Chapter 2

/-/-/-/

They knew their food was drugged. At first, they refused to eat. But they only got hungry and the little water they got was not enough to quench their thirst, let alone abate their hunger. Once they started eating, Raph felt a little better, a little less like his stomach would eat all his organs and a lot more dizzy and dazed.

"How long have we been here?" Raph asked. He folded up his cheap paper bowl and quickly squeezed the oatmeal out. He ate its entire contents in three swallows.

"Twelve days." Leo poked at his bowl. "They'll find us soon."

"I'm never gonna eat oatmeal after this." Raph crumbled up the bowl and threw it at the door.

"Yeah." Leo let out a dry laugh. He ate his just as quickly, swallowing the last of it with a shudder. Leo pushed the bowl away and rested his head against the wall. Leo's arms fell lax to his sides and Raph stared at the needle marks across his forearm. They had gone up and down the same arm, all of them in various stages of healing.

"What do they give you?" Raph asked.

Leo frowned. "I don't know."

"Leo." Raph stumbled up to Leo. He tried to kneel down, but his ankle gave out and he fell against the wall and slid instead. "What happens when they take you?"

Leo continued his silence, his fingers nervously brushed the inside of his elbow.

"Please." Raph said.

It was making him anxious, every time they took Leo he had no idea how long he'd be gone. Raphael would pace the cell, or he had been pacing the cell. Now it was more like him fidgeting around the cell with anger and nervousness driving him crazy with images. He couldn't stop thinking. Maybe this would be the time they beat Leo to a bloody pulp. Maybe this time, they would drag in Leo as his body started to shut down. Maybe they wouldn't bring him back at all. "What they do to you?"

Leo sighed. "It's some sort of sedative, I think."

Raph nodded, urging his brother for more. Leo stayed quiet. Long enough for Raph to think he wasn't going to continue.

"They give it to me each time and I can't move." Leo swallowed convulsively and took a deep breath. "I can't talk and it's hard to breathe. But I can see. And no matter how hard I try, I can't stop - " Leo groaned and banged his head against the wall. "I can't move."

Raphael kept quiet, waiting for more. As the seconds ticked away, he asked, "What they do, Leo?"

Leonardo opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Leo inhaled sharply and shook his head in apology.

/-/-/-/

When the door opened, Raphael launched himself at the soldiers. He didn't expect to escape. He didn't expect to cause any real damage. But he was sick and tired and angry and so frustrated. He just couldn't help himself. He punched and kicked anything that came into range.

Then he heard Leonardo yelp. Leo had followed Raph out of the cell, but that microsecond of warning was enough for the other soldiers to defend themselves. Three soldiers had Leo up against the wall, another one leveled a sword at his throat.

"Raphael!" Karai called. "Stop or Leo might get hurt."

Raph growled, but he instantly stood down.

Karai sighed and stepped up to Leo. "You guys are too predictable."

The soldiers grabbed Raph's arms and held him still.

"That was incredibly stupid, Raphael." Karai said.

Raph glared at Karai. Unable to retort, because yes, he knew that was incredibly stupid.

Karai laughed, clearly more amused than annoyed by Raph's behavior.

"What's wrong, Raphael?" Karai asked. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Go to hell." Raph growled.

"Oh, Leo." Karai giggled. "Raphael seems like fun. What do you say we take him along this time?"

"No." Leo caught Raph's eyes.

"Don't worry so much." Karai patted Leo's cheek.

Leonardo tried to shake off Karai's hand. "You said - "

"He's only going to watch." Karai's thumb rubbed over Leo's jaw, a slow caress.

Leo frowned and stared back at Karai.

"How about we let him choose?" Karai said, her eyes still on Leonardo. "Raphael, would you care to join us?"

Leonardo shook his head. His were eyes wide and pleading with Raphael's.

Raphael wanted to say no. Whatever was happening, Leonardo doesn't think he should see it. Usually that was enough to make Raphael want to see it, but this time felt different. This time, he's pretty sure Leonardo's right. He shouldn't see it. He doesn't want to.

"Raph," Leonardo said, "stay here."

It was on the tip of his tongue. He was going to refuse, but he found himself nodding. "Yes."