Waiting For You

A New Friend
Chapter Nine

After breakfast, Leonardo helped April gather the breakfast dishes and take them to sink to wash. Alisa meanwhile continued to sit quietly at the table. Then without a word, she suddenly slipped away out of the kitchen.

Leo caught sight of her from the corner of his eye, and watched her as she walked out of the room. He noticed how much slower she appeared to be moving than earlier; her steps more careful and deliberate. While she showed no outward signs that something was wrong, she seemed rather off somehow. It gave him cause for concern. Whatever it was, it was having a strong effect on her despite how discreetly she was trying to hide it.

He wanted to follow her and make sure she was okay. It unsettled him the way she was acting. There could be something really wrong with her.

"Do you need my help?" he asked April.

He tried not to make the question seem rushed. He didn't want to tip her off to the fact that he knew something was strange about Alisa's behavior, and he was in a hurry to check on her. She'd want to come with him, and crowd in on the young woman; fussing and worrying over her. Yes, he knew he was doing it as well, but in more subtle ways. He thought it was the last thing Alisa needed right now; to feel suffocated by their overbearing.

The red-head shook her head and smiled.

"No, thank you," she replied, "I've got this. Besides, I know you wanted to talk to Alisa, so go on and have fun."

He felt a sense of relief wash over him at her answer, but he was careful not to let it show. He didn't want her to think he was weaseling out on washing dishes. Usually, he wouldn't have minded staying to help, but Alisa appeared to need his help far more.

"Thanks," he said.

He turned then, and headed out of the kitchen at a relatively nonchalant pace; continuing to give no clues that there was possibly trouble brewing in the other room. Once he disappeared around the corner from April's vision, however, he broke into a stride, and walked faster to the living room. He hoped he wasn't too late, and something bad really had happened.

Alisa hadn't managed to make it all the way to the couch to sit down before she collapsed to her knees in pain and was forced to kneel beside it instead. She was able to grab the arm of it as she went down, which slowed her descent and softened the blow as she hit the floor. It also helped minimize any noise that was created, and was further absorbed into the carpet. No one would've easily heard it from the kitchen.

Even if they hadn't heard anything, however, they would be coming soon, and she knew had to get up before they saw her like this, but another suffocating wave of pain wouldn’t allow her. She barely stifled a gasp, and bent her body forward as she dropped her head to hold it gingerly in her hands. She screwed her eyes shut tightly, trying hard not to cry. It was the position in which Leonardo found her.

He was rather alarmed at the situation, but quickly caught himself before he could call out her name in concern. That would've surely brought April running to investigate, and then proceed in coddling her. And he was certain it would've made Alisa feel even worse.

Instead, he started to walk slowly around to her side so he wouldn't startle her. When he approached to be almost in front of her, he crouched down beside her to be level with her. Then cautiously, he reached over to place a hand on her back. She seemed to stiffen slightly at the touch, and lifted her head to look at him with glazed, watery eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked, softly.

She swallowed thickly, taking a deep breath, but that just made the pain feel even sharper.

"My head hurts," she replied, in a hoarse whisper.

"Where do you have your medicine?" he inquired, "I'll go get it for you."

She wiggled away from him suddenly, gritting her teeth as she did so. It hurt so much to move right now, but she'd be damned if she were going to be treated like a baby by him. April did enough of it already.

"No, I can get it," she answered, defiantly, her voice a little stronger.

Before Leo could react, Alisa was pushing herself up from the floor as she struggled to her feet with the aide of the couch. The pain was almost enough to send her back to her knees, but she was determined to walk. She wobbled as she forced herself to take a step in the direction of the guest room. The next step was even harder, but still she continued to press on. On the third one, her foot suddenly buckled with the strain, and she stumbled, careening forward. This caused her to lose the battle and ultimately the last of her strength.

She braced herself for the resulting impact to the floor, but it never came. She found she was safe in the turtle's strong embrace as he caught her before she could fall. Instantly, she felt humiliated and shamed. Tears began to pool in her eyes, but she refused to cry. She tried to pull away from him once again, but this time he held firm. He feared she would do more damage to herself if he let her go.

"I-I'm n-not w-weak," she protested, in a wavering voice barely above a whisper.

"No one said you were," he answered, gently, "You're a strong young woman, and I admire your courage, but even the strongest of us need a little help every now and then. And to remember it's okay to accept that help, and no one will think less of you."

It was a lesson he had had to learn, and he had always had someone to turn to for help while she had not. Although, old habits tended to die hard, and at times he would still tackle more than he could handle alone. He hoped in time she would come to realize she wasn't alone anymore, and there was someone now she could always count on to be there for her.

