"Donny?" Mikey's small and frail voice called for his older brother. "Im here buddy, what do you need?" Dons hands wrapped around those of his sweet baby brother. "Did, didI beat it Donny?" His voice was raspy and seemed so distant. Tears sprung up in Dons eyes as he nodded, "Yea, Mikey. You beat it." Raph and Leo watched from the hallway, pained looks on their faces. "Yea little brother, you beat it." Both brothers whispered together.
Six months earlier Donny had been walking around his lab. He had noticed Michelangelo being slightly more sluggish and tired, and had decided to do a few tests. "Mikey come on! You aren't getting out of this. Its been two months now, we cant keep putting this off." He had readied his syringes and had his petri dish and microscope out as well. Mikey slowly stumbled into his brothers lab, "Okay, where do you want me?" His words seemed slurred to Donny, "Right there." Don pointed towards the chair in the corner. "Fine." Mikey plopped down, being to tired to say anything else. "Want me to do the shots now or later?" Don grabbed the first syringe. "Now I guess. Lets just get this over with." Mikey cringed as Donny drew two samples of blood. "Okay Mikey, you can stop being a baby." Donny smiled at his little brother. "Hey, at least I'm not afraid of bugs." Mikey snickered alongside his brother. Raphs spiteful voice rang out, "I heard that chuckle head!" Donny turned his doctor mode back on as he began to question Michelangelo, "Alright Mikey, whats been plaguing you recently?" Mikey's bright blue eyes sparkled as he began to list off his symptoms, "Well, I've been tired a lot, and I guess I just feel achy all over." After putting his little brother threw a few more tests, Donny dismissed him. Upon checking his notes, Mikey had lost a considerable amount of weight, roughly 20 pounds. How had he not noticed this? His little brothers blood pressure was higher than it should be. Donny shook his head, the symptoms that his sweet and innocent little brother was displayed was alarming. There was only way of confirming Don's biggest fear. Donny rushed over and started the analysis of Mikeys blood. The bloodwork analysis took longer than expected, but finally Don was given the report. Mikey had a high amount of white blood cells, and his red blood cell count was down. Donny could feel tears threatening to run as he slowly got up from his chair. He laid everything down and began to plot out their course of action. He couldn't bring himself to say the word, the word that would change all of their lives. He shook his head and called for Mikey to come back down, he had to locate the source of the horrible disease that could possibly ravage his little brothers body in mere months. "Ya called Donny?" Mikey peaked his head around the corner, the brightness in his eyes held unfathomably deep innocence. "Yea, I need to stick with you with about twenty needles." Mikeys eyes grew to be as large as dinner plates, but slowly agreed. "I'll put you under so you wont feel anything." This seemed to calm Mikey down just a little.
The next day Donny had located the exact location of the disease, his lymph nodes. Don began his research on treatments, knowing full well this particular form could spread easily. This wasn't something he could just play off, but who should he tell first? Raph? Nah, Raph would take it to harshly and he'd go off the deep end. Mikey himself? He couldn't bare to be the one who told Mikey the news. Leo would blame it on himself because he's the eldest brother and would think he hadn't protected Mikey enough. "Something troubles you my son?" Master Splinter had snuck into Donatellos lab. "Yes Sensei, its about Mikey." Master Splinter merely nodded before he lay his hand on Dons shoulder, "Tell me everything." Don sobbed through his explanation, giving him all the terrible details about how he thought Mikey had months to live if he wasn't properly treated. Splinter forced Donatello to look at him then, "My son, your brother is strong, he will make it." Donny felt a particularly violent sob rack through his body, "What if I cant administer it properly Sensei?" Splinter merely shook his head as he soothed his son, "You are a brilliant young man, I know you can save Michelangelo." Donny looked away, ashamed at the fact he didn't believe he could. The shadows of his lab concealed another turtle, his mask wet with tears. Don barely noticed his presence until he saw the flash of red. "Raph?" Donny could hardly believe the hot head had heard it all. Raph slunk from the shadows, the silence of his motions compared to that of a mouse. He looked Don right in the eye and whispered, "You gotta save our lil' bro, Donny. You just have to." The two brothers fell together in a moment of silence, each terrapin drawing strength from the others mere presence. The three mutants looked between each other before the picked themselves up and located Leo.
