A nice long chappie.
Mikey woke up in a big, white cell. He was alone. All of his gear had been taken from him, even his mask. The last thing he remembered was being attacked by Bishop's commandoes and he and Randall were trying to outsmart and fight them.
Mikey could take comfort that his family wasn't here, but Randall had become like family. He was sure to be here somewhere too. He tried to find a way out of the cell, other than the door that he saw.
The wall was thickly padded, but it still held strong. There were no weaknesses in the walls. Then Mikey noticed his right arm was badly bruised from his elbow to his wrist. He pressed on it, and he gave a big wince.
His arm was either badly sprained, or broken. He couldn't move his wrist. He put his arm against his chest to keep it compromised and not be bumped about.
Bishop knew he had the turtle known as Michelangelo. He had wanted to dissect him a long time ago. Right now, he was bait for the lizard, and his family. He was wanting his army of super soldiers. The lizard's DNA was bound to be powerful than just a small dose of it.
Mikey tried kicking the door down multiple times, but it still didn't work, and soon, his arm began to throb. It made him go to the back corner and sit down so he wasn't hurting himself anymore. He hoped his family would find him soon. He was so scared. He also hoped Randall was okay.
…..
It was a solid four days later and the family had heard nothing of what became of Mikey and Randall. They had begun looking through every block of the city at night while resting during the day.
Luckily, at this time, they were all at home, with April and Casey there as well to help out. Leo was going over the strategies to where everyone was going to go, when there was a sound familiar to them. It was the elevator!
They all looked over, and a big, purple lizard stumbled out of it. He was holding his lower left arm. He was also gasping for breath. He had a big piece of glass sticking out of his right side above his second pair of arms, along with other shards of glass in his skin.
"Help!" Randall called out to them. He was limping badly, and then he fell to the floor on the left side, making sure not to fall on the glass in his right side.
"Randall!" They all cried out and ran over to him.
Don picked Randall's head up. "Randall, what happened? Where's Mikey?" he asked gently.
"Commandoes! Blast!" Randall managed to say. His breathing was labored, and he was bleeding from many cuts left from the glass.
"Let's get him to the infirmary." Don ordered.
Leo and Raph gently carried him there so Don and April could patch him up.
Randall was conscious as Don and April began examining him for injuries. Some of the cuts would need stitches. It was when they came to his left lower arm and front leg when they were met with big cries of pain from the lizard.
Don massaged the leg and arm, and found they were broken. April felt his ribs and there were three broken ribs as well. His tail had a dent in it from where a piece of debris had fallen on it, indicating a broken bone there as well. April also found a huge lump on his head. And there was the glass still in his lower right side.
"You really did take a huge blow." Don said.
Randall nodded.
"How's your vision?" April asked.
"Sometimes blurry. My head hurts… but then, my whole body does." Randall admitted.
"You might have a concussion." April said. "You have three broken ribs that I felt. And I'm worried if you have a pierced lung with your gaspy breathing."
"And a broken leg, arm, and in your tail. I'll have to take x-rays to be certain of all injuries." Don said. "Where did all these cuts and the glass come from?"
"Window! Wall! How long… was I gone?" Randall asked. "I… didn't dare pull… glass out… Too deep…"
"Good idea. I'll have to extract the carefully." Don said.
"Four days, and you haven't seen Mikey?" April asked.
"No. Not since… the blast."
"What did that blast?" Don asked.
"Helicopter… Bishop." Randall's breathing was getting heavier and faster.
"Randall, try to slow your breathing down." April said, coaxing him.
"Just take some deep, slow breaths." Don said.
"Randall, we're going to have to put you to sleep to treat your injuries." Don said, "But how did you make it back here in this condition?"
"I was knocked… out first. In other building… opposite of blown up roof. Went through a window… hit a wall. Debris, glass… everywhere." He managed to say in a weak voice. "Couldn't help… Mike."
Now they understood why he was in this condition. After that, they knocked Randall out to treat his injuries and put a breathing tube down into his lungs so he could breathe properly.
