Rating: T for occasional language. Also see other warnings.
Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon.
Summary: Bradford has always blamed Michelangelo for his misfortunes and especially for his mutation so when he manages to capture the young ninja, he's going to make sure he knows exactly what it's like. 2k12 AU.
Warning: Warnings for physical and mental torture in this story abound, as well as for implied and highly disturbing situations. Trigger warnings may apply for some chapters. There will not however, be gruesome details. Some things are best left up to the imagination.
A/N: Dialogue surrounded by [ ] is translated from Japanese.
Comments, thoughts and concrit are always welcome.
How Much is that Turtle in the Window
ch 5
His body felt numb and kind of stiff. While he could still feel the aches and pains of his beatings and general mistreatment from the last few days and weeks, they were significantly dulled from what they had been and his body still extremely unresponsive. Slowly blinking open his eyes, Mikey surreptitiously looked around. The woman, the supposed vet, Mai was nearby, sitting with her back turned and far higher above him than he last recalled. Unable to help himself, he softly whimpered as he shuddered at the distant memory of her hands exploring all over his body, poking and prodding as she worked on him. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice him awake yet and carried on working. With some effort, Mikey tore his gaze away from her to continue studying his surroundings, only to discover he was now laying curled low to the ground on a large mesh, trampoline style dog bed. He cringed at the realisation that they really were hoping to continue this stupid charade that he was something he was not. Still, he mused, at least it wasn't the floor again like in that awful, stinking hot shipping container.
From where he lay, he tried to make out his body as best he could. His left arm was set in an almost full length cast with only a slight bend in the elbow, causing him to frown. Every time any of them had broken an arm growing up, Master Splinter had insisted on casting their arms fully bent so they could be hung in a sling, something about it being better for the healing process, he vaguely recalled their father saying. So why wasn't his set that way now?
'Well, when was the last time you saw a dog with a broken leg in a sling?' a traitorous voice inside whispered mockingly.
His breath caught in his throat. They were crazy! Dogpound really was set on turning him into a dog in all but body, he realised in disbelief and everyone else was just going along with it! A small part of him had believed that once they arrived in Japan, they'd give up on that stupidity or someone would tell Dogpound just why it wouldn't work and then they'd just treat him like any other enemy prisoner, not like this. They were actually expecting him to continue walking around on all fours like an animal, even with a clearly broken arm. No... he shuddered again with a soundless whimper, a broken leg because dogs didn't have arms, they only had four legs. Mikey choked out a sob. A moment later, he frowned as it hit him. Something was wrong. Really, really wrong. Other than a harsh gasp of air, he hadn't heard a thing. What the hell? A dim memory of Mai offering to paralyse his vocal cords and then forcing his mouth wide open and sticking a huge needle down his throat surfaced and another soundless, terrified sob broke free. As he quivered with the emotion wrought by the traumatising memory, his eyes flickered up to Mai again, her back still turned as she continued typing away at the computer in front of her. Swallowing down his fear as best be could and biting his lip, he contemplated if he really wanted to risk drawing her attention by trying to talk, trying to see if he'd really lost his voice. Then realising the risk wasn't worth it, he forced his attention back to examining what he could make out of his body considering he still couldn't move properly yet.
His legs, what he could see of them anyway, were swaddled in bandages covering all the gravel rash and the cuts caused by the braces rubbing against his flesh and cutting into him. Suddenly, Mikey's eyes shot open wide in surprise. The braces! They were gone! He actually had a chance to make a run for it once he could finally move properly again! A small smile of hope and delight made its way to his face as his eyes flickered towards his wrists. They weren't weighed down anymore either and the manacles were clearly removed, soft bandages covering all the cuts and injuries caused by the chafing and being dragged along the road. As for his hands, well, he couldn't see them as they dangled off the edge of the bed but the constant pins and needles feeling was long gone and he could actually flex his fingers slightly now, though they still felt wrong. He could only put that down to the fact they'd been encased for so long in form-fitting plaster with no give and that he was still affected by whatever she'd drugged him with. His faint smile turned sly.
Unfortunately, though, he could still feel the collar hugging his neck tightly and making him feel constantly short of breath and he could only hope nothing was connected to it, chaining him in place. Still, if he really had his hands back, then maybe... just maybe...
