Murmurs of sound slowly started to make sense and I could distantly hear a friendly voice say, “She’s coming round!”
I started to regain the feeling in my body and became aware of a damp cloth being wiped across my sweaty brow. My body twitched slightly as it tried to reassure itself that it was all still there.
I slowly opened my eyes and waited for everything to slip into focus. I was laying on my side across the couch in the lair. I had several pillows beneath my head, and a few more below different parts of my body. A blanket was pulled up under my arms.
I looked to see Splinter sitting on a chair beside me, a damp cloth in his hand. Leo was hovering near the door, looking anxious.
“Andy?” questioned Leonardo, moving to kneel next to Splinter, “A, are you okay?”
I had to really think about that one. My face was stinging from what I guessed were the cuts made in it by the teen. There was also a dull ache through-out the whole of my body and a throbbing in my abdomen. Other than that, I appeared to be okay.
“Yeah. I’m okay.” I assured. Leonardo gently took my hand and we exchanged smiles. Splinter placed the cloth and water bowl next to the couch.
“I’ll leave you to yourselves.” he said, quietly shuffling from the room. “Do not disturb Andrea for too long.” he warned Leonardo, “She requires rest to aid her recovery.”
Leonardo half nodded, and half bowed at his sensei before turning back to me. I watched as Splinter shuffled out towards the meditation room, before returning my attention to Leo.
“I was so worried.” Leonardo murmured softly, running his free hand through my hair. “I thought I would lose both you, and the baby.”
I blushed slightly and moved to rest my head on Leo’s arm. “Well, the baby and I are doing just fine. We need more than just a stupid thug to kill us off.”
“You’ve been out for five days...” continued Leonardo, gently kissing my forehead. I was a little surprised. I couldn’t believe it had been five days since Halloween. It was a little disturbing to think that the last few days had just gone by without me.
“So the date is...”
“November the fifth.”
“Heheh! Bonfire night!” I chuckled.
Leonardo gave me a confused look. “Bonfire night?”
“Yeah, the celebration of when Guy Fawkes tried to burn down the Houses of Parliament, and failed. In the UK we celebrate by letting off fireworks, building huge bonfires and burning guys!”
I giggled as Leo moved back a bit and looked at me warily.
“No... Not THAT sort of guy! Not the ‘bloke’ sort of guy, the ‘person built from newspaper and old clothes’ sort!” I laughed. Leonardo grinned and put an arm around me, pulling me closer to him.
“I’m glad to hear it!”
“I’ll bet you are.” I smirked, delicately kissing Leo’s neck before resting my head on his shoulder.
I remember him leaning over me and planting a kiss on my lips, before I drifted back into slumber.
Michaelangelo dropped his spoon into his cereal and his jaw seemed to be heading into the milk as well. It was the first time I had ventured from my bed since I had been attacked. He quickly recovered and stuck another mouthful in. I looked disdainfully at the marshmallows and jelly sweets I could see floating about in his food.
The pain from behind my lower plastron had fortunately passed in a few days after my first awakening. I had experienced irregular bouts of cramping as well, but that too had passed.
It had sure had me scared for a while though! I wasn't sure what was happening, and no-one else knew either! At times I wondered whether this was labour or not, but feared to tell anyone incase I was wrong.
When I finally dared to arise from my 'bed', I was a little shaky as I had gotten out of practice with supporting my own weight. But the more I moved about, the easier that became.
“Geeze Andy, you get bigger every time I see you!” he guffawed, pulling a chair out so I could sit down. He was the only one in the kitchen, and appeared to be watching a show about a giant purple dinosaur on the glaring telly. I noted the bits of cereal stuck to the screen and figured it wasn’t a show Mikey was a big fan of.
“Hi Mikey! Good morning to you, too!” I replied, slapping his arm. Michaelangelo and Raphael had returned to the sewer’s at the end of November. It was the beginning of December now, and boxes of Christmas decorations were scattered about the lair, waiting to be put up.
I helped myself to a bowl of cereal, observing Mikey out of the corner of my eye. He was starting to regain most of the weight he had lost. He no longer looked starved, but still was decidedly slender.
“That baby must be tryna take over the world!” declared Mike, placing a hand on my plastron. He moved his hand quickly as he got kicked by the insulted, hard enough to be felt though the shell!
“Hey! I felt that!” he said excitedly.
“Yuhuh, so did I.” I grinned politely, rubbing the sore spot.
“Wow! A ninja-baby already! Awww... It’s gonna be so cuuttteee when it’s born... A little micro-turtle bouncing round the lair!” Michaelangelo tucked his hands under his chin and tried to look cute and adorable.
I giggled, absently picking the marshmallows out of my own bowl. “Real cute, Mikey. I can see you’ll have a lot in common with the newborn...”
Michaelangelo chuckled, before placing a fresh handful of marshmallows in my bowl. I gave him the evils.
“Have you and Leo come up with any names yet?” he asked, speaking with his mouth full.
“Not really. We though of maybe calling it Hamato, or Yoshi, if it was a boy. Don’t know for a girl, though.”
“How about... Uhhh...”
