Wow, I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to update. Things were so busy with school (end of the semester and whatnot), and then I had other projects that I wanted to work on and get up before I lost interest with them. Plus there are other stories that I want to update this summer (though at this time, it looks a little doubtful that I'll get those done). I know I shouldn't make excuses, though, so I'm sorry. I hope you guys don't mind that it's taken this long.

There's not much to say about this chapter. I wonder if you guys will figure out what I'm doing with these next few chapters...(evil cackle) Anyway...

Thanks again to Super Kat for beta reading for me!

Anyway, please enjoy this chapter! Happy reading!

The echo of the steel blade reverberated against the walls of the dojo as it cut through the air, but Leonardo was still unsatisfied. Taking a step to his side, he swung his second sword up, holding the hilt above his head. His brow furrowed with frustration, and he jabbed the weapon at his invisible enemy. Another step forward, and both swords swept to his sides.

No matter what he did, it just wasn't enough.

That's why he had to keep working; he had to keep going. And he was predicting long practice hours once again.

It had somehow become a habit over the past few weeks. When they weren't topside searching, and if he wasn't in his room, then the rest of his family would always find him in the dojo training. Though he did consider finding another location to spend his time…if only to avoid confrontations he preferred didn't take place.

"LEO!!"

The blue-masked ninja sighed and shook his head. Like clockwork…

His swords clanged together as he crossed them in front of him, continuing the battle stances even as Raphael stormed into the dojo.

"Leo…!"

"No," the older brother answered as the twin katanas sliced down.

The terse response did not deter Raph. "C'mon, Leo! We gotta check at least!"

The leader took another step forward, stabbing the air with one sword as the other remained at his side. "We don't have any proof that he's there."

"It's been weeks, Leo. We've already looked ev'rywhere else! It's the only place left!"

It was always the same argument, but Leo wasn't going to fall for his brother's exaggeration. The city was a big place, and there were still plenty of areas to look. "I just don't think –"

"Don' think what?" Raph shot back. "You don' think she'd do somethin' like this? Why not? I mean, whaddya think was gonna happen when we a stole that whatever-it-was from her? Ya think she's just gonna take that sittin' down? No way!" He raised a fist. "Of course she'd try ta get even! We took somethin' from her, and now she took someone from us! We gotta go in there an' get 'im back!"

Leo's grip on his swords tightened, but he didn't look at his brother and continued practicing his stances. "Even if you were right…" he ventured, "we wouldn't get too far. We already broke in once, and there's no way she's going to let us do it again."

"So what? That's never stopped us before!"

That was a good point. But something just didn't feel right. Shaking his head, Leo said, "We should wait until we're absolutely sure…"

Raph growled. "Fine, Leo. Fine. You wanna wait? We'll wait until he's dead! How's that for ya?!"

It was only then that Leo turned to face his brother. "Raph…" he implored, but said nothing more as the hothead stalked off. With a heavy sigh, he sheathed his swords. He knew Raph wouldn't give up on this. The other would remind him any chance he got. Even if he managed to avoid his brother for the rest of the day, Raph would only just try again tomorrow.

After hearing from Leatherhead about Donatello's condition, they kept a close watch over the news for any mention of a giant turtle found in the park. They thought that if something happened to Don…if he had fallen ill suddenly…he couldn't have protected himself from being seen. If he couldn't protect himself, then he couldn't have done anything if whoever saw him took him somewhere or alerted the media. News of a five-foot turtle would spread quickly, and there would no doubt be people who wanted to study him.

Days went by, however, without such a story. No one was sure what to make of it. Discovering a mutant turtle would be a hard secret to keep for the average person, especially if scientists would give anything to study the find. Or it would serve as a way to spread warnings about "threats" to society, which is something they expected from people like Bishop. But to hear nothing of it…It seemed suspicious.

It was after the first week when Raphael came up with his explanation of what happened to Don. If something happened to Don, then he wouldn't have been able to defend himself…from an attack. It was the perfect opportunity for her to get revenge.

Karai.

Leonardo heard the idea again and again. Raph believed that Don was ambushed in the park by the Foot and was now being held hostage at Foot Central. Karai had no need to expose their presence to the world. Instead; she would use their brother as bait to draw them – or more specifically, Leo – out and confront her. She wanted payback, but she also wanted Leo to fight her. And she would do anything to achieve her means.

At least in Raph's mind. Leo wasn't as convinced.

Like him, Karai was bound by her duty. They had killed her father, and by her honor she swore to avenge his name. But it was that honor that left him unsure. After all, there was no honor in seizing someone who couldn't fight back.

If Don had fallen sick again and was unable to defend himself, would Karai really capture him? Leo couldn't imagine her doing something like that. And even if it was a trap, wouldn't she have tried to contact him by now? Why make them wait a month?

