DISCLAIMER: As it is and always will be, other than reviews (which are wonderful!), I get diddly from this story. Thanks for stopping in and, if you care to, leave your calling card.
Okay, this does not have the same content as the original upload of Chapter 7. As I sometimes do, I revised all the chapters, finding better (I hope) ways of writing things and added here and there. In keeping these chapters to manageable lengths, I had to split some of them in half, shifting the new half down, which shifted everything over and into a separate chapter – which explains why this one opens where it does. So, Chapter 8 will deal with what was Chapter 7, meaning that Chapter 9 will be completely new.
Understand? No? Oh well, just read and be surprised. :0) And leave your 'calling card' at the door.
Be blessed.
Chapter 7 – Familiar Stranger.
Beth had the strangest sensation that someone was carrying her and, stranger still, seemed to be running at the same time. It seemed as if whoever that someone was, had also sprouted wings,because every so often she felt as if she was flying.
It was the weirdest feeling.
She wanted to open her eyes, but the pull of sleep seemed to grow strongerwith each passing second. What was more bizarre was that Beth could not remember why she was sleepy.
She just was.
As her mind became more and more muddled, the idea of even caring about what was going on seemed frivolous. She did notice a subtle pain in her side that, at first, felt rather intense. However, as the need to fall into blissful slumber weighed upon her, the pain seemed to subside quickly.
Overall, though, she was convinced that she was dreaming, how else could she explain herself flying through the air? Just the same, she did feel a bit of alarm. If she could have, she would have opened her eyes, just to verify that she was dreaming. However, the need for sleep became stronger moment by moment than her discomfort and concern. Even though she did remember feeling quite anxious and worried only a while ago, whatever had made her sleepy dulled those concerns considerably.
Then, every so often, she would hear someone speak. But it wasn't a voice that she recognized. Therefore, it kept her just a little more focused than she wanted to be. She wanted to sleep, but the voice kept annoying her. It had a muffled quality to it, as if the person speaking was doing so underwater.
"Wish they'd quit mumbling," she thought to herself. Then, again, maybe her hearing was just as compromised as her now-subdued fear.
Yet, the need to sleep was becoming more overwhelming than the irritating voice, its pull too strong for her to fight.
However, in the moment just before Beth finally gave in and slipped within the comforting embrace of dreams, she heard someone say, and for the first time quite clearly, "Gad, Raph, she sure didn't look this heavy!"
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"Master Splinter, we're back – and we found Leo!" Donnie announced eagerly.
Holding onto Leo's feet and slowly clambering down the ladder, Don helped Raph as they lowered their injured and still unconscious brother through the lair's opening. Leo's current physical state worried Don a great deal, considering his brother was unconscious and they were unable to rouse him.
Early on and when it became obvious that Leonardo was too heavy for one of them to carry, Raphael and Donatello both had to do the job. In the end, it took them longer to get home. With Leo supported between them and weighing them down, they were unable to leap across the narrow streets between buildings. Consequently, Raph and Don had to descend to ground level, keeping to the shadows while they traversed the mostly deserted byways to get back home.
Mike went on above, running along the rooftops and, when he had to, leapeing between buildings. He would then wait for his brothers to catch up with him, as he shouldered the woman in his arms.
Much to his dismay and mild complaining, he had the job of carrying the injured girl.
While still in her apartment and after checking her injury, Donnie discovered they couldn't leave her behind, considering how much she bled. That was when Raph made the decision to bring her back to the lair, if only to treat and dress her wounds.
"Then, we keep her knocked out until we get her back to the apartment. I'm not puttin' up with any overnighters." he had growled.
Just the same, they had to make sure that she wouldn't wake up. As a result, Don used one of Mike's darts to render her unconscious. Their plan was to keep her sedated long enough while she was in their care and then return her to the apartment as Raph had ordered, along with a note that vaguely explained her condition. Their hope was that they would return her later on that early morning and that she would remain unconscious until then.
It was either that, or risk having her landlord wonder about her absence. Not knowing if the woman had any friends, it wouldn't be prudent to keep her too long away from her apartment.
Now, where they were home, they could give Leo the help he needed and treat the woman's injuries, as well.
