Chapter 3

Elizabeth blinked her eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness of the room. Her eyes watered with the sudden change, blurring her vision even further. She squeezed her eyes closed for a moment, then opened them again blurrily. It wasn't as painful now, her vision started to clear as she slowly adapted to the light. Then she shifted her eyes to Raphael, who hadn't moved from his chair next to her bed side.

Elizabeth felt her mouth pop open in shock, almost positive now that her eyes were playing tricks on her. The large turtle was leaning back in the chair he sat on, his arms cross over the front of his… shell? Elizabeth's eyes soaked in every little detail of her strange savior.

She had no doubt that he was a turtle, the large shell on his back justified that and so did the protective plates on his front. His skin was a deep rich colored green, much darker than she would have expected for any turtle. But still she found the color of his skin fascinating. She thought back to when he had touched her or when she had touched him, trying to remember how that strange green skin had felt. She couldn't recall properly, but she was entranced. She longed to run her fingers over his hand, just to feel that odd green skin once more.

She found her brow puckering when she saw the strange leather pads on his wrists and elbows. What were those for? Her curiosity peaked when she saw similar ones on his knees. And then a glint of silver coming from his left side made her shrink back a little, she could see some kind of weapon hanging from his belt. It wasn't like anything she'd ever seen before. It looked like something Hollywood would use for an action packed combat movie. The fork like weapon had three long prongs, but the middle prong was by far the longest, the tip ending in a very sharp point, she shuddered and looked away from the dangerous weapon – not at all sure if she wanted to know what he used them for.

She let her eyes continue to roam his strange body. Her eyes bulged a little as she saw the definition of his muscles, and she saw his mouth twitch from the corner of her eye – almost as if he had smirked. Her eyes immediately darted to his face, just to see, but his face was carefully blank. The only thing that seemed animated on his face were his eyes. His eyes.

Elizabeth found herself captivated by his eyes. They were the strangest color she'd ever seen. They were amber, and the burned behind the red mask he wore. She found it strange that a turtle would have to wear a mask, but she pushed that thought aside as she found herself pulled in deeper by those burning eyes. She could see he was weary of her, uncomfortable with her staring, but something else lingered there, something she couldn't identify.

Raphael looked away, and Elizabeth released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding when those strange eyes released her. She drew in another grateful breath and looked away from him, closing her eyes and focusing on breathing in through her nose.

Raphael hadn't been at all what she had expected in a rescuer. Who could have ever imagined such an impossible thing? From the way he sat in the chair, his arms crossed, leaning back, one leg draped over the other she was certain that this turtle wasn't your ordinary pond turtle. In fact he looked… bipedal. Was it possible that this creature walked on two legs just like a human?

And what was with the mask? Why did he have to wear it? And why did he carry those fork like weapons? She had so many questions she wanted to ask him, but she bit her lip, not wanting to irritate him with her curiosity.

Still, Elizabeth thought with a slight smile, Raphael intrigued her. And though he wasn't what she had expected she couldn't help but admit to herself that she found him beautiful. She could feel his eyes on her again, she took a deep steadying breath to calm down her skipping heart and turned to look at him again.

Raphael's head was cocked to one side, as if he too found her quite interesting. A smirk was now pulling at his… did he even have lips Elizabeth wondered. Still she couldn't help but admit to herself that he was indeed smirking at her. His eyes were still slightly cautious but Elizabeth could tell that her initial reaction upon seeing him hadn't been what he had expected. Elizabeth figured that most people encountering him probably wouldn't have taken it quite so coolly, but she had learned long ago that screaming and panicking to things often brought trouble.

Not that she thought Raphael would hurt her. Why would he have brought her to where ever she was just to hurt her? Why would he save her life if he intended on killing her? That made no sense to her, and even though she had only known Raphael for a short time, she couldn't help but feel safe with him.

"You… you're a turtle," Elizabeth finally said, a bit lamely. She could feel the heat in her cheeks as she blushed. She had hoped she would have been able to say something more interesting than that.

Raphael cocked an eye ridge at her. "Nothin' gets by ya does it?"

Elizabeth's blush deepened.

Raphael shifted, as if to get up, and suddenly Elizabeth forgot her embarrassment.

"You aren't leaving are you?" Elizabeth pleaded, trying to sit up but the pain in her shoulder stopped her.

Raphael eyed her wearily, frowning a little now.

"Please, I didn't mean to… I mean I wasn't trying to… " Elizabeth said quickly, one hand reaching out towards him.

"Ya didn't do nothin' – I'll be back." Raphael said quickly, cutting her off. He got up quickly and walked out of the infirmary.

