Here you go!
CHAPTER NINE
"Mikey," Raph said, frowning at his brother, "What are you still doin' here?"
"Look Raph, I know you know that I know." Mikey said, "But you don't know that I knew before you knew that I knew that you knew."
"I-what?" Raph asked.
"Oh Mikey," Leo said, slapping his forehead.
"About Leo," Mikey said, twiddling his hands together. "I know you talk to him. I've known for a while."
"What." Raphael said. It was not a question.
"I talked to Sensei about it," Mikey said, "It's a coping mechanism, right?"
"Mikey," Raph said warningly.
"Just hear me out!" Mikey said, "Look, you know how I needed to cry when Leo died? I think you need to let it out somehow too. But you don't want to. So you've got Leo. An imaginary one."
"Mikey, that's not-" Raph rubbed his forehead at his sudden headache, but Mikey didn't stop.
"But you don't have to do this Raph," he said, "Just let it out."
"Oh trust me, I'm about to let something out right now," Raph said, heading for his brother with both fists out.
"Raphael." Leo's word stopped him.
Raph took a deep breath. Then another. And a third.
"So." Raph said, trying to calm down and change the subject, "Sensei told ya about that?"
"I asked him," Mikey said, "You were freaking me out, dude, talking to thin air. Raphael, you need to say goodby to Leo. He's dead."
"Mikey," Raph said, pointing a finger at his younger brother, "It ain't what ya think."
"No," said Mikey, "It's not what you think."
"Whatever," Raph said, heading for the stairs, "I'm going to my room. Coming, Leo?"
Leo sighed, but followed Raph anyway. "You didn't have to say my name just to bother Mikey. He's been through enough as it is."
"Look, I'm not in the mood for a lecture right now, bro." Raph said, ignoring the fact that Mikey was still within earshot.
It wasn't until they were inside Raph's room that Raph remembered Leo's body was still in his hammock.
"Great," he said, "Just great. I'm supposed ta spend the rest of my day sulking in here?"
"I'm not dead, Raph, we've established that." Leo said, rolling his eyes, "Maybe we can use the time to patch me up."
"Yeah," Raph said, picking up some of the medical supplies, "Of course, I'm gonna be the one ta do all the work."
Leo crossed his arms and watched as Raph began to work.
"Now," Raph said, pulling out the bandages, "Where should we start?"
When Raph was finally done with the surface wounds, all that remained for them to do was the blood transplant.
"So. Ya think that once we replace yer poisoned blood with some of yer normal blood, you'll go back to normal?"
"It should work," Leo said thoughtfully, "Unless the poison has affected more than just blood. But I think that if we can get my bloodstream back to normal, the rest of the poison will just flow out of my system naturally."
"Only one way ta find out, I guess," Raph said, "So how are we gonna get Don out of the lab?"
"It won't be easy," Leo said, "Like I told you before, we need to get him out of not just the lab, but the Lair if we want to pull this off. And we're going to need to make sure we do the transfusion right, so you're going to have to grab one of Donnie's medical books."
"Fine," Raph said, "Couple problems though. Donnie's in his lab right now, and I don't think he's gonna leave if I just asked him. And then there's Mikey-he's gonna be watching me real closely, bro."
"Hm," Leo said, "Wait! I have an idea. Send Don and Mikey to check up on April and Casey."
"Ya think they'll fall fer that?"
"Why not?" Leo asked.
"Alright," Raph nodded, "But how am I gonna explain why I'm not going with 'em?"
"I don't think you'll need to," Leo said, "They both just had an argument with you."
"How long d'ya think they'd be gone?" Raph said, "They might just peek in the windows."
"They'll be gone long enough," Leo said, "But we'd still better hurry."
"Right," Raph said, "I'll tell 'em right away."
"Good." Leo said.
Raph walked out of his room, closing the door behind him, and looked around. Everyone must have been in their rooms and the lab, because the entire Liar felt empty.
"Yo, Donnie! Mikey!" Raph bellowed, breaking the silence.
"What is it?" Mikey called back.
"What?" Donnie shouted.
"I need ya ta check up on April and Case," Raph said.
There was a chorus of moans from his younger brothers.
"We just left them, Raph!" Mikey said, stepping out of his room to look at Raph.
"Besides," Donnie said, poking his head out of lab door, "Can't we just call them?"
"No," Raph said, pointing a sai at Don for emphasis, "Yer gonna check up on 'em in person."
"Why?" Mikey asked.
"'Cause with Leo gone I'm the leader, that's why!" Raph said, "So ya gotta do as I say!"
Donnie and Mikey both groaned.
"Your brother is right, my sons."
"Master Splinter!" Mikey said. They were all a little surprised that Splinter would walk out of his room so soon after they had come home.
"Raphael is the leader," Splinter argued, "And I expect you to show him the same respect you showed for Leonardo."
"But Master, he wants us to leave the Lair." Donnie said.
"I heard," Splinter said, rubbing his ears. "And judging by your previous conflict, perhaps that is just what you need. Listen to your brother, my sons."
"Thank you, Master Splinter." Leo said.
"Besides," Splinter continued, "April and Casey are our friends. They miss Leonardo as much as we do. Would you abandon them in their time of need?"
"No Sensei," Donnie sighed.
"Yeah, we're going, we're going." Mikey said, heading for the front door.
"Coming Raph?" Donnie asked, closing his lab door behind him.
"Nah," he said, "I'm stayin' here."
Mikey and Donnie exchanged glances, but walked wordlessly out of the Lair.
"See you when you get back, my sons." Splinter said, re-entering his room.
As soon as the front door and Splinter's door were closed, Raph cautiously walked over to Donnie's lab. Leo was right behind him.