Hey guys thanks for all your wonderful reviews. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to hear that you like my story. I know I'm not on here as much as you would like me to be but I will try my best to update more than once or twice a year…sorry about that by the way.

Now as for a few questions I get: no I do not hate Donnie, he is in fact one of my favourite turtles. He really doesn't get the credit he deserves and most of the time is forgotten…but not here. Most of the situations I come up with will be focused on or around him and I think it's just adorable how his brother's lives just fall apart whenever he's sick or injured. Another question I get is who's POV I'm writing in? Most of my stories are written in Donnie's POV. I just have a bad habit of wanting the reader to hear everyone's POV as well, so I guess the answer is both? Still working on my writing technic, or lack thereof. And the last question I get is will Raph get a girlfriend? To be honest I hadn't really thought about it so I can't really say if it will happened or not, but I will keep it in mind.

But anyway enough of me, I know your dying to read about what comes next.

*FYI most of this is done in Leo's POV. ENJOY!*

Donnie POV (Chapter 8)

Keeping one hand on his chest Donnie struggled with the zipper, trying to will his hand to open it. He needing that relief the inhaler gave his lungs, but the thing just wouldn't budge, and in his heist he toppled over gasping in pain as his body hit the floor knocking his bag across the floor and out of his reach.

Black spots were starting to dance across his vision, he had closed his eyes in frustration, the pain was too much he needed help, it was so close yet there was nothing he could do to get it.

The feint sound of ringing resonated though his ears pulling him from his haze form his kneed position on the floor for only a second, his foggy mind wondered what it was but his body would have no part in it and began to shut itself down.

The ringing of his phone falling on deaf ears as his world went black.

… Continued

Chapter 9

Leo's POV

At the sound of Donatello's ring tone Leo whipped around ready to yell at his brother for being so late, but he never got that chase. One good look at him told Leo everything he needed to know it was like he was seeing him for the first time. How could he have missed the signs they were so clear to him now it was like a slap to the face? His whole body felt numb as he looked at his brother half kneeling on the floor wheezing and coughing through each rapid shallow breath. One of his hands was clutching his chest with a white knuckled grip while the other was trying the support his body off the floor and shaking with the strain of holding him up.

It was as if he was watching everything in slow motion, he watched as Donatello's breathing became more forced, more labored and Leo just knew what was coming next. His phone slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor all but forgotten as he ran charged forward hoping he'd make it there before his brother collapsed. Donatello was swaying now he only had to close the last 6 feet, he could make it… 'Come on get there' he shouted at himself as he saw Donatello's arm give out. He was falling his mind too focused on trying to breathe that he couldn't even throw his hands out to cushion his own fall.

"DONNIE!"

Leo was frantic, afraid for his brother as he got a closer look at him, with one last burst of speed Leo dove forward sliding the last 3 feet under him, and catching his brother at the last possible second pulling his body to his chest as the brothers hit the floor hard. Leo grimaced in pain as his shoulder hit the ground first it would most likely be sore later on but ignored it as he could hear Donatello's gasps increase in volume. His face was pinched with pain, haggard and pale his skin was hot to the touch body and soaked in sweat, but shivers ranked through him as if it was the middle of winter.

He gave Donnie a quick once over making sure he didn't get hurt in the fall before he dove into his protective big brother mode (as Donnie would call it) trying to find anyway to ease his pain .

"Easy Donnie I got you, nice deep breathes now. Nice and slow now." Leo was trying to calm him down as best he could he could see the fear in his normally quite brothers face, even with his eyes closed the pain was still there he could see the tears leave his eyes and trail down his face as the pain got to be too much for him. Leo knew that if he didn't get his inhaler soon Donnie could… No he couldn't think like that, his brother needed him he was losing conciseness and wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer if he didn't find his inhaler soon.

Just as the thought entered his mind Leo whipped his head left and right his eyes scanning for his ill brother's school bag hoping that he had remember to take it out of his locker before meeting up with him. His heart sored when he saw the old beat up messenger bag on the floor not far away, properly being kick way in all the chaos and pushed even further away as Leo ran up to cushion his brothers falls.

The bag lay open on the cold tile floor beside Karai's feet as she stood back from them obviously not knowing what to do. "Karai, give me his bag…" Leo shouted to her holding his hand out for the item in question, but she didn't react. Worried for his brother's life he yelled again louder this time "KARAI! Give me the bag, NOW!"

He watched as Karai shook herself from her shocked state and grabbed the bag at her feet tossing it over to him. Leo continued his one sided conversation with his younger brother trying to keep him awake and calm while he ripped through Donatello's bag looking for his inhaler. Rummaging through the bags contents for a good minute with no success Leo decided to dump everything out of the bags onto the floor instead to continue his frantic search. "No, no, no…where is it?!" He knew Donnie would be mad at him for throwing his things around like this but he didn't care, so long as he could find that stupid inhaler.

