I seem to be on a role at the moment. Once I started writing for this story again I can't seem to stop! Three chapters in three days, that must be a record for me. Anyway, ENJOY!
Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT or Twilight
Carlisle's point of view
Bella's home is... interesting to say the least. Quite remarkable too.
It's no stately home, which is to be expected. This situation would be a little too surreal if I had been lead to a large manor where four mutant turtles and a rat reside. When I learnt that we would be going underground, I wasn't all that surprised. Curious as to how they had managed to set up their home in the sewers, but not surprised. Before they allowed me to come underground, they asked that I take the formula. Seeing no reason to object, I obliged. They then blindfolded me so that I would not be able to recall the route we took. Very clever, making it so that Edward would not be able to find his way to their home by reading my mind. They really have taken every precaution.
Their home may not be a grand manor, but the size of it is impressive none the less. The ceiling is high, and there are two floors. The first floor has a large living area, set up with a wide variety of different sized TV screens and entertainment systems. There are wooden practice dummies placed in different places on the first floor. A deep pool is placed close to the entrance, with a bridge running over the top of it. A Dojo is in the corner, the door left open, and from what I can see there is a large amount of space inside, with several racks of weapons and other such training equipment. Looking into the other rooms on the first floor, I can see that there is a kitchen with a basic oven and other things you would expect to see. There is a work bench with an alarming amount of machinery placed on it and around it. It is obvious that this is not where it is usually placed however, as everything seems to be placed on top of each other. I can see another door, but cannot see inside the room. I try listening for any movement behind the door, and then remember the formula I have taken.
Looking above me, I see that there is a wide ledge running around the top floor, serving as a path connecting each of the doors. There are several ways to get to this floor, but I can see that most of them are for those trained in ninjutsu. However there is a metal staircase at the end of the room. I count 8 doors, and each of them are closed.
"There's more to the lair than this. We have a garage and a few more training areas set up around here. Not to mention fathers meditation room, which is behind the dojo." Bella tells me, walking beside me. She is dressed in normal clothing now, though it is still tight fitting. She catches me looking "I prefer to wear tighter clothing. We practice several times a day, and they are easier to train in as my movement isn't constricted." She shrugs.
"How did you find this place? I didn't think places like this existed, at least not under New York" I continue to look around, trying to take in as much as possible.
"Our old lair was destroyed. We had to find a new home, and father found this place. There are several places similar to this dotted around the area, if you know where to look. It's a long story"
"And how do you keep this place hidden?" Surely someone must have stumbled across them by now.
"We work very hard to keep this place hidden. There is only one entrance from the surface to here, but then you need a pass key. Donnie keeps our security up to date. I think we have one of the most sophisticated defence systems ever built because of him. You cannot find this place unless you know exactly where to look." I notice that when she speaks of her brothers, she sounds incredibly proud.
"This place is incredible." I say, because it truly is. How they have managed to make this place into a home is very impressive. I look over to see Bella smiling at me slightly. She gestures forward with her hands.
"Father is through here, Don is with him at the moment. Last I checked on him his vitals were good. If there had been any problems then I would have been called." The last bit was said more to herself than to me, so I keep silent and follow her into the room towards the back.
Again, I am completely taken away by the amount of equipment in the room. There are machines of all sizes around the room, and yet there is still a large amount of room to move around in.
Towards the side of the room, there is a bed, close to the wall but with plenty of room to move either side. A heart monitor is placed at the head of the bed, along with a drip. Laying in the middle of the bed is a large rat. He is short when compared to a human, his structure small and slightly hunched. His eyes are closed and his breathing is rough. He may also have a chest infection of some sort, which I make a mental note to mention to Bella later. The rat has thick grey fur. Somehow, he appears very human. Not in his features, but there is a certain aura around him. There is something about him that makes me feel that he is very wise, and has seen a lot in his time.
"How is he?" Bella asks, and it is only now that I notice Donatello is in the room. He is seated not to far from the bed, looking at a compute screen. Bella is checking his vitals, reaching out to take his pulse.
"There's been no change since you left. There was a point when I thought he might wake up, but he's remained unconscious the whole time." Donatello answers, turning the chair around to face her. He glances at me quickly, tensing a little before forcing himself to relax.
