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CHAPTER SEVEN
It wasn't difficult for Raph to get a shovel and a hammer. That was way too easy, they were actually leaning against the end of the couch he was sleeping on. Raph could only assume they were there because of three things: 1) the recent funeral, 2) unlike most people Casey Jones doesn't know how to put things away, and 3) April must have been too out of it to nag him about it.
But it was going to be very difficult for him to dig Leo out without anyone noticing. And then once he was out, how was he going to hide the body?
Raph looked at Leo in front of him trying to breathe, and steeled himself. He was going to get this done. It didn't matter how. He just needed to get the first part of the plan done as soon as possible. And that first part was giving Leo some air.
"Come on," he growled, and carefully walked to the front door.
He stopped for a minute to listen to the sounds of the farmhouse. He hated having to stop when Leo needed him, but if anyone saw what he was about to do, it wouldn't get done...All clear. Everyone must still be asleep. Hopefully Sensei was asleep too, because out of everyone there Splinter would be the first one to know he left the house. Maybe if he was awake, though, Master Splinter would think that Raph just needed to get outside for a while. After all, it's not like even Master Splinter could know what he was about to do...
As quietly as possible, Raph opened up the front door.
He made his way as silently as he could to the gravesite, Leo right behind him. The grave was within viewing distance of the farmhouse, so he needed to work fast before anyone woke up and decided to look out a bedroom window.
Should he work fast, or silently? Silence was needed to keep anyone from waking up, but right now, Leo needed him more. So he chose to risk it and work quickly. He dropped the hammer next to the grave, dug the shovel into the ground and began digging.
The soil wasn't difficult to move. After all, it had all been moved around earlier that day when they put the coffin in. Shovelful after shovelful of dirt left the grave and was tossed carelessly next to it. Raph glanced at Leo even as he worked, and whatever it was that he saw in Leo's struggling face made him work even faster.
As soon as he hit the coffin, Raph broke into it with the hammer. He didn't care if a little dirt from on top of the coffin fell into the crack, or even if the hammer accidentally hit his brother underneath the wood. That was stuff they could deal with later. Right now, they needed to get Leo some air.
Leo's sudden gasp of relief was all it took to know that was accomplished.
"Now fer the hard part," Raph whispered.
Because the grave was able to be seen from the farmhouse, he needed to work as fast as he could. He used the hammer to pry out half the nails of the coffin and threw the lid open. Then, with ghost Leo acting as lookout for him, he grabbed the body and pulled it out of the coffin.
"Got it," he told Leo.
"Hurry," Leo responded.
Raph nodded, and came up with a quick plan. He ran as fast as he could to the Battleshell and placed the body in the vehicle, then shut the car door as quietly as he could before returning to the grave.
"It's in the Battleshell," he explained to Leo, "I don't think anyone's gonna look in there. Plus, it should have enough air for the night."
"Good," said Leo, already sounding like he was feeling a lot better, "You're going to need some more dirt. The coffin's caved in."
"I'll get some from the forest," Raph said, "It'll go at the bottom, and all the old dirt can stay at the top."
"Right," Leo agreed.
It took a long, long time for the two of them to make the gravesite look as if no one had tampered with it. Thank goodness for Leo's perfectionism. As soon as that was finished, they walked along the routes Raph took through the forest and to the Battleshell, to erase any trace of dirt that shouldn't be there.
Once, someone woke up in the farmhouse. Raph had to hide in the forest for a whole hour before Leo announced the all clear.
"It was just Donnie," Leo told Raph, "I think he had a nightmare and wanted to clear his head."
Eventually, everything was done.
Raph jumped in the nearby pond to wash out whatever traces of dirt were still left on him and then, only then, did he go inside and head for bed, trusting that Leo would let him know if there was a problem with the body. He got up as soon as he could to take a shower and wash the pond gunk off of him. He hadn't dared to take a shower when he came in late at night; someone would have noticed.
That morning it was a somber group of half-asleep people who met in the farmhouse kitchen for breakfast.
"Thanks again for letting Leo stay here, Case," Donnie said.
"No prob," Casey said, sadly swishing his coffee around in the coffee pot, "Anything for Leo, ya know?"
"Truly we are in your debt, Casey Jones." Splinter said.
"Raph, we'd better get going in the 'Shell," Leo said to Raph, "I don't want anyone peeking into it and finding me in there."
"Okay fine, just hold your horses." Raph whispered back to him.
"Huh?" Mikey asked.
"Nothing, Mikey." Raph said, "Listen, Masta, I was thinkin'. Would it be alright if I headed home early?"
Five pairs of eyes stared right at him.
"I just," Raph said, "I need some time ta be alone."
"Raph," Casey started, but closed his mouth and didn't finish.
"Is that ok?" Raph asked.
"It is alright, Raphael." Splinter said, "It has been very difficult for you, as it has for all of us. Go on home, my son. We shall meet you there later."
"Take your time," Raph said, "I mean, it ain't stuffy out here like it is back home."
"Don't you worry about us, Raphie." Donnie said, reaching out to his brother, "Take care of yourself."
"Yeah," Mikey said, "We all know you need to blow off some steam. We wouldn't want it to be us getting pummeled, now would we?"
"Nah," Raph chuckled, "Guess not."
"Need any snacks for the road?" Casey offered.
"Nah, I'm good," Raph said as he stepped onto the porch-but he grabbed the chips and soda that Casey tossed him anyway. "Thanks, Case."
"Don't mention it!" Casey yelled from inside the house.
"Take care," April called out.
Raph fished the Battleshell keys out of his pocket and unlocked the car.
"Is it still there?" He asked.
He saw Leo go around the back of the car and stick his head through the back door.
"Yes," Leo responded, "I'm still there."
"Good," Raph said, getting into the front seat. "Home, here we come."
The drive home was uneventful. Leo and Raph were both relieved, but neither one really knew what they were going to do next. They spent the trip ignoring their problems by listening to the radio and arguing. They mostly argued over Raph's choice of music, since Leo couldn't touch the radio to change it.
It was eery entering the Liar when it was empty. It was all the more creepy because Raph was carrying Leo's unburied body over his shoulder.
"Alright," Raph said as he placed the body in his bed again, "So. What do we do now?"
"Well, we know that I'm breathing." Leo said.
"And we know you can feel cold," Raph said.
"So," Leo said, "if we can fix me up-"
"But that don't explain why you're standing over there," Raph said. "We can fix your body, but as long as you're here..."
"Yeah, I get it Raph." Leo said, "I might not be able to wake up if I'm standing out here."
"Think you can try getting back in?"
"Maybe," Leo said, stepping forward.
"Wait!" Raph stopped him.
"What is it?" Leo asked.
"Maybe we'd better fix ya up first." Raph said.
Leo nodded. "Right," he said, stepping back. "Alright. Where do we start?"