Hey you guys. I don't really know where this story came from. It started with me wondering about the new episode of season 4, with the ice-cold planet and how the cold affects the turtles and everything. It made me think. And then it made me write. And then this happens. I'll just shut up now and let you read what I mean.

Enjoy!

Saturated

I don't know where I am. They never told me. They don't tell me anything really, only ask questions. And make promises for when I answer those questions. But I won't. Sometimes I'm so tired, the headaches getting so bad, that I can hardly remember why I always refuse to answer. But even during those moments this one sentence sticks in my brains. For my family.

They don't torture me here like or other enemies would have tortured me. They don't beat me or cut me or threaten to kill me. I'm not bleeding or bruised and they hardly secured me. Only one shackle around my wrist to keep me from attacking anyone. I used to try that but ever since the wounds on my wrist got infected, I don't anymore. They treated me, but not too kindly and the attacks never got me anywhere anyways.

But even though they don't hurt me with blades or fists, they still hurt me. Because whenever I refuse to say answer their questions, they turn up the heat by one degree and subtract a cup of water a day. In the beginning I didn't mind so much, I hardly noticed the difference. The extra warmth was nice, the way it is to any cold-blooded creature. I remember telling them this was officially the lamest torture-method anyone has ever come up with. How I humorously screamed, acting to be in so much pain and yelling that being any more comfortable would probably kill me. They never even twitched when I laughed in their faces.

The jokes are kind of lost to me now. Not that I'm about to let them notice. The heat is just so stifling that my head won't stay clear. And every time I try to open my mouth, my lips will crack, the taste of blood filling my mouth. I absolutely hate it when that happens. The thirst is excruciating and only gets worse when thick blood runs down my throat. But my taunts and remarks are basically the only weapons I have left. No way I'm letting them silence me.

I don't know how long I've been here. They never told me that either. I wait for my brothers, that's all what matters right now. I fight for every drop of water I can get a hold on so they can get to me. I don't care how long it's going to take them or how long I can hold on. I just have to focus on the moment they'll storm in and get me back. How often I've pictured that when I was bored.

Raph will call me a princess again, a true damsel-in-distress, teasing me with how I always have to wait for them to safe me. Donnie will be going a hundred miles an hour to make sure I'm okay, asking tens of thousands of questions which, for a change, I wouldn't mind to answer because they're coming from a worried brother. Leo will murder everyone who has had a hand in this with a single look, not even needing to touch the humans here to keep them away from us, fixing them in place with a stare. After making sure we're all safe, he'll lead us out of here. It's the way it always goes.

When I don't envision or escape, adding cool weapons and a James Bond car into the mix just to have something to laugh about, I remember this time we were at the farmhouse with the whole family. Master Splinter's bones had been aching that entire winter, so when summer came around he needed the warmth to make them feel better. That year it had been particularly hot.

We were all basking on the grass, enjoying the fresh air of the outside world and the sun on our skin. But even reptiles need some cooling down sometimes. I went inside the farmhouse, claiming to get the others some refreshments. I had stacked a package of water-balloons in my room and thought it was the perfect opportunity to get them out. I brought up a bucket from the basement and filled it with ice-cubes. After filling the water-balloons and placing them in the bucket with melting ice-water, I snuck back out and started the best water-fight of our lives.

The faces of Leo and Casey had been priceless when I hit them with a balloon each but of course I couldn't hold onto the bucket for very long. Soon it was a free-for-all with the waterhose brought into play along with more buckets, cups, pans, everything we could find. Master Splinter, who was more agile and faster than I've seen him that entire year, had a smile on his face when he sprayed April thoroughly, a laugh escaping our father when Raph dumped a bucket over his head. Of course my hotheaded brother had to pay big-time for that later on.

Hours later, all of us lay spend and soaked on the grass again. The water-drops on our skin prevented us from getting too hot again and brought pleasant tingles to my skin when they slowly evaporated. Told you it would be refreshing, I remember myself saying before nodding off. It's one of my favourite memories.

I wish we would do things like that more often. Leo and sensei refuse to relax and drop their guards for once, Donnie never leaving his cave-of-inventions and Raph always being so… Raph. They don't have time to hang out and mess around with me anymore. Even though I'm pretty sure it would do them good to take a break every once in a while, I understand them too.