Outside the infirmary, the others wondered if Randall knew where Mikey was. They felt for him to be in this condition, but they wanted their brother back. They all felt a little guilty for being mad at him before he left the lair.
Soon, after four hours, Don and April came out of the infirmary after treating Randall's wounds.
"How's Randall? Is he going to live, Donny?" Leo asked.
"He's in really critical shape. He managed to explain what happened before we knocked him out." Don explained.
"What happened, bro?" Raph asked.
"Bishop's commandoes tried to get them. There was a helicopter that blasted at the roof they were on. Randall was blown into that other building across from where we were looking for him and Mikey. Mikey was captured. Who knows if he's hurt." Don explained the story.
"Randall has some broken ribs, broken tail, broken leg and an arm. And a concussion. And he had a bit of pierced lung in the right side. He had many glass shards buried in his skin from a broken window. We put a breathing tube in his side to help with the pierced lung." April explained what was wrong with him. "It took him awhile to come out of the shock he was in to make it back here."
"How is he now?" Splinter asked, concerned.
"Sleeping peacefully." April replied. "We have a breathing tube down him to help ease his breathing. He's also hooked up to a heart monitor because of his ribs and the pierced lung. He's also on an IV for fluids to prevent dehydration and pain meds."
"He took quite a beating." Casey said, finally breaking his silence.
"But how soon are we going to find Mikey?" Raph growled. "Bishop would be trying to do something to him by now for sure!" He pounded his left fist into his right. He was ready for some action.
"I'll get Leatherhead to help me monitor Randall while you guys go find your brother." April said.
"Thanks, April." Leo said.
Leo, Raph, Splinter, and Casey went up to the Battle Shell to do another search for Mikey. April called Leatherhead that Randall was hurt and he was needed.
The croc responded immediately. He came over to help look after Randall and April told him the story. He growled at the mention of Bishop. That monster human just didn't know when to stop interfering in their lives.
…..
After the defeat of the Shredder, one of his workers had managed to sneak out and start a working relationship with Agent Bishop. It was Baxter Stockman. After so many punishments given out by the Shredder for failing, Stockman was so glad when his boss had been destroyed by the turtles, even when he still hated them.
Stockman was studying the DNA makeup of the turtles and the lizard he had heard so much about. The lizard was truly unique in the genetic makeup, as it was nothing he had seen before. And it was nothing like a normal lizard's either.
Baxter could see why his new boss wanted the lizard back so badly. He had been seen a few nights ago with the turtle they currently had, known as Michelangelo. But now, the lizard had disappeared. More than likely, he had made his way back to the mutant family.
Mikey had been taken out and questioned many times by now about where his family was and where the lizard was. He wouldn't talk at all about that, and he had gotten multiple cuts on his arms and legs for it. His hurt arm still hadn't been treated, and Mikey was certain it was broken.
Whenever he was returned to his cell after being cut up, Mikey couldn't help but cry. He prayed and hoped beyond hope that his family would come for him. He still remembered how things had been left off when he had left home that night. At least Randall had been willing to come after him, even if his father had sent him. He just hoped he would see Randall again.
Bishop wanted to begin dissection on the turtle if he wasn't going to talk soon, but he would give him two more weeks. Then there would be dissection.
Mikey was afraid of Bishop and hated him like he had the Shredder. But he would never betray his family like this by giving him their whereabouts.
On the next time Mikey was taken out to be questions, he was strapped down and threatened with the dissection needle, again.
"Tell me where your family is, Michelangelo. Where is the lizard known as Randall?" Bishop demanded.
"I'll never betray my family, Bishop! I'll never tell you anything!" Mikey said angrily.
"Even if it means your life?"
"Yes!"
"You have two more weeks to tell me what I want to know, or you will be dissected!" Bishop got in his face.
"No!"
This turtle was being very stubborn, but then, Bishop didn't doubt his loyalty to his family. He loved them.
"I need an army of super soldiers to defend this Earth from the threat of alien invasion, Michelangelo. And I need something beyond human DNA to do it. And your DNA is beyond that of a normal turtle and Earth creature. So was Randall's. Tell me where they are!" Bishop ordered.
