You're the Boss Ma'am

Part 6

 I flung a hand out as another group of grunts came from behind me, pin-point needles of crystalized red impaling them like the bullets they attempted to put through me. I had but a split-second to react as another had snuck up on me and slashed a tainted blade at my side. I felt a flicker of fiery pain before I sent a powerful wave of energy around me, laying many more men down to their graves.

After that encounter, I had a moment to watch the brothers, their fighting like a well-oiled machine as Leo ducked and swerved to allow one of his other brothers attack. Graceful yet incredibly deadly, those were the subtle signs of years of hard work and dedication to master an art.

Time continued to work around me, Vizioso was nowhere in sight and his gang was leaving the area - the screeching of tires against the road telling me they were retreating. I carefully walked through the wrecked speakeasy, heading to my boys. I could hear police sirens come closer.

"Are you all right?"

Donnie was leaned over one of them, wrapping up an arm.

"Michael and Raph are a bit cut up, Miss," he started, tying off the bandage. "But other than that, nothing but a few bruises. How are you?"

I turned the wounded part of my body away from the second youngest turtle, schooling my features to a neutral calm.

"I'll have my fair share of bruising, but it'll take more than poison and several attackers to put me down." I answered, buttoning my bolero completely before heading upstairs.

"I'll have my staff assess your injuries when we arrive at home. Hurry - the cleanup will be here soon."

The four boys dusted themselves off and followed behind me in silence.

We separated with Leo and Donnie in the second car, the rest of us in the one I had been traveling all day in, the seating slightly more cumbersome then before due to Raphael's bulky form.

Both vehicles drove off, the first few minutes were drowned in silence. I decided to break the quiet.

"How are you two feeling?" I asked, glancing particularly at Raph.

He nudged his head to his brother, giving the notion that he wasn't up for talking.

Michael looked at me, "I'm gonna be okay, One of the guys caught me off guard and shot a bullet. Thankfully, he just grazed my skin and didn't put a hole through me," he smiled.

I admired his tenacity, not many people I knew could smile through being in a pain like that. I smiled back at him, looking back to his older brother and coaxing a small glance from him.

"I'll be fine, Rayne. That needle-thing ya' did with yer' freaky stuff ruined somah' my fun, but you of all people know I live fer' this kinda work," He said with a small smirk, rolling his shoulders a bit.

I cracked a grin of my own as we headed home, the pain from the cut suddenly feeling like my body was on fire. I winced for but a moment, instantly gaining looks from both of the boys.

"It's just the bruise, guys... I'm sure it'll be fine." I lied, trying to convince them that I truly was just caught by surprise.

"Bullshit, Anya-" Raph growled, tearing away my blood-stained arm away from my wound. "Yer' bleedin' like a stuck pig! Why didn't ya' tell Donnie?!"

"I can get this taken care of Raph-"

"Mikey - help me get the bleedin' under control."

Michael tore off my bolero with a muttered apology, using it to help keep the bleeding to a minimum. A few muttered words from Raph had us speeding through the streets. Within a few minutes, I saw my estate.

Raph dashed out of the car, Leo and Donnie's ride coming in just moments after. I felt dizzy and nauseated in that moment, the heat flaring up again from my wound. Whatever it was that that blade was covered in, I felt like I was hallucinating inside a hurricane from it.

Words were slurred when they were yelled at me, my eyesight was barely able to determine shapes as red and blue and orange and purple and green blurred together. I felt sick, and I was pretty sure I had vomited at least twice as I was picked up by someone. There was more shouting, and then my hearing went to a high-pitched ringing.

The last thing I remember seeing was the decor of my front door before everything faded to black.

(Donatello's POV)

Raph nearly tore off the door as James stopped the car. His emotions, however well hidden, showed signs of distress and panic as he stared at Leo and I.

"Rayne..." he started. "She got hit with somethin' and it ain't lookin' pretty. Help me."

I rushed out with Leo as Michael exited the other side of the first vehicle. I saw Anya, pale and lucid, sitting limply in the seat. A small gash was oozing blood and a yellowish substance from under the little jacket that was tied around her waist.

"Anya, it's Donnie. I need you to speak, do something to tell me you're okay," I ordered, looking at her.

She didn't move a muscle.

I lifted her arm, placing my fingers over the vein on her wrist. Her pulse was dangerously slow and weak for what she was just moments ago. Whatever had cut her was laced with something particularly nasty. I scooped up her body as carefully as possible. She immediately vomited on the ground from the movement, her body wanting whatever what was in her - out.

"Hold on, Anya. We're almost inside," I muttered to her.

Her eyes glanced at me for a moment before she went entirely limp, falling unconscious. I then realized how very bad this could end if we didn't hurry.

"Raph! Leo! Clear the way to the infirmary! Anya's gone critical!" I panicked.

The sound of several doors being thrust open had me running through the corridors, finally reaching the room I needed.

Three women looked at me, then at their Mistress, and suddenly went to work preparing a bed, setting her inside it, and shoving me outside the room to redress her in patient's robes.

"She's been poisoned with something - if you have a symptom codex, bring it to me quickly. We may not have much time," I yelled through the door.

One of the women stepped outside, handing me a large book.

"Miss Rayne's ready now, Sir. Gretchen has her propped up in case she has another fit."

I instantly opened the book and began to go through the symptom flowchart, going through several pages.

"Oleander? No... she's not bleeding out... It can't be belladonna either... monkshood doesn't last this long..." I muttered to myself, continuing to speed through the pages.

I walked through the infirmary door and began pulling out antidotes for common poisons, setting them aside once I eliminated their particular toxin. I had one of the other ladies, Mary I think, checking Anya's pulse every few moments.

Come on Donnie! You were trained for this sort of thing!

A few excruciatingly slow minutes later, I was down to three potential cures. One of these had to be it.

I muttered a string of curses as I went back through the list of her symptoms.

Hallucinating, pale, glassed-over look, nausea, dizziness, low pulse...

It suddenly clicked in my mind as I snatched a few bottles of antidote and sped to Anya's bedside. I forced her head up as I spilled the contents down her throat, forcing her to swallow the viscous, foul-smelling substance. She attempted to cough it up by instinct, but I thanked whatever being that was watching from above that it stayed down. I watched her in worry for a few minutes before she relaxed and fell asleep.