Sparing a quick glance at Donnie only made Leo double his efforts more and work faster. Donnie was hardly breathing now, his shaking had slowed leaving his body tense and ridge; it was only a matter of time before his body would shut down. He needed to find that inhaler and fast.

'Where was it?!' getting frustrated in his lack of success in the main pouch he started ripping through the 2 side and front pockets hoping that Donnie would have put it in there for easy access. After searching the two side pockets he moved on to the front pockets zipper and pulled…nothing. He pulled again but it wouldn't budge, he looked at the zipper and cursed, it was caught on the fabric preventing the zipper from moving any further. 'You've got to be kidding me' Leo said angrily to himself, but with a few forceful tugs it came free and the inhaler came rolling out onto the floor. Leo grabbed it and quickly started to shake it rapidly in his hand, hearing the plastic container rattle with each forceful shake.

"Karai help me sit him up" she moved forward towards them helping him pull Donnie back up into the best seating position they could get him in as he sagged limply in Leo's arms.

"There, is that good?" Karai asked not to sure on what to do in this situation.

"That's perfect, just hold him stead" with one final shake of the inhaler Leo shoved it into Donatello's mouth and pressed down on the plunger waiting as a large whoosh of air come out and filled his oxygen starved lungs. Donnie filched as the air hit him but didn't react. So Leo pushed down on the plunger again…this time getting a cough and a gasp out of him before Donatello's hand flew up to his face and grabbed the inhaler from him and pushed down on the plunger one more time himself desperately sucking in as much air into his lungs as he could before throwing himself forward from the force of his coughs raking through his body at 50 miles per hour.

Leo could see the strain in Donnie's body from the tension in his shoulder to his shaking hands that shook from the effort took to hold him up. Leo pulled his brother to his chest letting his head rest on his shoulder as the coughs began to ease slightly. "Shh, it's okay Donnie. You're okay?" Leo soothed him for a couple more minutes to allow his brother to regain his breathe before he asked "How are you feeling? Can you speak?"

"Hai…S-sore wa… itai-desu" (Yes…I-it hurts).

"Shh Donnie it'll be okay, don't talk." Donnie's only reply was a sideways glare through half lidded eye's obviously not having the strength to tell Leo what he really thought. But Leo knew that look and it said; 'you're the one who asked me to speak in the first place'.

Donnie's breathing picked up again as he tried to move and Leo was scared that he was about to have another attack so he brought Donnie's hand up again to take another puff of his inhaler only to have Donnie push his hand away while turning his head to the side with a grimace. "Donnie what's wrong?" Leo said in confusion bring his hand up to his brothers head in order to sooth him, but gasped as the forehead he came in contact with wasn't cold and clammy like it should have been after one of his attacks but was radiating more heat then was humanly possible causing his body to be soaked in sweat.

"Geez Donnie you're burning up! What were you thinking coming to school today?! You know you're not supposed to push yourself if you're sick."

"Go-men *cough, cough* gomen na' sai" (I'm sorry). Donnie opened his eyes and blinked rapidly as he tried to look up at him his eyes were cloudy and unfocused he must have been finding it hard to stay awake let only conscious as his eyes kept closing on him. Leo knew that he couldn't leave his brother not know, the attacks themselves would always leave him feeling exhausted and weak while his chest would be extremely tight and sore.

"Um…am I missing something or did your brothers lose some brain cell with the oxygen deficiency. I thought he was supposed to be a genius or something?" Leo looked up at Karai almost forgetting she was there from the relief of having Donnie breathe again. He ran his hand absent mindedly across his little brothers sweating hair as he spoke. "It's Japanese Karai; he reverts back to it when he's stressed."

"So what did he say?" She asked curiously.

"He was telling me that he was okay but still in pain and also that he was sorry …" Leo looked down at his brother with worried eyes Donnie was starting to shiver again the floors cold tiles really not helping him he really need to get him home and into bed. "Donnie? Can you stand?" he asked waiting for him to acknowledge the question with a slight nod before pulling him to his feet steading him as he suede heavily from the new altitude. "Come on let's get you outside. Karai can you garb our stuff while I help him? I'll meet you down stairs."

"Yeah…sure" Karai turned from them and walked back to his locker closing the door and picking up his phone and bag from the floor, he didn't she what she did next as he began slowly helping Donnie down the steps from the second floor towards the doors leading out to the back of the school but he could hear slight shuffling behind him along with a zipper so he assumed she must have been gathering up Donnie's things, he so carelessly throw all over the floor.

