the Cost of Freedom

Erica blinks a little and bends to pick up her clip board. "I mean he is fine!" She squeaks again....

but she was quickly losing her fright - she'd never been afraid of Leatherhead, she was not going to let Leonardo continue to spook her either. Her stance and voice lost the frightened look and she tilts her head a little to met Leo's eyes. "Raphael was brought to me by my friend in need of medical intervention." She holds out the clip board this time with her patient report on it, not throwing it out spooks.



"And I helped him. I and my friend. Your brother is currently resting and when asked before having a drink, he told us to contact you to let you know where he is." She explains and stands her ground. "I will lead you to him from here as long as you promise not to wake him."

Mikey - in the process of babbling what ever thought was in his head stops as he catches Leo's signal to join him... and knuckle bumps Donatello's shoulder leaping out of hiding with a loud crash on to the bin top - to startle the girl again ha!

He grins at Leo but says nothing for a moment.

Michelangelo Hamato wrote:

Mikey grins. "so.... think its cool we have a sleep over buddy at home." He whispers conversationally to Donnie holding onto his own muffin for the moment. Sure he wanted to eat it - in Mikey style! by stuffing the lot into his gob!

He grins at his brother in the dark leaning to peak about to see if he could see Leo and whomever he was talking to - was he finally talking to her?

But he could not and returns to ... annoying Donnie. "Soooooooooooooooo what trouble do you think Raph got himself into?"

Don glanced at Mikey and shrugged. "I don't know much about her, Mikey." He shook his head, shrugging again.  Truth be told, he wasn't really happy about it, but it seemed like he was being outvoted in that situation.  Not that it mattered all that much, but she just better stay away from his lab when he's not in there.  Especially now that he knows she's a thief.

At Mike's second question, he sighed heavily.  "I wish I knew.  I just hope he hasn't gotten himself into serious trouble."  He was worried about his brother, but he tried to hide it.  Don was constantly told by all his brothers that he 'worries too much'.

It wasn't much longer when Leo gave them the signal to join him.  Don headed over, looking at the girl who was talking to Leo.  "Hi."  Then his eyes widened at her when she overheard the condition of his brother.  "Medical attention?!  Let me see that." He grabbed the clipboard from her, studying it and frowns deeply.  "Oh, no."

"Ahh!" Erica - had NOT expect three of them!

She started at the orange ones arrival spinning to him, the crash of his weight on the bin she had previously occupied causing her fright ... O,O then another! "Hi...." Her voice shook.

And she backs up - almost into Leonardo!... but manages to stop herself... oh lord she wished now she had let Leatherhead come in her place... she was feeling particularly small now!

Her clipboard was taken and she squeaks. "Hello, Raphael is stable!" She tells this turtle with the purple bandana and ... tech gear all over him. "And as long as he gets rest... and is not over excited or jostled about and no infection or inflammation sets in he should make a full recovery!" She tries to reassure - was this turtle usually the one whom took care of Raphael when he was hurt? She adds quickly, "There was no vital organ damage, and the sword missed nicking bones... he will be fine... from what I understand of the properties of the mutagen is will actually speed recovery as long as I can continue to keep Raphael healthy and infection free and well hydrated."

Melissa Andreas wrote:

" Well if they take to long I'm gonna track them down hate being still for to long." Mel told Splinter even though odds of her tracking them was impossible as well as Splinter letting her do it. Still she could at least try.

Splinters ears twitch. "Child you are here under the behest of my eldest son and Leader to be of this clan, you will remain no matter how long they take to return. In the mean time I can suggest if you are feeling restless there is various repaired gaming devices in our living area to entain you, or watch something on the television or perhaps join me in some low impact katas for exercise." The rat chuckles, his voice was firm but also inviting, the girl probably knew already she would only get so far.

But she did not know the rat knew all the points of her body to pressure point to paralyze her. He nods to the muffins. "Would you like some more?" or some tea? or would you like to try some katas with me?"

It would be a way to stop himself from focusing on looking at his shell cell every five seconds... it was always like this when one of his sons was in some sort of danger or away and his brothers went looking for him!

Mikey watches the exchange, looking around Donnie's arm at the clip board but a lot of what he could read made little sense to him. "Raph's eighteen." He points out helpfully and shifts. She girl was now surrounded by them... still they had to be certain she had no weapons right? He mocks a shiver, "man wish I had brought another hoodie... hey could I have yous?" He nudges the girl. The hoodie she had on was his color!

awesome!

Less awesome is had Raphael's scent on it... though this was faint in comparison to the girls and he noted the stains ... blood? was that Raph's blood? But if she gave him the hoodie none of them had to frisk her as she couldn't possibly hide anything without it.

Erica blinks a little but as cold as she felt she could not let her patients brothers freeze, she sighs and takes her phone from her hoodie pocket and holding it begins to wriggle out of her hoodie, which she gives to the orange clad turtle.

