Disclaimer: The TMNT are owned by Eastman and Laird, not me and myself. Not even 'I' gets any of the action!

Alright folks, I'm back! I am writing this (the disclaimer part) on Thursday, the first day of Christmas Break. Anyways, the past week has been nuts, what with scrambling to get AP English assignments done and studying for exams, but it's over! I finally made it! I CAN SLEEP NOW! I HAVE FREE TIME! XD YAY! So now I'm going to do my best to keep putting out some new chapters for you folks.

To everyone who has read, and/or reviewed my story, bundles of thanks to you! I love you guys for all the help and support that you've given me. And to those I may have scared with my ranting, don't worry, I'm practically harmless.

Now, behold Chapter Six! (Are you beholding yet?)

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Though it took several hours of arguing and required him to try every tone from cajoling to stern, Splinter finally managed to get his sons to bed. Casey agreed to return home, as there was now a decided lack of space in April's place; he announced that he would be back in the morning, and Splinter was glad for the warning. Iganna would stay in the extra bedroom, while the three brothers camped out in the living room. Master Splinter, despite his sons' pleas, had decided to spend the night in the bathroom beside Leo. His need to be near to his son outweighed his fatigue and his other sons' arguments.

"But Master Splinter, you need your rest too," Don protested, well used to his role as caretaker of the family's health. "Leo should be alright for now, and, well, not to be disrespectful or anything, but-you're not as young as you used to be, Sensei." Realizing what he had just said, Don's eyes widened in horror. He quickly bowed, apologies tumbling from his mouth. "I-I'm sorry, Master Splinter! I mean Sensei. I didn't mean to call you old. Not that I did! I just, I-"

Raph and Mikey sniggered quietly as they watched their normally reserved brother lose his cool as he dug himself further and further into a hole. Fortunately, Splinter was in a generous mood and saved his son from himself.

"Enough, my son," he said wryly, raising a paw to silence his son's ramblings. "I appreciate your concern, but I wish to stay with Leonardo. I desire someone to stay with him through the night, and you and your brothers and Ms. O'Neil, not to mention Miss Triolini, all need to rest." At the sight of his second oldest son opening his mouth, Splinter continued quickly to forestall any other comments. "Raphael, I will hear no more discussion on this subject. My sons, Miss Triolini, I will see you in the morning. Miss O'Neil, I thank you for your gracious hospitality." With that he bowed and made his way slowly and serenely to the bathroom.

Raph growled, gripping the handles of his sai. "I hate it when he does that."

"Does what?" Mikey asked.

"Overrides him that easily, I expect," Don explained calmly while setting up the sleeping area. "If it was Leo, Raph would just argue with him till he got what he wanted; but with Sensei it's a different story."

"Yeah, 'cause Sensei'd knock him on his shell," the orange-banded turtle joked. As the trio settled in for the night, he cast a worried glance towards the bathroom; light shone out softly from beneath the door, but no sound could be heard from within. "Do…d'you think Leo'll be ok, Donnie?"

Following his brother's gaze, the brainy turtle sighed. "I hope so, Mikey. There's nothing else we can do tonight; what he needs most now is rest so his body can heal. We'll see how he's doing in the morning." Don noticed the look in Mikey's eyes, the distress that had replaced his younger brother's normal look of mischief. "What is it, Mikey?"

"It's worse this time," the normally energetic turtle explained softly. "The last time Leo got hurt this bad, he was in bad shape, but Sensei said part of that was 'cause his spirit was injured too. Now he's really hurt again, but it's just his body this time. We can't even help him like we did last time."

"Don't you be second-guessin' Leo, Mikey," Raph said gruffly. "There's no way he'd evah go out like dis; not even ta get away from you."

"Hardy har har, listen to the funny turtle," Mikey retorted, lying down on his sleeping bag.

"I hate to say it Mikey, but Raph's right," Don pointed out. "We just have to hope for the best. There's nothing more we can do for Leo tonight, so let's just get some rest."

The three turtles fell asleep, their last thoughts all of the turtle in the other room. Worry, fear, and sadness all took precedence in their minds, but each also held desperately to the hope that their brother would once again make it through.

