"Raph?" Don fearfully poked me. I flinched, but couldn't pry my eyelids open.
"Raphael, you must wake! Raphael!"
I heard Splinter's shouting like a gunshot, but I couldnt' do much more than slur out, " 'm sorry. Can't."
"We all fall down, you know." Leo's voice was soft, and coy, as he stared at me. Casually, he raised his bloodied katana, smirked as he wiped it clean.
I stared at him, as he paced like a tiger over the bloodied floor.
"Some of us just fall harder, Raph. And some of us aren't meant to rise in the end."
The side of his mouth curled up in mock sympathy, as he tilted his head to see me better. I writhed in sheer terror, unable to move.
Why the hell couldn't I move? Panicking, I tried to wrench myself free, and stared in horror to see my wrists and ankles all bloodied, shredded stumps, impaled by katana blades.
I heard Leo chuckle as he watched me lurch up, helplessly as I tried to yank myself free.
"Maybe now, I'll finish the job, Raph." Leo whispered, as he leaned over my face, and sneered.
I stared into those eyes-hellishly empty, and sparkling with amusement at my agony.
"Leo, what the hell is wrong with you?" I didn't even try to keep the fear out of my voice, as he narrowed his eyes and leaned back.
"You truly have no damn clue what any of this is about, do you?" The genuine puzzlement twisted his face, and for a moment, he looked like my lost brother.
"No, damn it! I don't! Now tell me what is wrong with you!" The demand for an answer was only meant by a mocking snort of dismissal.
"Oh, Raph..."A gentle, patient sigh as Leo sat down beside me and seemed to consider the question.
"You truly have no idea how much torture you've put me through over the years, have you? All the petty squabbles over orders. All the times you've flaunted my authority. All the times you threw tantrums like some toddler, and stormed out, leaving me to sooth the wounds and placate Master Splinter. All the times I had to save you, time and time again because you did something stupid in a fit of anger. "
He sighed, and shook his head. "You truly want to know what I'm doing, Raph?"
I nodded, helpless, as he smirked bitterly. "I became you."
Leo's voice was blurred from the torpor smeared dream.
I felt his fingers brush mine, the shards of glass cutting my palms, the helpless shudder of instinctive agony that rippled through my body.
"And now, I'm going to finish what I started." He breathed out, as he raised the katana to my throat.
Blood. I felt it, hot and sweet against my lips where I had bit my lips to choke back the scream of pain.
The blade sliding across my neck, the gore spilling over my collar bone, the pain...
"Raph?" I recoiled at the gentle touch on my forehead, and whimpered as I tried to twist away from what was holding me to the bloodied matt.
"Raph!" I shuddered at the shrill bark of my name, and slid my eyes shut.
"Raph! Wake up! Come on, bro, wake up!"
I exploded back into awareness like a drowning man surfacing. Exhaling the scream, I heard Mikey yelp from behind, and the sound of shuffling.
A nightmare. A horrible, stupid nightmare about Leo trying to kill me. I swallowed hard, shut my eyes and tried to control my breathing.
"Easy, Raph. Take it easy." Don's soothing voice fell like ice over my shattered nerves as he carefully eased me back into the bed.
A bed? How the hell did I get from the dojo to the bed?
"Calm yourself, my son. You are safe." Splinter's voice was soft as I felt his reassuring paw slide over my cheek. I cracked open my eyes to see Don and Splinter leaning over me, worried.
"Did you have a bad dream, my son?"
The vivid nightmare had already vanished, but I was too damn embarrassed to answer Splinter. I shut my eyes, and nodded. I felt Splinter's soft paw over my clenched fist, gently patting my good wrist in reassurance.
I scowled when I finally dragged my shredded limb from the tangles of sheets, and looked at Don. "How bad?"
Don swallowed, and shrugged uneasily. "We have no x-rays down here, Raph. I don't know if you've got a cut tendon, or what yet. You were moving your fingers, so you have some mobility in that hand, but I won't know how bad it is until it's healed up a bit more."
"So...what's the worst case?" I asked quietly, as Don just shook his head.
"There's no point in speculation over the worst outcome when you've already avoided the worst, which was dying. We're damn lucky that Leo didn't sever a vein and have you bleed out."
Even Splinter winced at that, as he slowly, painfully rose to his feet, and gently silenced Don with a paw to the shoulder.
"That is enough, my sons. This talk is useless until we know more. For now, it is enough that you are alive, Raphael."
I glared down at the yards and yards of off-white wrappings that had been wound over and over my wrist and fingers.
Leo. My own brother had stabbed me with my own weapon and nearly killed me.
"Where the hell is Leo?"
There was only that horrible, horrible silence, as Mikey paled and turned away. Don just folded his arms, jaw setting into a line, and Master Splinter's eyes flickered to mine.
At last, Don almost snarled out, "He's sleeping." I didn't know what was worse, the rage on Don's face, or the lie. Uneasily, Mikey's eyes slid from Don to mine, before he forced a wilted smile.
"Uh, yeah, Raph. Leo had quite a work out, too, you know?" And then he floundered, darting a scared glance at Don, as if seeking direction. I watched as Don's face hardened with a deep, sharp exhaled breath.
"Never mind about Leo for now, Raph. You need some rest." Don's words were soft, but commanding. He was already propping my wrist up on a pillow, as Mikey picked up the blankets, ready to tuck me in like I was a damn kid or something.
Splinter only let out a pained sigh, as he shook his head. "Do not trouble yourself over Leonardo for now, Raphael."
"I'm not tired. Now, what the hell happened to Leo?" My demand for answers was only met with Mikey shrugging, as he and Don carefully gripped me, and gently forced me to lay back.
"Nothing happened to Leo, Raph. He's still sleeping off whatever Master Splinter gave him." Mikey muttered.
"As you should be, my son." Splinter said, pointedly. The yawn slithered out before I could stop it. I was still pissed off as I conked out again.
Don's veiwpoint...
It was only out of a sense of obligation that Don even bothered examining Leo. The eldest turtle was still slumbering and sprawled out across the dojo mat, harmless, helpless, and now...hated.
Grimly, Don swallowed back the bile as he unwillingly nudged the rim of Leo's shell, and slid him onto his back. Leo flopped over into the roll, head lulling, limbs dangling. Leo's eyes were closed, and he looked so peaceful it made Don sick. For a moment, he fought the instinct to kick him in the plastron and send him flying. Don shook his head. Even now, it was completely against his normally passive nature to do harm to the helpless.
Leo's snore was suddenly broken by an abrupt snort and a cough. Don flew to his feet, scrambling for his bo. When Leo's eyes fluttered open, and he tried to flop back onto his stomache, Don calmly raised his weapon high, and clubbed Leo across the temple. Leo crumbled back to the mat, with a groan, but went still. Numbly, Don waited for long moments, wary of Leo suddenly springing to life. The strike was deliberate, silent and far mor effective and merciless than the herbal concoction of Splinter's.
All Leo did was resume his deep, pained breathing. No groan, no muttering, just oblivion.
Numb and sickened, Don nudged Leo's face into view with his bo, poking at his jaw until he could see the bruised temple. Distainfully, he put his fingers to the pulse point, monitored the heartbeat, and the breathing.
Hell, the only thing that his once glorious older brother would gain was a longer nap, and a tremendous headache. Don grimaced. Even now, he didn't have it in him to do more than give Leo a concussion, and a nap.
Rage made his fingers coil over his weapon. His twisted sense of obligation made him finally let it clatter to the mat next to his injured brother. .