Author note: Doing a bit of a switch up here. I haven't been happy with how the chapters have been looking. I know I'm a better writer than that. But for some reason I haven't been bothered to put much effort into the previous chapters. So I'm going to switch it up to make it easier and more fun for me to write. Hope it doesn't throw anyone for a loop. ^^' Sorry if it does. I'm also sorry for the long wait. o.o


Raphael's POV

The drive wasn't too long. LeatherHead didn't live that far away from our lair. But even so... It felt like hours before Don stopped the van. The entire ride had been silent. Not even Mikey had spoken much, save for a couple, "Are we there yet"'s. I don't know if that made me feel better or worse about the situation. Sure as shell didn't take my mind off it. But then again, how could it? Leo was laying totally knocked out, about 2 feet away from me.

Leo...

I'm sorry, bro... I didn't mean for this to happen. If you were awake, you'd probably lecture me about how I shouldn't be thinking this way. Of course, if you were awake, I wouldn't be thinking this at all. We probably wouldn't even be here. We'd be back at home. Watching TV. Shell, if the argument had gotten really outta hand, Master Splinter might've made us sit down and drink tea together to make up.

...I'd rather that over this.

I'd rather struggle to swallow my pride and apologize to your face, than to see you dying-...

He's not dying, Raphael. Stop. He'll be fine.

He's gotta be. Who else will take care of the team? Don's got his head too deep in his work to think like a leader. Mike's not even a candidate. And I'm... not you.

...

Please wake up...


Leonardo's POV

Agh... my head was pounding. I could hear the faint sounds of a van, and I could feel the warm, slightly vibrating floor beneath me. Where was I? The Battle Shell? Why was I here?

It took me a moment to register the aching pain in my chest. But once I did, the ach turned into a stabbing sensation. It spread from my chest and into my arms, my neck... and finally exited from my mouth in the form of a yell.

"AHGGHH!"

I quickly turned to my side and raised my arms to clutch my chest. What was happening?! Seconds later, I felt a set of hands place themselves on my shell. If I wasn't so distracted by the pain, I might have recognized the hands. But I was so focused on trying not to scream again, that I ended up instinctively jabbing one of my arms into the person behind me.

A familiar grunt came from behind me. Raphael... I wanted to turn around and apologize, but I couldn't even open my eyes, let alone willingly roll over and create a sentence. What was going on?! I was starting to get really frustrated with myself, until I heard my father's voice.

"Leonardo. My son, focus on your breathing."

I would love to, Sensei! But I kind of have a more pressing matter going on in my chest- My lungs are burning. Oh... I took a huge gulp of air. It was shaky and not very long, but it refilled my lungs. I hadn't realized I wasn't breathing.

I so desperately wanted to ask where we were. How this happened. Was I hurt? Did we get in a fight that I don't remember? Were the others okay?

But before I could even begin to contemplate how to phrase any of those questions, I felt large, strong arms slip under my legs and behind my shell. Someone was picking me up. And again, I couldn't focus on trying to figure out who because of the agony in my heart-.. My heart... Why was my heart hurting?


Donatello's POV

I stopped the Battle Shell just outside of LeatherHead's lair. Relief washed over me as I spotted our reptilian friend standing by the entrance, waiting for us. But the relief quickly vanished when I heard the unmistakable cry of my older brother.

"AHGGHH!"

Panic shot through me and I jumped from the driver's seat to push the Battle Shell's back doors open. Leatherhead had somehow managed to beat me to the doors. He was standing right outside them as soon as I got them open.

"Leonardo. My son, focus on your breathing."

I heard Leo inhale sharply. He didn't take in much air, but at least he was breathing. I stepped aside as Leatherhead leaned in and lifted my brother off the Battle Shell's metal floor. Frowning, I looked back at my remaining family as Leatherhead took Leo inside his home.

Mikey was the first to leave the Battle Shell. I made a note to myself to talk to him later. It wasn't like him to be so quiet on the drive over. It was worrying me. Maybe Mikey had just as much on his mind as the rest of us. Still didn't explain his silence. Mikey wasn't one to keep quiet when bad things happened.

April and Casey left next. Both of them looked dejected and worried. They probably felt useless in this situation. I don't blame them. I did too.

Master Splinter left the Battle Shell just as I was finishing my thoughts about April and Casey. I can hardly ever read Sensei's emotions. But this time, they were plain as day. The worried look of a father stained his face. And if there's anything scarier than Master Splinter being so worried he couldn't hide it, then I doubt I've ever come across it.

I turned to Raphael, expecting him to be the last to leave. But... He didn't get up. He just sat on the floor of the Battle Shell, staring in empty space.

My frown deepened, and I inched closer to him. "Raph? Are you coming with us?"

I almost jumped when Raph flinched. I hadn't expected that. He was really out of it. "Raph?" I knelt down next to him and put my hand on his shoulder, "You okay, bro?" Raph looked up at me with a confused expression, "Course I'm okay, Don. This ain't about me. It's about Leo. We gotta help him-!"

I interupted him when I saw the panic rising in his eyes, "I know! Leatherhead's taking care of him. Are you sure you're okay?" Raph narrowed his eyes at me. For a second, I thought he might yell. But he just huffed and nodded before standing up and offering me his hand. I let him help me stand, but I continued to stare at him. Something was going through his mind. I wasn't sure what... but it wasn't good.


Michelangelo's POV

Man... Why can't we just have a normal week? Ever since the Mouser's showed up that one day- like a LOOOONG time ago, nothing's been the same. We've been fighting bad guys left and right, and making friends and enemies from different planets and dimensions. What happened to the good ol' days where acting out comics and putting bugs on Raph's pillow were the most exhilarating thing that happened all day?! ...Okay. Maybe I didn't find those days so exciting. But give me the Triceratons over Leo having a heart attack! This is nuts! What am I even supposed to say in this kind of situation?! Usually my bros look to me to lighten up the mood, or to at least change the topic, but the entire ride over, I couldn't think of anything to say or do that would make things less tense.

And then of course, Leo started screaming. Or.. He screamed once, then doubled over in pain. Then he whacked Raph in the side with his elbow. I would have laughed if Raph didn't look so dejected, and if Leo wasn't biting his lip in agony.

See?! There wasn't anything I could have done to make the mood less dark and suffocating!

I ended up being pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of Leo screaming again. I had been following behind Leatherhead as he walked into his lab. But I guess I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice him stop. So I bumped into him.

"Oh! Sorry, Leatherhead!"

"That is quite alright, my friend." I watched Leatherhead put Leo down on a raised cot. It was high enough off the ground that he didn't have to bend over to reach it. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a metal table sitting in the back of his lab. My guess is that he moved it and put the cot where it used to be. It wouldn't surprise me if Leatherhead had decided the metal table was too inhumane to use for medical reason. Though... I'm not sure what other reasons you'd use a table like that for. I guess for putting stuff on it? Whatever...

I moved my attention back to Leo, who was gripping his chest like his heart was about to explode. And for all I know, it could have! I wasn't really sure of anything going on right now.

All I really know is that April - who was standing behind me- and I shared a yell when Leo leaned over the side of the table and vomitted up what seemed like a bucket's worth of blood.