed at his brow with two fingers. He had got that feeling from Rama too.
" I'll get to the bottom of this April" he promised, " I'll see if I can shake her story any."
" Mike if she did do it. You won't be mad at her will you?" April asked suddenly.
Mike laughed " You have known us how many years now April? Yet you have to ask that!" Mike scoffed , " It is what Rama's training is leading to. So she can use it to protect herself and others in her family, as well as those she doesn't know."
April stopped and turned placing a hand on Mike's arm " Yes but when Rama goes topside to patrol she will be placed in dangerous situations and I know you don't want that Mike."
Mike grimaced and shrugged " No I don't want to see her in harms way that is the father in me, the ninja says, it is part of the job description and she needs it eventually." Mike said a bit wistfully " She is a kunoichi in training it is expected of ninja to put their lives on the line for duty and honour. Problem in all this is April" here Mike paused as he gave his friend a gentle but serious look " I just don't think Rama is capable of that just yet." His fingers caressed his nunchucks that hung in his belt " We were thirteen when we made the choice to help others."
April knew Mike wanted to avoid this and yet, she also knew, he wouldn't hide form it either, his training wouldn't allow it. But she could also understand why Mike wanted to keep Rama as his 'little girl.'
" Good night Mike" April said simply as she gave his arm a slight squeeze and a long understanding compassionate look before leaving.
" Night April" Mike responded in return as he headed back towards home.
A part of him dreaded the confrontation he knew he would have to have with Rama. He knew that only the truth would determine what was to be done about Rama and no matter the choices she had made, or why she had made them, Mike knew that he could not allow Rama to keep that truth from the clan any longer.
No matter what he might want for her, no matter what she might want for herself only the truth could determine where they would go from here.
TBC