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Splinter awoke the next morning, disoriented and confused. He had fallen asleep while meditating in an attempt to connect to Leo. However, he had not been able to reach his eldest son, though this time because pain and exhaustion were clouding his son's mind. As he woke, he still felt the lingering strains of those emotions coming from Leo. A sudden noise caught his attention, and he saw Donatello moving quietly about the bathroom, changing Leo's bandage and checking on his vitals. Splinter felt a surge of pride; what fine sons he had raised; they were responsible, honorable, and their bonds with each other were strong as steel. He was thankful everyday for his decision to raise them as his own.

"Good morning, Donatello," Splinter said softly.

The brainy turtle jumped slightly, unaware that his sensei was awake. "Oh, good morning, Master Splinter. I hope I didn't wake you up, I was just checking on Leo."

"It is alright, my son, I was already awake. How is your brother?"

Don looked at Leo's still form. "He's basically the same as yesterday; he still hasn't woken up, but he hasn't gotten any worse either. There is some good news, though; no infection has set in, so it looks like we got him cleaned up and the antibiotics into his system in time. Also, the stitches are holding up nicely, so the wound should heal no problem." He sighed. "I am still worried about him, though; if he doesn't wake up soon, I've got no way to get any nutrients into his system. It's times like this I really wish mutated turtles were allowed in hospitals."

Splinter chuckled softly. "I understand your feelings, my son. Unfortunately, the humans of this world are still unable to accept us without fear, and as such, we must continue to live in the way of the ninja: in the shadows." Picking up his walking stick, he groaned slightly as he stood up. "Come, let us wake your brothers and go to breakfast. We shall let Ms. O'Neil and Miss Triolini sleep a bit more."

"Speaking of which, did you find out anything, Master Splinter? About…Iganna?"

The ninja master shook his head. "No, my son. I was unable to discover anything else about her, and did not detect her spiritual presence around Leonardo any more." He sat down at the table with a sigh. "Wake your brothers, Donatello, and we shall talk further."

As Don made his way into the living room, his brain was turning over what they knew about Iganna. But nothing jumped out at him other than Splinter's sensing of her aura near Leo. "I wonder what is going on with her," he mused. He reached the couch that Mikey was on, and shook him briskly. "Hey, Mikey, wake up. It's time for breakfast." The orange-banded turtle merely mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over onto his other side. Don rolled his eyes, then grabbed the pillow from under Mikey's head and proceeded to beat his younger brother soundly about the head with it. At Mikey's outraged yell, Don was satisfied that he was up, and moved over to the chair that Raph was sprawled on. Grabbing his bo staff, he prodded his older brother in the side, careful to remain a safe distance away. Raph's brothers had learned early on that he was not the most pleasant turtle to be around first thing in the morning, and he was even less pleasant to wake up. The hotheaded turtle's snores continued unabated, though he swatted the staff away from his side. Don renewed his efforts, finally rapping Raph on the shell. Raph jerked awake, falling off the chair and letting loose with a stream of curses. Don sheathed his bo staff and approached his sleepy brother. "Good morning, Raphael. Are we awake now?"

Raph growled at the perky tone of his younger brother. "We would be a shell of a lot more awake if ya'd let a turtle get some shut-eye."

"It's almost ten o'clock in the morning. You got nearly eight hours, Raph. Stop complaining." Noticing Mikey prowling around the kitchen, he continued. "I hope you feel like scrambled eggs this morning, 'cause Mikey's cooking."

Raph stretched with a snort. "Ain't like I got a choice. 'Sides, I'd take the bonehead's eggs over Leo settin' the kitchen on fire any day of the week." As he realized what he'd said, he stood and glanced at the bathroom before meeting Don's gaze again. "Speakin' of which, how is he?"

"I'll tell you over breakfast," Don said, making his way to where Splinter was sitting. As they all sat down to eat, Don shared with his brothers what he had already told Splinter. Silence filled the kitchen as they all mused over the events of the past day. Mikey, unsurprisingly, was the first to break the silence.

"I wonder what it is she's doing to Leo. Do you think it's some freaky trick thing that only Canadians can do?" The young turtle's thoughts quickly strayed onto other topics. "Not that I've got anything against Canada folk, 'cause I don't. I mean, yeah, sure, they talk funny, and they're kinda weird, but the dudes came up with maple syrup! And my friends, it would be a lonely pancake that didn't have any maple syrup. Mmm, pancakes. Speaking of pancakes, I-"

"Wait a minute," Don interrupted, attracting everyone's attention. "You said she's Canadian?"

