WARNING: Contains distressing content and strong language.
Chapter Seven
Devastating verdict
Pandora sat in her room in the sanctuary and looked around at the walls.
Like her own room back home, she had posters of her favourite metal bands, horror themed video games and films, as well as similar fairy lights that hung in the corners as well as a chest of drawers, wardrobe, a desk, and mirror.
As much as she loved her space in Mutopia, it wasn't the same as her permanent home in the New York Lair, and she was missing it, along with her possessions she had to leave behind.
After she had left the sickbay after seeing Kemeko's fit as well as the condition of her parents, she had spent the past few hours sitting on the bed and looking at some photos on the bedside table, most were of her and her family and friends and the one she kept her eyes on was the one of her and her parents, taken when she celebrated her sixteenth birthday in Mutopia.
Tears filled the hybrid's eyes as she looked at the photo and she wondered when her parents would wake up and whether they would be the same?
After the trauma they went through, would they have problems like serious PTSD or disabilities.
She had read stories as well as watched television series and movies where some characters were either killed or so badly hurt, they were never the same as they were before.
In all the years her parents and uncles were able to survive the dangers they faced, but now, it seemed that was no longer the case.
Pandora closed her eyes as she started to pray that everything would be alright.
"Mum, dad." She whispered "Please pull through, please! I love you so much! You've survived so many dangers! Both here and on another world, please, if you can survive those, you'll pull through here!"
She didn't know how long she had been sitting there until the hybrid heard a knock at the door.
"Pandora?" the hybrid looked up and looked towards the door quickly wiping her eyes as she recognised Sonia's voice.
"Sonia?" she called.
The door slowly opened, and the concerned chameleon peeped her head around.
"Hey!" she gave a small smile then stepped into the room carrying a tray of spaghetti and meatballs in tomato sauce along with a jug of blackcurrant juice and a glass.
"I brought you something." She said "Are you hungry? It's been a while since you last ate, and Louie wanted to make sure you had something."
Pandora looked at the food as Sonia placed it on the desk.
She didn't feel hungry, but she didn't want to be rude to Sonia nor Louie for that matter as the Cockroach and Mutopia's head chef hated seeing food go to waste.
"Thanks." The hybrid said quietly as she walked over to the desk and sat down.
"Looks lovely." She said as she picked up the fork and twisted it in the spaghetti before taking a mouthful.
She chewed but her mouth felt so dry it clogged in her mouth, but she kept chewing as the Chameleon was looking pleased seeing her friend eat.
Sonia watched Pandora take a few mouthfuls as well as a glass of juice, then the hybrid put down her fork and looked at Sonia.
"Is there any more news?" she asked.
"News?" Sonia asked.
"From the sickbay?" Pandora asked "Kemeko? Mom? Dad? Uncle Don?"
Sonia shook her head.
"No, I've heard nothing, I went past earlier, but it was the same as before, though I saw Dahlia leaving, the wolf looked exhausted, she's been working hard."
"Is James still with them?" Pandora asked anxiously.
"He is yes, so is April, and Aunt Amber." Sonia replied.
Pandora lowered her head and sighed, and Sonia could see the tears forming in the hybrid's eyes and she knelt to her level.
"Oh Pandora, please! It's going to be alright!" she said.
"Oh Sonia, if you had been there earlier." Pandora wept "It…it was awful! Shredder forced Kemeko to kill me so she could win his trust! She pulled my head back and I thought she was going to slit my throat!"
Sonia's eyes widened and she went yellow, followed by blue to red as she listened.
"No way!" she cried, then she glared as her red colour formed over her body, "I knew the Shredder was cruel and evil, but hearing that…. making Kemeko kill you so he could fully trust her…. that's sick!"
"Oh, that's only the end part!" Pandora said "There was worse…"
"What?" Sonia asked but before Pandora could tell her, a voice was heard on the other side of the door.
"Pandora?"
"Aunt Sephie?" Pandora cried standing up and Sonia quickly followed, her angry red skin colour turning yellow in curiosity.
Sephie appeared from the other side of the door and saw Pandora and Sonia inside.
She was looking rather pale and saddened and both young mutant reptiles could see clearly.
"Aunt Sephie?" Sonia asked "What…what's happened?"
Sephie looked to Pandora.
"Little Geisha." She said, "You need to come to the sickbay, James has something to tell you."
Pandora went pale and she started to feel ill.
Sonia took the hybrid's hand in comfort and support.
"I'll come with you!" she offered and together, they followed the Gecko back to the sickbay.
As they walked, Pandora couldn't help that the feeling was like walking to the gallows.
She had felt that feeling back at the Foot Headquarters when the Ninja had marched her and her parents and Uncles up to the Shredder's throne room to be executed.
When they approached the sickbay, April was standing outside the room where Donatello, Monalisa and Raphael were, and Casey was sitting on a chair next to her with his head in his hands and his shoulders shaking.
Michelangelo was also there along with Kate, Master Splinter and Old George.
Michelangelo was sitting on a chair hugging Kate tightly with his good arm and weeping into her stomach as she stood before him.
Splinter was leaning on his cane and looking at the ground as the tears fell down his nose whilst Old George tried to comfort him.
Kemeko had been moved to the next room, she still needed observation and Leonardo was still there keeping watch over her, yet the Chameleon and hybrid could see he had been crying as he leaned over the sleeping Kemeko.
When Pandora saw her Aunt April, she could see she had been crying and seeing Casey as well as her Uncle Michelangelo, Kate, her grandfather, and George, it made the hybrid's blood run cold, as this was a rare time to see Casey look so devastated.
