I want to say thank you to the people who followed and Favorited my little suck fest of a start

Denny Hamato

sweetlittledevil85

Nika Yami

cartooncrazy4

turtlefanforlife1982 also thanks for the review

and ss for the review

Water splashed as a small bipedal figure walked down the storm run off. "Hey kid you can't be down here…" a sewer worker started to say as the figure approached him. The worker started to back up as the 'kid' rushed at him.

Knocking the worker down the figure clutched the man's neck, "What a tasty looking morsel." The figure hissed as the sewer worker tried to fight back but was soon subdued. The figure pushed the body into a run off line.

"Raph are you feeling all right, bro? Hello, Raphie anyone home?" a voice seemed to whisper from far away. The red banded turtle groggily opened his eyes, to be greeted with Mikey's beak inches away from his own.

"What do ya want Mikey," his voice marred by a higher octave. The orange banded turtle frowned for a brief second then fell back into more of a poker face.

"Just wanted to know if you were all right I mean training this morning wasn't that bad to warrant a two hour nap afterward." Raph's tired face grew into an annoyed one, there was no way he slept that long. Looking up at the clock on top of the TVs, it said it was two hours later but Mikey could have easily changed that.

"Not in the mood for yer pranks Mike," his voice still higher then normal. Mikey had a feeling that no matter what he said Raph would assume that he was pulling his leg.

"Whatever Raph, just try to stay awake, ok?" Red banded turtle just rolled his eyes and nodded. But the tired look washed back over him, as Mikey walked away. Letting out a sigh Raph slowly pulled himself out of the 'person eating' couch. Standing up everything started to swirl, swallowing down a touch of nausea he made his way to the kitchen. I'll feel better after I eat somethin', but the nausea doubled as he looked over his food choices. Damnit, it isn't anywhere near winter how 'm I gettin' sick, I'll talk to Don.

Then everything went black, "Raphael, Raph can you hear me? Raphael… Mike what… was fine in training this morning… no gang… Casey would have…" everything sounded like it was underwater, Raph couldn't tell who was talking. Opening his eyes colors spun, it looked like the world was in a washing machine. The normally hotheaded turtle let out an unflattering moan, "Raph focuse on my voice, ok?" His head started to loll to the side but a warm hand stopped it, "No I need you to stay awake, Raph."

"I'ma tryin', 's jus' hard." He slurred in a guff but almost childish tone. More wavering voices that he couldn't understand, and then there was a pinch in his right hand. Surprisingly it really hurt, unwanted tears sprung to his eyes as he passed back out.

"Whoa Don, Raph, he's… he's crying or at least his eyes are watering," Mikey said.

"I know putting an IV in the hand is not the most comfortable place but still he wouldn't cry over that."

"Well he is, Don what do you think caused this?"

"Not sure Leo, I mean none of us have received any major beat downs, just a few bumps and bruises. Although Casey and Raph have this blood oath like deal to take care of each others injuries, they know when something is too much for them to handle."

"So it isn't some ignored concussion, or other major injury. Somehow he caught a bug, maybe when we were in the Stone Age?"

Don looked at the blue banded turtle thought about saying a more accurate time frame but kept his beak shut. "Maybe, however I highly doubt it. It has been roughly a month since then, he probably would have displayed symptoms before now. I'll draw some samples to see if his white blood cell count is high to see if he does have some form of infection."

"So you don't know what's wrong with him Don." April said looking at the test results.

"Yeah there doesn't seem to be any anomalies, he isn't sick from what I can see. The only thing I can think of is that he was dehydrated I hooked him up to an IV I salvaged from the train we took from Bishop but other then that… there isn't any thing I can see that would make Raph lose consciousness."

"I don't remember that scar," April said pointing to the small circular scar next to the IV needle. Don looked at the red head funny, "Remember two weeks ago when I was sick and you all decided to play 'mom'." Donatello chuckled but nodded for her to continue, "Well when Raph was there, there was nothing on TV. So we made a game of who could think up the most ridiculous origins for his scars. Even though I was sick I remembered them, I think mostly out of pity that you guys could have so many and be only eighteen."

"Yeah, as is the life of a mutant turtle. Wait last week Raph got bit by a leech we, I, didn't think anything of it." The purple banded turtle started to ramble on earning him a lopsided grin from the woman. "Sorry for that just excited at the lead, but now I'm sort of curious what kind of origins were you guys making up."

"Obviously they didn't involve ninjas since that is were most of them come from any way. One he came up with was he wrestled with a grizzly bear in cage match, I said that another one came from an elephant riding accident. Most included deadly animals, we were just being silly and I was more then a little delusional from the fever."

"Of course it's Raph so why wouldn't include vicious animals," Donnie said with a smile. "April would you mind pulling a sample from me, I want to check the level of mutagen in his blood against my own it to see if it could explain the problem." With a nod the redheaded woman drew the blood and started the test. "It will be two hours so if you need to get back to your shop… I need to ask Leatherhead about the mutagen he knows more then me."

"Don't you want to be here when he wakes up?"

"It will only be two hours at the latest, Master Splinter is here and Raph… well Raph hates being coddled so if someone is in here it will bother him." April nodded then left the infirmary, "I'll just be gone for a little bit Raph, ok?" Donatello knew he won't get a real response but he just felt better telling him that. picking up a few notes and other objects Don made his way to the sewer slider to visit their crocodile friend.

It needed to feed again, the constant hunger was growing irksome. Why were the some not a filling as others? Then the smell fresh blood entered its nostrils, following the scent the creature clicked its teeth together as saliva dripped down. Pressing flat against the sewer grate the leech entered the lair. It was dark, five sets of eye shifted as it drew closer to its new found meal.

Griping at the nape of the neck the leech creature brought its face down and began to feed on the unconscious mutant turtle.

I am still alive put thought the gauntlet but alive. I have been sick all last week, still feeling it, then there was Christmas and playing LEGO video Game (i love those games). Sadly I missed the 2k3 marathon on nick because the cable company is too lazy to come out to the sticks. Most of this chapter was written in a sick haze so I am sorry if it sucks.