Mikey sat on the couch, his head in his hands as he wept. His brothers sat around him silently, stairing into space, trying to figure out how they will continue without their beloved leader. Sure, I had had my moments in the past... being self-centered and a complete butthole to my brothers at times when they had done nothing. But the scar from that battle had faded away after time, and I was now back to my old normal self.
Today was a hard day on everyone. All of my brothers waited fearfully for Master Splinter to come downstairs and tell them I had passed. They didn't want to watch me die, they were afraid I would die... so they stayed away from me and let me lie there. I felt like I was being betrayed, but deep down I knew their actions were probably the best thing to do. I dont think I would want to sit and watch if Raph was lying on his death bed. ...And we had already said our goodbyes... no one knows if I'm even going to die yet...
Master Splinter came back into the room with some remedies. He had left for say give minutes to get some medication for my wounds. Even if he thought I was hopeless, he was still going to try his best to keep my heart beating. "Close your eyes, my son, and hold your breath." he said. I did as I was told. Tears busted out of my eyes as a needle was inserted into my shell wound. It hurt like complete utter hell. I couldn't even stay still, so Master Splinter ordered my brothers to hold me down. "My sons, I have found someone to help us with your brother. She once did us harm, but she has made a sincere promise to help Leonardo." Master Splinter said softly. Then, a girl in an all black form-fitting body suit walked in. I immediatly knew who it was. It was Karai!! "NO!" I screamed. I immediatly was struck with surprise. I thought I was to weak to speak...? I thought. Karai walked over to my side and knelt down. "Leonardo, I am very sorry about what happened to you." she said to me. "Stay AWAY FROM ME!" I growled, unable to move. I was completely helpless here, unless my brothers could fight her off. "Leo, calm down dude. Its cool. She's on our side." Mikey told me. "You mean like how she was on our side, and then teamed up with Shredder and stabbed the crap out of my shoulder?" I spat. Mikey and Don blinked, and Raph looked towards Karai. "Your not gonna do that again, are ya?" he asked. "Of course not. I could never fight Leonardo when he is in such condition.." she said softly. I rolled my eyes. "Sure, whatever."
By time it was 6:00 PM, my bleeding had decreased by a lot. Sensei told me that this was a good sign that I may live through this. Karai stayed by my side, stroking my shell and saying comforting words. Around 7 pm, I was calmed down and decently consent. "Karai...?" I asked quietly. "Yes?" she replied. "Do you promise on your life that your on our side for good?" I muttered. "Of course, Leo. Your hurt really bad, and I dont like that. I'm going to help you get better..." she explained. And then... Karai did something that surprised me greatly. Something that made a warm front travel all through my body. It made my tail raise as far as it would go. She kissed me.
"K-K-Karai... what.." I stuttered. "Thats for being so kind and giving me a second chance, Leonardo; your a sweety." Karai told me. I blushed lightly. "Er... thanks.." I moaned. It was at that moment that Raph walked in. "Whats goin' on?" he asked. "Nothing much, Raphael." Karai said. I cackled under my breathe. Raph heard. "What'er you cacklin' bout?" he asked. I blushed again. Raph took notice of this too. "...what happened here!?" he asked again. "Karai.. she.. well.. she kissed me." I said tentatively. Raph's eyes grew wide and he blinked. "Woah." he said straightly. "What happened to the Leo who hated Karai?" he asked with a snicker. "I didnt kiss her, she kissed me." I said with a laugh. "Whatevah." Raph said and walked over to my side and squatted down. "Feelin any bettah?" he asked. "Yeah... a lot better. I can move a little now and the bleeding pretty much stopped." I said. "Want some watah?" Raph asked. I did feel kinda dehydrated. "Sure." I said and closed my eyes with a sleepy sigh. Karai lied down next to me. After Raph left the room, Karai got close to my face. "Wanna know something about me?" she asked. "..uh.. sure?" I said with a shrug. "I've always loved you, Leo. Your a great guy. I feel so bad about hurting you-" she said. I cut her off. "Wait wait... you love me? As in..." I murmered. "Yes Leo. I love you, like that. I'd like to have a relationship with you." Karai replied. I was dumbstruck. I was speechless. I was at a complete loss of words. I didnt know what to think. ...it was then that I realized that... i love her to.. Maybe thats why I was so angry after that battle, because I thought she betrayed me... but maybe she didn't. "W-w-wow... K-Karai... I-I dont know what to say..." I mumbled. She snickered a bit. "Hey, your a guy." I slowly turned my head to face her, my mouth slightly agape and my eyes gazing into hers. It was then that she reached behind my head and untied my bandana and set it on the ground beside us, reached out, and kissed me gently on the lips.

