Another day after meeting the Jones family, the brothers resumed their nightly excursions to the surface, and despite the fact that Yoko seemed to grow more confident around the mutants without clinging to Raphael like a shield, she was still quiet. She still refused to talk about what, exactly, had happened the night she'd met Raph. And every time the brothers returned to the lair, they found themselves shocked at the difference.
While the young ninjas romped on the surface, participating in any number of Leo's training exercises, Yoko took their absence as an opportunity to clean, scrub, and organize the lair. They'd even been chased out with a broom when they came home early one night. Master Splinter relished changes, even if he would not openly admit to it. Relished the reality that his sons were being chastised for their disorganization and sloppy habits, and actually taking the reprimands seriously, or at least enough to change said habits.
A few nights after the Jones' visit, the brothers had gone on a particularly long and rigorous routine, and Yoko took the opportunity to slip into Donnie's lab and nearly cursed at the mess presented before her.
She'd just finished arranging the various chemicals and components into an organizational system she thought Donnie would appreciate, when the brothers finally returned. She knew from the ruckus they dragged into the peaceful residence. Her features contorted with annoyance as she set the beaker she was holding into alignment with the others she had discovered while cleaning, before schooling her features into a gentle smile, and slipped from the den. Ready to reprimand the ninjas for discarding their weapons wherever they pleased. However, to her surprise, she found them carefully arranging their weapons amongst the others she had gathered and – with the help of Donatello – artfully organized along an empty wall. Mikey had fondly named it the "weapons wall" once it was finished. Unfortunately, it had just taken an ungodly effort on her part to get the brothers to actually use the weapons wall for something other than pulling new ones down for training or practice purposes. Leo had been the only one to actually try changing his habits as soon as she incited the new house rule, but he was also the least sloppy of his brothers too…
With Mikey, she actually had to resort to picking up his nunchucks, throwing stars, and other favored weapons and items, and depositing them on his bed. Particularly under his pillow, sheets, blankets, and even occasionally the mattress before he got the message to start hanging them back up when he finished with them if he didn't want to wake up with the tip of shuriken imbedded in his shell. Raphael and Donatello had made plays at picking up after themselves, but Raph's idea of "putting away" mostly just included throwing his stuff on the floor of his room and slamming the door shut and Donnie just piled everything up in a corner.
Pressing her lips into a tight line to keep from laughing as the brothers argued amongst themselves as to where each weapon was supposed to hang, Yoko took a step forward ready to assist the ninjas when a bell sounded.
"Jeez, talk about punctual." Donnie huffed as he quickly dropped his bo staff and spun around, nearly colliding with Yoko. "Woah! Hey!" He yelped, ducking out of the way with the precision obtained only with years of practice. "Sorry, Yoko!" He apologized, just as the elevator doors breezed open revealing a man with messy blonde hair, a small beard, and a white lab coat lazily slung across his shoulders.
At the sight of the stranger, Yoko's eyes narrowed, slowly drawing away from him as Donnie approached the man and a hand fell on her shoulder. She turned to see Raphael at her side, amber eyes focused on the gentlemen in their home. "It's just Brennen. You remember us mentioning him, right? He's the one that stitched you up that night. I guess he wants to see how his latest mutant patient is faring, first hand." He explained as he watched his brother engage in a conversation with the middle aged man. She had heard of Brennen, mostly from overhearing Donnie talk to him on the phone about how she was doing and how her shoulder and leg injuries were healing.
She glanced down at the stark bandage poking out from the collar of her makeshift robe, her gaze traveling down to the second bandage wrapped around her thigh. A dull throb coursed through her veins as if seeing the bandages reminded her that the injuries beneath still ached. Her throat felt dry when she lifted her gaze again, and found Brennen staring directly at her as he and Donnie made their approach.
"So they tell me it took you a whole week to trust them enough to even tell 'em your name. I can't say I have that kind of time – or patience – so let's just get this done and over with. Then you can go back to staring at me like I'm a rogue dog about to rip your throat out and I can get back to work." He directed, as he sauntered closer to the female mutant. "How 'bout we move this to the couch?" He added after a moment, noticing the crowd that gathered as the four brothers joined them and even Master Splinter poked out of his chambers.
Yoko barely acknowledged the request as she pivoted around, struggling to keep her pace steady at the sharp intake of breath that echoed from the doctor as he observed the damage to her shell. She ignored him as she moved across the corridor, toward the couch where the threadbare blanket and pillow Donnie had been using since her arrival were neatly folded and piled.
"I knew the shell was going to look pretty gruesome…" Brennen was saying to the brothers, as if Yoko couldn't hear him perfectly. "Has it shown any signs of healing?" The question was directed toward Donnie, at least she assumed since he had been the one handling her injuries – with the help of Raphael, as she still refused to let any of them touch her with the exception of the red-masked turtle.
"I haven't recorded a single indication of new growth on her shell." Donnie responded, just as quietly, as if he too assumed Yoko couldn't hear him. She had just sat down, perched on the very edge of the sofa when a battered tin box was dropped on the table in front of her, the lid flipped open with a soft creak. The box was a familiar sight, filled with various types of bandages and ointments. Her gaze flitted from the box to the terrapin that was carefully picking through the different bandages, pulling out a few that he had become familiarized with while assisting Donnie in changing her dressings. A weight settled on the cushions beside her, and her gaze flicked sideways toward the rodent that joined her, his dark gaze focused on his son.
