28Why is this crazy woman posting another story? Because she goes back to the real world of work next week, and she has enjoyed herself a lot at this site! In case you don't know, I am a teacher- and my track (year-round school) begins next week- and my vacation of lurking and surfing and writing whenever I feel like it comes to a harsh end, so I am taking advantage of the time. This story is being told by two different people thanks to the suggestion of an online friend, Dee- and I hope it doesn't disappoint you. I find that I have many ideas, good and bad.
The Teen age Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Splinter, are owned by Mirage. "Shi" and anything else to do with Japanese culture or mythology is owned by the Japanese. I own a Chesapeake Bay Retriever named Sam-I-Am, and at the most 9 cats own me...
It is possible to have too much attention.
It is possible to wish to be left alone, despite how much you love your sons.
It is also possible to worry too much about the future.
It is especially possible if you are ill.
Let me tell you a story.
"An Ounce of Prevention"
SPLINTER:
I wake up this morning feeling "old".
I know when I feel like this, it means I have come down with a cold.
No training today- just bed rest and meditation.
Now, how to hide this from my sons.
They are loving and well-meaning, but sometimes it is better to simply be sick without being fussed over.
This means I must come up with a good excuse, as well as appear well in the process.
I get up and slowly do my usual routine, and then I go out to greet my sons and have breakfast.
"Good morning, my sons," I say, as usual.
All of them look at me.
"Sensei, you have a cold, don't you?" Leonardo accuses.
Now this startles me, as I have not exhibited any of the symptoms to them.
"My son, what are you talking about?"
"You're late this morning," Raphael says matter-of-factly. "You are an hour late in coming out."
"You're only late when you're not feeling well," Donatello adds. "Since we can remember, the only time you are ever the last one to get up this late is when you are sick."
"So, this means that the next thing you will say is 'there will be no training today, my sons'," Michelangelo says, in what I believe is supposed to be an imitation of how I sound, "followed by some excuse, like you are spending the day fasting and meditating, and are not to be disturbed."
Then they all grin at me, waiting for me to deny it.
Now I know for sure I am ill, as I cannot come up with a plausible argument quick enough to dispute the issue with them.
Instead, I slowly make my way to my seat at the table and sit down, waiting for my tea.
"Okay, who wants first watch?" Leonardo asks.
"I'll take it," Raphael says. "Casey and I have plans for later in the day, so I'd like to take first watch."
"Good enough," Leonardo agrees, as Donatello brings me my tea and Michelangelo offers me some scrambled eggs and toast.
And watches me to confirm his suspicions.
I ignore the eggs and eat some of the toast.
"Okay, guys, you know the routine," Leonardo says, as they all begin breakfast.
"What 'routine' are you referring to, my son?" I ask, a little irritated by their words like "first watch" as well as this one I am asking about.
"Sorry, Sensei," Leonardo bows- but he looks amused. "You are not ill often enough to notice, but we have a routine we follow at these times. We still train, and do our chores and such, but we adapt to the fact that one of us is always with you."
"I am hardly someone who needs twenty-four hour attention," I grumble- another indication that I am not feeling well, to myself as well as my sons. "I do not like this reference to 'first watch', for example. I only have a cold. I have had them before. All I need is to be quiet and rest. I do not require a 'death watch'."
"Master Splinter, you say this every time," Donatello says, as they all nod and smile. "You always think we smother you, and the fact is, you are just angry at being ill, and you take it out on us by accusing us of performing a 'death watch'."
I get up from the table and head to my room.
I am not even in the door and Raphael is already setting down a tray with a glass, a large pitcher of barley water, a box of tissues, and my unfinished tea. He has also brought in a hot plate and supplies to make more tea when requested, and an extra blanket, all within easy reach of my bed.
"What kind of broth would you prefer, Sensei?" he asks.
I sigh.
"All I need is whatever you are having today," I say, sitting in my bed, shoulders sagging. I feel as if I have just participated in a rigorous training session, or a preliminary match in the Battle Nexus.
Yes, I definitely am ill. I am starting to feel tired, and I am beginning to ache all over.
"I'll be back with a hot water bottle and some herbal stuff April gave us for this type of thing," he promises, and leaves.
I contemplate the idea of locking and barring the door, but my sons are too well-trained to be deterred by that type of action.
I feel too tired to try to escape, so I move over to my meditation corner.
I will meditate, and then go back to bed.
