Chapter four
Fweep Fweep Fweep. The noise jarred Leo from his sleep. It took a few minutes for him to remember where he was and what had happened. He could hear the sounds of April getting ready for work. Leo groaned, his body ached, his head pounded and his mouth felt like a carpet. He pulled the blanket up over his head, holding his breath as the waves of pain hit. He couldn’t remember when he had last felt this bad. The day after New Years Eve came pretty close. April stood in the doorway. “I’m off now.”
“Mmm.” Leo replied rolling on to his shell, it was the only part of his body that didn’t hurt. He heard the door close as he drifted off to sleep.
Carrie looked in the mirror; she hadn’t slept a wink all night and it showed. It will take more than coffee and make up to fix this! Every time she closed her eyes she relived the accident. Well, today I’m going to get some answers! If there was one thing she loved, it was solving mysteries. She pulled her blonde bob back into a ponytail and slipped the wallet into her rucksack.
“Miss Ryan, your cab is here.” The manager’s voice filtered up though the floor.
“I’m just coming!” Was she doing the right thing? Only one way to find out! She climbed into the filthily cab; the inside wasn’t much better. The cab driver looked vaguely like the cab drivers Carrie had seen in movies. Fat and a greasy, complete with flat cap and a cigarette hanging between his thin lips.
“Where to Miss?” His voice was thick and dripping with an accent.
“Can you take me to this address? Please.” She asked handing the scrap of paper to the driver.
“No Problem!”
Leonardo stirred into the world of the living. He had to gracelessly roll out of bed onto the floor. Using the bed for support he managed to slowly straighten himself. He made his way to the kitchen inch by inch, at one point he wondered if he would make it. Stuck on the refrigerator was a sticky note. It read; Coffee in the pot. Help yourself to what’s in here. Love April. Leo smiled not many women would let an adolescent have the run of her apartment, let alone a mutant adolescent. He reached up to open the cupboard and found himself fighting back against immense pain. He managed to retrieve his mug with out dropping it or collapsing. Another smile crept out; each of his brothers had a similar mug, each with their name and the meaning printed on them. They had had them made at one of those weird stores that can print anything on just about anything. Leo poured some coffee into his mug; he lifted it and read. Leonardo – Lion Brave. He remembered his brothers’ mugs well. Michaelangelo – Angel. Well, he could be at times. Donatello – Given and Raphael – God has healed. Leo thought Raphael’s mug should read, ‘Act now. Think later!’ He dragged himself to the living room and switched on the television. The room filled with the sound of angry shouting. “Jerry Springer!” he groaned as he hit the mute button. Leo watched as a so-called family tore each other apart, literally. He could just imagine his family on there.
A flashing light on Aprils answer machine caught his eye. He pushed the button and stood over it. The first few messages were from April’s girlfriends, prattling on about the night before and the rating that particular man had got. The next message made Leo blood turn cold.
“April are you there?” Donatello’s voice seeped into the room. “April, if your there pick up! Well, I’m just calling to ask if you’ve seen Leo. He never came home last night. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about, let us know if you hear from him. Okay, thank you. Bye.”
Leo’s hand hovered over the receiver, he though of calling
home, but then decided against it. It
would only worry them more and he could just imagine the whispers he’d have to
face if his brothers found out he had spent the night at April’s. Anyway he could handle this. Leo slowly moved to the couch, he eased
himself down, wincing a couple of times in the process. Carefully he sat back and took a sip of his
Coffee. No, he would wait until dusk
and then return home. After all, if
he explained it to Splinter he would understand. He wasn’t like Raphael; he wouldn’t stay away from home without a
good reason.
Carrie stepped out of the cab and paid the driver, she watched as it roared away. She glanced around. Defiantly the nicer end of town. Just as she reached the large communal doors a UPS man came out. She held the door for him and when no one was looking she slipped in. Carrie made her way up the stairs checking the address as she went. What would she find? Would the thing she had run into really be living in an apartment in New York? Maybe it stole the wallet from this woman? It seemed to her that she was finding more questions than answers. At last she reached the door. What would she say? She didn’t want to seem like a mad woman. Hi, I found this wallet. It had your name and address in it, so I thought I should return it. Yes that would work. Carrie took a deep breath and knocked.