Leo groaned as he felt his shell hitting the soft mattress. April and Casey had managed to pull out cots in the lab. Leonardo could feel Michelangelo's gaze on him, eying the marks and wounds that covered the length of his body. Something flashed across Mikey's baby blue irises, something that even left the eldest a bit nervous. An angry Mikey was something that you didn't want to see.

"Aw, Mikey's angry," Raph spoke only go into a hacking fit.

"Easy, Raph," Casey pushed the hothead back against his cot.

"I think you're running a high fever," April said, feeling Raphael's forehead.

"What did he do you, dudes?" Mikey questioned, gritting his teeth. He now had a worried expression as he gazed at all three of them. All three of his brothers had puncture wounds, slashes and cuts, though Leo had the most. The eldest seemed pale, like he had lost a significant amount of blood.

Raph was excessively sweating, looking delirious and sick. Donnie on the other hand, continue to shake and quiver violently.

"Hun, he tortured us…" Leo rasped, watching as Mikey took some bandages and antiseptics. "Ah! Careful, Mikey," he grunted when the orange masked turtle began to clean his wounds. Mikey had been patched up by his own brothers before that he knew the procedure of first aid. He wrapped up Leonardo's wounds with bandages, and gently took off his blue bandana seeing that it was stained.

"Dude, you look like a mummy, Leo," Mikey stated. Leo gazed at his little brother before letting out a soft laugh. Mikey grinned at that, happy to see that he could at least bring a small smile to Leo's face. "How you doing, D?" he pinpointed his attention to the genius turtle, walking over to his bedside. He took the bandages and alcohol swabs, giving Donnie the same treatment.

"Ah," Donnie winced. "These punctures are deep…" Mikey frowned sadly, wrapping up the olive-green turtle's wounds.

"You don't look too good bro, you're shaking pretty bad," Mikey took notice of the turtle's trembling body.

"It's perhaps the aftermath of that shock torture," Donnie winced, squeezing an eye shut. "My body won't stop shaking…"

"Don't worry, D. You'll be better in no time!" Mikey grinned, turning around to take the blanket that April handed him. He wrapped it around his brother, Donnie's hands clenching around the edges tightly. "And I'll feed you all my famous pizza noodle soup."

"For once in my life…" Raph grunted, leaning his head to the side so he could gaze at the orange clad turtle. "I want Mikey's pizza noodle soup…"

"Hey, it's not bad, trust me dudes," Mikey replied, placing his hands onto his hips. "You guys look starving, so Dr. Cookenstein will be right out!" With that, Mikey made a beeline for the kitchen. It was hard for him to see his brothers in such horrible conditions, and the way that they looked thinned. They were probably starved, but that didn't matter. Mikey was feeding them, and they were going to love it.

"Just relax, Donnie," April whispered. "You need to relax your mind." The genius turtle nodded his head shakily.

"So what happened to you?" Casey asked Raph, noticing the visible sweat trickling down the emerald green turtle's skin. He frowned, turning around to find a cloth and dipped it in cool water.

"Was put in a heat chamber," Raph coughed, a dry one. Mikey had entered the lab holding a giant steaming pot with bowls. He set it onto the lab table, scooping up a portion to pour into each bowl.

Mikey took the bowls to each of his brothers, awaiting their reactions as they gently took a sip. April had to hold Donnie's bowl out for him since he was a tad bit too shaky. Mikey did the same for Raph, since the hothead looked defeated. Leo was able to hold his bowl gently, keeping it on his thigh as he took sips.

"Here you go, Raphie," Mikey took out a spoonful from the bowl, pressing it at Raphael's mouth. The hothead opened his mouth, tasting the soup. Mikey gazed at him, waiting for his reaction.

"W-wow…" Raph coughed, reaching out a hand toward the bowl. "That is.. the best thing I've ever tasted…"

"Wow, Mikey, this is delicious," Leo stated.

"Makes me feel all warm and tingly inside," Donnie added.

"I told ya dudes that you'd love it," Mikey smirked, allowing Raph to hold his bowl as he took more sips. Mikey allowed himself to relax a bit, as April and Casey went to fetch some glasses of water. It was important his brothers get the nutrients that they need. They were famished and dehydrated.

Mikey removed the cloth from Raph's forehead, wetting it once more and replacing it back onto the turtle. Raph closed his eyes, once he had finished his soup, allowing himself to sink into the covers. Mikey sighed softly as Donnie was immediately passed out, as well as Leo. They were exhausted, and the youngest couldn't blame them. He was just glad that they were finally home, and were going to be okay.