Thinking fast, Mikey concentrated hard and carefully tested his ability to move. It was still difficult but the drug was clearly beginning to wear off. Finally, he managed to pull his right arm fully onto the bed, a sight that caused him to hitch his breath in dismay.
The awful plaster stylised paws were gone but in their place, a large pair of focus pads sat, tightly secured in place and then duct-taped to make sure he couldn't work the straps free with his teeth.
"Ah, Spot! You're awake at last," Mai called out pleasantly and Mikey looked up to see her swivelled around on her chair and facing him.
Mikey clenched his teeth in anger. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! He just had to draw her attention, didn't he?
"Are you feeling any better now, Spot?"
Mikey scowled in disgust and tried to move, to shuffle back, and frustration filled him as he discovered he still didn't have enough control over his body yet.
Her face softened in sympathy, "I'm sorry but it'll be another couple of hours before the drug wears off fully. Still, that's a good thing since you really do need to rest right now."
She stood and came close, crouching down in front of him. "I'm sure you're curious about your injuries and treatment?" Mai stared at him expectantly but he didn't react, refusing to give the woman the satisfaction. Her expression shifted and she seemed to shrug. "Your left arm, I mean foreleg, was broken in two places, at the elbow and midway between your elbow and wrist. I've set the bones and placed it in a cast sturdy enough to help support your weight without putting too much stress on the healing bones. I know that it's going to be difficult for you but you really need to try to keep off it as much as possible over the next couple of months."
And how the hell was he supposed to do that with the ridiculous expectations placed on him by Dogpound?
"You've probably noticed your leg braces have been removed," she continued and Mikey couldn't help but glance over to where they lay against the nearby wall. "They, along with the manacles you wore on your wrists had chaffed your skin badly, cutting into it even through your thick scales, so I've removed them and treated the wounds. Infection was setting into a couple of the wounds on your legs and neck so I've given you a general antibiotic that I know to be compatible with both reptiles and humans. I've left the braces off for now to give you a chance to heal, however, I will only warn you once. If you try to stand on your feet while they are off, I will immediately have them reattached." Her eyes narrowed as her expression became stern. "Do you understand me, Spot?"
Mikey simply continued to stare at her and she stared back, waiting. Finally, she sighed.
"It's okay, Spot, you can answer me."
'And give you an excuse to experiment on me? I don't think so, crazy lady,' he thought bitterly, turning his head, unable to keep looking directly at her. However, he continued watching from the corner of his eye.
Mai straightened and rubbed at her arm before looking back down at him. She sighed again. "Yes, I am under orders to do research on you should you forget your place and make no mistake, Spot, I very much look forward to the opportunity. However, as a vet, I also have a duty of care to you so when the time comes, no matter how invasive my research becomes, I will not do you any permanent injury."
'And what do you call taking my voice away?' Mikey thought sourly, continuing to glare at nothing and trying desperately not to let her see his distress. He was sure he was failing and that she could see right through him.
"For that, you can thank Master Shredder as he requires and expects all his animals to be in perfect health," Mai continued with a cold smile.
Mikey couldn't help the shudder of fear that rippled through his body at those chilling words.
"Now that said, you are safe with me while you are recovering in my surgery. Once you leave though, even if you return with more injuries, your grace period will be over and I will do my job as ordered. In the meantime, when the effects of the tranquilliser have worn off completely, I have some questions for you that I would like you to answer."
Mikey clenched his cramped fingers within the glove portion of the focus mitts and wondered if he could take advantage of them once he gained control of his body back.
"In the meantime, I need to establish a medical baseline for you so if any problems arise I will know how to treat you. I already took full x-ray scans of your skeletal structure while you were unconscious, fascinating by the way, and a sent away a blood sample to analyse which inoculations you may have had before and which you need now. However, I need to take another now and I will need to take your core temperature every few hours to establish what is normal for your unique species."
