Lost Life...

Chapter Four:

Crushed Heart

You can't remember me

But I remember you.

And I'll go through hell just for you.

Master Splinter gently sat Leonardo on his cot in the infirmary. The cots had been color-coded to avoid fights from the four brothers- the place was covered in dust.

Slash sat Raphael down in the cot next to Leo's, resting the turtles head on the red pillow. Casey pulled up a chair and sat next to Raph's head, his eyes shinning with happiness of having his best friend back.

Leatherhead sat Michelangelo in his cot, gently patting the young turtles head. Rockwell and Pete laid Donatello in the purple coded cot.

"Are any of them hurt?" Splinter asked, looking at his sons worriedly.

"Donatello has a rather nasty burn on his hand." Rockwell reported. "I'll put some cream on it and bandage it."

"Raphael's got a few bruise's." Slash said, looking the second oldest turtle over. "And his forearms all swollen."

"So's Michelangelo's." said Leatherhead.

"Same with Donnie." April said, turning his arm to look at his swollen forearm.

Splinter frowned, worry eating away at his chest. He took Leo's arm gently and turned it over, revealing the horrible, swollen mark on his forearm. The corners of his vision turned red, but he was able to push back his rage. For now.

"They'll be out for a few hours." Rockwell said. "Best we deal with their injuries now."

Rockwell creamed and bandaged Donnie's hand, cleaned Raph's cuts and put a few plasters on the deeper ones and did the same with Mikey. But it turned out that Leo had a cracked leg, something that he had somehow hid from the others (but then again, they'd only re-met each other a few hours ago) and was somehow able to fight on. But since he'd been walking on it so much without treating it, it was a bit worse that it would have been. Rockwell bandaged it tightly with instructions of not letting the oldest turtle walk around too much.

April and Casey wanted to stay with them, at least until they woke up, but their parents called and they were forced to go back home, saying they'd be back as soon as they could tomorrow.

The Mutanimals stayed longer, but they too had to eventually leave, also with promise's of returning tomorrow.

Master Splinter was left alone in the infirmary with his unconscious sons. He gently kissed each of their foreheads, like he used to do at bedtime when they were little, pulled their color-coded blankets up to their chins and settled into his hard chair, refusing to leave his sons side even for a second.

Purple groaned, blinking open his eyes. What happened... ?

He suddenly shot up, heart pounding against his plastron. They'd been attacked, then Ratman had shown up and... the red-haired girl... and he'd been knocked out...

Purple swallowed, taking in his surroundings. He was in an infirmary. Four box's sat on a counter, each with a name written in a different color. Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo. Blue, red, purple and orange.

Purple blinked again and looked to the left, away from the counter. Blue lay in a cot next to him, his leg bandaged, a few plasters on his arms. Next to Blue was Red and then Orange. But what mostly caught his attention was the giant rat sitting in a chair, sleeping, between Blue and Red.

It was the Ratman.

Fear pounded in Purple's chest. He wasn't sure if they could trust Ratman... although, he had helped Blue when he was attacked by Karai... but was he just going to capture him afterward, if Blue hadn't made a run for it? And that Karai girl... she had said they had a master- some guy called the Shredder?

A hand was laid on his shoulder and Purple jumped, his thoughts coming to a sudden halt. He looked up to see the Ratman standing in front of him, eyes soft and shinning with concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked, kneeling so he was eye level with the turtle. Purple, petrified, didn't answer.

Ratman frowned at his silence and felt Purple's forehead with the back of his hand. "Your a little warm... would you like some water?"

Realizing how dry his throat was, Purple slowly nodded.

Immediately, Ratman was on his feet and walking out of the infirmary. Purple stared at his retreating form.

Splinter watched his second youngest son, who seemed lost his thought. His red-brown eyes were confused and had a showed a hint of fear.

Worried, Splinter stood and walked over to Donatello, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. Donnie jumped, looking around, resting his wide eyes on Splinter, who withdrew his hand when he saw the fear in his eyes, feeling a pang in his heart. What had he done to make his son so afraid of him?

"Are you okay?" Splinter asked, kneeling down so he was eye level with him. Donnie didn't answer. Maybe he had a fever?

Splinter placed the back of his hand to Donatello's forehead, feeling his temperature. "Your a little warm... would you like a glass of water?"

Very slowly, Donnie nodded, still staring at him with wide eyes.

Immediately, Splinter stood and walked out of the infirmary, heading for the kitchen to get his son some water. Quickly grabbing a glass and filling it with cool water from the sink, Splinter walked back into the infirmary to see Donatello standing, looking around with a small frown.

Splinter sat the water down on the counter. "Come on, back in bed." he gently pushed Donnie back onto the bed, his shell resting against the wall behind him. Splinter didn't know why he was putting him back in bed, he wasn't that injured- but his fatherly instincts were getting the better of him. He guessed he just didn't want Donatello to strain himself.

Master Splinter handed Donnie the glass of water, who raised his injured hand to take it, before quickly realizing it had been re-bandaged- more tightly and more securely.

Donnie looked at his hand for a moment, until Splinter gently pushed it back down and put the glass in his good hand. Donnie gave him a small, nervous smile. He raised the glass to his lips, hesitated, and sat it back down.

