Chapter Text
Mikey was ready and waiting for his brother’s return by the entrance, ready to usher them into the prepared station. Despite the night they had, or perhaps due to it, Mikey was keeping it together fairly well. He faltered at the sight of them, having been thrown off by the sheer amount of blood covering both his brothers.
Raphael wasted no time in laying Donatello down on the open cot. Mikey silently followed after, trying his hardest to keep his questions about last night’s events at bay, at least until his brother was stable. As soon as Raphael laid Don down, he called over to Mikey.
“Grab the pillows from the couch.”
Mikey paused, suddenly confused and slightly irritated, “Shouldn’t we focus on stopping his bleeding instead of making sure he’s comfortable?”
Raphael turned, trying his hardest to not take out his building frustrations on Mikey. “We need to elevate his legs so the blood circulates back to his heart. If he doesn’t have enough blood to pump, he’ll have a heart attack.”
Mikey didn’t need to hear more. The mention of a heart attack was enough to make him disappear in an instant. He returned almost immediately, his speed surprising despite running on fumes. He threw the pillows to Raph, who in turn shoved them under their brother’s legs. Raph swiftly covered his body in a pile of blankets, hoping to stave off hypothermia and necrosis as they worked.
“What can I do?” Raphael turned to his brother, whose voice was still grated from his dilemma in the elevator. Mikey moved to the table behind him, motioning to the array of items available. On the table was one of everything from their medical cabinet. “I didn’t know what Don needed so I…Well, I got everything.”
Raphael was taken aback, proud and slightly terrified at the length Mikey had gone to since their call. “Uh,” Raph stammered, “Get the IV drip and blood transfusion going. I’ve gotta disinfect and close up the wound before it gets infected.”
Raphael left Mikey to it. He grabbed the canister of oxygen from the corner and attached it to one of the steril masks, securing it to Don’s face. There was no doubt that Don wasn’t getting enough oxygen, his breathing was too shallow. After that he cut away the gauze, the dried blood acting like glue against his brother’s plasteron. Mikey returned with the bags, preparing to insert the IV carefully while Raphael worked on the wound.
“Mikey, hand me the hydrogen peroxide.” Raphael glanced up at his brother, noticing the hand over his eyes as he handed him the bottle. Despite all the things they had seen in their short lives, Mikey was still squeamish. He was thankful when Raph had stepped up to seal his brother’s wound. He would never tell his brothers, but Mikey had managed to only throw up twice while stitching up the nasty gash on Leo’s head.
Mikey managed to successfully insert both IVs by the time Raphael finished disinfecting the wound. He grasped his brother’s limp hand, resting his own on Don’s forehead. He knew Don was unconscious and couldn’t feel anything Raph was doing to him, but he still felt the driving need to comfort Don. “Don’t worry Donnie, soon you’ll be up and fixing all those new projects you’ve been raving about. Good as new.”
Raphael began to stitch up the wound in his brother’s side, his expression squished in focus. He vaguely noticed Mikey disappear from the bedside. That is, until he heard a clattering and an outburst from nearby. Raphael unintentionally jerked his hand, almost ripping the stitching out in the process. His head whipped up to Michelangelo, anger beginning to overflow as his normally peppy brother yelled at one of the machines.
“Mikey, what kind of stupid are you?! I’m tryin to stitch up our brother over here!” Raphael looked up to see his brother staring at the machine he had just toppled over. Mikey quietly apologized before dropping down to the floor. He was turned away from his brothers, but Raph could hear the small hiccups as he finished up the stitching.
Suddenly Mikey felt a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t bother looking up, there was only one person it could have been. He quickly wiped at his eyes.
“What were you trying to do?” Raphael’s voice asked, having already lost the anger from before.
Mikey fussed with the cords, staring at the useless machine as he replied. “I just...I wanted to actually see he’s okay. He looks so weak, so...dead. I thought I could at least set this up but I can’t even figure out how to do that.”
Raphael glanced at the machine Mikey had accosted in his anger. It was Don’s EKG. Raphael knew that the only two turtles who knew how to set it up were passed out behind them. He was sure they could figure it out eventually, but with how little sleep they had had, it would be a losing battle. Instead, Raphael took his brother’s arm and hoisted him up. He pulled Mikey over to Don’s side, guiding his hand to Don’s neck.
Mikey allowed himself to be puppeteered. Underneath Don’s jaw, he could feel the soft but steady pulse. Raphael let go, knowing that right now this was all he could offer. Both of their brothers were out of the woods, and the remaining two were spent, dazed, and bone-tired. Their bodies had been running on adrenaline most of the night, and now they weren’t sure what to do with themselves.