Allowing his expression to darken, Mikey watched her closely as she moved to pick up a syringe and kneel beside him. The woman gently took his right arm and expertly inserted the needle, drawing blood until she deemed she had enough. Then she walked away with the sample out of his sight and he whimpered silently at the invasion, drawing in on himself slowly. Suddenly she was back and he felt her tugging at his tail. His eyes shot wide open and he turned his head to stare at her accusingly. He fought against her grip, trying desperately to keep his tail tucked safely away but he was still weak and moments later, he felt something cold quickly inserted into his bum. "What are you doing? Stop!" Mikey cried out silently, struggling fiercely to get away from it, away from her.
Mai looked up and smiled, resting a gentle hand on his leg, "Shh, Spot, it's alright," she soothed in what he supposed was meant to be a comforting tone. "I already told you, I'm just taking your temperature."
Mikey's jaw dropped open. From his butt? Seriously? Was this woman insane? God he wished he could yell at her right now. Instead, shaking from the violation, he stuck his tongue out at her, lifting it to show her that that was where you were supposed to insert a thermometer but she just canted her head slightly, then chuckled in understanding.
"Under the tongue or armpit is where humans have their temperatures taken and you are not human. Animals have it taken via their rectums. Now stop struggling so much, you don't want it to break inside of you."
Mikey froze in horror at the thought but then he couldn't help but try to get away from it again, twitching and shifting uncomfortably around it, small as it was.
"Spot, if you continue to struggle like this every time I take your temperature, I'll be forced to dope you up on a muscle relaxant again in the future and I really don't want to have to keep doing that," Mai threatened darkly.
'Oh god! Oh god! Oh god! I'm in hell! Bros! Master Splinter! Where are you? I need you! Please!' and then tears started falling down his face as he remembered they never came for him and he was taken out of the country and halfway across the world. He began to sob as it really hit him that he would never see home and never see his family ever again.
Suddenly, he jolted as he felt Mai's hand pat him on the head as if trying to be reassuring, "There, there, it's all over for now. Now rest Spot, I'll be back to talk to you later."
-:-
Gasping, Mikey bolted upright and looked wildly around before shrinking in on himself. It wasn't a nightmare, after all, he realised with a desperate pang. He really was in some psycho's vet clinic at a Foot stronghold on the other side of the planet and they really were trying to turn him into some kind of messed-up turtle dog mutant.
He fought to control his laboured breathing as he looked around. There was no sign of Mai close by so he pushed himself up onto his knees and peered across the room. As he shifted, he felt weight pulling from behind on the collar around his neck and he twisted to see a chain attached and securing him to a ring bolted tightly into the floor beside the bed. Sighing in frustration, Mikey dropped back down onto his haunches and stared miserably at the overly large pad taped to his right hand. What was he supposed to do now? His hopes for escape kept getting dashed at every turn.
Kneeling up higher once more, he cast his gaze around the room again but there was no one in sight. He frowned in confusion, surprised to find himself alone when Mai had threatened to put the braces back on him if he rose to his feet, all but implying he'd be watched at all times. For a moment, the part of him that always landed him in trouble with his father and brothers encouraged him to try anyway, to test the boundaries Mai and previously Dogpound had set but then he sighed. What was the point? If someone was watching him from outside the room and told on him, he'd only have sabotaged what slim chance he still had. No, it would be smarter to pretend to behave for now and surreptitiously work on trying to get the focus mitt off his right hand first. Then, he could try to undo the chain and make his run for it then.
With his plan made, Mikey spread his feet apart and plopped his butt on the bed before swinging his legs out in front of him. After nearly four weeks of being forcibly kept off them, he needed to stretch them out and he was doing just that when he heard the door open. He whipped his head around guiltily, meeting Mai's eyes. She smiled knowingly and walked over, bowl in hand. Mikey watched her suspiciously as she placed it down near him. Water. Ignoring the pain and awkwardness of his broken arm, Mikey immediately moved to go drink, then stopped and sat again, biting his lip. He needed it so badly but didn't want her to know just how much.
"Drink," Mai encouraged with an amused chuckle. "Then we'll talk now that the drugs have obviously worn off." She reached back to pull her swivel chair closer, though keeping it conveniently just out of his reach and sat down.
Mikey canted his head, giving the Foot veterinarian a look of 'Dude, seriously?' and gestured frantically to his throat with a sour expression.
