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CHAPTER EIGHT

"This was a bad idea," Raph said, knocking some old book off of Donnie's shelf in Donnie's lab. "If Don thought ya were dead, and he's the one with all the equipment, then how the shell are we supposed ta fix you up?"

"The first step in fixing me is to determine what's wrong." Leo said, watching Raph work.

"What's wrong?" Raph asked, "Ya don't have a pulse, that's what's wrong."

"But I'm breathing," Leo said, "So I have to have some kind of pulse."

"Maybe you were right earlier," Raph said, "When ya told me you might be usin' ninja skills. Maybe you're tryin' ta slow yer body down, and that's why the pulse slowed down."

"Maybe," Leo said, "But usually it takes an immense amount of concentration to do that, Raph. Don't you think I'd know what I'm doing?"

"Hm," Raph said, almost tearing the pages of the medical book he was reading in his haste to skim through it.

"Raphael," Leo said, "I have an idea."

"What?"

"Shakespeare." Leo said.

"What 'bout him?" Raph asked.

"He wrote Romeo and Juliet, remember?" Leo asked.

"So?"

"Juliet drank something that made her look dead," Leo said.

Raph looked up at Leo.

"Ya think..." he asked.

"Raph," Leo said, "Where's the sword that Foot soldier threw? Where's the sword that killed me?"

"I-I dunno," Raph said, "I haven't seen it. Do ya think that..."

"That the tip was poisoned? It's possible," Leo said, "But we need to find the sword."

"Donnie would know where it is." Raph said.

"Then let's look around," Leo said, "He didn't leave it in the Battleshell, so he probably carried it in here. After all, no one comes in here. Usually." He grinned sheepishly at his brother.

"Right," Raph said, starting to look around and open the lab drawers and cabinets.

"You know," Leo reasoned, standing in his 'thinking stance', "There's only one reason that Donnie would hide the sword."

"'Cause it killed ya?" Raph asked.

"No," Leo said, "He left my body in the Shell, remember? The reason he'd take the sword and leave the body is that he was too tired to lift the body, but he didn't want the sword hanging around."

"So," Raph said, "It was poisoned and Donnie knew it."

"Maybe," Leo said, "It's still just a hunch. He could've just wanted to get rid of the weapon."

"But then why wouldn't he wait until morning?" Raph asked.

"Exactly." Leo answered.

"Leo, look!" Raph said, opening the furthest cabinet in the back of the lab, "I found it."

"Careful," Leo said, "Don't let it cut you."

Raph slowly drew out the Foot sword. The blade of the sword was completely wrapped up in purple linen.

"Well," Leo said, "Now we know what happened to the missing ribbon on Donnie's bo staff."

"Why'd he do that?" Raph asked.

"Because it was poisoned," Leo said, bending down to look more closely at the sword in Raph's hands, "He probably didn't tell anyone because he didn't want to make my death worse than it already was."

"But if Donnie knew it was poisoned, then wouldn't he check ta see which kind?" Raph asked.

"Not if he thought it killed me," Leo said, "Not right away, anyhow."

"So," said Raph, "What do we do about it?"

Leo's face hardened. "We're going to find out which kind it is, and make an antidote."

"Do we need ta?" Raph asked, "I mean, in the story, didn't Juliette wake up on 'er own?"

Leo looked up at Raph in surprise. "Raphael," he asked, "Did you read Romeo and Juliette?"

Raph growled, and Leo laughed.

"Well," Leo said, "Maybe it will go away on its own. But in the meantime we should find out if there's something else in the poison that could keep it in me longer. And we need to patch up my body...oh! I haven't eaten in a few days, so maybe we should set up an IV to get me fluids."

"I think we need ta wait on that," Raph said, "Until we find out what kind o' poison it is. I mean, if it's slowing down yer pulse it's slowin' down yer blood, so the IV won't work right, right?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Leo said, "Neither one of us is a doctor. Just grab a few books, I'll do an internet search-"

"What, you can touch things now?" Raph smirked.

