Alternate Allure

CHAPTER 6: YOU'RE WELCOME

Honestly, you were kinda hoping to wake up in your cozy bed or at least in a hospital room, with some doc telling you yesterday's crazy ride was just an overdose-fueled nightmare. But nope, this is definitely not your room, nor a hospital.

As you take in the scenery, you find yourself laying on a table that's been upgraded with a makeshift mattress. It's made of what appear to be pillows arranged under a large, poorly sewn sheet, to keep them together. Beside this random bed setup, there's a chair and a desk, hosting a computer, microscope, globe, a handful of books, and jars filled with who knows what. Looks like someone just threw them there in a rush.

To your left, there are some turbine mixers and mysterious objects hidden under cloth. Straight ahead, you spot a red toolbox, a propane tank, and a hefty battery of sorts. Behind all that stuff, there's a sliding door, making you think you stumbled into some kind of lab or a handyman's secret lair.

As you stretch and complain about your general pain, someone slides the door open, making you jump a bit, 'cause you're still half asleep. Donnie strolls in and, noticing that you're awake, waves at you. 'Okay, this wasn't a crazy dream, apparently'.

The turtle takes a step forward, flashing a friendly grin. "Morning, MC! Did you sleep well?"

You return the smile, sitting cross-legged. "Surprisingly well, considering the whole kidnapping thing" You give an approving glance at the mattress. "And you?"

Just as Donnie shares he had a good night's sleep, Leo, Raph, and Mikey wander past the door, doing the whole yawn and stretch routine. Leo goes, 'Huh?' right before poking his head in, followed by the other two, noticing you're there.

Mikey bounces into the lab, happy that you're awake. "Good morning!" he chirps.

Raph throws you a casual head tilt in greeting. "Hey there." He crosses his arms, leaning against the door frame. "Slept well?" You nod in response. 'Looks like Raph's warming up a bit... nice!'

"Morning, guys," Leo greets with a tiny smile. He rubs his eyes, turning to Donnie. "Why was MC sleeping on your desk?"

Donnie shifts his attention from his brothers to you. "Oh! I'm sorry for moving you from the couch! You seemed like a deep sleeper, so I didn't want to wake you up to ask you to move, I just-- I thought you would feel more comfortable in something close to a bed..."

Raph throws his arms up. "Seriously, Donnie, the couch ain't torture"

Mikey jumps in, all dramatic. "What?! Bros, we can't let our very first friend sleep on a couch or Donnie's desk! They deserve a five-star bed! What kind of hosts are we?!"

"I did what I could with what I had, ok?!" Donnie defends himself, a bit annoyed. "We don't even have a spare room, so—"

"You made this mattress?"

He stops mid-sentence, shifting his attention to you. "...Uh-- yeah, I did." He waves his hand, trying to downplay it. "It was no big deal... just used an old sheet and pillows. We'll get you a legit mattress soon, I promise."

"Well, gotta admit, it beats a few real beds I've slept in, but... When did you put this together? It was already pretty late when I knocked out."

Donnie lets out a smirk at your joke. 'Phew, glad they liked it'

"I couldn't sleep last night, so I figured, why not whip up something for you?" He scratches his head, looking a bit bashful. "I don't know, it didn't feel right to make you sleep on the couch, you aren't feeling ok after all... It didn't take that long anyway..."