The woman laughed again, this time sheepishly, "Okay, well, I guess I talk and you answer me as best you can. I'll try to ask yes or no questions. Okay?"
His eyes narrowed, then Mikey shrugged. No guarantees, he'd see depending on the questions asked.
"Drink first," Mai encouraged again.
Mikey scowled but eased himself off the dog bed and to the water bowl, carefully leaning down to drink all the while careful to avoid jostling his aching arm. God, he hated drinking like this but what choice did he have? Let himself die of thirst? That would be stupid and no matter what everyone else always told him, he wasn't stupid.
Finally, his thirst slaked and feeling slightly better, he sat up, crossing his legs and staring expectantly at Mai. The woman gave his crossed legs a disapproving look but he just folded one arm across his plastron, the other couldn't be bent, and continued staring at her.
"Right, I need to learn about you in order to make sure of your continued health," Mai began after a moment of simply studying Mikey. "I assume you started out life as a human as Chris did?"
Mikey felt a chill at the question and simply continued staring. No way would he answer that one! If she knew the truth that he had actually started out as someone's pet, he'd have absolutely zero rights! Not that he really had any rights now but things would definitely get so much worse if she knew the real truth.
"So how long ago were you mutated?" Mai asked.
Considering for a moment then figuring giving that information away couldn't hurt him, Mikey shrugged and replied, "Fifteen years ago." He felt very odd and even creeped out over the fact he couldn't hear his voice, couldn't even feel any vibrations from his throat and panic started building rapidly again. He fought frantically to swallow it back down.
"You're not human anymore," Mai reminded flatly, "therefore I cannot read your lips, Spot."
Mikey stared in sheer frustration. Well, what happened to simple yes or no questions? he wondered desperately. How else was he supposed to answer? Then, a thought hit him and he brightened. Mikey lifted his hand and tried to mime writing, looking up at Mai hopefully.
"No," Mai replied flatly, without even a pause for thought.
Mikey huffed and leant back, looking away all while carefully watching her out of the corner of his eye. Well then, if that was the case, he wouldn't bother even trying to answer because what was the point?
"Okay then... I understand and it's okay, those questions were just for my curiosity anyway. However, this next question is very important. You are obviously a reptile and yet you have many human characteristics so the question is, are you cold-blooded or warm-blooded, or something in between?"
Mikey's gaze flickered back to her and he nodded hesitantly.
"Which?" Mai prompted, "cold?"
Lifting his hand, Mikey motioned it from side to side as if to say 'sort of' and understanding filled the woman's face.
"Something in between," she concluded and Mikey nodded.
"Okay. So, do you hibernate during winter like natural turtles?"
Mikey shrugged. Not really but still, it wasn't unheard of.
They felt the cold badly, slowed down significantly from it in fact but they never actually hibernated like normal cold-blooded animals. Only once did one of them ever go into hibernation, back when they were seven or eight and that was only because Raph was so sick at the time. Mikey remembered discovering him seemingly asleep on the couch, cold to the touch and huddled up in blankets for warmth. He'd been bored and lonely at the time and had gone to wake his brother up to play, despite having been told he was sick and to let him rest. Mikey had reached out to shake him awake, only to freak out thinking he was dead and run screaming to Master Splinter. It was Donnie who first postulated that maybe he'd simply gone into hibernation from the chill, just like Raph's pet turtle Spike did and the theory seemed to be proven true when Spring came a month later and Raph woke with no ill effects but a ravenous hunger and thirst.
Mai pursed her lips as she thought. "Have you hibernated before?"
Mikey hesitated as he thought. How was he supposed to answer that one?
"I'm sorry but it truly is important, especially with winter only a couple of months away."
He lifted his hand, making the 'sort of' motion again.
"So not a regular occurrence but perhaps under certain circumstances?" Mai prompted and Mikey nodded. "Alright. So I would assume if you get too cold, perhaps even sick, then it is more likely?"
Mikey nodded again, not really certain if he should be answering such things but answering anyway.
"Alright then," she murmured, thinking. "I'll have to make some recommendations about your shelter before you move in then as I doubt Master Shredder will be pleased if your training is delayed due to hibernation. Now, food," she stated suddenly, causing Mikey to perk up in interest. He was starving! He hadn't eaten since the day before he attacked Dogpound back on the ship and he had no idea how long he'd been here since.