"What is it?" Splinter asked, frowning. "Do you want something else?"

Donnie shook his head quickly.

A groan took Splinters attention away from Donatello and to Michelangelo, who was slowly sitting up, rubbing his head. Splinter took a last look at Donnie, gestured for him to drink the water, before moving over to Michelangelo.

"Are you alright?" he asked his youngest quietly.

"I- I think so." Mikey said, rubbing his eyes sleepily. At least he was talking.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty?" Splinter asked gently, half wanting to make sure he was alright, half wanting to hear his voice again.

"Um- both, actually." Michelangelo said.

Splinter nodded and got up to go make him something, stopping in the doorway to look at Donnie. "What about you?"

Donatello looked as if he was about to shake his head, but then he hesitated and looked at Michelangelo. Looking back at Splinter, he slowly nodded.

Splinter nodded again and entered the kitchen.

Purple stared at the water still in his hands. He didn't want to drink it- what if it was drugged?- but he couldn't let Ratman drug Orange...

Orange took in his surroundings curiously. He spotted the plasters on his arms and frowned, picking at them. What where they for? He was peeling the third one off when Ratman came back in, carrying a tray of sandwich's and four glasses of juice.

He sat the tray on the counter and gave a sandwich and glass of grape juice to Purple- who was the only other one awake- and took away the water, which he hadn't drank at all.

When Ratman spotted the plasters on the floor around Orange's cot and the revealed cuts on his arms, he frowned at Orange, setting the sandwich and glass of orange juice down, and picking up the plasters from the floor. Ratman took out a box of them and put new ones on Orange's arms. When he was finished, he gave him the sandwich and juice, saying "Don't take them off again, okay?"

Orange nodded. He could tell that Purple didn't really trust Ratman, but something about him just felt... right.

Purple had already eaten a bit of his sandwich and watched Orange as he took the first bite. It tasted great! Better than anything he'd been able to find in the past six months.

A groan caught Orange's attention and he turned to see Red blinking open his eyes. Orange grinned, taking a sip of his juice.

As soon as Raphael let out a groan, Splinter was by his side in seconds.

But unlike Donatello and Michelangelo, Raphael's eyes narrowed as soon as he saw Splinter. He shot up and stood on his cot, moving to take his sai out of his belt- but they had taken their weapons off when they'd brought them in, setting them by the counter in the box's with all the other things they'd packed away after they declared them dead. There was more in their bedrooms.

Realizing that he didn't have any weapons on him, Raph raised his fist and made to punch Splinter- who easily dodged it, catching his sons arm.

Raphael's eyes widened and he suddenly found himself pushed back onto the cot, a hand on his plastron to keep him down.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Splinter said gently. Raph only glared.

Sighing, Splinter walked over to the counter and took a sandwich and juice, before walking back over to Raph's cot and handing them to him. "You must be hungry."

Raphael looked at the food suspiciously.

"It's okay, Red." Michelangelo said. "Me and Purple already had some."

Raph still looked at bit suspicious, but he slowly raised the sandwich to his mouth and took a bite. Look both of his brothers, his eyes widened in delight at it's taste.

But Splinter's heart was aching. Michelangelo had called Raphael "Red" and Donatello "Purple." They didn't even remember their own names and went by the color's of their masks. And, by the looks of things, they seemed like they hadn't been getting a lot to eat and drink. Dr. Rockwell had said they were a bit too skinny for his liking...

Another groan caught his attention and Splinter turned to see Leonardo rubbing his eyes, sitting up.

Splinter knelled by his cot, looking at him in concern. "How are you feeling?"

Leo blinked at him, his eyes widening. "Er- fine."

Master Splinter smiled at him and got up, getting the last sandwich and juice from the counter and giving it to him. Leo looked from the food, to Splinter, to his brothers, who were finishing their own meal.

Leonardo took a bite of the sandwich and smiled. Once he was done eating, Leo looked around, frowning. His gaze rested on Splinter.

"Who are you?"

Splinter felt his heart aching again. He hadn't exactly been looking forward to this moment.

"My name is Hamato Yoshi. But you call me Master Splinter."

"'Master Splinter'?" Donatello said. Splinter felt relieved. So he hadn't lost his tongue...

"But didn't that Karai girl say that we had a master called 'The Shredder'?"

"No." Splinter snapped, surprising the others. "The Shredder is not your master. He is your enemy. You are not to trust him."

Slowly, his four sons nodded.

"Good." Splinter said, satisfied.

"Master Splinter!" April's voice echoed throughout the lair. "We're back!"

Splinter looked at the turtles. "Stay in bed. I'll be right back." he walked out the door.

As soon as Ratmam slash 'Master' Splinter slash Hamato Yoshi was gone, Red turned to Blue. "I don't trust him."

"I do." Orange declared. "I mean, he fed us and looks like he patched us up."

"It could be a bluff." Purple pointed out, frowning. It was obvious he didn't know what to think about Splinter.

"I think we should be careful around him." Blue said. "At least until we get out of here. Agreed?"

"Agreed."