Thanks to everyone who reviewed! It means a lot to me, guys, thanks a bunch.
This next part is much shorter then the first chapter, but I'm hoping thatchapter 3will be longer. After that, the story is done. This was originally supposed to be a one shot...
Forgotten Disclaimer: Why on Earth do I need one? I owntheTMNT. Leo is all mine, forever and ever and...dream bubble pops...damn it.
It's a fickle thing, one's mind. At times it can be the most abundant resource a turtle can have. Other times it can be the weakest link of one's sanity. All it takes is one well-placed hit. Ninjitsu has taught me dozens of one shot strikes that can permanently damage one's brain, but it never taught me of the torturous tricks the heart can play with it.
Seeing him lie there, breathing deeply, but never moving, is disconcerting, albeit it had been relieving at first, anything to stop the nightmares. But now I would be ecstatic to see him move, even if it came with screaming…
I tried not to let him slip. I knew that the head injury was bad. I knew that he had not gotten a lot of sleep over the past week. I knew that I should have kept waking him. I knew that that the nightmares were awful, his screams echoing around his room enough to testify, so when he did finally manage to come to a peaceful slumber, I dared not wake him again in fear of he never being able to reach that point again. I reasoned with myself that Leo had gone a week without falling into a coma, and you only needed to be kept awake for twelve hours to prevent such a thing. Besides, he needed the rest.
Apparently nature is as fickle as our minds. All I know is that Leo has not awakened in two days…
I do know that whatever heart pain I may be feeling, Raph's experiencing ten-fold. I've gone into Leo's room and found him passed out, stains of the tears he'll only shed alone evident on his cheeks and dampened mask. I know he feels guilty about Leo's condition. The anguished expression upon his face the night I told him of how Leo got his concussion is burned into memory.
That's another nasty trick of the mind. The slightest thing can remain etched in your memory, and any random object can bring a flood tide of recollections…memories of pain…memories of nearly loosing a brother…memories of sorrow…memories that would be bettered off being forgotten…
I cen ha'rdly stand it anymo're. Leo's constant breathing is the only thing that breaks the silence of the room. How many times have I wished him to shut up? To leave me alone? To get out of my life? And to be the one to silence him? I had nearly gotten my wish, an' that scared the shit out of me.
Fearless…that's what I had called him. Out of truth or out of spite? I can't even tell. To have seen my perfect brother not so perfect had brought happiness to me, I cen not lie to my self bout that, but the price of the joy is so gut sickenin' that it doesn' seem like joy no more, just a mockery of one to torment you as ye huddl' ov'r ya bro's body, remindin' that it was you who made yer brother suffer, an' fer what? Petty revenge agains' the one who would, and had, stuck his life out on a limb fer yeah? Some brother I was.
Leo, you have te wake up! Please bro, I need ye round here to yell and bitch at me. I need ye there to spar with me, ta mess around with. Remember the night we tried to make meatloaf? Come on, bro, ya know ya want make the lair reek again, it was the only thing that kept Mikey off our shells. He was too busy in the bathroom to do anything..,
He's not moving. His eyes aren't open, boring into mine. Leo's eyes could hold ya ferever, you know, and tell ya that things are all right, an' even if they aren't, they will be... I hated him fer that. I hated that he felt da need te protect me and tell me that things would be ok. It told me that no matter how many times we fought, no matter how many times that I screamed and cussed at him, he would always be there fer round two. And I hated him fer that.
Oh, God in 'eaven an Earth, don't let Leo leave cause of something I did. Don't make him suffer cause of my hate. Leo I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. Please bro, wake up.
Darkness. That's all he could see. It was so absolute that all thoughts of things living seemed to fade away. All that existed was the comforting darkness that held you aloft in a softness that surrounded you completely. The silence was a blessing. After a raging headache and the constant clatters of his brothers…wait. Brothers? Soft images began to form in the darkness. Oblique images of green, red, purple, and orange danced out of reach of his leaden arms. They soon disappeared and darkness resumed.
Then a sound emerged, a dark, scraping sound. Cries for mercy and tears of pain made their way to his ears. They passed chillingly through his body. More cries came. Distinct. Sharp. Caustic. Words could almost be heard, but the intensity of their pain seemed more potent. As it passed through him, he cringed and doubled over in an effort to guard himself against the bitter pain. Suddenly the dark screeching sound jumped to a piercing wail. Leo covered his ears and cried out in agony as the sound coiled its burning intensity around his very being. Images unexpectedly emerged, sharp and clear. Donny's bleeding form calling out for help.