--

I was sleeping quietly on my cot, Karai beside me. She was watching my every move, including the small movement of my body as I inhaled, and exhaled. The soft sound of my breathing filled the quiet room. Karai had her eyes on my closed eyelids. She had commented me, after our kiss, that I had the most marvalous brown eyes. She told me that I shouldn't wear my bandanda, because it hides my 'beautiful eyes'.
I wasn't used to this. Who was once my enemy and had almost killed me with my own katana - Now loves me. Always loved me. She was too brainwashed by Shredder to realize what she was doing to me. I forgave her. I forgave every last bit of everything she did to me. Including when she stabbed me through my shoulder with my katana.
Today, Sensei wanted me to try sitting up. I was successful, but I had the most godawful headache from where I had been lying down so long. Karai helped me stay upwards, because the last thing we wanted was for me to fall on my back. "I love you Leo." she told me, right infront of my brothers, who all reacted with agape faces.

Later that evening, we were hit by an attack from Shredder. Shocker. Sensei and Karai helped me to climb into a metal cell and ordered me to stay inside it quietly until I was told to exit. Karai came into the cell with me. She held me and told me it would be okay. I was so scared for my brothers... what if something bad happened to them? Tears strolled down my cheek every now and then, and Karai would whip them away with her fingers. Every time she whiped one away, she would kiss me tenderly on the cheek. When she did this, it made me feel warm all over. It made a feeling rush over me that I had never felt before. It made me feel good.. and after thinking for a brief moment, I turned her head towards me and kissed her right back on the lips.
About an hour later, something began beating rather roughly on the steel door, leaving dents in it. I knew who it was. "Karai... we gotta get outta here!" I yelled. She looked at the door in complete fear. "Theres no way out! And your to injured to protect yourself!" she yelled. "LEO!" I heard Raph scream. At that very moment, Shredder beat the door in and went straight for me. Raph and Don jumped in right behind Shredder, taking wacks at the metal outer shell of the enemy. "Karai! You and Mikey must get Leo to safety!" Raph yelled. Karai nodded, lifting my arm up over her shoulders and helping me up. Mikey was in front of us trying to block Shredder from getting to me. He failed. The Shredder took Mikey by his arm and threw him across the cell, and there was a loud bang as he hit the metal wall and fell to the ground, out cold. "MIKEY!" Raph screamed, enraged. He took his Sei's and started stabbing them into the Shredder's armor. "We're done for!" I yelled. "No, no we're not Leo!" Karai yelled. The Shredder busted through Raph and took me in one hand, squeezing me. My wounds began to bleed again, and my body made loud cracking and popping noise as the Shredder crushed my body. "LEO!" Karai screamed, and made her move. She lunged toward the Shredder, a katana in her hand. She stabbed it through the source of the shredder, a little pink alien blob that controled the robotic body. The little blob screamed and wailed in pain, releasing his grip on my body. I fell helplessly to the ground with a loud thump. Everything went black after that. The last thing I remember is the Shredder falling nearly ontop of Karai, and her yelling my name.

