Chapter 2
"Questions"
"Professor, where'd you find her?" asked Donatello, not even realizing that he was asking an already answered question.
"As I said, we found her here, in the junk yard where she was buried underneath garbage and such things," said the professor.
Just like Calli, thought Don as he looked over the female to see what he could do for the limp figure laying on the ground on an old mattress. His eyes took in every curve of her plastron and shell. Slowly, he allowed his fingertips to move over her smooth, scaly skin.
She had more of a curve to her plastron than Callista did however; she seemed a little more muscular than Leo's mate. Her breathing was deep but not heavy, a good sign to show that there was most likely no internal damage. Her skin was a deep yellow-green, close to his own coloring and perfectly smooth with the exception of a few scrapes that he could see on her body.
"Incredible, if I'm not mistaken, this is close to what happened to Calli when Leo found her," said Don to no one in particular.
"Calli?" asked the Professor, not knowing who Don was making reference to.
"Callista, Leo's mate. He found her in a dumpster almost six months ago and now, this girl turtle appears. I'm having the feeling that this is no coincident," said Don as he continued to check the terrapin for other injuries.
"Perhaps, not my boy, but I have a theory," said the Professor.
Oh no, not again, thought Don as he groaned.
"He's going into another one of his theories," said one of the homeless men.
"Yep," said the other in response.
"I believe that someone is out to distract you and your brothers of your doing of goodness and kindness by tying you all down with commitments of love and the like," said the professor.
A long pause ran between the Professor and the male turtle. The turtle waited for the rest of the theory but it never came.
"That's it?" asked Donatello, waiting for more to come spewing out of the professor's lips.
"That's it, my boy. This just defies all explanation. Not even I can explain this," said the professor.
"Can it be? The professor has no theory?" asked the homeless man sounding amazed.
"I think so," said another to the other in shock.
Don looked back at the girl turtle. He had only been this close to Calista when she was unconscious but now, he was close to this one. He sighed, wondering if this one would do the same thing Cali did, go to Mikey or Raph but pay no attention to him. His eyes showed his sadness for a minute before he wiped the thought clear from his mind. He had to find a way to get her back to the lair without having problems occur.
Damn, the one time I don't take the Battle-Shell is the one time I need it, thought Don as he tried to think of ways to get her back without calling for one of brothers to bring the battle shell. As much as he wanted to call his brothers, his mind kept stopping him from doing so. His heart wanted to be able to have what his elder brother had, someone to understand him and comfort him during the hard times. He knew calling for any of his brothers would possibly lessen his chances unless he called Leo but if he called Leo, Leo might send either Raph or Mikey to help Don, leaving him in the same situation he'd be in no matter what. Don groaned at the thought.
"My boy, is everything alright?" asked the professor.
"Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out how to get her back home so no one gets to her," said Don.
"I see how it is, you don't want your brothers getting the glory of finding her," teased the homeless professor.
"What? That's not it at all," shot back Don, nervously.
"Are you sure? It would be much easier to call your brothers," said the intellectual homeless man.
"Oh, well, Leo's busy with his mate and as for everyone else, well…they're busy," said Don quickly as he thought that he had just given the lamest excuse that he could ever come up with.
The professor nodded with understanding, sensing from his years on the streets and his past since he was now 50 years of age. He watched his friend try to plot a way to bring the female turtle back to his home to keep her protected from the rest of the world.
A groan suddenly be heard from the lips of the female turtle, turning all heads to her thin face.
"Professor, she's waking up," said Don, half with excitement.
"Yes, my boy, I hope she takes to everything okay," said the professor, showing his worry.
Don and the professor watched over the young female turtle, readying themselves for her reaction. Both said a silent prayer as they both waited for some news about the female terrapin.