Disclaimer: Ninja Turtles are not mine. Please do not sue and no flames.
Word Affection
The 8 year old turtles were in the living room playing tag. Mikey was it and when he went after Raph, he tripped over his brother, went flying into a lamp that was on a table, and the lamp fell and shattered into pieces.
"I'm sorry," Mikey said with regret.
"That's all right," Leo said. "It was an accident."
"If you want, we can fix it together," Donny offered. Mikey threw his arms around Donny who returned the gesture.
"Next time, pay attention to where you're going, Mikey," Raph said bluntly.
"I said I was sorry," Mikey said, pulling away from Donny.
"You should be," Raph said angrily. Mikey gasped and rushed out of the room. Donny and Leo started cleaning up the broken lamp and Raph just stood there glaring at them.
"Do you want some help fixing the lamp?" Leo offered.
"That's all right but Mikey and I can handle it," Donny said. "I'm going to spend some time in my lab working on some things after the lamp gets fixed."
"You spend way too much time in your lab, Donny," Raph said angrily. "Why can't you do normal things for a change?"
"Mikey and I are going to fix this lamp now," Donny said, his voice breaking. He gathered the pieces of the broken lamp and left the room.
"Nice going, Raph," Leo said sarcastically. "Anyone else you can hurt?"
"I didn't hurt anyone," Raph said.
"You just hurt our brothers' feelings," Leo said angrily. "Even though you didn't physically hurt them, you hurt them with words."
"Words can't hurt others," Raph said.
"How would you like it if someone told you that you were ugly and stupid?"
"I'd be very angry."
"In that case, you need to apologize to Mikey and Donny when you have the chance."
"Oh, all right."
Donny put the broken lamp in his lab and then headed for the bedroom he shared with Mikey. Donny found his brother with his face buried in his pillow and his whole body shaking.
Donny went over to Mikey and placed a hand on his shell. Mikey looked up and his face was soaked.
"Mikey, what happened with the lamp was an accident," Donny said, wrapping his arms around his brother who returned the gesture. "Raph shouldn't have told you that you should be sorry."
"Why would he say stuff like that?" Mikey asked, sniffling.
Donny tightened his hold on his brother without a word. Currently, he was wondering the same thing.
"You ready to go fix the lamp?" Donny asked, releasing his brother and trying to sound cheerful.
"You all right?" Mikey asked with concern.
"I'm fine," Donny said, taking deep breaths.
"You're not fine," Mikey insisted. "You look like you're about to break down any second."
"Don't worry about it."
"I'm worried already."
"Why don't we go fix the lamp?" Donny suggested, his voice breaking.
"Not until you let me know what's going on," Mikey insisted, placing his hands on his brother's shoulder and making eye contact.
Donny wrapped his arms around Mikey who returned the gesture and buried his face in his brother's shoulder. Mikey felt his shoulder getting wet and he tightened his hold on his brother whose whole body starting shaking.
Mikey wasn't used to seeing his brother like this. He figured something really bad must've happened.
"You know how Splinter told us that we should watch what we say because some things can hurt others?" Donny asked, once he'd calmed down and released his brother.
"I remember," Mikey replied. "Raph really hurt my feelings when he told me that I should be sorry just because I accidentally broke the lamp."
"He did the same when I mentioned that I was going to spend time in my lab after we fixed the lamp. He told me that I spend way too much time in my lab and angrily asked me why I couldn't do normal things for a change."
"Donny, what's normal for me?"
"Reading comics, playing games, eating, and watching cartoons."
"Right. Spending lots of time in your lab is normal for you but not for me."
"I feel much better now."
"Glad I was able to help."
Mikey and Donny wrapped their arms around each other and squeezed tightly. When they released each other a few minutes later, they saw Raph standing in the doorway.
"I need to talk to both of you," Raph said.
"Sure," Mikey agreed.
"Come in," Donny said and Raph entered the room.
"I wanted to apologize for what I said," Raph explained. "I shouldn't have said what I did. Mikey, I shouldn't have told you that you should be sorry for breaking the lamp since you didn't mean to break it. Donny, I should've respected your wanting to spend time in your lab since that's normal for you even if it isn't for me."
"I forgive you," Mikey said.
"I accept your apology," Donny said.
Mikey and Donny went over to Raph and wrapped their arms around him. Amazingly, Raph returned the gesture.
The three turtles held each other for a while. Then they released each other and noticed Leo and Splinter standing in the doorway.
"I'm guessing you apologized," Leo said.
"I did and Mikey and Donny both forgave me," Raph said.
"I am glad the four of you worked things out," Splinter said. "I am very proud of you for remembering the lesson about watching what you say."
"Mikey, if you want, we can go fix the lamp now," Donny said.
"Sure thing," Mikey agreed and then he and Donny took off.
"Raph, want to spar with me in the dojo?" Leo asked.
"Fine with me, Leo," Raph replied.
Leo and Raph took off for the dojo. Splinter headed for his room to meditate.
Mikey and Donny were in the lab. They were working on fixing the broken lamp.
"Thanks for helping me," Mikey said.
"No problem," Donny said.
"Do you think Splinter will be angry with us for breaking the lamp?"
"You really want to confess about the broken lamp?"
"Splinter has mentioned that we should always be honest."
"We'll let him know as soon as the lamp is fixed."
Mikey threw his arms around Donny who returned the gesture. Then they released each other and went back to fixing the lamp.
A while later, the lamp was welded back together. Donny worked on the electrical part of the lamp and eventually got it to work.
"Now we can put the lamp back," Mikey said with a grin.
"Good thinking," Donny said.
Mikey and Donny went into the living room and put the lamp back where it was. Just then, Leo, Raph, and Splinter entered the room.
"Everything all right?" Splinter asked with concern.
"I broke the lamp," Mikey confessed.
"We were playing tag and Mikey tripped over Raph when he tried to tag him," Leo explained.
"When Mikey said that he was sorry I told him that he should be," Raph confessed with regret. "When Donny mentioned wanting to spend time in his lab, I angrily asked him why he couldn't do normal things for a change. I never should've said those things and I'm sorry I said them. I'm just glad that Mikey and Donny have both forgiven me."
"I'm glad everything worked out," Donny said.
"I am proud of all of you for the way you worked out your problems," Splinter said with a smile. "In the future, though, I would prefer that you play tag either outside of the lair or in the dojo."
The turtles rushed over to Splinter and threw their arms around him. Splinter returned the gesture.
"We love you, Splinter," the turtles said in unison.
"I love you, too, my sons," Splinter said.
The End