Chapter Three
He moaned and opened his eyes slowly. The soft flickering of a candle on the table beside the old rocking chair was the only source of light in the room.
"Ahh, awake now, I see. How do you feel, my son?" Don looked up slowly. He was covered with a blanket, and positioned carefully in Splinter's lap, with his head leaning on his master's arm. Donatello could feel the wrapping on his injured ankle, and the pain that had fortunately died down a bit.
"My ankle hurts and I have a headache", Don said quietly.
"I would not be surprised my son," Splinter said gently with an eyebrow raised, "you had quite a fall in the den when you fainted." That's what happened? Oh man, I must have been in 'shock'- if that's what they call it, Donnie thought.
"I didn't know I fainted," Donnie said in surprise.
" You certainly did. I brought you in here after your brothers told me that you had fallen and had not woken up. After I tended Leonardo, I took care of your ankle. I wanted to keep an eye on both of you, so I kept you in here. You have been unconscious for about two hours."
Don could now see his brother lying in the cot in front of him, with bandages and stitches scattered all over his body. Splinter had Donatello sit up and drink some sour-tasting tea to help his ankle heal. After puckering his face from the sour tea, Don looked at his brother again and looked up to his master nervously.
"How is Leonardo, is he gonna be okay?" Don asked worriedly. Splinter looked at his son on the bed and returned his gaze to the one sitting in his lap.
"He will be fine. He is going to take a while to heal, however. He has gone into a state similar to hibernation. In doing so, his body will be able to heal itself. It will take some time, though", Splinter told him.
There was a slight pause, and Donnie looked up. Splinter was looking at Leonardo with so much worry in his eyes.and disappointment. Don shrunk, lowering his head. Was Splinter mad with him? Donnie wished that Leo would wake up and say he was okay, so it could be all over.
"My son, can you tell me what happened?" Splinter asked. Don felt his breath catch, and shook his head. He didn't want to say anything, but his master asked him directly. What could he do? He didn't want to lie, but he was too scared to tell the truth.
"I can't remember all that well. I just know that the dog attacked Leonardo. I don't feel like talking right now, Master", Donnie replied. He held his breath, hoping he had been convincing enough to be able to avoid the topic at hand.
"That is all right, I know you are still frightened. I will not pressure you", Splinter said kindly. Don made a mental sigh of relief. Safe for now, he thought
"Now, you must get some rest my son", his sensei replied. Splinter stood up to go put his son to bed, when Donnie stopped him.
"Master, can I stay in here with Leo for a little while, please?" his son begged. Splinter was about to shake his head, but the plea was so apparent in the young turtle's eyes, he couldn't say no.
"He needs to rest and recover, as do you, but I will allow you to have some time with him", Splinter said. He set Don down on the rocking chair, and left the room for a moment to speak to his other sons.
Raph and Mike were sitting on the floor in front of the couch when Splinter approached. He sat on the edge of the sofa; the two turtles turned and knelt in front of him.
"How is Leo and Donnie doing? Can we see them?" the younger of the two asked. "They will be fine. No, Michaelangelo, I'm afraid not- not for a little while. Leonardo is going to take a while to recover, and Donatello needs much quiet and rest." The two turtles' faces dropped sadly.
"Do not worry my sons, they will recover soon. Just give them time", Splinter smiled. He decided that evening practice would not be held- no one was in shape to workout, mentally or physically. He let the two boys have some quiet time and returned to his study.
Splinter opened the door to find Donatello sitting on the floor beside the cot, half asleep.
"I believe it is time for you to get some rest, my son", Splinter said, kneeling down to pick up his son.
"I'm not tired, sensei, please let me stay a while longer", Donnie protested, shaking his head while trying to suppress a yawn.
"You are going to get some rest now. No arguing," Splinter scolded him quietly, giving him a gentle tap on the shell with his hand. Donnie obeyed and curled up in his father's embrace, falling asleep in the warmth of his arms. Splinter walked into the boys' shared room and put his son to bed. After bringing the blanket up to his son's chin, he turned out the light and left the room. Donatello snuggled into his blanket and went to sleep.
Little did he know of what was to come.
