Late Night TLC
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles. This is being written entirely for fun with no profit being made other than enjoyment.
Author's Note: This story has turtlecest with two male turtles being in a relationship. If that is not your cup of tea, please feel free to hit the back button and find something else to your liking.
Raph woke to the sound of coughing. He didn't move, listening for a moment to the sounds of Mikey shifting around in their bed as he tried to alleviate the pressure in his chest. There was a wet sniffle, followed by a series of hacking coughs—these muffled but no less miserable sounding.
"Ughh…" Mikey groaned softly once the fit subsided. Raph winced as he listened to Mikey wheeze in the dark, cool room. Shell, even breathing sounded like it hurt the other turtle.
With a sigh, Raph rolled over and squinted in the direction of his mate. The dim light of their room hid Mikey from view, but Raph didn't have to see Mikey to know how terrible he felt. He'd been sniffling and coughing for two days straight, and the persistent freak cold or whatever it was hadn't shown signs of getting better any time soon.
"Hey," Raph called out, his voice soft and rough with sleep. "You okay, Mikey?"
Mikey's noncommittal groan was his only reply. Raph's frown deepened as he placed a hand on Mikey's plastron. The rise and fall of Mikey's breathing pattern seemed sluggish and erratic.
"You don't sound so good, little brother," Raph observed, his gut twisting. He reached around, fumbled with the lamp next to his side of the bed, and then met Mikey's eyes in the soft glow of the light. They looked glassy and unnatural, the usual shade of powder blue far too bright. Raph ran the back of his fingers along Mikey's cheek and recoiled at how hot his skin was to the touch. "You're burning up!"
He ripped what remained of the covers off of the bed, from where it was twisted around Mikey's legs. His mate had kicked most of it off in the night, but his entire body still felt far too warm. Raph felt the twist in his gut begin to transition into panic. "Mikey. Hey, can you hear me? Mikey!"
Mikey, despite burning like a furnace, shivered as he curled closer to Raph. He mumbled in a tiny, miserable voice. "Raph, why's it so cold in here?"
"It's not, you knucklehead," Raph replied, his tone brusque with worry as he ran a hand across Mikey's clammy forehead and down cheeks that were so flushed that Mikey's freckles couldn't even be seen. "Your fever's gotten worse."
Mikey closed his eyes, pressing his forehead into the center line of Raph's plastron. "It has?"
"Yeah," Raph answered and then paused to rub Mikey's carapace when another coughing fit erupted from the younger turtle's mouth. He couldn't stand listening to the wheezing for any longer and pressed a quick kiss to Mikey's damp forehead. "Hold on a sec. I'm gonna' go grab Donnie."
Mikey's half-hearted moan in acknowledgement propelled him to scramble from the bed even faster. He hurried out of their room and across the way to Donnie's room. He banged on the door, not caring who else he woke in the process. "Donnie! Hey, Don. Wake up!"
Without waiting for a reply, he pushed open the door and then cursed when he saw the empty, untouched bed. Raph immediately left and found his way to Donnie's lab. He grumbled under his breath when he saw the light spilling out from the slightly open door. "Should've known to check here first, Raph. What were you thinking assuming he would be sleeping in his bed like a normal person in the dead of night? Donnie!"
His exclamation startled Donnie awake from where he'd been asleep at his desk, head lolling against one outstretched arm/pillow as the computer monitor's soft light bathed his face in its glow. Donnie nearly fell out of his chair in his surprise. He blinked rapidly, glancing from side to side to find any potential threats even before his half-asleep mind was even fully aware that he was doing it.
"Huh? What's wrong? Who's—" Donnie babbled. His quick mind was already firing up and trying to put the information that his senses were feeding it to good use. Right now, his waking mind was trying to process the worried face of his older brother as Raph marched purposefully towards him. "Raph? What are you doing in here? It's in the middle of the night!"
"Yeah, got that. Listen, it's Mikey. His fever's gotten worse. It's bad, Donnie. You need to take a look at him."
It was the urgent tone more than the words that got Donnie immediately to his feet. He'd been keeping an eye on Mikey since the cold had first hit their little brother. The little coughs and sneezes that had started it all hadn't been worrisome, not even when they had increased in frequency. It was just the natural course of a typical cold, especially at that time of the year when the temperature began to drop so rapidly and freeze warnings became a daily threat.
