Chapter 16: What To Do

When April entered the lair this afternoon, she was greeted by a the sound of wood clacking on stone, all too familiar sound now, and as she looked over to the corridor that led to the brothers' bedrooms she found Raph stopping at the staircase on his crutches and leisurely waving at her.

She lifted her hand and waved back, but then – instead of hopping down the stairs – Raph turned around and walked back down the corridor again.

April raised a brow at this sight.

Okay, maybe he has forgotten something, she then told herself and continued her path to the dojo.

She was about to mount the stairs, when she could hear Raph again and stopped. She looked over to him, checking if he needed some help.

But that moment, she remembered that Raph hated to be dry-nursed – like he would call it when someone tried to help him – and so she quickly rummaged around in her messenger bag as if she was looking for something.

That was what his brothers always did – stopping randomly and pretending that they were doing something totally different from watching out for Raph. In reality, they had a close eye on him which Raph probably knew. He wasn't stupid. But as long as his brothers kept their act of doing something totally different up, he generously overlooked it.

She lifted her gaze just in time to watch Raph disappearing down the corridor again.

She blinked a few times, not sure if what she was seeing was correct, but when she heard Raph approaching again, she literally flew up the stairs.

She wasn't sure if she wanted Raph to find her standing around and looking at him. Plus, it was training time after all.

"Sooooo," April asked when she and the other three turtles were tidying away the training weapons, "what's up with Raph today?"

"What do you mean?" Leo asked.

April, kneeling down with a bokken in hand to put it back on its place on the weapon stand, looked back at Leo over her shoulder.

"You can't tell me that his behavior is normal," she said. "This pacing up and down the corridor on his crutches."

Leo shrugged. "It is since breakfast."

"He's been doing that since breakfast!?" April's eyes widened. "Why?"

"He says he needs to keep moving or he might get too rusty and lazy and out of form," Leo clarified.

"I think he just doesn't want to get fat," Mikey chimed in with a grin.

The youngest turtle grinned a few more moments, then twisted his mouth.

"Something's missing," he mumbled.

In reply, Leo hit him on the back of his head.

"Ouch!" Mikey called out and rubbed his head, but then he grinned again. "Oh, yes, that was it. Thanks, Leo!"

"You're welcome."

April rolled her eyes as she got back to her feet.

"And do you think it is okay that Raph is pacing up and down all day?" she brought up the more pressing topic again.

"Donnie didn't object," Leo replied.

April looked over to said turtle with a frown.

"Don't worry, April," Donnie waved off. "He's probably tired by now and has gone back to sleep. And sleep's the best medicine, we all know that."

When they entered the living area, they saw how Raph reached the staircase, turned around and was on his way down the corridor again.

Donnie cleared his throat.

"Or maybe he's pacing up and down all day," he said.

"So, what do we do now?" April asked.

"I have no idea," Leo said as he sat down at the kitchen table.

Due to several reasons – the most obvious one that Raph could overhear them – Leo had called for a briefing in the kitchen.

"We could wait until he's totally worn out and bring him to bed," Donnie suggested.

"Did you have a closer look at him?" Leo asked, his brow furrowed. "He's already sweating like a pig and he does NOT seem to stop anytime soon."

Mikey frowned. "Wouldn't he be sweating like a turtle? Ouch!"

He rubbed the back of his head where Leo's hand had hit him and glared at his brother.

"Don't overdo it, bro!" he warned him.

"Sorry," Leo replied with a shrug. "It's kind of addictive."

Mikey's glare deepened.

"Sorry!" Leo said quickly.

"Good." Mikey turned back to the others.

"Can't we ask Splinter for help?" he suggested.

Donnie shook his head. "Not before tomorrow."

"Oh? Why?"

Donnie choked a sigh. "Mikey, sensei has left for his monthly visit to the surface after training."

"Really?"

Leo groaned. "Yes, Mikey, really. Like he has told us this morning."

Mikey looked from Leo to Donnie and back to Leo.

"I…I knew that!" he said then, crossed his arms over his plastron and positioned himself in what should be a self-confident pose. "I just wanted to check if you remembered, too."

"Whatever," Donnie said. "Back to Raph. We need an activity for him where he doesn't have to move too much, where he can sit or lie, but what keeps him busy nonetheless. And TV and video games got eliminated already." He snorted. "We could as well start looking for the Holy Grail."

"We could!?" Mikey called out, his eyes wide with surprise and joy.

"MIKEY!"

"What? I always wanted to go looking for the Holy Grail."

Mikey shot Leo a glance just when his brother had lifted his hand to give Mikey another slap on the back of his head.

"Oh, no need for that," Mikey said matter-of-factly, his face all serious and earnest. "I'll shut up now."

Leo nodded and lowered his hand again.

"What about reading?" Leo asked as he turned back to the April and Donnie. "You brought him some books, April, and he really liked them."

"I know, but I'm afraid I don't own any other books he might like," she said. "The rest of my library is too scientific or not action-heavy enough for his taste."

"So what else could keep him busy?" Leo asked.

"What about computers?" Mikey suggested. "Donnie spends hours in front of his laptop with only his fingers moving."

April's eyes widened as Mikey's words sank in.

But before she could speak up, Donnie blew a raspberry.

"Raph and computers?" he asked scornfully. "Never a good idea."

"No, Donnie," April chimed in. "Mikey has a point there."

"I have? Ha!" Mikey cheered.

Donnie turned to April. "I repeat: Raph and computers, never a good idea," he said in an earnest voice. "Besides, what exactly would keep him busy on a computer? Do we just let him surf the internet?"

"Well, actually, I might have a job for him," April said. "My message board gained a lot more users over the last months, and administrating it got very time-consuming. Maybe Raph could help out as an administrator."

"I could do that!" Donnie replied, and there was a little hurt ring to his voice.

"No, Donnie, you are already super-busy with all your projects," April said.

"But I'll always find time for you…know, computer stuff." He laughed insecurely to camouflage his blooper. "And message boards are computer stuff because I am not speaking about hardware only here, of course. I mean software as well and the internet for sure and…"

If April hadn't placed a hand on his shoulder, he would have gone on like this forever, adding more and more confusing words to emphasize a thought only he could understand, if any. Donnie was one to talk himself into trouble, April knew from experience.

"No, Donnie," she said in a calming voice. "You already have more than enough to do and Raph has too much free time at his hands."

"I agree," Leo chimed in.

"Me too!" Mikey called out.

"See?" April smiled at Donnie. "This is the perfect job for him."

"Except for it's Raph we're talking about," Donnie replied. "He doesn't know anything about computers."

"Then I'll teach him," April explained.

"Teach Raph computers!?" Donnie blew another raspberry. "I wanna see that!"

April narrowed her eyes as a wave of anger rushed through her and her infamous stubbornness kicked in. She took her hand from Donnie's shoulder and folded her arms over her chest.

"You will," she said.

Was it just her or had Donnie really trembled a bit at her words?