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Donatello had run his fingers over the top of his skull, as the weight of tension built thick in the air of his laboratory.
"W-What?" Raphael said first, with his hoarse voice emitting pure anger.
Donatello looked up, and leaned back into his chair. "What Nicole told Master Splinter was true. Her father was an accountant, he was handling all of Bishop's money. Also, handling his import's and export's of 'product'."
Raphael clenched his fists, and scoffed with annoyance. "So what does dat make her!?" He snapped, and Donatello stood up in front of him.
"It doesn't make her anything." He began. "Her father was working for Bishop. It doesn't mean she was doing the same."
Raphael looked at him with a hard, and angered expression. "Your brother is right." Splinter said, touching his shoulder softly.
"It doesn't mean we should ignore dis."
Master Splinter sighed heavily, and Donatello sat back down in his lab chair heavily sulking his shoulders.
"Nicole told us her father was found dead, yesterday. And, today Bishop's import has been off the charts. But, I did some looking up on Nicole, and she was telling the truth about seeing a therapist regularly. There also have been police reports about her father's murder on the news, and in the newspaper." Donatello crossed his arms, and sighed deeply. "But, there wasn't a body ever found."
"So are you sayin' he might be alive?"
"It's a possibility."
Raphael looked down at the floor, crossing his arms over his chest, and leaned against the laboratory door. "Something ain't right." He groaned.
Master Splinter walked over to Donatello, and got him up to his feet. "We should not tell Nicole any of this. I don't think she's ready to hear something like that. Tomorrow will be a new day, and we can try to find the answers we are looking for ourselves."
Raphael had opened his mouth, attempting to protest. He didn't want to wait. Splinter had all the patience in the world, but out of all the brother's Raphael was the most impatient, and wanted answer's when he wanted answers. But, Splinter stopped him before he could even begin. "He's right Raph. I did a background check on her. I mean, we aren't that naïve. She's innocent, are priorities don't belong with her." Donatello reassured.
For a moment they all stood in silence, taking in the situation. Raphael was the frist to walk out, greeted by Michelangelo never speaking to him, but seemed as if he was screaming at him for an explanation. Master Splinter had returned to his quarters, and Donatello stood somewhere inside the depths of his laboratory.
"Is everything...alright?" Nicole whispered, touching Michelangelo's shoulder. His eyes were glued on Raphael's back until he reached his room and closed the door. Even to Raphael, in a room with closed doors Mikey's glare was still felt all over his skin.
Michelangelo brushed her off, "Yeah, yeah. I'll be right back." He mumbled, and headed over to Donatello's laboratory rushing inside.
Donatello was over at a small metal table covered with an array of different mechanisms, and tools. He put down the wrench he was holding in his hand, letting out an annoyed scoff. "Sure Mikey, come right in." He mumbled sarcastically.
"What was that all about?" Mikey asked with a demanding tone, and walked over to Donnie leaning against his work table.
"What was what about?" He replayed picking up a small metal tool, and a few wires moving them to another table across the room.
"Donnie, I'm not an idiot. What did you tell Raph, and Master Splinter?" He snapped.
Donatello placed the items on the table, and pulled of the leather work gloves he was wearing, rubbing his hands together. He sighed heavily, and crossed his arms over his chest. "What's up with you Mikey? Your getting all worked up over nothing."
Michelangelo inhaled deeply, and walked over to Donatello. "Just tell me Donnie."
Donatello looked at him. "Her father was working for Bishop." He began. "But, this doesn't have anything to do with her." His eyes narrowed, and he looked down at his feet. "I think that maybe, her father might be setting her up for something."
Michelangelo's expression became confused. "But, her father was found dead?-"
"A body was never discovered at the crime scene."
Michelangelo's eyes widened, and he looked down at the floor. "You can't tell Nicole any of this. At least not yet. She won't be able to handle news like that." Donatello sighed. "This is why I didn't want to tell you."
"I won't say anything." Mikey whispered.
Donatello patted his shell, and let out a relieved sigh. "You're very compassionate Mikey. Out of all of us, you've got the biggest heart. Nicole will be safe with us, and you know that. Now, get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."
