I sat quietly, staring out into the darkness of the night, hoping that I would catch a glimpse of my friends coming towards us.
It was hard to make out anything in the gloom. Torrential rain was also helping to obscure my view.
Having made Michaelangelo comfortable, April came and sat next to me. She was shivering slightly in the chill of the night, while I was happy of the cool air and rain. Again, I put this down to my body temperature which was back to its tricks of fluctuating.
I felt helpless. There was nothing I could do. Even when I had been chased in the streets of New York City before I had met the turtles, I hadn�t been helpless. I had been able to run and attempt to defend myself. Now I could hardly run and would be hard pushed to defend myself.
I sighed. I hated waiting. I didn�t even know what I was waiting for! Part of me hoped I was waiting for Don, Casey, Splinter and Raph to defeat everyone and head triumphantly back to the van. The more sensible part of me reminded myself that Raphael had been shot, and that the chances of defeating the whole Foot Clan were very, very slim.
I restlessly changed my position as my weight finally cut off all the blood from one leg. April also moved about, restless and impatient. Michaelangelo was now lying peacefully, his eyes closed and his breathing shallow. Leonardo was dozing in the corner of the van, slumped partially over the seats at the front.
�Should I drive a bit closer?� questioned April. I was just trying to work out whether she was addressing me, when she appeared to get an answer from herself.
April reached to close the doors on the back on the news-van, then slipped between the two seats at the front and started the engine.
I couldn�t see much of what was going on, all I could feel was the van moving fairly fast and then it started swerving rather violently.
�Awwww, shit!� cursed April from up the front where I saw her fighting with the steering wheel. All I could see was the sky through the front window as I crouched next to Michaelangelo, trying to support him as we were thrown about. Leonardo had managed to clutch onto the passengers seat.
I cringed as I watched a body, clothed in black, fly across the glass. April�s face was screwed up in concentration as she drove around and around in irregular circles.
I guessed she was trying to scatter the Foot and try and get them to leave our side alone. I could have bapped myself for not having suggested this plan myself. Inside the van we were fairly well protected. Unless someone got in...
Suddenly the passenger door was opened. I let out a small shriek of terror, that was quickly subdued as Casey�s head appeared, followed by the rest of him that swiftly slammed the door and hurled itself in the back of the van with Leo, Mikey and I.
April screeched to a halt which threw Casey and me back against the doors. Fortunately they didn�t open, but I was winded, and crumpled up. Trying to breathe deeply, I watched in fear as Casey flung open the doors at the back.
What I saw was vast numbers of the Foot Clan either lying, writhing on the ground, or trying to help each other. No one appeared to be in command and the Foot still standing were looking to each other for support for another attack. Even I could see that this temporary confusion would be the best time for us to make like banana's, and split.
Splinter climbed into the van. His fur was wet and matted with blood. His right arm hung dead at his side. In his left hand he clutched the tattered remains of what had once been his staff.
Having now partially recovered myself, I dragged myself out of the way so Casey could help Splinter down next to Leonardo. Casey himself didn�t appear to be too worse for wear. He had a few cuts covering his body, but none looked deadly serious. A couple looked like they might need stitches.
A member of the Foot hurled himself at the back of the van and I saw a knife slash dangerously close to my leg. Fortunately Casey reacted quickly and the Foot got a baseball bat in the face.
I was now terrified. My eyes were wide open, looking around for the next attack. I started to panic as Casey jumped out of the van and ran off in the direction that I had blocked from sight due to the door.
Behind me I heard April and Splinter talking, and although I wanted to turn and look at them, I found my eyes were locked on the dark night and fear controlled my movements.
I don�t know quite what happened then. I guess that I was pushed so far by fear that my brain just momentarily �crashed�. The next thing I remember was Raphael being slumped into the back of the van, next to me, by Casey and Donatello.
Raphael was totally unresponsive. He had a number of gaping wounds covering his body which were bleeding heavily. I put my hand to my mouth as I tried to stifle a sob of horror and sadness.
Casey then jumped into the back of the van and helped drag Don in, before he slammed the back doors and locked them.
�Let�s get outta here!� he yelled, springing into the passengers seat. April slid back through onto the drivers seat from where she had been treating Splinter�s wounds and floored the pedal.
The van lurched off compliantly and we disappeared into the night, leaving our enemy scattered behind us.
Don leant over Raphael, as soon as we were on a smooth road, and started to try and bandage his wounds with the small first-aid kit in April�s van, I really wanted to be able to help him. But the truth was that not only was I feeling slightly faint from the sight of the wounds, but I was also feeling increasingly nauseous from the foul reek of blood.
Feeling even more helpless than before, I sat in the corner with my head bowed between my knees as much as my size would allow.
I didn�t even notice I had fallen asleep until I woke up. It was still dark, but through the front window I could make out a thin streak of the rising sun. We had been driving all night. I absently wondered where it was that Leo, Mike and I had been contained.