I was dying. Sensei was positive that there was nothing to do for me. I would never be able to fight again...

b- Raph's Point of View -/b

"Bro.. please wake up... p-please..." I wept, tears streaming down my face like rivers. My brothers stood around me, holding their tears back. I had no hope left for my poor brother. He had been unconcious for 2 weeks now. "L-Leo... please wake up..." I whined. I was blinded by my tears and I couldn't control it. Everything was happening to fast... way to fast... I couldn't take it. I came near the point of just leaving and going somewhere else... somewhere far way... and never returning. I just couldn't... COULDNT handle the thought of my brave, honorable, and loyal brother, Leonardo, being gone forever. "Please Leo... WAKE UP!!" I screamed, my head falling against Leo's bruised and slightly cracked upper plastron, crying uncontrolably. "Raph... dont yell..." Don whined, his hand on my shoulder.
Later that evening, I had cried myself asleep, my head still on Leo's plastron. I awoke slowly with a yawn, raising my head up. I blinked once, looked towards Leo, and was dumbstruck. I couldn't believe it! He was awake, looking at me, and smiling! I glanced at my brothers, and they all gave me a smile as well. "Leo, your awake!" I cried, standing up. "Y-yeah..." Leo said quietly. I wasn't thinking about anything but the simple fact that my brother was finally awake from a 2 week coma.