To be honest, fooling around was what got me into this mess in the first place. I guess we really are too old to play hide and seek in the city. When being alone, you're vulnerable. When playing games, you're distracted.

The soldiers leave me alone for now. Mostly it's soldiers that question me and professors who 'look after me'. They're pretty much your basic stereotypes-bad-guys: camouflage-outfits for the soldiers and white lab-coats for the so-called doctors. I told them about the cliché but they only reacted with that same indifference they always do. It's weird but sometimes I wish they would just hit me already.

It's the scientisty professors that I hate the most. They treated my infection and looked after the wounds they inflicted when they captured me but also keep track on what the dehydration does to my body. Even though they don't touch me as gently as Donnie does with my booboos, the rough treatment is not why I hate them. It's that they exactly know how much I'm suffering and don't care at all. I can't speak without blood flowing down my mouth, my head pounding, my skin flaking and my tongue is three times the size it used to be. They know how terrible I'm feeling and know what to do to make it go away. They just don't care.

I don't think I'm going to be given water anymore. They question me twice a day I think. The first questioning is always the hardest and takes the longest. The second one is probably a couple of hours later and usually doesn't take that long, maybe two hours tops. After that no one will be around for quite a long time, much longer than the questionings and the time in between together. I guess that is because everyone seems to be going home tonight except for some guards. I know because even though I can't see anything outside this room, I can still hear them.

Anyways, they would always give me water after each questioning, which I liked because then I could sooth my throat after constantly having said 'screw you' and 'over my dead body'. They haven't given me anything after the last four questionings, which I translate as two days.

So yeah, two days without water. How long can a turtle survive like this? How long can a mutant turtle survive like this? I think they're getting tired of me and want to get rid of me. I mean, they still come to question me but you can see they're getting bored with it. Can't say I think any different about them either. Too bad that they can just let me die in here now they're done with me but I still have to deal with them yelling at me during questionings. Not fair.

There are sounds coming from outside the door that leads to my cell. I don't pay it any attention. The thinking has drained most of the energy I had left. Can't tell Raph that, he will have a field-day if he ever finds that out. Oh well, to be honest, I wish he were here right now, smacking me upside the head as a distraction to the constant pounding. He would tell me to toughen up and quit being such a baby.

I close my eyes. The headaches never completely lie down but I mostly feel better when I can't see the bright lights burning down on me. The room is very large, I could practically run laps in it if I wasn't chained. But no matter how much space there is in here, it's so empty in here too that there isn't any way to escape those lights and their heat. They're the reason I don't sleep as much as I should to keep up my energy levels.

But I feel really tired now. Maybe if I rest, I'll feel better after a while. Maybe if I sleep, I'll have the energy to fight those guys again. Maybe…

It feels like hours it has been hours when I wake up, although my brothers later told me it were probably only a couple of minutes. They came, you know. They actually came the moment I felt like I couldn't keep it up anymore. Okay so maybe my captors aren't the only ones digging the clichés. But I like my heroes arriving just in time to save the day way more than the ones that come a day too late.

It's Raph who is there first, pulling at my shoulder, his grip painful on my dried skin. It's Donnie who pulls him away and Leo who comes closer only seconds later. I'm not sure how I know who is who. My eyes are still closed. But yet I know it, the same way I know that it is my brothers around me and not the men who kept me here. Government researchers, Donnie told me later. Like Bishop but maybe even more cruel.

Leo presses something against my lips, making them crack again. I want to protest but before I can complain, he tilts the flask, letting fresh water flow into my mouth and down my throat. I haven't opened my eyes yet, I just relish the taste, even though it's just plain water. It's warm and tastes like plastic and is coppery with blood I know is mine. Yet it's the most wonderful thing I've ever put in my mouth. Pizza could never compare. I think I smirked at that thought, but I'm not sure. My mind is currently occupied elsewhere.

When the steady flow of water stops, I finally decide to peak around. The lights are turned off, which is a relief but also makes it that I can hardly see. I wince when the flask is taken away from my lips, blood sticking to my skin and the plastic when it is pulled.

"More," I croak but I can't even hear my own voice. My brothers seem to have understood though.

"You can't, Mikey," Donnie tells me gently, his voice, together with a confirming hum from Leo, creating a comforting vibration echoing through my ears. But I still hear Raph moving next to me, reaching for the water I think he carries in his own belt. He has always been concerned like that.