Both turtles stood there, feeling as though they could collapse right onto the floor. It had been such a long, emotional, and physically taxing night. The adrenaline suddenly replaced itself with numbness. Mikey stared at Donatello, watching the slow breaths filling his chest. Raphael finally remembered his unsightly appearance and moved his aching body out towards the shower. “Will you be alright in here alone if I clean myself up?”
Mikey stared at him, trying to figure out what he meant. Then Mikey realized too, that Raph was still covered in Donatello’s blood. Mikey quickly turned away, back to his sleeping brother’s form. “Yeah, don’t worry, I’ll watch them.” His voice cracked, but Raphael knew it was because of his worn vocal cords, not because he was trying to be tough. Mikey continued to stand where Raph left him, allowing the small beats to reassure him. The sudden silence was disorienting. For once nothing else filled his mind. Not even the incessant ringing he’d sometimes hear. It felt like an empty wasteland had replaced his brain. No thoughts, no static, nothing. Truth be told, Mikey didn’t quite mind.
Raphael moved into the bathroom, not bothering to strip before walking into the tiled enclosure. He turned the knobs fully, letting the harsh impact of water ground him mentally. He couldn’t remember the bathroom having ever offered as much safety as it did now. Now alone, Raphael let himself be overcome. His legs buckled. He grasped the slick wall, slowly allowing himself to slide down onto the cool puddled floor of the shower.
Raphael felt like he should be ecstatic that they were all back home, seemingly safe now. None of his brothers were in danger anymore, he should feel happy. But all he felt was a dull rage drowning in sorrow. He felt an urge to cry or scream, he wasn’t sure which. More than that though, he wanted to curl up on the slowly warming tile underneath him.
In a moment of selfishness, he allowed himself to do just that. He let himself slip down to lay on his side, emptying his mind of any thoughts. He focused only on the strong droplets massaging his skin. His whole body buzzed, his nerves tingling as his adrenaline ebbed away. He let all his stress and worries mix with the blood, imagining them wash down together away from his body. It felt like he suddenly wasn’t there anymore, like time had stopped all together. Funny, in the bathroom it’s near impossible to know how much time passes. Dreamily, he continued to watch the hypnotizing swirls of blood flow down the drain.
After what felt like an eternity, Raphael felt his mind finally return to him. This time he couldn’t bury the swelling in his throat and moved his hands to his face to soften the sound of the sobbing. Raphael wasn’t a fan of crying. It felt like he should have control over such things, but with every minute and tear that passed, he noticed he felt lighter. After expelling all that he had, his body was left with nothing but fatigue. The warm water was soothing, like a living blanket wrapped around him.
He closed his eyes, telling himself he wouldn’t fall asleep. He let himself drift, his body attempting to distance himself from reality. After too long, Raphael decided he needed to return. He felt bad leaving Mikey alone for so long. He grabbed a towel, finally striping off his wet gear. His whole body felt so heavy it could fall through the tile, but his mind finally felt clear.
He made his way into his room. For a moment he stared at his chest, before deciding he was too tired to dress himself again. There’d be no point, he’d hopefully be passed out soon. Instead, he grabbed a spare mask and hung it around his neck.
When Raph returned, he found Mikey standing by the couch, staring down at it as if contemplating a life changing decision. He made his way over to him, using his towel to roughly wipe away some stray droplets on his jaw. He’d never seen his brother so worn out. It didn’t take a genius to realize that whatever Raphael had been struggling with emotionally, Mikey was probably feeling it thrice fold.
“You okay bro?”
Mikey blinked at his brother. “Sorry, I was thinking about moving it into the lab.” Mikey moved a hand along the worn fabric. “Must have let my thoughts wander too long.”
Raph glanced at the lab before sitting on the arm of the couch. He reached over to Mikey’s shoulder, commanding him to sit. He’d do anything to keep his brother smiling, but he also knew there wasn’t a magic word to make things right. As Raph struggled with finding the right words, Mikey spoke up.
“Raph, thanks for saving us. All of us.”
Suddenly, Raph couldn’t take it anymore. His brother was too serious, and despite how proud he should be at Mikey’s maturity, it just felt unsettling. He hadn’t heard a single annoying quip from him since this whole thing started. He slid down to the couch next to Mikey, sweeping him up into a tight hug as he replied sternly. “You don’t need to thank me. You never need to thank me.”
Mikey hadn’t realized how badly he needed a hug until his brother’s arms were tightly wrapped around him. He let himself melt into the embrace, already feeling the tears pooling down his cheeks as Raph continued. “I know we get on each other’s nerves a lot sometimes, and I know I’ve let you guys down in the past. But, I’ll always be there when you guys need me. Always.”
He clung to Raph like a lifeline, allowing the sudden and overwhelming fear and helplessness he had felt earlier in the night to burst through the dam he had been trying so hard to keep locked up. All of the emotions returned in full force, overwhelming the turtle’s mind. This time there was no danger to hide behind from the intense feelings. “I was so scared, Raph. Leo almost died, Don might still die! What if I hadn’t held on long enough?”
