Randall was laid on the infirmary bed in the back of the truck before they all got out of there. Raph drove home.
"Randall, are you okay?" Mikey asked in concern.
"He was hurt by the Shredder, shell for brains. Of course he's not okay." Raph said.
The wounds were from the middle of his back down to even under the lower right arm. Don knew he was going to have to stitch the wounds up. They were deep too.
"Just try to steady your breathing, Randall. I know it hurts." Leo was trying to keep Randall awake. He was breathing hard.
Randall was lying on his left side. Now he really wanted to kill the Shredder too, but it would be awhile before he was able to do that.
Don took Randall's vitals and his pulse was a little weak due to some blood loss. It was a little paler shade of red, or pink.
"Randall, when you're well again, I should take some blood from you so that just in case something much worse ever happens, you can have your own blood stored to save your life." Don said.
"Yeah, sure." Randall muttered angrily. He was just mad at the enemy for doing this to him. But once again, he had saved Leo's life, and Leo had saved his this time as well.
When they pulled into the garage, Don and Leo were instantly picking Randall up in their arms to get him to the lair's infirmary. Given his weight and body length, it took two people to carry him. They took the elevator to the bottom.
Mike, Raph, and Splinter could see that Randall was hurt and he needed help. His blood was soaking through the bandages that were just to stem the bleeding.
They got him into the infirmary as fast as they could. The belts were taken off and some fresh bandages were put onto the wounds.
As much as this treatment was hurting him, Randall knew he had to let the turtles do this as they knew how.
Mikey called Leatherhead and that they had had trouble with the Shredder and that Randall had been hurt in the battle.
LH didn't hesitate to come over and help. April was also called over.
When all three doctor ones were together, Randall wondered what they were going to do. This scared him right now.
Leatherhead kept pressure on the wounds to try to stem bleeding. Don prepared stitches while April got some water and a cloth ready.
Don then prepared a syringe and needle. "Randall, you've lost a lot of blood. I'm going to have to do this with you awake. But I will numb the area up."
"Do it." Randall grumbled.
Don gave him a couple injections. The area went numb. Then the wounds were stitched closed.
Leatherhead saw how Donatello did stitches and he was good at it. He had done them more.
Randall didn't watch Don stitch the wounds up. But when he was done, he was glad it was over. April then came forward and cleaned the skin up of the old blood ever so gently.
Once the area was clean, new bandages were wrapped around Randall's middle. It was four in the morning, but everyone was glad they had Leo back. They had only waited one day before the trading time and had gotten Leo back before the second night and who knows how long before the Shredder would do damage to him.
After Randall was taken care of, the family came in to see how he was doing.
"I'd really like to thank you, Randall. You took a blow for me. It shows how much honor you really do have within you." Leo said.
"Welcome." Randall managed. His eyes were growing heavy.
Mikey was next. "You saved Leo twice now and he did save you from the Shredder."
"Hm." Randall mumbled.
"We should let him rest. We'll check back on you later." Splinter said. "We should all go to bed. It has been a long night. Get well, Randall."
Randall couldn't wait a second longer. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.
April would stay and watch over him for now. She made sure to put a couple of blankets over him. She was glad that Randall was fitting in with the family, but would he choose to stay after he recovered?
…
The memory of the Shredder haunted Randall's dreams. He dreamed he had been captured and tortured. He knew he had made a deadly enemy of the Shredder and he would be happy to kill this enemy too, if he could.
April could see Randall was having a hard time relaxing in his sleep. It must have been something bad. It had been a few hours since they got home. She was tired herself, but she wouldn't sleep until one of the others took over.
He was moaning and groaning in his sleep. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. April went over to wake him up.
"Randall. Randall, wake up."
He moaned again. "No! No, please, no!"
"Randall, wake up!" She shook his shoulder.
Randall's eyes snapped open. He was panting hard. "Ah! Where am I?"
April saw the fear in his eyes. "You're in the turtles' lair, in the infirmary. The Shredder hurt you pretty bad a bit ago." She said.
Randall looked around himself. He wasn't tied down and he wasn't being tortured, but he did move the blankets and he saw the bandages on his middle. He felt the wounds throbbing down there.
"How long have I been out?" He asked.
"A few hours. You weren't sleeping well. Do you remember what the dream was about?" She asked.
"Some mad scientist was torturing me. He would have given anything to discover my secrets." Randall said.
"Can you describe him?"
"I have seen this guy before, but he had dark glasses, short hair, and an ego to match."
"From what you describe, that almost sounds like Agent Bishop." April said. "Something must be trying to warn you about him."
"I don't know about that. But I want nothing to do with the guy."
Randall knew he would avoid the man if he could in the future. Right now, he just needed to concentrate on getting the rest he needed to heal.
Don came in a few hours later to check on him. Randall had fallen back to sleep by then and it was a more peaceful sleep. But April told him about earlier.
"It could have been a premonition or something." April said. "Some of you have had those before."
"Usually just Master Splinter. But I wouldn't doubt that Leo's abilities would be far behind his." Don said. "Why don't you go get some rest now, April."
"I'm on it, Don. Thanks."
