Italics - Don's thouhgts

Bold - Flashbacks

Chapter 10 (Waking in the Lair)

When I woke up again I was no longer warm. The plush comforter had been replaced with two thinner blankets. I heard the far away rumble of a subway and realized I must be in the lair.

I lay in bed a little longer and took in the sounds of what I assumed to be my bedroom. After several minutes I heard someone pass by my door in the direction of the kitchen.

Mikey, I thought. I knew my brothers too well.

Attempting to get out of bed was painful. I gave up twice before finally maneuvering myself into a standing position at the foot of the bed. I reached out and grabbed one of the thin blankets that had been covering me and wrapped myself in it. The sweat pants and t-shirt, which I assumed were Casey's, were not very warm and extremely big. I then slowly made my way to the door. Five feet from the knob my big toe struck a very solid object. "Shit!" I cursed. Half blinded by the pain, and the other half due to the lack of lighting in my room, I fumbled for the light switch while trying the cradle my throbbing toe.

Hopping on one foot I reached out in the direction of what I thought to be the switch. I stumbled forward and lost my balance. In an attempt to catch myself I leaned back and let go of my foot, which I held in my hand. This completely threw my balance in the opposite direction and I was unable to try to catch myself this time around. With a strangled yelp, I fell backward. Crashing to the floor my head smacked the ground. Black spots appeared in my vision. I cursed again.

The blow stunned me. After a moment I tried to lift myself from my present location on the ground. While I was trying, and failing, to get up without causing myself more pain, which at this point was overwhelming, the door banged open and the light came on. The sudden brightness caught me off guard and the sound of the door created a ringing in my ears. I cursed for a third time.

"Are you okay?" Mikey said. "I heard you yell."

I must have looked ridiculous. I was sprawled on my back on the floor in my bedroom in a blanket and ill-fitted clothes trying to cradle both my head and toe all at the same time.

"No," I croaked in response.

Mikey blinked. I had to have sounded as bad as I looked because he started to laugh. Not chuckle. But full out belly laugh. His laughter only made my head throbbed worse. After about a minute his laughter was reduced to a chortle and an occasional gasp for air.

I frowned. "Are you going to help me up or stand there and laugh all day?" I inquired angrily.

My question only caused Mikey to renew his laughing with more fervor. Knowing it would be hopeless at this point to attain help from my laughing brother I tried top pick myself up from my precarious position on the floor.

Raph must have heard Mikey's shrill laughter because he appeared behind Mikey looking annoyed. Seeing my dilemma he immediately took action. "Shut up," he snapped at Mikey. He quickly silenced him with a slap to the back of the head. "Help 'im up," he commanded, pointing at my crumpled form.

Sullen, Mikey entered my room from his location in the doorway and gripped my out stretched hand. And with a quick jerk and applied physics I was standing erect once again. "Thanks," I mumbled. I fixed the blanket on my shoulders and turned back toward my bed. I carefully avoided objects on the floor as I glided across the room.

"Where are you going?" Mikey asked. "I thought you were trying to get up?"

I collapsed into the bed and said, "I never should have tried to get up. I'm going back to sleep." I pulled the blankets to my chin and rolled to my side, my back facing the door. "Can you turn off the light and close the door please?" I requested. A second later the door snapped shut and footsteps were heard receding down the hall.

Sighing I buried myself deeper into the covers. I am never leaving this bed again, I thought as I drifted off the sleep.