In answer to the questions posed in the reviews of last chapter, when I was writing it in my mind the speaker was Leo. And the hugger was Raph. But, like I said, I left it open to interpretation. There were definitely moments where I felt it could have been the other way around.

Now, about this chapter. This chapter I didn't put into Brother Blunders because…well…because…(scratches head in confusion) I have no idea. I think that maybe it was just misplaced among my documents and that's why I only rediscovered it now. So now, after much editing, I am now placing it here! Yay! Enjoy!

Brotherly Blunders Outtake 6: Insomniac

I am a slave to insomnia. Have been for a long time. I can't even remember when it started. But it was long before our battles with the technodrome, long before our discovery of the Krang. Shell, it began long before our first trip to the surface!

I've been this way for as long as I can remember.

Though for a while, after our first couple trips to the surface, I began sleeping better. Maybe it was the added stress of having the weight of the world on our shoulders. Maybe it was the relief of no longer being restricted to the sewers. Who knows. But for a while there, things weren't so bad.

Now…Let's just say the past couple weeks haven't been exactly restful. My insomnia has always been bad, but in the past I'd eventually pass out from pure exhaustion and manage to squeeze a couple of hours in. That's why I've hit rock bottom. It's been almost a full week and I haven't slept at all. And with the amount of exertion we go through on a daily basis, three days without sleep was all it took before I started looking like one of the walking dead.

I've managed to fool my brothers so far. I tell them it's just the stress of all the world domination finally getting to me. They seemed to accept that. But I won't be able to keep them in the dark forever. Sensei's already getting suspicious.

It's all I can take just to keep going. I'm running on fumes. I'm so darn tired I can hardly stand up straight, but every time I close my eyes and try to sleep, sleep just will not come. I know that Sensei would probably say that I can't sleep because there is something on my mind. Well I've searched and searched, I've meditated for hours, which seemed to frighten my brothers a little, and I finally just gave up. If there's something bothering me, I sure don't have a clue of what it is.

I sigh. Almost five o'clock. Mikey will be up soon to start making breakfast. Today's early training. We start at six fifteen sharp.

I groan and make my way over to the coffee maker, starting a fresh batch. Another problem mine. Since I can't sleep at night, I have to resort to other means to force myself to stay awake during the day.

I yawn, cradling my steaming hot cup of coffee close to me. Breathing in the fumes makes me feel a little more awake, at least. I lethargically lift the warm mug up to my lips and force myself to down the cup of hot, black, liquid. I never did like the taste of black coffee. Far too bitter.

Taking the cup with me, I stand and make my way to the sink, wash out the cup, dry it, and put it back on the shelf where it belongs. And just in time too.

Mikey came bounding cheerfully down the hall, whistling brightly. I rolled my eyes. Sometimes I wanna smack him just for being too goddamn cheerful. I resumed my seat at the counter just as he arrived.

"G'morning Raphie!" He crowed in his sing-song voice.

I growled. "Don't call me that."

He sighed. "Looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

I would have been happy to get up on any side of the bed this morning, provided that I'd been able to sleep.

Silence followed as Mikey completely devoted himself to the task of making breakfast.

I paid very little attention to what he was doing. Instead, I sat with my elbows on the counter and my head in my hands, fighting the urge to pass out.

"Raph…?"

"Are you alright?"

Shell! When did those two get here? I immediately lifted my head up and growled at them. "I'm fine."

Mikey made a shooing motion from where he was standing at the stove. "Don't mind him bros. He's crabby today." They accepted that and sat beside me at the counter, though I could still feel Leo's eyes sizing me up every so often. Mikey beamed over the counter at me and I suddenly felt very ill-at-ease. "I hope you're hungry Raph! I'm making your favorite! Extra meaty pizza omelets!"

My stomach rebelled at the thought of food and I fought the urge to hurl. I shook my head lightly. "Thanks Mikey, but I ain't hungry."

The air in the room suddenly grew stale. There was a split second of absolute inaction as the three of them stared at me with shock.