"Yeah... See ya."
Michelangelo walked out of his laboratory, and Nicole was laying on the couch still wrapped in the game she was playing. When she heard the sound the door close, she sat up, and looked over to Michelangelo who was staring at her with an exhausted expression and forced smile.
"Are you O.K?" She said with a worried tone.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I just need sleep." He laughed.
Nicole stood up turning off the T.V, and PlayStation. "Then we should go to sleep." She said running her fingers through her hair. Michelangelo nodded, and then walked over to a small closet next to the kitchen.
"There aren't any sheets in the guest room so here's a pillow, and some stuff." He mumbled pulling out a light quilt, and pillow handing it over to Nicole.
"Thanks." She said softly, taking the quilt from Michelangelo.
She looked down at her feet, pulling the sheets closer to keep them in her grip. "Well." She started. "Sleep well."
And with that she started up the stair's, walked over into the guest room, and shut the door behind her. Michelangelo walked up the stairs, making a turn in the opposite direction from the guest room. He walked into a small bathroom adjacent from his room turning on the dim light, and small faucet to fill the sink with warm water. Shutting the door with his foot, he slowly pulled off his leather gear and headband. Opening the small medicine cabinet next to the bathroom mirror, he pulled out a neon yellow toothbrush, and dipped it in the warm water to brush his teeth. After brushing his teeth he drained the sink, and grabbed all his gear before shutting of the bathroom light.
Michelangelo slowly trudged his way into his room, and dumped all his gear next to his bed before closing his door. Succumbing to his exhaustion.
...
It has been 2 week's since Donatello had discovered who Nicole's father was working for.
The turtles had kept their eye's on the news, and on what Bishop was doing. Although, there wasn't much going on topside, and there wasn't much going on with Bishop. Other than the typical thug getting in a heap of trouble. New York City was, in an odd way, quiet.
Nicole was becoming very comfortable with her life with the turtles. She enjoyed being around them, and getting closer with all of them. She met April, and Casey one weekend after they got back from a small family trip out-of-town. They both got along very well.
She was happy there with them. She felt more alive with them there.
Michelangelo, and Nicole had gotten along together fairly well. Always being with one another, and spending all their time together. The entire family had noticed them and their daily habits, but no-one thought much. But she didn't always spend all of her time with Michelangelo. Sometimes she'd spend a portion of her day with Donatello. He'd teach her new things about mechanics, and astronomy. Raphael taught her about self-defense, and even a bit on how to fight using his sai. Leonardo hadn't talked much to her, but she got his attention by showing him the wonderful world of online shopping.
Let's just say April will be receiving many packages from Teavana.
Nicole had enjoyed listening to Master Splinter talk about his life story's, and when he talked about the turtles growing up. He told her everything from the beginning until the present, and she did the same.
She was dealing with her father's death in baby steps. Having many moment's where she broke down, and lost herself. But, someone was always there to pick her back up.
On this particular day it was late into the afternoon. Around 5:45 P.M. There wasn't much activity going on about in the lair other than Leonardo and Raphael who both had been sparring in the dojo for about an hour now. Master Splinter had gone out to visit April for the day, and Donatello was in his workshop fixing up Michelangelo's skateboard after he'd accidentally dropped it down a sewer shaft on his daily ride.
Nicole had accompanied him for some time, and tried to help him fix the wheels of the skateboard only to break one entirely. From the look on Donatello's face she got the hint that she wasn't wanted around, and left him alone after that.
After some time, Nicole tried to look for Michelangelo, but she couldn't fine him anywhere around in the lair. He was most likely sleeping or something. So, she decided to watch some T.V, and maybe afterword she'd-
"Ow!"
What was that?
She moved her hand across the back of her head, and felt a small bump, and inhaled sharply at the pain she felt when she touched it.
"What's that?" She whispered, and her eyes widened when she felt some blood.
Something's not right...
Her vision quickly began to blur as she attempted to stand up, and the world around her began to spin unnaturally. The pressure from her skull made her nauseated, and her head began to throb uncontrollably sending her crashing to the ground.
"O-Oh god." She hyperventilated.