Mikey, broken out of his pancake-induced reverie, nodded energetically. "Yeah, we were talkin' to her yesterday, and she said that's where she's from." He watched, confused, as his older brother shook his head. "What's up, Donnie?"

"That just can't be right," the brainy turtle muttered, his voice taking on the occupied tone he got whenever he was trying to work out a problem. "Canadian? No, the skin pigmentation, not to mention vocal cadence and intonation, would dispute that fact. Also, there's the build…" His family stared at him, perplexed, as he continued talking to himself under his breath. Mikey's patience ran out first.

"Um, hello? Don? Donnie?" He waved a three-fingered hand in front of the dazed turtle's face. "Earth to Donatello!"

"Huh?" Don came to himself, looking around the table. "What? What is it?"

"Ya mind fillin' us in there, brainiack?" Raph asked. "An' in English. What da shell are you mutterin' about?"

"Oh. I was just thinking. Are you sure Iganna said she was Canadian?" At his family's nods, the confused look returned and he shook his head again. "That can't be right. Her coloring, not to mention her accent, isn't Canadian at all. And her last name doesn't sound Canadian either. If I had to guess, I'd say she's Italian. But there's just no way she was born and raised in Canada. What else did she say?" Once he was told the rest of the previous day's conversation, he sat back to think. "There's something she's not telling us. From what you said, there's no way in shell she just came here for a change of scenery. I'm going to see if I can find any information on the 'net."

"Information about what?" a curious voice interrupted. The kitchen's occupants turned to see the object of their conversation standing in the doorway, with April behind her.

"Oh, um, bullet wounds," Don blurted out, looking flustered. "We can't really take Leo to a hospital, so I, uh, want to look up some tips on the computer."

"Ah. How is Leonardo?" Iganna asked.

"His condition hasn't changed much since yesterday. His vitals are pretty good, and the wound should heal well. The only thing I'm worried about is being able to get some nutrients into him."

"Could you not just give him something to eat?" she questioned.

Don shook his head. "He's still unconscious, and might stay that way for a while. Unless he wakes up, he could end up getting worse."

The woman's face darkened. "No. No, that would ruin everything."

Don, Raph and Mikey all exchanged a quick glance, Don voicing the thought on all their minds: "What are you talking about? That would ruin what?"

The trapped look came back into her eyes as they darted around the kitchen frantically. "It, um, this. My…being here. I…do not want you to resent me were anything to happen to your brother."

Raph, with a dark look on his face, was about to start forward when April interrupted, completely unaware of the turtles' suspicions. "Oh, Iganna, don't worry. There's no way we'd blame you. I mean, it's not like it's your fault or anything."

"Right, of course," Iganna responded, visibly flustered. "I was just worried."

The turtles all shared a look, silently agreeing to keep a close eye on the strange woman. However, before anyone could say anything, the door to April's apartment burst open, and in walked…Casey.

"Hey guys! You'll never guess what I got!"

"A bad case of stupid?" Raph growled, as he and his brothers vacated their hastily found hiding spots. "Haven't ya ever heard of knockin', Jones?"

"Aw, what's the matter Raph, didja wake up on the wrong side of yer shell or somethin'? 'Sides, I couldn't wait." Walking over to Don, he handed him a bulky package. "Merry Christmas, Donnie. I gotcha a little somethin'."

Don eyed the bag warily, as though expecting something to jump out at him. "While I thoroughly appreciate the gesture, Casey, you're a few months off."

"Yeah," Mikey added. "Not to mention you didn't get me anything."

Casey punched Mikey in the arm. "There's yer present, Mikey." He turned back to Don. "Open it, Don. I think you'll like it."

Don held his breath and carefully opened the bag. He reached in, and was surprised that the contents were slightly cool. Grabbing one of the objects inside, he pulled his hand out with a gasp.

Inside the sack were half a dozen IV bags.

The turtle looked back up at Casey in amazement. "Casey…where did you get these? How did you know to get these?"

The vigilante grinned. "Well, I was thinkin' 'bout Leo last night, an' I remembered that on ER they always got people who got shot hooked up ta IVs. So, I brought ya some."

