I woke up to the sound of rumbling and Diesels growling. Could there be a storm rolling in? I checked my phone it was 4:30 in the morning. I rolled over and looked at Diesel he was staring out the dinette window toward the mountain.
"What is it boy?" I asked getting up and putting my shoes on. He turns and grabs my keys and brought them to me. This was one of his warnings telling me to lock up the Rv.
"Ok boy." I said as I walked through the Rv and made sure all the doors and windows were locked. I checked on my babies they were sound asleep. I turned on the video baby monitor and walked to the door were Diesel was waiting. I opened the door getting out my four wheeler and started it up. After I locked up the door, Diesel started running toward the mountain. I fallowed after him. We went through the trees and came across a river. Then suddenly Diesel stopped. He was looking at the river. I stopped behind him.
"Diesel, search." He climbed brown to the river's edge and started barking. I quickly got off the four wheeler and found a safe way down the bank to him. He was running back and forth from a fallen tree that laid across the river to me. I cautiously got closer than realized that the water was discolored I instantly knew what it was.
"Blood." I gasped and ran to the source. To my horror I found blood pooling around what I thought to be a rock at first then I saw it was actually a huge turtle shell covered in blood, mud and tree limbs. I cleared away some of the tree limbs and jump back startled at what I saw. This turtle had arms and legs and swagger shorts on like a human.
"What the hell?!" I yelled.
I took a better look at the creature. I saw it was clutching its side and barely breathing.
"Diesel, med!" I commanded and he raced off back to the four wheeler. I pushed the creature as much as I could onto its side. I jumped again when it groaned in pain. I then removed it's 'hand' away from the wound. My eyes widened in shock, it was bad. It looked like it had been stabbed with some kind of blade. I took off my sweatshirt and soaked it in the clean water of the river. I went back to the creature and cleaned as much mud and dirt off as I could from the wound. Diesel came back with my first aid kit.
"Good boy, Diesel." I had always kept a fresh one fully stocked in all my motor vehicles. And had trained Diesel to get them if needed. I opened it and got the rubbing alcohol bottle out and dowsed my hands with it then I poured it onto its wound.
"AAAAAHHHHHHh!" It yelled in pain. I looked at its muddy face it had its large green eyes wide open staring at me. It's breathing became haggard.
"Shhhh. I'm sorry. I know it hurts but you will get an infection if I didn't do this." I grabbed some of the sanitized gauze and was about to put it on its wound, when it roughly grabbed my wrist. Diesel growled.
"It's ok, Diesel." I said as I looked back at the creature. "I'm just trying to help."
I put my other hand over its hand and gently pulled my hand out. It was so weak it couldn't hold my wrist much longer. It made an irritated face.
"If I don't stop the bleeding you could die. I'll patch you up long enough to get you to my campsite there I can stitch up this wound." I said as I put the gauze on the wound. It hissed.
"Dat fuckin hurts!" It said. I froze. It talked?! I turned my head and looked at it. My face was of complete shock.
"What are ya lookin at?! Neva seen a fuckin turtle before?!" It said. It has a fucking Brooklyn accent!
I blinked a few times. Diesel huffed behind me.
"Nice demon dog." It said eying Diesel.
"Sorry. The turtles I come across usually are not anything like you. Let alone talk. And he is a cane corso not a demon. His names Diesel." I said. And turned back to taking care of it's wound. It hissed and grunted but let me do my work.
"Ya gotta name?" It grunted.
"Yes." I replied. It gave me a pained 'really' look. It made me smirk a little.
"Lisa. You?" I said as I finished with it's wound. It stares at me for a moment while I packed up my first aid kit and had Diesel take it to the four wheeler.
"Raphael or Raph." He said. So he's male, ok.
"We'll, Raphael, we need to get you to my rig so I can clean this wound better." I said.
"How da I know ya na some psycho killa dat likes ta eat turtle?" He said weakly. I giggled. He gave me a nasty look.
"If I wanted to eat you I would have watched you die. Then cook you in your shell." I said with an amused smile. He stared at me like I had two heads.
"Deres somethin wrong wit ya, isn't dere?" He said. I laughed.
"Come on, can you walk?" I asked as I helped him to a sitting position. He groaned in pain while gripping his side.
"I da'no. I feel like ima hurl." He said threw his clinched teeth. Oh, he has teeth, really white teeth. Dirty but white. His face and most of his body were still covered in mud.
"Ok, we'll, I can't carry you so you're going to have to stand up and let me help you walk to my four wheeler." I said standing up and getting beside him.
