Chapter 4: Fall

A/N: This next chapter will take place after "A Foot Too Big." I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed thus far. I'm so glad you're enjoying this story, and I can't wait to write more for you.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot.

The breeze was cool as it caressed Leo's face. The sun was shining, and he was happy to be outside once again for another therapy session. He'd been having regular sessions every day, but after they met Bigfoot, the sessions had been called off due to the strange hunter in the woods. Now that all of that mess was cleaned up, Raph had once again been helping Leo get better.

"Okay, Leo, let's see how you can balance on this log," he said.

Leo gingerly got up on it and balanced with his good leg. He stayed up there for a short time but began shaking and almost fell off before Raph caught him.

"Nice try, Leo, but you still need to work on that," Raph said.

"I've been working on it for days," Leo complained. "Why can't I get it right?"

"Like Donnie said, it's going to take time for you to get back to where you were," Raph explained. "Healing takes time, so don't sweat it. Since your balance is still off, we won't even try crossing the creek. Let's just walk for a little bit."

Leo nodded and walked beside his brother. He was frustrated that he wasn't getting better, but it still felt good to be spending time with Raph. His red-clad brother was determined to get Leo back to where he was, but it was taking a long time.

"Raph, do you really want to help me get better?" Leo asked him.

"Of course I do, Leo. Why do you think I'm doing all of this?"

"You're not getting tired of hearing me complain about how I'm not progressing or anything?"

Raph put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Leo, it's okay to be mad. You know I'm not the most patient guy around, and I know how that attack hurt you and affected you. It doesn't bother me that you're upset. That's why I'm here to make you feel better. Just try to keep your chin up, okay?"

Leo sighed. "I'll do my best."

They reached a hill and looked down it. Leo took a few steps forward to get closer, but his crutch caught on some leaves, causing him to slip and roll down the hill. When he reached the bottom, he landed painfully on his injured leg and clutched it, wincing in pain. Images filled him as he remembered the fall down the slope after the Foot attacked him. He looked up and thought he saw Shredder gazing down at him. He gasped and closed his eyes, willing himself not to think about it.

"Leo, are you okay?" Raph asked.

Leo opened his eyes and saw that Raph was looking down at him, not Shredder. "No," he answered. "I can't believe I did that. I'm so stupid and clumsy."

Raph hurried down the hill to Leo's side. "It's not your fault," he said gently. "You didn't know that would happen. Now let's get you back up." He pulled his brother to his feet and gave him back his crutch. Then they continued on until they found a path that would take them back to the farmhouse. Raph led Leo inside and had him sit on the couch. Don and the others hurried in and asked what had happened.

"I fell down a hill after my crutch caught on some leaves," Leo answered.

"Dude, that sucks," Mikey said gently. "I'll go get some ice." He went to the kitchen and came back with an ice pack for Leo's knee.

"So how was the session?" Don asked them.

"Leo's balance is still off," Raph reported. "That's about all we did before he fell."

"That was the dumbest move of my life," Leo complained. "I never should have done any of that without Raph to guide me."

"It's not your fault, Leo," April said. "You had no idea the leaves would catch on your crutch. At least you got out for a bit instead of being cooped up in the house."

"I can even help with some therapy of my own," Casey offered.

"What do you know about therapy?" Don demanded.

"I play hockey, remember?" Casey reminded him. "I've been injured enough times to know the score. I hurt my knee a few times and had to go physical therapy. I remember some of the exercises, so maybe I can show them to Leo so he can get better. What do you say, Leo?"

"I think that sounds great," Leo answered. "If it can get me better faster, I'll take it."

"Awesome!" Casey exclaimed. "We can start tomorrow, right, Raph?"

"Yeah, we can do that," Raph replied.

'Okay, but don't push him too hard," Don reminded the boy. "He can't afford to have a relapse."

"Relax, Don," Casey reassured him. "Casey Jones has it under control."

"I highly doubt that," Don muttered.

Leo rolled his eyes and wondered when Don was going to get over his rivalry with Casey. He decided not to dwell on it and focused on the show that was on TV. He was happy that Casey was taking an interest in his recovery and that the boy was willing to help. Maybe he could get better faster, and then they could go home, find Splinter, and take back the city. Leo would do whatever it took to get back in shape.

