I'm back! New chapter! I have been so busy lately, and finally went on vacation! I'm not sure how many more chapters I'll put into this, maybe only one more, or two, and then it's done ^^ Thank you all for being patient and leaving reviews! I know this one is very short, hopefully I'll get to make some longer ones in the future. Reviews are highly appreciated!
The trip towards the border of New York City felt as long and freezing as it had back when the city had been invaded, and Leo went into a coma. Only this time, Leonardo wasn't the only one nearly dying, and besides the chemical used to start the epidemic, Oroku Saki was the one at fault for brainwashing the people. The only logical explanation to all this would be that Kraang and Shredder were working together once more.
On a row of sweat smelling bus seats lay a young, now one-armed turtle, two blankets wrapped around him like a shaking burrito, drool running down his pale freckled cheek and onto April's tights. Mikey had been restless ever since they'd moved him, and April had taken the role of calming him down. She lay his head in her lap and stroked the back of it, and within minutes, he fell asleep.
On the seats in front of him lay another trembling turtle, Raphael. He was holding the blankets tightly and close, desperate for heat that he simply couldn't gain. Not even the warmth of a younger brother's hands rubbing his arm had any effect on his feverish body. He was freezing, and the wet cloth on his forehead didn't help the slightest. It felt like he was in a tub filled with ice cubes, leaving his skin prickling, almost numb to the touch. They all reacted to the cure; their fever had gone down, only to rise again an hour later. They gave them another ten milligrams a few minutes ago, hoping that giving it regularly would fight off the infection. So far, nothing had changed, and the red clad turtle was still having a migraine.
On the other side, a row back, lay the oldest of the turtles, oxygen mask still attached to his face. He had barely moved since they'd started driving, and they had to check on him every few minutes to be sure he was still breathing properly. Phlegm continued to rise from his lungs, and due to lack of coughing, quickly build up in his throat. If they didn't clean the tube regularly, the boy would suffocate from lack of oxygen. His heart had a proper rhythm for a while, nothing out of the ordinary, which gave them one thing less to worry about for the time being.
Soon enough they crossed the border, leaving the city behind, and were speeding down the highway towards Northampton. The road was smooth, not a single bump or hole in the asphalt slick with water. It was still raining, and the windows were cold to the touch, but to their luck, the old bus had a heating system, keeping them warm. The clouds blocked the moon and stars, the only source of light being the lamps at the highway edge.
The atmosphere was close to melancholic, yet somehow everyone managed to stay calm and collected. This was all a confusing mess. Everything had happened so suddenly, and it had yet to sink in properly. There was no doubt that this would have lasting effects on their lives, but they would manage. They had to.
They took shifts in observing the sick, and after a few hours of driving, Dr. Rockwell took over driving to give Casey a break. The kid had been thankful and moved to the backseat to sit next to April, with Donnie on her other side. April offered him a fair share of their blanket, which he couldn't refuse, and soon enough, both boys were leaning against her, fast asleep and lightly snoring. Even April managed to close her eyes, trusting the others to keep an eye on her brothers and wake them up if anything happened.
The rest of the night had been calm and peaceful, and by the time morning arrived, the bus stopped in front of the old farmhouse. Donnie woke up to April lightly shaking him, telling the genius to get up as they had arrived at their destination. Besides the two, the bus was completely empty. Had he slept through that? Apparently, yes, he had.
With a sigh, Donnie took the hand April offered him and stood up with a wince. The pain was still there, and he still couldn't walk, much to his dismay. Back when Doctor Rockwell examined the damage done to his spine, it had been a near conclusion that Donnie might never get to walk again, at least not without the help of others or the special made braces. Not only did his injury add problems, it made everyday activities harder as well. Things like training and running, even walking up the stairs would be very difficult from now on.
April helped the sad turtle out of the bus and inside the house where everyone had gathered in the middle of the living room, discussing things while still holding the three brothers. Taking them upstairs and into separate rooms, curtains closed to keep the light from hurting them seemed like the wisest decision, yet they would need some kind of alarm in case something happened when they weren't around. April had mentioned baby monitors with built-in cameras, that way they could keep an eye on them from the living room. No one disagreed, and Casey volunteered to go and buy them. Knowing that the boy had no idea how or where to find them, April decided to go with him; they needed a bunch of other things as well, so it was for the best.
The rest of them headed upstairs to place the three in their beds and get the medical equipment installed, leaving Donnie alone on the couch to think. If they didn't improve at all for the next couple of days, then what? What could he do? Could he even do anything at all? Probably not. No, it was up to them now, and they had to know that. They had to fight this, no matter how much it hurt or how sick they felt, they couldn't give up now. Donnie wouldn't let them.