Hide Myself

Chapter 3

The first thing I noticed when I woke up, was how warm I was, and how clean I felt. So to speak. I hadn't really had a proper shower or bath for quite a number of days, instead having to make due with my soap and shampoo in single person bathroom sinks with a locked door behind me. I would use a face cloth to wash myself as good as I could, and then wash my hair. It worked, and with deodorant, it stopped me from smelling. And I kept my good boyish charms clean which kept the small change flowin' into my pockets.

There was a faint rapping at the door.

"Tobias? It's Leo, breakfast is ready when you feel up to coming downstairs." His voice was the same as always, soothing and encouraging.

I nodded, then realizing he couldn't very well see that through a closed door, I replied verbally.

"I'll be down in a few…just need to get dressed."

"Alright, take your time." Was all he said before I could hear the soft pad of his retreating footsteps.

Retrieving my depleted roll of duck tape, I pulled on my sports bra and preceded the daunting task of wrapping myself up. Once finished, I donned a heavy hooded sweater. Where ever I was, I knew we were underground, which explained why it was so chilly all the time. Baggy jeans, thick socks and a pair of Doc Martins later, I was ready to go down for breakfast.

It took me a few minutes, but I eventually found the kitchen via the welcoming sound of a family chatting over breakfast. As I entered the kitchen, all eyes turned to me, as the noise dimmed down to an eerie silence. I looked around at their faces and felt a moment's worth of panic that Michelangelo had told them. My feet felt full of lead, hindering my initial desire to flee back up to the warm bedroom and hide beneath the covers.

"Gooooooooooood Morning!"

I looked over to see Michelangelo standing before the oven, an apron covered with apples tied around his waist and chest. The sight made me want to laugh, if I could remember how to.

"Hey, Toby ya gonna stand there n' gawk, or ya gonna sit down n' have some grub?"

I finally found the ability to move and made my way to an empty chair, no sooner had I sat down beside Leonardo and his father, than Michelangelo had placed a steaming plate of eggs, bacon and toast before me. I knew how I must have looked, staring at it. My eyes wide as saucers, my mouth practically drooling at the thought of such delicious food.

"This is for me?" I asked in shock.

From the looks on their faces, I gathered that yea, the boy who screams a lot is also an idiot.

"Thanks." Was all I could manage before digging into my scrambled eggs.

"So how'd ya sleep, dude?"

I looked over to Mike, swallowing the toast before replying. I gathered from the way he was carrying on, that he hadn't told anyone what he had found out.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Alright I guess…" I paused, sipping some juice. "Okay, really nicely." I smiled my thanks at them.

"How's your head feeling this morning, Toby?"

"Better than yesterday doctor Don; still a little tender. When can I stop being a walking mummy head?" I asked, giving the best pleading look that could be accomplished with dark green eyes surrounded by bruises.

"H'm, I'll have take a look after training."

I blinked at the four of them, glass of orange juice hovering just before my mouth.

"Training? What kinda training?"

"Well, Master Splinter informed you yesterday that we are trained in the ways of ninja."

Mutated turtles, I'm getting over that. Butt kicking, weapon wielding ninja turtles?

"And you're sure you don't eat people?" I asked again, half joking, half serious.

That earned me a collective sigh and I looked at them all. "What? Can you blame a guy for bein' a little suspicious? I mean, how do you guys get all this food? You rob stores or something?"

"No, we don't rob stores." Leonardo looked out towards the main area of their… house? Train station place? What exactly did they call this place? I guess home is where the weapons are. At least in their case.

"What is it Leonardo?" I asked, as he finished his drink, standing up to take his dishes to the sink.

"Time for practice, did you want to sit in?" He asked me as I watched the others hurrying to finish their own meals.

"Uh… sure?"

"Watch your footing Michelangelo, Donatello, please attempt an offensive manoeuvre. You are too defensive today. Very good Leonardo; Raphael, please watch yourself, you're creating a blind spot on your right side."

I stared open mouthed. If this was an attempt on their part to 'sate my fears' of their non aggressive behaviour, it was a real shoddy attempt. I mean, they had weapons, some of them big weapons. Like the swords. I could barely suppress a shudder as the thought of one of them slicing through me perforated my brain.

And before them all, was the rat king, who was starting to look more like a rat general training his small army for some warped hostile take over.

"I'm going to go… uh, watch some--thing." I finished lamely, barely looking over at the rat king general.

He nodded, allowing me passage to leave. I made my way to the main area, looking around at all the eclectic pieces of junk thrown here and there. There was a mannequin dummy with a lamp shade on its head, a boom box from yesteryears that looked on its last legs. One of the train cars was slightly ajar, and I couldn't help my nosy self as I peeked inside.

