A/N: I know I just updated this last night but I didn't like how I end this chapter so I decided to change it. Sorry if this isn't as good as the other ones. Hopw you guys enjoy it anyway.
The four turtles stood just inside Natalie's hospital room staring at the empty bed. "They wouldn't have released her so early would they?" Mikey asked.
Donnie walked over to the bed and picked up the chart hanging off the edge, "No. It says here she had surgery today. Unless she signed an AMA she should be here resting."
"What the hell is an AMA?" Raph asked.
"Against Medical Advice." Donnie stated. "It's a form patients can sign if they want to leave the hospital before the doctors think they're ready to go home."
Silence filled the room as the brothers considered the possibility of an injured woman wandering around the unfamiliar city. "You don't think she'd actually do that do you Don?" Leo asked, his voice equal parts curiosity and concern.
Donnie shook his head and hung the chart back up, "I don't know. She seemed like she really didn't want to be here."
"No way." Raphael shoved his way past Mikey, "We have all her stuff and you heard the way she talked about us. There's no way she'd just leave without a word."
The other three stared at him, unsure how to respond. Out of the corner of his eye Leo saw the doorknob to the bathroom turn. Silently he alerted the other three and they melted back into the shadows.
Natalie stumbled out from behind the door, her injured arm held against her chest with crisp white bandages. Donatello waited until she had eased herself down into the bed before emerging from hiding, "What are you doing out of bed?"
She jumped and let out a small scream. "Jesus Christ Don, little warning next time would be nice." While Natalie focused on getting her heart rate down to a normal level the others came out from their hiding spaces.
Leo looked down at her with his trademark stern look that was usually reserved for Raph, "Don's right. You should be resting not walking around by yourself."
His crossed arms and disapproval were more than she could take. "Relax Leo. I don't need help taking a piss." She said matching his stare. Realizing that the challenge would serve no good she backed down. "But I'm guessing you didn't drop by to chastise me."
"No we didn't," Donnie interjected, "We think we know how to get you home." He waited for an enthusiastic response but was met with a cold stare. "The Daimyo has access to all the different dimensions, he can use his staff to help get you back to your own dimension."
Natalie raised her good hand in the air, "Or here's an idea, we could not do that."
"Wait what?" Mikey stared at her in confusion.
"You don't want to go home? What about your friends and family?" Raph asked.
The woeful look he gave her was more than Natalie could take. She averted her eyes and stared at the tile floor instead. "Trust me, no one will even notice I'm gone. Except maybe my agent who probably will assume I fell of a mountain or pissed of the wrong person and got murdered or something."
"So you've really got no one?" Leo couldn't believe what he was hearing, "No parents, not even a sibling."
Natalie's head snapped up and she flashed him a murderous look that was gone as suddenly as it came, "None that matter." She turned her attention to Donnie, "Will my staying in this dimension have any adverse effects?"
He shifted uncomfortably under her intense gaze. "I don't think so. We've been to different dimensions before and it didn't seem to do any harm."
"Great then it's settled, I stay here and you don't need to worry about sending me home. Don't worry, as soon as I'm healed I'll be out of your metaphorical hair." Natalie settled against the pillows and closed her eyes waiting for the sound of the window sliding shut.
Master Splinter sat on the floor pretending to meditate when he heard the unmistakable sound of eight feet on the stone floor. "How did she take the news my sons?"
"Not well Sensei," Leo admitted.
"Yeah, she got kind of angry and sad when we told her." Raph said.
Donnie walked over to his computer in the lab and grabbed the carabiner of flash drives and plugged in the green one. "What did she mean by only her agent would miss her?" Mikey asked.
Only paying half attention to the conversation Don opened up one of the documents and began skimming. "I know why. She's a travel writer."
"A what now?" Raph and Mikey asked together.
"A travel writer." Don said again, "She goes on trips to different places and writes about her experiences. This whole drive is full of books, notes, videos, and pictures. She must have been talking about her book agent."
In a flash Mikey was at his side reading over his shoulder, "Cool! We can read about them and learn about what things are like where she comes from. Ow!" He rubbed his head where Raph smacked him.
Natalie stared at the ceiling waiting for a nurse to hustle into her room. Right on queue an overworked and underpaid nurse rushed in. "What do you need?" The nurse asked hastily.
"I'd like to sign an AMA," Natalie stated.
"You're sure?" The nurse asked before launching into a long lecture about how imprudent signing herself out against the doctor's wishes was. Natalie didn't hear a word of it as she struggled to put on the clothes she came in with. The unlucky nurse gave in and brought in the form.
Natalie filled it out and signed at the bottom. "Thank you," She said as she handed the form back.
The nurse simply glared at her, "Will you be needing a wheelchair miss?"
"Just a crutch will be fine." Natalie requested, ignoring the nurse's scorn. She waited patiently on the bed for the nurse to return. When she did Natalie only had one question, "Where is the nearest hostel?"
April and Casey arrived the following morning. She walked up to the receptionist at the front desk, "Good morning. I'm here to see Natalie Mills."
The receptionist typed the name into the computer, "I'm sorry ma'am but Ms. Mills left last night."
April gave the secretary an indignant look, "What do you mean she left?"
With a few clicks the receptionist double checked, "I mean she signed herself out last night and walked out of those doors on her own two feet."
"Well can you at least tell us where she went?" She asked.
The receptionist shook her head, "I'm sorry but without a personal representative form I can't disclose any information regarding the patient."
"She's not just a patient!" Casey exclaimed getting right in the receptionist's face, "She a friend of ours who is wandering around this city injured, with no money, no identification, and no idea where she's going! How could you let her walk out of here in that condition? What kind of hospital is this?"
The receptionist stared back at his unfazed by his outburst. "Sir, everything was done according to protocol and if you don't calm yourself then you'll be escorted from the premises."
April noticed that two security guards were already staring at them, "Casey she's not here. Let's go just go tell the guys and see if they can help track her down." She guided him out the hospital and into the van.
Half an hour later they were standing in the lair staring at four dumbfounded faces. "She just...left? But why? Where would she go?" Leo asked.
Donnie rubbed his chin in thought before walking over to his computer, "I have an idea. She writes in her books about spending a lot of time in hostels and homeless shelters. So..." He pulled up a map of the area around the hospital on his computer, "...That's where we start looking. She can't have gone far so the ones closest to the hospital are probably out best bet."
"Great work Don," Leo praised, "So we split up and check these places out."
"What do we do when we find her?" Mikey asked.
"We figure out why she ran and then bring her back here whether she likes it or not." Raph countered forcefully, "Now what are we still standing around for?" Donnie handed each of them a list of shelters to check out and they each went their separate ways.
Warm summer air brushed across Raph's skin as he looked down at the dilapidated shelter. Every other one on his list had been a bust and he only hoped that the others were having better luck. Below the door to the alley creaked open and out stepped Natalie propelling herself forward with a crutch. He watched as she leaned against the brick wall. With one fluid motion he lept down the fire escape and landed in front of her. "So this is where you've been hiding. You know we've been looking all over the city for you."
"I'm sorry." She said, her voice barely above a whisper, "I know I shouldn't have left. It's just...I really hate hospitals. Lying there in bed drugged up and helpless." Despite the warm night she shivered.
Gently he placed his hand on her good shoulder, "Hey, I understand. After all the times I've wound up on a dissection table I'm not too fond of them either. So I'll tell you what, I won't make you go back there if you agree to come to the lair where Donnie can look after you instead."
She smiled up at him, "It's a deal."