"Never in a million years!" Mikey said angrily.
"Very well. Then suffer the consequences." Bishop said, and he hit Mikey's hurt arm, right into the middle of it.
Mikey cried out in such pain. There was a bone crack inside the arm.
Then, an alarm suddenly went off.
"What's going on?!" Bishop demanded. He had an earpiece on and a secretary came on, saying, "We have a security breach, Agent Bishop, Sir. There are multiple mutant creatures fighting their way inside, Sir."
"Good. I knew this turtle would be good bait for his family." Bishop said smiling. "Looks like your family is here to save you, Michelangelo, but they are going to be joining you in my efforts to create my army of super soldiers."
"In your dreams, Bishop!" Mikey yelled back at him.
Then the doors slammed open. "Get away from our brother, Bishop!" Leonardo ordered the man.
"It's good that you're here, Turtles. Michelangelo has been missing you. Now you all can help me out with what I want." Bishop said evilly.
"No way are we ever going to help you, Bishop!" Raphael growled.
The turtles and Casey then jumped forward to try to get Bishop away from Mikey. They knew he could beat them, but they just had to get him away from Mikey so Master Splinter could get him loose.
The three turtle brothers and Casey got Bishop away from Mikey, even though they all were easily deterred. Splinter got by them and he set Mikey free of his straps.
"Master Splinter! I thought you guys weren't coming!" Mikey said happily.
"We have been searching for you, Michelangelo. We would never give up on you, my son." Splinter said as he helped him up and hugged him.
"I knew you wouldn't. What about Randall?"
"He's at home, wounded."
"He was hurt in the blast?"
"Yes, very, but we can continue this discussion later, my son. Stay here. I see you are in no condition to fight." Splinter said. He could see his youngest son was covered in cuts and bruises.
"I have a broken arm." Mikey said. He cradled his arm against his chest and stomach.
"I have to help your brothers. Stay here." Splinter said and jumped in to join the fray against Bishop. The man was giving his three other sons a good runaround fight.
Leo, Raph, Casey, and Don were all knocked into the wall, and he was menacing toward them with one of Leo's swords in his hands.
"BISHOP! Stay away from my sons!" Splinter yelled out.
The man barely saw the rat coming before he moved, but used the katana to block Splinter's stick from connecting with his head. He and Splinter got into a good fight and Splinter barely managed to get the katana back to Leonardo.
"Let us finish this, my sons!" Splinter said angrily.
"Ditto!" Donatello said in agreement.
The turtles and Casey lined up behind Splinter.
Bishop knew there was no beating them this time. He was near an escape route. It was either take it, or take them all on again, and get back to the wounded turtle in the back. He would be back.
"You haven't seen the last of me, mutants!" Bishop laughed maniacally. Then he escaped through two double doors behind him.
"No! Don't let him get away!" Leo ordered and he and his brothers charged forward. They were met with the door in their faces.
"It is pointless to try, my sons. There will be another day and time. For now, we need to get Michelangelo home and treated." Splinter said calmly.
They all walked over as saw that Mikey didn't look good at all.
"Are you alright, Mikey?" Don asked.
"No. I have a broken arm." Mikey said.
"Let's get you out of here, little bro." Raph said. He gladly helped Mikey walk out of the hideout.
They had found Mikey in what looked like an underground lab. Splinter had sensed where his son was and had picked up a bit of a scent. It hadn't rained in days, so he was able to pick it up. He had been found in the Bronx.
Mikey was helped into the Battle Shell and onto the bed in the back. Raph drove home. Don checked him over on the way home. He could clearly see that Mikey didn't feel well and the arm on his front was badly injured. The skin was so dark because of bad bruising to it.
Leo called back to the lair and told them they had found Mikey, injured, but alive. April and Leatherhead were glad to hear it.
"How's Randall?" Leo asked.
"He's still out of it. He has a fever." April replied. "But his breathing and heart are stable."
"We found Mikey in the Bronx. We'll be home soon." Leo said.
"We'll be waiting to help." April said.
It was quite a drive, but soon, they arrived home. Mikey had fallen asleep on the way home. He was exhausted.