April went to the living room and laid down on the couch. She saw Randall's mattress off to the side of the wall, away from the televisions. She hoped Randall wouldn't become just a memory. He had come so far in the few months he had been with them. She got herself comfortable and went to sleep.
Don watched over Randall for the time being. When he woke up, he wanted to check on his wounds.
It was around noon when the other turtles got up for the day. Mikey fixed them all a late breakfast. April had even joined them.
Mikey took some eggs and sausage into Don.
"Thanks, Mikey." Don said.
"How's he doing?" Mike asked.
"He's still out of it, but his breathing is stable." Don said.
"He took quite the blow for Leo."
"And he is showing us that he knows what sacrifice is. He took that blow for our brother."
"And he now knows how deadly the Shredder can be." Mikey said.
"Yep. But he'll have to be more careful when he ever deals with him again." Don said.
Mikey left the infirmary to finish having his food. Don ate his food sitting by the bed.
Randall was beginning to wake up from the smell of food. Was that cooked eggs? He was currently on his left side and when he sensed someone eating food beside him, he tried to roll over.
But the instant he moved over and his weight came in contact with the wounds, he cried out. "OW!" He rolled back over, holding the injured area.
Don quickly put the dish down. He was surprised at this. He had see Randall begin to move over, but he hadn't expected that.
"Randall, it's alright. But you shouldn't lay on your right side right now." Don said.
Randall winced. "I found that out. I just smelled some of that food."
"I can get you some, but you can't move too fast. And I want to look at those wounds after you eat." Don said.
"Alright."
Don went out to go get him some food when he made sure he was okay.
Randall didn't want to remember what happened several hours ago.
"Is Randall awake now?" Leo asked when Don got to the kitchen.
"Yes. He smelled my food and he wants some. But he accidentally rolled onto his injured side." Don said. He got a plate and put some eggs and sausage on it. Then he went back to the infirmary.
Randall had pushed himself into a sitting up position and had pushed his pillows against the wall to support his back. The wounds were still throbbing, but he wasn't going to let it stop him from getting up.
Don came back into the room with his food. "Here you go. Some eggs and sausage that Mikey cooked for us." He handed the plate and fork to the lizard.
"Thanks." Randall said. He smelled it and it did smell good. His stomach growled at that.
He ate the food ever so slowly. He wanted to relish it.
After Randall was done, as he said he would, Don wanted to check on the wounds. Don helped Randall to roll off the cot on his left side and he was now standing. He undid the bandages.
Once the bandages were off, the extent of the damage was real. Randall did look down and he was disgusted by what he saw.
So many stitches ran down from in between his upper arms on his lower back to down to his stomach, a little below his second arms. The Shredder had slashed him good.
"I never should have let him get the blades on me." Randall said.
"It's not always easy when you are in close contact with the Shredder to avoid his blades unless you have a weapon in your hands." Don said. "But you are a fighter. Not many can survive a battle with the Shredder."
"How are you doing today?" Leo asked from the door.
They both looked over. Leo walked into the room and he saw Randall was already up again and he saw the wounds. He felt bad for Randall, but he was glad he had saved his life again.
"Thanks again for saving me, Randall. I don't know what my family would do without me." Leo said.
"No problem, but I don't know how well I'll go up against that guy again. But I know I hate him too." Randall growled.
"It's okay to hate him. He is nothing but a war crazed maniac." Leo said. "He'll destroy anyone who doesn't side with him."
"I think I found that out."
"How do your wounds feel?" Don asked.
"Throbbing. Burning. It wasn't easy to get up." Randall replied.
"It will hurt for awhile, but the stitches will help them heal faster. If you need painkillers, I can let you have some." Don said.
"It would be nice right about now."
"Okay."
Don got him some aspirin and some water.
Randall really didn't know how human pain killers would help him, but he took them anyway. He just wanted the pain to stop.
Once Don was sure Randall was going to be just fine, he re-bandaged Randall's wounds. They were real nasty to look at, but would always be reminders of what happened with the Shredder.
Now that he was up, Randall didn't want to stay in bed. He just wanted to be up. He went and hung out with Mikey, watching some TV. He would probably go home in a few days, to April's place, but he wouldn't be doing any box lifting. Anything that would touch his wounds were bound to hurt him.
But before she left, April said Randall could come back to her place if he wanted to, but he should just take the time off for a couple of weeks, to get the stitches out first. Bending over with those injuries would be hard for him anyway. His whole upper middle was covered in bandages. His lower arms still stuck out from them.
Randall almost couldn't help but wonder if his rivals saw him like this, and heard what he had done. Would they have changed their minds and let him back into their world? But for right now, he wouldn't dream of going back.
Don advised that Randall stay here in the lair for the first few days just to make sure none of the stitches got torn out. Not that Randall would try to take them out.
When things were cleared, Leatherhead also went back to his lair too. He was glad Randall was making good improvements in his recovery so far.
The family had a movie day that day just to celebrate being together as a family.
Casey came over the next day with April when he had heard what had happened. He did see the amount of bandages Randall was wearing. The lizard was becoming more of a warrior all the time.
Randall would have to take better chances in fighting enemies in the future. But that's why he wasn't going to be constantly going on patrol every night either. He would be glad to go out one or two nights a week, but not every night. He didn't want enemies to think he was that predictable.