"Leo? LEO! Leo, help me please!" Leo reached out a shakey hand, but the screeches intensified, causing Leo to impulsively retract his hand as another wave of pain passed through him.
"Leo, why don't you help me, Leo? Leo! LEEEEOOO!" Don began to fade, a panicked, desperate look in his eye.
"Leo you're my brother, you won't let me die. Leo? Leo, help me!" Leo tried to reach out, but was unable to against the pain. He watched, tears pouring down his face as Don disappeared with a final wail of pain and despair.
Leo called desperately out for his brother. But all he heard was a scream of pain that ripped through the sound of screeching metal. But the pitch was wrong, that wasn't Donny.
"Mikey!"
Leo tried desperately to find his fun loving brother, trying to track down the source of wails of pain and agony. Anxiety retook its hold on Leo. He had failed Don, he would not abandon Mikey to the same fate.
Encouraged by Mikey's calls for his big brother between the screeches of pain, Leo searched, finding nothing but darkness that he had once thought comforting. Now it was suffocating him, restricting his movements as he looked franticly for the brothers whose pained breath he could hear between the faint calls for him. Eventually all he heard was labored breathing, and that too soon ended, with a final, "Why didn't you help me?"
Heart broken at those words, Leo collapsed onto the hard ground, exhaustion over taking his limbs. How could he help his brother if he couldn't even see them? But that did not cushion the blow letting another brother fall because he could not be there. Throwing back his head, Leo let a savage scream tear itself from his throat. On and on he screamed, letting loose his pain, his sorrow, his tears, frustration, and anger…
Then there was nothing.
Silence. It left a ringing in his ears. Looking up, Leo could only see darkness, and the slight fogging of his breath. It was getting cold. Unnerved he stood up.
His heart was beginning to quicken. This wasn't right. The aura was entirely wrong. Every moment of life had a distinct and unique atmosphere. Here there was nothing but the sounds of his heart beating against his plastron.
Looking wildly around, Leo began to run. He had no idea where he was going, but anywhere was better then the void.
Time lost meaning in the end. Tireless, he tried desperately to find his way from the icy darkness. Where was everybody?
Flashes began to appear before his eyes.
He was ten. He and Mikey were arguing over who was going to play Silver Sentry and Doctor Evil.
He was in the dojo. The others had left for bed a long time ago. Sweat was pouring from his limbs, but he had to get this move right…
Donny was sitting at his bench, working obsessively over some gadget. Leo watched, trying to contain his laughter as Raph approached with a blown paper bag in one hand…
The shredder had Raph grasped in one hand as he raised his clawed hand, preparing to finish the straggled turtle. Rain was pouring in torrents, but they seemed to slow, if not stop entirely. All things slowed, or had he sped up?
Leaping toward Shredder, Leo felt a surge of adrenaline course its way through his body. He would not let Shredder harm a member of his family…
He was falling, released from Tin-head's chokehold. He felt his head smack against the concrete floor of the roof, but for some reason it didn't hurt. He knew it would later, but at the moment that did not matter. All that mattered was the sight of the unconscious turtle before him. He pulled him self slowly to a somewhat up ward position, balancing on his one arm as he reached out for Raph, the rain blurring his vision…
Leo gasped. Raph! What had happened to Raph? Thinking hard, Leo tried to think. Had they made it home ok? Were Don and Mikey all right? Where had the shredder gone? Nothing came to mind. He couldn't remember anything after that. A cold fear came over Leo. Had he died?
Vague memories started to stir in his mind.
Raph returning home…
Fighting…
Sick…
Don coming in…
Raph lying next to him, grasping his hand lightly as his head rests on the other one. Soft snores permeating the room…
Leo blinked.
The entire room came into sharper focus. He could feel his leaden body in the softness of the bed. The texture of his brother's calloused hands tangible in his own. The sounds of the others down stairs…
Leo sighed and leaned back on his pillow, a relieved smile playing on his lips as he gazed at the ceiling. He wasn't dead after all.
Like I said, one more chapter after this, which is more of a stepping-stone, really. I wrote it so that everyone is clear of how Leo got to his comatose state and got out and how the family was reacting to it. Splinter is alive in this fic, he just hasn't made an appearance yet. Sorry if this isn't making sense, its 12:30 at night, and there is snow on the ground...
Anyways, leave a review!