A/N: Again, definitely didn't expect such a response on a half-baked idea I wasn't even sure about posting in the first place. Thank you all very much for the reads, follows, and reviews. :)

Also...don't hate me for what happens in this chapter.

Truth

Raph was correct about one thing: it was different, though not for the reason any of them wanted - or expected. There were so many injuries in and on Leo's body that they all sort of blurred together. Except for one.

"Reflexes lagging," Donnie mumbled as he examined his oldest brother, "Glucose levels incredibly low. Heartbeat erratic." He reached for a penlight to check dilation, gently lifted one of Leo's eyelids, and shined the light into the cobalt-colored orb.

Nothing.

A frown contorted his face and he ran the beam back and forth, trying to see what the tracking ability of his sibling's eye was.

Not even a twitch. The pupil remained enlarged, even when the light shined directly on it. Heart pounding against the plates on his chest, Donnie checked Leo's other eye...and got the same results.

Realization hit the genius like a freight train and he dropped the penlight, staggering back a few steps. "No," he whispered. "No, no, no. Please, God, no...don't let it be true." But of course there was no answer. There was only silence and the horrible, ugly, terrifying truth.

Leo was blind.


Donnie didn't know how to break it to them. He'd always had contingencies for a million different scenarios. Severe burns? A special mutagen-based-aloe would soothe the ravaged skin. Broken leg? Easily set and casted. Arm cut off? A metal cuff specially designed to fit on the turtles' toned biceps.

But this...this was new territory. This was something that he'd never even dreamed about planning for - much less planning on having a solution ready.

Leonardo - his leader, his brother, his friend - was blind.

The hopelessness of the situation hit him once again and his knees buckled. He collapsed onto the floor and pulled his legs to his plastron, nearly hyperventilating. I don't know if I can fix this. Oh, Kraang, how do I fix this?! How can I tell the others?

How can I tell Leo?

A knock on the door snapped Donnie out of his thoughts and he hurriedly stood up, brushing himself off. He wiped at his face, hoping that his beak wasn't red and his eyes weren't bloodshot. Then, calmly as possible, he opened the door. "Yes? Oh, h-hey, Raph."

The brawler eyed him, concern very much evident in those gold eyes. "Everything okay?" he asked. "You've been in here for a long time."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I-I've just been making sure there's nothing really wrong with-" Don's voice cracked. "-wrong with him."

"Is there?"

"Nothing I can't fix." The lie tasted bitter on his tongue. He hated himself suddenly. But he plastered on a smile and shrugged. "Is there a particular reason you came by?"

"Just to check on you," Raph responded, his tone gentler than it should have been. Gentler than it would've been if none of this had ever happened.

The purple-banded turtle swallowed against the lump in his throat. It took a minute to register that his brother was speaking again.

"-ikey asked me to see if you were hungry. He made some tuna-casserole-type-crap, but I know you like tuna so I figured it was a safe bet."

"Oh, yeah...yeah, I'll be right there."

He pretended not to notice the relief that flooded Raphael's face when he agreed to eat. He honestly hadn't been eating much at all lately. He was still too upset with what had happened all those months ago, and then Mikey brought Leo home - Leo, of all people - and his world had shattered all over again. Suddenly he had to face the truth of what he'd done - what they'd all done - that night so long ago.

And because he and Raph had given up, because they'd turned their backs on their training and their pasts, Leo had to pay the price.

He would never forgive himself for that.

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