Casey and April were quietly talking at the front, but as I looked around the back of the van, I saw that I was the only mutant who was currently awake.
Looking round at my friends in the back of the van, I saw that Raphael had been bandaged up with practically anything that could be used as a bandage. Even the blanket, that my shoes had been in, was used.
Splinter�s arm had been put into an improvised sling made from Leo and Mike�s masks. Donatello�s mask had been tied round his own head where I could see blood still oozing from a wound beneath it.
Feeling sympathy for everyone and all their wounds, I tried not to disturb anyone as I knelt up, so I could see what was happening outside the van by looking out the front window.
April saw me moving about and briefly turned to look at me before returning her weary eyes to the road.
�Morning, Andrea.� she greeted quietly.
�Where are we?� I asked, moving next to April�s shoulder so I could peer through the window.
�Just on the outskirts of New York City. We should reach my apartment in about an hour.� she informed me.
�Okay.� I turned back to face everyone else and watched them quietly.
I think the only time I actually moved for that hour was when the baby inside me decided to try to perform the macarena or something. For about thirty seconds I was in discomfort and was forced to shift my seated position. But fortunately, this feeling soon passed.
After April had pulled to a halt, we all helped each other into the house. Casey and Donatello supported Raphael between them and went ahead with April. I noticed that Donatello wasn�t looking too good himself, but I couldn�t really do much about my observation. Besides, everyone looked kinda... ill.
The whole lot of us needed hospital treatment. Unfortunately, that wasn't a place we could go.
Splinter and Leonardo both carefully climbed out of the van and used each others support to head to where April was unlocking the door.
I gently nudged Michaelangelo and he wearily looked at me.
�You�ve got to get up.� I explained, trying to tug him upright. His skin was pasty to touch and I almost cried when he couldn�t even sit himself up. I remembered something I had been taught back in the UK about how if the body was deprived of food it would start to eat itself. I hadn�t believed that at the time, but as I looked upon Mikey I saw that my teacher had been telling the truth.
Michaelangelo murmured something incomprehensible and closed his eyes again. A couple of minutes later, Don and Casey were back to help get Mike into the house. This was done quickly and efficiently. I followed them in, having to pause for a breather through just having walked to the door.
Once inside, I found Raphael splayed on the sofa with April gently trying to tend his wounds better now that a larger first-aid kit was available. Raphael was still unresponsive, but I could see his chest rise and fall with each breath and was thankful just for that.
Raphael and I didn't get on, but I didn't want him to die. Especially since it had been my rescue that had caused his injuries in the first place. I was being pretty harsh on myself at this point, as I failed to acknowledge the fact the Leo and Mikey also needed to be rescued.
Each person was trying to heal another and there was a flurry of speech and action as items were requested and brought.
Instructions were thrown back and forth and I quickly found myself in April�s kitchen, trying to find all the equipment to make tea and coffee. I was thankful to be free from a cell and relatively safe, but the smell of death appeared to be lingering over April�s apartment ominously. As a group we were not out of danger yet.
One glance at Raphael�s mangled body, with April trying to clean the cuts, confirmed that. The sight of Mikey slumped by one of April�s chairs, all thin and pale with no comprehension of what was happening around him brought tears to my eyes.
Leonardo was sitting near Splinter, he too was thin and pale. Splinter was in obvious pain as Casey bandaged his limp arm and treated the cuts he could find beneath the fur. Donatello was standing by April, his face full of concern. Again, I noticed that Donnie wasn�t looking too good himself.
I retreated back into the kitchen to check the tea and finish the coffee. I was joined by none other than Don just a few minutes later.
�You okay?� he asked, beating me to that question and accepting the coffee I handed him, while absently rubbing the side of his head.
�Yeah. I'm Fine.� I lied. I actually felt extremely nauseous, my ankles were killing me and it felt like the baby was using my insides to practice for the World Cup, but Don didn�t look like he could handle my complaining. �What about you?�
�Yeah, yeah. I�m, er, fine. Yeah.� he said dismissivly. I could tell he was lying too. As he took a cup of tea, his hand was so unsteady that it sloshed over the rim. But he just stared blankly at the hot liquid scolding his skin and walked over to give the cup to April.
�Sorry. I, uh, I spilt some.� he apologized to April, before turning to start heading back to the kitchen. He had gone a very pale, sickly green colour and was unsteady as he walked. As I scrutinized his face I noticed a cut running down the side of his head. It looked deep and, although had partially clotted over, was oozing from places and staining his mask which was starting to come loose from where it had been tied over the wound.
�Don, you�d better do something about that cut.� I said slowly, trying to force my body not to feel sick.
�Cuuhht?� slurred Donatello, touching the side of his face. �Oh. Yeahhh...� I observed Donnie take a step towards April and then pause, rocking slightly as his eyes tried to focus on April�s face.
In silent trepidation, I watched as Don put an hand to his head, stepped shakily backwards and finally crumpled to the floor.