Cold Fire Rising

Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

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Sirra had glared and grumbled for hours after Tirren had finished his run around the yard, throwing water balloons at everyone and everything, shrieking with laughter. But she smiled the whole time, and hugged Michelangelo randomly, and used medical scanning equipment on him.

At the kitchen table, Sirra showed them on the small screen where all that damaged had healed and was still healing. The left leg, she explained, might always be a little unsteady as the hamstrings had been affected just as much as the quadriceps. The sabre had in fact nicked his lung just enough to barely go unnoticed. Some muscles and tendons would be permanently scarred and the entire autonomic system was still going to be shaky. Mikey would struggle with chronic pain and damaged nerves after all, as Donatello brought up. Sirra suggested that his "vast shinobi skills" could mitigate the pain during battles. Leonardo mentioned consistent meditation, at which Michelangelo groaned while Raphael snorted.

"Would you like some of my hyperactivity medicine?" Tirren asked, rocking on his heels, standing next to Sirra as the turtles sat around the table.

Raising his head from his hands, Mikey grinned. "No, that's okay. I have my own ways."

Tirren's brow wrinkled. "But... it needs to be medicated! You can't pay attention or concentrate on your lessons. What other ways are there?"

"Tirren!" his sister hissed. But the four turtles just smiled.

"Well," Donnie said, "On our planet, we have medications, but they're only for humans – for now. The dominant species on the planet. We have to hide, remember. We're...mutants. They wouldn't accept us enough to give Mikey a medicine all the time."

"Plus, there are little mental tricks Mikey can do," Leo said, tapping the side of his head. "I know it isn't the same as medicine, but our father has many tea blends that are medicated."

Tirren pondered this. "My medicine tablets have plants and chemicals mixed together. I guess I understand. Anyway!" and he bounced in his seat, and the way Sirra and Michelangelo relaxed signaled that the topic was changing again. "Why are you wearing bandages? I thought you were all healed?"

The turtles blinked. "Oh," Mikey said. "Um. I don't know? I was having nightmares, and when I woke up, some of my scarred-over wounds had opened up."

"Oh, that isn't good," Sirra murmured, coming to inspect him. "Do you remember what happened in your dreams?"

Mikey pressed his lips together, glancing at his brothers, who shared a desperate expression. "I...I dreamed about battling the Alchemist. I dreamed that he hurt me all over, and each time, the blades were tipped with poison..."

Sirra's eyes welled up in sympathy. "I see. Considering that you're the only surviving victim, I guess you're the only one who could reveal that sort of thing. The Alchemist doesn't like loose ends. All of his clients are guaranteed their potions and elixirs to absolution. Even the..." She cleared her throat.

"The what?" Raphael snarled.

"Well, some of his clients are known assassins, is all I can say right now."

The silence stretched out thickly, heavily.

"I have some games we could play!" the little boy said loudly. Michelangelo grinned widely. "I'll play with you, buddy!"

"Sister, please?"

"Yes, Tirren, fine. But I need to look a little further at Michelangelo's injuries, all right? In my actual lab, not just with the small scanner."