Note: Credit to Tyroth Darkstorm in his help in writing this chapter! Thanks so much!
Chapter Thirteen
Waking up
"Mona! Mona! Can you hear me? Mona...please wake up!"
Mona awoke in a place that she at first didn't recognise, but as her eyes adjusted to the bright light, she saw that it was the medical room in Mutopia.
Trying to move, she groaned a little as her side still hurt from her injury, then a hand was placed on her shoulder and gently pressed her back down in the bed.
"Stay still, Monalisa, your wounds have yet to heal." she heard her adoptive father say in a calm and gentle tone.
Looking at him, she saw not only Splinter, but also her mate next to her, both with slightly worried expressions.
"Master Splinter? Raph?" Mona cried "How…what happened?"
"Oh thank God!" Raphael said taking Mona's hand in his own.
Mona looked and saw her mate's red mask was soaked from tears.
"You had us all really worried, babe. I thought we were gonna loose you when we found you in that alley."
"We just might have if Tyroth hadn't saved you." Splinter added.
"Tyroth… saved me?" Mona cried in shock.
"Yeah, he used his magic to get you warm again, while he carried you back here. Then Donnie and James patched you up" said Raphael "But without Tyroth's help, the cold and that wound you sustained would have done you in before they would have had the chance to do anything."
"You were indeed lucky that it was he who found you first, and so quickly as he did." said Splinter. "And I believe that he wished to speak with you in private when you awoke."
Mona tensed, she wasn't sure what to feel at the moment, with how she had snapped at Tyroth earlier, and yet she owed her life to him again.
"We'll be right outside, babe." said Raphael as he kissed her forehead and followed Splinter out of the room.
Shortly after, Tyroth entered the room and looked a Mona with a serious face. He walked over and stood in front of her, still looking at her with the serious look.
"We need to talk." he said.
"Tyroth, I-" Mona started.
"Please, let me speak." Tyroth interrupted "I want to apologize for upsetting you."
"What?" Mona said in shock.
"I was so caught up feeling happy to celebrate Christmas with my family again, that I forgot how your Christmases have been" said Tyroth
"That you miss your family just as much as anyone else here and how you have suffered those years that you had to survive alone. I should have been more considerate, and I am truly very sorry for hurting you."
"Tyroth…" Mona said with a few tears in her eyes.
Despite how she had treated him just a few hours earlier, he didn't seem to care about that. "...You don't have to apologize… if anything, I should apologize to you. I had no right to act as I did, no right to be angry at you for being happy. I was just… just so jealous of you, when I really should have been happy for you and your family."
"You miss your family greatly." Tyroth replied "I know the feeling, most of us here do, in one way or another. And you have suffered, more than anyone should, but you are not the only one to have suffered. Me, Sephie, Amber, even little Sonia, we have all suffered."
"I know, and yet I took out my sorrow and anger on you, when you had done nothing wrong. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Mona sobbed, tears falling.
Tyroth reached out with his hand, placing it on Mona's cheek to comfort her, wiping away a tear with his thumb.
"It is alright, Monalisa." he said with a very caring voice. "If I had the power to undo the tragedy that happened to you, I would do it, and reunite you with your loved ones. But sadly I can't. We've all made bad decisions in our lives, an alley we shouldn't have walked through, people we shouldn't have crossed, things we shouldn't have said. But when it is the darkest, we have to see the light."
"Light? What light?" asked Mona sitting up but fell back into the pillow as she felt her wound spasm.
"I can't say that I truly believe that everything happen for a reason, but at the very least, something good can come from such things." said Tyroth "Had you not been mutated, you would never had met your soulmate. Had I never caught the attention of Overlord, he might have ruled Chicago. Had my family not been captured by the Foot, I would never have been reunited with them. And had you not left the lair, you wouldn't have been there to save that woman."
As soon as Tyroth said that, Mona froze. No-one had seen her save that woman after she knocked into the road by the mugging cyclist.
"Wait, how do you know of that?" she asked.
"The news, just came in and Amber showed me!" said Tyroth "Someone managed to record the whole thing on a phone. We recognized you straight away, even if the quality is rather poor, but had it not been for you, those kids would have lost their mother. Thanks to you, they get to have a Christmas together, yet the same action nearly caused us to loose you, if we hadn't gotten to you in time, we would have celebrated this holiday just like your family, missing one that we all love."