Raphael let his brother finish, knowing Mikey really needed to just let these thoughts fly rather than cut him off with reassurances. He simply listened, rubbing his thumb over the back of his brother’s neck as he continued to cry into his shoulder. “What if I hadn’t been loud enough? What if I had just gotten you first? None of this would have happened!”
This went on for a while, the comforting reassurance of their physical presence relaxing them both. Eventually, Mikey allowed his full weight to lean on his brother. The loud cries eventually turned into sniffles, flinching in his brother’s hold as he regained control. He could feel the goopy mess of tears and snot on his brother’s shoulder.
Mikey pulled away, still sniffling. “Sorry.” He apologized for the mess, but his brother simply smiled.
“You know, you did real good taking care of Leo.” After a beat, Raph looked to his brother, a proudness swelling inside him. “Dad would be proud of you. I know I am.” Raphael watched his brother’s face, his expression of sudden surprise. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, and he had some snot smeared across his face. Raphael chuckled to himself, thinking what a strange situation it was to have chosen now of all times to tell him.
Before Mikey had a chance to process the words, his brother was smothering the damp towel on his face. “Wipe your snot Mike, it’s grossing me out.” Mikey chuckled as Raph playfully mussed the towel on his head, shoving him gently. He grabbed the towel away from him, a bittersweet smile lingering as he looked to his brother.
“Secondly, don’t ever question how loud you are. I’ll tell you right now, astronauts on the moon could hear your voice. You’re like a sick orange banshee with a megaphone.” The comment caused Mikey to start in a fit of laughter. His normally roaring belly-laugh ended up more of a huffing and squeaking, but a laugh it was nonetheless. It made Raph feel like he had just won the lottery.
There was a clattering in the lab, causing the moment to be forgotten. The two dashed to it, fearing a worsening change in their brother’s state. They shouldn’t have left their brothers alone for so long. Without the EKG, they’d have no way of knowing if something was wrong without keeping a vigilant eye.
However, when they entered the lab, the image of their leader’s fallen form greeted them. His upper half was lying on the floor, one leg twisted under him. The other was under a mess of blankets still on the cot. Leo had stumbled out of his bed, his foot having caught in the twisted hold of the blanket. Even under the circumstances, Mikey couldn’t help but snicker at his normally graceful brother.
“Geez Leo, why we thought you’d be a good patient and stay in bed is beyond me.” Raphael hoisted his brother up, pushing him back to the bed with a wide smile.
Leo resisted him, his focus on the cot behind them. His face was pale, body stiff as he weakly pushed against them. Leo was shaking, visibly drained and sickly. Despite his brother’s light attitudes, Leo remained focused, serious. “Donnie, is he...?”
Mikey could see where his brother’s attention fell. Behind them was Donatello’s cot. Their brother was deathly still, dried blood still covering parts of him. Without the EKG attached, Leo didn’t have much evidence to keep him from fearing the worst. He quickly moved to calm him. “It’s okay bro, Donnie’s alright. Raph managed to find him after you got that nasty head wound.”
Leo collapsed in their arms and both brothers carefully placed his shaking form back onto the bed. As the last of his adrenaline drained from his reservoir, so did any energy. Leo could barely hold on to them as they moved the blanket away from the tangle of his legs. “I-I’m sorry. No one else was here, and I saw Don laying there. I thought for sure he was…”
Mikey placed a hand on his brother’s arm. “Nah, Leo I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have left you alone. I didn’t think you’d wake up so soon. How are you feeling?”
Now that Leo had no more chemicals for his weary body to hide behind, he could feel the extent of his injuries full force. His neck felt like it was in a brace, rudely pinching every nerve he had. His head throbbed so hard he could see it in his vision. Behind his left eye, it felt like a large needle was burrowed into his brain.
“I’m fine.” Leo brushed the question off, turning back to peer at Donatello. “How is he?”
Mikey turned to the table behind them, still littered with a slew of supplies. He moved through the many packets of medicine, reading them off to his brother. “I don’t really know what most of these are, so you’ll have to tell me which one I should get you. Probably something for the pain and swelling right? I don’t think Ibuprofen will be strong enough.”
“Mikey, I said I was fine. Tell me about Don’s condition.”
Mikey turned back to his brother, swallowing hard as he stared. He could tell his brother was lying. All it took was a few seconds of studying his features to tell. Leo’s jaw was clamped tight, threatening to grind his teeth as he dealt with the obvious pain. Leo sat at an odd angle, choosing to crane his torso to get a better view of Don rather than with his stiff neck. “We handled Don the best we could, now all we can do is wait.”