He could feel her body abruptly start to tremble in his arms then. For a moment, he wondered if she was crying. However, he soon discovered her shaking was not from crying, but from sheer exhaustion and pain. She needed those painkillers and to rest immediately.

"Will you allow me to take you to the couch so that you may lie down?" he asked, softly, "I will also retrieve your medicine and bring it to you."

Silence followed the question as she seemed to be thinking it over. After a moment, she let out an almost inaudible sigh of defeat, and gave the barest nod of her head as she agreed. She couldn't even talk she was shaking too much to work her mouth.

Once she'd granted him permission, he proceeded to lift her up and carry her to the couch. It was an act he could sense she was less than thrilled with, but knew she had no other choice. He set her down on the couch, and then grabbed two throw pillows to place on one end for her head. He also took a throw blanket and covered her with it when she had lain down.

Once he made sure she was comfortable, he hurried away to the guest bedroom to find her medicine. He quickly located the bottle of pills, which was on the nightstand. On his return to the living room, he made a detour to the bathroom, and there filled a small paper cup with water. Then without another delay, he carried both the cup of water and medicine to Alisa.

"Thank you," she said, quietly, as she accepted the items.

"You're welcome," he replied.

She opened the bottle, and shook out a dosage of two pills into the palm of her hand. She placed them in her mouth, raising the cup to her lips soon after to follow them down with the water. As she finished, she detected a movement to her side out of the corner of her eye, and found Leo no longer stood there watching her. She noticed he had finally sat down now, but it was in the recliner on the other side of the room across from the couch.

She looked at him quizzically, frowning slightly. She couldn't figure out why he'd chosen to sit there than rather with her on the couch. There was no reason he couldn't have joined her. There was plenty of room.

"Why didn't you come to sit on the couch?" she asked.

He raised an eye-ridge slightly, which was the only hint he gave that he was surprised by her inquiry.

"I didn't want to intrude," he replied.

He'd been thinking she wanted some space, and was willing to give it to her. It was why he decided to sit where he was instead of the couch. He was trying to keep his distance so she didn't think he was doting on her, but it was clear now she thought otherwise. Did it mean she really wanted him to sit with her?

"You wouldn't be," she said, softly, "I'd like for you to come sit with me."

She gave a faint smile, her emerald eyes seeming to coax him. He felt that familiar tug as he looked at her, urging him to go, and found he was unable to resist. This suddenly made him feel a little uneasy. He knew there was already something between them that produced such an effect on him, but it seemed now to be even stronger than before. It made him wonder how much more powerful could it possibly become. He almost didn't want to find out.

"Besides, wouldn't it be better for me to listen to your story here than from way over there?" she added, snapping him out of his thoughts.

She had a point, he realized.

"Yes, you're right," he agreed, "It would be much better."

He rose from the chair then, and crossed the room to the couch. Slowly, he lowered himself down as he took the other end to sit next to her. He was careful not to disturb the rest of the couch and jolt her accidentally under his weight, and settled in with ease. There was more than enough space between them for both to be comfortable.

After a moment, he turned towards her, and gave a warm smile. She returned it with a much smaller, weaker version. A few moments of silence passed before either one spoke.

"How did you become to be as you are?" Alisa finally asked, quietly, "Were you born this way?"

She tried to pose her questions as carefully as possible for fear of offending him, but he wasn't at all offended, and smiled a little to assure her. He didn't mind responding to any question she might have.

"No, I wasn't born like this," Leonardo answered, "My brothers and I used to be ordinary pet shop turtles until there was an accident. We were only babies when it happened."

He then began to weave an elaborate tale one would've thought was born straight out of a science fiction novel, but every word of it was true. The story had the young woman completely spellbound as she listened with rapt attention. She was enchanted with how his voice seemed to bring it all to life as if it had happened only yesterday instead of years and years ago. She thought he made a wonderful storyteller.

He talked of his childhood, and the struggles he and his family faced to survive. It was often difficult to find enough decent food to eat, or acquiring the basic comforts of a home, even in the sewers. If they got sick, natural remedies were relied on more as human medicine was almost impossible for them to attain. Only in the direst circumstances was their father forced to steal medicine or food.

Their living conditions improved slightly as they grew older and they could help their father more. They’d certainly become even better since meeting April and Casey, who provided for them when they could. It never went without appreciation, however, and the favor was always returned in some way.

Leo told Alisa how their first home was destroyed by robotic creatures called mousers invented by an evil scientist, but in the process they had found an even better home where they lived now, which used to belong to an ancient civilization. She learned of how they met April not long after their move, and then later Casey; their first human friends. She also heard of a few other adventures they'd had, such as their first battle against the Purple Dragons.