He turned around, as April grasped his arm gently. "We'll need to give Leo a blood transfusion, do you mind?" Mikey shivered, as much as he hated needles, but this was essential. The youngest would do anything for his brothers. The terrapin nodded his head, letting April guide him to a guide to begin the procedure.

Once it was over, and the bag of blood was connected to an IV that went into Leo's arm, the leader's paleness slowly began to dissipate. Leo's skin began to return to its normal color. With that, all three of them were out cold. Mikey brought up a chair in between the three of them, leaning against the back of it with his plastron. He folded his arms onto the top of the chair's headrest, leaning his chin against his arm.

Baby blue eyes continued to watch his three older brothers' sleeping forms, before he too drifted off into sleep.

The next few days went the same, with treating his brothers. Raph's fever slowly died down and he stopped sweating and became less sickly. Donnie's body still quivered intensely, but April would continue to massage him to try to calm him down. As for Leo, the leader laid there resting. Mikey had taken all of his brothers' bandanas and washed them, freeing them from the dark stains of blood before returning them to their respective owners. The clean bandanas made his brothers look more livelier. It was the same for a while, they were fed soup, until they could managed to eat solid food. Day by day, they continued to regain strength.

Mikey would always joke around, trying to lift his brothers moods. Needless to say, it ended up being successful. The youngest liked seeing his brothers smile, he couldn't bare to see them depressed or defeated.

And once several weeks had passed their injuries began to heal completely, where they didn't need to have their bandages on anymore.

The four of them were in the TV pit, with April and Casey sitting in the background. The brothers were seated together, watching a show together.

"Can't believe that this little guy here saved our shells," Leo grinned, wrapping an arm around Mikey's shoulders.

"Who would've thought?" Raph chuckled. Donnie rubbed Mikey's head, as the youngest blushed in embarrassment at the attention. He spared a quick glance behind him at both April and Casey. April nodded her head at him, giving the turtle the message. Mikey turned back to face his brothers, taking in a deep breath. He could hear April's thoughts buzzing into his own.

Tell them, Mikey.

"Mikey? You okay?" he blinked to find his three brothers gazing at him with confusion.

"You went quiet there for a second," Leo said. "Which is unlike you."

"Yeah, what's buggin' ya?" Mikey met Raph's gaze.

"Well, there's something I need you tell you bros," Mikey took in a deep breath. "Or rather something I need to confess." When his brothers didn't reply, Mikey took it as cue to continue on. "It's just… sometimes…. I feel like that I have purpose on this team. Leo is the leader, Raph is tough and Donnie is the smart one. And then there's me, who can't do anything."

"Mikey-" Donnie started.

"Just let me finish," Mikey interrupted him. He cleared his throat. "And I kept questioning why it had to be me, to save your shells. I wasn't good for anything, and I always screw things up and mess everything up," Mikey gazed down at his hands, clenching them before opening his palms. "Sometimes what you've said to me before, hit me hard. Where none of you wanted me around, and it hurt. You all think I'm stupid and can't do anything right. But… April told me that you guys would be devastated without me. That I am the glue in this family," Mikey dared to lift his gaze.

He suddenly felt three pairs of arms wrapping around his shell, tugging him close into a tight group embrace. Mikey's breath hitched, as tears stung his eyes. "We're sorry if we ever hurt you like that, little brother."

"April is right," Leo advised, smiling. "Remind me to thank her later. You are the glue in this family, Mikey. You are the sunshine."

"And if you ever think that you're useless again, I'll pound you," Raph threatened, giving Mikey a noogie. The youngest laughed, giggling.

"We're glad you saved us," Donnie sighed softly, smiling genuinely. "You can do anything, Mikey. Anything that you put your mind to," Donnie tapped the freckled turtle's head fondly. "And heart," he tapped Mikey's plastron. "You're the best little brother that I could ever have."

"Same," Raph grinned, giving Mikey a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you, Ototo," Leo rubbed Mikey's head affectionately, the freckled terrapin closing his eyes. "What could we do without you?" He patted Mikey's shoulder gently.

"Without me, you'd all be toast!" Mikey squeaked suddenly when he felt Leo tickling the back of his neck. "Hey! That tickles! A-hahaha!" The three brothers smirked as Mikey began to squirm. He felt Raph tickling his feet and Donnie his knees, being careful of his right one. Since Mikey did tell them of the injuries he had suffered that night. But he was better than ever now.

Who would've thought that lil Mikey could save the day?