Chapter 8-Reassurance
5 hours later…
The first thing that Mikey felt as he started to wake up from his slumber was extreme tiredness as well as muscle-like aches all over his body. He groaned as he slowly moved around in his bed whilst opening his eyes halfway.
"Mikey?" He then heard the familiar voice of his oldest brother, Leo, calling him in a concerned tone.
"Mmm…" Mikey groaned again before he opened his eyes wider.
When he looked over to his left side, he saw Leo and Raph by his bedside looking at him with worried but then relieved faces.
"Mornin', sleepy-head…" Raph said softly.
"Hey, Mikey, I'm so glad you're awake…you had us worried for a little while, but we were relieved when Donnie told us that your fever just broke not long ago…" Leo said in relief.
"W-Where is he…?" Mikey asked anxiously when he didn't see Donnie with his other brothers.
"It's alright, bro; he's just gone ta get ya some water…he'll be-"
"I'm back…Has Mikey woken up yet?" Donnie's voice suddenly cut Raph off. Leo and Raph looked over at the door to see Donnie walking in with a cup of water in his hand.
"See fer yer self…!" Raph answered in a happy tone as he moved to the side to allow Donnie to see that Mikey was awake.
"Mikey!" Donnie cried out when he saw Mikey now fully awake before he put the cup down on the bedside table and gave him a big but gentle hug.
"Thank shell…I was worried that you might be sleep for a long time because of how high your fever was…How do you feel?" He then said before he released his brother when asked him the question.
"N-Not as bad as I was before…M'just tired and sore all over…" Mikey answered groggily as he struggled to sit up.
"I don't blame you; you've had a rough night yesterday, especially with your first werewolf transformation…" Donnie pointed out as he helped Mikey sit up properly.
Shortly after getting him comfortable, the older brothers noticed that Mikey had developed a sad look on his face as if to say that something was bothering him.
"What's up, bro?" Raph asked first.
"I-I'm so sorry, you guys…" Mikey suddenly said whilst avoiding eye contact with his brothers.
"What for, Mikey?" Leo asked in confusion as to why his little brother was apologising to his older brothers.
"C-Cos…I-I already had a feeling that this would happen to me…" Mikey confessed with his head hanging low in shame. His three older brothers looked at him in shock.
"Wait, so you already knew that you would become a werewolf after you got bitten by Velkan?" Donnie questioned in surprise, but he wasn't angry with him. Mikey nodded hesitantly.
"Why didn't ya tell us dis before!?" Raph questioned in a slightly annoyed tone because he didn't like how Mikey kept this as a secret from him and his other brothers.
"Easy, Raph…" Leo said firmly whilst placing a calming hand on his shoulder.
"W-Well…I-I didn't believe it myself at first, cos…I-I thought that it was all just something from horror stories made to scare us as kids, but now…after what happened last night, I've realised now that it's all real…" Mikey explained as he tenderly held his bandaged shoulder where the bite wound was.
"I-I swear…I-I never wanted this to happen…I-I…" He managed to say before he started tearing up and getting close to breaking down.
"Hey, hey, calm down, Mikey…! None of us are upset with you…!" Leo reassured as he knelt down to Mikey's level and placed a comforting hand on his good shoulder.
"Yeah, we all thought that you wouldn't really turn into a werewolf because we too were sceptical about it being true from the stories…" Donnie said in agreement.
"M'sorry fer bein' a bit hard on ya just then, bro…I guess I'm still tryin' ta process all of dis…" Raph said guiltily.
"I-It's fine…I-It's my fault for getting myself cursed in the first place, anyway…" Mikey replied whilst still feeling down.
"Don't you start blaming yourself for this, Mikey…! Nobody, not even you, could've predicted that you would get inflicted with the werewolf's curse whilst being stuck in this time period. Besides, it could have happened to any one of us…!" Donnie countered firmly but softly.
"Right, and it's like we said last night, bro; we will not rest until we find a way to cure you from this curse…That's a promise!" Leo reminded in agreement, giving Mikey's shoulder a gentle squeeze.
Mikey looked at Leo and Donnie with a stunned expression on his face. He had never expected responses like them from his brothers.
"T-Thanks, bros…" He said gratefully.
"Breakfast is ready…!"
The turtle brothers jumped when they heard Anna's voice behind them. They turned around and saw their human female friend walking into the bedroom, and then they saw her smile when she noticed that Mikey was awake.
"Ah, Michelangelo, good morning! How are you feeling?" Anna said happily as she got closer to the bed.
"Morning, Anna…I'm ok, just tired and a bit achy…" Mikey replied with a small smile.