Elizabeth bit her lip as she watched the turtle leave the small room. She couldn't even hear the faintest of sounds as he disappeared from her sight. That caught her off guard, even when Graham was at his top form he always made some kind of noise when he walked.

Elizabeth sank back against her pillows, grimacing a little at the sharp pains in her shoulder. She glanced down and saw a fresh patch of red soaking through the white gauze.

"No wonder," Elizabeth muttered to herself as she touched the soiled pad with her fingertips.

"Hey there."

The new voice was so unexpected that Elizabeth jumped and turned startled towards the door that Raphael had just exited.

A new turtle was entering the small room. Elizabeth stared at him wide-eyed. This turtle was quite similar to Raphael, but very different as well. His skin was much lighter in color than Raphael's, it was more of an olive tone. He too had the same weird pads on his elbows, wrists and knees, but he didn't have those strange fork like weapons Raphael had carried on his belt. Instead there was a long stick strapped behind his shell, as she watched he pulled the bo staff from its position and leaned it up against the wall before approaching her. He carried himself differently too Elizabeth noticed, Raphael's shoulders had been slightly hunched over, and the muscles in his neck were stiff as if he'd been tense about something. This turtle carried himself in a more relaxed way, one arm relaxed at his side while the other was holding a cup of coffee. He offered her an easy smile as he set the mug down on the table, and looked at her from behind a purple mask.

"Raph told me you were awake. It's Elizabeth right?"

Elizabeth jerked her head in a quick nod automatically. With her uninjured arm she clutched the sheet tighter to her bare chest.

"I'm Donatello, Raph's brother. I'll take a look at your shoulder and see how it's doing."

Elizabeth wasn't sure if she was comfortable with Donatello playing doctor on her. It was bad enough that he had removed her clothes while she had been unconscious. What else had he done? Had he been staring at her? Touching her? The fact that Donatello was a turtle didn't make any difference to her. She was utterly horrified that she had been in a position where she could have been taken advantage of and not even known about it. Elizabeth edged back a little, her green eyes wide with horror at the thought.

Donatello hadn't moved from where he stood, he was staring at her with rich brown eyes that reminded Elizabeth a bit of melting chocolate. They were much warmer than Raphael's had been, more friendly, but Elizabeth could see the smile fading from his face as he stared at her. Some of the warmth from his eyes drained a little as he stared at her and Elizabeth suddenly had the impulse to run.

"Are you in pain?" Donatello suddenly demanded, frowning now.

Elizabeth shook her head quickly.

"It looks like a few stitches might have popped, I'll have to replace them if they did," Donatello said finally taking a step towards her.

Elizabeth's eyes were as wide as they could go, her heart was racing frantically in her chest, she was surprised that this new turtle couldn't hear it. She couldn't breathe. Her throat was closing off, cutting off her voice and with it her ability to scream.

Raphael stepped out of the bathroom, stretching his arms over his head and yawning. He was starting to feel his long night, not that he hadn't stayed awake all night before, but when he did it was because he was out on patrol and had slept a good portion of the day… or if one of his brothers had been injured and he had too much adrenaline pumping through his veins to even think about sleeping. Last night hadn't been either. He hadn't felt the same way about this strange girl as he did for his brothers, he'd merely brought her down here because she had insisted on no hospital. He hadn't even thought about the consequences of bringing her down here at the time, but he knew it would have its drawbacks. Leonardo especially would want his shell when he found out.

As he made his way slowly back down the hall and towards the infirmary Leonardo stepped out of the kitchen, a cup of tea cradled in one hand, his twin katana resting on his shell. Raphael was sure that Leonardo had just gotten in from his morning training run. Leonardo's eye ridges raised in surprise when he saw him, then he frowned a little.

"You're up early, Raph."

"Dat against da rules now, fearless leader?" Raphael asked testily.

Leonardo scowled at him, clearly not appreciating Raphael's tone. "Never heard you come in last night."

"I'm big enough not ta need a babysitter, Leo. Ya don't gotta wait up fer me," Raphael snapped.

Leonardo narrowed his eyes, studying his brother critically. "What time did you get in, Raph? You look like you haven't slept all night."

"So what?"

"Were you out all night?" Leonardo demanded.

"No."

"Then what were you doing up all night?"

Raphael shifted his weight as Leonardo's eyes scanned him critically, he knew his brother was searching for hidden injuries.

"I ain't hurt, Leo – stop lookin' at me like dat."

Leonardo nodded once, satisfied that Raphael was telling the truth. His face relaxed a little and his eyes softened a bit.