Finally reaching the bottom step Leo guided him out the doors to the clear September air. He moved Donnie over to picnic table to his left and sat him down. Donnie wasn't looking so good, if possible Donnie looked even worse from the small amount of effort it took to walk down the stair, had his breathing picking up again between his wheezing coughs. "I really need to get you home" Leo said looking sadly at his little brother laying a hand on his shoulder as he slumped over on the table looking miserable while resting his head on his arms.

It was just too painful to watch, so Leo looked over his shoulder to the student parking lot trying to think of the best way to get his brother home. He couldn't call their Father as the car was in the garage waiting for Donnie to fix it and he could take the 15minute walk home with him either if he was this exhausted after the stairs. Suddenly Leo found his answer and smiled as he saw Jacob walking towards his older brother's car. "Jake! Thank god can you give us a ride? I really need to get Donnie home!"

"Ah, ya sure you we can give you a ride" Jake started backing his way back towards the school when he got his first look at Donatello "whoa? What happened to him? Is he okay?!" Jacob's words rang with concern as he jumped forward towards the two brothers helping his friend support him as Leo pulled Donnie to his feet again. Leo understood his concern as one look at Donatello told him he wouldn't be conscious for much longer, Donnie's exhaustion was getting worse with each passing second, his body getting heavier as he sank to the floor not having the energy to hold himself up anymore. "Ya he'll be alright, I just need to get him home. Can you help me get him on my back I don't think he can walk right now?" So Leo crunched down and had Jake position Donnie onto his back.

"Are you good?" Jacob asked his hand resting on Donatello's back to make sure he didn't fall off if Leo didn't have him.

"Ya I got him, let's just get him home before he gets any worst" Leo shifted his weight and started towards the car. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Karai exit the school building with both their bags in hand following behind him.

"Ah, hello are you forgetting something?!" Karai spoke up giving him a glare.

"Huh…What?" Leo said confused.

"The party?! If we don't leave know we're going to be late, it's starts in like 30minutes."

"Go without me." He said bluntly crossing the grass to Jake's brother's car.

"Go without you?! I can't go ALONE! The whole point of this party is to celebrate your birthday. We can't very well do that if you don't show up now can we?"

"Not know Karai. Donnie's sick and I can't leave him alone right now."

"L-Leo…cough, cough"

"Donnie? Are you okay up there? Can you breathe alright?" Donnie didn't answer him at first just nodded his head at the questions before pressing his forehead to the back of Leo's neck with a sigh and Leo flinched with the heat coming off of him. "Go…" he whizzed.

"I know Don; I know we'll get you home soon." Leo said moving faster towards the car while trying to be careful in his movement to not cause Donnie more pain.

"No…cough, cough… Par-ty you ha-ve ta… cough…fine" Donnie wheezed out voice barely above a whisper.

"Like hell you're fine!" Donnie stopped and Leo knew his brother wouldn't argue any further with him. He never swore unless he was really angry and it was rare to hear it. So he continued yelling over his shoulder to him in hope that Donnie would finally get the message to never do something like this again. "Things could have been a lot worse if I wasn't here Donnie! Did you even think about that?! Leo finished his rant as they got to the car looking up at a very sheepish Donnie with bright red checks; weather that was from embarrassment or the fever Leo would never know.

Leo knew he was being hard on Donnie but this had to stop! Donnie would do anything and everything for his family and friends without a single thought to his own health, Leo just wanted his brother to be safe and for once think about himself. It pained him seeing his brother like this Donnie was so exhausted that he could barely keep his eyes open, let alone stand and Leo just didn't know what he could do to make Donnie see that.

Leo arrived at the car, while Jake opened the door for him, helped Leo get Donnie down and into the car while Karai dropped the bags on the ground next to them.

"Come on Leo he said he was fine. Jake can take him from here. Now let's go!"

"No Karai, I'm not leaving him alone. I can't."

"Can't or won't?"

"That's not fair" Leo turned around to face his girlfriend after making sure Donnie was okay "you can't ask me to choose between you or my family Karai, because the answer will always be the same."

"Always! So are you saying you don't want this? You don't want us?!

"I never said!" Leo sighed "Look Karai, I love you but you need to understand that my family comes first and I can't leave my brother alone after that… Please Karai I need to know he's alright…I can't lose him-not again" he whispered the last part.

"…" Karai just stud there staring at him as if she was at a loss for words. Leo could tell she was surprised from his reaction and when she did finally speak her words were kind and gentle "Alright…but will you at least tell me what's going on…later at the party?"

"Yes…I'll try. Now I have to go" he lends in and gives her a light kiss on the lips "and don't worry I'll see later, Raph should be home in an hour or so and I can meet you there by then" he said turning around and getting into the back seat of the car, while moving Donatello's head so he could rest it on his lap.