"I'm not surprised; transforming into a werewolf and fighting enemies before returning to your normal self again can take a toll on one's body…" Anna said in understanding before she asked him a question.
"Would you like to eat your breakfast in bed or are you well enough to join us in the dining room, Michelangelo?"
"…I-I wanna join you all; I don't wanna be alone right now…" Mikey answered after having a long think for a moment, and his brothers could sense that already.
"That's fine, little brother, just take it slow as you get up…" Donnie advised before he and his older brothers helped Mikey get out of bed.
Mikey groaned and grunted in pain as he slowly got up and out of his bed because his body was still sore and battered from last night's events, but he was able to stay standing without collapsing before his brothers guided him out of the room to head for the dining room to get some breakfast.
As soon as they had reached the dining room, they saw Van Helsing and Carl sitting on their chairs and chatting amongst themselves before they noticed Anna and all four turtle brothers walking over to them.
"Ah, hello, my friends! I see that Michelangelo is finally awake and walking again…!" Van Helsing greeted with a relieved smile when he noticed that Mikey was with his brothers.
"Yes! Good to see that you are doing well again, Michelangelo…!" Carl said happily in agreement with his friend.
"Thanks, you two…" Mikey replied with a grateful smile.
"Carl, would you mind giving me a hand with bringing the breakfast to the table?" Anna asked.
"Not at all, Anna…" Carl answered politely before he stood up from his seat and walked with Anna towards the kitchen to get the breakfast-filled plates to the table.
"How are you feeling, Michelangelo?" Van Helsing asked the youngest turtle in a gentle tone.
"I-I'm a little sore, but I'm alright…still letting last night's events sink in at the moment, though…" Mikey answered softly and shyly.
"Indeed…You both surprised and impressed us last night. To be honest, I was concerned that you would immediately succumb to the werewolf's curse after your transformation, but you proved us wrong by staying true to who you really are inside…" Van Helsing complimented with a nod.
"W-Well, I couldn't have done it without my bros; if it hadn't been for them, I probably would've bit and ripped everyone's heads off…" Mikey said with a grimace, shivering at the thought of losing control of his werewolf form and killing those close to him.
"Don't sell yourself short, Mikey; you're both physically and spiritually stronger than you think!" Leo countered proudly, making Mikey smile thankfully towards him.
Just then, Anna and Carl walked back over to the table with their hands carrying plates filled with hot breakfast food. They placed the turtles' and Van Helsing's plates in front of them first before they placed their own on their spots on the table.
"Thank you, Anna and Carl…!" "Thanks!" Van Helsing and the turtle brothers said politely.
"You're welcome…I just need to get one more thing, I'll be right back…" Anna replied before she hurried back into the kitchen to pick something else up.
The boys looked at each other and wondered what it was that Anna went back into the kitchen for, before they saw her appear again whilst holding a bigger plate that had a loaf of bread on it and placing it in the middle of the table.
"Oh, this is the milk bread that Mila and Sophia made us!" Mikey pointed out in surprise when he recognised the loaf.
"Yes, I thought that it would cheer you up by bringing it to the table for all of us to try for breakfast!" Anna explained with a warm smile.
"Thanks, Anna…" Mikey said gratefully before he took his first bite of his breakfast, with the others following his lead.
After eating the hot-cooked elements of their breakfasts, the group decided to slice up the milk bread and give it a try with some butter. As soon as they took their first bite, their faces immediately changed to delight.
"Mmm, this is so tasty…!" Mikey complimented with his face full of joy before taking another bite of it.
"Yeah, it's so fluffy and light that it's like I'm eating a cloud…!" Donnie said agreement and delight.
"It is delightful to the senses…" Leo said with his eyes closed in awe at the bread's flavour and texture.
"Totawy agwee with ya, bwo…!" Raph mumbled with some bread still in his mouth.
"Raph, don't talk with your mouth full…!" Leo scolded lightly in disgust, whilst the others chuckled.
"The people in the village have always been known to have great talents in their chosen craft, especially when it comes to food…" Anna said in admiration for the villagers living near her.
"Well, this is the best milk bread I've ever tasted…! 5 stars for sure!" Mikey said cheerfully before taking another bite of his second slice of bread.
The others chuckled at that comment before they finished off their own slices of milk bread. After a few minutes had passed to allow their stomachs to settle, the group was quietly in their own thoughts about what they should do for the day until they resume their mission at nightfall.
"Leonardo, would you like to join me on a little training session in the forest? I can show you how to use the crossbow…" Van Helsing asked Leo, finally breaking the silence.
