What if…?
… Oroku Nagi was never in love with Tang Shen?
… Nagi and Hamato Yoshi were best friends?
… Splinter was never alone in New York and stayed a pet?
… the four baby turtles mutated alone in the sewers?
… one crawled away?
… one fell into the broken glass and raw sewage?
*******
Tang Shen walked the streets of her new home with her beloved Yoshi. He was chosen by his best friend and mentor Oroku Nagi to be his second here in New York, to lead the Foot Clan. The city was vastly different from the home she knew in Japan and she wasn’t sure she liked it yet.
They were on a nightly stroll down a vacant street near the Foot compound when they heard what sounded like a baby’s cry. They looked around for the source of the echoing cry to discover that it came from beneath the street.
“Yoshi,” Shen pleaded.
Without another word the ninja master slipped into the sewers to find the infant only to find three turtle babies. One looked to be dead, but when he looked closer he could see the gentle rise and fall of its chest.
“Shen, you are not going to believe what I’ve found,” he called up to her. “Quickly run back to the compound and fetch Nagi and some ninja. Tell them to bring towels.”
She raced back to the compound. The hidden guards at the door didn’t stop her as she headed in. “Nagi!” She cried. “Come with me quick.”
“What is it?” he worried over the panic in her voice.
“Babies under the street,” she replied. “Yoshi said to bring ninja and towels.”
Nagi nodded and ordered his ninja to follow Yoshi’s wishes.
They followed Shen back to the place where she left Yoshi. Several ninja joined Yoshi down in the sewers, including Nagi.
“What is it, my friend?” Nagi asked as he approached his second.
“Look,” Yoshi pointed to the turtles on the ground. “That one is injured and needs medical attention. However, we must be careful of the slime. I believe it is what caused their mutation.”
Nagi directed his ninja to collect the turtles and the broken canister that was nearby. He was going to get to the bottom of all of this.
Like shadows the ninja dashed back to the compound with their burdens. Shen followed after them as quickly as her untrained body could go.
“Let me see them,” she demanded of Yoshi as soon as she walked through the door.
“As soon as it is safe,” he told her. “I do not want you exposed to whatever that slime is. Let our doctors look at them. I have already requested to Nagi that you will raise them.”
“How many?”
“Three, but one is not well,” he answered. “So, let’s not get our hopes up.”
She paced the halls waiting for the okay to enter the room where the babies were being kept. She yearned for children, but was told that she was unable to have one of her own. She had prayed for a miracle, but did not expect this.
Nagi came out to get her, holding the door open so she could rush in, Yoshi waited for her inside. The baby turtles were being tended to by doctors. Two of them were sitting up and drinking from a bottle. The third was strapped to monitors and had a tube going down its throat. It was awake and looked up at her with the most beautiful pair of blue eyes she had ever seen.
“Boys or girls?” she asked her husband.
“It took some searching, but it has been discovered that they are all boys,” he answered. “Also, blood work shows that they are not related.”
“Have they been named yet?” she sounded hopeful.
“No,” he smiled. “You are to be their mother, so you get to name them.”
She brightly smiled and leaned over the sick one. She liked art so decided to name them after some of her favorite artists. “I will call this one Michelangelo,” she stated then headed over to the healthy two. “The olive colored one with honey eyes will be Donatello. This little guy will be Leonardo.”
Yoshi smiled, “Those are wonderful names.”
“Can I hold one now?” she asked.
Yoshi picked up Leonardo and handed him to Shen. He chirped at her, nuzzling close. Her heart melted and she kissed his head.
Yoshi picked up Donatello, who was still sucking on his empty bottle. “I think he is still hungry,” he laughed. “Don’t worry, my son, we will get you more so you can grow big and strong.”
Still holding Leonardo, Shen walked over Michelangelo. She reached down to caress his head, “Stay strong, my little one.”
The sea green turtle chirped weakly and turned his head into her hand.