"Can you stand?" Leo asks. Man, how much I've missed his voice. I like hearing it, whenever it is to give me a command, to ask me a question, or, how I love it the most, when he gives me a compliment. No matter how old we're all getting, sometimes I need my older brother to make me feel safe. I wonder if he knows that.

"'M tied," I manage to get out, my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth with dried saliva. I think it's only then that they notice the chain connecting to my wrist. Donnie and his bag-of-tricks make quick work of that though. The skin appearing from underneath the metal stands out against the rest of my arm. The colour is a much lighter green than the rest of my body. I didn't even know we could get tanned but I guess that with our human DNA and the bright uv-lights on without a break, it's not impossible.

Two arms grip mine and pull them over two familiar shoulders. They get up too fast and I can feel my head lolling backwards, my vision growing even darker than the room already is. I feel like throwing up.

"Be careful," Donnie hisses. "He's severely dehydrated. That little bit of water we gave him can make him seriously sick. Not even taking into account the head-rush he must be having right now."

I want to comment but my brain is currently dealing with the afore-mentioned head-rush. My brothers are talking but it isn't to me. I just wait for them to start moving already. Eventually I end up on the back of Leo's shell, getting a piggy-back-ride back to the van they brought along. They've stolen it. Probably because they broke into a government facility and don't want our own vehicles to be tracked or recognized when we ride them around New York. I wonder what sensei will think of it though.

The air is incredibly cold against my skin. To my surprise it's still day, the setting sun casting long shadows and light still coming down from the orange sky above. My brothers don't seem to notice the drastic change in temperature. Actually, unless I've been gone for months, which isn't likely, it should be spring now and because of that, not this cold. I'm shaking badly and my bros pick up on it. "What's happening to him, Donnie?" Leo asks, his voice as levelled as he can manage, but rising at the end slightly out of panic.

"He's going into shock. There are too many stimuli for his body to cope. The temperature outside is around twenty degrees below the temperature that room had been in. He's too fragile to deal with it all."

I want to protest but all I can get out is a moan. Lucky for me, my brothers are mind-readers.

"I don't mean you're weak, little brother," Donnie says affectionately, his hand on my arm for a second before taking it back. They're still moving as fast as they can to get to the van. "You're in a bad condition is all. They put your body through a lot and us running around like this with the way you are now, it's not improving the situation."

I let his voice sooth the shooting pain coursing through my body away. For a moment I wonder how them getting me out of there, no matter how they do it, cannot be 'improving the situation' but I'm too tired to care now. I feel very sick but refuse to throw up. My stomach and throat hurt enough already, thank you very much.

Finally we reach the van, Donnie diving behind the steering wheel as he reaches the van first. He turns up the heat and haywires the car again to get it moving. Leo takes me to the back of the van, Raph hopping in after us. We aren't followed and I think that is because my brothers took everyone out in that facility. From the outside, the building looks fairly small and since my tormentors were the same people every day, I don't think there were a lot of people in there to begin with.

I know my brothers don't like resorting to murder, but sometimes it is necessary. Other times, they are angry. I've never experienced a situation in which my brothers have killed purely out of rage but Donnie told me about it once. Raphael can get in that state of mind easily and often it is either Leo or me who pulls him out of it. But when one of his little brothers gets hurt badly, Leo can lose it too. They never keep Donnie or me around when they are like that, they always sent us off to either safe the one we are there for while they deal with the opponents we face, or they sent us home while they 'cover the rear'.

When Leo wraps an old blanket around me which I remember from home, I decide that I don't really care that they killed for me. The caring looks from my eldest brothers directed to me are all I need at the moment.

I guess they didn't know what state they would find me in. Donnie's full-stocked med kit is also in the back with us, which says something. Normally Don only has his duffel bag with him, carrying the basics to make sure we can at least make it back to the lair to get proper treatment.

Leo leans me against him and even though I know I'm too old for this, I let him. I think he needs the close contact just as much as I do. Only know I notice how much I've missed them over these last few, days? Weeks?

Raph moves to my other side and I can see another flask of water in his hand. I hope he'll let me have another few sips but instead he keeps the water well out of my way. He takes a roll of bandages out of the med kit and cuts of a small piece. He pours some water on it and squats next to me again. I can't help but stare forlornly at the drops he spilled, unable to reach them. My eyes snap back to Raph though, when he puts the soaked pieces on my lips. It feels nice, even though the thought of having water so close makes the inability to drink even more painful.