"I'd be honoured to, Van Helsing…!" Leo answered excitedly before he turned to look at Raph. "Do you want to join us, bro?"
"Err…I'll think about it…" Raph said in a flat tone.
This made Leo feel a bit confused and concerned at the same time. Normally, Raph was always up for a training or sparring session without hesitation, and to see him not looking as enthusiastic as he usually is was completely new to him.
"And what are you going to do, Carl?" Van Helsing asked his friend.
"I'm going to have a look around the castle a bit more and study its artworks and books…" Carl answered with an excited smile.
"I'll join you on that, Carl; I too am interested in this castle's layout and history…" Donnie said in agreement with a similar smile before looking at Anna. "You don't mind, do you, Anna?"
"Not at all, as long as you be careful not to touch the delicate items in the castle…" Anna said with a small warning.
"A-Am I allowed to do something?" Mikey asked nervously whilst looking at the group shyly.
The others looked at him before looking at each other with unsure expressions on their faces, because they didn't know what would be the best activity for Mikey that wouldn't push him too hard due to still not feeling 100% himself yet.
After a moment of silence, an idea popped into Anna's head.
"I have some books based on folklore and legends in my castle library that you might be interested in reading during your rest…Would you like me to bring them over to you whilst I do a bit of tidying up there?" She asked kindly.
"Really? Cool! I'd love to check them out! Thanks, Anna…!" Mikey answered, cheering up after hearing that.
"Then, it's settled; let's tidy up the breakfast things first before we can do our own things…" Leo said in his leader-like voice.
After coming to an agreement on their individual plans, they all started the process of cleaning up the breakfast things such as the plates and cups on the table.
"Do you mind if I help you wash the dishes, Anna?" Mikey suddenly asked after a moment of silence.
"Mikey, you should take it easy for a bit longer; you had a rough day last night…" Donnie told his younger brother.
"I only wanna do the washing part of it, Donnie, that's all…!" Mikey protested, frustrated at the thought of being told to just sit around and do nothing all day.
"I don't mind the help at all, Michelangelo, but I think you should do a small amount of washing up just to put Donatello's mind at rest…" Anna said wisely.
"I'm good with that…Is that better for you now, Donnie?" Mikey agreed before looking at his immediate older brother with pleading eyes.
"Ok, fine, you can help…but you must only do a small amount of washing up, got it?" Donnie said with a sigh before giving Mikey a warning glare after saying the last part of the sentence.
"Yep, it's a deal!" Mikey answered with a firm nod before he slowly got out of his seat, despite still feeling sore.
"Carl, can you come and help with the rest of the tidying up?" Anna asked the friar.
"Yes of course, Anna…!" Carl answered before he too stood up from his chair and followed the trio towards the kitchen.
"Are you ready to go, Leonardo?" Van Helsing asked.
"I'll be with you in a minute, Van Helsing, I just need to check on something first. I'll catch up with you…" Leo said after looking at Raph for a couple of minutes.
"Alright, meet me in the village courtyard when you're ready…" Van Helsing replied before walking out of the castle and closing the door behind him.
Shortly after seeing Van Helsing leave, Leo turned his attention to Raph and spoke.
"Hey, Raph, you got a minute?"
"Sure, what's up?" Raph said gruffly, curious as to why Leo would want to talk to him before going to training with Van Helsing.
"I just want to know how you're feeling right now…" Leo asked softly.
"…I'm doin' better, but…it's still hard ta believe dat Mikey's…ya know…" Raph answered with a sigh.
"Yeah, I know what you mean…but we need to stay positive and support him through it until we find the cure and then go back home to our own time…" Leo replied wisely after nodding in understanding since he knew that Raph was the first to witness Mikey's transformation.
"I'm definitely gonna be by his side throughout it all, bro…ya can count on dat!" Raph promised firmly.
"I knew you would say that, and I believe you 100%…!" Leo replied, pleased and relieved to know that Raph was still not going to give up on Mikey so easily.
"By the way, did Van Helsing talk to you whilst you were both outside last night?" He then asked in a slightly serious tone.
"…Yeah…" Raph answered softly after a pause.
"What did he say? Anything helpful in terms of advice?" Leo questioned next, curiosity now starting to build up inside him.
"Well…" Raphael started saying before he explained to Leo what happened hours ago.
/
Flashback…
Shortly after he had left the castle, Raph sat on the stairs near the entrance, his arms folded on top of his knee pads and his head was resting on his arms whilst wearing a glum and frustrated look on his face. He had been like this for the past two minutes.
"Raphael…" He heard Van Helsing's voice from behind him.
"What da ya want, Van?" Raphael questioned with an annoyed sigh without turning around to look at him.
