*It's hard to believe that this journey will be over a week from today. Time flies, especially on this fic. You've almost seen it through to the "end", though I use the term loosely. Next Tuesday marks the end of Refuge, but not the end of the series. As for what's on the horizon...I just can't go there yet.
Donatello rolled upright on the mattress, and sat up on the edge of the bed. He looked over at Luke and Caleb hovering by the computer screen, and he held up his arms expectantly. "So? Do you guys see anything definitive?"
Caleb threw a smile over his shoulder. "We're looking, Donny, we're just not finding."
It had been a little over a month since Caleb had tested the new procedure on the purple-masked turtle, which had involved using the inhibitor against the Wnt pathway, in addition to a small stem cell transplant to deal with the mutated cells already in existence.
"It's been over an hour," Donatello remarked. "Are you telling me you haven't seen anything?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Caleb answered. "We can't find any sign of the defective stem cells. It's good news in itself, but we have to keep screening for these cells. We can't get complacent once we leave North Carolina."
"We?" Don echoed. "Do you mean we, as in you and us?"
The older man nodded. "I'm moving up there, as soon as I can sell my house. All of you will be back in New York City in a month or so, and there's nothing down here worth sticking around for. Besides, Molly might fall into a fit of depression without you."
Donny ducked his head shyly. He wouldn't have admitted it out loud, but he knew he would have missed the Border Collie a great deal too. It's weird, because I've never liked a dog that way before. But she's special.
The turtle smiled broadly at Caleb. "I hope none of us guilted you into this…but I can't say that I'm disappointed, Caleb."
"Neither am I," Luke added quietly. "Caleb, I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done over these last few months. This is one of those times when words aren't enough."
The man shook his head. "I'm happier than I ever thought I'd be again, and that's thanks enough, Luke." Caleb gazed at the blond doctor for a long moment with a bittersweet smile. "This house brings back so many memories of your parents and my times with Susan. When I look back at the lab sessions I had with your folks in this very room, it feels so appropriate to know that we've come full circle. Your parents would approve of this venture, Luke, and they would approve of your friends." Caleb gave Donatello a meaningful glance. "I believe they would have kept their secret too."
Luke nodded. "I've always imagined that they would have. I'm glad that we came here. I'm happy Lotus Salvus is still a refuge…and it always will be one. Anytime we need it…it's a great feeling to know that it will be here."
"Or if we just want to visit, right?" Donatello asked warily. "I hope we don't have to be facing the end of the world as we know it to come here again."
Luke laughed. "I don't know, Donny. It's pretty hard to talk you guys into taking a vacation."
Caleb rose from the desk chair, and motioned to Donatello with his hand. "You can get up if you want. I'd like to move on to your younger brother. Wrangling him into this room should be fun."
Donatello grinned. "Leave it to me, Caleb." He drew out his phone and hit Michelangelo's speed dial.
"S'up?" the orange-masked turtle answered casually.
"You've got to see this new video I just found, Bro. You won't believe the sick move this guy used to take down his sparring partner," Donatello told him.
"I'll be there in a minute."
Don clapped his phone shut as he triumphantly dropped into a spare desk chair.
"Is it really that easy?" Caleb asked.
"Just wait," Donny offered. "In about…five, four, three, t—" Before he could finish counting, he heard footsteps pounding up the stairs. "What'd I tell you?"
Michelangelo came into the room without even appearing to be out of breath.
"I'm glad you could join us, Mike," Caleb announced. "Go ahead and lay down please."
Mike's face registered confusion, then he cast Donatello a suspicious look. "You tricked me!"
"I didn't feel like getting someone to hog-tie you, Mikey. Just get this over with, okay? Haven't you been through worse ordeals in the last five months?"
"But it's boring," the younger turtle complained.
"Well, just because I lied to you, I'll stay here and talk to you the entire time. How's that sound?"
"It doesn't really make up for it, but it's a start." He pouted, but allowed Luke to set up the sensors nonchalantly, as if he'd been living with the condition his entire life.
Sometimes Donatello found himself marveling when he looked at his brother. The effectiveness of the new procedure was now irrefutable. For the last month Michelangelo had looked, sounded, and acted more like himself, rather than the weakened shadow of the turtle he'd become over the course of his sickness. It was an incredible feeling to see Mike with energy and vibrancy again, though they were still trying to prevent him from bouncing off the walls.
"Mike, you have to hold absolutely still," Caleb reminded him.
Donatello stifled a chuckle at the sight of Mike's mock irritation.
"The sun is shining, the dogs are running around, and I'm gonna be stuck in this room for the next two hours? What's wrong with this picture?" Mike sighed.
"Just one hour today, Mike," Caleb said apologetically. "We need to stay on top of it. Is it getting warmer out there?"
"It's not a heat wave, but it's feeling more like Spring," Mike replied, and glanced at Donatello. "I want to know exactly how you plan on entertaining me, Bro."
Don patted his arm. "I'll come up with something, Mike. We could just try picturing what it will be like to go home, and pick up where we left off."
