Epilogue-There's no Place like Home
"Mikey…Time to wake up, bro…"
"The operation is over, Michelangelo…"
The voices were getting louder and clearer as Mikey begun to wake up from his slumber. His eyes felt like they were made of heavy lead as he struggled to open them, but eventually he managed to flutter them open before he looked around to see who was talking to him, despite his vision not being 100% clear yet.
It was then that two blurry figures came into view, and Mikey's vision soon became clearer to recognise them as Donnie and Leatherhead, both of whom were smiling warmly at him when they saw him wake up.
"Hey there, little bro…how are you feeling?" Donnie asked softly.
"…M-My throat's…a lil' sore…" Mikey answered in a slurred and raspy tone due to the soreness and tiredness that he was now feeling.
"That's normal, Mikey…It should ease away after a few day's rest…" Donnie replied in understanding as he placed a hand on Mikey's forehead to check his fever, which was starting to go down. "Your fever should also break soon, now that the operation is over and done with…"
"Wha's everythin'…ok?" Mikey asked in a whisper to reduce the strain in his throat.
"The operation was a success, my friend…Your tonsils have been fully removed and the infection will soon clear away completely with the right medication, so there is no need to worry anymore…" Leatherhead explained slowly.
Mikey didn't speak due to his sore throat, so he instead just smiled and nodded to say that he understood what Leatherhead said before he watched as the large reptile smiled back and then walked over to the monitors to check Mikey's vitals again.
"There was a moment during the operation where your blood pressure dropped, but only for a moment...and then everything went smoothly after that..." Donnie explained as he walked over to pick up Mikey's toy cat from his desk and bring it over to his little brother's bed before placing it next to Mikey's head.
"K-Kitty..." Mikey whispered as he nuzzled his orange cat plushie, causing Donnie to chuckle with a smile.
"We'll give you a few more minutes to come around a bit more before we bring the others in to see you, ok?" The purple-banded turtle said softly as he rubbed his little brother's head affectionately.
Mikey nodded slightly before he closed his eyes to have another few minutes of sleep to get rid of what's left of the anaesthetic in his body, so that he wouldn't feel as tired for when his visitors come in later on.
/
10 minutes later…
Mikey was roused from his slumber when he felt a gentle shaking sensation on his left shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Donnie looking at him with a warm smile before he heard him speak.
"Do you feel up for some visitors now, Mikey?"
After hearing that, Mikey's face beamed before he nodded his head to confirm that he would like to see the rest of his friends and family again.
"Ok, I'll go let the others know that they can come in…" Donnie said warmly as he sat Mikey up a bit before he headed towards the door.
As soon as Donnie opened the door and signalled to those waiting on the other side to come in, Leo, April, and Casey suddenly entered the room and saw for themselves that Mikey was finally awake.
"Mikey!" "Hey, little brother…!" The trio cheered softly, and Mikey saw them coming over to his bed whilst wearing happy and relieved looks on their faces.
"H-Hey…" Mikey whispered with a small wave.
"Hi, sweetie…! I see that your new furry friend is keeping you company…!" April said first before she gave Mikey a soft kiss on his forehead.
"Heya, bud…! Welcome back from da Land of Dreams!" Casey said next as he placed a hand on Mikey's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Donnie has already let us know about how the operation went…I told you that you would be fine, Mikey…!" Leo said with a proud smile as he gently rubbed his little brother's head.
Mikey smiled at the trio before noticing that Raph and Master Splinter were not with them when they came in, causing him to feel anxious.
"R-Raphie…I-Is he still…?" He whispered with tears developing in his eyes due to concerns that Raph might still be angry at him for being useless because of his illness.
Leo sensed what Mikey was feeling and immediately sat on the edge of the bed and held his brother's upper body close as he spoke.
"Hey, hey…calm down, Mikey…! Raph's not mad at you; he's just finishing his 'punishment' that Master Splinter had put on him after he heard what he did to you hours ago…"
"That's right! He'll be joining us soon, so don't worry, ok…?" Donnie said in agreement.
Mikey nodded after letting out a sigh of relief, despite the feeling of anxiety still clinging onto his heart.
Then, the door opened again and Master Splinter entered the infirmary before Raph, who looked a bit tired, followed him in from behind but kept his distance from the others for now.
"Hello, my son…How are you feeling?" Master Splinter said as soon as he reached Mikey's bed.
"M'okay…J-Just sore…" Mikey answered before he nervously looked over at where a sheepish-looking Raph was standing, which didn't go unnoticed by Master Splinter.
"Raphael, come and see your brother…" The old sensei called his red-banded son over.