With Don's announcement of their arrival, Master Splinter hobbled out of his car. As all of them came into the lair, the moment he saw his injured son, the rat's ears went flat in concern. His whiskers twitched anxiously as he surveyed the scene before him. With his cane tapping hurriedly along the concrete floor of the lair and in time with his steps, he made his way over to where his sons had laid Leonardo down on their tattered couch. Then, his attention riveted to the unconscious girl in Mike's arms. "I see we have a guest, too?" the rat calmly stated.
"Yeah, and she's injured," Raphael announced grumpily, "We didn't have much of a choice, Sensei, since she might have bled to death."
For the moment, Splinter accepted his son's explanation. Then, he directed, "Put her in my room, Michelangelo," Noticing the blood along her side, he added, "Donatello may dress her wound in there."
While Mike took the woman into his master's car, Splinter went over to his oldest son, who lay unconscious upon the couch. He knelt down to apply a bony hand upon Leo's brow. Then Splinter closed his eyes. His breathing slowed just a little as he concentrated and, drawing his hand off Leo's forehead, he said, "Your brother is in a coma, though I sense it will not be for long." As he visually checked Leonardo's physical state, he noticed the attempted dressing of his wounds. They weren't the usual wrapping that the rat had come to recognize. Splinter then asked as he looked over at his purple-masked son, "Did you do this, Donatello?"
"No, Sensei, we believe the woman did. We found Leonardo in her apartment already bandaged." Don replied. He stood behind the couch with Raph, as their father assessed their unconscious brother's condition.
Noticing that a few of the bandages had slipped from some of the wounds, revealing the cuts underneath, Splinter remarked in subtle alarm, "These were made by a sword. I suspect Leonardo met up with some of the Foot." Then, he looked up at his sons, "She must know how he came to be this way? Is that why she is injured?" the rat asked as he looked up at Don and Raph. "Were you defending him from her?"
Mike soon piped upwhen he heard his father's question, "No, she panicked, Master." He came around behind the couch to join his two brothers and explained, "She had been asleep next to the couch where Leo was. I sort of woke her up when the floor creaked. She grabbed Leo's sword and then tried to say something to me, I think she was attempting to tell me she tried to help him. But, when she saw Raph and Don stand up, she passed out and fell on the katana's hilt."
Looking over at his youngest son, Splinter asked, "Why did she have Leonardo's katana, Michelangelo?"
Don replied this time, "She found it in the alley by her apartment. We were looking for him and were standing on the roof when we saw her take it. Raph followed her to find out where she lived. Because she had his sword, we all decided she must know where Leo was."
Raphael then interrupted, "We had to go inside the building, Sensei, to find out which apartment she lived in."
"Were you seen?" the rat asked, his expression serious as he studied each of his sons.
All three brothers shook their heads and said at the same time, "No."
Pleased, Splinter nodded and then stated, "Good. Now, it is obvious that this woman knows of your existence, where she has tried to take care of your brother and has seen the three of you…"
Mike suddenly grinned and said as he interrupted his father, "Ah, but, Sensei, I sedated her, so if we keep her that way until we get her wound dressed, we can return her to her apartment before she wakes up!"
Splinter looked up at his son. His whiskers twitched in contemplation and his tail snaked the ground behind him as he thought about what Michelangelo said. Then, looking back at his sub car bedroom, where the woman lay sleeping, the rat replied, "It would depend upon her wound, Michelangelo, and how long she has to stay here. It would not be fair to keep her in such a state indefinitely."
"But, we have to, Sensei; we can't afford to let 'er know 'bout us, where we live," Raphchallenged, "Evah since April was killed and Casey disappeared, we decided not t'befriend humans anymore, remembah."
Narrowing his eyes, Splinter glared over at Raphael, "I may be on in years, my son, but my memory still serves me well. I remember our agreement, but we are still at an impasse. This woman should not suffer where it is apparent she tried to help your fallen brother." Hearing Raphael's angry intake of air in protest, Splinter's tail slapped the ground as he said, "IF a friend she becomes, Raphael, then it is a friend that we need. We will NOT keep her sedated any longer than necessary." With that, the rat turned to Donatello, "Now, go get the necessary supplies and treat our guest of her wound. Keep her sedated until you are done. After that, I believe that Michelangelo should watch her." The rat turned to his youngest, "If she wakes, then you should the one she sees first."