The pain shot through her body like a thousand knives stabbing into her flesh, making her scream wildly, and frail her limbs around on the ground in shock. The pain from her head was just like a headache, only so, so much more worse. She couldn't take it.
"HELP!"
She screamed, curling herself into a ball on the concrete floor.
Raphael was the first to reach her, with Leonardo not to far behind.
"What's d-da matta!?"" Raphael said, with an alarmed tone. Almost at the verge of hysteria.
He tried to pick her up, but she protested with her screams, not wanting to be touched.
Michelangelo had rushing into living room, and was horrified at the sight of Nicole twisted on the ground clenching her skull with a violent grip. Scream's echoing throughout the lair.
"N-Nicole!?" He chocked.
Donatello had run out from his workshop, and looked at Michelangelo with a worried expression.
"What's wrong!? Who's screa-?" He gasped seeing Nicole on the floor, and ran over to her side trying to lift her up. With every attempt at getting her to her feet she wailed even louder, and she nails dug deep into her forehead. Michelangelo tried to get her hands away from her face, but she wouldn't listen to him. She just kept screaming.
"Nicole-Nicole where does it hurt!?" Leonardo snapped. His voice filled terror.
They all stood in horror as her screaming escalated, and then stopped so abruptly they all jumped back. She rolled her eyes back into her head, letting out a groan, and began to convulse violently. Trashing her limbs back, and forth hitting Michelangelo and Donatello who were on the floor next to her.
"Nicole?!" Michelangelo yelled, trying to pick her up, trying to hold her down. Nothing worked. She just kept convulsing.
"Mikey get my medical kit from the lab! Leo grab some sheets from the closet, a-and a pillow for her head!" Donnie yelled cupping her head in his hands as she thrashed around more violently. Violently banging her head down on the concrete even as he tried to hold up.
Michelangelo jumped up, and ran to Donatello's laboratory as fast as he could. Leonardo pulled out all the sheet's he could find, and grabbed an extra pillow just in case. They both reached the living room at the same time, and Nicole had finally stopped moving.
"Donnie she's bleedin'!" Raphael shouted.
Donatello frantically tried to lay her on her side propping her up with a pillow. Barely even able to maintain his nerves, as Raphael helped him. He touched the back of her skull softly, as blood furiously poured from a large gash in the middle of her skull.
"Mikey, get me some scissor's." He snapped, reaching over for the medical bag. Michelangelo ran over to the kitchen ripping open the drawers, and pulling out anything that looked like scissors until he'd actually found them. He returned over to the living room in a matter of seconds, and nervously handed them to Donatello.
"W-What're you g-gonna do with those Don?" He muttered, barely even being able to speak.
Donatello didn't answer his question, or acknowledge that he even asked one. He just began to cut away the hair from the middle of Nicole's skull.
The brother's sat in horror as he buttered away at Nicole's hair, and covered the back of her skull with medical gauze trying to stop the bleeding.
"Raph. Come here. Hold these two pieces of skin together so I can stich them properly."
Without hesitation Raphael grabbed Nicole's head softly, and helped Donatello stich up her gash. "Get the spare bed ready in my lab! Get an IV drip ready, and a morphine drip! Mikey, get Casey's hair buzzer from the garage now!" Donnie shouted, as more blood poured from Nicole's skull.
Leonardo ran into his laboratory setting everything up, and called them to transfer Nicole onto the bed. After being unable to stich Nicole's gash they hooked her up to a heart monitor, and Donatello had given her medication to sustain the pain. Michelangelo rushed inside with Casey's buzzer, and gave it to Donnie.
Donatello snatched the buzzer from Mikey, and shouted for Leonardo to hold Nicole's hair, and head up.
He began to shave away all of her hair around the gash.
Once there wasn't any hair in the way they successfully closed the gash, and managed to stabilize Nicole. Donatello wrapped Nicole's head securely with gauze, and toke a step back to watch Nicole relax. Her heart rate had slowly began to return to normal.
"What now." Michelangelo asked staring at Nicole.
Donatello walked over to his laboratory chair, and sat down sinking into his seat. "We wait."
...
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