Ch 8 Getting Back Raph.
The trek back to the lair was a difficult one with the two of them slightly injured and carrying Raph's heavy new form, but they eventually made it and got Raph back to the lab.
Mikey was happy to see Donnie up and doing better. His head was bandaged and his arm in a sling but he would be fine after a few days. After setting Raph on the lab table, Mikey ran up to him and gave him a big hug which Don was eager to return. He then quickly checked Mikey over, bandaging his head and left arm. Afterward, he went over to Leo and had him sit in a chair so he could give him a quick check up.
"Dude." Leo looked at him, "You look horrible. Are you okay?"
"I'll be fine after a little rest," He looked into Leo's eyes with a small flashlight. "You don't look any better then last time, how are you feeling?"
"I'll be okay once I know Raph will be." He looked over to his red banded monster like brother. "When will we know if the antidote worked or not?" He asked.
"If Mikey mixed all the chemicals correctly, then anytime now."
As he allowed Donnie to bandage his head and put ointment on his scratches he looked over at Mikey in amazement. "You made the antidote?"
Mikey smiled feeling pretty pleased with himself. "Hey, when your as good as I am, it all just comes naturally." He replied with a smug smile.
"I just hoped you use the right measurements." Donnie said as he walked over to Raph and began looking him over.
"Umm..measurements?" Mikey said quietly to himself, feeling suddenly uneasy.
A few hours later, Mikey and Donnie awoke to the sound of moaning and watched as Raph slowly began to wake up, it had taken some time but slowly, Raph started to reverse back to his old mutant self.
"Donnie!" Mikey cried out as he hugged Raphael. "It worked! It worked!"
"Easy Mikey." Donnie said as he gently removed Mikey from Raph's side. "Can you hear me Raph?"
"Uh...yeah," He looked up at his brothers in curiosity and then shock as he noticed the bandages, bruises and scratches on his younger brothers. "What happened?" He asked, "My head feels like someone used it for a test driving dummy."
"Wow Raph, it was amazing bro." Mikey told him. "It was like you hulked out or something."
Raph blinked at Mikey in confusion before turning to Donnie. "Maybe you should tell me Don." He requested as he rubbed his head and attempted to sit up.
"The drug in the dart mixed with the mutagen in your blood and made you go all savage like," He began. "It reduced you to your basic instincts and it slowly made you bigger, stronger, meaner and your emotions became uncontrollable." Donnie explained. "From what I can determine, the drug was created to try and make us, or any mutant, turn into a type of super soldier but due to the mutagen. it was unstable and instead turned you into..."Donnie paused as he tried to find the right words. "Well, basically what Mikey said...you hulked out."
Raph's eyes widen as he listen to Donnie's explanation. "Wow, that does sound kinda freaky." He laid back down as Mikey and Donnie both explained what had taken place the last few hours. "So are you saying that because I became a huge savage beast that I attempted to 'take' Leo and force myself on him in a way to make him submit to me? "Raph shook his head, "But why Leo?" He asked. "Why not one of you?"
"Because Leo is our leader, duh dude." Mikey told him as if it was obvious.
"Let's face it Raph, that has been something you've never really been able to accept." Donnie told him. "I mean, whenever Leo beats you at sparring, tells you what to do or even comes up with a plan that works," He pointed a finger at Raph. "You become jealous and angry." He watched as Raph suddenly turned very pale. "It's the nature of the beast Raph, and it happens in all of us, just this time, because of the drug, it all.. 'came out'... so to speak" Donnie said as he made quotation marks in the air. "And forcing Leo to submit to you in every physical aspect, in your mind would make you top alpha male." He said stressing the word physical.
"I think I'm gonna be sick." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he thought back to the strange dreams and feelings he had been having regarding Leo. He opened his eyes and looked around the lab. "Where is Leo?"
"I advised him to go to his room and try to sleep but I think he went to speak with Sensei first." Donnie told him. "You should probably do the same thing." He advised. "Get some sleep I mean."
"Yeah, I will." Raph told him. "But first, I better go and speak with Leo," Raph sat up and looked at his brothers who looked at him with uncertainty. "I really should apologize to him." He explained. He looked at the other two with a guilty expression. "I guess I should say sorry to you guys as well. Huh?"
Mikey wrapped his arms around his brother again. "No worries bro." He told him, "We're been through worse and besides, we got you back to normal." Raph returned the hug and smiled into his brothers shoulder.
"It's okay Raph," Donnie told him as he patted his shoulder. "It wasn't you after all, but if you feel like beating anything up, go use the punching bag." He told him wincing as he moved his bandaged arm slightly.
Raph smiled weakly at Donnie's attempt at humor and slowly got up from the table, he still felt somewhat dizzy but managed to make his way over to the dojo where Splinter was meditating. Upon seeing his son, though, he quickly got up and went over to him.
"How are you feeling my son?" He asked as he place a gentle paw on his shoulder.
"Raph looked away as he tried to figure out how to answer that question. "I, um, I think I'm okay, Sensei." He said with a tired look. "Have you seen Leo? I want to speak with him and maybe try to apologize to him."
Splinter smiled at him. "We spoke a while ago, I told him to go and rest, it has been a very trying night for us all and he looked rather...drained."
Raph nodded his head, bowed to his father, and made his way to the bedrooms, he stood in front of Leo's door, before he even knocked, Leo's voice beckoned to him.
"Come in Raph."
Raph blinked in confusion as he opened the door, he inspected the door as he stepped into the room. "You got a magic peephole on this door or something?" He asked in bewilderment.
"I heard you coming." Leo smiled at him wryly. He was on the floor on his tatami mat with candles around him. He had been meditating when he heard Raph's footsteps coming down the hall. He watched as Raph looked him up and down, his face filled with guilt and shame.
Leo's body was covered with more bruises and now had several scratches along his legs, mostly on his inner thighs. Raph sighed heavily and turned away, feeling ashamed of what he had done to Leo and his other brothers.
"I..uh...I wanted to come in and tell you I was sorry for what happened." He said without looking at him.
Leo stood up and walked over to him. He placed a hand on Raph's shoulder and made him look at him.
"It's okay Raph. Donnie explained what happened, it wasn't your fault." He smiled at his brother as their eyes met. "We're good Raph" He held his fist out. "Know that." They fist bumped and Raph turned to leave Leo's room.
"Um Leo." Raph turned back to him. "Just one more thing." Leo gasped as he was suddenly wrapped in his brother's arms in a tight hug. "Thank you Leo." He whispered. "For everything."
Leo smiled as he laid his head in the crook of Raph's neck. "Anytime Raph." He told him, as he returned the hug. "Anytime."
~End~
So that's the end, let me know what you think. New stories to come soon. Take care and peace.