Trouble nine
Michaelangelo hid under the tent he had created from his bed sheets. He shone the flashlight over the page; it was always better to read comics this way. Just then he heard someone enter his room, lifting up a corner of his sheet Mikey peered out from his concealment to see the unmistakable lower legs of his brother Raphael.
“Mikey, are you in here?” Raphael whispered. Michaelangelo held his breath, what a stupid question, where else would he be? Still, he remained hidden, what ever Raphael had in mind he wanted nothing to do with it. Where Raphael was, reprimand wasn’t far behind. Mikey lay perfectly still, squeezing his eyes shut he tried to will Raphael out of the room. All of a sudden Michaelangelo felt a crushing weight bear down on him.
“Ha! Found ya Melon boy!”
“Raph! You’re crushing me, I can’t breath!” Michaelangelo squirmed around trying to hit Raphael with the flashlight.
“If you can talk you can breath.” Raphael grabbed the flashlight and pulled it away from Mikey. “I need your help.”
“Look, if this is about your girlie mags, you can hide them in your own room.” Michaelangelo pushed the sheet from his face and glared at his amused looking brother. “I’m not standing through another ‘women are to be respected’ lecture for you or anyone else!”
Raphael hopped off of Michaelangelo and stood by the door, with a bit of over dramatics Michaelangelo managed to sit up.
“Fancy a mission?” Raphael leaned against the wall and waited for an answer.
“Doing what?”
“Investigating this Carrie woman. I don’t trust her.”
“Why? Because she trounced you with your own motorbike helmet?”
Raphael narrowed his eyes. “You coming or not?”
“What do you need me for?”
“So if I get caught I can blame it on you.”
“Mmmm let me think.” Michaelangelo began to gather up his comics, which had been flung everywhere in the struggle. “NO!”
“Mikey, look what I’ve got.” Raphael waved a cellophane wrapped back-boarded treasure in front of Michaelangelo’s face.
“No! That’s my Spiderman issue 1!” Michaelangelo wailed leaping for his most valued possession. Raphael held it out of reach using his other hand to hold Michaelangelo back.
“If you want it back unharmed, you’ll help me.”
Sandy looked at the little watch pinned to her overcoat. “Right then, I’ll go and find the anaesthetist. I won’t be long.” Sandy turned and left. Carrie gritted her teeth as another contraction grasped her. Leo walked over in a bid to try and comfort her.
“Don’t you touch me!” She spat as he reached her bedside. Leo stood back a little surprised by her outburst, he looked at the monitor, which beeped clicked and drew lines on a paper read out. Carrie tensed up.
“You have another contraction coming.” Leo informed her.
Carrie glared at him. “Don’t you think I know that?!” She grabbed the mouthpiece connected to the gas and air and took a big gulp. A woozy feeling swamped her and she slumped back on the bed.
“Take it easy with that stuff.” Leo said raising an eyeridge.
“You need to relax.” Carrie sighed staring at the ceiling, she thrust the mouthpiece towards Leo. “Have some, it’s good!”
“I’ll pass, thank you.”
“Really?” Carrie raised her eyebrows before taking another gulp. “You don’t know what you’re missing!”
Michaelangelo and Raphael peeked round the apartment door, they were glad to see it was empty.
“What are we looking for?” Michaelangelo asked as they entered. Raphael spun round and glared at him. “Shhhh!” He whispered putting his finger to his lips.
“What for?” Michaelangelo protested. “No one’s here, no one can hear us.”
“How do you know?” Raphael headed for the spare room. “That old bat across the hall probably has this place bugged.” Michaelangelo stood in the middle of the living room for a few minutes, deciding whether Raphael was joking or not. He poked his head round the door to find Raphael digging through Carrie’s possessions. “You’re not supposed to do that!” Raphael looked up at Mikey. “I’m not supposed to be in your room, holding a pillow over your face while you sleep. But, hey, I’ll be there!” Michaelangelo just stared back at him. “Got it!” Raphael grinned holding up a small back book.
Leo felt tired as he watched Carrie sleep from his chair in the corner. What ever they had given her it seemed to have done the trick. Leo straightened up as Sandy entered the room; she checked the monitors and scribbled notes down on her clipboard. She looked over to Leo and smiled, Leo shifted nervously.
“First one?” Sandy asked, the smile on her face spreading. Leo sat lost for a moment before answering. “Urm, yes, I suppose.”
“How long have you know each other?” Sandy pressed pointing to Carrie.
“Not long.” Leo was doing his best to sound uninteresting.
“Oooo newly weds!” Sandy squealed hugging her clipboard tighter. “I can always tell the newly weds. How did you meet?” Leo was starting to get a little exasperated.
“She hit me with her car!”
“Oooo that’s nice.” Sandy’s attention was back with the monitors. Leo sat back and raised an eyeridge. Was this woman listening to anything he said?
“How long will this take?” He asked after a few minutes silence. Sandy looked up from her work. “Sometimes hours, sometimes days.”
“Days!” A cold feeling gripped Leo
“Anxious to meet the little one?” Sandy smiled. “I shouldn’t think I would be that long though.”
“Is there a phone I could use somewhere?” Leo stood up.
“Sure down the corridor and take a left up can’t miss it.”