"What do you guys want?" Their fearless leader lay in the center of the room meditating. The energy Leo was picking up from his brothers was that off a shocking and searing pain, orange in color. "Whats wrong with Mikey?" Leo's eyes shot open as he came to face his brothers. "Leo, Mikey, Mikey has..." Don couldn't bring himself to say it, not again. The word kept getting stuck in his throat. He looked to his family for assistance. Raph fell to the ground, his face in his hands. Don came to rest beside him, the energy of the room changed to that off fear. Leo didn't know what was going on, but he knew at this point his brothers needed him and he happily obliged. "My sons, we mustn't worry, Michelangelo will be fine." The old rats hands rested upon Raph and Leo's shoulders. "But first, we need to warn your brother of the long battle he has ahead of him." Leo, not knowing what was going on, was the first to pick himself up. "Come on Donny, whatever this is, Mikey has the right to know." Don and Raphs teary faces looked to their leader and nodded. "Does anyone know where the little screw ball is hidin?" Raph asked, immediately kicking himself for calling Mikey names. "Yes, I believe Michelangelo to be in the den playing video games." Master Splinters face held no emotion, but his voice was hollow and scarred. Just as Master Splinter had said, the boys found Mikey resting on the couch playing some ridiculous game. "Hey Mike, ya got anytime to spare?" Raphs voice quivered violently. He seemed so normal, but yet if you looked close enough there were many subtle differences. His usual upbeat attitude was slightly less prominent, his movements seemed dragged out and pained, and the skin around his eyes was almost yellowish. Now that Raph knew he couldn't help but notice all the things Mikey had probably been trying to hide. "Sure, since when did you guys trade faces with horses?" Don looked at all of his brothers and realized Mikey to be right, none of them showed a hint of happiness. They all seemed so distraught and helpless, as if there was a dire situation ahead and this terrified Mikey. "Mikey, I promise this is going to be alright. We'll be here for you every step of the way, and no matter what happens you'll always be our little brother." Don gently sat down beside the orange clad turtle. Mikeys eyes grew wide in terror, "What do you guys mean? Did I do something wrong?" Raph shook his head violently as he to came to reside by his baby brother, "No Mikey, you did everything right." The deep green turtle brought his younger sibling in for a hug, cherishing every moment of it. Leo finally pieced it all together, an agonizing roll of sorrow passed through him before he knelt at Mikeys feet, "I should've been more supportive of you Mikey, I should be able to protect you from things like this." Finally Master Splinter hobbled up to his youngest son, "Michelangelo, you must draw upon our energies now more than ever. The battle you face will be dangerous and filled with ups and downs. You must be prepared to fight this with every fiber of your being." Master Splinters deep and gentle brown eyes held Mikeys light blue ones captive as someone finally said the word.
Suddenly Mikey no longer felt tired, all he felt was rage. A boiling pit of emotions he refused to let go. Mikey bolted up from the couch and turned to face his family. "If this is some kind of joke to you guys, its sick and wrong!" Mikey spat at them, his words laced with venom that his brothers didn't know he had. "Oh, Mikey. Of course you'd think this was a joke." Raph stood up and brought his brother back into an embrace. "Mikey look into my eyes, I never cry." Mikeys cold hard stare met his brothers abnormally soft and gentle one. Raph had tears streaming down his face, his entire body visibly shaking as he finally released his grasp on his brother. Suddenly Don had him, "Mikey I promise I'll make you better. I wont rest until I can safely say you are one hundred percent better, do you understand?" Don wanted to shake him, show him that everyone in the room was terrified out of their minds. "This isn't a joke Mikey, this isn't something people joke about." Don allowed Mikey's haunted stare to fill him with an even greater sorrow. Now it was Leos turn, "Mikey, as your leader I will do everything in my power to make you comfortable and happy until Donny can fully cure you." Mikey could feel his knees getting ready to give as Master Splinter looked his son in the eyes, "You are a true warrior Michelangelo. I believe in the strength of you and your brothers." "So you guys aren't joking?" Mikey looked for anyone to shake their heads, but they didn't. "I really have cancer?"