Chapter Two
Donatello opened his eyes, wondering why he had not been attacked. The dog was gagging against a large staff that had been thrust into its neck, pushing it back. Don looked up the staff until he saw the tall form of his sensei standing right behind him, keeping the evil dog at bay.
"Donatello, stay with Leonardo while I attempt to get rid of this beast", Splinter told him, not taking his eyes away from the dog's. Donnie quickly slid over to his brother, who was still lying down in the sewer muck. Splinter continued to block the dog from getting past him, pushing it further and further away from his sons. The dog finally grew frustrated at the repeated blocks and blows it was getting from the giant creature with the big stick and jumped back. With a heart-stopping death glare aimed at the two young turtles, the dog finally turned around and ran off into the darkness.
Quickly, Splinter knelt down, looking back and forth at Donatello (who was shaking uncontrollably and clutching his ankle) and Leonardo (who was unconscious).
"Donatello, are you all right? Tell me what happened," Splinter asked as he carefully felt Leonardo's neck for any injuries, and turned him onto his side.
"That- that dog was-about to-to jump at me- but then Leo-"
His sentence stopped short when he saw his brother. Many bloody claw marks and lacerations sliced into Leonardo's small body. Bruises peppered his arms and legs, and his face was covered in bloody scratches.
Splinter sighed sadly as he felt his heart sink. A good number of the cuts would need stitches. Leonardo looked pale from blood loss, and felt a little cool, possibly from shock. He started to worry: Where did this dog come from? What had happened before he had arrived? Why did this dog suddenly attack his sons? How long could it take for Leonardo to recuperate- IF he could recuperate? He continued to check for broken bones or anything of the sort. Luckily, there were no bite marks that he could see on either of the boys.
"Come, my son, we must return home quickly," Splinter said as he reached down to pick up his unconscious son. Splinter paused as Don did not get up and looked at him questioningly.
"Master, I-I think my ankle's- broken," Don said worriedly. Splinter gently examined his son's ankle, observing how he reacted to each touch.
"Not broken, but it is badly fractured," Splinter told him. Knowing that both of his sons were not in any shape to walk, he strapped his staff onto his back, lifted his sons into his arms, and took them back to the lair.
Raphael and Michaelangelo watched in horror as their master entered the lair, holding their brothers.
"Is Leonardo okay? Is there anything we can do to help?" his two sons asked worriedly.
"We will see what happens", Splinter told them," Donatello, sit here in the living room for now." Donatello was gently lowered to the couch, being careful of his injured ankle.
"I must tend to Leonardo. We will find out how he is soon enough", Splinter said as he calmly brought his son into his study.
Donatello sat on the couch, hoping his brother would be okay. Images of the dog flashed through his mind.as well as images of Leo trying to protect him from the dog- only to become the victim himself. Don started to feel tightness in his chest and an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He suddenly realized what he was feeling- Guilt. He hadn't really done anything to help Leonardo from getting mauled by the dog. His mind whirled with thoughts and questions: Could I have done something to stop Leo from getting hurt? Am I responsible for what happened? What if Leo doesn't survive? Would I get the blame? What would Master Splinter and my brothers think? Fear rose in his mind and he felt as if a heavy weight had been put onto his shoulders. The pain of his fractured ankle was becoming stronger, and he started to feel cold. He began to feel lightheaded, and all he could remember was the floor of the lair coming up to meet his face before he slipped into darkness.
Donatello opened his eyes, wondering why he had not been attacked. The dog was gagging against a large staff that had been thrust into its neck, pushing it back. Don looked up the staff until he saw the tall form of his sensei standing right behind him, keeping the evil dog at bay.
"Donatello, stay with Leonardo while I attempt to get rid of this beast", Splinter told him, not taking his eyes away from the dog's. Donnie quickly slid over to his brother, who was still lying down in the sewer muck. Splinter continued to block the dog from getting past him, pushing it further and further away from his sons. The dog finally grew frustrated at the repeated blocks and blows it was getting from the giant creature with the big stick and jumped back. With a heart-stopping death glare aimed at the two young turtles, the dog finally turned around and ran off into the darkness.
Quickly, Splinter knelt down, looking back and forth at Donatello (who was shaking uncontrollably and clutching his ankle) and Leonardo (who was unconscious).
"Donatello, are you all right? Tell me what happened," Splinter asked as he carefully felt Leonardo's neck for any injuries, and turned him onto his side.
"That- that dog was-about to-to jump at me- but then Leo-"
His sentence stopped short when he saw his brother. Many bloody claw marks and lacerations sliced into Leonardo's small body. Bruises peppered his arms and legs, and his face was covered in bloody scratches.
Splinter sighed sadly as he felt his heart sink. A good number of the cuts would need stitches. Leonardo looked pale from blood loss, and felt a little cool, possibly from shock. He started to worry: Where did this dog come from? What had happened before he had arrived? Why did this dog suddenly attack his sons? How long could it take for Leonardo to recuperate- IF he could recuperate? He continued to check for broken bones or anything of the sort. Luckily, there were no bite marks that he could see on either of the boys.
"Come, my son, we must return home quickly," Splinter said as he reached down to pick up his unconscious son. Splinter paused as Don did not get up and looked at him questioningly.
"Master, I-I think my ankle's- broken," Don said worriedly. Splinter gently examined his son's ankle, observing how he reacted to each touch.
"Not broken, but it is badly fractured," Splinter told him. Knowing that both of his sons were not in any shape to walk, he strapped his staff onto his back, lifted his sons into his arms, and took them back to the lair.
Raphael and Michaelangelo watched in horror as their master entered the lair, holding their brothers.
"Is Leonardo okay? Is there anything we can do to help?" his two sons asked worriedly.
"We will see what happens", Splinter told them," Donatello, sit here in the living room for now." Donatello was gently lowered to the couch, being careful of his injured ankle.
"I must tend to Leonardo. We will find out how he is soon enough", Splinter said as he calmly brought his son into his study.
Donatello sat on the couch, hoping his brother would be okay. Images of the dog flashed through his mind.as well as images of Leo trying to protect him from the dog- only to become the victim himself. Don started to feel tightness in his chest and an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He suddenly realized what he was feeling- Guilt. He hadn't really done anything to help Leonardo from getting mauled by the dog. His mind whirled with thoughts and questions: Could I have done something to stop Leo from getting hurt? Am I responsible for what happened? What if Leo doesn't survive? Would I get the blame? What would Master Splinter and my brothers think? Fear rose in his mind and he felt as if a heavy weight had been put onto his shoulders. The pain of his fractured ankle was becoming stronger, and he started to feel cold. He began to feel lightheaded, and all he could remember was the floor of the lair coming up to meet his face before he slipped into darkness.