"Hopefully not exactly where we left off," Mike said morosely.
The purple-masked turtle shook his head firmly. "The Den is in good shape, Mike. Greg said that he and Bran spent another couple of hours down there yesterday. I told them not to go to the trouble, but I can't very well stop them from here, can I?"
Mike cracked a smile. "Not really. I guess you're ready to get back into your own lab, aren't you?"
Don looked around the room. "In a way, I suppose I am. The new toys are going to be fun to use, I'm not going to lie."
"They're only going to keep multiplying," Luke commented. "By the time the new lab is finished, it's going to look like some futuristic setting that no one has access to yet…but we will."
Donatello noticed Mike yawning out of the corner of his eye. "You could try getting some sleep," he encouraged him.
"I'm fine, Don. You're the one who put me in this position where I have to sit still, and my body naturally decides that it's time to shut down."
"It wouldn't hurt you either way, Mike," Luke added. "If you're tired, don't fight it."
The orange-masked turtle nodded. "Yeah, I get it, I'm still the patient. You guys won't get to pull that line on me forever."
"No longer than necessary, Michelangelo," Caleb assured him.
"Yeah, sure," Mike scoffed. "You're gonna follow us all the way to New York to keep me in line. I know how it is."
At Don's surprised glance, Michelangelo nodded.
"Yeah, he's decided he can't be parted with me, Donny. I have that effect on people."
Donatello chuckled. "He told us a few minutes ago."
"Yep, so you and Molly will get to live happily ever after," Mike teased.
"Don't start, Mikey," Don said a little crossly.
The announcement of another set of feet on the stairs had Donatello turning away from his younger brother, and focusing on the door as a 6-month-pregnant Rebecca came inside.
"What are you doing with my husband?" she asked.
"They're trying to make me talk, Beck, but I won't crack under pressure!" Mike flailed his arms dramatically.
"You're hampering what I'm trying to see with the imaging software, Mike," Caleb chided. "I liked it better when you were settling down."
"Get used to it, Caleb," Don warned him. "This is still pretty mild as far as Mike is concerned."
"Do what he says, Mikey," Becky instructed him.
Michelangelo frowned. "Here I was thinking you came to defend me, after Donny tricked me into coming up here."
"Is that true?" Rebecca made a show of giving Donny a threatening look.
"Yeah, it's true, Becky. Beat his shell for me."
Donatello laughed as the younger woman stared him down. "It was for legitimate medical reasons, as you can see."
"Then I suppose I can let you off the hook, this time," she said pointedly. "But—"
"Stay still, Mike," Caleb spoke up yet again, with more patience than Donatello would have expected.
It took a couple more minutes for the younger turtle to relax into the best possible position for Caleb to get the proper scans with his imaging equipment. The lab fell into silence while Caleb and Luke deciphered the pictures that were coming back from Mike's lungs.
The quiet didn't bother Donatello like it might have before, when everything was so unsure with Mike. It was still difficult to look at his brother and truly believe that the turning point in what had seemed like an impossible battle had occurred. He had vivid memories of the moment of discovery, when he'd realized how closely Mike's case was related to that which had killed their Sensei.
I shouldn't be thinking about that anymore, he told himself. But I about gave up the fight before it even started, and I still regret how I reacted.
He stole a look at Rebecca sitting by Michelangelo, who'd relented to dozing. She's been so brave through this. That's one top-notch girl Mikey has there, and they're going to be great parents. If it was going to happen for someone else right now, I'm glad it was them. Just a couple more months, and we'll have another new life. Maybe I'll actually be in the room when this kid is born.
Donatello enjoyed imagining Michelangelo with a child of his own, something he knew his brother had always wanted. I know he was secretly dreaming about what it would be like, even when we didn't think it was possible for us to have children. And then there's Jen…
Donatello pictured the woman in his mind, recalling her own regret at not being able to get pregnant. She hid it well after Olivia was born. I don't think anyone else was even aware of what she was going through. I hate the way she's blaming herself, as if she's actually at fault somehow. I hate the far-reaching effects of her old abusers. I would throttle each and every one of them if I could. No matter what I say, it seems like a part of her is always going to feel like she's broken.
At the same time…nothing is impossible, especially now that we've got Caleb onboard. If there's anyone that might be able to help Jenna get pregnant…It's got to be him.
Donatello let the thought trail off as the older man got to his feet. "What do you think, Caleb? Are you picking up anything in his lungs from the software?"
The older man shook his head. "Mike's lungs look good, better than I thought they would."
The orange-masked turtle opened his eyes at the news and sat up on his elbows. "Are you signing off on my permission slip, Caleb?"
Caleb's brow furrowed. "Your what?"
Luke laughed loudly, a sound that was both beautiful and freeing. "It's not time for permission slips yet, Mike. But this is great news. We haven't been able to find any sign of the mutated cells, and they were pretty much impossible to miss before."
"What does that have to do with permission slips?" Caleb wondered.
Donatello smiled at Caleb. "You still have a lot to learn about us."