Once in the garage, Don gently awoke Mikey. "Mikey, we're home now. Let's get you down to the lair and treated."
"Okay, Don." Mikey groaned. He was in serious pain, but glad to be back with his family.
They all got out of the truck and took the elevator down to the lair. There, April and LH greeted them in the infirmary.
Mikey had a chance to see Randall first, and he was sleeping. He could see he wasn't in good shape either. "What's Randall's condition?" He asked.
"Broken ribs, tail, arm, and a leg. Punctured lung. Multiple cuts from glass shards. And a concussion." April answered. "He was in shock for awhile following the blast, and it took him awhile to get back. Plus with the glass in his lung too made it hard for him to breathe."
Mikey's condition could have been worse too if it hadn't been for his shell. His shell had saved him a bit more. But when Don looked him over again and took x-rays, his right shoulder had also been dislocated.
Don, April, and Leatherhead got to work on Mikey right away after that. He was knocked out so they could work without him being in pain.
His shoulder was put back in place, though it was a little stubborn because it hadn't been dealt with right away. Then they set the bones in the arm back in place. It had fractured in his wrist and lower arm. Then they set about putting his arm in a cast and sling. The many other wounds on his body were rubbed down and disinfected, and a few needed stitches.
The arm would take a good six to eight weeks to heal, but his wounds should be healed in about a couple of weeks. Mikey would be okay in time.
Mikey was moved to a cot and he was covered up with a blanket and left to sleep off the anesthesia.
When Don, April and LH left the infirmary for a breather, the others all came up to them.
"So what's Mikey's condition?" Casey asked.
"He's got many cuts and bruises, along with a broken arm, and had a dislocated shoulder on the right side." April replied.
"So, he's not as wounded as Randall was?"
"No, he wasn't, but most of it was Bishop's doing, not from the blast." Don said. "We just need to watch him for signs of fever and heavy pain in the coming hours."
"If he gets a fever, it's understandable after what was done to him." LH said. "But they both need a lot of rest."
"And we'll make sure they get it." Leo said. "I'll take the first watch. You guys should take a break."
"We all need a break, Leo. We have all been stressing for so many days now looking for Mikey, and what happened to Randall." Don said.
While Leo got comfortable in the infirmary, everyone else went to get some much needed sleep.
Leo watched Randall's heart monitor and he kept on wetting two washrags with cool water and put them on Randall and Mikey's foreheads to try to keep fevers down. He was glad they both were back here, safe at last. But they still weren't out of the woods yet.
Randall finally took a deep breath, and his eyes started to open for the first time in hours. "Hmm." He moaned.
Leo took notice that Randall was waking up. "Randall? How are you feeling?"
Randall recognized Leo's mask in front of him. He tried to swallow, but couldn't. His voice came out muffled.
Leo saw that he didn't like the tube in his throat. He went over to make sure he didn't panic. "Take it easy, Randall. We had to put a tube down your throat to make sure you were able to breathe okay because you have a punctured lung."
Randall calmed down when Leo told him that. "I… think I can… breathe… fine… now." he said.
"It needs to stay in a little longer to be sure. Is there something you need?" Leo asked.
"Thirsty."
"It might have to wait awhile yet. You need some more rest. There's an IV in one of your arms giving you fluids and pain medication for the time being." Leo said.
Randall hated it when he was denied something he wanted, such as a basic need. But at least he wasn't going to be allowed to get dehydrated. Then he looked at a bed opposite to him and saw the darker green skin.
"Mike?" Randall asked.
"Yes, he's here, Randall. We found him. He has a broken arm and was cut up some by Bishop. He'll be fine soon. Just as you are." Leo tried to comfort the lizard's worries for his friend.
Randall then felt the rag on his head. He raised a hand to take it off.
"You have a bit of a fever right now, Randall. It's to help keep it down. You need to get some more sleep, and we'll see about taking the tube out again real soon." Leo said.
Randall still did feel tired, but he had just wanted to wake up for a few moments and see if Mike had been saved. At least now, his mind was set at rest that he was safe. It wasn't long before he fell to sleep again, which calmed Leo down a lot more.