One thing she did not hear in the story, however, and which he intentionally withheld, was their clan's feud with the Foot. It would only remind her of her ninja assailants, whom he was almost certain were Foot ninja, and he did not want to upset her. He thought it best to save that part of the story for another time, particularly when she was well enough to handle it.

Through the duration of the story, the painkillers had finally kicked in, and she was starting now to feel its full effects. As he began to near towards an ending, she struggled to keep her eyes open, but her eyelids felt very heavy. She was so sleepy. It did not go unnoticed either, and he quickly finished.

"I am sorry," he then apologized, "I didn't mean to keep it so long."

The story had spanned so much time that April had come in to join them halfway through after cleaning up the kitchen. She sat in the recliner listening to bits and pieces, but couldn't really concentrate due to her growing concern of the young woman's condition. Besides, she'd heard it before, or experienced the events alongside her adopted family.

"No, it's okay," Alisa murmured assurance, "It was such a fascinating story, and I enjoyed it very much."

"I'm glad to know that you did," he replied, with a slight smile.

She gave a sigh then, and let her head gently settle further into the pillows. She yawned hugely, blinking her eyes to clear her vision which had begun to blur with the impending sleep.

"Don't fight it," Leo admonished her, gently, "Your body is healing, and it needs all the rest you can give it."

She felt an urge to object, but didn't have the energy to protest, and she knew he was right anyway. She did want to get better, and stop being what she felt was a liability to him and April. She didn’t like having to rely on them; she wanted to be able do things for herself again. She wanted to move around without pain and practice her martial arts. She missed that the most.

He smiled warmly as she complied, and closed her eyes.

"Be well, my tomodachi," he said, softly.

She barely heard him as she was almost asleep, but one word managed to penetrate through her hazy consciousness. Even though it was in Japanese, she still understood perfectly what it was. He’d called her friend. A faint sense of happiness rose up within her at the proclamation, and with that thought she finally drifted off to sleep completely.

"You knew there was something wrong with her, didn't you?" April suddenly spoke up, quietly, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Her tone wasn't accusatory, but it was slightly upset. Given that she was ultimately responsible for her young charge, she had a right to know what was happening with her. She didn't understand why he'd been so sneaky about it. Leonardo turned away from Alisa to regard the red-haired woman.

"Because you'd have coddled her and she doesn't respond so well to that kind of treatment, I’ve already warned you," he answered, keeping his own voice low, "It only drives her away; pushes her further into herself. We can't have that happening.”

April's expression became indignant with this statement, crossing her arms.

"Oh, so suddenly now you're such an expert on her?" she huffed.

Leo quirked an eye-ridge, surprised and a little confused by her attitude. She acted as if she was offended at the idea, and he didn't understand why. He then shook his head.

"No, I didn't say I was," he countered, calmly, "I only know what I wouldn't like if I were in a similar situation, and I've tried to apply it to her. So far, it seems to be working."

April sighed at his assessment, and relaxed her posture somewhat. She didn't appear quite as disgruntled as a few moments ago.

"So what do you propose?" she asked, "I can't have what happened this morning with her everyday. She has to understand she's not out on the streets anymore, and there are limitations now to what she can do."

"I suggest compromising with her," he replied, "And mixing in a little psychology doesn't hurt either. She's inclined to give a more positive response to something that appeals to her nature."

"I don't know, Leo," she said, uncertainly.

She sighed again heavily, and began to rub her temples with her fingers as if she had a headache. It definitely felt like she did. She didn’t expect taking care of Alisa to be this difficult. It hasn't been two days yet since she brought her from the hospital, and already she'd proven to be a handful. April wasn't sure if she had that kind of patience to use the tactics the turtle was giving to help.

"I wish you were going to be the one to handle this," she added, "She seems to take to you better anyway."

Leo glanced briefly to the peacefully sleeping young woman beside him.

"Perhaps maybe she feels I understand her where for so long no one did," he mulled, quietly.

After a moment, he returned his attention to April.

"I can always bring her down to the lair," he offered, "Like I mentioned earlier, I'd be happy to make arrangements for her to stay there. I'll only need time to talk to Master Splinter first."

It did sound like a good idea, but would it be fair to Alisa? The sewers weren't exactly a place to recuperate from a nearly life-threatening injury, even though the turtles' home was located in one of the cleanest sections. It was still a decision that had to be made carefully.

"I'll think about it," she answered.

She glanced over at the sleeping form of the young woman then.

"In the meantime, would you mind taking her to bed?" she asked, "She'll be more comfortable resting there."

"Not at all," he replied, "I had already planned to after she fell asleep."