It was just too hard to be sure. As Don would say, there were too many unknowns to make an accurate decision.

Leo shook his head. One brother was already missing. He wasn't going to put his remaining two in danger without being certain that it would help somehow.

Donnie wouldn't want him to.

Sitting on the ground heavily, Leo folded his arms and crossed his legs as he tried to think. He still had to consider the chance that Karai did capture Donatello to lure them out. If it was meant as a trap, then they would have to take extra precautions. She would be expecting them, so it would be much harder for them to sneak inside.

"But she won't let us in that easily," Leo muttered aloud. "We snuck in once, and she won't let us get away with it again."

The information that Bishop previously gave them would be useless now. Karai would alter all the codes, rearrange the schedules and systems, and Leo wouldn't put it past her to make some changes to the floor plans and structures as she had done before; anything to make infiltration that much harder for them. They couldn't just barge inside without a better plan.

Because if they rushed in unprepared, then it would be Donatello who would pay for their recklessness.

Without an idea of how Karai would change the building, they would have a difficult time locating Donatello, let alone trying to rescue him. She would hold all the cards, and while they would blindly wander the massive building, she would easily get to their brother before them. There was no telling what she would be able to do to Donnie during the time it would take to find him.

They wouldn't be able to stop her in time if she decided to kill him.

Not that he could explain any of this to Raphael. Lately, everything agitated his hotheaded brother, and he couldn't sit still for too long. Their recent conversations didn't last long, and Raph's anger and frustration often interrupted Leo. He knew there was something wrong, and that there was a reason Raph was behaving this way. But he also knew that he would never get the chance to ask. When Raph wasn't arguing with him, it was hard to find the two in the same room.

Leo sighed, sliding his hand over his head. If he didn't do something soon, Raph might defy him completely and try to sneak into Foot Central on his own. Actually, he was surprised that Raph hadn't tried to do so already, though Leo did see the other sneaking out of the lair a few weeks ago. Mikey had gone after their sai-wielding brother, so he hadn't followed, and the two of them returned a short time later. Still, it might be a good idea to keep a closer eye on Raph.

Maybe he could also have April run through the data Bishop had given them before, just to see how much of it they could still use. Hopefully that would be enough to satisfy his red-banded brother until they were able to gather enough information to formulate a plan.

But to get the needed information would take time…something they just didn't have. Because with every moment that passed, Donatello was dying. There was nothing they could do to stop it…because they had failed to do so the first time.

Growling softly, Leo shook his head. They had a chance to help Donnie before, back when the virus was still around. And they had done everything they could, certain that it would be enough. But that had been their worst mistake, and now because of it Donatello didn't have much longer to live. Even though Leatherhead was still trying to find a way to cure it, there was nothing they could do to assist.

There was only four months left. If they didn't find Donatello soon…

"No!" he said, pressing a fist into his forehead. "It can't be like that! It can't…There's gotta be something we can do…" But in his mind, he knew there wasn't. They had no way of finding an answer…no way to fix this problem.

They weren't Donatello.

It was strange how Leo never recognized how much they depended on the quiet turtle until he wasn't there to help them. After all, Donnie was always the one they would go to for the answers, the one they would turn to when they needed a dilemma solved. He always came up with ideas to help with the dangerous plans, and the gadgets he built came in handy more than once. When they needed something fixed, it was Donatello who they sought for help; whether it was an electronic, an appliance…or a limb.

That realization hit Leo the hardest. Donnie wasn't a doctor, but they still relied on him to "fix" whatever was wrong. Anything from major injuries to minor illnesses; it had all fallen under Don's jurisdiction. Master Splinter used to be the one to take care of such things, but now even he asked for Donnie's assistance. It had been that way for so long that none of them really gave it a second thought. Leo had forgotten exactly when Don had been put in charge of health care.

But he certainly could never forget how he learned of his brother's new responsibilities.

It was Raphael's turn to go foraging with Master Splinter while Leonardo was put in charge of the lair. It wasn't supposed to be a difficult job. Leo had been placed in charge of his younger brothers before when their sensei was away. And the lair wasn't very large to begin with.

So how was it possible to lose track of his brothers?

He found Donatello in the space between the two bunk beds, surrounded by parts of electronics he had taken apart and was carefully inspecting. But no matter where the blue-masked turtle looked, he couldn't track down Michelangelo. It wasn't uncommon for the youngest to disappear for a while to prepare for a small prank, so he hadn't been worried at first.

But an hour was enough to change his mind.

Returning to the bunk beds, Leo watched as his intelligent brother continued to inspect an open electronic. Careful not to step on any of the strewn pieces, he asked, "Have you seen Mikey?"