Don shook his head, a rueful smile on his face. "Casey Jones, I will probably never say this again, but you are a genius." Heading off to the bathroom, he missed the shocked looks that his comment brought.

Raph shook his head as well. "Casey did somethin' right. It's official; shell has frozen over." Giving his friend a good-natured punch in the arm, he continued. "I gotta hand it to ya, Case; fer once, ya done good. Ya done real good."

"Casey." April's voice cut through the conversation, her tone vastly different from the others'. "How exactly did you manage to come by those IV bags?"

The rest of the kitchen's occupants watched in amazement as the hockey stick-wielding vigilante turned an interesting shade of red. "Uh, well, see, that's kinda a funny story, April…"

"Arnold Casey Jones, where did you get them?"

Raph and Mikey winced. "Ooo," Mikey groaned sympathetically. "She used all three names on 'im! Casey's toast!"

Casey meanwhile was trying to placate April. "Don' worry, April, I didn't steal 'em or nothin'. Honest, I didn't."

"Then why do you look guilty?"

Splinter, surprisingly enough, was the one that saved Casey. "Ms. O'Neil, I believe Mr. Jones in his statement; he did not steal these supplies. However, I do believe this to be an excellent example of what a wise man once said: "Ignorance is bliss"."

April thought this over and sighed. "You're probably right, Master Splinter. I probably don't want to know." She disappeared into her bedroom to get dressed and came out a few minutes later, putting the finishing touches on her hair. "Alright, everybody, I'm heading out to take care of a few things. We need groceries, and I'm going to stock up on medical supplies too. And Mr. Jones here will be accompanying me." April grabbed her purse and Casey, and waved at her guests. "Raph, don't break anything; Mikey, don't eat everything; Iganna, you're welcome to stay for as long as you'd like; And Master Splinter, I'll be back in a few hours."

The rest of the day passed quickly for the other occupants of April's apartment. Don kept busy tending to Leo and secretly searching on the computer for any information about Iganna. Mikey and Raph went back to the Lair to retrieve some necessary items and cleaned up the apartment a bit. Master Splinter and Iganna chatted most of the afternoon, and even played a few games of chess. April returned near dinner time with pizza and a very silent, very eager-to-help Casey. Dinner was an entertaining affair, especially when Raph dropped some not-so-subtle comments about Casey being a whipped little puppy. The ensuing fight resulted in a broken lamp, an exasperated April, Casey being kicked out, and Mikey winning ten bucks off of Don from betting on the fight (which Raph won). Don was finally able to convince Master Splinter to get some rest, and spent the night in the bathroom with Leo.

The second day went by in a similar manner, the only difference being the lack of a fight. Mikey and Raph managed to convince Splinter to let them go out on a training run, though he refused to allow them to patrol the streets. Don joined them at Splinter's insistence that he take a break from watching Leo. Splinter and Iganna spent the evening meditating, Splinter being gratified at finding someone with a longer attention span for it than his sons. Casey and April worked on her car a bit, which resulted in Casey being kicked out for the second time in two days; this time as a result of a muttered comment about "women not knowin' crud 'bout machines". This time, Raph convinced Don and Splinter to let him take the night watch of Leo.

As he listened to his family preparing for bed, Raph leaned against the wall and studied Leo. His older brother was still pale, though not as bad as yesterday. The bandages weren't as bloody when Don changed them earlier, either, but Leo still hadn't woken up. When the apartment was finally quiet, Raph pulled a chair over to Leo's side and sat down, figuring he may as well be comfortable while on "guard duty". The next second he was back on his feet and pacing, but he soon found himself back at his brother's side. He growled in frustration and sat down again. Leaning back in his chair, he looked at his brother and scowled.

"Dammit, Leo! Why'd'ja hafta go an' get shot? Shell, normally I'm th' one ta get all busted up in a fight, an' yer th' one ta give me some high an' mighty lecture about it," Raph grumbled. He thought about what he'd said and snorted. Raph couldn't count the times he'd gone to the surface to blow off some steam, and ended up coming back to the Lair bruised and battered, only to be greeted by another one of Leo's lectures. And now here they were, except he was the one lecturing. Raph mused on the thought for a moment, and a stray idea came to him: Is this how Leo feels every time I come home beat up an' he busts my chops? The notion shocked him, and Raph suddenly realized he was clenching his fists in anger. What tha shell am I gettin' pissed about? As he glanced at his hands and Leo, it hit him: he was angry at the fact that his brother was lying in front of him, injured and unconscious. He stared at Leo, then shook his head in disbelief; why hadn't it occurred to him that every time Leo had yelled at him for coming home hurt, he had done so out of concern?

