28Hey, waitaminute! You just posted Chapter one! Yeah, but I have two chapters ready, and God knows when I will have the next few together, and I feel this overwhelming desire to get this up!
TMNT and all that is wicked cool about them is owned by Mirage, no matter how much the rest of us wish with fingers and toes crossed.
SPLINTER:
The next thing I know, I am lying under a blanket, and Raphael is putting a cool rag on my forehead.
"Hey! Finally! How are you feeling?"
"Confused," I honestly reply. "I was meditating. I do not recall going back to bed."
"Mikey and I came in and found you lying on the floor," he says, and though his face is trying to look like nothing unusual happened, his voice sounds as if he is greatly relieved. "You must have passed out. Once we got you into bed, you came to for a few minutes, then fell asleep. You've been out for a couple of hours. We think you've got the flu. You have a fever, for one thing. April says she will come over later and confirm it. Meanwhile, you need to sit up and drink some water and broth."
I am still surprised by this turn of events, so much so that I do as Raphael requests without argument.
I try to remember what it was I was doing- I had lit the candles- I had begun to relax, to let go- it was cold and dark- something dark was taking shape-
Then I was waking up in bed.
It concerns me for a moment, this "fainting" and such. I have been ill before, but I have never experienced this.
Is it because I am nearing the end of my life?
After all, I am considerably older than the average rat.
Perhaps I am close to the end?
This surprises me more- this depression I suddenly experience.
I lay back down, and try to calm my spirit. But all I can think of is death.
This more than anything worries me; the fact that I am suddenly worried. I have thought of death before. We will all die, and I had thought that I would welcome it in the end, but now... but now, why am I feeling so- so- worried?
What will happen to my sons when I am gone?
Raphael is still talking to me about something, but I do not pay attention. The room feels cold, and I pull the covers up higher. I fall asleep thinking of my sons' future without me.
And I dream terrible things.
I am lying on my futon, surrounded by my sons.
They are kneeling, with their eyes closed, and hands clasped in respect, and tears running down their faces.
I try to ask them what is the problem, but I cannot move.
I cannot speak.
And then I am above the scene, and I realize what has happened- I have died!
My sons have found my body.
My heart is breaking for them!
My sons! I try shouting, but no sound comes from anywhere- except the sounds of their crying.
They are so unprepared for this. I did a poor job of raising them, training them.
They will not know how to hold the funeral.
They know nothing about the memorial service to be held after death.
I have neglected their obligations to the dead by concentrating on their obligations to the living.
I am not worthy of being called "Sensei".
Now I see Donetello, working as usual at his projects.
And Michelangelo is bothering him, as usual.
I can see them, but not hear them.
Donetello is warning his brother not to touch something shiny and interesting.
There is an explosion.
Michelangelo! You are a careless fool! I shout, though no sound comes out. But that does not stop me, and I berate him something fierce for destroying the Lair.
I am watching Raphael and Leonardo arguing once again about how some unimportant thing should be done.
Must you both fight even after I am gone? I shout at them, disappointed beyond belief at my failure to instill in them brotherly love and cooperation.
My sons will not survive long without me.
My memorial service.
April and Casey are there- the crocodile Leatherhead, and Professor Honeycutt, as well as others we have made friends with over the years-and even the Daimyo is present!
And my sons are unsure and fighting and I am desperately trying to contact them, to correct them, to tell them what to do...
And then I am falling into Jigoku- and am greeted by Emma-o, who opens his book to consult my life.
On either side are two heads on pillars.
"Ah, yes- Splinter," he says, and the heads open their eyes and look at me with evil delight. "You are most welcome- to eternal punishment for your failures with your sons! They can't even hold a decent memorial service!"
And I am dragged away into darkness, where a dark something is laughing at my dream.
And I hear Donetello asking me if I am ready to have some tea.
I open my eyes, startled.
Donetello is sitting by my bed, holding some sort of devise he is always working on. He is looking at me with concern.
"Did you hear me,Sensei? Are you ready to have some tea?" And he puts down his project, fetches a fresh, hot cup of green tea, and helps me to sit up to drink it.
We sit quietly for a few minutes. He goes back to his project as I drink my tea.
"What are you working on, my son?" I ask, my dream still fresh in my memory.
"Oh, I'm trying to see if I can remote control the outer alarm perimeters," he replies. "You know, so that we will know sooner if anything has been tampered with or damaged or has simply just quit working. It will save a lot of time if we can check from the Lair."
"Should you rely on mechanical means only, my son?"
"Of course not, Sensei. This is just to help make us more secure."
He looks at me with concern.
"You must have been dreaming some terrible things, Sensei," he finally says. "You were restless for a time, talking in your sleep, and once you tore up Mikey for blowing up the Lair."
I try not to look at him- my dreams disturbed me so. Plus, I cannot shed this depression about death.
But I do not tell my son this.
"I did have some nightmares, no doubt caused by this fever," I admit that much. But I do not tell him of my death-dream.
Still he looks at me, as if I were some sort of project of his. This irritates me, for some reason.
"Why do you stare so, Donetello? It is very rude."
"Sorry, Sensei. I was just hoping you'd want to talk about your nightmare- you know, the really bad part."
"What 'really bad part' are you referring to, my son?"
"The part where you worried we wouldn't be able to perform the memorial service correctly because you had neglected to teach us about it. And why would Emma-o condemn you to Jigoku for that?"
I am caught in my worry.
"It is nothing. It is just a vague fear brought on by the fever," I finally sigh. "It is nothing to worry about. It was just a bad dream."
Donetello is very smart. He is smart enough not to believe me. But he is also smart enough to leave it alone for a while.
Though I know his brothers will be well-informed of all of this soon.
MIKEY:
Donny comes out at one point during his watch, and asks me to get some more of the stuff for fevers and another bowl of water.
Once again, when I walk in the room, I see- something!
"Don! The corner!" I shout, nearly dropping the bowl.
"Mikey! Don't shout!" I'm reprimanded sharply by Don, but he looks where I'm pointing. "What about the corner?"
I am staring hard- I saw something- something dark. Something dark and shapeless and cold...
"Mikey! Snap out of it and bring me the stuff I asked for!" Don is losing patience with me. Once again I feel as if I've just come back from somewhere else. The shapeless dark thing is gone, and I only see Sensei and Don in the room. I bring the stuff over and kneel down next to Don.
"What's wrong with Sensei?" I ask, though I can see he is restless, as if in a nightmare.
"Probably a fever dream," Don says, not sounding too concerned. But I know he is; Don is just like that, when he's in Doctor mode. He puts a fresh cloth on Sensei's forehead, and he seems to calm down a little. "Here, mix this up for me," he continues, handing me the stuff we use for fevers when the barley water isn't enough. I do so, and hand him the glass back.
He looks at me as if I've grown another head.
"Mikey, are you feeling okay?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure..."
"You're pale, and you're kind of shivering."
"Well, it's cold in here," I laugh, though I really don't feel like laughing. I feel like pulling my weapons and going on defense. I feel like something dark and shapeless and cold is creeping up on me.
For a second time today someone feels my forehead.
"You're probably coming down with the flu," Don finally says. "I don't think you should be in here anymore..."
This time I really laugh.
"Don, if Sensei has the flu, and if I'm coming down with the flu, then what's the difference?"
Besides, nothing is going to stop me from taking my turn today.