Michelangelo was quiet after the IV's were started - Donnie had figured the strong dose of tetrozine would put him out anyway, and it had less of a chance of causing a further drop in his blood pressure. Leonardo cast one glance at Donatello's bleary eyes and rose from his position beside Mike.
"I'm gonna get some coffee going, okay? You need anything else?" He asked Donnie.
He shook his head slowly. "No...just caffeine."
Leonardo disappeared from the room, and Raphael finally loosened the death grip he still had on Michelangelo's hand. It wasn't pleasant to see him hooked up to those tubes, but it was a heck of a lot better than watching him suffocate.
Donatello called Luke back to inform him of their progress, and what had been done for Mike in the last few minutes.
"...His temperature is still too high. Yeah, I know that can be a seizure trigger too, I'm gonna go ahead and increase his hydralin. I don't want to see him have another one of those. Once in an evening is enough for me, thank you very much. Actually, once in a lifetime is too many. No, I haven't touched the stitches yet, that sort of got shoved to the back burner when everything went to pieces. It's completely irrigated, and I got out as much of the debris as I could.
I agree, I was lucky I didn't handle that blade the wrong way when I took it out. I coulda ended up just like 'im. We're gonna have to find a way to properly dispose of the thing. They stuck with me Doc. I hated for them to have to see some of it, but they took it all in stride. Alright, well tell Marc not to break too many laws, we're sort of under control here. I'll see you in about an hour."
Donatello hung up his phone, and walked over to join Raphael.
"Hey. How's it goin'?" He asked him.
The simple question produced a reaction that he completely hadn't expected. His older brother's shoulders suddenly heaved with the emotion he'd been holding back for hours, and now the floodgates had been released.
"Raph, c'mere." Donnie said softly, and his brother embraced him so hard it felt like he was going to crack a rib for a moment. "Easy killer." He gasped.
Raphael immediately loosened his grip somewhat, but didn't let go. It was a few seconds more before he looked at Donatello with a little embarassment. "I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for Raph?"
"I've taken you for granted. How the heck do you do this Donnie? I musta nearly fallen apart about fifteen times tonight."
"But you didn't."
"Cause you wouldn't let me! Seriously, how?"
"It's not easy Raph, that's the truth. I've come pretty darn close to losing it through the years myself. We've been a little spoiled having the docs around so much. As much as we need their help and expertise, I've gotta say that part of the reason I'm so grateful for them is because it meant we could kick your shells out, and you wouldn't have to see this side of it. I'm sorry you had to be thrown right into the deep end tonight, and that I had to be so focused on figuring stuff out. I know it really left you guys kinda on your own."
"It ain't your fault Don, we sure weren't gonna fix it. Did I hear you say the docs are an hour away?"
"Uh huh, Marc's driving, definitely a better idea than having Luke behind the wheel right now."
"Yeah, why's that?"
"Because it means they'll probably make it here in one piece. You know how Luke gets when he needs to be somewhere fast."
"I'm sorry we had to ruin this trip for them."
"Nobody planned this Raph. Stuff happens."
Leonardo returned with coffee a couple of minutes later, and resumed his own vigil with Michelangelo. Donatello gazed at him for a long moment, as he blew steam off the top of his cup. This last year had seen changes in everyone, but probably none more than their fearless leader. He seemed to have aged considerably over the course of the last seven months alone. There was a firm confidence in his gaze that none of that evening's events had truly succeeded in shaking, even when he didn't really know what he was doing.
Leonardo seemed to sense Donnie's look, and glanced up at him with a little bit of a tired smile.
"So. Is it always like this?" He asked.
"God knows we can sure keep life interesting." Donnie replied.
"I think I could settle for things being a little boring." Leo told him impishly.
Luke and Marcus arrived less than an hour later, so worked up themselves that they were shocked by how calm the brothers were.
"I think he's through the worst of it." Donatello told them evenly. "We may still have infection to kill off, but at least we're being proactive with it. That should help anyway."
He proceeded to show them the blade, and all of his findings from searching for the venom. Luke and Marc took their own opportunity to thoroughly examine Michelangelo, encouraged by the improvement in his vitals already.
"Boy your stitches are clean Donnie - I'd think you went to med school or something." Luke grinned.
"Nah - I've just worked alongside the two best doctors on the planet for the last few years. And I had a couple helpful assistants tonight I might add." He finished.
Marcus shook his head. "I don't know what you even need us for."
"Ya'll can have it all Marc, seriously." Raphael spoke up. "This sure ain't my forte."
"Maybe not," Luke said slowly. "But you kept your heads on, and you didn't let your brother down. I'm proud of you guys."
"I don't think we really did much Doc." Leo told him. "It was sort of like babysitting."
"I don't know what babysittin' you're talking about Leo, but that sure wasn't like any I've ever done." Raphael muttered. "I have a brand new respect for you brilliant people - and I'm including you in that Donnie."
It was a little hard to get Leonardo and Raphael to leave after that, but with a considerable amount of coaxing, they agreed to getting some rest. As they were walking upstairs, Raphael lightly punched his brother's shoulder.
"Does it every bother you, still having to share a room with me? You really don't have to anymore I guess."
"Raph, I've been sleeping above you for so long, I don't know if I can relax without the sound of your snoring." Leo replied with a laugh.
"Now I'm bein' serious Fearless. You deserve some privacy of your own if you want it."
"I'm happy the way things are. Just because some things change, it doesn't mean we have to uproot everything."
"I 'spose not." Raphael replied, reaching down to scoop Tiger off of the floor. "But what about this girl, do you mind having to share your bed with a mighty hunter?"
"So long as I don't become her scratching post at 4am, she doesn't bother me either." He replied with a grin, followed by a wide yawn. "I don't know how I can be this tired with all that caffeine in me."
"You're immune." Raphael told him as he settled onto the bottom bunk, allowing Tiger to curl up next to him.
"Guess I'll have to break out the espresso next time." Leonardo murmured above him, and lapsed into silence.
"Leo?"
"Hm?"
"I'm glad you're here. I can't imagine gettin' through all this without you."
He reached a fist over the side of the railing, and Raphael bumped it with his own.
"Same here Raph."