"Ya never told me, bro. Ya never once said ya did it 'cause you were worried," Raph said. "But then, I probably shoulda realized it." He thought back, remembering all the times he'd blown up at Leo after his older brother confronted him about where he'd been. Each time, Leo would lecture Raph about being too quick to fight; and each time, Raph, already mad at having gotten hit during the fight, would get madder at Leo for butting in. The scene would always end with Raph making a rude suggestion and storming off, leaving a tired Leo behind.

"Every time I thought ya were just tryin' ta make me look bad. Never thought it was 'cause ya actually cared," the red-banded turtle said softly.

Raph stared at the other turtle, at the bandages covering his plastron and the homemade IV drip hooked up to his arm, and buried his face in his hands. "Shell, Leo. I didn't realize. I'm never on this side of it; I'm always the one busted up, not you. I'm sorry, bro. I just…shell," he swore softly, unable to believe the thought had never occurred to him before. "Every time ya did it, it pissed me off, you lecturin' me 'bout goin' topside. I always thought you were yellin' at me fer bein' a lousy fighter, not 'cause you were worried. Th' last time I saw ya like this, I tried ta forget it; I couldn't take it, seein' ya lyin' there all beat up by tha Foot. I was scared outta my shell, bro, I was so worried about ya. I'm worried now too. I never tell ya, but I love ya bro. I don't hate ya, I just never seem ta be able ta tell ya that unless ya get hurt. An' then even when ya are, I'm still pissed at ya. Now that I think 'bout it, I yelled at ya last time, too," he chuckled. "Whenever you were layin' inta me, didja feel like this when ya saw me? I-I didn't know ya felt like this, bro. You know I'm normally tha last turtle ta admit it, but I'm scared. Shell, Leo, ya got shot! Ya coulda died! Ya still could," Raph broke off, his voice reduced to a whisper. He rubbed his eyes and continued.

"Ya always ride my shell 'bout bein' a hothead, 'bout bein' too "rash". Well, what tha shell about you, bro? I may've gotten my shell waxed before, but I ain't never been shot. An' what'd you get shot for? Some bitch who's messin' ya up, and we don't even know how," the turtle growled. "Yeah, I wanted ta beat the shell outta those punks, but ya didn't hafta go get her; Don says she coulda lasted 'til th' police got there wit' the ambulance, her wound wasn't that bad. But no, big-shot Leonardo has ta be tha big hero an' save th' damsel in distress. Yer taste in women sucks, bro; ya jus' gotta face that. First that bitch Karai, who doesn't even really want yer help," Raph spat, his anger burning at the thought of Shredder's daughter, who seemed to have captivated his brother, "and now this broad. Ya can't save 'em all, bro, but ya jus' keep tryin'. Dammit, Leo; why're you such a bleedin' heart?" Raph pushed himself back to his feet and paced the bathroom some more, before giving up and returning to his seat. He grudgingly answered his own question. "'Cause that's jus' how ya are." Raph sighed and put his forearms on the table beside Leo, before resting his head on them wearily. A yawn escaped him as he grinned wryly. "An' honestly, bro, I wouldn't have ya any other way."

As he fell into a fitful sleep, he never noticed the small smile on the face of the unconscious turtle in front of him.

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It was the third day after their disastrous patrol that the calm in the apartment was broken. After dinner, Raph and Mikey were challenging Casey to an arm-wrestling tournament, while Splinter, Iganna and April watched and tried to keep the competition nonviolent. Casey and Raph had just begun an argument about who had won the latest bout when Don came flying into the room.

"He's awake!"

Everyone's head flew up at this statement. "Who is?" Mikey asked.

Don rolled his eyes. "Who do you think, shell-for-brains? Leo! He's awake!"

The next few minutes were mayhem as three mutant turtles, a mutant rat, and three humans tried to all fit into one bathroom. When they finally managed to do so, they saw that Leo was indeed awake, though a bit pale. There were smiles and cheers all around as they greeted the injured turtle. Splinter, who had been able to position himself next to the bed Leo was on, asked the question on everyone's mind.