b- Leo's Point of View -/b

"Thanks Bro... for being by my side that whole time..." I grunted, so weak from blood loss that my vision on my brothers was unsteady. I couldn't move a single muscle in my body. My body was broken; not only physically, but mentally. That last fight... when Karai tried to protect me... it finally left a big, huge crack right through all my hopes. And then I realized... Karai wasn't here.
"W...w..where's k-Karai..." I asked through my torn and scratchy vocals. "she was here earlier... she left a few hours ago. I dunno why." Mikey told me. I closed my eyes and sighed deeply. Before, I was getting mad at my brothers for having no hope in me. But for the first time in my entire life, I had lost hope. I had lost hope in myself. Sensei had always taught me lessons about hope. That no matter what, theres always hope, and one should never give up. I hated the thought that I was disobeying my master's lesson. I absolutely hated it. "Leo!" a female voice yelled from behind my brothers. They moved to the side and Karai appeared with a basket. I struggled painfully to smile, my eyes half open. "I brought you some medicines for both your wounds and your depression..." she said. I said nothing. I was in to much pain.
Karai had numbed all of my wounds before she began rubbing some kind of antispetic on them. I felt no pain, which made me more content. My shell wounds had healed, however, it would never grow back. Sensei filled in the hole with a metal filling. Raph sat by me and watched, glad that the treatment was causing me no pain. "Leo!" yelled to voices outside the room. April and Casey walked in and over to my side. "Oh my god Leo... you poor thing!" April whined, placing her hand on my shoulder gently. "A-april.." I muttered, my eyes slowly closing. All of a sudden, Sensei ran into the room. "MY SONS! We must flee, NOW!" he yelled. All of my brothers said 'why' in unison. "The Shredder is returning to finish battle! He has declared that he will destroy Leonardo first! We MUST get him to safety IMMEDIATLY!" Sensei yelled. At an instant, Raph, April, Casey, and Don picked me up and started towards the door. "Where can we go!?" Casey yelled in a panic. "Follow me!" Sensei yelled and proceeded out the door. We followed him down the stairs and into another cell that was deep within the lair. "April, Karai, Casey: You stay in here with Leonardo in case of an attack." Sensei ordered, and the three did as they were told. Casey shut the metal door and locked it securely. I sighed as I lay limp on the ground against the wall. Karai stayed by my side, our hands locked with eachother. I was fearless. At this point, I really barely cared if I was murdered right here, right now. I wanted to die. I was suffering. I was dying.
"Leo.. are you okay?" Karai asked, rubbing my arm. I simply sighed and closed my eyes. I couldn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. Karai frowned and kissed my hand gently. "Its gonna be alright, man." Casey said, staying by the door. A few seconds later, there was a loud bang against the door. When I looked up, it was dented. 'What a shocker.' I thought sarcastically. Karai and April stood up in front of me, standing in fighting stance, ready to protect me. Unsurprisingly, Shredder bounded through the door and went straight in my direction. Casey threw wacks at the metal contraption, and Karai and April did as well. I just lay there, uncaring of what happened to me. I just didn't care anymore.
Raph hopped into the cell, throwing his seis and his body at the metal. Karai hovered over top of me, eyeing the Shredder with a fierce look. "I am VERY disappointed in you, Karai!!" the Shredder growled. "You have betrayed me, AGAIN, you disloyal fiend!" he added. Karai simply grunted, pulled one of her katanas from her backcase and threw it at the Shredder's chest. "DIE!" she screamed. The Shredder shrieked loudly, falling backwards. Raph and DOn leaped to the side to avoid being fallen upon. "Leo!" Raph yelled, bounding around the falling metal, to my side. "Are you okay??" he asked in a panic. "I'm fine Raph." I said. "Run, save yourself!" I added. "No! I won't leave and let you get killed!" Raph growled, doing a backflip and kicking the Shredder in the neck as he returned upright. "Karai, take Leo to safety NOW! Before Shredder awakens!" Don yelled. Karai lifted me up, Raph leaping over to assist. They carried me out of the cell and, as fast as they could, tried to find another hiding place. But it was to late. There was the sound of Don being thrown against the outside wall, and then the sound of Shredder coming back for us. He had one of Karai's katanas, and with it, he threw it toward me. A gross sound filled the suddenly quiet room, following by a pain-filled series of grunts from my vocals. The sword had went completely through my shoulder. I fell to my knees, and then onto my front with a loud groan. "NO!!" Raph and Karai screamed in unison. Don looked up, his eyes becoming wide when he saw the sword sticking straight up in the air from my body. "NO!!" he screamed, sprinting to my body. But the Shredder wasn't finished. He grabbed Don by his belt and threw him into the air, chucking him toward the ceiling. Raph pulled the katana out of my flesh and winced at the blood that now covered it. "Leo..." he whined. The Shredder ran up behind Karai, taking her other katana and chucking it at Raph. He dodged it, the blade skimming across his cheek. He wasn't done with this fight. He grabbed his sei's and jumped toward's Shredder, but the monster grabbed his wrist and threw him down to the ground with a loud 'thump'. Raph groaned irratably. The Shredder then took his arm, and twisted it all the way around. A loud cracking noise filled the room. Raph screamed in agony. "Raph! Leo!" Don yelled, taking his turn. He ran towards the Shredder, jumping into the air into a full. He smacked the Shredder across the face with his foot, causing the monster to fall backwards. He picked up the bloody katana that lied on the ground, held it above his head, and stabbed it into the pink alien blob that gave the shredder life. A loud scream, and then silence. The battle was over... for now.