Leo never met his eyes, continuing to look to their unconscious brother with a furrowed brow. “How bad were his injuries? Is there any permanent damage?”
Raph watched as a third party, the atmosphere turning quite dark. Although Leo was oblivious, Raphael could feel his orange brother winding up. His stare was sharp, and Raph watched as Mikey finally decided that he had had enough. In a moment of pure frustration, Mikey marched up to his brother. He grabbed Leo’s face, turning him to meet his eyes. Ignoring the hiss from the rough movement of his sore neck, he forced Leo to meet his surprisingly cold eyes.
“Leo, for once in your life, can you just care about yourself?! You almost died!” There was a beat of shocked silence before Mikey dropped the grasp on his brother, suddenly ashamed of his outburst. He turned away, quickly moving out the door of the lab before he said something he’d regret.
Mikey left the lab awkward and silent. Leo was still dumbfounded at the exchange, while Raph sadly stared at the door his brother had left through. He crossed his arms, sighing heavily as he leaned on one of the metal tables. Leo finally looked to Raphael, not understanding what had transpired. “What did I say?”
Raphael shook his head. “Man you’re even more of an airhead than Donnie sometimes.” Raphael turned, pulling one of the stools close to sit on. “You really scared him back there.” Raph fused with the end of Leo’s blanket, choosing to not meet his brother’s eyes. “Back in the elevator shaft, he was calling my name. I’d never heard him scream like that.” He ripped some of the frayed bit of blanket off, letting it gently sail to the floor. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so afraid in my life.”
Raphael took a deep breath before he continued. “I thought something bad happened to him, something real bad. But when I got to the chute, I saw him dangling there, being pulled apart as he held onto you.” Leo’s eyes grew wide as Raph retold his tale, he watched him silently, never a word passing his lips. “I have no idea how long he had been hanging there, but I’m sure you noticed his voice. It had to have been a while for it to have gotten that bad. He was so terrified that his grip would give out and he’d drop you. And after just having watched Donnie fall into nothingness, well…I can understand being terrified of losing someone else.”
Finally Raphael looked to Leo, using his eye contact to push his point across. “He had no way of getting back up. His only option was either to yell until someone finally heard him, or-”
“Or let me go.”
There was a beat of silence before Raphael broke their eye contact, nodding. “His arm’s in pretty bad shape. I’m surprised your fat shell didn’t pull his elbow right out of its socket.” Raphael attempted a smile, but it fell flat. Sighing again, he stood and turned away. “I need to wrap it before he gets into trouble.” Raphael gathered some supplies, his shell turned to Leo the entire time. He moved to the door, pausing when Leo called to him.
“Wait. Raph, can you tell him to come back?”
“Right now he should really be sleeping. Neither of us have gotten much since we got back home.” Raph thought for a moment, but decided against it in the end. “You owe him big time bro. He really saved your shell back there. The least you could have done was answer his question honestly.” Leo never responded, but Raph was confident that he was already aware. “I’ll be back later to keep an eye on you two.”
And with that, Leo was left in the infirmary alone. He glanced at Donatello, now able to notice the fog occasionally appearing from inside the oxygen mask. Leo leaned back, trying not to focus on the intense banging in his skull. He should have just taken some meds. He looked over at the table for a moment, considering trying to get out of bed again. He turned away, realizing he wasn't strong enough to get to them on his own. Closing his eyes, he resigned himself, believing he deserved the pain.
Leo wondered if he should sleep. No one had told him otherwise, but he figured he should be safe than sorry until he was cleared from any concussions. After a while, Raphael returned. In spite of what he had said, Mikey had ended up coming back on his own. Leo turned to his brother, who was clenching his jaw, eyes averted as he tried not to let himself tear up. Finally, he noticed the sling around his brother’s right arm.
“I’m so sorry, Mikey.” When his brother continued to stare at the ground, Leo reached out to grasp his wrist. Despite his tough farce, Mikey’s lip pouted slightly, his cheeks puffing. Leo couldn’t help but be reminded of when they were little. “The determination alone needed to hold onto me that long…Well, you really pulled through.” Mikey looked up to see a sad smile on his brother’s face. “It must have been so hard going through that alone. Thanks for saving my stubborn ungrateful shell.”
Mikey sniffed, playing off the feat in his own comical way. “Nah, it’s no big deal. Raph technically saved us both.” A mischievous smile crept up on the turtle’s mouth, “Although, you could repay me with a week off of training.”
Leo chuckled, glancing back at Mikey’s sling. “I think we’re all going to be off training for a while.”
Mikey sagged into Leo’s bed, “Oh thank goodness. I’m so beat I don’t think I could twirl a nunchuck, even if I wanted to.” Leo chuckled, rubbing his hand over the back of his brother’s shell.