Over the next few hours, Mikey and Randall just slept off their fevers. Randall's was worse because he had been in shock previously. Leo did his best to keep it down.
Don came in next to take over so Leo could go get some rest. It was time for the doctor of the bunch to check in on them anyway.
"How are they, Leo?" Don asked.
"They're stable, but Randall's temperature was rising. I did my best to keep it down." Leo said.
"Don't blame yourself for this, Leo. We couldn't have known what would happen. Doing your best is all you can do. We all will help them beat this." Don laid a hand on his shoulder. "I know you're worried about them, especially Mikey, but you need to keep yourself rested too. Go get some sleep, bro."
"I know. I will. Thanks, Don." Leo said and went to his room. He just hoped he would be able to sleep. He removed his gear and tucked himself into his bed. Sleep did come fast for him as he hadn't realized how exhausted he was.
When Don felt both Mike and Randall's foreheads, Mikey's wasn't too bad, just a slight fever, but Randall's had risen too high. He checked the heart monitor and it was a little irregular. He had a pierced lung after all. Don just hoped Randall's lungs weren't filling with fluid or anything.
Don used a portable x-ray and took one of Randall's chest to make sure. Once it came out, there was no fluid in his lungs, luckily, but he was too worried to not get April and Leatherhead up.
"Put some cold water over his body. That can also help to bring his temperature down." LH said.
Randall's breathing was sounding a bit off, but due to his injury of the lung. He was moaning in his sleep. He was battling one heck of a fever. His friends hoped he wasn't on the verge of getting pneumonia, or worse. He had done so much for them by now, and they were going to be there for him.
Don went to go get some cold water in the tub, and they were going to put him in it. When it was filled, Don called them in, and Leatherhead carried Randall in and gently laid him into the tub. April was pushing his IV behind the croc.
Randall didn't awaken, but he looked like he was in pain. After a few minutes, steam began rising from the water, his hot body interacting with the cold water. They were hoping it was starting to bring the fever down.
The bandages on Randall's body were now wet, and would be changed later, but they had to keep his temperature down first.
They let him stay in the tub for a half hour, and the water was fully steamed up by then, having melted some of the fever off of the hurt lizard's body.
Leatherhead finally lifted him out of the water and they went to work drying him off before taking him back to the infirmary. Don got some more cold water to put in a bucket so they could continue wiping down Randall's body as needed to keep the fever down.
After a few more hours, everyone but Leo was up and helping to take part in the aftercare of what happened. Even Raph, Splinter, and Casey became concerned about Randall. Mikey was faring much better. He still had a mild fever and was just sleeping heavily, as he was able to do, but he was moaning about in his sleep a bit too. Probably just bad dreams of what had happened with Bishop.
After a couple more hours, Leo was up again too. He had been truly exhausted, as had they all from having been so stressed out worrying about the two injured ones being missing the past few days. They all had gotten some rest, but now, there was still stress to worry about: making sure the fevers didn't rise any higher.
Mike's temperature was staying constant, and seemed to be lowering after a one-time soaking of the cold water on his body. Randall had to be kept soaked constantly to keep his down.
After the first 48 hours passed, Mikey's fever was broken and he came to. He was wanting some food, as apparently, Bishop hadn't fed him. He was a little thin. But he was also concerned for Randall too. He was still weak, but he also started to take over for him as well.
"The reason why I think Randall is so much more injured than I am is because he was closer to the spot where the blast from the copter took place." Mikey tried to remember, but it had happened so fast, it was hard to see it in his mind.
"Whatever happened, Mikey, we're doing our best to see to it that he is going to make it." Don said, giving his good shoulder a squeeze. Mikey was sitting next to Randall's bed. Then, Don went to go get Mikey some of the soup that had been made again.
Mikey looked sadly over at his friend lying in the bed, who had been unconscious now for three days straight. "Please, don't die, Randall. Aside from my family, you're the best friend I have. I know I have Silver Sentry too, but I don't see him nearly as much. You spice up my life and have my back a lot more. I'll do anything to make this up to you." he pleaded for him to come back.