Growing up in the sewers of the (not so shiny) Big Apple had put them all through the gamut of childhood illnesses at one point or another. Generally, when one of them had fallen ill it hadn't taken long for all of them to succumb to the same sickness. The cycle of misery had lasted well into their early teens, but as they'd grown, so too seemed their immune systems' ability to fight off most infections early on.
Mikey was the only one that still seemed to get really and truly sick—and when he did, it was bad. What had raised red flags during this bout of sickness was when Mikey began to refuse food, to refuse pizza, as he had no appetite or desire to swallow anything around coughs and sneezes. Not to mention putting anything harder than soup through an enflamed throat was an instant deal breaker.
Donnie went through a mental checklist as he grabbed some things to take to Raph and Mikey's room. "Has he gotten any sleep? The medicine I gave him should have knocked him out for hours!"
"I don't think so. He was asleep when I went to bed, but I could feel him tossing and turning. All that coughing's been keeping him from getting any real rest if he has been sleeping," Raph answered in a terse, frustrated voice. He told Donnie about the chills and felt his heart sink when his brother's frown deepened beneath the purple mask.
Donnie just nodded, though, and led the way out of the lab. Mikey had curled around Raph's pillow in his absence, still shivering even though there was a fine sheen of sweat visible on his freckly, light-green skin. He didn't even seem to be aware of their presence until Donnie sat down beside him and reached out to gently touch his face.
"Heya, Mikey. How ya' doing, buddy?" Donnie asked in a soft voice. He coaxed Mikey into unburying his face from the pillow so that he could take his temperature.
"Ugh…Donnie, it's so cold. Can you grab the blanket? Raph's such a blanket-hog," Mikey murmured groggily, not even reacting to the thermometer that Donnie had slipped into his mouth even though he had to talk around it.
"I'm the blanket-hog?" Raph snorted but without any real heat behind the words. The helpless feeling of watching his mate in this state made him antsy. There was an itch to gather Mikey close, to soothe the misery away. The feeling warred with an intense desire to find something to punch until it released all the pent up worry/fear/anxiety inside of him. He hated sitting on the sidelines like this, useless while a fever burned through the one he was supposed to protect.
Donnie's initial examination seemed to drag on forever. Just when Raph's patience began to wear down to a mere sliver, a soft voice at the door distracted him.
"Everything okay?" Leo asked, tentatively stepping through the doorway. Even half asleep, the lines on his face were already drawn with concern and wariness. Raph felt an irrational mix of annoyance and relief at seeing their fearless leader enter the fray at last. It wasn't personal; Leo tended to be his favorite target whenever he was stressed, and his older brother knew it all too well.
"Mikey's temperature is through the roof," Donnie spoke up as he frowned at the thermometer and then at his two older brothers. "We need to cool his body down."
"What can we do?" Raph asked.
"We should submerge him in cool water. It'll bring his body temperature down to something more manageable."
Raph, who'd had to watch Mikey shiver uncontrollably and breathe through painful, wheezing pants for days, immediately protested. "A bath? Are you nuts, Donnie? He's complaining about freezing as it is!"
"And if we don't get his body temperature under control, he won't be complaining ever again," Donnie retorted, leaving no room for argument. He wasn't without sympathy, however, and that showed in the tender way that he smoothed a hand over Mikey's head.
"It could make him worse," Raph still insisted.
"But we have to do something, Raph. He's not getting any better," Leo interjected, which drew a scowl from Raph immediately. His resolve was shaking, though. As much as he wanted to spare his mate more discomfort, both Donnie and Leo were right and he knew it.
His brothers had the courtesy to at least let him work this out for himself. Only when they saw his reluctant nod did Donnie send Leo off to run a bath at a lukewarm temperature and to fill a small tub of water. Raph gently shoved Donnie aside so that he could be at Mikey's side again.
"Hey, Mikey. Hey. Look at me," Raph gently coaxed as he stroked Mikey's cheek with his fingers. His heart constricted at the lackluster response. Mikey blinked slowly before his eyes really focused on him; it was obvious how hard Mikey was trying to stay focused on his face. Raph swallowed the lump in his throat and asked. "We're going to do something to help you, okay? Can you get up?"
"Yeah. I guess," Mikey sighed but didn't even try to move for another minute. When he pushed himself into a sitting position, Raph's eyes narrowed at the way the smaller turtle's entire body was trembling. He was already reaching out to catch him when Mikey pitched forward and right onto Raph.