He looked up when he heard a grating against the ground. The sound shuffled towards the lab slowly. Leo stared at the door, waiting for whatever it was to come in. Leo recognized Raphael’s shell first. The turtle was heaving the lounge chair into the lab. He collapsed into it, kicking up the recline with a huff. Leo continued to stare at his brother questioningly until he finally made eye contact.
“What?” Raphael asked defensively. “You expect me to sit on that sorry excuse for a stool all night?”
Leo simply shook his head and shifted his legs, they were starting to fall asleep under Mikey’s weight. Mikey didn’t stir, even when Raph yelled at him to move. “Mike, you can’t both fit on there, you’re going to crush Leo in his sleep. Go get your mattress if you’re gonna sleep in here.”
Mikey groaned long and dramatically as he slid from the cot to the floor. He moved like a zombie, the precious minutes he spent in blissful sleep already affecting him. He stumbled over a pile of scraps, rubbing his eyes as he left. Raph instantly fell asleep, muttering to his brother to wake him if he was dying.
Leo propped his pillow, leaning reclined. His head throbbed too much when he laid flat. He tried to close his eyes but the pain was too distracting. There was no way he would be able to sleep. Thankfully, Mikey returned, mattress rolling in front of him. He plopped it down near the recliner with a splat, the wind force rippling Leo’s bandana.
“Hey Mikey?” Leo asked sheepishly.
“Mmm?” Mikey hummed in response as he meticulously laid out his blanket.
“Can you hand me some acetaminophen?”
Mikey stared at him for a moment, trying to process what word just passed through his brother’s lips. As it clicked, Mikey lit up. “I knew it! You aren’t fine!” Mikey moved to the table of goodies, instantly forgetting the bed. “What does it look like? How many do you need?” Mikey raised up several of the bottles, turning for his brother to see.
“It’s really not that serious. I’ve felt worse.” Leo searched the table with his eyes, not wanting to keep his brother from blissful sleep any longer. “No, not that one.” Mikey dropped the other bottles to the floor, having picked up the same one too many times. “Wait, there!” Leo pointed to the one in Mikey’s left hand. He fumbled with the lid before handing it to Leo.
“I’ll be right back.”
Before Leo could ask where his brother was dashing off to, Mikey was gone. When he reappeared, he carried a tall glass of water, and several ice packs. “Here.” He dropped them all into Leo’s lap before handing him the water.
“Thanks.” Leo tentatively took the glass, still shocked that his brother could even stand after having gone almost 24 hours without sleep.
As Leo swallowed the pills, Mikey disappeared again. He gathered up a few of the ice packs, laying them around his neck on the pillow. With his other hand, he gingerly placed the widest pack against his head. He heard a grunting at the doorway, and glanced over to see the orange turtle hefting the TV into the lab. Over his arms was a tangle of wires and controllers.
“Uh, Mikey?”
“Yeah?”
“What are you doing?”
Leo watched his brother set up the console next to the cot. “Raph and I think you could have a concussion, so it’s best if you don’t sleep. I figured it’s a lot easier to stay awake with some entertainment, you know?”
Leo couldn’t help but smile. Even as dog-tired as Mikey was, he still was putting his brothers first. “That’s really thoughtful of you Mikey. Thanks.” Mikey held out the remote to Leo, who took it with a smile. As Leo tried to move it to his lap, he was met with resistance. His smile faded as he looked back to Mikey in confusion. His brother’s expression became serious.
“Leo, you have to promise to wake one of us up if something happens.”
Leo allowed his shoulders to relax. “I promise Mikey.” He tugged at the remote again. It still didn’t budge.
“I mean it Leo. You’re going to sit here and rest. No working, no loopholes, I don’t want you to even think about anything related to work. Actually no, I don’t want you to even think. If you feel off in any way or if you need something, you have to tell us.”
Leo sighed, releasing the remote back to his brother. He placed a hand over his plasteron. There was no way Mikey was leaving until he agreed. “Turtle’s honor, brother.”
Mikey nodded, satisfied. He flipped on the TV before tossing it back to Leo. He threw one of Don’s rubber balls at the switch, too lazy to turn off the lights himself. Leo watched his brother trudge back to his mattress, falling face first onto it with a heavy sigh. Raphael was still snoring loudly in his own chair, all of the noise falling on deaf ears.
Leo stared blankly at the muted screen. After an hour he felt himself sinking further into the pillows and allowed the peaceful feeling to settle over his body as the medicine kicked in. Knowing all his brothers were safe and nearby did wonders for his endless anxiety. He stared dully at the screen in front of him, watching a reporter discuss what had transpired earlier at Biotech. Leo balanced the ice pack on his head as he listened intently at the low volume.