I thought not being able to drink for days and seeing bottles of water just out of your reach evaporate before your eyes, was the worst torture I ever endured. But even though I know they try to help, the few sips of water my brothers gave me have only made the incredible thirst worse. That added to the stomach cramps, headaches and difficulty to breathe… wait. I try to take in a deep breath but it doesn't seem to be enough. I need more air but I can't draw it in. I feel like choking, but I don't know how or why.

I try to get my brothers' attention but they don't seem to understand. They tell me to calm down, that I'm fine and should take deep breaths. They don't get that I'm trying, that I'm not having a panic-attack but just can't breathe! Before I know it, my already over-worked body shuts down. Black dots start filling my vision and I welcome them. I really need to sleep.

TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT

Normally, I always feel better after sleeping. My bros often complain that I'm too lazy, should learn how to set my alarm, that meditation isn't the time for cat-naps, blah blah blah. If they slept as much as they should, I'm pretty sure they'd be a hell of a lot happier, that including me. Try staring at those ugly, overly-tired mugs for longer than fifteen seconds and you know what I mean.

This time, however, the waking up feels like a ton of bricks crashing down on me. My chest feels heavy and even the thought of having to breathe makes me feel tired. My head is still pounding and I know that the moment I'll try to stand up, there will be vomit all over the place.

"Mikey?"

I ignore the voice. Sorry Donnie, I really can't open my eyes right now. You have no idea how this feels.

"Mikey," he says again, this time more persistently. He knows I'm not sleeping anymore and judging by the impatience in his voice, I probably shouldn't have him wait too long. A worried Donatello is an agitated Donatello. And after everything that has happened, I guess he's pretty agitated right now.

"There you go," he murmurs more gently when I open my eyes. My vision is one big blur but I don't mind for now. My focus is currently on the massive headache which isn't going to lie down anytime soon and only gets worse with the dimmed light streaming underneath my eyelids. Don always turns down the lightning when we have concussions or other illnesses of which a symptom is a headache. But unless it's completely dark in his lab, it's never enough for me.

"I need you to stay awake for now, little brother."

I try to look up to him. Just a big blob of green with a stripe of purple through it.

"We've just arrived home," Donnie explains, keeping his voice soft. "I put you on a drip and gave you a blood-transfusion. Leo has been donating blood every day since you were gone just to be sure."

It's just like Donnie always does. Whenever one of us has passed out, he'll always explain the situation before we can start freaking out ourselves. Plus, it's comforting and gives the injured turtle some time to fully awaken and be more aware of everything that hurts. Over the years we've learned proper bedside-manners and the do's and don'ts of dealing with sick hurt and often cranky brothers.

"What just happened?" I try to ask, the croak in my voice and the pain shooting through my throat making it sound more like screeching tires than an understandable sentence.

"Because you haven't had any water in your system for such a long time, the little Leo gave you immediately went into your bloodstream. Because of the water-deprivation, the concentration of minerals and compounds were higher inside your red bloodcells than in the bloodstream itself. They absorbed the water rapidly and exploded. That's why you passed out. The red bloodcells couldn't transport oxygen through your body anymore."

I don't try to understand everything he says. It sounds gross though, exploding bloodcells. "You knew that would happen?" I ask through a wince.

This time it takes Donnie a few moments to answer. I'm not sure it is because he can't understand a thing of what I'm saying or because he doesn't like the answer he knows he has to give.

"I had an idea. That's why I made Leo give you only one flask. I'm sorry Mikey, I know you felt very sick after, probably still know. But you were in such a bad shape I was afraid that if I didn't give you any, you would die on us before we got you here. I thought giving you water would keep you alive long enough to put you on an IV and give you the blood-transfusion to make up for the blood-count. I'm sorry you had to go through all that."

I didn't mean to make him feel guilty, I know they all did their best. But I don't think I need to tell them that. Donnie knows I'll forgive him in a heartbeat. He's trying to save my life here, a bit hard to stay mad at the guy for doing that.

"S'okay. Are the others here?"

He nods, standing up and moving out of the way. Leo is slumped over Donnie's desk, vast asleep. I can't see Raph anywhere but I bet he's taking a power-nap too. One I know Donnie needs more than anything but he's always been a night-owl. No matter what we do or say, he won't go to sleep unless he's sure everyone is safe and sound. The best thing I can do for him now, is get better as soon as I can.