"He's been waking up for shorter periods of time, when he does wake up anyway." Bella mutters, fiddling with some controls. "Did you find anything?"
"There are some antibiotics for animals that we could try, ones specifically designed to treat rats. There aren't many, and they would need to be combined with human antibiotics. There's no guarantee that they would work." He sighs, rubbing his eyes "April has gone out to pick up as many as she can, and then she will take them to LH for him to analyse."
"Its for his chest infection." Bella says, talking to me now. "We know that we will need to develop some form of drug for after the surgery to prevent infection, we're already working on that. We have been for weeks. We cannot risk him developing anything more serious than a chest infection right now. Its dangerous enough that he has that as it is."
I turn when I hear a crash coming from one of the rooms opposite us. From the sounds of something heavy had just fallen over. Donatello and Bella sigh behind me.
"That's Raph. Don't take this personally, but he's not exactly thrilled your here. He's only holding his tongue because he knows we have no other choice" Donatello explains, giving me an apologetic smile.
"It's all right." I tell him. It is. I can only imagine that it is difficult for all of them to ask for help. They all seem very competent, very intelligent and skilled. It must be hard for them to admit they need an outsiders help. Not to mention an outsider that had been part of the reason a member of their family had been hurt. "May I?" I nod towards the bed, moving forward slightly.
"Of course." Bella steps back from the bed, and I move to take her place. I gently take his wrist into my hands, taking a moment to find his pulse. Usually when I do this, it is only for show, as I can already hear the patients heart beat. I haven't used this method for its intended purpose for a very long time. However, I am still a doctor, so it takes me only a moment to find the weak thrum of his pulse. I time two minutes on my watch, and count fifty-eight beats for each minute. The skin beneath the fur is cold and pale, also feeling very rough and dry. Now that I am paying attention, his fur seems to be slightly matted, lacking any kind of shine. His body isn't producing the natural oils that it usually would in order to maintain his coat. I may not be a vet, but I know that much.
"How long has he been on bed rest?" I ask, turning towards the monitor and drip to see exactly what he is taking.
"Awhile. We have all been healing for a few months now. We were... injured. Though master Splinter wasn't injured too badly, just a badly sprained ankle and some cuts and bruises. A few bruised ribs and one broken. His ankle is healed now. However he is old, so the fight took its toll on him. Combined with the stress of the situation and physical and mental strain, he was exhausted. He didn't allow himself much rest, not until I insisted that I could cope on my own with caring for my brothers. It was only after a few weeks that we noticed that he simply wasn't getting any stronger. He's been on bed rest for about two months now."
"Are you exercising his muscles?" I gently push at his muscles. They are very toned, but there is a slight stiffness to them.
"As much as we can. Master used to lead all of our training sessions, which were several per day. He is used to a lot of physical activity, so it is difficult to maintain his muscles when they have been trained to endure several hours of intense physical strain per day. We know how to keep fit though, so we have designed a strict regime of exercises that consist of stretching and light movement." Bella explains, searching through a pile of paperwork before pulling out a sheet and handing it to me. I scan over the page, having to double back every so often if I have read over something to quickly. This formula doesn't just affect your physical capabilities it would seem. The exercises recorded are simple, yet very effective. It is more intense than would be advised for a normal patient with this condition, however in these circumstances I can understand why.
"Would you like us to wake him. It's around the time that we would wake him anyway. We try to give him as much solids as we can, as the drip can only do so much." Donatello tells me, moving towards the bed and adjusting it so that Splinter was sitting up. "I'll go and get Mikey. By now he would have finished preparing the soup" he says as he walks out the room.
"Mikey is our youngest brother, the only one you didn't meet last night." Bella explained when she saw my confusion. "He didn't come last night as we needed someone to stay here and protect Master splinter."
"Why do you call him Master Splinter?" Its odd. They consider him their father, but they change how they refer to him as depending on who they are talking to.
"Because that is his name. We call him Sensei during training sessions, but outside of the dojo he is either Master Splinter or father." She gently strokes his fur, carefully running her fingers through the strands.
Donatello returns, this time followed by another turtle, this one wearing a orange bandanna, who I assume to be Mikey. Though, judging from the names of his brothers, I feel it wouldn't be too far fetched to assume that his full name is Michaelangelo. He is carrying a tray with a bowl and a glass of water. He eyes me warily for a moment, before moving on.
