Warning: Possible trigger! Contains some self harm...yes I am cruel.

I Do Not Own TMNT.

Enjoy~

"D-Donnie! What's wrong with him?!"

Don sighed, "lay him down gently, I don't want him moved too much."

As Raph followed the command Don kneeled next to Mikey and began checking his pulse. "Way quicker then usual...he went into shock from all the stress of seeing us alive."

Leo stepped in, "what does all this mean exactly, Don? Are you saying he didn't believe us?"

"Well...it's not so much that he didn't believe us, I think it's because his mind is not letting him. He's in major denial, which I expected. I mean think about it this way, the whole time we were in Shredders possession he thought we were dead. So all those hours we had to spend trapped together in that room, he had to spend alone thinking that he would remain alone forever."

Leo and Raph both had a face of pain and remorse for their little brother. "So...now what? How are we going to prove it?"

Don sighed, "that's a bit trickier unfortunately, for now just stick close to watch over him but only let him talk to you, don't try to talk to him. I think forcing him to believe us won't work at all, if anything it will push him farther to the edge. I'll do some research and see what else we can do."

Leo nodded, "alright Donnie, why don't you get some rest, me and Raph will switch between Mikey and the lab."

Donnie sighed, "and how long are these shifts going to be? You guys need rest too!"

"Just two hours each. That gives you a nice four hour nap, and yes you have to go first! We need you to be in your best condition, you are the doctor after all."

This got a small smile from Donnie, "alright...but come get me as soon as your done, ok?"

Raph, who was growing tired of the small talk, stepped in. "Yeah, yeah brainiac we promise jus' go get some sleep."

With that Don nodded then took off for his room.

As soon as he shut his bedroom door Raph turned to Leo, "so we are having three hour shifts right? You saw how tired he was, I think we can hold off that long."

Leo smiled, "I was thinking the same thing, we can definitely hold off that long. I'll look over Mikey first since you haven't got to see Leatherhead or Master Splinter yet. They shouldn't wake up and if any of their monitors go off just come to me, Don explained the system to me."

Raph gave Leo a thumbs up and made his way to the lab, he wasn't too surprised to see both his master and Leatherhead wrapped in bandages. He had heard the full detailed story about how the rest of the fight had went and how much damage each person took.

Leo and Don got off lucky considering the situation they were in. A few major gashes here and there but other then that and the occasional bruise they were just fine.

As for Master Splinter, he received burn marks and had been having trouble breathing with the stunt he pulled to save everyone. Raph cringed at the already soaked through bandages Master Splinter wore.

Thankfully Don had given each of them basic first aid training before this whole incident, Raph had paid the most attention those few days the training was going on. He had always wanted to know the basic bandaging techniques so he could help his brothers or master if they were ever injured.

Raph began removing the soiled bandages and replacing them with sterile white new ones he cleaned the wounds gently with the utmost care. After the small task was done he moved on to Leatherhead who also needed new bandaging as well.

He was horrified at all the gashes and bruising that littered his friends body, there was almost no area clear of a wound of some sort. Shredder had no mercy on anyone, Raph growled at this thought. He hated that one being could bring down so many with such cruel intentions.

As he finished up he sat back and sighed to himself, he had finished a whole hour off already just by taking care of the bandages.

Meanwhile...

Leo sat quietly next to Mikey holding an old Japanese book he had recently started reading, every so often he would cast a troubled glance over to Mikey then go back to reading again. About an hour into this process Leo started noticing Mikey faintly twitching every so often, he let it pass until Mikey started twitching more and more, each time more violently.

"Mikey-"

"NO!" Mikey sat straight up in a cold sweat, a few tears dropped as he tried wiping at his face. "Shell..."

Leo knew he had to wait to be spoken to but he had to ask, "you ok Mike?"

Mikey snapped his head up and started at Leo, he starting to get more and more pale which scared Leo considerably. "Please...just go away...why does this keep happening?! You're dead Leo...If you're here to haunt me for letting you die then just return the favor."

Leo felt his stomach drop, "M-Mikey...the Shredder played an awful trick on you...he made you believe that we died and wanted you to think it was all your fault. It is all a lie! In fact, you saved us! When you came back for revenge we all got an advantage and got out of there!"

Mikey shook his head more and more as Leo tried desperately to explain. "No...no...no...you died, Leo. I saw your body, I saw Raph, Don and Master Splinters too! You were all bloody and beaten and you didn't move at all."

Leo sighed, "Shredder beat us until we were unconscious before you came in, he made it look alot worse then it really was please jus-"

"SHUT UP!" Mikey had fresh tears now. "Just...shut up..."

Leo sighed knowing he was defeated. "Fine. But if you ever want to talk we are all here, please take what I said into consideration Mikey."

With that Leo went back to reading nonchalantly while trying to hide the tsunami of emotions tearing at his brain and soul.

Mikey coiled into a little ball as he lay and looked at Leo, many questions in his head now that he was much too scared to ask at the moment.

Soon enough one hour turned to two then three, Raph and Leo, without word, switched. The two were too upset to even speak at the moment.

Raph noticed immediately that Mikey was up as he sat back in his recliner chair. He knew not to say anything so he simply closed his eyes, he promised himself he would change the bandaging on Mikey when the young turtle fell asleep.

Mikey had not healed as fast as Raph had hoped he would, his ankle was still swollen, the gashes has hardly bleed it seemed considering the still white bandages but he knew if he didn't change them regularly Mikey would get infected, he was surprised Leo hadn't changed them but he figured fearless was lost in his own guilt about the whole situation.

