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There had been many, many additions to the medbay over the years. Donnie knew, because he’d installed every single one of them.
Splinter made it when they were tiny, just in case. The bed, an old one salvaged from an abandoned hospital, was huge when the turtles were kids. Even now, Donnnie could vividly remember all of them curled up on that bed together, huddled for body heat around their father when they all fell ill one year.
As soon as he began playing with technology, Donnie designed more stuff for the medbay. A defibrillator, based on one’s he’d seen in movies. An x-ray machine, because Raph couldn’t seem to stop breaking bones over the years. Labs to do blood work, self-cleaning robots for the floors, all the supplies April could get from the surface. Once the ninja stuff really started, they were all grateful it was fully stocked.
Now, post Kraang invasion, Donnie had never been more relieved for his foresight. Otherwise, it would be much harder to take care of him and his brothers, as roughed-up as they all were.
The one upgrade he’d never considered, though, and he desperately wished he had-
“Straps,” he lamented for the third time, one fist clenched around the back of Leo’s shell as he marched them both back in. “Should have added them to the bed years ago, so I could tie you down.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Leo snarked. He made another half-turn, trying to loosen Donnie’s grip, but Donnie hadn’t wielded a bo for years for nothing. Besides, it was a miracle Leo could walk right now; he was in no shape to break anyone’s hold on anything. “I’d just escape anyway.”
“Whatever you say, Houdini,” Donnie answered, fighting back a yawn. This was escape attempt number three for the night, if Donnie counted correctly, which meant that it was around two AM.
Any other time, Donnie would be annoyed. He’d be frustrated that Leo was ignoring him, again, and being reckless with his own health, and waking him up over and over when his loud exits from the medbay.
Except Donnie knew his twin brother, better than anyone else in the world. He knew the crashes in the living room weren’t celebratory or purposefully disturbing, no matter what pose Leo was attempting to strike on the floor.
Leo was hurt pretty badly. Cracks in his shell, broken arm, bruised ribs, concussion, the whole nine yards. They couldn’t prove what happened in the prison dimension, but Donnie could read the medical chart. He wasn’t an idiot.
Donnie knew what his brother was like when he had another nightmare. Knew what he was like, pushing himself too far just to try and find a brother to check on, or what ti sounded like when his strength failed and he fell.
Knew it would take far, far more than three tries to give up. And Leo really did need to sleep.
Donnie came to a stop in front of the med bed, unsurprised by the scattered blanket. Leo, who was shuffling close behind him with a displeased expression, turned to face him. He opened his mouth, probably to argue about the merit of needing the medbay at all.
Donnie didn’t give him the chance. Without pausing, he pressed one palm onto the bed and launched himself up.
As he wiggled to make himself more comfortable, he caught a glimpse of Leo’s jaw dropping. Because he was such a great brother, Donnie only snickered a little bit.
“What…what are you doing?” Leo asked at last, eyes huge.
Donnie half-smiled at his twin brother. “You know, the confused expression really suits you. You should wear it more often,” Donnie teased lightly. Then, before it could sink in, he patted the open space on the bed. “Come on, get in here. If there’s no restraints on this thing, I guess I can substitute in.”
Leo hesitated, glancing up. For all his bravado and cocky attitude, there was still a self-sacrificial dork in there. “Can we both fit?”
“We’re not squeezing all of New York in here, Nardo, just us,” Donnie said, attempting to keep his voice neutral. Biting sarcasm would drive Leo away, perceived pity would send him running for the hills. Neutral it was. “ We’ll both fit, come on. Remember how we did it when we were kids?”
That got a smile out of Leo. He quickly clambered up, plopping over Donnie’s legs with the familiarity only brothers could have. “Course I remember. You got sick allll the time.”
“Scoff,” Donnie responded, tugging out his phone. Leo’s eyes were already drooping, barely awake in the first place. Tomorrow they’d have a talk about all the escape attempts - he could just call them and his brothers would come running instead - but that was a tomorrow conversation. For now, Donnie was content to rest one hand on his brother’s arm and one on his shell. “Go to sleep, Nardo, I’ve got you.”
“You’d better stay,” Leo mumbled softly, and between breaths he was out like a light.
Donnie didn’t smile, but he settled in regardless. Someone had to stay on nightmare duty, after all. “You know I will,” he said softly, tugging the blanket up his brother’s shell. “It’s what brothers are for.”