"Mm…no," Donnie replied, not looking up. "Not since Master Splinter left. But I've been working on this…"

Leo sighed, quickly glancing around the room in case he had missed something. But he knew he hadn't. Mikey wouldn't have gone out of the lair, would he? He knew better than to leave when Master Splinter was out.

Still…

"Need help finding him?"

Leo turned back and found Donnie watching him. "Would you mind?" Truthfully, he didn't want to ask his younger brother for help with something that was his responsibility. But he knew Master Splinter would be returning soon, and he needed to find Mikey before then.

The purple-masked turtle looked down at the device in his hands, hesitant to part with it. After a moment, he answered, "Sure…Lemme just put these away."

Donnie pulled out a box from under the bunk bed, carefully beginning to put the contraptions and pieces away. Leo knelt down to help; since Donnie was being nice and helping him look for Mikey, he could at least help his brother put stuff away. Besides, the sooner they finished, the sooner they'd find the troublemaker before Master Splinter got back.

Donnie glanced up at him and flashed a grateful smile before putting something in the box. But then his attention snapped back to his older brother. "Wait, Leo, be careful with that –!"

"OW!" The device Leo held immediately fell to the floor as he cradled his hand to his plastron. "Ow, ow, ow!" Crimson droplets dripped onto the ground; several beads quickly followed the first.

Jumping to his feet, Donnie hopped over the bottom bunk and disappeared into the bathroom. He quickly returned carrying a towel and the first aid kit, kneeling beside his older brother. "Lemme see," he said gently, drawing Leo's hand away from his plastron.

Leo winced a little as he felt the painful throbbing in his hand. As he uncurled his stained fingers, he could just make out the thick line that stretched from his thumb to his second finger under the blood.

Looking at the cut for a moment, Donnie then firmly pressed the towel to Leo's palm. "Hold it like this," he instructed. When his hands were freed, he opened the small white box beside him.

Leo curiously watched his younger brother move things around in the box. He knew that they were not allowed to touch the first aid kit without their Sensei, since medical supplies were so difficult to obtain and were only to be used for emergencies. So what was Donnie doing?

"Sorry about that, Leo," he suddenly heard Donnie pipe up. "I didn't think you were going to go for that one…If I did, I would have warned you. Does it hurt?"

The blue-masked turtle looked at the cloth pressed in his hand. "Not really. I think I was more surprised than anything." But it certainly stung. "What happened, anyway?"

"Well, when I was taking the cover off that device, it was stuck and I ended up taking it apart kind of funny. It left a sharp piece sticking out that I've been meaning to pull out, but I kind of forgot about it."

Leo looked down at the offending electronic and noticed it had broken in half on impact. "Oops," he said sheepishly. "Sorry, Donnie."

Looking at the contraption as well, the younger brother frowned but shrugged. "It was broken, anyway," he replied, turning back to Leo. "Here, lemme see your hand again."

Leo slowly lifted the towel, revealing the dark line in the green flesh. Donnie unscrewed a small bottle and dabbed its red-orange contents onto a cotton ball, then took hold of Leo's wrist. "This'll sting a bit…" he warned before pressing the cotton to the cut.

The pain flared across Leo's entire palm and spread up his arm, hurting more than the cut itself. But he swallowed back the whimper, and cleared his throat. "Should…you be doing that?" he managed to ask.

"Well, really it's not too deep," Donnie replied, continuing to pat the cut with the cotton before placing it aside and beginning to clean up any lingering blood, "but it's pretty big. It'd be better to wrap it up, just in case."

Leo shook his head. "No, I don't mean that…I mean…we're not supposed to touch the first aid kit without Master Splinter."

"Oh…" The purple-masked turtle suddenly became very focused on his brother's palm. "Well…actually…Master Splinter's been…teaching me how to use it…"

Leo looked up. "Really?"

"Yeah…but I promised that I'd only use it if I really needed to."

"Oh…" the older brother replied, trying to keep the twinge of jealousy out of his voice.

Donnie caught it anyway. "Actually, Master Splinter was thinking about teaching you guys how to use it too…just in case. He thinks it'd be better that we know how in case something happens while he's away."

"Is that why he taught you?" Leo asked, biting down the rest of the question. But he really wanted to know why Sensei taught Donnie how to use the first aid kit first.

"Well…kind of…" Reaching into the white box again, the purple-masked turtle pulled out a cotton pad and some bandages. "Mostly because I kept getting hurt a lot."

Leo frowned, watching his brother press the cotton pad to his palm. "What do you mean?"

"Well, when I first started taking apart this stuff," Donnie began, indicating the electronic pieces around them, "I kept getting cut or shocked a lot, and I kept going to Master Splinter so he could take care of them."