Raph glanced up quickly to check on Mikey, he was once again meet with the same baby blues that had greeted him the last time he checked. He wasn't sure what to do, as much as he wanted to talk he knew Mikey would only freak out again. Still, Raph hated how skinny Mikey looked, how vulnerable his baby brother was.

"...ya hungry?"

Silence greeted his question.

'Well...might as well make supper...he's gatta be hungry...' Raph cautiously got up and began moving to the kitchen but was stopped short by a surprising voice.

"Wait!"

He turned.

"Can...I help? Might as well pretend this is all actually happening...I must really be losing it."

Raph smiled and offered a pair of crutches to Mike. 'Quite the opposite little bro...'

As Raph stirred the spaghetti Mikey watched in curiosity.

"You wanna make the meatballs?"

Mikey nodded and sat at the kitchen table as he rolled the thawed meat into perfect seasoned meatballs.

Raph sighed inwardly, Mikey always sang stupid songs when he cooked. Although Raph hated it at times he found himself missing it like crazy now.

His thoughts got cut off as he heard a soft little hum coming from behind him, he smiled to himself relieved that things were partly normal for a change. It also gave him hope, Mikey had a ways to go with his physical and emotional recovery but he knew that Mike could do it with the right help.

As Mikey finished up and Raph drained the spaghetti and added the sauce a loud yawn was heard. Sure enough Donnie entered the kitchen in mid stretch. "Raph! I know you and Leo went extra tim-" He looked up and was stunned to find Mikey was helping Raph cook- and that Raph was even cooking! Raph never cooked. He dropped his arms in an awkward haste, "um...fixing super?"

"Yep! And Mike's helpin' me!" Raph was dying for an actual conversation.

Don smiled and looked over at Mikey who was quietly rolling his last meatball. He choose not to push the talking any further. "Well I'll be back,I'm going to go check in on Splinter and L.H."

Raph nodded and looked over to Mikey, "good job Mike!"

Mike smiled the slightest bit and made his way over to the pan where he then poured all of his work into the sauce and spaghetti. "Well...this was fun...for a hallucination."

Raph held back an exasperated sigh, he really thought Mikey would have snapped out of it by now.

"I'll get the table set...Don and Leo are eatin' with us too...you ok with that?"

Mikey shrugged but Raph could tell he was losing it.

Shortly after Raph set the table Leo and Don entered slowly taking their spots at the table, Raph saw Mikey clutching his fork as he looked at all three of them.

"Well...let's eat!"

Supper was short and silent, Mikey finished way before any of them and ended up grabbing his crutches and going to lay on the couch.

Raph sighed and beat his fist on the table, Leo and Don warily looked over at him, Don was the first to speak up.

"Raph...I know it's frustrating but we have to give him time-"

"DON. What are we ganna do once Leatherhead and Master Splinter wake up? It's ganna make it worse! You saw how anxious he was around us! It's time to step up and help."

Leo caught Raphs wrist before he could get away, "Raph. Stop. It's only been a day! Barely even that! Just give him a chance."

Raph jerked his hand away, "I'm done waiting! You guys don't understand...I think he really started to believe me earlier while we were cooking! Just give me this one chance to just try then I'll go completely with Dons plan."

Leo sighed, "fine...do not yell at him though."

Raph waved Leo away, "nah I'm not! Stop worrying."

And off he went, Don sat half way sick, "why did we just let him go?"

"Don't worry Don just trust him, maybe he can help!"

Mikey sat silently as he stared at his hands in his lap, he had no idea what was happening but he absolutely hated it.

They were dead. DEAD.

Why was he going insane? Was he in a dream? Was he going to wake up in Shredders God forsakin lab only to find out it was all just an experiment? He didn't know, but his mind soon became warped with ways he could tell if it was a dream or not. "You can't feel pain in a dream right...? Well..."

Mikey took a hidden short bladed knife out of his hidden pocket located on his belt and held it tightly in his hand he held it to his arm and in one swipe the blade abruptly slid across his skin, soon after blood came to surface.

Mikey cringed at the sight and feeling, "not a experiment or dream...so hallucination or maybe this really is- no. No, this isn't real. This isn't real!"

Mikey took the blade once more and started sliding it once, twice, three times each time going deeper until- "Mikey?! STOP!" Raph grabbed the blade out of Mikeys hand quickly.

Don and Leo, having heard the sudden shouting, came running in fear of Raph trying to attack Mikey for not cooperating. The scene they were meet with horrified them.

Mikey had blood running down from four straight lines cut into his skin, Raph finally got a hold of the sharp blade and ripped it away from Mikey. Don quickly went to get the first aid kit, Leo sat in front of Mikey and tried to calm the poor shaking turtle down. "Mikey? Mikey. Listen. Deep breaths, deep breaths."

Raph gritted his teeth as he threw the blade across the room and into the kitchens wooden frame. He put both his hands on Mikeys bleeding cuts, "damnit Mike...why?!"

Mikey soon passed out due to hyperventilating, Leo sighed and quickly got out of Dons way when he returned. He cleaned and bandaged the self inflected wounds. Once he was done Don sat on his heels and shut the first aid kit slowly.

Leo looked up at Raph who had blood all over his hands. "Raph. What happened?"

"I honestly don't know! I walked in and went around the couch then when I actually looked at him he was...was cutting himself! Why would he do that?!"

Don stood and thought for a bit, "I...guess we're just ganna have to ask when he wakes up..."