Mai chuckled knowingly, "Hungry, huh?"
Mikey nodded emphatically.
"Well, then, continue answering my questions and I'll see what I can do for you," she offered with a smile. "So... what kind of food do you eat?"
Mikey immediately shifted to his knees and enthusiastically mimed making a pizza one-handed; kneading the dough, rolling it out, tossing it into the air and finally sprinkling ingredients liberally all over as Mai studied him.
She smiled in understanding, "Pizza, huh?" and Mikey nodded happily, licking his lips. "I bet you must have been very good at charades."
Mikey puffed out his plastron proudly at the observation. He was the best! His brothers had no imagination. Well, Donnie did but only about boring stuff like science.
"Well, unfortunately for you, pizza will not be an option but I assume that means you are able to digest dairy and other foods that humans eat and turtles don't?"
Mikey canted his head frowning, unsure what she meant by that but tentatively nodded regardless.
"How about foods that turtles naturally eat?" Mai continued, watching Mikey closely as he suddenly stared at her warily once more. "Fish?" a nod. "Fruits and berries?" another nod, "Worms?" Mikey stilled but he nodded hesitantly, "Snails and beetles?" Mikey pulled a face in disgust. "Fungi?" Mikey blinked, unsure, then remembered Donnie explaining it was another word for mushrooms. He nodded again.
"Alright, so basically you can eat just about anything. Now, one more question before I go get you some food. Are you allergic to anything that you know of?"
Mikey shook his head emphatically.
"Okay," Mai replied. "That's about it for now. If I can think of any other questions for you that are important enough, I'll ask then. Otherwise, I'll just learn about you for myself further down the track." She stood and tucked away her chair before heading to the door. "You behave now, Spot. I'm going to have someone come in here to keep an eye on you while I'm at the mess hall."
Mikey swallowed nervously.
"Don't allow them to see you as anything but an animal or I can't protect you," she warned. And with that, she was gone.
A moment later, a Foot soldier dressed in the standard uniform entered the room, walking over to watch him and Mikey crawled backwards, not liking the creepy vibe the mask-covered human gave off.
After some time, the man moved closer and Mikey could see the corners of his mouth tug up against the full-face mask.
[So, you are one of the mutant freaks from America,] he stated in Osaka accented Japanese, a smirk obvious in his voice. [I hear Bradford-sama brought you back to be our latest plaything. Bet you'll be lots of fun.]
Mikey cringed as the soldier crouched down and reached over to lightly run a hand across his carapace, stopping only when the hand slid off where the back of his legs met his shell. He yelped soundlessly and scrabbled backwards, desperate to get the man off, yet somehow still mindful of Mai's warning.
The man chuckled in dark amusement and crouched down before him, devouring him with his hidden eyes and making Mikey feel ill.
Suddenly, to his horror, the soldier's mask covered gaze settled upon his tail and he slowly reached out. Just then, the door opened and the soldier jumped to attention, turning to face Mai. He saluted hurriedly as if caught out. [Hideki-sama!]
Her expression turned cold. [Thank you. You may leave now.]
The soldier all but ran as Mikey watched, breathing heavily in fright.
"I'm sorry if he scared you, Spot," Mai apologised in a soft tone. "Unfortunately, though I am in charge in here, I do not have a say in which guards are assigned. Due to the nature of this organisation, it's unavoidable that they recruit a lot of lowlifes."
Mikey tore his gaze from the door to fix it instead on Mai, squeezing his legs tight together to obscure his tail. 'Then why would you work here?' he wondered with a frown.
Mai suddenly smiled and put down the bowl she was carrying in front of Mikey. He looked down at it. "Evening meal has been over for hours now. Sorry, but that's all that was left."
Scraps. Literal scraps from plates. He curled his lip in disgust. Was that teeth marks in that bit of meat? Oh god! And that piece looked like it had been chewed up and spat out. Everything was mixed together and not in a good way. Cold, tough meat, vegetables, noodles and rice, even a small amount of pudding. What the hell did Mai do? Dig it out of the garbage?
