Survival

Part 5

It took a little while to find the answer to the problem.

Over the course of a few hours, Leo had gotten worse. He had thrown up his food, he felt very stiff in the muscles now, he was feverish, his chest hurt, it hurt to breathe and yet, Splinter was telling him to keep taking deep breathes, he was sweaty and his vision had turned blurry. His stomach continued to keep hurting as well especially.

Mikey had cleaned up the soup and toast up off the floor from before.

Raph had brought in a bucket for Leo to throw up in.

"Hurry up, Don! He's gettin' worse!" Raph had hollered back to Don.

Don then came in rather hurriedly. "I found out what Leo has! He's been poisoned with Aconitine. It's a form of monkshood. It's a poison that ninjas use."

"OK, but what's the antidote, Brainiac?"

"Lidocaine, Tetrodotoxin, and Paeoniflorin can all help to cure the poison, but until we can get our hands on one of those, we can also give Leo some tannic acid or powdered charcoal, or caffeine or strong coffee. And of course, I happen to have that on hand." Don told them, trying not to confuse them with medical terminology.

Don then went to the kitchen to try to make up some for Leo. He knew his brother wasn't crazy for the stuff, but it would have to do for now. Don feared Leo didn't have much time.

It didn't take too long for the water and coffee powder to make the coffee.

Don put some in a glass, covered it with a lid, and put a straw in it. It would be easier for Leo to take it this way right now. He took it back to the infirmary.

Leo was struggling to try to contain the pain. He had just thrown up again. Mikey rubbed the back of his shell.

Raph was glad to be helping as much as he could, but this was grossing him out.

"I have some coffee ready for him." Don said as he came in.

"I hope this helps him, Don. I hate seeing him this way." Mikey said.

"Me too. Here goes. Leo, I know you don't normally like coffee, but right now, I need you to drink this. It might help to dull the pain until I can get the antidote for the poison." Don said.

"OK." Leo groaned. He took the straw into his mouth and began to slowly drink the caffeinated beverage. He knew this was for his own good.

Leo wanted so much to spit the coffee out, but he had to drink it. He just hoped this would help him and he wouldn't bring it back up again. Whatever this poison was sure had a strong toxicity to it.

"What was the poison again?" Leo asked in between gulps.

"Aconitine." Don said and explained its toxicity.

Sure, Leo had studied poisons before, but it had been a little while. He should have remembered this one, as it was one that ninjas used on their arrows quite a bit. The poison had gotten into his blood by the arrow.

While Leo was drinking the coffee, Don talked to April and said that she needed to pick up a product medicine called White Peony Root Extract Powder for Leo. It contained Paeoniflorin that Don was going to treat the poison with before it got worse.

April said she would gladly run to any pharmacy where it was available. Ordering it would be a problem. There were plenty of places here in New York that would surely sell it.

"Check the Chinatown markets most of all." Don urged. "It's used in Chinese medicine a lot."

"Okay. I'll be here with it as soon as I can." She said.