"Listen, Raph, about last night… I was… "

"Ferget it, Leo," Raphael said waving him off.

"But I shouldn't have… " Leonardo started.

"Leo, just ferget it. I shouldn't have said dem things neither."

Leonardo smiled now. "Well you'd better go get some sleep, you might be able to get in an hour or so before the morning training session."

"Yeah, I'll do dat – just gotta see Donny first."

"He's in the lab I think," Leonardo said looking towards Donatello's open lab door. The lights were on, but no sound came from inside. Raphael knew that was because Donatello was busy in the infirmary, but he wasn't sure if he really wanted to tell Leonardo about Elizabeth just yet.

"Raph!"

Donatello came hurrying out of his lab, his face strained with droplets of perspiration beading his face just above his mask. Raphael felt his stomach twist uncomfortably.

"I need your help in there – she won't let me get anywhere near her and I know she tore some of those… " Donatello stopped mid sentence as he noticed Leonardo for the first time.

Leonardo scowled at Donatello then turned his glare on Raphael. "What's he talking about, Raph? Is April in there? Is she hurt?"

"It ain't April, Leo," Raphael growled. He glared at Donatello who shrank a little under Raphael's angry expression.

"RAPH!" Leonardo barked. Raphael turned his glare towards him again. "What is Donny talking about?"

"Leo, can we do this later?" Donatello interjected. "I really need Raph in the infirmary right now."

Leonardo scowled as Raphael brushed past him, glaring after the both of them as they hurried into towards the lab and infirmary.

"What's dis about, Donny?"

"She won't let me get near her. I'm almost positive that she's torn some stitches in that shoulder, but I don't know for sure because she won't let me get within five feet of her."

Raphael snorted in disgust. "She's a hundred and ten pound girl, Donny – and ya can't handle 'er by yerself?"

"Raph, she refuses to let me touch her. I could tie her down but what good do you think will come of that? She doesn't know where she is, or who I am and you are honestly surprised that she won't let me touch her?"

"She didn't seem ta mind me bein' close ta 'er," Raphael growled impatiently.

"That's because you are her safe haven," Donatello explained.

Raphael cocked an eye ridge at him, not bothering to hide his skepticism. "What exactly is dat supposed ta mean?"

"Raph, think about it," Donatello explained patiently. "If Elizabeth was in a physically abusive relationship then she would naturally be weary of strangers. But when you showed up last night and saved her it made her feel protected for the first time in probably a long time. She feels safe with you because you helped her – but she knows nothing about the rest of us so naturally she wouldn't be as comfortable with us."

"Dat's da stupidest thing I ever heard, Donny," Raphael snapped.

Donatello shrugged casually as they got closer to the infirmary. "If that's how you feel about it, Raph. But I think she might be more cooperative if you stayed in there with her while I patched her up."

"Great now I gotta babysit too?" Raph snarled under his breath.

"You brought her back here, Raph. Until she is well enough to travel you're going to have to help us out in taking care of her. I doubt she'll do any better with Mikey, Leo, or Master Splinter."

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get dis over with," Raphael said impatiently as he made his way into the infirmary. His eyes widened a little when he saw the empty cot and despite himself his eyes darted frantically around the room looking for the girl.

Donatello, however, didn't seem surprised that Elizabeth wasn't on the cot. He made his way further into the room and stopped a few feet away from the far corner of the room, crouching down a little to make himself less intimidating.

"Elizabeth, I brought Raphael back – do you want him to stay with you while I patch up your shoulder?" Donatello asked, his voice deliberately soft and gently.

Raphael walked up behind his brother and paused just behind Donatello's shell as he caught sight of the Elizabeth's huddle form.

She was still wrapped up in one of the sheets from the cot, but she was curled up as tight as her body would allow her to be. Her long dark hair was now tangled and matted as it hung around her face, hiding her eyes from them both. She kept her head tipped down staring at the floor as Donatello spoke to her, but Raphael could see her nostrils flaring as she sucked in sharp uneven breaths. Even under her dark curtain of hair Raphael could see that whatever color she had had in her cheeks before had been drained, whether it was from the pain or fear Raphael couldn't tell. Her bad arm was crushed against her chest, clutching the sheet to her breasts to give her some decency and her other hand was clutching at the blood soaked gauze pad on her injured shoulder.

Raphael gently tapped Donatello's shoulder, Donatello looked up at him, nodded once and rose swiftly, giving Raphael room. Elizabeth flinched at Donatello's quick movement and seemed to shrink even more against the wall.