"Ya callin me fat?" He said with a pained smile. I blushed slightly. He had a handsome smile.
"Yes. Yes, I am." I said all sassy.
He grunted and started to get to his feet using the fallen tree as leverage. I put his other arm over my shoulders and held onto his shell and his chest. He froze and stared at me. I looked at him confused.
"What?" I asked. He blinked a few times then looked away.
"Nothin." He said. His face was scrunched up in pain. I helped him up the bank of the river with him hissing and grunting in agony and annoyance at himself. Then, as we were about to get to the four wheeler he falls to one knee. He is panting furiously. He must be in extreme pain.
"It's ok take a breath. You're doing really well for being this injured." I said. I looked up at the four wheeler it was about 15 feet away. Diesel sat by it watching us curiously.
Thunder shook the earth under us and then the rain came like it hadn't fell in years. Heavy rain drops fell from the sky soaking us in seconds.
"Come on. Let's keep going." I said. He nodded his head and let me help him up. We made it to the four wheeler. I got him situated then got on in front of him. I took one of his large hands and pulled it around my waist for him to hold on. He leaned back away from me.
"You need to hold on. I won't be able to catch you if you fall." I replied. He seemed hesitant for a moment then held onto my waist. I blushed slightly, his hands were really big.
"Diesel, home." I said and Diesel ran on ahead of us, but stayed within viewing distance. I started the four wheeler and fallowed. It didn't take long for us to get to my rig but Raphael had wrapped both arms around my waist and had laid his forehead on my back shoulder. I tapped his arm. He let go slowly. I got off and pulled open the bay door to my rig. It was like a large workshop but also doubled as my room. I helped Raph in side while diesel fallowed us in. The rain was getting worse so I quickly shut the door.
"I'm gonna get ya place all muddy." He said in almost a whisper. I looked at him and saw he was exhausted. I pulled out a large round basin and a stool that I set inside. Diesel tilled his face, I usually gave him bathes in this. I smiled.
"Wait your turn, Diesel. Raphael, I'm going to have you sit here. This way we can get you cleaned up, ok?" I said quietly. He just nodded. His breathing was dropping again. To almost a wheezing sound. I frowned and quickly got out my stethoscope. I walked to where he was leaning against the bay door and put on my stethoscope then listened to his breathing. My eyes widen. He gave me a halfhearted eased eyebrow look.
"Raph, I need you to sit on that stool right now. I think your lung is collapsing." I said in a concerned tone. He just nodded again and slowly walked to the basin and sat down. I quickly got my medical bag out and got a hollow needle with a chest tube to let the air out that was trapped in his chest. I walked back over to Raphael and paused for a moment. Are his lungs in the same place as mine?! I put on my stethoscope again and listened.
"Ok, Raphael, hold still." I said while feeling and listening to his chest. I had to find a different place to put the needle because of his chest being too hard. I had to go to just below his collarbone then slide the needle in at an angle. As I slid the needle in Raphael tilled his head back and groaned. I blushed then I pulled the needle out of the tube then taped the tube down out of the way with a three way bandage. This aloud air to escape but nothing else could come back in. Slowly his breathing became normal.
"Ok, I think you'll be fine for now." I said then went to get some clean water. I came back to see Raphael was still sitting on the stool but Diesel was sitting by him. Raphael was taking off his mask and different belts from over his shoulders. Diesel whined. Raphael looked at him with a pained expression.
"I'm fine, pup." He grunted out. Diesel then did something I've never seen him do with a total stranger before. He got closer and laid his head on Raphael's knee. Raphael looked at him kind of curiously then sighed and scratched Diesels head.
"Don'na think dat dis means I like ya." Raphael said with a hidden smirk. Diesel just huffed.
I chose this moment to walk back in.
"Let's get you cleaned up." I said. Raphael looked up at me and I walked over to him. I started washing away all the mud off his shell and all the mud that was caked onto his shoulders. I blushed slightly. His shoulders were huge.
"I can do it myself ya know." He said quietly.
"I'm sure you could but I don't want you to start bleeding again before I stitch you up or cause that tube to come out." I said. He just sighed again and let me continue my work. It took me a while to get him clean enough for me to be able to stitch him up without worrying about infection. I grabbed my suture kit and a bottle of Jim Bean. As I got a chair from the dining area, Raphael had picked up the bottle and took a larger gulp like it was water.
"Damn. Flavor of choice?" I asked. He gave me back the bottle.
