Author's Note: I am very sorry for the long wait. We have had some technical problems on our side, plus real life issues got in the way, so it made collaberating hard on us. Still, we're back and we bring you another chapter. This was all done by Glazier Blue and she did a great job. We had to split this chapter into two. Still, I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 19: Desperation
The brothers soon realized that Donatello's rescue from the Rat King had quickly become a fleeting one. After seeing their father in the infirmary, the young turtle seemed to retreat even further into himself, curling himself up into a trembling ball in the corner of the room and had not said another word since. Heartbroken at the sight of his second youngest, Splinter retreated away, only to be pursued by his eldest. Leaving Mikey and Raph alone with their terrified brother. Donatello's lack of response to anything by now was becoming alarming to his remaining two brothers. Immediately Raphael quickly planted himself in front of him looking for any sigh that he was still in there.
"Donnie boy? You're freaking us out. Talk to me," The red clad turtle wanted to take his brother into a comforting embrace but was afraid of the response it would garner. He then looked back at Mikey pleadingly.
"You're not still seeing rat's are you bro?" Still no response and panic soon over-shadowed concern. Deciding to take the chance, he reached to touch the olive skin, only to find it cold. It was only then he noticed he was shivering. Donnie eyes were doing a lot of the talking however and they said mentally he was disappearing right in front of them. His eyes then glazed over as he became more lost in his own head.
"No, no, no Donnie… Don come on now, stay with us bro? Shell! What can I do?" Raph knowledge on medical care was at an all-time minimum. Sure, he could tape someone up if they were bleeding out long enough until they reached the designated professional. AKA Donnie, but this was more than that. This went into physiological trauma territory. Anything he knew about that was from the internet. Donnie behavior couldn't just be from seeing Splinter, could it? How deep had the Rat King freak messed him up? He had to do something now! Wake him up!
"Right. That's it!" Raph declared deciding to do the first thing that came to mind, "Sorry about this little bro." Raph raised his hand ready to deliver a good hard slap to the purple clad turtle face, hoping it would somehow shock him back to reality.
Only as he did, Raph suddenly found his hand trapped before it could complete its mission. "No Raph!" The red clad turtle gave his youngest brother a very irritated look.
"We have to do something Mikey! We're losing him again!" He spat, not hiding the fear from his voice.
"So, your go-to idea is to use your fists? Don't you think Donnie has had enough violence for one day!?"
Raph's irritation softened. Mikey was right, but they couldn't just sit here and leave him like this. "Well, what do you suggest because last time I checked, neither of us are all knowing about this 'messed up mind' stuff. Master Splinter can't help him right now and it's not like we can take him to a hospital -!" Wait! That gave Raph an idea. Maybe there was someone else they could turn to for help. Someone who understood trauma better than any of them. Leatherhead! But then remembered how their croc friend was still out scavenging, not sure when he would be back. Contact with him during those times would be shoddy at least. His train of thought ended as he caught Mikey looking carefully over his purple clad brother.
Even with the clean bandages on, he was still quite dirty. Last thing they wanted was an infection to set in, "Maybe Donnie would benefit from a proper wash? The water might wake him up a bit and we can get him properly cleaned up," the orange clad turtle suggested… Wow that was actually a good suggestion. Raph thought.
"Fine!" Raph scooped his smart brother up from the floor, grunting with effort before quickly rushing him to the shower room with Mikey in tow. If they had too, they would scrub all the nightmare away until it was only Donnie that was left.
Donnie was placed on the mat that lay on the tiled floor of the shower room before the youngest started taking off the bandages, minus the splints, and started running the water until it was warm. They assumed the soap would sting a little and invoke a reaction, but he didn't move. They were not even sure that he knew they were there. "Come on Donnie. Please talk to us!" Mikey pleaded sitting by his side in the cubical not at all caring that he was getting soaked along with him. Still Donnie didn't make a sound and just looked blankly off into the distance, but at least he wasn't shivering anymore.
Raph stood by the door leaning up against the frame watching the scene as he thought about their next move. If this didn't work, he should call LH, if he was around or at least in contract range within the labyrinth of the sewers. Ironic it was only a myth that croc's roamed the sewers of New York. If only people really knew.
Raph frown deepened watching Mikey carefully wash his brother. He thought he had cleaned him enough with just the sponge and water the first time, but the warm spray only revealed even more bruises and bite marks. He thought he had seen everything, but Raph's blood reignited it's boil as the rope burns around Donnie wrists became even more clear and blood started to mix with the water.
"I know what we can do," Mikey's voice knocked Raph out of his downward spiral, as he sounded like he had been planning this for hours. "We'll clean him up, but he isn't going back to the infirmary," He declared.
"What? Where is he going? He shouldn't be left alone in his room yet," Raph's eyes rose in surprise.