After another moment, Brennen walked around the couch, dismissing Raphael with a wave of his hand, as he knelt before the female mutant. "A'right, let's see how you've been healing." He made a move toward her shoulder, toward the bandage pressed to her skin, but she skillfully leaned back. Her gaze flicked between the man in front of her and the only turtle she allowed to touch her.
"We might know her name, but she's still got trust issues. Especially when it comes to physical contact." Raphael informed him emotionlessly.
"All right, genius." Brennen retorted back, pulling away, "Then how have you been changing her bandages? Or do you just give her a clean bandage and let her do it, herself?"
"Don't be ridiculous, me and Donnie do it. He inspects from a distance, and I apply the bandage. I guess I'm the only one she lets touch her."
"All right, we do this your way." Brennen declared, eying Yoko through the corner of his green eyes, "You get the bandages off, while I have a quick word with your sensei. And is there any way we can lose the crowd?" He nearly growled to the surrounding turtles, effectively dismissing them as he and Master Splinter rose to their feet. The rodent fixing his beady eyes on his eldest son. "Take your brothers to the dojo, Leonardo." He instructed as he followed Brennen back through the room toward the elevator and away from prying ears, while Leo ushered his brothers out and Raphael took up Brennen's post.
The doctor held his tongue, his suspicious green eyes constantly flicking over his shoulder to ensure Leo took both Donnie and Mikey into the dojo and Raph was preoccupied with peeling off the bandages clinging to the female mutant's shoulder. When he was certain they didn't have an audience, he finally turned his attention back to the elderly rodent in front of him, patiently waiting. "It's been more than a week, hell it's almost been two weeks. Is it true? Is her name the only thing you've learned?" He hissed.
"We've learned that she desires to be a mother, enjoys cooking and cleaning, and is disgusted by anything cooked in or with grease grease." The rodent added.
"You know what I mean, Master Splinter." The physician replied sharply.
With a sigh the rodent turned his beady eyes to the couch across the corridor for a brief moment before turning back to the man in front of him. "No." He stated, "We haven't learned anything about what happened that night. Or her connection to the Foot Clan."
"So you haven't figured out if she's a spy yet?"
"If she were a spy, she has already gathered more than enough information on me and my sons to report back to her master. Yet she has made no move to leave. She has not even requested to be taken to the surface with my sons."
"That doesn't mean anything. And you know it. She could be biding her time, waiting until you guys aren't suspecting her."
"It is possible."
"Someone needs to earn her trust, get her to open up. Based on Donnie's reports, I really thought she would have opened up to Raph by now, but apparently I was wrong. And she shuts down whenever someone broaches the subject of that night?"
"It would seem. It took a while, but she did speak openly to Mrs. Jones."
"That's nice, but I mean someone who can tell when she's lying, and can read into subtle clues. I'm suggesting you, Master Splinter." The doctor hinted. "From what you said, she hasn't left the lair. From a doctor's perspective, I'd say that leg of hers needs to be stretched, nightly. Maybe while a certain four terrapins are running drills on the surface?"
The suggestion was barely concealed, and did not sit well with the ninjutsu master, but even he had to admit it was a good idea.
"I'm just trying to look out for you guys. Something isn't right about that girl. Mutant turtles don't just appear out of thin air, least of all with Foot Clan brands on their shells. I don't know about you guys, but I haven't gotten a wink of sleep wondering what her connection is to those monsters." Brennen added with a sneer.
"Hey!" Raphael suddenly yelled from over the couch, drawing their attention. "You wanna look at this before I put a new bandage on it?" He inquired of Brennen with a pointed look, before his gaze quickly fell to the woman in front of him, a nervous smile replacing his grimace as he said something to her that neither Brennen nor Master Splinter could hear.
"Well I guess that ends our little conversation." The physician sighed, as he stalked away from the rat mutant, maneuvering his way back to the couch and the mutant turtles that awaited him. Meanwhile, Master Splinter stood back and merely watched before moving toward the dojo where he could make out the sounds of his remaining three sons sparing.
Brennen didn't stay long after checking Yoko's injuries and letting Raph wrap them again before taking his leave. He poked his head briefly into the dojo on his way out, making sure to raise his voice high enough for all the turtles to hear when he addressed the rodent again. "Her injuries seem to be healing okay, there's no sign of infection, but Donnie knew that already. Her leg's bothering me though. She needs to stretch it more. Master Splinter, do you think you could spare a few minutes every night to let her stretch it? About ten or twenty minutes, just let her walk around the sewers a bit."
"I can do that!" Mikey piped up.
"You got training to do, and besides, from what I've seen she'd spend the entire time just trying to avoid you. She'd probably end up overstretching it if you or one of your brothers tried taking her out. Therefore, I'd rather Master Splinter do it."
"Very well, Brennen." Master Splinter cut in, before any of his other sons could argue with the physician. "We will consider your advice." He added, before dismissing the man by turning back to his sons.
As the ninjutsu master turned his attention back to his training prodigies, barking out orders for them to follow, specific maneuvers to display, and critiquing every flexed muscle, Brennen decided to leave.