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The next day, Casey, Raph, and Leo got ready to work on some therapy exercises. Although the Turtles had sustained injuries before, they'd never had to do any sort of physical therapy. Most of their first aid had consisted of ice packs, bandages, and medicine that Splinter provided. Leo had never had an injury that required any physical therapy, and he was a little nervous about what this whole thing was about.

Casey seemed to sense his anxiety. "Don't worry, Leo, you're gonna be fine," he said. "Casey Jones knows what he's doing. Okay, first thing you wanna do is try to bend your leg as far as it will go to stretch the muscle. If it hurts too much, then don't worry about it. I just want to see if you can do it."

Leo nodded and did as Casey asked. It hurt, and Leo winced and immediately returned it to normal. "That didn't work," he said bitterly.

"It was a good try though," Casey soothed. "Don't sweat it. Here, put this around your leg." He handed Leo what looked like some towels twisted together.

"What are these?" Leo asked him.

"They're supposed to be therapy bands," Casey answered. "I looked in town, but I couldn't find any, so I had to improvise. They'll help you strengthen your leg. All you do is stretch your leg out and then in."

"Okay," Leo said and did as Casey asked. Surprisingly, it wasn't that bad, and Leo felt better knowing that there was something he could do. He gave Casey a smile of thanks which the boy returned.

"Good job, Leo," Raph praised him.

"Thanks," Leo said. "So what's next?"

"Try to balance this ball on your foot," Casey said handing him an old soccer ball he'd found in the barn. "It's a good way to work on your balancing skills."

"But what if I fall?" Leo asked him.

"You won't," Raph reassured him. "I'll be right here to catch you."

Leo took a deep breath and held his leg out straight. Casey set the ball on his right foot, and he held it out to balance with. It started hurting, but he did his best to mask the pain. He wasn't going to fail this. His leg started shaking along with his whole body. The ball fell off his foot, and he listed to the side, but Raph was right there to catch him.

"Man, that sucks," Leo moaned. "I almost had it."

"You did good though," Raph encouraged him. "You held it for a long time."

"Yeah, not bad for your first time trying it," Casey added.

"What else do you want me to do?" Leo asked.

"Sit on the couch and I'll massage your knee," Casey offered. "I know of a way to do it that my physical therapist did for me all of the time."

Raph helped Leo to the couch, and Casey sat on the floor and began gently massaging Leo's knee in slow circles. Leo closed his eyes, feeling content as he felt the boy's fingers gently rubbing over his knee.

"Does it hurt too much?" Casey asked him.

"No, it feels good," Leo replied.

"Okay, but if I hurt you, let me know and I'll stop," Casey told him.

Leo nodded, but Casey never hurt him once. After the massage was over Leo felt better and at ease.

"Man, I'm better at this than I thought," Casey bragged.

"You really are good at massaging," Leo commented.

"Nice job, Jones," Raph said, punching his friend in the shoulder. "You did good."

"Yeah, but Leo was awesome, too. I was thinking that maybe we could do this every day along with you guys walking in the woods in the afternoon."

"I think we can arrange that," Raph answered. "What do you think, Leo?"

"I think that's an awesome idea," Leo said. "Thanks again, Casey. You really helped me a lot today."

"Hey, anything for my friends," Casey said with a smile. "I'm gonna go put this stuff back. Catch you guys later."

Raph sat down beside Leo. "Well, what did you think?"

"Casey did a good job," Leo said. "I know this may sound mean, but I never thought he was good at this type of stuff."

"Me neither," Raph replied. "But it's a good thing he's here. We'll definitely have to do this again tomorrow, too."

"I think I can live with that," Leo said. "For now, I think I'm going to take a nap. I'm a little tired."

"You want some help?"

"No, I can do it," Leo answered. "See you later, Raph."

After he settled into bed, Leo couldn't help but feel happier about everything. He was still hurt, but the therapy had helped, and he had confidence that as long as he kept trying, he'd get better sooner. With a sigh, he fell asleep, excited for the prospect of what tomorrow would bring and what he hoped to accomplish next.

A/N: I can't believe I got this chapter out! I really wanted to bring Casey in and have him interact with Leo a bit. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.