I watched in amusement as Michaelangelo thought hard.
“What about, Margharita?”
I responded to that with a raised eyebrow.
“Mikey, I am not naming it after a pizza.” I was forced to giggle as Michaelangelo pretended to sulk. He snapped out of it with yet another question for me.
“Did you manage to work out when it was gonna be born?”
I nodded. “Mid January. That’s based on the information Leo and I know, which isn’t much. It’s practically a guess!”
“Better start getting myself prepared then...” said Mike, thoughtfully.
I was almost scared to ask. “Um, why?”
“I’m gonna be the midwife!” he declared, mischievously. I looked at him dubiously.
“What? You don’t think I’d make a good one?!” he grinned. I stuck a spoonful of cereal, milk and marshmallows in my mouth, ignoring the question and wondering whether to be worried.
It was big. It was VERY big. I wondered how they’d even managed to get it down into the sewer. The Christmas tree towered over me by far. Must have been about six to seven feet tall!
Two weeks before Christmas, and we all worked together to decorate the tree. Casey and April had come to help, and even Splinter put the odd decoration on with his good arm.
It had been decided that I was to be the one to put the angel at the top of the tree. But when I couldn’t reach it even after standing on a chair, and didn’t want to risk being carried, the job was passed to Michaelangelo, who was boosted to Leonardo’s shoulders.
Christmas carols belted out of the CD player, and everyone seemed in high spirits. Including Raph!
Raph had been rather grouchy of late. I had just tried to stay out of his way. The gunshot wound to his leg had appeared to heal, but had left behind it a limp. Raphael was NOT pleased about this. Yet today he seemed to be doing okay.
Still wary of him, I kept my distance. Yet I was happy to see Raph tease and be teased by my brother and friends.
Casey was brandishing bits of mistletoe. He has one tied by a wire over his head, and was proceeding to tie the rest around the lair. I giggled as I watch him edge up behind April. All he got for his efforts was a playful slap.
Donatello was probably the least happiest member of the group. He was smiling half heartedly whilst he picked decorations out of the boxes and groped to find a suitable branch to hang them on. He had been moping around the lair for weeks now, probably desperate for something to do.
I could easily sympathize for him. His sight was probably the most important of his senses. He needed it to use the computer, make his incredible gadgets and read the scientific books he always used to have his beak in. Now he could do none of these. The main chunk of his life had been cut away.
Michaelangelo was practically back to himself. He was still the lightest turtle at the moment, but hopefully I would regain that role once the baby was born! I had been taking a large brunt of the teasing, but I didn’t mind in the slightest. I just enjoyed the feeling of being part of a family. Besides, I gave as good as I got!
The other turtle taking the teasing was Leonardo, who was getting more and more twitchy and nervous as time progressed. Even when he and I were alone together now, I felt like he was not totally relaxed. He wouldn’t spend the long times just holding me. After a few minutes he would insist that I take a seat lest I should over exert myself by simply standing.
The attention he gave me was kinda flattering, but he was starting to feel like the mother I never had. In ways this was good, but in other ways it was very bad. I didn’t particularly want a mother from Leo. I wanted a good friend and a father for my child. I wanted to be the mother.
I tried my hardest to get Leonardo to relax, but all he started doing was worrying about me worrying about him and pretending to be relaxed, which was worse!
Unsure what to do, I backed off slightly and watched miserably as the feelings between us started to diminish. There was nothing I could do. All I hoped was after the baby was born, Leo might return to the turtle I had just begun to love.
All the worries of the return of Shredder had been abandoned over the festive season, as there seemed to have been neither sight or sound of the old enemy for months. Leonardo had enough on his plate with me, to care about this Oruku Saki person. Everyone else either didn’t care or was preoccupied with other things.
I fished another decoration from the box. It was a pair of miniature katanas with a string tying them together. Some young turtle had worked hard on it, years previously.
I smiled softly and attached the decoration to the colourful tree, wondering if maybe that young turtle had been forced to grow up too fast to enjoy the whole of his childhood. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes and I sighed, watching the katanas gently swing from side to side.
The lights were suddenly flicked off, catching me by surprise.
“Ready?” called Michaelangelo. I had a good guess that he was about to turn the tree lights on.
“Get on with it.” growled Raphael.
“Heeerrreeee goes!” Mike flipped the switch, filling the room with the colour of Christmas.
Gasping in wonder, I looked up at the towering Christmas tree, bringing festive cheer to the lair. It was beautiful. It was like a symbol of friendship. Of love. Of life.
I felt safe and protected under the decorated boughs. They stretched above me, sheltering me from harm and protecting me from evil. It was the same way I had felt when Leo held me tight in his arms, guarding me, loving me.
“What the?!”
I snapped out of my thoughts and carefully turned to watch as Donatello raised his hand to rub his eyes, a look of shock upon his face.
“Donnie?” Michaelangelo tipped his head to one side as he looked at Don.
“Mike, I, I... Saw that!” exclaimed Donatello excitedly. “When the lights were flicked on, I saw them! Just a brief flicker... But Mikey, I saw the light!!!”