"Did you add the vitamins Mikey?" Bella asks. Michaelangelo nods.
"Yup. I followed the instructions that you gave me. I can tell you now, I'm glad that I'm not the one eating it." He scrunches up his face, gently placing the tray carrying the bowl of soup on the end of the bed.
"It doesn't matter what it tastes like Mikey, as long as it helps." Donatello tells him. Bella is now gently shaking Master Splinter, quietly calling his name as she does.
"Even so man, if I'm ever ill, just blend some pizza for me or something. Anything other than that. I may write that down, just so I don't forget" He muses, tapping a thick green finger again his chin.
"I'll make sure to include it in your health plan" Bella mutters sarcastically. Master Splinter is awake now, slowly blinking against the light. Donatello claps twice, and the lights dim a little.
"Sorry to wake you Sensei, but you need to try and eat something." Bella mutters, hand resting against his paw. He looks at her and smiles.
"It is all right my child." Michaelangelo picks up the tray once again, and brings it closer to the head of the bed. Splinter follows the movement, and then his attention focuses on me. "Who is this?" He asks, eyes narrowing. Bella is about to answer, but I step forward.
"I am Dr Cullen. I've been asked to help you" When he hears my name his eyes narrow further.
"Cullen?" He looks towards Bella, staring at her intently.
"Its okay father. He wont hurt us. We need him if you are to get better." She tells him, continuing to stroke his fur.
"Trust me, none of us are happy about it." Michaelangelo pitches in. "No offence dude, but your kind aren't exactly very popular around here." he points at me. There is no malice behind his words though. He isn't aiming to hurt or offend. He has a very easy going air about him, and I am suddenly reminded of Emmett. I have a feeling that the two of them would get along very well.
Master Splinter doesn't respond, instead shifting into a more upright position. He shakily takes the spoon into his hand and begins to eat the soup. He grimaces at the taste, but continues all the same. Bella and Donatello are watching his vital signs intently, and Michaelangelo seems to be keeping time with the heart monitor by tapping his fingers against his thigh.
A sudden shout from outside draws everyone's attention. After a few seconds, Leonardo enters the room with Raphael not far behind him.
"April just called. She says that The Foot have been trailing her for a few blocks now." Leonardo tells us. It must make more sense to the others, they all suddenly tense.
"We haven't seen any sign of them for months. They chose now to appear" Michaelangelo mutters.
"April has the antibiotics that Master Splinter needs." Bella tells him. Leonardo's eyes widen slightly before narrowing into thin slits.
"Karai. It must be." He growls. "We need to get to April" Donatello is moving around the room, placing small bits of machinery into the same bag her was carrying last night.
"We can't afford ta split up. Not with The Foot." It's Raphael that speaks this time. His voice is deep, deeper than his brothers anyway. He is looking around the room.
"Raphs right. We can't risk them outnumbering us." Leo confirms.
"We can't leave Master Splinter alone." Bella argues, leaning forwards toward the bed as if to shield Splinter.
"He won't be alone. I'll be here" All eyes focus on me. Raphael tenses. "I may not be at my full strength, but I am still stronger than the average human. And from the sounds of it you are all needed." I tell them, keeping my tone as calming as possible.
"If you think for one second that we are leaving him alone with a va-"
"Enough! You are all to go and help miss O'Neil. The more time you waste the more danger she is in. I will stay here with Dr. Cullen." Master splinter cuts in. His tone leaves no room for argument. Everyone in the room is silent for a moment before bowing their heads and muttering 'Hai Sensei'.
"We'll be back as soon as we can. Call us if anything happens." Bella places an oddly shaped phone in my hand as she passes by me. In the next second she is fastening her own mask around her eyes whilst heading out of the door. After a few seconds there is a slam of a door and everything is silent.
I turn back towards the bed, and see that Master Splinter is looking at me. No, not just looking at me. He is studying and observing me. Minutes pass before he goes back to eating his soup.
"Come, sit down. We have much to discuss."
Well, what did you think? I love the idea of Master Splinter just calmly sipping soup whilst a vampire is in the room. Thank you all so much for you wonderful reviews! Do feel free to leave more any time!
Pingu xx
