Chapter 13

 “I’ll stay this shift. Why don’t you two take 
Splinter home, get some rest, and one of you come back 
to relieve me in about six hours.” Don sipped on a 
nasty cafeteria pop that Hiroshi had gotten him. 


“Ok, sounds like a plan. But don’t you go and let 
somethin’ happen Donny.” Raph stood up and stretched. 
They had been in the hospital for awhile, and the 
smell and sense of captivity was beginning to get to 
him. 


“Jeez, Raph chill out. I won’t let anything happen. 
Now go find Leo and the others and  get out of here.”


“Yeah, where is Leo at?”


*** 


Leonardo carefully walked down the hall one last time. 
Nope, she wasn’t here. Damn. How had he forgotten her? 
That wasn’t at all like him. Everybody relies on him 
to remember the details. To make sure they are not 
overlooked. And he didn’t even realize she wasn’t with 
them until about an hour ago. 


“Excuse me, I’m sorry but I must be going.”


Leonardo hadn’t even noticed how odd it was that 
Senator Grey was still there. Didn’t he have anything 
to do? “Oh…thank you for all you did, plus staying all 
this time.”


“Ha, if you keep apologizing I’m going to go deaf. But 
I have not come this far by turning my back on those 
that have helped me. That’s a very important lesson I 
learned in this life. I thought that stuff I read in 
the paper a few years back was garbage. ‘Turtle Heroes 
in NYC.’ But it is now apparent to me what you have 
done for this city.  So your thanks is not necessary, 
but mine is. And it is coming. But I need to get on a 
plane tomorrow to go back to DC, so if you do not 
mind, I would like to spend my time with my wife and 
daughter.” The senator smiled. He was getting more 
used to this now. It wasn’t a dream. It was real. And 
things that are real need to be addressed. 
Compensations need to be made.


Leo listened intently as the man spoke. They seemed 
alike in a lot of ways, but the man managed to leave 
him at a loss of words. “Well then, I won’t thank you 
again. I’ll just tell you to go home and be with your 
family.”


Senator Grey smiled. “Well then, good-bye. I will have 
the good doctor give me an update on your friend.”  He 
was amazed at how normal they acted. He extended his 
hand. “Good-bye.”


Leo looked at the hand for a second. Then reached out 
and grasped it. “Good-bye.”


The senator turned and left. Leaving Leo stunned. 


I just shook hands with a senator.


*** 

“This is what you wanted, I believe?” Hiroshi entered 
the small room with Coffee and a bag of HO-HO’s out of 
the cafeteria. 


“Thank you.”


“Tell me Yoshi, where would possible acquire such 
eating habits?”


Splinter smiled, and Hiroshi was beginning to get used 
to the odd, toothy smile. “It must be the company I 
keep.”


“Ha, I see. –Oh, Yoshi… I…eh…told Mother that I would 
call her yesterday. Do you want me to mention 
anything?” 


Splinter looked uncomfortable at the Hostess 
treats. “Well, I would not want you to lie to her. 
Just say that you have found me. But leave the details 
if you can. Not that she would believe them if she 
wanted to.”


“I’ll try.” Hiroshi left to find a phone.


“Hiroshi,… I want to thank you for coming out here to 
find me.”


Hiroshi turned slightly and a small smile 
appeared. “Thank you for having the strength to write 
that letter.”


He turned and left.

*** 

She looked at the mess she had created.  When she had 
first gotten to her apartment, Tess had thrown 
everything visible into a bag or something or another. 
Now that she had calmed down, she sat down on the 
piles  she had created.  She couldn’t go home. Go home 
to what, to give up? But could she stay here? The city 
drove her crazy at times. And what about Leo? 


She looked at a stuffed animal that had been tossed on 
the floor.


“What am I supposed to do?”


*** 

Leonardo looked at the phone.  How could she just take 
off like that. Maybe it was something he did. Who 
knows? He reached in his belt for change and picked up 
the phone.  He listened to the tone before he hung it 
back up. 


