Sorry about the late update... anyways...
Disclaimer: I don't own them and never will.
Raph's POV:
I am having those awful dreams again. Master Splinter is trapped in a cage and bleeding. Master Splinter is trapped in a tube of water. Master Splinter is being carved into as he grimaces in pain. Master Splinter hang limp in some dark cold room. Master Splinter falling down the building as I just watch. Master Splinter and I having a fight before I storm off into the night. Master Splinter finding me under a grate in the Bronx that one night that I ran off when I was ten. All these images flash by me rapidly before they settle down to one.
I walk across the concrete floor in the cold room to Master Splinter. He looks so lifeless lying strapped to the metal table. I reach out to free him but my hand just passes through his. Why can I never help him in my dreams? I feel tears of bitterness and pain at my inability to help him slide down my face. I hear voices murmuring in the background but can't make out what they are saying. All of a sudden I notice Master Splinter looking at me, "Raphael…"
I jerk awake. I weakly get out of my bed, instinctively searching for my brothers when I notice that no one was in my room watching me as I slept, like they always did. Why do these dreams mess with my mind? They are not real. Master Splinter is dead. I did not kill him. I loved him and he loved me. This lair is real. My brothers living with me in the lair is real. That couch with the TVs is real. Donny working in the lab is real. Master Splinter lying on the bed covered in blood with an IV tube sticking out of his arm is…. What!
"Master Splinter, NOOOOO!" I screamed.
I put my hand on Master Splinter's arm and gasped when I touched fur stiff with dried blood and some new blood. I felt arms circle around me pining my arms to my chest and pulling me away from Master Splinter.
"Raph, stop. Don't touch her. It's OK. Just calm down," I heard Donny calmly instruct me.
What is he talking about? No, it isn't OK. Master Splinter is bleeding to death and Donny isn't doing anything to help him. This is wrong. I am being forcibly pulled out of the room despite my struggles. I push against his arms, I kick at him, I even try to bite him, and he still manages to get me into the kitchen.
Once he has me sitting at the table he tells me to stay there. Yeah, right! As soon as his back is turned I try to sneak out to help Master Splinter but all of a sudden my world flips and I am staring at the ceiling. An irate Donny glares at me with his bo in his hand. I reached for my sai but find them missing from my belt. Where did they go? Oh, yeah, Leo took them away from me when I tried to kill myself with them.
Donny looks at me for a few minutes before going back to whatever he was doing. I tried to get up but all I could do was rock forwards or backwards or side-to-side, I am just too weak to shift that much weight into the type of spring needed to get back on my feet.
"Donny, please can you help me get up. I can't breath," I pleaded. It was true that being on my back made it more difficult to breath but it was only an excuse so that I could get back to help Master Splinter.
"You will be fine as you are for now," he responded emotionlessly. He opened some cupboards and the refrigerator. The sink went on and off and the stove went on. During this entire time I yelled at him to help Master Splinter and called him cold and heartless and he just ignored me. This isn't real. The Donny I know wouldn't leave Master Splinter like that. The Donny I knew was kind, caring, and sensitive. This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real. Please go away. I want to be in reality.
Donny came towards me with a steaming cup that smelled like chicken soup but it probably had something extra in it. Should I drink the soup if it wasn't real? No, I have to go help Master Splinter and in this dream I can because I can touch him. I tried to take a swipe at Donny as he bends down but he pins my hands under his knee and against my plastron. I used to be stronger then this! He is soon forcing the concoction down my throat with an expressionless face. He doesn't even spill a drop. I guess I have been giving him too much practice.
He leaves me for a moment and then comes back to look me in the eyes to see if the drug has taken effect. Satisfied with what he sees, he helps me up, and sits me at the table. Placing a bowl of soup in front of me he orders me to eat it and I do so with childlike obedience. I'm so pathetic. I tried to fight it and I think Donny saw it because he soon had me drinking a tea that made all my worries melt away. Everything is good and I am so happy.
Donny is talking to me. He tells me that the rat in his lab is not Master Splinter but a young girl rat. I accept this like everything else they've told me.
"When did Master Splinter have a daughter," I ask.
Donny pauses then says, "Just before he died but we didn't find out about it until recently."
"Oh," I say, "Does she have a name?"
"We will ask her when she wakes up and if she doesn't we will give her one," Donny replies.
"Why is she hurt," I ask.
"She got lost in the sewers," he answers cautiously.
"She should stay in the lair where it is safe," I informed Donny.
Donny looks at me with a sad remembering look. I think he is sad she got hurt in the sewers.
"I will keep her safe in the lair," I tell him in hopes of easing his pain.
Donny quickly gets up and collects the dishes before he takes them to the sink. While he is washing the dishes I think I hear him crying. He must really care about Splinter's daughter. After Donny is done with the dishes he comes over, takes my hand, and leads me back to my bedroom where he tells me get my art supplies. I quickly grab my sketchbook and colored pencils. He takes me back to the lab and sits me at the desk and tells me to draw.
I slowly start to draw my dreams and write things next to them. Donny will latter take my books and talk to me about my dreams and try to cure me. I know I am sick and need help but how can I stop dreaming or seeing things. Donny talks to me a lot about my childhood. Sometimes he gets happy and says I am making progress and other times he acts like he is acting now, like he doesn't know what to do with me, so he drugs me and gives me busywork to do.
Leo comes into the lab and opens his mouth to shout at Donny but then notices that I am in the room. In a strained voice he asks, "Don, can I see you in the other room for a minute."
Donny glances my way and then gets up to leave. I hate it when they are out of sight. Bad things happen when you are alone. Leo closes the door behind him. I can hear muffled voices through the door but not what they are saying. I know I am not supposed to leave my chair but I do it anyways and sit next to the rat girl. Maybe if I sit close enough the bad dreams wont come.
I don't know how long I was staring at her face before she opened her eyes. "Hi," I say, "My name is Raph. What is yours?"
"Amber," she says faintly.
TBC...