To avoid another punishment, Raph obeyed his father's words and slowly approached Mikey's bed whilst keeping his eye contact with his brother to a minimum.
"R-Raphie…?" Mikey called his brother's name nervously, causing Raph to look at him with soft eyes and a warm smirk.
"Heya, bro…M'glad yer still talkin' ta us…" The red-banded turtle replied in an unusually gently tone as he sat on the edge of Mikey's bed. He went quiet for a moment before he cleared his throat and spoke again.
"Err…Listen, Mike…M'sorry fer treatin' ya badly earlier; I let my anger do all da talkin' and let everythin' dat happened up topside onto ya, which was completely uncalled for…"
Raph then slowly raised a hand to reach and hold one of Mikey's before he said, "I hope ya can forgive me, bro…"
Mikey froze when Raph held his hand. He never expected his red-banded brother to speak to him in such an apologetic way when, hours ago, he angrily called him useless and a sidekick.
"S-So…M'not just a…useless s-sidekick…?" Mikey questioned, scared that Raph might confirm his fears.
Before Raph himself could answer that, however…
"No, Mikey! You're our brother and teammate!" Leo jumped in firmly but caringly whilst placing a comforting hand on his little brother's shoulder.
The others glared at Raph, who immediately started to feel more sheepish when he saw everyone looking at him with harsh eyes.
"Yeah…I didn't mean ta call ya dat, bro…Like I said; my anger did all da talkin' and I didn't stop it…" Raph confirmed sincerely whilst gently squeezing Mikey's hand.
Mikey looked at his red-banded brother again and slowly developed a smile on his face before he spoke in a whisper.
"S'ok…I-I forgive you, Raphie…"
Raph's eyes widened at those words. He was surprised to hear that kind of response from his youngest brother despite how badly he treated him hours ago. He then snapped out of his shock and gently engulfed Mikey into a hug, which he rarely gave to any of his brothers since he had always tried to keep his tough guy image intact.
"Thanks, lil' bro…" He whispered with a warm smirk. Mikey accepted the hug by pressing his head against Raph's shoulder.
The others watched this happen with happy and relieved looks on their faces, knowing that the relationship between the two brothers was reconciled once more.
Suddenly, Mikey remembered something from earlier and released Raph as he spoke in a raspy tone.
"W-What about…t-the game…?"
Before Raph could answer, Casey had jumped in and beaten him to it.
"Oh, yeah! Don't worry about dat, man…! Whilst we waited for yer surgery ta finish, da news popped up and announced dat da hockey game had been rescheduled to a date dat's two months away cos one of da players sustained a serious injury durin' a friendly match!"
Mikey was surprised by that. "S-Seriously…?"
"Yep! And Donnie said dat ya should be well enough ta go with us by then!" Casey said confidently.
"R-Really…!? I-I can go!?" Mikey asked Donnie whilst looking at him with pleading eyes.
"As long as you stick to your rest and medication, you can go to the game…" Donnie answered in his 'Doctor Don' voice whilst wearing an amused smile.
Hearing that, Mikey punched the air with a pleased smile before he felt Raph giving him a sideways hug whilst wearing a smirk.
"Erm…By the way…I-I had this…really epic dream…" Mikey said after a moment of silence.
"A dream?" Leo questioned curiously.
"Mm-hm…You were all in it, and-Ngh!" Mikey tried to explain his dream in more detail but he was cut off by a sudden wave of pain in his throat.
"Easy, Mikey…! You shouldn't be talking too much right now!" Donnie said as he immediately tended to his immediate younger brother.
"Sorry, little brother; we shouldn't have made you talk a lot when you just had your tonsils removed…" Leo said guiltily.
"I have an idea…!" April suddenly said with a bright smile before she and Casey lifted up a bag, reached into it, and took something out of it.
"Ta-da!" The couple said in unison when they revealed a brand new sketchbook wrapped with an orange-coloured gift ribbon around the sides, causing Mikey to look at it in surprise.
"You can use your new sketchbook to draw pictures and tell us about what happened in your dream!" April proposed with a happily.
Mikey nodded at April's idea gleefully before he let out a yawn, which didn't go unnoticed by Donnie.
"Maybe after you've recovered a bit more, bro…" The purple-banded turtle said softly before he helped lay his brother down, lifted the blanket up to Mikey's shoulders, and tucked him in.
"Yes…Once you are feeling better, Michelangelo, you can show and tell us everything that you experienced in your dream…" Master Splinter said in agreement before he gave Mikey a kiss on his head. "Rest well, my son…I will see you later…"
Mikey nodded before he closed his eyes and fell asleep seconds later whilst still wearing a small smile on his face.