“Although we don’t know exactly what has transpired, Biotech representatives aren’t ruling out an accidental malfunction from one of their underground laboratories. Regardless, sources say that several of the projects were in beta and could be the source of the blast. At this moment police are confident that it was not a terrorist attack, but are investigating a lead as possible arson. The CEO at Biotech has reached out and-”
Leo grabbed for the remote, deciding this topic was quickly derailing the relaxation Mikey had made him promise to do. Truthfully, even with the pain medicine, he could still feel the sharp pain in the side of his head. It wasn’t constant thankfully, but it was intense enough. He absentmindedly brushed his hand over the gauze on his face, wondering if the wound was bad enough to leave a scar.
Another inch lower and he would have lost his eye. Leo shivered, making a mental note to add more blindfolded sparing to their training whenever they recovered. He flipped through the channels, hoping to come across a rerun of Star Trek or even one of their father’s soap operas. The television broadcasters must have had it out for him because all that was playing was news and advertisements. He tried to spend the next several hours meditating, letting the droning talk shows affect him like white noise.
Unfortunately, now that the medicine had stopped the throbbing in his head, all Leo could do was think. He moved the warmed ice packs away from him, wiping the stray drops of water away from his neck. He tapped his fingers on the bed, feeling suddenly antsy. He should have asked Mikey to grab his novel from the living room earlier. Television could only keep his attention so long.
He looked to his brother’s sleeping form. Leo found himself wishing he could pass out as well, having only the few hours of sleep given to him by his initial injury. But he promised his brother to be good while they slept. He had also promised Mikey he’d wake them if he needed anything. This was just a book though, hardly a reason to wake his tired siblings. He glanced at the open door, calculating his chances of grabbing it successfully without them noticing.
His brothers were too deep asleep to wake from his tip toed movements, but if Leo’s legs betrayed him and he stumbled, they would wake for sure. Leo did not fancy the idea of an angry and sleep deprived Michelangelo chewing him out. He stared at the wall for a long time, finally gaining the courage to sit up on his own. A stray ice pack fell into his lap, and Leo thought to stop by the kitchen to replenish them as well. He gingerly pivoted to the edge of the cot. The movement sent another throb up his neck and into his skull, the sharp pain returning. He grasped the side of his head, applying pressure until the pain receded.
He felt hot, and kicked off the blankets coddling him. He must have a fever. He didn’t know how long it had been since he was given the anti-inflammatory pain meds, and opted to play it safe until his brothers awoke. He could deal with a little more pain. He tentatively placed his feet on the cool concrete floor, sliding down slowly to test his weight. His legs felt strong enough to hold him, and Leo grabbed the spent ice packs as he stepped forward.
He managed to make it to the kitchen quietly, neither of his brother’s stirring as he left. He threw the warm packs into the freezer, replacing it with a few fresh ones. As he moved back to the lab, he bent over the couch to grab his novel. The motion caused blood to rush to his brain, sending the spiked pain back with full force. He hissed, dropping the ice pack as he clutched the side of his head.
After a moment the feeling subsided again. Leo reached down to grab the fallen ice pack, intently listening for any movement from the room. Thankfully, it was still quiet. Leo softly moved back inside, careful not to incur the wrath of Mikey as he shuffled past. Leonardo’s eyes wandered to Donatello’s still form as he moved to his cot. In a moment of weakness, Leo allowed himself to visit his brother instead. He reached down to brush against his Don’s face, feeling the warmth from it ground him.
When he had first woken up, he felt dazed, confused. The only other person he had seen was his brother, as still as stone on the cot across from him. In his delirious state he was certain, struck with unfathomable dread, that his brother was dead. Donatello was of ashen color, made more apparent by the dried blood on his body. There was no soft blip of the electronic heart monitor, and Leo had jumped to the conclusion that he had missed his brother’s passing.
It hadn’t occurred to him at the time that his brothers hadn’t known how to set up the EKG. He brushed his hand over his brother’s head, soft, thankful. He had only felt such terrible sorrow a few times in his young life, and each time it was equally as dreadful. Donatello’s breath hitched at Leo’s touch. At first he thought something was wrong, but Don had only reacted to him, his form twitching as if dreaming.
“Donnie?” Leo whispered, leaning in closer. Donatello continued to twitch, incoherent mumbling passing his beak. With great joy and surprise, Leo watched his brother’s eyes flutter open. He tried to ask how his brother felt, but Donatello’s gaze passed right through him.
To Donatello, the world phased in with sensations. The first one that broke through the haze was the tightness around his torso. He registered the feeling, as it provided a resurgence of memories associated with it. Images of the long night previous, having been blackmailed, threatened, the intense fear of his brothers finding him flooded his mind like a burst dam. The memories fumbled over each other in a chaotic rush without order.