He moaned and opened his eyes slowly. The soft flickering of a candle on the table beside the old rocking chair was the only source of light in the room.
"Ahh, awake now, I see. How do you feel, my son?" Don looked up slowly. He was covered with a blanket, and positioned carefully in Splinter's lap, with his head leaning on his master's arm. Donatello could feel the wrapping on his injured ankle, and the pain that had fortunately died down a bit.
"My ankle hurts and I have a headache", Don said quietly.
"I would not be surprised my son," Splinter said gently with an eyebrow raised, "you had quite a fall in the den when you fainted." That's what happened? Oh man, I must have been in 'shock'- if that's what they call it, Donnie thought.
"I didn't know I fainted," Donnie said in surprise.
" You certainly did. I brought you in here after your brothers told me that you had fallen and had not woken up. After I tended Leonardo, I took care of your ankle. I wanted to keep an eye on both of you, so I kept you in here. You have been unconscious for about two hours."
Don could now see his brother lying in the cot in front of him, with bandages and stitches scattered all over his body. Splinter had Donatello sit up and drink some sour-tasting tea to help his ankle heal. After puckering his face from the sour tea, Don looked at his brother again and looked up to his master nervously.
"How is Leonardo, is he gonna be okay?" Don asked worriedly. Splinter looked at his son on the bed and returned his gaze to the one sitting in his lap.
"He will be fine. He is going to take a while to heal, however. He has gone into a state similar to hibernation. In doing so, his body will be able to heal itself. It will take some time, though", Splinter told him.
There was a slight pause, and Donnie looked up. Splinter was looking at Leonardo with so much worry in his eyes.and disappointment. Don shrunk, lowering his head. Was Splinter mad with him? Donnie wished that Leo would wake up and say he was okay, so it could be all over.
"My son, can you tell me what happened?" Splinter asked. Don felt his breath catch, and shook his head. He didn't want to say anything, but his master asked him directly. What could he do? He didn't want to lie, but he was too scared to tell the truth.
"I can't remember all that well. I just know that the dog attacked Leonardo. I don't feel like talking right now, Master", Donnie replied. He held his breath, hoping he had been convincing enough to be able to avoid the topic at hand.
"That is all right, I know you are still frightened. I will not pressure you", Splinter said kindly. Don made a mental sigh of relief. Safe for now, he thought
"Now, you must get some rest my son", his sensei replied. Splinter stood up to go put his son to bed, when Donnie stopped him.
"Master, can I stay in here with Leo for a little while, please?" his son begged. Splinter was about to shake his head, but the plea was so apparent in the young turtle's eyes, he couldn't say no.
"He needs to rest and recover, as do you, but I will allow you to have some time with him", Splinter said. He set Don down on the rocking chair, and left the room for a moment to speak to his other sons.
Raph and Mike were sitting on the floor in front of the couch when Splinter approached. He sat on the edge of the sofa; the two turtles turned and knelt in front of him.
"How is Leo and Donnie doing? Can we see them?" the younger of the two asked. "They will be fine. No, Michaelangelo, I'm afraid not- not for a little while. Leonardo is going to take a while to recover, and Donatello needs much quiet and rest." The two turtles' faces dropped sadly.
"Do not worry my sons, they will recover soon. Just give them time", Splinter smiled. He decided that evening practice would not be held- no one was in shape to workout, mentally or physically. He let the two boys have some quiet time and returned to his study.
Splinter opened the door to find Donatello sitting on the floor beside the cot, half asleep.
"I believe it is time for you to get some rest, my son", Splinter said, kneeling down to pick up his son.
"I'm not tired, sensei, please let me stay a while longer", Donnie protested, shaking his head while trying to suppress a yawn.
"You are going to get some rest now. No arguing," Splinter scolded him quietly, giving him a gentle tap on the shell with his hand. Donnie obeyed and curled up in his father's embrace, falling asleep in the warmth of his arms. Splinter walked into the boys' shared room and put his son to bed. After bringing the blanket up to his son's chin, he turned out the light and left the room. Donatello snuggled into his blanket and went to sleep.
Little did he know of what was to come.