As Don left to go and collect the first aid supplies, Mike was clearly not at all happy with his father's choice. He then looked at Splinter and asked, "Why ME?"
"Because," Master Splinter explained, "You are the reason why she woke up; therefore you should be the one to greet her when she wakes up again. At this point in her relationship with us, you will be a familiar face to her."
Mike sighed and shook his head, muttering under his breath, "I would think carrying her home should have been enough punishment."
Ignoring Michelangelo's complaint, however, Splinter then focused his attention on his oldest son.
Just then, Leonardo began moaning, stirring restlessly upon the couch. It was clear that he was beginning to come out of his coma. As the ninja master assessed his son's wounds, he noted the careful application of wrappings. While Donatello slipped into the car to dress their guest's injuries, Splinter commented to Raphael and Mike as they stood there and waited, "It is obvious that this woman took great care in helping your brother. Is it possible that where you saw her take Leonardo's katana, that it is there where she found him?"
Shrugging, Raphael replied, "Don't know. We only saw her pick up th'sword. But I guess she could've."
Nodding his head, Splinter then theorized, "It would be impossible for her to carry him, where it took the two of you to do so. It is possible that he was conscious when she found him; that is if she was the one who found him in the first place."
"What are you saying, Sensei?" Mike asked as he looked worriedly over at his father.
"What I am trying to say, Michelangelo, is this. She might not be the only one who knows about Leonardo. She might have had help getting him to her apartment. If this is true, then that 'someone' might be looking for her this very moment."
"That would mean…" Raph began to say, but Mike interrupted him.
"That the police could get involved."
"Yes." Splinter said sadly and then stated, "Which means taking her back to her apartment will be difficult. We may be forced to keep her until we can be certain she did not have assistance."
As the three thought about their situation, Leo began to stir even more, his eyes moving under their lids and occasionally opening up. Splinter called softly, "Leonardo, my son, you are home." He waited and noticed that the turtle in blue was becoming more awake as the seconds ticked by. "Leonardo, please try to wake up, if you can," his father encouraged calmly.
"Yeah, bro, we have some questions for ya!" Raph called out eagerly. Looking over at the car where the woman lay, he commented worriedly, "For example, is that girl married or does she have a boy friend?"
"Why d'ya wanna know that for, Raph? You interested in her?" Mike joked as he laughed.
Glaring over at his youngest brother, Raphael grouched, "No, ya moron, Leo might be able to tell us if she was working alone or if she had company."
"Well, she's not married, if that's what you think." Don declared as he came back out of Splinter's car. "She doesn't have the ring to prove it and, by the way she keeps herself, I don't think she's even interested." He shook his head and said, "Mike, I have to hand it you, you have a stronger constitution than I do."
"Why is that?" he asked.
"Well," Don replied as he quirked his eye ridges, "I don't think she's taken a bath in a while, for one thing. From what I can see, she almost appearshomeless, only we all know she isn't, if that apartment was hers. Still, whatever reason she has for not taking care of herself, I'll bet there's a psychosis or neurosis to explain it. That's usually why people don't keep themselves up." Then, as a side-note, he added, "Plus, there's some deep scarring along her stomach, as if she had an encounter with a knife."
"Do you think she was a victim of a violent crime?" Splinter asked in concern as he looked up from watching Leo.
"Well, unless she had a botched surgery, that's my guess." Don replied as he headed over towards the kitchen. "I've cleaned and dressed her wound, so right now she's resting. Hasn't woken up, yet, but I don't think she'll be out for long." He turned the faucet on and, after washing his hands, he shut it off and then dried his hands on a nearby towel. "So, Mike, your turn!" Don said with a smirk as he came out of the kitchen area.
Mike reluctantly headed to his master's car as Donatello went over to where his father was kneeling, "If she is a victim of a past crime, then there's a good bet she'll have some residual emotional affects from it. That scarring was too random, too violent looking to be a surgery, botched or otherwise. My guess is and based on her physical condition, she might be suffering from PTSD."