In an instant he sat up, keeling over as he clutched his chest in a panic, feeling every inch as he searched for the abomination attached to him. He shook, attempting to pull at the band around him, his fingers fumbling over the folds. He could feel the wires surrounding him. There was no way to tell how much longer he had left, the screen had gone dark, the timer no longer teasing him with its countdown.
He felt like he was suffocating, something wrapped around his face. His shaking hands moved to it, flailing to pry it from his head. A pair of strong hands stopped him from succeeding, incessantly pulling them away from him. There was a voice so familiar trying to calm him. His eyes shot up, a look of absolute dread on his face as he recognized the blue band around the person’s face. If Don thought the nightmare couldn’t get any worse, he was severely mistaken.
His heart leapt in fear as he stared at his brother, stuttering. “L-Leo?” He swallowed, trying not to let the tremor in his voice overwhelm his words. “You...You can’t be here!” Don stammered in disbelief. His heart hammered in his ears, it felt like he couldn't catch his breath. “You have to leave, you have to get out before it goes off!”
Tilting his head, Leo softened his grip. Donatello didn’t understand why Leo was so calm. Not when it was so clear why he should be running as far away from him as possible. Leo’s voice was quiet, his confusion turning into pity. “Don, it’s okay. The bomb’s gone.”
Donatello finally looked over his chest. Only, replacing the bomb was the mess of bandages he had attempted to rip from his body. He gently touched the white and red coverings, still unsure it was real. Donatello, finally coherent, met his brother’s eyes, a slight worry lacing them. “Wait, what happened to the bomb?”
At this point Michelangelo and Raphael had woken up, trying to blink away the grogginess gifted to them from their REM cycle. Both of them stumbled over themselves on their way to Don’s side, having heard his outburst. Leo moved away from his brother, now confident Don wouldn’t try to rip the IVs from his body in the delusion.
“It went off.” Leo sat on the edge of the bed, his body quickly reminding him of how weak he still felt. As both brothers appeared, asking questions, Leo fixed the mask back over Don’s face.
Donatello didn’t hear his brother’s words, it was all a faraway muffle of noise. He continued to stare at his chest, the throbbing making the presence known of the wound hidden beneath. He pressed on the swollen cut, letting the sharp pain force his memory. Slowly, he remembered what else had happened. It came to him in bits and pieces, but it was starting to fall into place.
Leo held his arm out to silence his brothers, who were still crowding Donatello. “Let him breathe, he’s not all there yet.”
Raphael took a step back, but Mikey only leaned in closer, placing his hands over Donatello’s. His brother hadn’t looked at them yet, he just stared at his palms, trying to organize his thoughts. As horrifying as the events should have been, it was more terrifying to not be able to remember them. So he began sinking back into the pillows as he placed everything neatly away in his mind.
He remembered almost being blown into an unidentifiable mush, he remembered almost getting crushed to death, he most certainly remembered his brothers coming to his rescue. One thing he didn’t remember though, was how he got back.
“Ah!” Finally he looked up to his brothers with clarity. His mouth was hanging open as he tried to figure out what to say. His three brothers watched patiently as he opened and closed his mouth a few times. Suddenly Don’s face turned sheepish, and turned in on himself slightly. “You guys aren’t going to yell at me, are you?”
Now it was the others' turn to gawk at their brother. Mikey was the first to reply, wearing his emotions freely. “You almost died like twice Don, why would we be mad? It’s not like you were the one who blew up the building.” Mikey cried out when a sudden thwack connected with his head. He turned to glare at Leo, who had been the source of the flicking.
“Mike, he did blow up the building.”
Mikey rubbed the back of his head, remembering why Donnie had been there in the first place. “Yeah but it wasn’t his fault!”
Donnie’s face was crestfallen as he continued to stare at his palms. “Who knows what that person will do with those plans, those chemical equations. Dangerous plans that I pretty much hand delivered to him on a silver platter.”
Mikey squeezed his hands, “Bro, listen to yourself. You had a bomb strapped to you, it's not like you had much choice.”
Leo placed his hand on Mikey’s shoulder, drawing him back as he leaned in. “I think the question we should be asking is: Who should we blame, Don?”
Don placed his head in his hands. A growl of frustration lacing his words, “I don’t know! I can’t remember anything from back at the junkyard. They only ever messaged me the targets, I never saw them.”
“Well, think Don.” Raphael crossed his arms, liking very much to finally find out exactly where he should stick his sais, “Something must have tipped you off, or given you a clue. Something you found off, or that stuck out?”
Donatello shook his head, “All I could figure out was that they seemed pretty intelligent. Whoever it was knew how to hack into my phone, and they obviously have knowledge of explosives and chemical compounds. But that’s all that is, simple conjectures. I have no real facts about them.”