"Shell, he's out like a light…" Raph said in disbelief.
"Well, he just had an important operation, after all…" Donnie pointed out.
"Come on, guys; let's leave him to sleep in peace…" Leo said before he and the others left the infirmary to let Mikey sleep without being disturbed, whilst promising in their minds to check on him later on.
/
1 month later…
A few weeks had passed since Mikey had his tonsils removed, and after spending another day in the infirmary, he was moved to his bedroom for the rest of his recovery from his operation. His brothers, father, and human friends would always come in to check on him, bring him food and drink, or just to keep him company.
The group then gave Mikey a big surprise one day during his recovery; an ice cream sundae with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and sprinkles! The young turtle was amazed at his surprise and thanked everyone before he begun eating it at a slow pace under Donnie's instruction.
As time went on, Mikey started using his new sketchbook that April and Casey bought for him to draw pictures of scenes based on what he experienced in his dream whilst he was on bed rest and when nobody was around. He was looking forward to telling everyone all about it ever since he woke up from his operation.
Soon, his throat was now a lot better; it wasn't as swollen or inflamed as it was before, and he was able to speak more clearly without coughing or rasping. Donnie gave him a check-over before he gave him the all-clear to leave his bed, much to the youngest's relief.
"Hey, Donnie, can you ask everyone to gather in the TV area? I'm ready to tell you all about my dream now…" Mikey asked whilst getting up from his bed and picking up his sketchbook from his bedside table.
"Of course, bro…!" Donnie answered as he walked out of the room with his little brother and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
/
The TV area…
Everyone had taken their seats on the sofas in the TV area. However, Leatherhead had notified the turtles that he couldn't make it as he had to help the Utroms with some important scientific research. The turtles understood and told him that they had no problem with it whilst saying that Mikey would tell him his story the next he saw him.
Once everyone was sitting comfortably, Mikey begun his story as soon as he opened his now-filled sketchbook to reveal the first picture.
The others made 'oohs' and 'aahs' as they listened to Mikey's illustrated story about being in a world called Oz, and meeting new friends that looked like them, as well as fighting against a powerful enemy who looked just like the Shredder.
Soon, Mikey got to the end of his story; he showed the others the last few pages where the Oz version of his brothers were granted their wishes by the Great Wizard and they all said their farewells to Mikey before he drank the Tea of Elements to head back home to his family.
"…And that's the end!" Mikey said as he closed his sketchbook.
"Wow, what an amazing story…!" April praised whilst clapping her hands.
"Yeah, though I can't believe that I was a clueless scarecrow!" Donnie replied in disbelief whilst pouting and crossing his arms.
"You weren't clueless, Donnie…You were smarter than you think…!" Mikey countered reassuringly, making Donnie develop a thankful smile.
"Well, I gotta say…it's da first time I heard dat Leo was a scaredy cat…!" Raph said with a smirk.
"Says Raph the heartless Tin Man…!" Leo countered teasingly with a mocking glare.
"Hey!" Raph shouted with angry glare.
"Now, my sons…The Great Wizard commands that you behave yourselves or you will both receive a punishment…!" Master Splinter warned playfully, causing everyone to laugh.
"Well, I'm just glad that it had a happy ending…! That part where you almost lost your life scared me a little…" Leo said after calming down from his laughing fit.
"Yeah, me too…" Mikey said in agreement with a sad smile.
"You ok, Mikey?" Donnie asked in concern.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine… it's just…Even though it was only a dream, it felt like I was in a real place with real people…" Mikey answered in thought before he asked Donnie a question.
"How long was I asleep during the operation, Donnie?"
"About 4 hours…" Donnie answered, surprising Mikey.
"Really!? It felt more like days than hours…!" The orange-banded turtle replied with wide eyes.
"I know that it's just a dream, Mikey, but do you miss them? The Oz version of us?" Leo asked softly.
Mikey became silent for a moment as he thought about Leo's question. Then, he sighed softly and produced a sad smile before he spoke his answer.
"…To be honest, part of me does miss them cos they did so much for me throughout my adventure in Oz. However, the other part of me says that I shouldn't be sad cos, even though they looked like you guys, they weren't really you…You know what I mean?"
"Yeah, we understand what you mean, Mikey…" Leo replied softly with a nod.
"Hang on a minute; Is it possible that Mikey was in a different dimension…?" April questioned suddenly in thought.
"I don't know about that…there have been theories about the possibilities of more dimensions than just this one, and I know that we've had experiences of being in different dimensions during our battle with Draco and the Daimyo's son a few years ago…but travelling from one dimension to another through dreams is, to our knowledge, impossible…" Donnie answered in a doubtful tone.