Mikey grins and puts the hoodie's arms about his shell, "Ahhhh thanks." And given she had on only a nightie shirt and flats they could clearly see she had no weapons.

Don finally looked up from the clipboard, nodding. He didn't mean to scare her, he was just worried. But, it seemed like his brother was in good hands and he smiled softly at the girl. "Thank you," he told her sincerely, the smile never leaving his face. Then he handed the clipboard back to her.

Erica took back the clip board, her eyes again becoming calm and her shivering now mostly from cold, she holds the clipboard to her to hide the other bodily evidences of being chilled and nods. "Your welcome." She smiles back at this one with the kind voice and eyes, turning back to whom she assumed was leader, by the fact he came to her first. "I am not a threat to you or your brothers... and my friend, Leatherhead, will not be either." She tries to assure. "We have always wanted to help mutants, not hurt them." She could not see her lips slowly turning blue, but lord she could feel it and hoped they were ready to follow her, and be quiet! her patient was resting!!

Leo nodded seeing she had no weapons. also seeing her clip board it seemed she was taking care of Raph.

Mike, give her back her sweater. He said, seeing that the girl was cold. The fact that she gave up her sweater spoke volumes to Leo.

Ok. His voice was lower and softer now. We would like to see him now.

"Leatherhead? doesn't sound human." Mikey makes a pouty face but slips the hoodie off and hold it back out to the girl - totally checking her out as he did so. "Thanks for the loan Shortie - put it back on and lead the way!" He beams in his friendly way and nudges Donnie. "Soooo what trouble did Raph get himself into?" He asks his brother curious for an explanation to the parts on the clip board he did not understand.

"Your welcome - uh Mike? and no Leatherhead is a mutant, like you three and your brother... but not the same - he's an Alligator" slipping gratefully back into her hoodie shuddering, thought thankfully she was no where near dangerously frozen - she was still shivering and her speech was not slurring and she didn't feel confused, but a little lethargic yes. "I'm Erica by the way, Leonardo right?" She introduces herself for the third time to Leonardo and for the first time to the other two - hoping to invite them to introduce themselves of have Leonardo fill in for them, she texts Leatherhead as she talks letting him know there would be three brothers including Leonardo.

Her best friend was a gentle giant in personality but she felt it would be highly unwise to bring three healthy un hurt male turtle mutants into her extremely large male alligator mutants domain without some form of warning. She doubted anything would happen but it was best to be safe than sorry - especially as they had a patient to care for.

She may be cold but she gave off an aura of warmth and friendliness now she had managed to convince them she was not going to hurt them or trap them or had some devious plot in mind and somehow it did not seem that they loomed over her any more. "Come on we can do the proper meet and greet on the way." She begins leading them down into the sewers.

Master Splinter wrote:

Melissa Andreas wrote:

" Well if they take to long I'm gonna track them down hate being still for to long." Mel told Splinter even though odds of her tracking them was impossible as well as Splinter letting her do it. Still she could at least try.

Splinters ears twitch. "Child you are here under the behest of my eldest son and Leader to be of this clan, you will remain no matter how long they take to return. In the mean time I can suggest if you are feeling restless there is various repaired gaming devices in our living area to entain you, or watch something on the television or perhaps join me in some low impact katas for exercise." The rat chuckles, his voice was firm but also inviting, the girl probably knew already she would only get so far.

But she did not know the rat knew all the points of her body to pressure point to paralyze her. He nods to the muffins. "Would you like some more?" or some tea? or would you like to try some katas with me?"

It would be a way to stop himself from focusing on looking at his shell cell every five seconds... it was always like this when one of his sons was in some sort of danger or away and his brothers went looking for him!

" What are katas? I know nothing about how you guys fight." Mel told him curious about how they fought now. The weapons were different and it sure as hell wasn't karate but a for of martial arts. She had her own fighting style which was move quick and if she had to stab someone so she wouldn't get hit.

Splinter nods at the youths question. "We are practitioners of the art of Ninjitsu. And katas are detailed choreographed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs. If you join me whilst we wait for news I can take you through some basics." He offers chuckling.

" Might as well got nothing else to do." Mel agreed as she got up not in the mood to wait and do nothing. It was the boredom more than anything else but she also wanted to know about what had happened to Raph.

Splinter nods. "one of my sons will alert us to Raphael's conditions soon. Come then let us move this tea party into our dojo and take our minds off our worries." He nods and puts away the left over muffins after covering them then gestures, "Follow me then."

Perhaps if he worked her long enough the teen would feel less restless and sleep the night without being any trouble - especially if his sons did not return.

Spinter wore the youth out entirely and determined to stay guard because she was young and in a strange place and she was a street kid whom was probably used to stealing for a meal the rat let her settle on their lounge couch for the night giving her Michelangelo's blankets, as he was ever the most keen to share.

Then he settled with the afghan Raphael through many many haashi hours had knitted upon the recliner - his recliners the boys had found and dragged back for a fathers day gift - and here he let his senses stay on alert, but the sleep take his mind and relax his body.