MIKE:
"Hey, Mikey, give me a hand with this," Raph says, coming out of Splinter's room and gathering a few more things.
I do so without complaint. After all, I am the nicest one.
We get some stuff to read, some meds, and extra cushions. Splinter has no furniture, and sitting on the floor gets to be a bit painful, you know?
Loaded down we go back in.
Three things catch my attention: The room feels like a freezer; Splinter is lying on the floor, not in his bed- and something is bending over him-!
"MIKEY!" Raph is shouting behind me- he hasn't seen what has caused me to drop everything and pull my weapons. "What the hell- Sensei!"
Now Raph has dropped his load of supplies and rushes to our master- but he doesn't pull his sai!
"Raph, look out!" I try to warn, but he is kneeling by Sensei, checking his pulse. As he does this, the "whatever" fades from my sight, and I'm left confused, cold, and shaking.
"Mikey, put those away and help me," Raph's voice snaps me back. I hesitantly do so, scanning the room. I know I saw something bending over Sensei- I know I did!
We get him to bed, and he wakes up for a moment, confused.
"You fainted, Sensei," Raph says in a surprisingly soothing tone, and then Master Splinter goes to sleep.
"This is more than a cold, I'm thinking," Raph says, pulling the covers up over our father. "Better go get Don and Leo."
But I keep staring around the room, feeling as if I need to be there...
"Mikey! Put those 'chuks away and go get Leo and Don!" Raph's voice once again snaps me out of whatever I am in- I hadn't even noticed that I'd pulled them out again- and it feels as if I'm finally back in the room- and yet I never felt like I'd left it- and yet I feel like- "MIKEY!"
Now Raph is sounding concerned as well as pissed at me. He is staring me in the eyes; he has managed to disarm me with no effort.
"What's got into you, bro?"
"Didn't- didn't you see it?"
"See what?"
"When we came in," I don't even recognize the sound of my voice. "There was something bending over Sensei. Something dark!"
Raph looks at me strangely, then places his hand on my forehead.
"Nope, no fever. Go and get Don and Leo!" and he shoves me towards the door, turning his back on me.
I still can't explain it, but I walk out of the room, and feel once again like I've just returned from somewhere else.
"Must be the shock of seeing Splinter like that," I say to myself, and go tell Don and Leo what's happened.
Well, most of it.
Don brings a thermometer, and we troop back in.
"The room seems cold today," Leo notices at once, and I get nervous all over again. "Better turn up the heat."
"We don't want to make it too hot," Don says, taking Splinter' temperature as best as he can while he's sleeping. "Hmm- he has a fever, but I'm surprised that he would faint- it's not that high."
"He was going to meditate," Raph says. "He was over in his spot, and had lit a few of his candles. Maybe when he tried it was too much 'cause he was getting a fever."
"Maybe," Leo says, nodding, as he finishes straightening up the area.
"Uh, guys..." I start to say, and they look at me.
But for some reason I can't speak.
"Yeah, Mikey?" Leo finally hints.
"Um- nothing," I murmur, staring at the floor.
"Mikey thinks he saw something 'bending over Sensei' when we first came in," Raph says, and I steel myself for the ridicule and sarcasm.
But after a moment I realize that Raphy has not said it in a disbelieving or mean way.
Don is wanting to take my temperature.
"Eww- get that away from me!" I sputter, as he is trying to put the thermometer in my mouth.
The guys look at each other, but decide, I guess, to let it go.
Later on, I hear why.
I don't mean to listen in, but I'm watching TV when I hear Leo, Don, and my name.
"Probably he was just upset with Sensei's fainting like that," Don is saying softly. They think I'm concentrating on the show, but hey, I'm good at doing a few things at once. Besides, I've seen this episode so many times, I can quote it word-for-word.
"Yeah. I think Raph was shook up as well," Leo agrees. "You notice that he didn't once make any comments about what Mikey thought he saw."
"Are you worried about Splinter?"
"Yes, Don. He's never fainted before. I hope this is just the flu. Is April coming over?"
"Yeah, she said she'd come over later with some stuff. She thinks it's the flu as well, and doesn't seem too worried about his fainting."
"Why should she? He's not her father..."
I don't care what they think, I think, returning to the show and tuning them out. I know I felt something and saw something, and it had nothing to do with Splinter's being passed out on the floor.
And I'm going to figure it out- somehow.