Chapter Four
Devastated Reaction
In the medical Bay, Monalisa lay on the bed, still out cold from having fainted in grief, Raphael sat next to her, sobbing silently for the loss of his daughter as he hugged Donatello who held him close stroking his shell, his own tears falling.
"Oh Pandora…" Donatello said softly as he held his brother "How could you have done this? How could you go out there and take on Hanako by yourself and end up getting killed?"
He looked over at Michelangelo who had Kate next to him.
The Viper had still refused to leave his side and her hair was still stained with dried blood.
Jake was laying on his side still crying with Amber beside him stroking his shoulder comfortingly.
Donatello was worried about Michelangelo's reaction, especially since he and Pandora had such a strong uncle/niece bond.
"How are we going to explain this to Mikey?" he thought.
Then then turned to his sensei.
Splinter was sitting in a chair with his head in his hands in grief whilst George sat next to him rubbing his back comfortingly.
Dahlia had gone over and offered them some coffee which George accepted and offered some to Splinter, but the elderly rat seemed to upset to drink, let alone acknowledge anything.
"If only you could see how much this has affected everyone who loves you." The brainy turtle continued to muse to himself "If only you could see how worried we are…"
"Uhhh…what hit me?"
Donatello's thoughts were interrupted for a moment, and he looked over as did Raphael as they saw Michelangelo starting to stir.
"Shit…" he muttered as his stomach lurched.
"James!" the brainy turtle called over to the Chimpanzee who had been analysing Monalisa and he instantly walked over.
Kate also looked in concern.
"Mike?" she asked stroking his head.
Michelangelo slowly opened his eyes and looked over at Kate.
"Hey baby." He said groggily "What's for breakfast?"
Hearing such a quip from her boyfriend, Kate would have laughed, but given the current situation, nothing Michelangelo could say could lighten her mood and she almost wished he wasn't himself right now.
"Michelangelo?"
The brainy turtle looked over to James who was looking rather pale.
"Doc?" he asked "Huh? What am I doing here?"
"Michelangelo my dear boy, can you remember anything?" James asked.
Michelangelo looked a little confused.
"Remember?" he asked rubbing his head then he winced "Owww, what's happened?"
Kate swallowed hard and Michelangelo looked over at the Viper and saw her bloodied-up hair.
"Kate!" He cried "What happened to your hair?"
Kate touched her hair feeling the dried blood and sighed.
"Mikey." She said, "Do you remember we were fighting the Foot, the Yakuza and the 95th Street Gang?"
Michelangelo blinked then his eyes widened as he remembered.
"No way!" he cried then sat bolt upright yet he felt his body spasm and he fell back.
"Relax!" James cried as he pushed Michelangelo back on the bed then looked to Dahlia mouthing something to her which she nodded and ran to the side.
"Kate…the warehouse…a bomb!" Michelangelo cried "Is everyone alright?"
"Your brothers, sister and sensei are alright." James reported "As are the others."
"Thank goodness!" Michelangelo breathed then he remembered something else.
"Pandora!" he exclaimed "Is she alright? She's not in too much trouble, is she? After what she did?"
As the youngest turtle said that everyone went rigid, and Michelangelo heard sobs from the side.
Kate looked away from him to hide her tears and James sighed and sat down.
"Michelangelo." He said in a low voice "There's something you need to know."
Michelangelo swallowed hard as he looked at James, there was something in the Doctor's eyes, and he had seen that look before, often in movies and even his comics when the main characters were told bad news.
"Pandora?" Michelangelo asked fearfully "Is she hurt? Is she? What's happened?"
James sighed as it triggered memories of when he had to deliver bad news to loved ones if a patient didn't live after he had tried to do.
It was times like this he hated his profession.
"Michelangelo, I'm so sorry, but Pandora's gone."
Michelangelo blinked and shook his head.
"What, gone? What do you mean Doc?"
He felt Kate squeeze his paw as well as hear her sob again.
"I mean, she's not here." James blurted out "She wasn't found in the wreckage, she's Missing in Action."
Michelangelo's eyes widened and James felt tears in his eyes as he saw the look of pure devastation on the turtle's face.
"No! No, it's not true!" he said "Pandora! She can't be dead!"
"I'm sorry Michelangelo…" James began but Michelangelo started sobbing and thrashing on the bed in grief.
"No! No! I won't believe it! My Little Geisha! No! No! Why! Why her?"
"Dahlia!" James barked over his shoulder "Sedative stat!"
"Yes doctor!" Dahlia yelled as she ran over whilst James and a tearful Kate tried to console the turtle who sobbed and rocked about in grief.
"Why her?" he wailed "Why her? Why not me! Why didn't it take me instead of her?"
"Calm down Mike!" Kate wept but the turtle just sobbed hard as his heart broke over the loss of his favourite niece.
Dahlia hurried over and James took the syringe, and he quickly inserted it into Michelangelo's arm and injected the drug.
No sooner did that happen than the turtle relaxed yet his sobs turned to whimpers.
James sighed and shook his head.
"Poor young man." He sighed and looked at Dahlia "Thanks."