Slowly, so as not to disturb Alisa, he began to rise to his feet. He removed the throw blanket from over her body, and set it aside. Using cautious movements, he extracted her from the couch and into his arms, gently supporting her head against his shoulder. She gave a slight moan in response, but otherwise remained asleep. She was pretty drugged from the codeine in the pain killers.

Leo started to walk towards the guest bedroom. He carried her inside to the bed, and carefully placed her upon it. He then took off her shoes and set them near the end of the bed to the side. He had to lift her briefly off the mattress to pull down the sheets of the made bed. After a moment, he eased her back down again and under the covers, which he drew up to around her shoulders. Finally, he readjusted the pillows at her head so they were providing the support she needed.

Satisfied she appeared to be comfortable he turned to leave the room, but not before giving her one last glance. She looked so pale and feeble, but her spirit was stronger than anyone could have imagined. She was tenacious, determined, and focused. She had the will to overcome anything, but it was time now she started to truly live than merely survive, and he would show her how. Because she was his friend, and now a part of the family as far as he was concerned. He cared for her in such a way.

With a small smile on his lips, he headed out of the room, and closed the door softly behind him. He decided then it was time for him to go now, but he'd most likely come back later tonight. That is, if Alisa felt up to it.

As he made his way to the kitchen, he passed the living room, and found April had moved to the couch now. She watched him as he ambled into the kitchen, and then stood when he began to pick up his coat and hat from off the kitchen table chair.

"Are you leaving now?" she asked, entering the room behind him.

"Yeah," he answered, as he tugged on the heavy trench, "I'm due back. I was only intending to stay a couple of hours. I had to skip practice so I could come, but I promised Sensei I'd make up for it when I returned home."

He noticed the red-head's confounded expression on her face as he pulled his hat down low on his head. He gave a slight, sheepish grin.

"You don't have to say anything, I know," he admitted, "And I undoubtedly gave my family another shock, but I didn't want to let Alisa down. Not after she went through so much trouble to cook breakfast, and requested my presence here."

"If she'd had stayed in bed like she was supposed to," April began to counter, crossing her arms in disdain.

"But she didn't," he interrupted, "And to bring it up again would still not change the fact. What is done is done, but I've told you what you can do for future occurrences, and offered my assistance if needed."

She realized he was right, and finally relented, dropping her arms into a relaxed position. He finished properly attiring himself, and then headed for the door of the apartment. He was going to go through the way of the store and out the side door into the alley. It provided the cover he needed now, and granted him an easy access to the sewer.

"I'll probably stop by again later tonight," he told April, as he stepped out on the stoop, "But I'll call first. I might have company with me this time."

He smiled.

"Mikey wants to meet Alisa very much," he continued, "He's been bombarding me with questions since we were up this morning."

"You're not going to bring him, are you?" April asked, worriedly.

She had legitimate reason to be concerned. Michelangelo had boundless energy and excitement, and it could be too much for Alisa to handle. She needed to be around quiet, low-keyed people for the meantime. Fortunately, Leonardo shook his head. He knew very well it was best not to have Mikey come here unless he could control himself. Though, it would still need to wait a few days before he was allowed.

"No, I'm not," he replied, "But I had thought perhaps it'd be alright for Don to come over. He's mostly curious to meet her in the fact that she’s a medical miracle, but I can get him to promise to keep that in check."

April considered the proposal for a few moments before she finally agreed.

"Okay, he may come," she conceded, "There are some new schematics I want to look over with him for the computer program we’re writing anyway."

He smiled when he heard these words. She and Donny were always working together on some kind of project or another. They were really close friends, but Don had had a sort of crush on her for some years now. Even though he knew April was in a relationship and he couldn't compete with Casey simply because of who he was.

"Thank you," Leo said, adding a small formal bow to his expression of gratitude, "Expect a call around 10 'o clock. Don and I will be on our way shortly after that."

"Alright," she answered, "But please don't stay too long. Alisa still needs her rest."

"We won't," he promised, "It'll only be an hour."

He turned then, and walked down the stairs. She followed to let him out and lock up again behind him. When they reached the side door, the ninja opened it just enough for him to cautiously peek out. He scanned the entire alley with sharp eyes, and soon found the coast was clear.

Quick as lightening, he slipped off into the shadows at the farthest end where the access was. He pried the manhole cover off, and swiftly climbed down into the dark underbelly of the city. With a slight scrape across the pavement, he pulled the cover back over the hole to seal him inside.

He continued his descent of the ladder and at the last few steps he jumped to land deftly on his feet on the sewer floor. A moment later, he began to make his way home, his mind feeling rather full with the morning's affairs.

End Chapter Nine