"How are you feeling, my son?"

"Sore, Sensei," Leo said hoarsely, his voice soft but strong. "And a bit tired."

"That's to be expected, Leo," Don said, checking Leo's pulse and bandages. "You've been out cold for two days, and you lost a lot of blood."

"Wow. No wonder I feel like shell," Leo whispered softly, before his eyes darted to Master Splinter. "Please forgive my language, Sensei."

Splinter smiled. "It is alright, my son. I am merely glad you are awake."

Raph joined his father and brothers by Leo's side, smirking. "Figures. Ya just woke up, an' already yer suckin' up. Always tryin' ta make us look bad, ain'tcha?"

Leo grinned faintly at his brother's joke, struggling to lift his hand to clasp Raph's. "Not that hard…to do, hothead," he managed tiredly. Glancing to Raph's side, he noticed Mikey standing there silently, a worried look on his face. "Hey, Michelangelo…what's wrong?"

Raph and Don took one look at Mikey's face, then locked gazes; they knew what was wrong. Whenever someone in the family got hurt, Mikey always took it the hardest. The fact that it was Leo, the brother Mikey looked up to the most, made it worse. They could see that he was struggling to keep a strong front up, but it was hard for the fun-loving turtle to see his brother like this.

Mikey swiped his forearm across his eyes, and plastered a fake look of anguish on his face. "I'm just so sad, Leo," he said. He sniffed a few times, and Raph was willing to bet not all of the sniffling was for show. "You…you missed my scrambled eggs, bro!"

His oldest brother chuckled weakly. "I think I'll survive, Mikey," he rasped. He lifted his eyes to the back of the room. "Hey, April; hey, Casey. How…are you guys doing?"

They both smiled. "A heck of a lot better'n you are, Leo," Casey remarked. April elbowed him in the side. "We're doing fine, Leo," she said.

"That's good," the blue-banded turtle managed. His eyes then landed on Iganna, and they widened suddenly. "You…" He searched his memory, trying to place her, before it hit him. "You were there in the alley…you got shot. Are you alright?"

His family and friends shook their heads, smiling ruefully. Typical Leo, they thought. Always worried about everyone else, even when he's in worse shape than they are.

Iganna smiled. "I am fine. I must thank you for saving my life; I would not be here if not for you and your brothers."

Leo returned her smile. "We were glad to do it. I hope-," He broke off suddenly into a fit of coughing. The smiles on the faces of the others were quickly replaced by looks of fear and worry as the coughs continued to rack Leo's body. His body convulsed on the table as he struggled to breathe.

"Leo!" Don sprang into action, grabbing his oldest brother. "Raph! Help me get him onto his side; he'll be able to breathe easier that way. Mikey! Get me a glass of water, quick! April, can you get some more morphine out please? Iganna, Casey, Master Splinter, I'm going to have to ask you guys to leave."

Splinter nodded, worry clearly evident on his face. "We will give you the space you need, my son. Come, let us go," he said, ushering the others out of the room.

Don and Raph carefully maneuvered Leo onto his side, trying to keep from hurting him. Blood spattered the table and floor, flying out of Leo's mouth every time he coughed. His breathing eventually slowed to normal, and he lay spent on the table, gasping for breath. He made several ineffectual attempts to get up, before his hands grabbed weakly at his plastron, the wound aggravated by the sudden and violent use of injured muscles.

"Don," Leo gasped, his breathing shallow as he shook from the pain. "Don, it hurts. Don, please." He grabbed his brother's wrist, the desperate strength in the grip dismaying the brainy turtle.

"It's okay, Leo," Don assured him quickly, as April handed him the syringe of pain medication. He carefully transferred Leo's grip to Raph's hand, then injected the needle's contents into his brother's arm. "It's alright," he soothed. "You're going to be fine." Leo's hand gradually loosened as the drug took hold, his arm dropping weakly to his side. His eyes were glazed over from the pain, and exhaustion was etched into every line on his face.

"Leo, I know you're tired, but I need you to stay awake for me just a little longer, okay?" Don spoke calmly as he grabbed a towel and fresh bandages from the cupboard. "Does it feel like anything burst or pulled inside? How do you feel?"