"Whoa. Headrush," Mikey's voice was a weak huff against Raph's neck.
"Shell for brains," Raph scoffed affectionately, his worry intensifying. He kept the arm that he already had around Mikey's small shoulders while the other slid under Mikey's knees. With a grunt to hold on to him, he stood and easily hefted the other turtle up bridal style. Donnie had taken a step forward he'd seen Mikey begin to fall, but the territorial look in Raph's vibrant green eyes made him freeze where he stood.
A weak hand batted at him. "Raph! Put me down. I'm not—"
Raph rolled his eyes. "Oh stop your whining. You can complain about looking like a girl after you get better!"
The sound of rushing water greeted them in their small shared bathroom. Leo was kneeling beside the tub, running one hand through the water to gauge for its temperature while the other fiddled with the hot and cold knobs. Raph placed Mikey down and glanced expectantly at Donnie.
Donnie was already squeezing his way through. "Grab those two hand towels, will you? Leo, you got that tub of water I asked for?"
By now, Mikey was a little more alert. He glanced around at the change in his settings before his eyes settled on the tub of water. His gaze snapped from it and onto his brothers warily. "W-What's that for?"
"Like I said before, Mikey. We need to cool you down. We're going to give you a ba—"
Mikey cringed. "A bath?! No! No way, dude! I'm freezing. No way am I gonna' take a bath right now unless it's in a hot spring somewhere in, uh, wherever hot springs are! Like…Florida maybe? But there are gators there so again, no thank you! Uh, don't tell Leatherhead I said that, okay?"
Taking care of most of his brothers' health needs for over two decades had given Hamato Donatello a deep wealth of patience when dealing with their tantrums—especially Mikey's. He placidly shook his head. "You're cold because you're sweating. It's your body's natural way of trying to cool itself down because of the fever, but the sweat is cooling too quickly and causing those cold chills. Plus your body temperature's not regulating properly. If we don't get your body temperature down, you'll be in serious trouble."
"But it's cold," Mikey argued, petulant. As if to accentuate his words, he wrapped his arms around himself and shivered.
"We're not just going to dump you into the water, Mikey," Raph assured him. When Donnie had asked for the hand towels, he'd managed to put together the reason for the small tub of water Donnie had requested along with the filled bathtub. "We'll give you a rub down first to get your body used to it."
It was a testament to how poorly Mikey was feeling when he didn't make a dirty comment about having a rub down. Instead, he slouched and fixed big, sad blue eyes on Leo. Raph saw their older brother forcibly steel himself against giving in. Leo shook his head. "Sorry, Mikey. Your fever's getting dangerous. It won't be so bad. You'll feel better afterwards. You'll see."
But Mikey was not appeased. He appealed to Raph, who also fought the immediate urge to give Mikey whatever he wanted. That single devastating look had convinced him to do much worse in their lifetime. "Stop that. Come on. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can go back to sleep."
Mikey pouted but didn't ague any more, probably too tired to put up much of a fight. Raph glanced back at Donnie and Leo, neither of whom had moved despite Mikey's reluctant surrender. Leo fixed Raph with an assessing look. "You got this?"
"Yeah. I'll call if we need anything," Raph cleared his throat, shifting his weight slightly to block his weakened mate from their view. Some instincts were too strong to ignore, even if Raph's rational mind told him that nothing in this place would hurt Mikey but the illness raging inside of him.
Donnie nodded and passed him a thermometer. "Not too long, okay? Just let him soak for a little bit and dry him off as soon as his temperature starts going down. And don't let the water get too cold."
"Got it. Thanks."
They were left alone. Mikey submitted to the towel bath, but the first time Raph touched his skin with the soaked cloth he flinched so hard that he began to cough. He lurched to the side to avoid coughing right into Raph's face, but Raph himself didn't move away. He waited out the coughing fit while continuing to rub more water onto Mikey's skin. It was the only thing he could do to help, but the exhausted, watery eyes that Mikey fixed on him were the worst.
But he could feel his ministrations working. The trembling began to abate as Mikey's body began to adjust to the water. Even though they were mutated turtles, they were still turtles, and water was as essential to their beings as much as air was. When Mikey seemed calm enough, Raph looked into his eyes and nodded his head towards the bathtub.