I lied unconcious, a pool of blood surrounding me. When Karai came over to me, she was panicked by the fact that I was no longer bleeding. "Leo... NO!!" she screamed. Raph slowly rose, his left arm fractured to pieces from the shoulder and down. He groaned painfully, getting to his feet and limping over to my body. "He's finished." Raph whined, tears blinding his eyes. "No.. not yet." Karai said. "Get his body. We must carry him back to the infirmiry." she added. Raph nodded and picked up my body, and carried me up the stairs and to the infirmiry.
"Lie him down on the bed." Karai ordered. Raph eyerolled and did as he was told. "How'er we gonna save 'em?" he said. "CPR. You press his chest, I'll breathe for him." Karai replied. "Good plan. I ain't kissin 'em." Raph said with a tone of voice. He pressed against my chest three times before Karai's lips met mine, breathing into my mouth. I awoke almost instantly, coughing up blood and holding my middle painfully. "Your alive!" Raph yelled in joy. "How'er we gonna get you back to health... if Shreddah keeps attackin' you'll be dead in just a few hours." Raph said. "We're gonna have to travel somewhere, somewhere far away and keep Leo behind guard." Karai said. "Good idea." Raph agreed. Master Splinter limped into the room, holding his right arm and groaning. "Sensei! We're gonna have to take Leo somewheh' else, somewhe' fah' away wheh' Shreddah' can't get ta' him." Raph said. "I am agreed. Leo will not survive in this place. We must travel, and we must leave immediatly." Sensei said. Don and Mikey hobbled into the room behind Sensei, their arms around eachother's shoulders. "Come Donatello, Michaelangelo, we must flee immediatly to a safer and far away haven. Leo will not survive here." Sensei said. I groaned. I felt like I was getting in the way of everything and causing us trouble. "N-no.. g-guys.. you-you d-dont... h-have t-to... d-do any-anything.. for-for m-me..." I struggled with all my will to say. Raph sighed in worry. "Leo, bro, your dying and we must get you somewhere safe. If your attacked again, you'll be dead in seconds." Don said. Raph nodded. "Yeh. We need'ta get ya fah' away from he'ah." he said. I groaned in pain. "I-I... d-dont t-think... I-I'm g-gonna s-surv-survive... m-much.. l-l-longer..." I said painfully. "Leo, don't hurt yourself. Just.. don't talk.. please.." April whined, trying to make her words not sound rude. I did as I was told. Raph and Don picked me up and carried me to April's car. We all took off, unknowing of where we were going, and uncaring. Just as long as we got somewhere safe quickly. "Do ya think Shredder and his commrads will be able to track us?" Raph asked. "I do not know, Raphael. We're absconding... I would hope he dosn't." Sensei said. "He's getting worse, we gotta hurry!" Mikey said in a panicked tone. "I think he's gonna pass out!" Don cried. April picked up the speed. Raph whined quietly. He was really scared. I could tell by the way his eyes looked when he looked at me... the way his expression was. It was full of fear, and I hated seeing my brother like this. I wished I could just get better. I tried to get up, grunting as I did so. Raph gently pushed me back down. "Take it easy, Leo. Just lie still." Don said softly. Casey turned around to look at me, as he hadn't really gotten a good look at me yet. His eyes became wide and his mouth went agape. "Oh my GOD. Leo... wow!" he said. I sighed and closed my eyes. "Casey.. please." Don said straightly. "Oh, sorry." Casey said, and turned around. "Well.. the good thing is that his bleeding is stopping." Mikey said. "Good." Raph said with a sigh of relief. We took a sharp turn around a corner, and I almost rolled off the seat, but Raph and Don pulled me back. I moaned quietly as breathing became harder. We made a stop in an alley, beside an abandoned building.
Raph broke a low window and we went inside. There were old, rotten boxes everywhere; and also rotting wood lay around all over the place. "Watch ya step guys." Raph said as he began to walk onward. He found a stable, large piece of wood. "If we can find something soft like a blanket to put ovah this, we can use it fah' Leo tah' lie on when we have'ta carry him around." Raph said. Everyone nodded. "Oh Leo..." April said softly, placing her hand gently on my forehead. Don and Mikey had carried me inside, April and Karai walking along side them. Mikey set me down on the floor, making sure I wasn't going to be on any pieces of wood of debrie. "Poor thing." Karai said. I looked up at her with my eyes, as I couldn't move my neck. She had this strange look on her face... an expression that made me have a bad feeling that something not so good was about to happen. She looked worried.. and scared. And almost as if she was waiting... expecting, something to happen. She sat down beside me, taking off her backcase and removing her katanas. She lied down and set her head on my plastron. I listened intently as Don, Mikey and Raph scoped the building out for any potential danger.