"I…hurt, Don. It just…it just hurts," Leo said heavily.

"I know it does, Leo, but we have to make sure you're not bleeding internally," his younger brother said sternly. "This is important, Leo, I need you to talk to me. What happened when you started coughing?"

"My throat hurt…I had to cough. As soon as I did, my stomach felt like it was on fire," Leo rasped.

"But your stomach hurt after you started coughing, not before, right?" Don asked intently. He nodded his thanks to Raph as the red-banded turtle began cleaning up the blood, gently wiping off Leo's face before clearing the mess from the floor. Don patted his eldest brother's face gently. "Leo, you have to stay awake and tell me this. Did your stomach hurt before or after you started coughing? Did it feel like the wound burst?"

"It…it hurt…once I started coughing, I think." Leo struggled to get the words out. "It felt like…I got shot…all over again."

Don nodded. "Can you breathe alright? Your lungs don't feel blocked or anything?" At his brother's nod, he sighed in relief. "Okay. Can you open your mouth for me, Leo?" He lifted his brother's head gently and peered into his mouth, then set his head back down on the pillow. "Okay, just a couple more minutes and you can go to sleep, bro. Just hang in there." He began to unwrap the dressings on his brother's plastron, carefully pulling away the blood-covered bandages.

"Shell," Raph swore softly at the sight of the blood and the wound. "Don…"

"It's okay, Raph, it really looks worse than it is," his younger brother assured him.

Just then, Mikey returned with the glass, half of the water spilled down the sides. As soon as he saw Leo, he froze; Raph barely managed to save the glass as it fell from Mikey's numb fingers. Don glanced at Mikey, then Raph.

"Raph," the purple-banded turtle said quietly, "get Mikey out of here. He doesn't need to see this."

Raph's hand on his shoulder, coupled with Don's words, snapped Mikey out of his daze, and he shook himself out of his older brother's grip. "No! I've got just as much right to be here as you guys. Leo's my brother too."

"Alright, Mikey," Don said softly. "Can you talk to Leo while I clean him up? I need you to keep him awake just a little longer."

"No problem," the youngest turtle said, his pale face and shaking voice belying his words. As he gently held Leo's hand, he chatted with his brother, forced cheer in his voice. "Hey, bro, you're makin' a mess."

Leo turned his head slightly to the side, too exhausted to move anymore. "Sorry…Mikey," he whispered. His eyelids fluttered, and he struggled to keep his eyes open. "Can I…have some water?" At Don's nod, Mikey and Raph carefully helped their brother take a few sips of the water. The effort seemed to take the last of his strength, and his eyes closed to mere slits.

"Hey, Leo…Leo." The orange-banded turtle faced Don. "Donnie, he's fading fast," Mikey warned. "I don't think he can stay awake any longer."

Don moved to Leo's side, resting his hand on Leo's head. "Leo, it's Don. It's okay, bro, you can go back to sleep now." He watched as Leo mumbled something, then visibly sagged into the table, already fast asleep. Satisfied that Leo was sleeping comfortably, Don continued his ministrations. He cleaned off Leo's arm, and reinserted the IV, since Leo's convulsions had torn it loose. Another injection of penicillin followed, and then he carefully examined the wound and grimaced.

His expression was not missed by his brothers. "What's wrong, Don?" Raph asked.

"Just a sec, Raph." Turning to April, he asked, "Can you get me some more surgical thread, and another sterilized needle?" After she nodded, he faced his brothers again and sighed. "Leo pulled some of his stitches loose, which started up some more bleeding. I'm going to have to redo most of them." As he began, April came over to help, while Raph and Mikey moved over towards the wall. Noticing the look on his youngest brother's face, Raph put a comforting arm across his shoulders, which Mikey leaned into gratefully. Several minutes later, April and Don finished, and bandaged Leo back up. Don held up a hand to silence any questions, and motioned them outside. Shutting the door, he let out a weary sigh and plodded slowly into the kitchen where he sat down, rubbing his face tiredly. Master Splinter silently set a cup of tea in front of him, and Don sipped from it gratefully. As he noticed the looks around him, he set down his tea.

"Alright, here's what happened, as best as I can determine: Leo just had a minor coughing fit."

"'Just a minor coughing fit'!" Raph exclaimed derisively. "Bro, he was coughin' up blood!"