Raphael slowly made his way to Elizabeth's side then crouched down beside her, balancing on the balls of his feet and draping one arm across his bent knee. He didn't touch her, but peered at her through the dark curtain of her hair. He could see those deep green eyes were looking back at him, the fear in them receding a little.

"'Lizbeth, Donny is just tryin' ta help ya. He won't hurt ya," Raphael said, keeping his voice as gentle as he could.

Elizabeth's eyes darted back to where Donatello stood a few feet away before turning back to Raphael again.

"Yer gonna get an infection in dat wound if Donny don't get it closed up," Raphael said evenly. "I'll stay with ya if ya want me ta. But I promise dat Donny won't hurt ya – none of my brothers would."

Elizabeth didn't move, she stay where she was glued to the wall, watching Raphael with those penetrating green eyes of hers, searching his face for something that Raphael couldn't quite determine. After several long minutes though Elizabeth reluctantly bobbed her head once.

"Come on," Raphael said holding a hand out to her, once again careful not to touch her first. "I'll help ya up."

Elizabeth hesitated for only a minute before her long pale fingers released the bloody gauze and hesitantly touched his leathery green hand. Raphael couldn't help but notice that her hand was considerably warmer than his, he felt the heat shoot up his arm like he'd been shocked and gasped in surprise. Elizabeth's own eyes seemed to widen in surprise, as if she had felt the same current of electricity as well.

Raphael shook off the weird sensation and gently pulled Elizabeth to her feet, being careful to keep his eyes on her face as she pressed her injured arm tighter against the sheet, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as they made their way back to the small cot.

Once Elizabeth had been settled back on the cot Raphael moved around to her uninjured side so Donatello would have room to work. He heard Elizabeth's breathing pick up a little as Donatello approached and saw her free hand grasping desperately at the pale sheets.

"Elizabeth, I need you to relax your arm," Donatello said quietly as he pulled out a needle and thread. "I can't stitch you back up properly if your arm is tensed up like that."

Elizabeth clutched at the sheet even tighter as if expecting Donatello to suddenly rip it off her.

Raphael placed a hand on Elizabeth's good shoulder and her eyes automatically swiveled towards him.

"Donny ain't gonna do nothin' but stitch ya up," Raphael assured her.

To his utter surprise Elizabeth seemed to believe him where she hadn't believe Donatello she let Donatello gently maneuver her bad arm away from her chest and set it down on the cot beside her. Donatello then went to work, gently peeling the blood soaked bandage away from her skin.

Elizabeth wasn't even looking at him, she was staring at Raphael, her eyes wide with fear and her breathing fast and uneven. Raphael squeezed her shoulder gently, realizing that she was focusing on him to distract herself from what Donatello was doing to her.

Donatello worked silently, his eyes narrowed slightly behind his mask as he concentrated on removing the torn stitches and then restitching the wound. Elizabeth's breathing got a bit heavier when she felt the needle pierce her tender skin but other than that she didn't react.

Finally Donatello placed a clean white gauze pad over the wound and taped it in place. "There that should hold."

Elizabeth sighed, and closed her eyes. A single tear made its way down her cheek and disappeared under her chin.

Donatello hadn't noticed, he had his back to her as he filled a syringe with something. He turned back and softened his expression when Elizabeth tore her eyes away from Raphael to look at him.

"I'm going to give you a painkiller that has a mild sedative," Donatello said showing her the syringe. "It might make you tired but you could use the rest anyway."

Elizabeth looked back to Raphael, who nodded minutely, then she looked back at Donatello and nodded. Donatello made sure not to move too quickly, not wanting to startle her. Then he slipped the needle into her arm and ejected the contents into her blood stream.

As the brothers watched Elizabeth seemed to relax as the painkiller and sedative started to work. She sagged a bit then her eyes closed as she drifted off to sleep.

Donatello sighed and turned to dispose of the syringe.

"Might make 'er tired, Donny?" Raphael asked incredulously.

"Well if I told her it was going to knock her out do you really think she would've let me get close enough to inject her?" Donatello asked.

Raphael looked back at the pale woman on the table and realized his brother was right. "Guess not."

Donatello chuckled softly. "She'll be out for a couple hours, Raph. You might want to get some sleep yourself… well after… " He trailed off looking at his brother nervously over his shoulder.

"After what?" Raphael demanded.

"After you talk to Leo."

Raphael rolled his eyes.

"You are going to have to tell him some time, Raph," Donatello said quietly.

"I know dat," Raphael snapped. He release Elizabeth's shoulder and walked towards the infirmary door. "Better get dis over with," he muttered quietly.

Donatello went about cleaning up the medical supplies, knowing it would be best if he just stayed out of this. It was going to be bad enough with just the two of them.