I have no idea what I was looking for; a sign I guess. A photo album showing them with iunno, this April girl and her husband? Something to prove that they weren't some cannibalistic species bent on sticking an apple in my mouth.

Instead, I apparently stumbled upon a make shift trophy room, filled with a shiny spikey helmet, a weird wand thing and a canister stating the name T.G.R.I. which collaborated with Splinter's story.

Okay, so it's a trophy room, loads of people have them. It doesn't mean they're horrid killing machines, right? Yea, just ignore the large turtles going slashy slashy in their training. Then again, why keep up that if their enemy is dead? Common street guys are hardly a cause for such practice…

I felt something land heavily on my shoulder as I went to turn.

"AH! Don't do that!" I screamed, looking up at a surprised Donatello as I clutched my chest. "I'm only twenty two; I don't want a heart attack just yet, thank you very much!" I glared at the sheepish smile he gave me.

"If you don't mean to kill me, you've a strange way of showing it."

"Do you mind if I take a look at how your head is now?"

I nodded, following his lead to the sick bay I had decided to dub it. I sat down on the bed and clutched the edges tightly as his hands worked on my head. Light coming in from the door way was suddenly blocked, leaving the bare bulb hanging from the ceiling the only other illumination within the car. I glanced over to notice it was Michelangelo leaning against the door.

"Hey, don't look so freaked out dude. Donny's not gonna hurt ya."

H'm, so pleading I can't do, but terror I can. Now that's a helpful gaze. It works wonders for my image.

I felt a smile tug at the edge of my lips at the thought, me pretending to be all manly to impress someone. Throw a frog or anything remotely slimy my way and watch me scream and shove said someone towards it with a shrill 'killitkillitkillit' on the tip of my tongue.

Tobias Doucette, I am a macho man.

"There ya go, see, it isn't that hard to smile, now was it dude?"

My response was cut short as Donatello interrupted me as he threw out the last of the gauze.

"You've stopped bleeding. That was my biggest concern, that and the possible concussion. But you seem to be doing alright so that's one thing to scratch off the list."

I hopped off the bed and stretched.

"But, I want to keep you here a while longer, at least until I know that you're fully healed. That gash won't take long to heal, but your ribs might."

"Ribs? What's wrong with his ribs bro?"

I glared at the back of Don's purple tails before turning to look back at Michelangelo.

"Nothing is wrong with my ribs. They're fine, peachy even!" I smiled with false sincerity.

Donatello didn't believe me, and shook his head. "I'm serious, I'm not letting you go up there. Your cut will heal fine with proper care, but it could get infected, or you could end up hurting yourself even more while on your own."

"But I can take care of myself just fine, honest." I whined, when he gave me a stern, rat king look, I switched to the defensive. "See! You are holding me hostage! Well, you can keep the fruit to yourself, because I won't be anyone's roast suckle boytoy!"

Having said my piece I stormed past him and Mike into the main area of their home. I heard the sound of someone following me, so I picked up the pace. Running to where my I had crashed the night before to grab my stuff.

Turning the corner with my knapsack on hand, I pressed a hand to my stomach as I felt my lungs pinch with pain from my sudden burst of speed. Of course, lady luck was smiling on me as I picked up speed, the ladder to freedom in sight.

"Ooof!"

I fell to the floor after ricocheting off of the chest of a very stern looking Donatello.

Did I say smiling? I meant laughing; loud, perverse, I hate you laughter.

"If I have to assign a watcher to you, I will, because it's just not safe for you topside with those injuries." He explained to me, his voice sounding like we'd had this conversation way more times than I recalled having.

"Injustice! I'm a hostage! I refuse to feed your slimy reptilian stomachs!" I cried out from my assertive position at his feet on the floor.

With an aggravated sigh, he reached down to pick me up but I scuttled out of his reach.

"Hah! Can't catch --" I backed up against another pair of legs, and looked up into the upside down face of Leonardo staring down at me with exasperation. "--me?"

With a sigh, he reached down and helped me to my feet. While my ribs were grateful, I really just wanted to get the heck outta here.

"If Donny doesn't think you're healed enough to be on your own, then you need to trust us when we say we aren't going to hurt you in any way, shape or form."

"Do I have a choice." I mumbled under my breath.

Looking over, I caught sight of Michelangelo and Raphael making their way over to me. I squirmed in Leo's grip.

"Alright, alright, I'll go vegetate in my room. Jeez, you guys are worse than my old truant officer."

Finally released, I noticed Mikey falling into step beside me as I made my way back to the car that I was going to be calling home for a while. I looked up at his smiling face as he leaned his head over to whisper to me.

"Don't worry dudette, you'll be up and ready to run free in no time."

Somehow I think that 'no time' would be a long time…

TBC