Belatedly I realized that saying I wasn't hungry wasn't such a good answer. Mikey, in particular, looked crestfallen. "You haven't been eating too well lately, bro. I thought making your favorites would help."

Shell, Mikey noticed that I haven't been eating as much?! He's more observant than I thought. I sighed. "Look, Mikey, it's not that I don't appreciate it, little brother. But I just don't think I can stomach it. I'll just have some cereal."

An olive green hand suddenly landed on my forehead. I turned to glare at my purple-masked sibling. "Hands off, Donatello." I snarled, pushing his hand away roughly.

Leo looked at Donnie and the two of them conversed as though I wasn't even there. "Well?" Fearless asked.

"Well, he doesn't have a fever." Don stated evenly. He reached out and seized my wrist. "His pulse is normal."

"Which means?" Leo prompted.

I rolled my eyes and yanked my wrist away from Donnie.

"Which means he isn't sick." The brainiac finished.

I glowered at them both. "If I was sick, I'd be the first one to know it, genius."

"And the last one to admit it." Leo shot back, frustratedly. "We're just looking out for you."

"Yeah, whatever." I said, crossing my arms over my plastron.

After breakfast we all stood and piled the dished into the sink. It was Leo's and my turn for dishes so I washed and he dried. We finished quickly and efficiently and soon enough we were all lined up in the dojo.

Splinter entered as six-fifteen precisely as he always does and we began. I managed to plow my way through most of the training session. Finally we got to the sparring, the last item on our training agenda for the day. Even in my weakened state, I refused to allow myself to be beaten by my little brothers. It was much more difficult, but I finally managed to defeat them. Then, just as Leonardo and I began circling each other, a horrible tension headache struck and I hissed. Leo was mid-attack when my step faltered. His eyes widened and his swords sliced into the tatami mats as he thrust them off to the side. Suddenly everything swirled. I heard Leo cry out my name, and then…oblivion. I passed out.

When I woke up I was in the lab. One of Donnie's darned contraptions wouldn't stop beeping. A heart monitor. My mind supplied. I sighed. Well, my brothers must know by now. So no point in trying to hide it anymore. Might as well take the opportunity to get some sleep. I rolled over so that I was plastron down and closed my eyes, this time in peaceful slumber.

The next time I awakened, it was to my brothers' faces all looming over me. I growled at them. "Go away and let me sleep in peace!" I yelled at them.

Leo frowned. "Raph…how do you feel?"

"Stop asking questions and turn the goddamn lights off. I'm trying to get some sleep here."

"Raph, you passed out in the middle of training! Do you have any idea how worried we were?! Then you were unconscious for almost eight hours, then you rolled over and fell asleep, disconnecting the heart monitor in the process and scaring us all into thinking we'd lost you! And all you have to say for yourself is 'turn the goddamn lights off'?!"

Well, Leo is definitely pissed. But I, on the other hand was desperate. This was a rare opportunity for me. I was actually able to fall asleep. I can't waste this opportunity when I have it at my fingertips. "Leo, I've barely slept at all in the past two months please…just go away and let me sleep!" I whined, ignoring their shocked faces as I actually said the word please.

Leo's glare softened and he put a hand over mine, softly. "You gave us all quite a scare, little brother. And following the heart monitor incident you slept for three days straight."

At this point I gave up. There was no way I was gonna get them to do as I asked, so I rolled over and buried my head in my arms. I could already feel the blissful peace of sleep settling over me and I sighed contentedly. At last…

Third Person POV

Leonardo sighed as he watched Raph's breathing even out and he turtle fell back into a deep sleep. Who knows how long the emerald green turtle would sleep this time. But at least Raphael was there, alive and well, where Leo could check in on him every once in a while. The eldest turtle dragged the two youngest turtles out by their wrists.

"C'mon. Let's let princess over there have her beauty sleep."

Mikey chuckled and the three of them left the lab, closing the door softly behind them.

How was it? Did you like it? Review please!