"Where's mum and dad?" Pandora asked dreading the answer and April turned to the door and knocked on it to which James opened it and he saw Pandora standing there.
"Oh, my poor child." He said stepping out "I'm so sorry to tell you this…"
Pandora took in a breath as she looked at the doctor.
"Mum…. dad?" she asked.
"You mother still needs time to heal, as does your Uncle Donatello." James said, "They're still stable, but need time."
Sonia squeezed Pandora's hand tightly.
"What about dad?" Pandora asked.
As the hybrid said that, Michelangelo looked up, as did Splinter and they looked devastated.
James sighed and swallowed hard.
"Pandora…" he said "I… I don't know how to explain it to you, but when your father got stabbed in the throat, he was very lucky to survive, any wound like that would kill the average human, but Raphael, he survived…"
"But what!?" Pandora demanded "Tell me! Fuck it! Fucking tell me!" she screamed.
Sonia squeezed Pandora's hand again hard and Sephie and April glared at the hybrid's bad language, as did the others, but they understood the hybrid's frustration.
James too flinched but he kept his professional demeaner and continued.
"The blade caused some serious damage to his vocal cords." James dragged out the words "It would seem that Raphael may never be able to speak again."
Pandora's eyes widened and she stared at the chimpanzee.
"What!?" she cried "No…no please…. you mean…he'll never talk again?"
"I didn't say that." James said "I said…he may never…"
Pandora shook her head as they tears fell rapidly.
"No!" she cried "You mean she took my father's voice away? So, I'll never be able to hear him say he loves me? Or that he's proud of me? Or even scold me?"
James bit his lip as he tried to keep it together but seeing the teenage hybrid so upset was killing him inside.
"She?" Sonia as much as she was upset for Pandora wasn't sure what she was talking about, but he had a hunch who it was.
"Pandora…" Sephie reached over to the hybrid, but Pandora pulled away from her and let go of Sonia's hand before running out of the sickbay.
"Pandora!" Sonia cried and started to run after the devastated hybrid.
James watched them go and a couple more tears fell.
Michelangelo and Splinter watched in sadness.
"I knew she would take this badly." Splinter sighed then looked to the door.
"Oh my poor son…my son…. how will he react to this news when he awakens?"
"And Mona, and Don…" Michelangelo wept as he hugged Kate again who said nothing but just held him close in comfort.
After Pandora left the sickbay, she ran down the tunnels and past many residents who jumped out of the way to avoid her.
Sonia ran after her but didn't try to call after her, she only wanted to make sure the hybrid didn't do anything stupid nor dangerous.
Before long the hybrid stopped just outside the entrance of Mutopia which made the chameleon feel relieved as she hoped Pandora wouldn't try and leave the sanctuary in her state.
She kept her distance as she watched Pandora sit on a large rock and lay her head in her hands and start sobbing.
Sonia felt her heart splitting in two as she watched.
She couldn't imagine what the poor hybrid was thinking that her father was probably going to be mute forever, and she would never hear his voice again.
Sonia also thought of the rest of the Hamato Clan, and what Donatello and Monalisa would feel when they awoke and learned of what had happened to Raphael.
Sonia watched Pandora for a little longer letting her cry, then gathered her courage to go over and talk to the hybrid.
Pandora rocked back and forth on the rock as she sobbed, her hair falling over her face, Sonia reached out and gently brushed the hybrid's hair back and knelt next to her.
"Pandora…" she said gently "Pandora…I understand you're upset…"
Pandora stopped sobbing and lifted her head from her hands before turning to Sonia.
"She did it…she took my father's voice…she almost killed him and has damaged him."
"Who?" Sonia asked, "Who did this Pandora?"
Pandora's tearful and bloodshot eyes narrowed, and she glared.
"The whore of Arashi! His slut! Hanako!" she spat "She tortured me in the Headquarters when I tried to save Kemeko! She stabbed my dad! And tried to kill me! SHE DID THIS!" she screamed the last few words.
Sonia jumped back at Pandora's outburst.
"Arashi's got a girlfriend?" she asked.
"A WHORE!" Pandora screamed as she stood up and clawed her hands, even though she wasn't wearing her metal claws, she slashed the air.
"That bitch will pay! I hope I see her again! Because when she does, I'll be ready! When we meet, even if I must hunt her down! I will kill her!"
"Pandora?" Sonia asked fear pooling in her stomach as she watched the hybrid.
"I will kill her!" Pandora screamed then slashed at the rocks in the wall leaving a few marks before striding off back into the sanctuary.
Sonia watched Pandora and wondered whether to go after her, but she hesitated, then decided it was best to just let her be until she calmed down.
But the chameleon couldn't help but feel concerned as she observed the hybrid then looked at the marks on the wall after Pandora had slashed it.
She could see where her fingernails had hit it and even saw where a part of her nail had come off!
Luckily it wasn't the full fingernail, but Sonia was still scared.
"Poor Pandora." She thought "This is the worst thing for her to hear, I can only hope against all hope that Raphael heals."
She then began to walk back into the sanctuary, after seeing what she witnessed, she hoped Pandora wouldn't let her anger get control of her, and that she accepted help and comfort from those who loved her.
"No matter what." Sonia thought "I will be there for my cousin, she needs it now, more than ever."
So now Pandora has learnt of what has happened to her father and that her mother and Uncle Donatello need to heal longer, poor child, but now her devestation has turned to anger, which has worried Sonia.
How will this pan out? Well, that my dear readers is for me to know and you to find out!
P.S. For those who are Harry Potter Fans, I will admit I got inspired by the scene in the film the Prisoner of Askaban where Harry overhears the conversation in the Hog's Head about his parent's death and Sirius Black.