"Leo wanted to stay here in case you would need more blood. He fell asleep on me though. But that's okay. I already told him the amount he had donated already was enough to fill up at least two ninja turtles," Don smirks. "Raph is somewhere between here and the kitchen. He was supposed to get me coffee an hour ago."

I smile. Actually I want to laugh but that would be a very bad idea. As much as my throat hurts now, I don't want to know what it's going to feel like when I spread my cracked lips too much.

Donnie goes over and shakes Leo awake. He tells him something in a hushed voice before going into the living room, trying to figure out where Raph fell asleep on his way to the kitchen. In the meantime, Leo rolls over to me in his swivelling chair and places a warm hand on my shoulder when he's next to me.

"How are you feeling?" he asks me, a question I had already expected. His voice is rough with sleep. I don't think any of them have slept well since I was gone. We never do when one of us is missing.

"Like crap," I whisper, smiling a little to get that worried frown from Leo's face. It works, like always. For a moment Leo stands up, fetches something from the desk and comes back. He shows me the label on the tube he's holding. Lotion?

Without another word he starts to massage the lotion into my dried-out skin, being mindful of the crook of my elbow, where the blood-transfusion enters my body. The cool liquid really helps with the itching, which up until now, I haven't really been aware of. It's nice, feeling my big brother's hands soothingly rubbing up and down my skin. It reminds me he's still there. That I'm away from that awful place. Sure there's still pain, and not much my brothers can do about it. But all that suffering inflicted by heartless humans is now slowly replaced by gentle, comforting touches of caring brothers. That's all that I care about at the moment.

Don and Raph come in soon after. "So then it's alright to fall asleep while drinking the coffee you were supposed to bring me?"

I can see Raph is absolutely unperturbed about the earful he's currently getting from Donnie. On the contrary, he's ignoring or Brainiac brother, not even bothering to hear him out. He comes over casually, putting a hand on my arm much the same way Leo had done earlier. His doesn't stay too long though. But he keeps looking at me with this fierce glint in his eyes. It makes me feel watched over and safe.

"Hey Donnie," I try, my voice sounding even worse than it had before. Raph flinches and Leo stops rubbing lotion onto my leg. "Can we have a water-fight?"

Raph's head turns to Don and if I would be able to talk properly, I had laughed at how ridiculously surprised he looked. "Did he say water-fight?"

Donnie shrugs, coming closer and placing a hand on top of my head. "I think he's confused. His head probably feels like it's being mauled at the moment. The dehydration combined with the anaemia causes terrible headaches. He can't think clearly like this."

"Hey," I try to say, but even to me it sounds more like a hiccup than anything.

"I can't take down the transfusion. He's been breathing normally for two hours now. That must be enough. After that he can sleep all he wants and let the fluids do their work. He needs a lot of rest after this ordeal, especially with the sleep-deprivation he has suffered in that hell-hole."

I squeeze my eyes closed when Don starts to fumble with the tubes that enter my arm. Leo starts the massaging of my legs again, trying to distract me from the horrendous feeling of having a sharp needle sliding out of my skin. The hand on my head returns, but this time it's an emerald green one which starts to rub up and down my brow slowly, lulling me into a comfortable sleep.

I want to tell them I'm not delusional. I want to tell them I was serious about the water-fight. I want to tell them thanks for getting me out of that facility. I want to thank Leo for always being there with whatever I need, even when I don't even know I need it myself. I want to thank Don for fixing me up and, despite everything, feeling bad for my pain. I want to thank Raph for letting his guard down every once in a while when I need him to.

But maybe sometimes it's better not to say anything at all. Sometimes you need to keep your thoughts in between them being sincere and cherished, and them being actually spoken. I can trust my brothers that they know how important them being here is to me.

Plus, I can't wait to see their faces when they encounter the water-hose completely unexpected, it'll be priceless!

Hmmm… I'm not so sure about the ending but hey, this had to stop at some point, right? This is a typical case of my muse having a mind of her own. It just came to me and I wrote and wrote without a plan or anything and then all of the sudden my muse was like, Okay now I'm done! And then I'm like, but this isn't an ending! Anyways, tell me what you thought of this totally random piece which still turned out to become a 5k monster.

See ya!