Since the last soaking of his body, Randall's fever had finally lowered enough to where it wasn't so critical anymore, but he still needed to wake up.
Splinter then came in to see how Randall was doing. "Any changes, Michelangelo?"
"No. Just a lowering of his fever. I don't get why he hasn't woken up yet." Mikey said.
"Randall is fighting a spiritual battle of the infection in his body, and possibly in his mind too." Splinter said.
Don brought in a bowl of soup for Mikey to eat. "Here's some more soup, Mikey." He offered his brother.
"Thanks, Don." Mikey replied. He set his soup on a little table next to him and he ate it with his good hand. Being one handed would be something to get used to for awhile.
As Don watched Mikey eat the soup, he still remembered the older Mikey with the one arm, but it was the opposite this time. But Mikey's broken arm would mend. It wasn't amputated.
Mikey would much rather be doing other things right now, but with Randall stuck in here, he wasn't going to leave his side anytime soon until he knew he was really alright. It would be the same if it was one of his brothers or father.
"Randall, if you wake up, you can have all sorts of awesome foods." Mikey said, waving his bowl of soup in front of his nose to see if it would rouse him. It didn't. "I'm sorry I got you into that mess." Mikey apologized for what happened.
"Let him be, Mikey. Why don't you go and get some more rest." Leo came in again to take over. "You can go to your room, or the couch if you wish."
"I can't leave him, Leo."
"We're all here to help look after him, Mikey. He's fine now that his fever is lowered." Leo said. "I'll watch him. I'll let you know the minute I know anything is changed."
Mikey knew Leo was true to his word. He reluctantly went to the couch to get some sleep. His own room was upstairs, and he didn't want to go upstairs at the moment.
Leo sat down in the chair once Mikey was gone from the room. As he looked at the lizard, he seemed to be looking much better than he was earlier. "I hope you wake up soon, Randall. Mikey blames himself for what happened to you. You have been a good friend and ally. If anything, you might have saved Mikey from the worst of injuries that you got from that blast. It's hard to say what happened because we weren't there with you guys that night. Please wake up soon." Leo talked to him.
Randall went on sleeping peacefully. When Don examined him later, he deduced that he was in a coma. Randall could wake up in his own time, or, not at all. His fever was now gone, but he just still hadn't woken up yet, at least not since before he had first talked to Leo before he had went under and stayed under.
The others were glad Mikey was awake, but he wouldn't stop feeling guilty. They wanted their happy baby brother back instead of this sad one. But there was only one thing that would make that happen.
When Mikey wasn't with Randall, he would be sleeping, or sitting on the couch, petting his cat, Klunk. The cat seemed to think that his master had something upsetting on his mind and was being there for him. And there was.
They all grew worried more by the day if Randall was ever going to wake up. On the fifth day, Don said to the others, "We'll give Randall a month, and if he doesn't wake up by then, we might have to let him go. We don't want him to suffer." He said regrettably.
"We understand, Don." Leo said.
"He's been good to us." Raph said, "compared to when he first came and what we found out about him."
"He also saved Michelangelo from getting more seriously hurt from the blast before being caught by Bishop's men." Splinter said.
"I don't want to see him go." Mikey said.
"Mikey, if he's suffering, it wouldn't be right to put him through that pain." Don said.
"We've all had pain from all kinds of injuries, Don." Mikey argued back.
"Yes, we have, but a pierced lung can be hard to recover from. It might cause fluid to build in his lungs. I can take it out carefully, but how long would it keep him stable?" Don said, concerned. He knew this was all a risk, but he would do it for a month. He just didn't want Randall to suffer.
"Mikey, we don't want Randall to be in pain. Being in a coma is no way to live. It's up to him if he wants to live, yes, but Don is right. We can't let him suffer." Leo said.
"I am sorry, Michelangelo, but your brothers are right. My sons, we will give Randall a month to come out of this coma. I too do not want to see him in pain." Splinter said.
Mikey hated to agree to this, but he knew it was for the better. He sadly agreed in the end.