Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT. I wish I did, though. LOL! I can only dream to.

Warning: This fic may contain some harsh language and maybe some violence. Thank you all for reviewing my story, because it really means a lot to me. I'm sorry to keep you guys waiting so long… LOL! I've either been busy or I've not been feeling too well. Right now, I don't feel too well, but I will keep on writing just fro you guys. Plus, school starts next week on Thursday. OO Yikes! Oh, and I'd like to thank those who have helped me with this story and telling me things I need to know that's I've gotten wrong. Thanks guys!

SILENCE

Chapter 7

By Raphangela

Three weeks have past and Michelangelo still has not shown any signs of waking up and Raphael doesn't show any signs of leaving his brother's side for anything, only to go to the bathroom and for other bodily needs and functions. Raphael has stayed by his brother's side since the beginning, and so help him; he isn't going to leave his side now. The others continue what they usually do, but they do spend some time with their little brother and checking on Raphael as well in the process.

Raphael smiles down at his still sleeping brother as he sits beside the sleeping Mikey. 'Oh, Mikey, there are so many things I need to say… There are so many things I want to tell you. If only if you know how I truly feel, maybe it wouldn't be so hard to speak to you or to the others. I'm sorry, bro. I didn't mean to say what I had said to you that night…maybe I did…but…I was angry… I was miserable…I was my usual horrible self, which I hate so much.'

He sighs to himself and frowns deeply as he lifts his head up and then closes his eyes. Raph sighs again and looks back down at his brother and leans down toward him. Raphael reaches his right hand out and begins to caress his brother's head compassionately. 'It's all my fault…'

Raphael grimaces as he remembers a recent and terrible dream he had of his little brother. The dream had scared him out of his wits. In the dream it was a memory of when Mikey and he were only kids, playing around in the sewers. He remembers it like if it were only yesterday.

Raphael was teasing Michelangelo, saying that he is a coward because he didn't like dark places. Raphael told him to prove that he isn't a scaredy-cat and dragged his whimpering and screaming brother into the darkest sewer tunnel not too far from where they lived. Once they were both in the midst of the darkness of the tunnel, Raphael had purposely left the poor sibling all alone to defend for himself. Raphael laughed when he ran out of the tunnel, he laughed at his brother's cries for him to not leave him all alone. However, instead of his brother running out of the dark tunnel like he did in the past, Mikey never did come out. Everything went from quiet to eerie in a split second. The young Raphael became worried and slowly went back to retrieve his littlest brother, but as he did, he saw a dark shadow scurry on past him. Thinking that it was Mike pulling a practical joke on him Raphael growled and turned around to yell at his brother, but stopped when he saw that it wasn't Mike at all. It was a tall, dark individual that looked much like them, but it had an evil aura about it. The young Raphael looked up into the dark, older turtle's formidable eyes that seemed to glow like that of red-hot smoldering flames. The young turtle silently trembled as the being looked down at him menacingly; he appeared to have very much abhorrence for the young turtle in the red bandanna. The being then smiled wickedly and psychotically when it noticed the turtle's fright. It then said in a gentle voice, which contrasted its appearance; "You're brother is dead." The evil turtle then began to laugh an evil psychotic cackle and that's when he woke up.    

Ever since what happened to his little brother, Raphael has had nothing but nightmares and sleepless nights. He usually doesn't get much sleep, but when he does, nightmares flood his dreams like if it were Halloween night repeating itself over and over again. Raphael loves horror films, but lately he doesn't even want to hear about one, let alone seeing one. His own dreams, his nightmares are much worse than that of a Steven King horror film and they are all about Mikey. The recent dream he had was slightly mild compared to all the others he had for the past three weeks. They were very dark, very gory, very eerie, and terribly horrific, something beyond that a horror movie fanatic could ever dream of. No one, not even criminals, would want to live a horror film…not even Raph. 

In those dreams, Raphael always seems to feel Michelangelo's presence, even in the dreams that have no sign of him. He felt his presence in them, like he is truly there, even in the darkness and even in the emptiness. He felt him there, even though it felt like he was out of reach, he felt him there.

