Only One

Summary: Splinter began a new life with four sons but the dangers of living in the sewers of New York include sickness, cold and accidents.

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT. Viacom does.

One: Sickness

In the first few months of his new life everything was fine. It was a hard life but he and his new children had suitable food to eat and he was able to keep both himself and the four infant turtles hidden from anyone and everyone.

Almost two months into his new life he decided it was high time that his sons were given names. He loved the beauty of art and decided on Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael. His four turtle sons had been bestowed with names for a month when all four of them found it convenient to come down with a cold all at the same time.

Michelangelo had so much mucus coming from so many openings on his face that he looked like he was leaking radioactive ooze. Donatello mostly sniffled and cried from his fever which kept him up at night while Raphael simply cried and sneezed and burned a fever so hot he looked like he could melt lead on his shell. Leonardo simply had a cough that first sounded high in his throat before it settled lower in his chest giving Michelangelo a run for his money at coughing up mucus.

It was stressful as he soothed their fevers, their cries and their coughs but with patient and steady care Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo become healthier after a week of their illnesses. But little Leonardo still had a persistent cough and when his breaths came they seemed to rattle in his lungs. Little Leonardo was miserable and cranky at all times due to his lack of restful sleep. The worst of it all was that Leonardo had stopped eating any food offered to him and wasn't drinking very much fluid anymore.

Splinter knew he was miserable and uncomfortable with his coughing and instead of allowing him to crawl around everywhere he took to carrying him in a makeshift sling along his back for longer and longer periods as Leonardo's energy dwindled more and more with each passing day.

Exhaustion was deep in his body when Leonardo woke him up with a rattling cough one night and Splinter settled in to keep his awakened son company until they could both fall back asleep again. His other three sons slept through the night as the time passed like winter glue. Splinter sat awake with Leonardo, rocking the pale hoarsely breathing child softly as he whispered quiet stories of legendary heroes from the ancient past. Leonardo stubbornly refused to drink any water or eat any food as he listened. Splinter was rubbing slow circles over his Leonardo's plastron and he kept his eyes locked with his son's own steady gaze with a tired smile. Soon enough Leonardo's eyes slowly closed while his breathing finally slowed down from the frantic rattling breaths he had been taking in all evening.

Splinter hoped that this sign of rest meant that Leonardo was feeling better and moved to brush the back of his sparsely furred hand softly across his son's face. But when he pressed the back of his hand gently across his son's cheek and felt its unnatural coolness his heart squeezed tightly in his chest. A frantic check with his ear pressed to his son's chest confirmed the silence was one not of a light rest but an eternal one. His son was dead in his arms.

Splinter shuddered with horror and felt a grief fill him as he had not felt since his beloved Master Yoshi had been killed. Hot tears bubbled from his eyes and with no move to stop them they rolled through the fur on his cheeks and began to fall like warm raindrops onto the still face of his son. He despaired deep in his soul at his second loss. This almost seemed worse than his master's death because there was no enemy to engage to avenge his own son's death in order to relieve the pain he felt. The only thing he could do was feel the gnawing despair that consumed his spirit.

When the next evening came he had his three remaining sons gathered on his back as he built a pyre as far away from unseen eyes as he could manage under a dock by the bay. His sons squirmed and wiggled against his back as he quietly grieved while the flames consumed the body of his first named son.

Those we have held in our arms for a little while, we hold in our hearts forever.

One