BACK AT THE LAIR

Donatello and Michelangelo werein the lair, sittingat the kitchen tabletrying to convince Master Splinter to let them go look for the other two. Leonardo and Raphael were now over two hours later than when they were supposed to be back from patrol.

"Sensei please, they might need our help. I just know something's wrong. Leo's never late," Donatello pleaded. He had a bad feeling something had gone terribly wrong.

"Yes, I know my son. But Michelangelo and yourself are not yet in fighting condition. If you were forced into battle at the present time, I am afraid you would be at a disadvantage," Master Splinter sighed, "I too have felt something is not right, though I cannot put the two of you at risk."

Donatello nodded. He knew Master Splinter was right. Though he hated knowing his brothers might be out there in need of his help, and he could do nothing.

They sat in silence for a little while until they heard a noise just outside the kitchen, towards the lair entrance.

"Help. Donny, Mikey, Master Splinter I need…help."

It was Raphael. His voice was strained and sounded weak and it actually sounded as though he was just outside the lair, around the top of the ladder into the lair. The three rushed from the kitchen to where they heard Raphael.

"Guys, Leo's hurt real bad an' I can't get 'im down there," Raphael was almost just whispering now, due to the pain he was in and exhaustion from the long trip home.

When Donny and Mike heard this bit of information Donny was up the ladder with Mike in a split second. Donatello was shocked to see that Leonardo wasn't even conscious because that meant it really must be bad. Donatello climbed up and out and ever so gently began to pass Leonardo down to Michelangelo. Raphael was sitting, leaned up against the sewer wall. His breathing was very ragged. As Donny was getting Leo inside he also tried talking with Raph.

"Raph, can you make it down or do you need us to help you?" asked Don, getting very concerned for Raph now because his breathing seemed to be getting worse and he was beginning to get pale.

"M'fine Donny. Jus' get Leo fixed…bad wound to 'is plastron," Raph managed to say.

Donatello was stilled very worried about Raph but he was right, Leo needed his immediate attention.

Once they had Leo down the ladder, they hurried him to his room and put him down in his bed, removing his belt and weapons, so Donatello could begin treating him.

Master Splinter stood at the bottom of the ladder waiting for Raphael to descend, so as to see that he was alright, since Donatello was caring for Leonardo. Master Splinter then saw Raphael's legs step onto the ladder, though something was not right, he was moving very slow.

"Raphael, my son, are you alright?"

He didn't respond, but instead just continued down, very slowly. This worried Master Splinter. Now he was positive something was wrong, for Raphael never acted this way when one of his brothers was injured. On the next to last step Raphael paused and leaned his head on the ladder and without warning he just collapsed, but Master Splinter was still quick in his old age, and caught him before he hit the ground.

"Michelangelo, I am in need of your assistance immediately."

Michelangelo sprinted out of Leonardo's room and ran to Master Splinter.

"What is it Sens…Oh God," Michelangelo gasped when he saw Master Splinter struggling to support Raphael and rushed to help him, "Sensei, what happened to him? What's wrong with Raph?"

"I do not know my son. He just collapsed and I caught him," said Splinter, "Let us get him to his room and taken care of."

Once Master Splinter and Michelangelo had Raphael in his bed, Mikey quickly started checking for injuries while Master Splinter went to see how Donatello was coming along with Leonardo.

"My son, have you discovered what is wrong with him, as of yet?"

"Sensei, it's not good. He has some internal damage, so I did my best to fix that and then made a special covering for the hole in his plastron until it can fuse back together on its own. He also had a dislocated shoulder so I reduced it then bandaged it, and it's in a sling, but that'll keep him out of practicing for a while," Donatello took a deep breath to regain his train of thought in order to give Splinter the rest of the rundown. "Aside from bruises and other small cuts, I'm afraid he also appears to have a concussion, but I need him to be awake to make sure. So just in case, we'll need to keep a close eye on him through the night. How's Raphael doing sensei, he didn't look to good. Has he told you what , exactly, happened yet?" Donatello asked.

"I am afraid not my son. As he was coming down the ladder he collapsed and is presently unconscious," Splinter stated sadly. He hated it when his sons were injured.

Just then Michelangelo sprinted into the room. "Donny, you have to come look at Raph. He has a nasty cut on his arm that I think needs stitched up, and there's something really wrong with his leg," Mikey spat out as quickly as he could.

Alright Mikey, let's go see. Sensei can you stay and keep an eye on Leo?"

"Yes my son. Go now and attend to Raphael. I will take care of Leonardo."

Donatello grabbed his first aid kit and headed to Raph's room with Michelangelo in toe.

In Raphael's room Donatello did his own quick assessment and saw the huge gash on Raph's right forearm. He also noticed that there was something wrong with Raph's knee. First thing was first though, the cut had to be stitched and bandaged up quickly because it was still bleeding, and Donatello did not want it to get infected.

After the cut was bandaged, Donatello went on to examining Raphael's knee. He first cut off both knee pads and noticed right away the amount of swelling in Raph's left knee. After getting the pads off, Donatello did the special tests for the knee because he was not able to do a history or palpation while Raph was unconscious.

After conducting the special tests he concluded that Raphael probably had torn his ACL, MCL, and his medial meniscus. Damn, this isn't good. Two of the four major ligaments of the knee. He's not going to like what this means.

Donatello knew that this meant Raph would need surgical repair in order to ever have a fully functional knee again, which as o ninja, was a definite must.

Donatello then sent Mikey to the kitchen to get two ice packs and while Mikey was gone Donatello grabbed an ace wrap and some other things to elevate Raph's leg. Mikey came back with what he was instructed to get and Donatello wrapped the ice packs on the front and back of Raph's knee, while it was kept elevated.

"So is he gonna be okay Donny?" asked a very worried Michelangelo.

"Yes, I believe he will, though the only way to fix his knee is to do it surgically," Don told Mikey, who gasped knowing Raph was going to hate Donny's assessment.

Don had read all kinds of medical books and many articles online and was confident he could do it successfully. The thing that worried his was the fact that Raph's future as a ninja now depended on Donatello.

"Alright Mikey. I'm going to go check up on Leo. I gave Raph some medicine to ease the pain if he should wake up. Although I'm pretty sure he won't wake until morning. He was exhausted after carrying Leo all the way back here with his leg in the condition it is. And if he should for some reason wake up, I don't want him out of bed. He is to stay off his leg," Donatello told Mikey.

"Okay bro. I'll take good care of him, but how about you? You alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay. I just hate thinking that had we not already been injured and stuck here, we could have helped them and they might not be like this," Donny sighed as he walked to Leo's room. Though, Mikey understood, because he was feeling the same way. Mikey then sat down next to Raph's bed and didn't leave his spot for the rest of the night.