Update!

Sorry for taking so long, but I've been really busy lately.

And thanks for all the support, you make this fun to write :)
This one's gonna be a bit sad, short but sad, so be ready.

I don't own TMNT...

"Our hearts are heavy burdens we shouldn't have to bear alone"

Donnie came back from the kitchen with a glass of water.

"Here you go Raph, anything else?"

"Yeah, could you maybe, uhm, massage my temples?"
Raph looked at the taller turtle in embarrassment, and Donnie looked back at him with a questioning look.

"Uhm, I guess I could?"

"Please Donnie, it might help."

Now he's begging too, that's so not Raph. He's getting all whining and fretful.

Donnie sighed and started massaging his temples in soothing circles. Raph closed his eyes and tried to relax.

"Is it helping?" Don whispered.

"A little I think." He answered with a groan.

"Does it hurt anywhere else?"

"Everywhere."

"It hurts everywhere?"

"Yeah..." He sounded like a little kid who desperately tried to explain something,
but didn't know the right words to do so. It would have been cute if it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation.

"Donnie, I'm seeing things..."

"Whatcha mean?"

"I'm seeing spots. It's like I'm looking right through you... What is happening?!"
Raph started panicking and tried to stand up, but Donnie managed to pin him back down.

"Shhhh, you're gonna wake the others." Donnie whispered.

"It's okay Don, we're already up." Leo acknowledged.
The purple clad turtle looked at him as he tried to sit up. Mikey was awake too.

"How's the stomach Leo?"

The blue clad turtle let a hand on his plastron and carefully poked it, rewarding him with a sudden wave of pain and nausea.

"Still bad, but stop worrying about me, just help Raph, think he needs you more than me right now."

Donnie nodded as the feverish turtle lashed out and almost hit him in the face.
"Please Raph, stop fighting me, your headache will only get worse."

"Yeah bro, listen to the genius." Mikey affirmed. He was suddenly standing right beside him,
almost giving the so called genius a heart attack.

"Mikey, go back and lie down, you're in no condition to walk around." Donnie ordered.

"No, I can help." He reassured weakly. He was shacking all over, and was barely able to stand,
but it didn't matter, he could still help. He sat down besides the panicking turtle. He then embraced him, and didn't let go.

"Hey bro, listen to my voice. You're gonna be alright, it's just a fever. I'm right here, and so is Donnie and Leo.
You have to focus, okay, just try and relax. Close your eyes, and breath, slow and steady."

The red clad turtle did as told, and his body slowly started to relax more.
A minute later he was unconscious, still leaning up against the smaller turtle, who was shacking even more than before.

"It's okay Mikey, you can let go now." Donnie assured.

"No, I can't."

"Yes you can, he isn't gonna wake up."

"No, I'm serious, I can't move my arms, not even feel them. Are they gone? Did someone take them?"
Mikey looked at the taller turtle in pure horror. Tears starting to run down his pale cheeks.

"No Mikey, no one took your arms. Here, let me help you."
He moved Mikeys arms away from the sleeping turtle,
lifted him up bridal style, and let him back down on his part of the couch.

"Y-you sure I didn't lose them?"

"Yeah I am, look, they're right here."
Donnie lifted both of his arms up in the air to show his little brother that there were nothing to cry about.
"See? It's gonna be alright."

"I miss master Splinter Donnie..." He whimpered, before closing his eyes.

"Me too little brother, me too..." He covered his brothers weak form with the blanket, and looked in the direction of Leo.
He was now standing up, clinging to the back of the couch for support.

"You need any help?" He looked at him in concern as he stood up and walked closer.
His legs were just about to give up, but Leo just continued forward.

"It's fine Donnie, I just have to go to the bathroom, and I can do that by myself." he assured him.
Suddenly his left leg gave up, but the taller turtle managed to catch him before any accident happened.

"I gotcha. Just lean on me, I'll help you walk." Donnie let his big brothers arm over his shoulder.

"Thanks. It's a good thing you didn't get infected too, if you did, then we wouldn't have anyone to take care of us."
Leo smiled weakly before frowning. He was feeling short, stabbing jerks in his stomach, which made him flinch every so often.

"... You miss Splinter don't you?"

"I think about him every day Donnie. I just can't believe he's gone."
Leo looked down as he felt his eyes getting watery. Donnie couldn't help but fell the sorrow, he missed him too, now more than ever.

"You can't take care of us all alone Donnie, I think it's time you call someone." Leo acknowledged.

"No, I can't just ask someone to take care of you, you're my responsibility now."

"We'll only get worse, you have to find the antidote, and we're only gonna slow you down. You call someone, and that's and order."

"Okay I uhm, I'll just call April, she might be able to help." He escorted the blue clad turtle all the way to he bathroom.
While waiting he took out his T-phone and called her...

She didn't answer it.

That's weird, she always takes it. He tried again, but still got no answer.

He was just about to try again when he heard the toilet flush, water running, and then a loud thud from the inside of the closed door.

"Leo, you okay in there? Bro?" When not getting any answer he hurriedly opened the door, only to be greeted with an unconscious big brother.
He was lying on the side, body turned away from him. He sat down beside him, letting the back of his hand on the turtles forehead. He was burning up.

"Don't worry Leo, whatever this might take, I'll find an antidote, I promise."
He could feel his own eyes getting watery, but he made sure the tears stayed there. He couldn't cry, not now.

He lifted his brother onto his shoulders carefully, and reentered the living room.
He let his brother down, and looked over his sleeping brothers one more time before he leaved and entered his lab.

They all got different symptoms, and they kept changing. It would take a long time to find the cure, but he couldn't give up, he had to cure them.
They were his everything, a life without his brothers, were like a life without sunshine.

This time he actually started crying, no loud painful sobs, just small quiet whimpers as tears streamed down his pale face.
What could he do? He was a genius, not a miracle worker. He was just one turtle, and he had to deal with his families misery all alone...

As he sat there on the floor in his dark lab, his T-phone started ringing...

Please leave a review, that would mean a lot. Otherwise, hope you enjoyed it ;)