Leo sighed. "Fine," he said, "I'll let you do that."

"Geez Leo, you're so kind," Raph said, rolling his eyes.

"Just get going, alright?"

Raph took a sample of the poison from the blade. It was still on there because of Donnie's makeshift sheath. Next, he took a sample of Leo's blood from the body. He carefully put the two on slides, preparing them the way he'd seen Donnie do in the past. He put them under Donnie's microscope, and then stared at them through the lens.

He twisted a knob or two on the microscope, and looked some more.

"I have no idea what the shell I'm looking at here." he announced finally.

"Take some of your own blood," Leo suggested, "Compare it to that."

"Fine," Raph said, cutting his finger with one sai and preparing a third slide.

They both were silent as Raph worked.

"This doesn't match," he announced finally, "Yer blood ain't like mine."

"Try mixing your blood with the poison." Leo suggested.

"Alright," Raph said, and he added a drop of the poison from the sword to the sample.

"What does it look like?" Leo asked.

"Way more like yours," Raph said, "But Leo, I'll be honest. I have no idea what ta do next."

"Fine," Leo said, "Forget the antidote for now. Let's just clean up here and patch up the body. We'll grab all the supplies we're going to use and hide them in your room."

"Why?"

"So that when Donnie gets back, we won't have to sneak in here to get anything." Leo said.

"Good plan," Raph said, putting the sword back in the cabinet, "But what do we grab? And when we have it, what then?

"We'll figure that out when we get there," Leo said, "In the meantime, try finding the IV and some nutrients."

"Got it," Raph said, "Let's get this stuff outta here."

Grabbing some extra bandages and antiseptic, Raph left the lab with Leo close behind.

"Do ya think we'll need ta break into the blood bank too?" Raph asked, "'Cause that'd be fun." He was speaking sarcastically.

"Raph," said Leo, "You're a genius!"

"What?"

"The blood bank," Leo said, "Specifically, my blood. Raph, the poison is in my blood! All we have to do is give me a blood transfusion."

"You think that'll work?" Raph asked.

"Better than waiting for it to go away on its own." Leo said.

"Right," Raph said, carefully entering his room and placing the supplies on the bed next to Leo's body. "Alright, bro. We'd better hurry up and get yer blood outta the bank before Donnie gets-"

"We're home!" Mikey shouted from downstairs, slamming the front door open.

"Spoke too soon," Raph said, looking at Leo, "Shell! Why couldn't they have stayed away longer?"

"Raphael! We are home my son."

"It doesn't matter. Raph, you'd better get out there before they come in here looking for you." Leo said, gesturing to the supplies...and the body.

If anyone discovered Leo in there, Raph was so dead.

"Right, right," Raph sighed, "COMIN'!" He yelled.

He made sure to close his door as he left his room.

"It is good to see you again Raphael," Splinter said, touching his arm, "Now if you all will excuse me, I am fatigued by the journey. If you need me I will be in my room."

"See ya Sensei!" Mikey said.

"Had time to do some thinking, Raph?" Donnie asked him, flipping onto the couch.

"Thinking?" Mikey asked, flipping onto the couch to join him, "Why would Raphie-boy do that?"

"Hardy har," Raph said, "Fer your information, I had plenty ta think about. What did you two bums do?"

"Thinking." Mikey responded cheekily.

"We spent some more time at the farmhouse," Donnie embellished, "That's about it. April put some flowers on Leo's grave. Said it was looking too bare."

"What kind of flowers?" Leo asked.

"What kind?" Raph repeated.

"Stuff she picked from the forest." Mikey said, "Real pretty stuff, too."

"It's hard to believe that really happened," Donnie said, "It's hard to believe that Leo's really...gone."

"Yeah," Mikey said.