"Raphael, let your brother finish," Splinter scolded before turning worried eyes on Don. "Donatello, is this true?"

Don glared at Raph but nodded reluctantly. "Yes, Master Splinter, it is. But just let me explain." He picked up where he had left off.

"Like I said, all that happened was really just a minor coughing fit. Even though Leo's had the IV in and has been getting his nutrients from that, he hasn't had anything to drink. From what he told me, he just got a tickle in his throat. However, since he was on his back, his airways didn't have the ideal access for oxygen, so it got worse. And since he was slightly dehydrated and his throat was dry, the coughing tore up his throat, which is where the blood was from. I talked to him and checked him out, and thank shell, it wasn't from internal bleeding. He pulled some stitches, but we replaced those, and he's sleeping comfortably now. He's fine, and he should start getting better from now on."

The atmosphere of the room relaxed drastically at the statement. April spoke up as well.

"And don't forget the fact that Leo woke up in the first place," she pointed out encouragingly. "I mean, the fact that he woke up and could talk three days after getting shot is amazing. The wound is still uninfected, and Leo's strong; he'll pull through this. It's just a matter of time."

"Ms. O'Neil is correct," Splinter said, standing up from the table. "Leonardo's spirit is strong, and he knows that he is surrounded by loved ones. This is the first sign of his recovery, and we shall help him every step along the way." As everyone dispersed for the night, Splinter addressed his sons. "I shall again watch over Leonardo tonight."

Neither Don nor Raph argued with his decision, and not just because they knew Splinter wouldn't change his mind; Don, despite his assurances to his family, still wanted someone to keep an eye on Leo, and Raph was exhausted from his vigil the night before.

One person, however, did object to Splinter's announcement.

"No, Sensei; I'll watch Leo tonight."

Raph and Don both turned to look at Mikey in shock, but Master Splinter, after seeing the determination on his youngest son's face, merely nodded his head. "Very well, Michelangelo. I trust you will wake us should the need arise."

"I'll take care of him, Sensei." As Mikey bowed and walked off to the bathroom, his brothers turned to Splinter. But their sensei simply raised a paw to forestall their questions.

"I understand your surprise at this decision, my sons, but I feel it is well made." Motioning to the door Mikey had just passed through, they could hear talking to Leo softly. "Your brother needs to come to terms with what has happened. It is good that he wishes to do so and wishes to support Leonardo."

As the tired family settled down for another night, Raph called quietly to his brother.

"Hey, Donnie."

"Yeah, Raph?"

The smile was evident in Raph's tone.

"Mikey's finally growin' up."

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A/N: Alrighty, there's another chapter down! And holy crap, it's a long one! I personally am pretty darn proud of this one. Now there's only…I don't know how many chapters to go. . Next time I write a fic, I'm going to try planning out its length in chapters, and try writing it before I start posting regularly. We'll see how it goes. Sorry it took me so long to update, I feel really bad. Two weeks is way too long, but I had some major writer's block. But in other news, yay! Leo woke up! And there's some plot movement and emotional fluff, too. :D And I managed to work the title into the story! Go me! (Just to clear some things up, here's the timeline so far: the night they went on patrol is when Leo got shot, and then the whole process of fixing him up took the rest of the night. Then the next day was the day with April leaving to shop, and so on. I just wanted to make sure that was known in case anyone was confused.) Anyways, any thoughts on the newest chapter? Like it? Hate it? Input is always appreciated. And please keep in mind that I am not a medical professional; I have no idea how long gunshot wound recovery takes, but I've got to move this story along. Nor do I know if the whole coughing thing is plausible. I'm just trying to make this as realistic as possible, and I think that it could happen, so work with me. :D

Also, I wanted to check on something with anyone who reviews this: are we allowed to have song lyrics in stories as long as we note who they're by? I've seen several fics that have lyrics in them, but in other ones people say that having the lyrics isn't allowed. I wanted to make sure of that, 'cause I've got some really good ideas if song lyrics are allowed. If someone could just let me know on that, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks! Please R&R! Well, actually, if you're reading this right now, then you've ALREADY read the chapter. Unless you just skipped down to the author notes, which would be really weird. So am I just supposed to ask you to R? Hmm. Ah well, thanks for reading, and please review! And as always, no flames s'il vous plait! See you in Chapter 7!