******
Carla headed home after her meeting with her grief support group. It has been almost two weeks since her little Andrew had died. She prayed every night that the angels would help heal her broken heart.
She stopped when she heard a baby’s cry. She listened to see if she would hear it again, when she did not she brushed it off as her sadness playing tricks on her. But, then she heard it again.
She searched for the baby listening for it to cry again. “Hello,” she called out.
Another cry answered her. It was coming from below the streets. She found a way into the sewers and called out again, “Come here.”
She heard the splashing sound of the baby crawling through the sewage as it cooed. It was heading in her direction. She hurried towards the sound.
Then she saw it. At first she was horrified. It was a turtle that came slushing through the sewage at her. When it reached her it sat down at her feet and looked up with golden eyes. Its three fingered hands reached up to her and it chirped.
Maternal instincts kicked in. Removing her sweater she scooped the baby turtle up and wrapped the sweater around it. It nuzzled her and chirped again.
She rushed home with the bundle held close to her chest.
She opened the door to the apartment building to be met by her brother in law, Eric. “What do you have there, Carla?” he asked following after her. She didn’t stop afraid someone would take her new discovery away.
She entered her apartment with Eric right behind her. She didn’t stop to greet her husband or children when she entered, but went straight to the bathroom. As she turned on the tap to the bath, her husband, Steve and Eric followed in after her.
“What is it, Carla?” Steve asked looking at the bundle in her arms.
“I have found a baby,” she replied holding it close.
“We must report it to the police,” her husband responded.
“No,” she cried. “They’ll hurt it.” She brought her bundle down so that they could see. “The angels have answered my prayers.”
“What is it?” Eric gasped.
Carla unwrapped the baby and placed it in the tub. She rinsed the grime off and it chirped in delight. “I am going to take care of it,” she stated.
“Carla,” Steve soothed. “It cannot replace Andrew.”
“I know that,” she shot back. “But, it needs me.”
The little turtle splashed happily in the water. Steve looked down at it, “What are we going to do with it?”
“Care for it,” Carla responded. “We have a large family. Together we can protect it.”
“I wonder if it’s a boy or girl,” Eric asked slightly amused.
As if in response to his question a little dark purple tip slipped out of its tail and he relieved himself.
“I guess that answers that,” Steve laughed.
Carla picked the baby up and wrapped him in a towel. “We’ll need to introduce him to the family,” she stated. “Maybe your brother can perform a christening.”
Eric sighed, “I’m not sure Luke will, but there’s no harm in asking.”
Without a response she left the bathroom and took the baby to the bedroom. She gathered the baby supplies and was grateful that she had kept them. It was a tight fit, but she managed to fit a diaper over the shell.
The little turtle sucked on his fist the whole time she tended to him. “Are you hungry?” she cooed.
She slipped a shirt over his head then picked him up and took him to the bed. The crib that connects to the bed was still in place. She laid down facing it placing the turtle on the bed next to her. He continued to suck his fist.
She was still producing milk and positioned herself close to him exposing her breast. She pulled his fist out of his mouth and pulled him close.
“I don’t think turtles know how to breast feed,” Steve said from the door.
“Where’s Eric,” she asked.
“He went to make the necessary phone calls to get the family together, so that we can introduce them to this little guy,” he smiled.
“Thank you for accepting him,” she smiled then went back to trying to get the little guy to eat. Brushing her nipple across his lips she squeezed some milk out, “You can do it. Can’t you?”
His mouth came open wanting more.
She laughed, “It won’t work that way, little one. You have to work for it.” It took some coaxing, but he finally figured out the mechanics of breast feeding and sucked hungrily. His little hand came up and rested on her breast while he sucked. His golden eyes alert and studding her face.
Steve and their three children joined her in the room. Her youngest, Heather, looked at the new baby. “What’s his name?”
“I am going to name him after the angel that sent him to me,” Carla smiled at her daughter. “Raphael.”
Steve laid down behind Carla and reached over her to caress the still nursing turtle. “Welcome to the family, Raphael Jones.”
