Slash's Revenge

Chapter 18 - Abandonment

*Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

*Author's Notes: I know it's not my usual posting date, but I'm back with chapter 18 of 'Slash's Revenge' and this one's a bit on the sad side. Luckily, I received a huge pile of candy for Valentine's Day and it helped me through my editing. Thank goodness for the miraculous healing powers of chocolate!

Speaking of thanks... Thank you to my wonderful readers, followers, and friends. I appreciate you all so very much.

I truly hope you enjoy the chapter. ( ᵘ ᵕ ᵘ ⁎)

CJ

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Chapter 18 – Abandonment

It felt so good to finally lie down on something other than the bottom of his cage.

Granted, using several oversized pieces of corrugated cardboard for a mattress wasn't exactly ideal, but it was definitely light years better than his prior sleeping accommodations.

Teeth chattering out of control, Donatello coiled up onto his side and covered himself with a tattered tarp he had found in the back of the warehouse that was presently shielding him from the storm raging on outside.

Nine blocks...

That's all the further Donatello had made it before his legs had collapsed beneath him. Every step he had taken had been sheer agony, even with the aid of his makeshift crutch, which was nothing more than a rickety push broom he had hastily snatched from the kitchen of Slash's apartment on the way out.

Weakened by malnutrition, countless injuries, and the infection now coursing through his body, Donatello had been rendered physically incapable of forcing himself back up to his feet. And so, he had crawled towards the nearest building to seek warmth and shelter from the pouring rain. Fortunately for him, that building happened to be an abandoned warehouse that had conveniently been left unlocked, sparing him the time and energy of having to break in.

The vacant building he had taken refuge in didn't look at all familiar to him on the outside. Actually, none of the buildings he had hobbled past during his rather slow-motion escape looked familiar, leaving him to wonder just where the heck he was. There was nothing inside the building to help him figure that out, either. Save for a few empty cardboard boxes and the torn-up tarp he had found, the warehouse was pretty much empty. Most likely cleaned out by the former owners and/or random looters looking to make a little extra cash on the side.

Closing his eyes, Donatello hoped the rhythm of the falling rain might help lull him to sleep, but each time he would start to drift off, the thunder rolling overhead would startle him back into consciousness. Not to mention every little noise was making him paranoid.

The storm may have helped to cover up his tracks, but that didn't mean he was safe.

Not by a long shot...

Not so long as Slash was still out there...

Pulling himself into a tighter ball, Donatello continued to shiver underneath his vinyl 'blanket.' He couldn't make the shaking stop, no matter how hard he tried.

He knew this was a bad sign.

A tiny voice in the back of his brain kept telling him that he couldn't stay here. That his condition was life-threatening and he needed to get up and at least try to find some place with a working phone, but there were far too many louder voices inside his head drowning out that tiny voice of reason.