Leo sighed, beginning to feel the effects of the wound again as the last of the medicine wore off. He rubbed the side of his head as he spoke, willing the spike in pain to go away. “Alright. It’s not your fault Don. Maybe you’ll remember something else later, for now we all need to rest.”
Despite Leo’s orders, Don made a move towards the edge of the bed. He managed to get one leg off before his brothers stopped him.
Mikey placed his hands on his brother’s shoulders, stopping him from getting further. “Donnie what are you doing?”
“You better be going to the bathroom because there’s no reason for you to be gettin out of bed right now.” Raphael added with a serious tone.
“I can’t just sit here and rest while a madman fully capable of creating a bioweapon that could cripple New York is out there somewhere.” Donatello tried to move Mikey out of the way, but in his state, he could barely even hold himself up.
Leo moved from his spot on the cot to stand, trying not to let the incessant throbbing deter him. “Don what you need to do is rest. You lost a lot of blood and you could tear open your stitches by just standing. You’re in no condition to be doing any research.”
Donatello shook his head, his grip on Mikey’s arm tightening. “Leo, you don’t understand. Because of me, they have the makings for deadly biological weaponry. Anything that happens now, it’ll be my fault! If even one person gets hurt because of me, I-” Donatello swallowed, feeling slightly lightheaded, “I’d never be able to forgive myself.”
“No.” Raph snapped, drawing everyone’s attention to him. His eyes were cold and dangerous, but they weren’t directed at his brother. “It’s whoever did this to you’s fault. Not yours Don, no matter what sick twisted complex you’ve cooked up for yourself. I won't stand here and let you shoulder the actions of some psychopath.”
“Raph’s right.” Leo placed a reassuring hand on his brother’s arm. “Whatever happens now, we can figure out. All of us, this time together.” He smiled, and Donatello felt each of his brother’s hands supporting him. He suddenly felt lighter, as if he could actively see the burden being lifted from him.
“Yeah bro, if someone messes with one of us, they mess with all of us.”
Don could feel the weight from his burden travel out of his body and onto the supporting hands around him, distributing it evenly amongst the four of them.
As he looked to each of his brothers, Donatello couldn’t help but smile back. “Together then.”
Suddenly Michelangelo screeched, his high pitched and worn voice turning into mostly air. “You!” His brothers stared as Mikey whipped to Leo, unabashed venom in his words. Leo gawked at his brother, unsure of what he did, but scared all the same. “You were supposed to be in bed, you were supposed to wake me! What were you doing up?!”
Leo backed away slowly, lifting his hands in a peaceful gesture. “Now Mikey, listen, I know how it looked but you have to trust me, I was just-” Leo didn’t have a chance to finish as Mikey lept at him, barely dodging his brother’s hand as he ran after him.
Donatello laughed, wincing as the action caused the pain in his side to flare up. As Mikey chased Leo off to his own cot, Donatello turned to his remaining brother. “I don’t really remember everything, but you were the one who brought me back, right? Thank you.”
Raph breathed deeply through his nose. Looking up, trying to decide exactly what information he wanted Don to know, and what he’d rather keep to himself. It was selfish he knew, he had been vulnerable during that time. The shared words felt secret, and even though it was between the two of them, it felt wrong to tell Don about them. “Yeah,” Raphael laughed, hiding behind the humor, “probably for the best you don’t remember me dropping you.”
Don scrunched his face in thought, as if trying to coax the memory from him. He remembered scenes, images, and feelings more than vivid memories in the tunnel. He wasn’t sure why but when he thought about it he felt a tightness in his heart. As if a bittersweet emotion was tied to the memory. Donatello side eyed his brother, “I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say it wasn’t on purpose.”
Raphael laughed again, carefully pulling the blanket back over his brother. He patted Don’s arm as Michelangelo inserted some pain killers into one of the IV drips. “Get some sleep Donnie, I think we’re all a few blinks away from passing out.”
Donatello allowed the medicine to numb his pain, relaxing further into the soft pillows as his body continued to fall into a sleepy state. He drowsily watched Raphael and Michelangelo make their way back to their respective stations, easing themselves back in with a blissful sigh. The only lights were from the silent TV set up in front of Leo. His remaining brother was nursing a slew of ice packs around his neck and temple.
For a while Donatello watched Leo move between leafing through his book, and glancing at his brothers. Everytime his eyes met his brother’s, Leo would simply smile before moving back to his book, as if reminding himself each time that they were all still there. He kicked himself for not relying on his brothers earlier as Mikey and Raphael’s soft breathing lulled him further into sleep. No matter what happened next, Donatello knew that as long as they faced it together, they could overcome anything. The soft light flickering from the TV glowed in the room, reminding him of the countless nights they had fallen asleep in the living room together, just like this. For the first time since coming back, Donatello finally felt like he was at home.