Work Text:
April took deep breaths, preparing herself to meet the Turtles again. After being away for a year, she’d moved back to New York.
It’s only been a year. How much could have possibly changed in just a year?
Well, it had been a long year.
Here I go. Back into the disgusting, smelly sewers. But it will be worth it to see my friends again.
When she saw the Turtles, she had so much to tell them. But when she saw Splinter, she didn’t know what to say. At first, her reporter instincts had urged her to ask him a bunch of questions. She wanted to ask him how long this had been going on for. And was there any chance of him getting better?
Splinter approached her very slowly. He stumbled a few times, and she was worried that he’d fall over.
“Ah, April,” he said. “Good to see you again.”
“Hi, Splinter!”
Her eyes darted downward towards the growth on his chest, the horrible lump that had been draining his strength and growing bigger until the rest of his body had become skeletal.
She quickly looked back up.
“Uhh… how are you?” she asked. “How have you been?”
“I have had better days, but I am doing the best that I can.”
His voice faded away as he spoke, and the last few words were barely audible.
And then just like that, April decided not to ask further.
He will say more when he is ready.
Seeing him this way had left her sad, scared, and broken. No words could be enough to describe how she felt. And worse yet, no words could help him. Nothing could take his pain away.
Splinter turned and resumed his slow walk, making his way towards the armchair. This time, he really did fall. April immediately rushed to help him up.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes,” he said. “I just need to sit down, that is all.”
Soon, it was lunch time. The Turtles were very excited to show April the new pizza place that they’d discovered while she was away.
“Maybe we could just eat here today?” April asked. “I literally just moved in, and I’m still kinda tired.”
“You want to stay in the sewers?” Raphael asked, squinting suspiciously.
She glanced over at Splinter, who had fallen asleep.
“Yes.”
She wanted to spend as much time as possible with him.