:)

Leo hesitantly let himself be persuaded to go back to the Lair, although he continued to squeak/talk quietly to this 'other person'. Raph was behind him, just in case, and Don was talking quietly into his Shell Cell.

"Just do a quick once-over. Yes, with that tool I showed you a while ago. You remember how to use it? Good," he said quietly into the phone, trailing behind them so that Leo wouldn't hear. He go berserkers if he found out that Splinter had started to worsen when he was out.

It hadn't really been noticeable at first, when he was calmed down and Splinter's heart rate was back to normal, he'd hardly noticed as blood slowly leaked out from under his father's robe until it was on the floor. Don had immediately opened his father's robe, not even blushing as he immediately started to soak up the blood on his stomach, thankful that nothing was internally bruised, and having to stitch it up before Mikey came back and told him to get Leo.

He was pretty sure that the cut had come from Splinter's own claws, as he knew that the rat had been holding his stomach inside his robe when Leo kicked him again. Nothing had happened to his hand other than a bruise.

The purple-clad turtle sighed, hanging up. "I'm gonna run ahead a little, check on Master Splinter," he said, stuttering once or twice.

Leo noticed and raised an eyeridge, taking out his notepad, which he'd decided to use again for now. 'Raph said he was fine tho'

"He is, I just wanna make sure…" Donatello said, turning down the tunnel towards the Lair in a jog.

Leo looked at Raph questioningly; the red-clad turtle shrugged. They continued their trek through the sewers.

Don raced into the lab, coming up to Mikey. "He good?" he asked as Mikey continued to clean the blood from Splinter's claws. Mikey nodded, putting the rag he'd been using to the side.

"Same as when you left, anyway," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

Don nodded in acknowledgement. "Leo… said that you guys said you wouldn't get me?" he then asked, looking at Mikey sternly.

Mikey stared right back. "Well, I'm sorry that I didn't want him alone with Raph and this other… thing he's seeing. Maybe that's what making Leo have these episodes."

Donnie frowned, thinking it over. "Maybe. But you can't just break a promise like that, Mikey. Leo's really fragile right now; any little thing could make him lose trust in all of us."

They heard a knock and immediately stopped talking, turning to the lab door in front of the cot, as if to hide the body on the cot.

Leo immediately ran towards the cot, stopping in front of his brothers. Even though he couldn't speak, the look in his eyes told them he'd beat them down if they didn't move, and the two younger turtles immediately sidestepped.

Leo bit his lip as he surveyed his father. He had a big cut on his chest, and there was a large bruise on his hand and his back, he guessed, judging on how hard he'd kicked him.

Tears gathered in his eyes, but he did not let them fall. He would not show any more weakness in front of his brothers. He needed to get over this. It'd been almost 2 weeks now since he got home. He wasn't supposed to be such a baby. He and his brothers had been captured by the Foot or Bishop or something like that dozens of times, and they'd all gotten a few psychological scars, but not this bad. He should be fine now. Donnie should've found a way to help him communicate and he should have all of his memories back and and and-

Leo's breathing started to get shorter and he put a shaky hand on his chest, backing away from his comatose father. Sweat poured down his face, some falling in his mouth, giving it a salty taste.

Donnie ran over immediately, grabbing Leo's free hand. He slowly led Leo to a cot without straps, and Leo followed submissively, eyes clouded in panic, other hand still on his plastron. Raph and Mikey slowly backed towards the door, not wanting to set Leo off again.

"Ssh… Breathe with me, Leo…" Donnie requested, and Leo slowly, hesitantly nodded, following Don's steady rhythm with little difficulty. "OK, just listen to me… You are OK. You don't have to stay here. There is nothing to be afraid of. No one is going to hurt you. You will be OK. Everything will be OK. You just can't hurt anyone. You have to just let it play out. You will be OK. Do you understand?" he asked gently, rubbing soothing circles on his brother's shell.

Leo blew out of his mouth, lucidness slowly returning to his mind. His breathing turned back to normal, and he looked at Don in embarrassment. "I'm sorry…" he squeaked sadly, "I should be better… I'll just… I'll just go…"

The blue-clad turtle, still shaking slightly, left the room. Raph and Mikey part, letting him go, unsure what else to do.

Don sighed, looking to their father, who was breathing heavily.

"Mikey, can you check on him? I need your help in here, Raph," the genius requested, looking at the red-clad turtle pointedly.

Raph nodded, pushing Mikey away. The stunned orange-clad turtle gulped and left; Raph shut the door and went to Don. "What is it, brainiac?"

"Raph, this is getting out of hand. Karai did worse to him than we thought. She took his voice, which he's obviously trying to get around; she ruined half of his childhood memories permanently; she put this… other personality in his head; she's making him lose control over himself and his body; and worst of all, half the time he can't even remember what it is that he did unless he thinks harder about it," Don rambled, constantly checking this or that on Splinter's condition.

Raph blew out of his nose. "Well, what do we do about it? We can never get to him for more than a few minutes; then he loses it."

Don taped his chin, going around his lab. "I got the drug out of his bloodstream, but that didn't seem to change anything. Made it worse, quite possibly."

Raph sighed, shaking his head. "Well, Leo ain't too open about anythin' he'd know to help himself, if he does know anything. I can imagine why, but still; don't he wanna get better?"

Leo sighed, going into the dojo. He hadn't been here since he'd gotten home. He hadn't wanted to come in here since he'd gotten home.

-in a defensive position against Splinter, katanas out against his father's cane-

-Raph called the fight.

Splinter lunged at Leo, cane ready to strike. Leo blocked it with his katanas-

Leo clenched his eyes shut, trying to block out them memory.

-cried out as it cut his face-

-felt the sharp end of Splinter's cane knock him in the plastron, nearly drawing blood-

Leo groaned lightly, hands on his head, fingernails digging into his skin as he tried desperately to block out the memory. "Stop… Stop… Please… I'm home, I'm with my family… They never hurt me… They're nice… They're caring…"

"They let you get captured by the Foot and didn't come looking for you," his doppelganger reminded him, appearing in front of him.

"I know they didn't come for me… It's because they didn't know where I was…" he whispered to himself, sighing lightly. "I think…" The blue-clad turtle thought for a second.

"They never said that…"

"I know they didn't say that! I'm hoping that's why!" Leo squeaked.

Mike popped his head to the door, listening for his brother's raspy voice.

"I know they didn't come for me… It's because they didn't know where I was… I think…"

"I know they didn't say that! I'm hoping that's why!"

Mikey bit his lip sadly. "Leo…" he whispered, walking in hesitantly as Leo continued to argue with himself.

That took too long. :/ Sorry guys. Please review anyway! BYE! :D

Shadow