He whimpered soundlessly. He was so hungry and would eat just about anything but this was just... it was too much. Mikey looked up at Mai beseechingly but she just smiled pleasantly back down at him.
"Table scraps," she confirmed. "Dogs can't get enough of them so I suggest you learn to eat them if you wish to keep up appearances and not be sent back here the minute you get out."
"But!" he protested silently, desperately wishing yet again he still had a voice. "Some of it's already been chewed!"
The Foot vet's smile turned hard. "The food has all the basic nutrients but if you prefer, despite it's lack of nutrition, I could just go get a can of dog food for you. I hear from Chris you learnt to eat it without complaint on the ship."
Mikey shook his head frantically and edged forward to eat, working desperately to swallow his bile.
"Good boy, Spot," Mai purred. "It was too late to get you anything else tonight but I've instructed the kitchen hands to keep the scraps for you for breakfast tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll order in some proper food for you and will start making meals specifically tailored for your needs once the ingredients come in."
As he tentatively ate the cold, congealed remains of the Foot's evening meal, trying to eat around the gross parts, a feat that was almost impossible without the use of his hands, at least it was unless he wanted to leave huge chunks of food behind, Mai walked around behind him and deftly lifted his tail. Mikey froze then turned to stare at her accusingly again.
"Temperature check," she smiled serenely. "I told you I need to check often to establish a baseline for your health."
Suddenly, the cold thermometer was inserted into his anus again and it was all he could do not to cry as he helplessly turned back to his food.
But he wasn't able to bring himself to eat again.
-:-
Sniffling miserably, Mikey lifted his head off his arm and looked around. The surgery was in darkness, Mai having presumably left hours ago, but there was still enough light from the computer screen for him to make out the faint details of the room. Pushing himself up gingerly, he peered around, searching. He couldn't see anyone, yet he was sure there was someone there. Hell, Mai herself told him he'd be watched at all times. He frowned, staring into the deepest corners of the room but still couldn't see anyone nor feel their presence. Sighing, he smacked his mouth, trying to get rid of the tacky feeling and stared over to where two bowls sat side by side, unsure if he should get up to drink or not. Finally, unable to bear the feeling any longer, he moved, edging carefully off the bed. Once more he felt tempted to just get up and walk despite the bowls being only a few feet away but his eyes drifted over to where the braces still lay out of reach, taunting him with the reminder of their presence and Mai's threat. He shuddered. No, he couldn't risk it, not yet. He'd drink for now, then crawl back to his cold bed and try to work the tape securing the mitt to his hand. Only after he got that off could he risk it.
As he reached the bowls, the scent of leftover food teased his nostrils. He stared down at it longingly; he never did finish his meal, such as it was, and he was still hungry. But what were the chances it had gone bad since? Mikey quivered in indecision. Mai was a vet and did tell him that she had a duty of care to him. Surely she wouldn't have left it overnight if there was a chance it could give him food poisoning. Unless of course, it was a way to test his limits of endurance or something. Mikey swallowed painfully as his stomach growled; he could always just eat a little to see if it was still edible. His stomach rumbled again so he moved his face toward the bowl and took a tentative bite. The next thing he knew, he found himself licking the bowl desperately for more and began to shake from shame at his dog-like behaviour.
Sometime after his shaking subsided, he looked up to the ceiling and stared longingly past it, imagining the clear night sky beyond. Desperately, Mikey howled his brothers' names silently before hanging his head again in misery. It was hopeless. Normally, Michelangelo was the very definition of optimism but right now he had none left. He would never see his home or his family and friends again, he just knew it. Tears began to flow and in the darkness where no one could see him, he didn't fight them for once.
Eventually, he finally managed to pull himself together again, reluctantly drinking before limping slowly back to the bed and there he stopped, looking past it to a light-coloured patch on the floor nearby. Puppy training pads, Mai had told him, instructing him that that was where he was to go while in here. He shuddered. Unless he wanted to go in front of her in the light, he had to use them now and with this stupid mitt on his hand, it would be even harder to control his aim and avoid splashback than it had been with the plaster paws.
What, he wondered with a pang, had he ever done to deserve this life?
-:-
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