"Oh…" Mikey said sadly, his voice also sounding a bit disheartened. Donnie immediately felt guilty and sat next to him before giving him a sideways hug.
"I'm sorry, Mikey, I didn't mean to upset you…" The purple-banded turtle said softly.
"No, it's not your fault, Don…I'm ok…" Mikey quickly replied whilst nuzzling the crook of Donnie's neck as he accepted the hug.
Leo watched the scene before he approached the duo and knelt in front of them as he spoke to his youngest brother.
"Listen to me, Mikey; no matter which dimension you might end up in during our missions or adventures, we will always be there by your side to make sure that you're safe and unharmed…even if those on the other side just look like us…"
Mikey looked at Leo in astonishment before he smiled and raised an arm, signalling him to join the hug. Leo immediately accepted the gesture and hugged his little brother after Donnie moved aside to give them more space.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I could do with somethin' ta eat…!" Raph suddenly said after a moment of silence.
"Now that you mention it, it is getting closer to dinnertime…" Donnie said as he looked at the clock on the wall, which showed that it was now 6 o'clock in the evening.
"We can have dinner at my place tonight! My treat…!" April offered happily.
"Thanks, April…! That would be great!" Donnie replied cheerfully.
"Well, what're we waitin' for? Let's go get some grub!" Raph said impatiently before he made his way towards the lair's exit.
Donnie, April, Casey, and Master Splinter all followed suit whilst Leo and Mikey watched on from their seats in amusement.
"He's always gotta ruin the moment, huh…" Mikey said with a light chuckle as he watched Raph go whilst shaking his head.
"Yep…Come on, let's go join the others…" Leo replied in agreement before he stood up and started walking away.
"You go on ahead, I just need to put this away real quick…I'll catch up…" Mikey said as he too stood up from his seat and picked up his sketchbook.
Leo nodded and walked away to catch up with the others whilst Mikey headed towards his bedroom to put his sketchbook away.
As he walked into his room, Mikey stumbled a bit after catching his foot on one of his action figures on the floor, causing him to drop his sketchbook in the process. The sketchbook opened itself up when it landed on the floor, but it didn't get damaged.
Mikey was about to pick it up when he saw something on one of the pages. It was a picture, but the strange thing was…he wasn't the one who drew it.
"What's this?" He said in thought before he picked up the sketchbook to inspect it.
He looked at it more closely and what he saw made his eyes widen in shock and surprise; the picture featured three scenes and they each had an Oz version of his older brothers!
The first scene had Donnie the scarecrow turtle in it. He was making herbal medicine whilst standing next to Leatherhead who was working on some body armour. They were both smiling, meaning that they were enjoying their work and time together as apprentice and teacher.
The second scene had Raph the tin turtle in it. He was wearing a smirk on his face as he hammered a hot steel rod, meaning that he was making a weapon, whilst the blacksmith watched him with a proud expression on his face.
The third and last scene had Leo the lion-cloaked turtle in it. He was standing confidently with his katana swords in hand in the middle of a group of ninjas, and they were all wearing the uniforms of the Elite Ninja guard. They looked as if they were readying themselves for a serious mission.
"They're all doing ok…I'm so glad…" Mikey said softly with tears of joy falling down his face.
"Mikey? Are you coming or not? We don't want to be left behind…!" Leo called out suddenly, making the young turtle jump and snap himself out of his thoughts.
"H-Huh? Oh, yeah I'm coming…!" Mikey called out his response before he placed his sketchbook on the bed and quickly left the room.
When Leo saw Mikey leave his room and walk closer to him, he noticed that the young turtle had fresh tear streaks on his face.
"Are you ok?" Leo asked in concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine…I'm just happy that everything's alright now, especially with my tonsils being removed, and that there's really no place like home…" Mikey answered whilst wiping his face.
"Same here, little brother…Same here…" Leo said warmly in agreement whilst wrapping an arm around Mikey's shoulders as he and his little brother made their way towards the exit to catch up with the others.
As they left, the duo didn't notice a faint figure standing near the entrance to Mikey's room. It was Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.
"Thank you for everything, Mikey…Take care…" She whispered with a warm smile as she watched him and his oldest brother leave before she slowly faded away and disappeared altogether.
The end.
/
Author's notes:
Finally, it's finished! Sorry for the long wait in completing this story; it's been a bit up and down on my side in terms of family matters and my personal aims for the future.
I hope you have enjoyed this story, and I thank you all for your patience in waiting for its completion.