Leo then noticed the marks that covered his brother's hands; some were old and faded, some seemed new and stood out against the green flesh…but all of them were clearly there.

"After a while, Master Splinter thought it would be a good idea to teach me how to use the first aid kit, just in case I hurt myself while he was out foraging. When I got better at helping myself, he started teaching me how to use it just in case I needed to help one of you guys." Donnie paused as he tied the bandage on Leo's hand. "Do you remember a few weeks ago, when Mikey sprained his ankle trying out that skateboard Master Splinter brought home?"

Leo nodded, recalling how Master Splinter had taken Mikey to his room with Donatello following behind him. "Did Sensei have you fix Mikey's foot?"

"Yeah. He was helping me and telling me what to do, but I mostly had to do it myself. It was kinda scary, but he said I did okay." Replacing what was left of the gauze into the kit, Donnie then closed the box and looked at his older brother. "How does it feel?"

Leo looked at his palm and flexed the fingers; the bandage was a little loose, and he could feel that the cotton pad would slip if it wasn't fixed. He held his hand back to the other. "It needs to be a little tighter."

Donnie adjusted the gauze, then stood and returned the first aid kit to the bathroom. When he returned, he went back to putting the electronics back in his box. Leo watched him silently, wanting to ask his brother another question but unsure how.

He didn't get the chance to when Donnie pushed the box back under the bunk bed and turned to him. "Master Splinter's gonna be back soon. We better go find Mikey."

The question pressed in his mind, but Leo pushed it back with a nod. He'd just ask later. Getting to his feet, he led Donnie to the dojo. That would be a good place to start looking.

With Donnie's help, they were able to find Mikey in the dojo, hiding up in the pipe workings along the ceiling. He had fallen asleep while performing his prank for that day, "hiding-from-Leo-until-Master-Splinter-got-home." Luckily they had heard Mikey snoring and got him to come down before their Sensei and Raph returned. Leo was just glad that they found the orange-masked prankster.

He never did ask Donnie his question. After everything that happened, he found he didn't need to.

Since that time, Donatello continued treating injuries or sicknesses that their family acquired. At first, Master Splinter helped, but he eventually allowed Donnie to practice his medical skills on his own. Donnie continued to improve his skills as time went on, which proved useful when they started encountering enemies like the Shredder.

Yet Leonardo could never forget his brother's words describing that first occasion. 'It was kinda scary…' Donnie had said. Leo always wondered what he meant by that. But now he knew.

Donatello had never asked for the responsibility of treating injuries. It had been given to him only because of his interest in dangerous electronics, beginning as a precaution that evolved into an unofficial practice. It only seemed fitting, after all; who else but their brilliant brother could know exactly what to do when a serious injury needed tending? Who else could understand the difficult medical terminology when researching the body and its illnesses?

Leo had only recently realized the kind of pressure that put on Donatello. Being the only one who knew what to do made it easy to take the blame if something went wrong. Donnie constantly had to be careful when treating something, knowing that one mistake could potentially be disastrous. He had to worry about treating someone in just the right way while at the same time staying calm. With very serious injuries, keeping cool could be hard when struggling with the idea that someone could die.

What could it be like, Leo wondered, to have someone's life in your hands?

But Donnie continued to do it. He continued to treat the wounds and the sicknesses, continued to be the doctor for their family. Not just because he had to, but because he wanted to help. He wanted to care for his family, and do everything he could to make sure they were healthy…to make sure they were all right.

The one time they had the opportunity to do the same for Don…they failed.

They had the chance to save him. When the virus was still in Donatello's system, they had the chance to help him. It seemed they had at first. They did what they had to in order to bring their brother back, to rid his body of the virus that had transformed and slowly killed him.

But it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to save him in time. Now Donatello was still dying…and they were helpless to stop it.

Growling again, Leonardo slowly rose to his feet and drew his swords once more. He hated it…hated this powerless feeling, knowing there was nothing he could to do save his brother. Even when they found Donnie, he couldn't do anything to keep his brother from dying. And he hated that feeling.

His swords sliced through the air, slashing through his frustration. In the dojo, his weakness was the best target. For the brief time, he imagined that he could do something, that somehow his training would grant him the ability to save Don. He could pretend that his helplessness was being cut away…and he didn't have to face the harsh reality that he could do nothing.

But you know this isn't helping. You can't hide here in the dojo all the time. You need to be out with the others. Don't do this to yourself again…None of this is your fault, and you can't keep blaming yourself. Please don't do this…

Leonardo shut his eyes, gripping the hilts of his swords tighter. After a moment, he shook his head to release the pain those words brought…because the voice that spoke was always Donatello's.

TBC