"PTSD? What the…" Raph asked, completely confused. "Is that a sexually transmitted disease and how would you even know she has that?" he smirked.
"No, PTSD is NOT a disease, Raph," Donnie said in exasperation, "It's short for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's the residual affects of what people go through after they've experienced extreme trauma. Veterans of war go through it, people who have survived accidents, natural disasters, or abuse can suffer from it, and those who have experienced a violent crime can have PTSD. There are many side-affects and one is that the person doesn't take care of themselves. Sometimes they become a recluse." Donatello took a breath and then asked, "Did you notice that her apartment was barren of any decorations? Just a clock on the wall, no pillows, no pictures, no flowers, nothing to suggest that a woman lives there. Just her plain and simple furniture. Not even a throw rug."
"So, maybe she's a minimalist!" Raphael decided as he shrugged. He watched as Master Splinter stroked Leo's face,trying to get him to wake up. "Maybe she just doesn't like clutter." He looked back up at Donatello and grinned.
"No, I don't think so. Even April liked a few things in her apartment and you know how much she hated decorating." Don explained.
"Only because she lost most of her stuff in that fire at her father's thrift shop years ago." Raph murmured in a grump. "Okay, so, let's say yer correct and this gal is suffering from some after affect, this PSTD, or what have you. What's it got t'do with us?"
"It's PTSD and it has a lot to do with us, Raph. After she passed out, she injured herself on Leo's katana, which wasimmediatelyafter she saw Mike. She will probably combine her experience with that and whatever or whoever cut her up initially." He looked over at his father and brother as he concluded, "Which means as soon as she wakes up and sees Mike, she may go nuts on us, or worse."
"What can be worse than going nuts?" Raph shook his head, not looking forward toa nut-job woman in their midst.
"She might go catatonic." Don replied but explained before Raphael could say anything, "And that doesn't have anything to do with cats, so don't even go there!" With that, Don crouched down to see if he could help his father wake Leonardo.
Raph shuffled his feet as he looked beyond them to the train car where Mike was watching the woman. He then announced, "I'm goin' t'me room. Keep me posted on Leo, 'kay?" Then he left for his room, as Splinter and Don tended to his fallen brother.
Just then, however, Leonardo began to move a little more on the couch, moaning as if in pain.
Hearing his brother's maon, Raphael turned quickly back around and rushed over to the couch again. Seeing Leo open his eyes, Raph called out, "Hey, Leo, yer awake?"
Splinter smiled down at Leonardo and said softly, "You are home, my son. How are you feeling?"
Leonardo blinked a few times and looked around. His mind was slightly clouded and his vision blurry from having slept for so long. Yet, slowly his eyes began to focus, enabling him to see more clearly those who were either sitting or standing around him. Licking his lips, he studied each person carefully while squinting and scrunching his face. He seemed quite confused, as if trying to make sense of things.
He then looked back at the rat. Slowly, his eyes grew large and fearful.
Finally and much to everyone's surprise, he asked, his voice shaky and full of uncertainty, "Wh-who are you?"
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A/N: Wow, and I'm getting rather tired of 'wow, but – what can I say, it fits with all the reviews and reader count:0) Leo's amnesia, Beth's drugged situation, a worried family. Yeah, it's been quite a ride and I've only just begun with this story. I do not plan on writing a marathon, as some of my other musings grew into, yet we all know that can change in a heartbeat.
Well, I guess we all know the drill by now. Considering the enormous reaction to this story, I am forced, once again, to list only by name rather than comment on those who left reviews. They are and in no particular order – Pacphys, Lunar-Ninja, Readerrr Girrrl, Ramica, Kaliann, Mystic Mewtwo, Pretender Fanatic, Sassyblondexoxo, Mickis, Kuroi Neko-Kun, BubblyShell22, Gummadoon Fanatic, T, and Katana-Babe.
Thanks so much for your attention to this story and your enthusiasm. As you all well know, it is the life-blood that keeps us writing and contributing to Fan Fiction.
Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Be blessed.