"Thought you could use some company, my friend…" Van Helsing offered kindly as he sat next to the red-banded turtle.
"Yeah, well…I came out here ta be alone, so…whatever, I ain't in da mood…" Raph said flatly, not very keen on having company or another argument.
Van Helsing could sense Raphael's anger radiating from his body, so he spoke to him again in a gentler manner.
"I know that you are feeling frustrated right now, Raphael, but you must have patience and-"
"Look, I get it, but yer not da one who's got a little brother dat's been cursed as a werewolf, so don't come out here and tell me what ta do cos you don't know how it feels…!" Raph snapped angrily, cutting off Van Helsing's sentence, before he looked away again to try and hide the small tears that were starting to develop in the edges of his eyes.
At this point, Van Helsing felt very sorry for Raph; his youngest brother had fallen victim to the werewolf's curse because of Velkan and the red-banded turtle was still feeling emotionally raw from that experience, to a point where he was willing to ignore everyone's advice and risk everything to free him from it, including his own life.
The dark-clothed man sighed and sat down next to Raph before he spoke.
"…You're right; I don't have any siblings of my own…but I do have my friends, including you and your brothers…"
"…" Raph didn't respond to that, even though he became thoughtful after hearing those words.
"I am sorry about Michelangelo's current predicament, but you must understand that he is not alone in these troubling times…" Van Helsing then said.
"What da ya mean by dat?" Raph questioned in confusion.
"Well, Anna's brother has been inflicted by the werewolf's curse too, so you, Leonardo, and Donatello are not the only ones working hard to find the cure to lift it…Also, I don't have any memories of my past, so all I can do now is continue moving forward until I find out what happened and who I really am…" Van Helsing reminded sadly.
"Ya don't have ta remind me, ya idiot; I already know all dat…!" Raph snapped but kept his voice down to prevent anyone both inside and outside of the castle from hearing him.
Van Helsing sighed again before he gave Raph some more words of wisdom.
"What I'm trying to say to you, Raphael, is that no-one should face their battles alone…if you try and do so, you will only get yourself hurt or worse killed…and the last thing that Michelangelo would want is to feel guilty and heartbroken after hearing that you tried to fight Dracula for the cure to break the werewolf's curse…"
"…" Raph didn't say anything, but he instead gasped quietly and his eyes widened when he heard the last part of Van Helsing's sentence.
"Michelangelo has already risked his life to protect you once…if you left to fight Dracula now, he won't be by your side to protect you this time because he's not his energetic self at the moment…" Van Helsing pointed out in a serious tone.
"Shell…Yer right…" Raph said in realisation.
He couldn't bear the thought of his youngest brother having to endure more suffering because the red-banded turtle was being stubborn and tried to take matters into his own hands.
"I gotta be there fer him, no matter what dat Dracula freak is doin'…" He then said, both his voice and face now full of determination.
"That's the spirit, my friend…!" Van Helsing replied with a relieved smile when he saw Raph perk up a bit.
Raph smiled a little more before he heard Van Helsing speak again.
"So, shall we head back inside…?"
Raph nodded with a hum before he and Van Helsing stood up, but before he started moving, Van Helsing stopped him.
"One last thing, Raphael…I know that it has been a difficult couple of days for you and your brothers, but just hearing the way you spoke about Michelangelo during our present conversation proves to me that you and your brothers have a strong brotherly bond with him…You should feel proud to be truly blessed with that…"
"...Yeah…I am…" Raph admitted with a warm smirk before he and Van Helsing walked towards the door to head back inside and see how the others, mainly Mikey, were doing.
End of flashback…
/
"…And ya know da rest after dat…" Raph said, concluding his story.
"Whoa…" Leo said as he looked at Raph in awe and surprise after hearing the whole story.
"So, are you feeling alright now?" He then asked softly.
"Never felt better; I gotta stay strong fer Mikey, ya know…" Raph answered with a brighter smirk.
"Yeah, me and Donnie will too, and I'm sure that Van Helsing and our other human friends will do the same…" Leo replied with a soft smile before he got serious and spoke again.
"Speaking of Van Helsing, I better hurry and meet him at the courtyard before he thinks that I've changed my mind on the training session…!"
"Mind if I join ya? I could do with a trainin' challenge or two…" Raph asked after taking another moment to think about joining his immediate older brother.
"Sure; the more the merrier…!" Leo answered gleefully, now glad to see his immediate younger brother back to his confident self again and looking forward to a little training session.
And with that, Leo and Raph left the castle to meet up with Van Helsing at the courtyard to start their morning training in the forest.
