Donnie and Leo arrived home about twenty minutes later to find April waiting at the door. She rushed to them as soon as they stepped into the room.
"Thank goodness you're back!" April exclaimed.
"What's wrong?" Leo asked seriously, getting straight to the point.
April's frown deepened. "Well Mikey's fever sky-rocketed about maybe 40 minutes before you guys got back. Then just a few minutes ago… well…" April looked uncomfortable.
"What April?" Donnie asked calmly.
"Umm…" April started. "Well he-"
April was cut off by the sound of someone heaving their guts out down the hall from the bathroom.
April grimaced. "That. He's been doing that for five minutes. Raph and Master Splinter are with him. I've been waiting for you guys."
"How high has his fever rose since you called?" Don asked as Leo rushed down the hall when the gagging started again.
April sigh and whispered, "It's over 103° now."
"Get some rags and a bowl of cold water and bring It to the couch. As soon as we can move him we'll need to try to bring his fever down. It's probably one of the reasons he started throwing up. High fevers can cause that." Don said. "I'm going to check on him." He turned as April nodded and walked down the hall.
Leo was looking in from doorway of the bathroom with a worried face as Donnie approached. Leo glanced at him as Donnie entered the bathroom.
Mikey was kneeling over the toilet shaking as he gagged loudly. Raph stood behind him, hands on Mikey's shoulders to steady him, and whispered words of comfort. Master Splinter stood behind them, watching Mikey saddly.
"It's alright Mike." Raph said as Mikey's body lurhched foreward once again. Don walked over silently as Mikey finished and kneeled beside his younger brother. Mikey's skin was covered in a sheen of sweat and his body shook constantly. Tears poured out of his fever glazed eyes and ran down his face in streams. Don set a hand on his brother's burning hot forhead.
"Oh Mikey…" He said frettfully.
"What do we do Don?" Raph asked. The calmness in his voice startled Don. He looked up at him. Don could see the distress in Raph's eyes and immediatly knew this was the calm before the storm.
"Carry him to the couch. I'm checking the lab for something that might help Mikey." Was all Don said before standing and leaving the room.
Raph bent over and hoisted Mikey into his arms. Mikey leaned into Raph and blinked a few times before looking into his eyes.
"Raph?" Mikey didn't even sound like himself anymore.
"I'm here." Raph said.
Mike nodded into Raph's shoulder and whimpered as a shiver wracked his body. Raph brought him into the living room where April was already, Leo and Master Splinter following him.
Raph set Mikey down carefully on the couch. Mike moaned as April knelt down and began to wipe his face with a damp rag. He mumbled something and began coughing again.
By this time, Don had come back from his search. He frowned deeply at the rattling of Mikey's coughs and the way he wheezed to get air.
Everyone else knew something was off too. Raph stared at Mikey then switched his gaze to Don.
"Is he alright?" Raph asked.
"I-" Don didn't know what to say."- he's sick Raph."
"I know that!" Raph said hotly. " I asked ya if he's gonna be okay! "
"Raph calm-" Leo started.
"I ain't calmin down 'til Donnie says he's alright." Raph growled narrowing his eyes at Leo, stepping up to him, and bristling, ready for a fight.
" I don't know okay?" Donnie exclaimed standing abruptly between them before a fight could start. He looked down. "I-I just-"
Leo put a hand on Don's shoulder. "Everything will be okay. He's always pulled through and he will again."
Don nodded. Despite the comfort and reasurence Leo was trying to give him, he felt useless. What was he suppose to do? Mikey didn't have the average common cold for sure. In fact with the way he was coughing …
'No don't think that. Just don't." Don told himself. " He'll be okay."
The problem was he didn't believe himself.
Thank you to those who review. I love reviews. They make me feel warm and happy inside. Just to let you know I'm in the progress of writing other stories but I don't know if I want to post them yet. I might need to rewrite them a few times. Next update will probably be Friday. Adios!
