Title: "Not Ready"
Author: Kat Lee, formerly Pirate Turner
Rating: PG
Summary: They weren't ready.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, names, codenames, places, items, fandoms, titles, and etc. are always © & TM their respective owners, not the author, and are used without permission. Any and all original characters and everything else is © & TM the author and may not be reproduced in any way without the author's express, written permission. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: 244. That's the number of stories that were sitting on my hard drive collecting dust because I lack the energy and time to take care of them as I once did. My betaing pattern has always been to write, then type up if written on paper, the story, read it aloud to my beloved Jack and our children, editing as I go, and then finally format and post. Sadly, this part is simply taking too much of my time and energy, and my beloved Jack and I have too little time together in person these days to be able to keep up with my stories. So what to do? Give up writing? I actually considered it for a while, tried to make excuses to myself other than the large number of stories collecting cyber dust on my computer, as to why I lacked the energy and Muse to write new tales. And then, with the turn of the new year, I decided to stop running and face the problem. The problem is, quite frankly, that once one gets so bogged down in formatting and editing that writing is no longer a pleasure but the actual posting of those writings becomes a hassle and - egad! - work, it's time to cut something out, and that will never be the writing process. So, in short, yes, there will be mistakes in this tale. Yes, it's missing about half of the header information I usually include. But I wrote it for pleasure and am posting it in hopes of sharing that pleasure with others. Do with it as you will.
He's asked what he needs. Donnie rattles off the list, not realizing that he repeats "a sharpened knife" three times. Leo and Raph notice it. They look at each other but say not a word. Donatello can't stop thinking about what he's about to do, shoving a hot, sharpened knife into his brother's shoulder, but they all know he's the only one for the job. He does the deed once they've gathered his tools, all the while trying not to think about what he's really doing and being grateful that Mikey's unconscious.
Then he walks away, falls to his knees once he's alone, and pukes. Leo and Raph are again at his side in an instant. Raphael helps him to his shaking legs and drapes his arm around his shell while. It's Donnie who winces instead of Raph as the same hand that held the knife touches his shell. Raph's hand touches Donnie's shell with a gentility most think the red-banded turtle incapable of, but although they're both aware of his gentle touch, neither speaks about it aloud.
Leonardo also touches his wise brother's shoulder. He smiles down at him, careful to keep his true emotions of fright at the fact that they're lost, sadness that Mikey's been hurt, and relief that he wasn't the one who had to dig out the bullet from his eyes. "You did well," he praises his brother and forces his smile to brighten. "He would have lost his arm otherwise, Donnie. Now he'll be able to swing his numchuckas, eat pizza, and play his usual pranks without pain in just a few weeks."
Raphael's darkening eyes say what they're all thinking but won't voice: "If we get home."
"We will," Leonardo raises his head and eyes to meet Raph's doubting gaze. "Donatello saved Mikey's life tonight, and I'll get us home tomorrow."
They look again at Donnie as he retches once more. "You do that, fearless leader," Raph tells him, "and get some rest next to Mikey tonight. I'll stay with the genius." For once, there isn't condemnation in his voice as he speaks the word, but he waits until Leo's gone to give Donatello his own rare praise, "You did do good, Donnie. I know it was hard, carving into him like that," he holds him steady as he pukes again, "but that dome of yours saved his arm." He shook his head. "We sure weren't ready for that."
They weren't ready for any of this, for being lost away from their Sensei or for having a brother wounded so early. Donatello certainly wasn't ready to, as Raph so casually put it, carve into his brother, but he did it, he thinks with a small twinge of pride. He saved Michelangelo's arm, and they will find their Sensei and get home. They have to for they're no more ready for this world, so full of hurt, pain, and attacking Ninjas and empty of love, than the modern world is ready to accept them.
The End