It has been 3 days since they brought him home. More dead than alive. Fresh and old bruises covering his body. Some cuts were already healed and went along with the scars that the Shredder had already inflicted on his body. Bones were broken and one actually had to be broken because it had been healed in the wrong way.

The red banded turtle stared at the life-less form of his little brother. He just couldn't believe how must he'd missed him in the last 5 months. Without him everything just fell apart. He fought more with his leader, more pointless arguments. Donnie barely left his lab anymore and Splinter would occasionally find the purple clad turtle sleeping over his desk.

His face pressed onto his microscope. Or on his papers. It was until Mikey was kidnapped they saw how much they needed him. He was their glue. The light of the family. At home everything shattered. And it even influenced their fighting. They lost to the purple dragons, to the foot bots. And nearly escaped with their lives against the Shredder.

Of course Leo would blame him for that, but for once he was right. Blinded with rage because he took their baby brother and even dared to show his face. Behind his mask, but still. Raph had accused him from 'stealing his act' but for once Leo didn't respond and went into the dojo to meditate. But just like every time he couldn't contact his little brother.

They never could. Shredder's old lair was abounded. Directly after Mikey was taken they moved, to different locations. If the brothers finally got a lead on him, he'd move again. Or it was a location without Mikey.

This went on for 5 months, they literally didn't skip one night without searching for their little brother. Splinter forbid them but they ignored the commands. For the first time in their whole life they ignored the orders of their father, their sensei. He didn't want them to get hurt, not after he'd lost his youngest son.

He didn't want to believe it, he really didn't want it but he couldn't sense his light anymore. He couldn't reach for his youngest son. The one with the brightest spirit he could even sense when he was on the other side of the city. A spirit full of innocence and joy. But after a few days of trying to reach him he felt the light slowly fading.

His spirit was weakening. He felt it. And after the first week, the light completely disappeared.

Raph slowly squeezed his eyes as he let a single tear fall down. It wasn't right to see their youngest like this. His skin bruised and battered. Cuts and broken bones. Burn marks on his feet and legs. Everything was messed up and Shredder was going to pay! Raph smirked lightly at the memory of when they fled with Mikey.

If it wasn't for Rahzar he would've killed shredder then and there. He could still see one of his sais sticking out of his exposed shoulder. Well maybe he couldn't kill him, he was still better but at least he accomplished to hurt him. And if it wasn't for the life-less body in Donnie's arms he would've never agreed to flee with a smoke bomb.

"Splinter just called, he'll be staying until tomorrow and then he'll be home" Donnie said as he walked in and rested his hand on Raph's shoulder and squeezed it slightly. He'd never seen Raph like this. Truly exhausted and broken. Crying without trying to stop it. Clutched to Mikey's side.

He know Raph and Mikey had always shared a strong bound. Just like himself. But he never thought this good. Well he always knew it was this good but he never thought it would actually turn Raph into a sobbing mess who never argued anymore or even touched his sais. Never snapped at anyone. Just slept and stared.

"And fearless'?" He slowly whispered. Sobbing in the process. His eyes still focused on the sleeping turtle in front of him.

"Still meditating what did you expect?" Donnie chuckled lightly.

"Figures" Raph grumbled and continued to stare. Still holding onto the life-less hand. Feeling the pulse indicating he was still alive. It was weak when he was brought in, very weak but over the course of 3 days it grew strong.

"He'll wake up in time" Donnie tried once again. It wasn't good for Raph to be in here all the time. He barely ate and drank. Barely spoke and refused to train. And somehow Donnie recognized his own actions in it. He'd acted like this for 5 months. Until Mikey was home. He talked slightly more and began to eat and drink normal again. He even joined Leo's training session's one time. The only time they fought with the 3 of them in 5 months. Until Raph kept himself locked in the lab.

"I know tha' Donnie. I just…. He… it isn't righ' Don. Seein' him like tha" Raph argued and let another tear slip past his eyes.

Donnie sighed. "I know Raph, I hate seeing him like this either but he's strong. He'll pull through" Donnie assured him and went over to Mikey and carefully removed his blanket. The burns on his feet were severe and needed to be treated twice a day. He slowly lowered an ice-pack on one of his feet and did the same on the other one.

Raph kept glancing and yawned tiredly. He was exhausted. Donnie knew it. It was already getting late and Raph woke up early in the night and decided to watch over Mikey again.

"You should get some sleep Raph, you're exhausted." Donnie pointed out as he checked the list of injuries, planning to check them all. The large stab wound in his left shoulder still concerned him and they had to be careful otherwise it could get infected.

"I'm not. Just… leave me" He mumbled and for the first time he dared to take his eyes of his little brother and looked into Donnie's brown eyes and turned back to the ground. "When do you think he'll wake up Don?" He asked after a few seconds of silence.

"I don't know Raph, his vitals and pulse improved greatly so he could wake up any minute but it could also take another week. It depends on how his body reacts to it" Donnie explained and carefully disinfected the stab wound and continued to do so until he cleaned all the cuts on his body.

"If I'm eva gonna catch him he's death" Raph growled and turned his hands into fists. This was the first time in 3 days Raph actually growled or got angry. And somehow Donnie was relieved. He actually hated seeing Raph like this. So, not him. How much he wished for him to shut up once in a while. To cool off. Not to rush in, stop cursing and snapping at everyone. How much he'd wished for that in the last 15 years, He hated seeing he actually did.

"Right now we have to focus on Mikey" Donnie sighed and turned towards Mikey to rewrap his broken wrist. Donnie gasped when he saw what happened. Just before he picked up Mikey's wrist his fingers twitched slightly. Mikey was waking up! Donnie opened his mouth to tell but before he could Mikey finally opened his eyes.

Mikey was awake.