"Nah, I just kna i's gonna hurt like fuck. I drink anythin." He said. I just nodded my head and step up my equipment. Then took off the field bandage.
"This isn't going to be pleasant again, so I'm sorry." I said as I pored some of the alcohol onto his wound. He didn't yell out in pain this time, thankfully, but he did ball his fists into his pants legs and groan.
"Yup, hurts like fuck." He gritted.
"Sorry. . . What happened to you?" I asked hesitantly not looking at him but focused on stitching him up. Raphael looked at me for a moment then took a deep breath. I glance at him.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Raphael." I said. I wasn't going to force him to tell me his business if it made him uncomfortable.
"I'll tell ya ounce ya done wit fixen me." He said. I nodded again and went back to my work. I mended his wound and bandaged it up along with all the cuts on him. I looked up to his face and saw a cut above his eyebrow and one on his lip. They were not so deep so I got some hydro cortisone cream and put some on two of my fingers. I stood up and stood between his legs so I could reach his face. Not realizing what I was doing, Raphael, flinched away from me when I reached out my hand to touch his cheek.
"Oh sorry I was just going to put some cream on your face. You have a few cuts there." I whispered as I looked into his eyes. He had the most amazing eyes. They were mostly bright green but had tiny bits of blue on the inside. He looked at me like he was deciding whether or not to let me touch his face. Until he just nodded. I slowly came closer and gently put my hand on his cheek. Tilting his head slightly to the side, I gently applied the cream. Slowly running my index finger over his lip, I could feel his warm breath on my face. I blushed as I looked at his features. Besides being green he was actually really handsome. It seemed like we had been staring at each other for a long time. Then He had snapped his head in the direction of my door.
"Mama?" Roy whispered. And there hiding behind the door was my two children with wide eyes.
I looked back at Raphael. He had a wide eyed nervous look on his face. Roy was holding his blanket and had started sucking his thumb again. Juli was holding onto the door nob with both hands with a surprised expression on her cute face.
"It's ok. This is my friend, Raphael but you can call him Raph, ok?" I said in a calm tone. I looked back at my children. Roy just waddled himself into my room right up to Raphael and just stared at him. Raphael had a worried look and kept staring back at Roy. Roy tilted his head to the side while still sucking his thumb. Raph tilt his head too.
"Tootle!" Roy giggled and pointed at Raphael.
"Uh . . . Names Raph. What's ya name?" Raphael said bewildered.
"I is woy. I is 2." Roy said. Raphael looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
"He said his name is Roy and he is two. The one by the door is Juli and she is five." I translated. I picked up my medical supplies and started putting them on my desk.
"Waph booboo?" Roy asked Raphael when he had seen all the bandages on Raphaels body.
"Ya." Was all Raphael could say.
"What happened?" Juli asked. I turned to see Juli had walked up to stand by Roy and look at our guest.
"Juli, why don't you take your brother to the living room and put on a movie while mommy finishes here. Then I'll make us some pancakes, ok?" I said.
"Okay mommy. Can I pick the movie?" She asked.
"Yes you may." I said.
"Booberry cake?" Roy asked turning to me. I chuckled.
"Okay Roy boy." I said.
"Yay!" Roy said as he fallowed Juli out the door.
I smiled at them then turned to Raphael who was staring at the empty door.
"Here. Let me help you to bed. You need to rest." I said after a moment.
"Ya a mum." He said as he turned to look at me.
"Yes, I am." I said with a smile. He looked away with a slight frown on his face.
"What's ya husban gonna tink wit a monster in ya rig?" Raphael said as He turned to look at me sideways. I smiled wider.
"I'm not married." I said amused as I pushed a button and my bed lowered from the ceiling.
"Boyfriend din." He said annoyed.
"Raphael, I don't have a boyfriend either. It just my babies, Diesel and me." I said as I helped him stand. He hissed at the pain. I took him to my bed. It was the only king size bed in my rig. He looked at my bed spread then at me with another raised eyebrow. Did I mention that I was a total anime nerd? So my bed had the quilt I made on it. A bunch of anime shirts sewn together.
"What? I like anime." I said blushing.
"I din'n say anythin." He said with a hint of smirk then looking away as he sat down on the bed. I piled pillows by the headboard.
"Get some rest. I'll be back with food. What do you like?" I asked.
"I eat anythin." He said. I nodded then left the room.
Raphael looked around the room for a bit before sighing and laying back on the pillows.
"Sinsei is gonna kill me." He mumbled under his breath then fell asleep.