"Okay…I'm ready," Mikey rasped. He had to admit. The water felt good, and the constant cold was being eased away under the comforting feel of water and warmth from Raph's hands. He still felt like death warmed over…but at least he wasn't shivering uncontrollably anymore.
The younger turtle was able to slide himself into the tub. The initial feel of the cool water was shocking, but Mikey forced himself to sink under the surface until the water was up to his neck. Raph sat on the edge of the tub and just watched him. Mikey gradually began to relax, closing his eyes as he leaned his head back and let his mind drift for a bit.
He jumped when he felt water trickle down his head after an unknown amount of time had passed. "Hey! Raaaph!"
Raph chuckled. His eyes were soft and looked very, very green in the bathroom's fluorescent light. "At least get out of the tub before you fall asleep on me. Open up. Let's see that temperature, sleepyhead."
The results made Raph sigh in relief. Then he reached for a large, fluffy towel wadded up on the toilet seat cover. Mikey disappeared in it as Raph carefully dried him off. It was a bit of overkill to be dried off like a baby, but Mikey didn't mind the attention that his mate was doting upon him. Not only that, but he sensed how much Raph needed to take care of him while he wasn't at his best. So he didn't protest when Raph threw aside the damp towel and abruptly scooped him back up into his arms.
"Water? I'm thirsty," Mikey requested. He laid his head against Raph's shoulder and took comfort from his brother's familiar scent.
"Well, you're just a princess tonight, aren't you? Getting carried around and bathed and everything. Your wish is my command, your highness."
"Damn skippy," Mikey smiled and rested his eyes for a moment.
They found a weary Don and Leo in the kitchen. Leo was standing at the stove, rubbing at his eyes with one fist. On the stove was a kettle that he was obviously waiting to boil. Don was seated at the table sifting through some vials with colorful liquids in them. There was one special mixture that he held up to Raph once he came wandering over to them after he'd dropped Mikey off at the couch.
"I just mixed a stronger dose of medicine for him. This should clear up the mucous in his lungs and help him breathe easier. Have him take it with this acetaminophen for the fever," Donnie immediately instructed.
Raph accepted the beaker and pills. He glanced over at Leo. "Er…I know you're trying to emulate Master Splinter and being all zen-like, but it's a little early for tea, don't you think?"
Leo gave him a dull glare. "It's not for me, idiot. It's for Mikey. Grab the honey. We're out of lemons, but I texted April and asked her to get us some once she's awake and the stores are open."
"Oh. Right," Raph's voice had taken on a note of sheepishness. It was hard to remember that he wasn't the only one that was exhausted and worried about Mikey. "Thanks."
By the time they brought the tea, medicine, and bottle of water over to where Raph had left Mikey, they found their youngest brother dozing. Raph took in the scene and glanced at Donnie. "Do you think it'd be okay to let him sleep out here? It's cooler."
Donnie nodded. "I was about to suggest you do just that, actually. Just keep an eye on his temperature. You can't let him get too cold either."
"Right. Thanks, Donnie."
Leo rubbed Mikey's head and smiled at the hazy blue eyes that peered up at him. "Good night, Mikey. Raph's going to take good care of you."
"He always does," Mikey mumbled so casually and resolutely, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world that he was well cared for, that Raph flushed a little.
"Try to get some sleep yourself?" Leo said to Raph as he passed by him. Both he and Donnie left, making for their bedrooms to get at least a few more hours of sleep before Splinter expected them for their morning practice.
When Raph glanced back towards Mikey, the younger turtle was giving the medicine a morose look. He took it without complaint, though. Raph went to retrieve their pillows and blanket from the bedroom while Mikey sipped at the tea that Leo had made for him. His eyelids were already drooping from the combination of warm tea, medicine, and the draining week by the time Raph returned.
Raph didn't lay the blanket over him but draped it over the back of the couch within reach. That served Mikey just fine. He was more than content with cuddling up to his brother to draw what heat he needed directly from him. Raph stretched out on the well-worn couch and pulled Mikey close.
"Thanks for taking care of me, Raphie," Mikey mumbled into his plastron, voice already thick with sleep.
Raph answered him by pressing a kiss to the top of Mikey's head. Then he closed his eyes, hoping that tomorrow he'd wake to a mischievous smile leering over him and a sweet, singsong voice greeting him good morning instead of trembling, coughing, and sneezing.
"Love you," he heard Mikey say just as he drifted off.
~Fin~