"No… He can stay in my room with me for a while. Let me talk to him."
"No Mikey." Raph said with a firm shake of his head. While Leo was out of the room, he was in charge and as much as he hated admitting it, his inner voice would always say crazy things like "what would Leo do?" But Mikey didn't seem to take it that way.
"You're saying I can't take care of my own brother?" He spat, eyes narrowing at the supposed accusation.
"I'm not saying that… exactly," Raph almost snapped but force himself to remain calm. Mikey was just trying to help after all. "We have to do what's right for Donnie. We… maybe we should check to see if Leatherhead is nearby. Maybe he can give him something?"
"You mean drugs?" Mikey did snap, just about giving his brother a glare. "Great idea Raphie let drug him up and just hope the mutant's telepathic mind mess up magical just goes away!" Mikey shut off the shower before moving into a defensive position, as though trying to shield Donnie from Raph's view.
Raph stood straight realizing this was about to escalate. He took a deliberate step forward ready to take Donnie from him. "Get out of the way Mikey." He shot him a warning look, but Mikey stood his ground between them. Raph was not taking their smart brother elsewhere, not when Donnie needed him.
"I will fight you on this Raph. I'm telling you there is no medication that can get the Rat King out of his head. Trust me on that. This is something he has to face head on, and I think I can reach him."
"You THINK you can reach him!? He repeated with a sneer, "This isn't a game Mikey. Donnie has been through Hell! He could freak out again and try and run, or worse hurt himself. Besides Don and Master Splinter, LH is the only other person we know who could deal with this," Raph almost chocked on his own words. He couldn't believe he was saying this. There was a time not long ago if any of his brothers were hurt, he was the only one who was able to protect them. No one else outside his clan could be trusted, but now, with Splinter out of the picture, the strong turtle had never felt so lost. They needed help…Donnie needed help and he couldn't do anything to protect him. He couldn't chase this demon out of his brother's head. Whoa! Personal growth. How about that. Raph shook off the thought for now, as he could analyze himself later. "Donnie needs looking after, twenty-four hour medical or at least emotional care. You think you're really up for that Mikey?"
For a second there was flicker of uncertainty, but the determination won out, "I know what's going on in Donnie head because I have been there... It was just a peak, but even that was enough darkness for a lifetime. Trust me! Medical care isn't going to help in here." Mikey had a look Raph had never seen before. "Ok so I may not be a doctor, or as clever as Don and LH… or Master Splinter, but I had to get the Rat King out of my head too." He said now trying to pick Donnie up from the floor by himself but gasped at the effort. He couldn't lift him. His arm was still too weak to carry a dead weight of a turtle shell bridal style around. Raph couldn't help but smirk at the scene, but something else caught his eye erasing the smirk. His orange brother's bandaged hand, from when he had stopped the Rat King's claws killing Donnie. Despite that injury, along from when his arm was dislocated, he had to admire little brother determination to step up even now when all the drama was over.
"Whatever it takes Raph, I'll do it. Leave him with me just for a couple of days. Just let me try please -" There was no hint of humor, or uncertainty or even fear in his voice now. Mikey meant business.
"Ok. You win!" Raph finally relented.
"-W…What?" Mikey look at him genuinely shocked. "I win? Really? But I had a whole argument really. You don't want to hear it?"
"No not really. You win Mikey. Let's do it your way," Raph stood straight, matching his adamant expression, hopefully showing he had faith in him before looking at the other brother sitting in the cubical. He looked so broken. No sign of that annoyingly clever mind was there now. They wrapped Donnie up in a towel before lifting him up again, Raph slightly smug that he could do it without any effort.
"I am trusting you. Do whatever you need too... but I won't be far away. Any trouble, you yell. Anything goes wrong, or it gets too much, we'll do things my way, ok?"
"Yeah, I understand Raphie," Mikey nodded.
"Make sure Donnie is bandaged are changed! Make sure he gets water in him, and check his blood pressure every few hours, and check for a fever. If he gets hot, you call -"
"Yeah, yeah I know what to do 'wan-a-be Leo.' I listened in Donnie First Aid class too, and!" He dramatically throws his hands in the air "Don't forget I graduated from the couch potato school of watching ER!" Mikey afforded himself the slightest tryptophan grin. "Now can you just take him into my room before he becomes a turtle-ice pop. I have a lot of work to do."
Raph rolled his eyes, wondering if he had just sealed poor Donnie's fate…but did as he was asked. By now Donnie had his eyes closed and was resting his head on his shoulder as Raph carried him upstairs. When Mikey vanished into the darkness of his room, leaving the two alone for moment Raph stole an opportunity to give Don a quick kiss on his forehead, lightly squeezing his shoulder for reassurance. Somehow, they had got him back, and yet he and Splinter were still far from there reach. He just wanted his family back to normal, but despite Hollywood's best wishes, trauma like this was not going to be so easy to forget. Whatever Mikey was planning, it had better work and it had better work soon.