"I'm sorry, I never thought about that until it was too late. I never meant for that to happen." Mona said, still crying.
"I know, Mona," Tyroth soothed "And I'm not angry, just happy that you're alive, and so are the others."
"The others… Oh God… What will they think?" Mona panicked.
"Don't worry." Tyroth reassured her "It's only Splinter, the turtles, Sephie, Amber and me that know why you left. As far as the rest of Mutopia knows, you simply needed to get some air."
Mona breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Tyroth…"
"Your story is yours to tell." said Tyroth "You decide who to tell, we only told my sister since She heard what you said."
Mona looked down and was about to speak again when James came in.
"Ah Mona!" the chimpanzee said as he looked at her "You're awake!"
"Hello James." said Mona.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Still in a little pain." said Mona "if not a bit tired, despite being asleep for so long."
James chuckled.
"Well you've been through a lot tonight." he said "I need to see your wound quickly just to see how it is."
Tyroth stood back to give James some room as he lifted the blanket and checked Mona's wound.
"It's healing very well!" he said "Luckily your salamander regeneration ability combined with Tyroth's mana has helped speed up the healing so you'll be able to leave the sickbay tomorrow!"
"That's brilliant!" said Tyroth "Then she'll be able to join in with the rest of our celebrations!"
Mona too grinned despite the pain in her side.
James nodded.
"I just want to have you in here overnight just so I can keep an eye on you" said James "But by tomorrow, you'll be good to go, though you'll need to avoid doing physical activity for a bit."
"I'm alright with that." said Mona "Splinter said we got no training until after New Years."
James nodded and looked at Tyroth "Best let Mona get some rest," he said "I'll let the others in briefly but she needs to heal."
Tyroth nodded understanding the doctor and stood up.
"Okay Mona" he said to the Lizard lady "Try to get your strength back, you will need it since we still have a holiday to celebrate."
"I will." said Mona "And, Tyroth, you're a wonderful friend, you know that right?" she added with a smile.
The dragon smiled at her.
"I know," he said and left.
As he left, Michelangelo, Sephie, Leonardo and Amber came in.
"Big sis!" Michelangelo wailed as he ran to his sister's side and hugged her close "I thought you were gonna die!"
Mona felt tears come to her eyes as she hugged her adopted baby brother.
"Gently bro..." said Leonardo as he walked over and stroked Mona's hair "Mona...thank goodness!"
"Are you alright?" asked Sephie coming to Mona's other side with Amber.
"I am..." said Mona with a small smile as Michelangelo gently let go of her.
Amber sat next to the ed and placed her hand on Mona's.
"Mona, I had no idea..."
"It's okay." said Mona "I never talk about it...but if you wish to know, I'll tell you."
"Don't worry yourself Mona." said Amber "I understand."
Mona rested back into her pillow.
"I'm sorry I scared all of you..." she said "it was the last thing I wanted to do."
"Relax Mona." said Leonardo "You're home now, home and safe, and the important thing right now is you getting better!"
Mona nodded.
"You'll be okay Mona." said Sephie stroking her friend's hair "I'm so relieved we found you! And you'll be able to enjoy Christmas with us!"
Mona smiled at Sephie.
"I can't wait!" she said.
Just then James appeared.
"Okay you lot." he said "It's time to go now, Mona needs some rest."
Michelangelo looked disappointed but he leaned down and hugged Mona again.
"I love you big sis!" he said "I love you so much!"
"I love you too Mikey." said Mona.
Leonardo kissed Mona's forehead.
"Rest and get better okay?" he said.
Amber and Sephie also hugged Mona and wished her well before they left the sickbay.
James then began to pull the curtains around Mona's bed.
"Try and get some rest Mona." he said.
"Thank you James." said Mona as she snuggled down and closed her eyes, a small smile forming on her face as she felt grateful she was alive and able to enjoy Christmas with her loved ones.
So Mona's going to be okay! Thank goodness! Yay!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Stay tuned for the next one!
Hope you're all ready for Christmas!