Raphael sighs as he watches his brother's chest going in an up and down motion. Raphael very badly wants his brother to wake up soon and not later. He wants Mikey to wake up so that not only can he apologize and set things right, but also end the nightmarish hell he's been having every time he falls asleep.

"Please, wake up soon my brother."

----

"What could have happened that night?" Leonardo asked his brother, Donatello.

Donatello watches his older brother pace back and forth. He is sitting on the sofa in front of the TV. "I don't know, Leo." He answers sincerely.

Leo looks at him and sighs. He had been miserable ever since before the defeat of the Shredder, but now he's even more miserable than before. His family and friends mean a lot to him and seeing Mikey's condition does not make him one bit happy. And what's worse, Splinter has been having nervous breakdowns and doesn't seem to appear to be all too well. It's probably because of the worry he's been shedding over the youngest of them and also because he is of old age. Leo keeps an eye on both Splinter and his youngest brother and he is terribly worried for the both of them.  

Leo shakes his head and says; "Well, whatever has happened to him, I will find out. I swear it! When I find out whoever has hurt him like this, I'll make them pay dearly!" He growls and then sighs. "And I must find out quickly, or Sensei…" He frowns sadly down at the floor.

"I know, Leo. Master Splinter hasn't been doing too well lately." Donatello replies and then takes a sip of coffee from his favorite coffee mug. He sets it back down onto a coaster.  "I don't know what's gotten into him…or how long he will—"

"Don't even mention that, Don!" Leo stops pacing and snaps at his second youngest brother. "I don't want to hear it! Master Splinter will make it! He'll live, you'll see! He's strong; always has and always will be! Master Splinter is a fighter and the strongest one I know!"

"I know that, Leo." Donatello replies in a somber tone. "It's just… I'm just worried is all. I mean, we've had him all of these years and Sensei isn't getting any younger these days… I'm afraid and worried for our teacher and for Michelangelo….for all of us. Mikey still hasn't woken up yet." Don began to cry.

Leo sits down beside his hurting brother and embraces him and then says, "There, there…Everything will be alright." He tries hard not to cry himself. He keeps telling himself that he has to stay strong for his brothers, who need him more now than ever.

Donatello sobs loudly and embraces back for support. "I miss him. I miss Mikey! I miss hearing him being up to no good and I miss his jokes!"

"I know." Leo says, trying to comfort his brother along with himself. "I miss him, too."

"I miss hearing his voice and I miss him messing with things he shouldn't—" Donatello stops sobbing then smiles. "Like my lab."

Leo laughs and smiles. "Good ol' Mikey and his mischief." They then get out of the embrace they were in and smile at each other. "He was always up to no good…especially when it came to minding Sensei."

"And destroying my lab!" Don laughs. "You know most of my greatest inventions and discoveries always happened whenever he was around messing with things I told him not to touch… He was also a good…no, great helper, too, whenever he needed to be."

"Yeah," Leo agrees and then adds his own two cents in. "And he's also the gutsiest turtle I've ever known, too. Only he would have enough courage to dress up as a female numerous times to fool the enemies. Not even Raph and I wanted to ever do such things, but Mikey sure did it, though. He even saved his own enemies and tormentors who had hurt and tortured him so. If it were up to Raph or me, we would've forgotten them or killed them already… Mikey was always the kind and forgiving one."

Don smiles and says, "And different one, that's for sure!" They both look toward the infirmary.

"Yeah… I'm sure he'll be fine, Don." Leo reassures his brother and puts his right hand on his brother's shoulder. "I mean, this is Mikey we're talking about. Of course he'll be fine! We'll have our ol' Mikey back sooner than you and I think. I promise."

Donatello smiles at his brother and then nods and says, "I sure hope you're right."

----

Raphael had fallen back to sleep, still sitting in a chair right beside his brother. However, his sleep doesn't last long when he hears a familiar soft groaning sound coming from an individual right near him. Raphael quickly opens his eyes and then looks up over to the cot in front of him.   

"Mikey?"

To Be Continued

Ooooooooh. Is it Mikey? Has he finally woken up? If so, what's going to happen? You'll have to wait and see what happens next.