Dahlia patted James's shoulder and looked over at the Hamato Clan who looked distressed at Michelangelo's reaction.
"I'm sorry we had to do that." She spoke.
"It is alright my dear." Splinter replied quietly "My poor son…"
Donatello bit his lip and rested his head on Raphael's head as he continued to hold him, and Raphael gripped one of Monalisa's hands as he continued to hold Donatello.
"Take all the time you need." James reassured as he too took a deep breath to compose himself and Dahlia offered him some coffee.
"Thank you my dear." He said "Although, we might be needing something stronger later."
Outside the Medical Room, Tyroth and Sephie looked up as they heard Michelangelo's wails of grief.
"Mikey's awake?" Sephie asked.
"And he's been told." Tyroth said "Oh no…" he sat up and he saw the chimpanzee walking out of the other room.
"We just heard." Sephie confirmed "Poor Mikey, he and Pandora are so close." She added with a suppressed sob.
"We had to sedate him he was so distressed." James replied.
"What about Master Splinter, Raph, Donnie and Mona?" Tyroth asked.
"Devastated, almost like their whole world has been torn apart." James replied.
"Is Mona awake yet?" Sephie asked anxiously.
James shook his head.
"Sadly no." he said, "She's still unconscious, and I dread to think what will happen when she comes to."
Sephie sighed sadly.
Tyroth also looked down then saw his phone was filled with notifications of text messages including a couple of missed called from Hugh.
Picking up his Shell-Cell he started reading the messages which all asked if he was okay and that he needed to call Hugh back.
"Guys." He said, "I need to do something."
"What is it hun?" Sephie asked looking at Tyroth.
"It's Hugh." Tyroth said clearing his throat and trying to gather himself "He wants me to call him…"
Sephie bit her lip and squeezed Tyroth's hand and James looked away.
"I'll let you know of any changes, okay?" he said.
"Thank you, James." Tyroth called over then called Hugh.
After a couple of rings, the phone was answered.
"Tyroth?"
"Hi Hugh." Tyroth forced out "What's going on?"
"I want to know Big T." Hugh said, "What happened in that warehouse?"
Tyroth lowered his head as he listened then took a breath before explaining everything that had happened from the Foot arriving in Chicago forming an alliance with the Kodama Yakuza and the 95th Street Gang to Pandora sneaking out to find Hanako then the skirmish in the Warehouse.
"What?" Hugh cried as he heard the whole story "Pandora was the one who took down that gunman who held up the hostages in that shop? She caused the death of that man hit by the truck, and she attacked those gangsters trying to assault the two girls we interviewed!?"
"Yes." Tyroth said then he started to sob slightly.
"Big T? Are you alright?" Hugh asked.
Tyroth swallowed hard as he tried to control himself then he told Hugh of Pandora's fate.
"Oh my God!" Hugh cried "Oh Big T! I…I'm so sorry! The Hamato Clan, they must be so devastated."
"Devina and Sharky tried to find her, but she's gone." Tyroth said "I can't believe it!"
Hugh sighed on the other end.
"I wish I could do something to help, but you know why my hands are tied."
"I know." Tyroth said "And I understand, but this is something me and my people must do, I refuse to believe Pandora's dead! If Sharky couldn't find her, and Devina's life detection powers couldn't find her, she must be somewhere else!"
"But where?" Hugh asked.
"I don't know!" Tyroth said as he sniffed "But I don't want to give up on her, right now she's only missing, and I plan to find her and bring her home, dead or alive!"
"I get off duty before dawn." Hugh said, "I'll come down as soon as I clock off and I'll fill you in on what we found at the site, and you can tell me what happened with you."
"Thanks Hugh." Tyroth said "I'll see you then."
He hung up then turned to Sephie.
"Hun, spread the word to the Village, meeting in the Mess Hall in ten minutes."
Sephie nodded and wiping her eyes she left the medical room.
Tyroth sat back down again and cradled his head in his paws.
"How the hell am I going to explain to Mutopia about Pandora?" he thought to himself "And also, what of Leonardo and Kemeko in Japan?"
He squeezed his eyes shut in despair as he thought of the young Asian Girl and all she had been through learning the Shredder was her grandfather, and the true reason her parents were dead, and now, how would she take hearing the fact her cousin honoured sister was missing in action?
"I've got to tell them." He muttered to himself "But how?"
The Dragon sat up and took a deep breath.
"I've got to deal with this, one thing at a time, I must inform Mutopia of what has happened, then decide how to deal with informing Leonardo and Kemeko, yet despite telling this difficult news, I don't want to give up! As I said to Hugh, I refuse to believe Pandora's truly gone! One way or another, I will find her! Dead or Alive and bring her home!"
He closed his eyes and started to pray silently.
"With Odin as my witness, I will never stop searching, that's my vow, my promise, to your family, and to all of Mutopia…I will find you Pandora…wherever you are…"
Again another sad chapter, Michelangelo is devestated to hear of his favouraite niece Missing in Action.
Tyroth is now faced with telling the rest of Mutopia of Pandora's fate, as well as Hugh coming to Mutopia to inform him of what he found topside.
But he has also vowed to search for Pandora and bring her home, dead or alive.