She didn’t leave without a reason. And whatever that 
reason may be, I’m going to respect that. 

*** 

Don found Splinter. “Sensei, why don’t you go home 
with Leonardo and Raphael for a little while? You seem 
tired and maybe a little rest will do you good.”


“I feel fine Donatello. I think that it would be best 
if I stayed here with Michaelangelo.”


Donatello looked at his Sensei, his only father 
figure. “Are you sure? I mean—“


“Yes Donatello, I am sure. Do not worry about me. I 
will be fine.”


Splinter sighed; today had been too stressful for 
himself and now Hiroshi was contacting his mother. His 
Mother. He did not expect this day ever to come. It 
was almost too good to be true. At the same time, it 
was one of the most frightening experiences he had 
ever seen in his life. Would his family accept him? 
Hiroshi was slowly becoming more accustomed to the 
idea, but would he send his mother to her grave? 


The sound of approaching footsteps announced Hiroshi’s 
presence. Splinter looked up as Hiroshi appeared with 
a genuine, but apprehensive, smile. “Mother is so 
relieved that I found you. I don’t have words for the 
way I felt when I heard her voice after I told her. -- 
She wants to talk to you on the phone in a few 
minutes. Right now she is finding the rest of the 
family because they want to talk to you as well.”


Splinter breathed deeply. Now was the time to be 
strong; for himself and his loved ones. These feelings 
of guilt and remorse would not go away unless 
confronted, as hard as it would be.


“Then, we shall call her back in a few minutes.”


“Hello you’ve reached 555-1313, please leave a message 
after the beep.”


Tess threw the phone. She was hoping to have her 
parent’s permission before leaving. Leaving. Giving 
up. The question of why ran through her head 
constantly. Too many things were too complicated here. 
Instead of finding herself as she original planned, 
she felt like she was losing what little definition 
that she had about herself and the world. And that was 
scary.  But isn’t that the coward’s way out?


Maybe she was jumping to conclusions. Maybe she should 
just drive home for the weekend. Take a breather. But 
would that make things better? 2 days of normalcy. 
Tess sat down on a bunch of garbage bag “suitcases”



*ring ring* 


Thank goodness her parents check the caller 
ID. ”Hello?”


“Hey Tess”


“Leo?!”


“Yeah, just wanted to make sure you’re ok. You had 
quite a day today and you took off without saying 
anything.”


“Yeah, I’m fine. Um, hey Leo, I’m probably not going 
to work for Chu anymore.”


There was a pause. “Yeah, I guess I understand that. 
Being friends with us is a roller coaster.”


“Um, well, the thing is, I might be leaving town.”


-- Really long pause --


Tess sighed as there was no response for a few 
seconds. “I just am not finding what I came out here 
looking for. It’s too big. Too impersonal. It’s not 
you guys. It’s not you. I promise.”


“Oh… well that’s…understandable then. Are you sure 
you’re ok?”


“Yeah, um look, I gotta take off now. I’ve still got 
to load my car.” Tess bit her bottom lip.


“Uh… Ok, well then, take care of yourself, ok Tess?”


“Yeah—yeah, you to Leo.”


“Ok, will do.”


“’'kay then, Good-bye Leo.”


“Bye.” 


*click* 


Tess looked at the phone as the tears began to run off 
her nose and fell perfectly onto a pile of garbage 
bags.


Leo looked at the phone. He didn’t care as he noticed 
Splinter and Hiroshi approaching. 


“Are you alright Leonardo?” Splinter asked even though 
he looked preoccupied. 


That’s odd for Splinter. “I’m fine Sensei.” 


That being said, Hiroshi turned to his brother. “Are 
you ready to do this?”


Splinter gave a solemn nod and Hiroshi picked up the 
phone.

 


Next Chapter soon!!






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