Raph sat down in the armchair and glanced at Leo. The look clearly said, I have no idea what to say ta them. Get me outta this.

"Practice?" Leo suggested.

"Um, guys," Raph said, "Let's go practice."

"We did that yesterday Raph, remember?" Mikey said.

"It's just not the same without Leo." Donnie pointed out.

"Ya know what? Fine." Raph said, getting up. "If you two wanna mope around all day, then fine by me. I'll be around if ya need me."

"Raph-" Donnie said.

"We didn't mean-" Mikey began.

"Raph." Leo's voice stopped him, "Don't leave them alone. Not yet. We can work on patching me up later. Please?"

"Alright, fine!" Raph snapped. He walked over to the television. "But we gotta have somethin' ta do. I'm dying here."

He opened the DVD cabinet and grabbed a movie, then practically thrust it into the DVD player without really registering what it was.

"A movie? Really?" Donnie asked.

"Mikey. Get the popcorn." Raph commanded, sitting down again.

"Me? Why me?" Mikey whined.

"Just get it, will ya?" Raph yelled.

"Fine!" Mikey yelled back, and he left for the kitchen.

"Raph-" Donnie began, "I don't want to watch a movie."

"Can it," Raphael said, "We're getting this family back on track. So today it's quality family movie time, and tomorrow it's back to practice. Got that Don?"

"Got it." Donnie said.

"Popcorn, anyone?" Mikey said, jumping over the couch to land on the cushions.

"Mikey. That was way too fast to actually make it." Donnie said.

"You have your secrets, I have mine." Mikey said, throwing some popcorn into his mouth and glancing at Raph.

"I can't believe you chose this movie."

"Yeah, well it doesn't really matter what the movie is, alright?" Raph responded.

"Uh, Raph?" Mikey asked.

"What?" The red turtle said.

"We didn't say anything about the movie." Donnie said.

Oh no.

"That was me," Leo said to him sheepishly, "Sorry."

"You okay Raph?" Mikey asked.

"Peachy," Raph responded, clenching his hands. "Let's just watch the movie, alright?"

Donnie sighed and looked again at the tv. Mikey gave Raph a funny look before he turned his attention back to the show.

"Raph," Leo said, sitting next to Raph's chair as the others watched the movie, "Maybe we should plan our trip to Donnie's bloodbank."

Raphael gave him a clear look.

"Don't worry, I'll do all the talking right now." Leo said. "Listen. You need to get Don out of the Lair for this to work. If he's anywhere near his lab, he's too close. He keeps the bags in the back, so if he catches you in there it's all over. Got it?"

Raph nodded, almost imperceptively.

"Good," Leo said, "Now, here's-"

"That's it," Donnie said, startling Raph, "I'm out of here."

"Don!" Mikey said.

"I'm sorry guys, but I just can't sit here." Donnie said, getting off the couch.

"Donnie, ya can't walk away from us-" Raph said.

"Let him go, Raph." Leo sighed, "It's okay."

"Sorry Raph," Donnie said, "I need to do something to get my mind off things, but I don't want to watch a movie and forget all about Leo entirely. I'm going to tinker with a few experiments if anyone needs me."

He walked around the couch and up the stairs. Within seconds, they all heard the click as Donnie's lab door closed.

"Um, I guess I'd rather go do something else too," Mikey said, standing up. "Sorry, Raph."

"Fine." Raph said, jumping out of his chair and practically yanking the DVD out of the machine. "If that's how you want it."

"Raph," Leo said, "It's okay."

"No, it ain't okay." Raph said, turning to face Leo, "Our family is fallin' apart, Leo. What am I supposed ta do?"

Something moved behind him, and Raph and Leo quickly jumped into their fighting stances.

"Um, chill dude, it's just me." Mikey said, putting his hands up in the 'surrender' pose.

He was still standing by the couch. He hadn't walked away yet. He was looking guilty.

And he was close enough to hear every word Raph had just said.

Shell.