A few hours later, I had fallen asleep. Karai had stayed awake, to scared to sleep. Raph, Mikey, and Don came back with thick scraps of clothing they had found in a box. "Maybe this is enough to make a padding on the board we found." Don said. "Maybe, lets try it." Raph said. The three began to cover the wooden board with the scraps.

--

I awoke a few hours later. I was lying on a board that had been covered with clothe. I grunted a bit as my eyes worked their way open, and my brothers took notice. "He's.. he's awake!" Raph yelled. He sounded happier than I had ever heard him. "...R-Raph..." I moaned. "Its okay bro, I'm here. I'm here.." Raph said, his voice gentle and soft, his hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to say anything, bro." Don said, his eyes on my broken shell. "What'er we gonna do 'bout that?" Raph asked. "About what?" Don asked. "Like you 'dun know! His shell, ya idiot!" Raph growled. He was tense right now, angry at no one.. but yet at everything. "Calm down, dude." Mikey said straightly. He was trying to act careless and unworrying, but I could see it in his eyes.. he was scared as hell. Raph bowed his head and sighed long and sad. I frowned and closed my eyes again. "We have to get him to a hospital guys.. or else he wont make it." Don said. "Yeh, like we can take a 180 pound talkin' turtle to the hospital." Raph said, whiping away the tears. "Know any vets who'll keep their mouth shut?" Mikey asked. Raph eyed him. "'Dis is no time for ya to act like yo'self!" he growled. Mikey frowned. Don shook his head and knelt beside me. "What are we gonna do?" he asked, looking over my wounds. "If we don't get professional help, we will probably have to say goodbye to a brother!" Don said in a panicked tone.
Karai listened silently, her head against my plastron and her arms around my middle, and on my chest. She cried silently, breathed silently, everything she did was silent and went un-noticed. I was awake, but this was unknown to everyone, even Karai. My eyes were closed, my breathing somewhat shallow and even, as if I was sleeping. While I lay there, so many things ran through my mind. How will I ever help my brothers again? Will I see my next birthday? Will I see tomorrow? Will I ever practice ninjitsu again? Will I ever be able to love someone..
My eyes shot open. My amber hues stared in a trance-like state at the ceiling 70 feet above. I wanted so bad to just jump up, to slash my katanas through the free air and yell with joy; to run on the rooftops and kick Foot Ninja ass with my brothers.
I was sure that none of those things would ever happen again.
I groaned quietly, my hand sliding overtop of Karai's. My brothers watched in awe as I "awoke". "I think 'ee passed out 'er somethin'. His breathin' was awfully shallow'." Raph said, crossing his arms. "Yeah.. I agree." Don said, and placed his hand on my forehead. It was then that he noticed how pale I was. "Guys.." he said. "Huh?" Mikey said, turning around on the box he was perched on. "I dont think he's going to make it.." Don whined. This enraged Raph.. with an uncontrollable anger that could easily place him into a dog-eat-dog situation. He eyes flared, and narrowed toward Don. "You uncaring piece of-!!" he screamed, his fist raising into the air. "HOW DARE YOU EVEN INSTICATE THAT LEO WON'T SURVIVE!!" he yelled, throwing his fist toward Don. Mikey took ahold of him and pushed him backward. "What the shell are you doing!?" he yelled. Raph inhaled violently, his eyes almost teary he was so mad. I just closed my eyes once again, and sighed. "Great. B-because of me.. y-you guys are g-growing apart.." I strained to say. Don looked back toward me. "No, no bro.. thats not true." he said softly. "We're not growing apart.. we're just having a hard time dealing with all thats happening in such a short amount of time, and its causing a rather large amount of stress." Don explained, keeping his hand on my forehead. "Don't blame yourself, bro." Mikey popped into the conversation. "Its not anyone fault except the Shredder's." he added with a cold laugh. I sighed and opened my eyes again. "But really, Raph, you should've let me finish my sentance. I said I didnt think Leo was going to make it, and with good reason. Look at him... he's lost so much blood his skin is almost white, like a humans." Don said informatively. "I didn't mean to piss you off like that." he added quietly. Raph growled a bit and got back to his feet. "Whatevah." he said and jumped onto a box, perching quietly at the edge of the building.
Night killed the sun as a dark sheet covered the outside. We had no more than a lantern to keep the area we were in illuminated. Don bowed his head in saddness as his eyes fell back upon my body, Karai lying dead-like halfway ontop of me. "What are we gonna do.." Mikey whined, jumping off his box and crawling over beside Don. I hated being the center of attention, the one everyone was spiritually suffering for. I wanted it to end, now. I sighed long and cold, irritation evident in my face. "Don't get mad, Leo. That won't help a thing." Raph mumbled. I sighed once again, and closed my eyes, hoping to get in some sleep.
And then it hit me, I got a feeling. A strong feeling. So strong, I could barely stand it. I was going to be able to walk again in the morning, I just knew it. I was going to begin a real recovery; I was going to take the first step on the path that led back to being a Mutant Ninja Turtle.