By the time Raph left his traumatized brother in Mikey care with enough food and medical supplies for the agreed time period, he suddenly found himself at his wits end. What was he supposed to do now? He would always be the one trying, sometimes failing to fix his brothers. Something he wasn't at all sure if he should be regretting or not, but a sound from the kitchen distracted him. His nostrils picking up the aroma of Mint… mint tea to be precise! Both of Raph's eyes rose as he realized the implication of the drink that was brewing within. Mint tea soothed his nerves in the worse times, which meant Mint tea was not a good sign that things had gone well with Sensei. Maybe Leo should be his next port of call? After all there was more than just one boat that needed mending before it sank.
He wondered how Leo was going to react when he told him he had entrusted Donnie sanity to a solo Mikey? Just saying it out lout sounded crazy, but Mikey had done a lot of personal growth this last year… although not all of it was for the better. It made all the brothers so sad. Mikey had been fully formed from day one. Always completely himself, same walk, same laugh. Always so funny, if not annoying, but still funny, but now he was different. Not all the time, and would try his best to hide it, but it was something only his brothers would notice. As though that first encounter with the Rat King had taken a little piece of him and replaced it with just darkness, and Raph just knew a much bigger slice had to have been take from Donatello.
On the rescue both Raph and Leo had seen a glance of that darkness festering in Mikey when he had stood up to the Rat King. It was more than just being brave defending his brother, it was pure hatred that drove him. Hate was not something in Mikey nature, until now. So maybe by helping Donnie, Mikey could somehow help himself? It was the main reason why he had relented and let Mikey take him. Now he just needed to tell Leo.
For the rest of the night and the following day, neither Raph or Leo had seen Mikey or Donnie again, but they hadn't seen Master Splinter either. At around midnight they heard him scurrying around the kitchen, but he was long gone before any of them could catch a glance of him. Early in the morning Leo took him a food tray, yet he stood in front of his door for twenty minutes before he dared knock. Once he did, he received no greeting and just slid the door open anyway and was met with just darkness.
"Sensei?" Leo was surprised at how nervous he felt. "I brough you some food." He said into the nothingness.
"Thank you," The whisper was so quiet, Leo almost missed it. "Please leave it by the door my s..." He couldn't even say the word.
Leo looked around for the source of the whisper, "Sensei please come out and join us? Mikey's taking care of Donnie. It's just me and Raph." He couldn't hide the pleading in his voice. The second he opened the door; Leo knew Splinter had just been sitting in the dark this entire time, which couldn't be healthy for him. After a good long minute of silence Leo took the hint. With a sorry sigh, the blue glad turtle left the tray, returning to the TV area.
"Anything?" Raph was waiting for him, leaning over the couch while methodically rubbing his Sai together. His hope dashed as Leo just shook his head.
"He's eating, I think…How about Donnie? Mikey managed to get through to him yet?"
Raph shrugged, "I have no idea what Mikey could say or do to wake Donnie-boy up. But he seemed certain." He said while silently cursing the Rat Kings name. "Do you think I made a mistake not trying to contact LH?"
"I don't think so Raph and you don't either," Leo said with a sad half smile. He had been surprisingly supportive about Mikey stepping up to take care of Donnie. Obviously, Raph had not been the only one who had noticed the change in their little orange turtle lately. It was Mikey after all who had remembered about the onions, saving them all from the Rat Kings evil puppet of Splinter. "Let's give him a chance."
They both nodded in unison, yet it felt strange sitting here with each other not disagreeing on anything. It wasn't often that they were on the same page…That page being, they were both feeling helpless. Something about this event just seemed to have put a lot of things in prospective.
Leo finally sat down, slumping in defeat and misery, "I'm really worried." he confessed. "Mostly about Donnie, but I don't think Sensei is ever going to forgive himself for this." He looked at Raph who was mirroring his concern. "If Donnie only ever sees the image of Sensei that the Rat King put in his head, they will never be the same. How can they even be in a room together? What are we going do then?"
"I really don't know bro," Raph slummed down next to him. "I really don't know."
A/N: Hope you like, surprised at the turn of events? It wouldn't be that easy as Don had his break down and Splinter hid himself. Now Leo, Raph and Mikey are torn on what to do, but Mikey is giving it a shot, as he was one of the only ones who was a captive of the Rat King. Once again I hope you all like this, as we split it into two. The second chapter won't take as long to put out and will be ready to post in a few days. I can promise that. Hope to hear from you all as your thoughts and words help. Till next time.