Title: Difficulty Breathing
Day: Febuwhump 2023, Day 10: Difficulty Breathing
Fandom: TMNT 2003
Word Count: 1733
Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl
Rating: T
Characters: Michelangelo, Leonardo
Warning:
Summary: After his rematch with Kluh at the Battle Nexus, Mikey is transported to the Healer's Pavilion. He doesn't feel like he's that injured—or at least, he doesn't until he realizes how hard breathing as become.
Notes: Missing scene that takes place during S4 E6, Grudge Match. Because you can't tell me that there's no way Mikey walked away from that all nice and whole like we see when he gets his medal (or whatever it is)
Difficulty Breathing
A haze of blue disappeared from in front of Mikey's eyes, and he blinked away the afterimage it left behind as he greedily took in breaths. He wasn't exactly sure where he was, but nearby he could see Kluh laid out on what looked like a straw mattress, people hovering over him. He glanced around, still riding the adrenaline high from the battle, his senses still on high alert. There were other mattresses around, plus quite a number of pots, jars, and various other containers. He blinked as a masked man—what was it with masks here?—approached him.
"Champion. Welcome," the man said.
"Where am I?" Mikey asked. "Last I knew I was in the arena."
"You are in the Healer's Pavilion," the man explained. "The battles are all monitored. Most of the time fighters are sent to the smaller area near the arena, however, when there is great injury, they are sent directly here."
"Great injury?" Mikey asked. "I don't feel like I've got great injury." He was a little sore, that he could admit it. But even accounting for adrenaline, he didn't feel like he had any sort of great injury. He just felt like he was still coming down from the battle high.
"Nonetheless, Champion, we would like to give you an examination so that we can be sure that you are unharmed."
"Well, sure, I guess so, but—"
Whatever Mikey was about to say was cut off by the pounding of feet and the call of his name as his brothers and father rushed into the Healer's Pavilion.
"Mikey!"
"Mike!"
"Michelangelo!"
"My son!"
It only took a second for him to be surrounded by his family, the Daimyo coming in not far behind them, his son in hand. The healers who weren't busy took a moment to bow to the Daimyo in respect, ignoring, for the moment, the gaggle of turtles who were loudly checking on Michelangelo.
"Have they looked you over yet? How badly are you hurt?"
"Shell, Mikey, that looked like one shell of a beating!"
"Michelangelo, how hurt are you?"
"Please, my sons, allow your brother to breathe."
"Yeah, come on guys, I know I'm awesome and all, but give me a little breathing room!" It was mostly in jest, but truth be told he was feeling a little crowded by them. Maybe it was just the battle high, but it made it feel hard to breath. Don and Leo were all but giving him their own check over, and Raph was eyeing him up and down. Of course, his brothers stepping away just meant that Splinter could give him his own once over, but Mikey had expected that.
"You took a real beating, Mikey. You can't be unhurt. How bad is it?" Donnie questioned.
"Honestly, I don't feel that bad," Mikey said, taking a moment to take a breath. "Kinda sore, and I hurt some, but it doesn't feel too bad."
"Have they looked you over yet?" Leo asked him.
Mikey shook his head. "No, you guys got here while the healer was explaining things too me. But really, guys, I don't feel so bad." His hands went to his ribs. "I'm not really in that much pain."
Leo was frowning at him. "You're still riding the battle high, Michelangelo," he said. "You know you can't trust how you feel until that's faded."
"Yeah, I know, Leo," Mikey said, his breath hitching a bit. "But I think I'm going to be okay."
Raph frowned at him. "Then why's yer breathin' off and why are you hunchin' over?"
"What?" Mikey asked.
He hadn't noticed, but he had started to hunch over a bit, his arms curling around his ribs a little more.
"Your breathing is off, too," Donnie said, looking at him a bit worried.
"Ah… ya know, now that you mention it, it does… it does kinda feel… like I can't get a good breath…" It was getting harder to breathe, and harder to stay upright. The pain was definitely making itself known and it was starting to feel like there was a knife being driven into his lungs.
"Guys?" he said breathlessly "It's… it's gettin' hard… 't breathe…"
Something in him felt like it gave out, and he found himself starting to tip over, as if he couldn't hold himself up any longer.
"Michelangelo!" Leo called his name and Mikey suddenly found Leo's arms around him, holding him up.
Mikey let out a strangled noise as pain erupted through him, and he felt himself being hastily lowered to the floor. Sound broke out around him, panicked and frantic, but the only thing that Mikey could hear was Leo's voice talking to him, his brother's arms still around him.
"Michelangelo! Michelangelo, just hang in there. Just try to keep breathing!"
"L-Leo?" he gasped out, moving his head so that he could see his brother's face. Somewhere in the background he could hear his father making demands, his other brothers calling out. "….'t hurts…"
"I know, Michelangelo, I know. Just hang in there. It will all be alright."
People shoved in around him, all strange clothes and masked faces. He knew that it was the healers, but in his panic they were not comforting at all. Leo backed away, but Mikey reached out for him. It didn't matter that Leo was going through something right now, he had still been there for Mikey, and Mikey wanted the comfort of his big brother.
Something in Leo's eyes softened, and, despite the healers all around Mikey, he reached out and took Mikey's hand.
"I'm right here, little brother. I'm not going anywhere."
The healers moved Mikey, something that was more than a little painful, and quickly began to… well, Mikey wasn't entirely sure what they were doing. It wasn't like any type of medical care he had gotten before. But Leo stayed by him, and Mikey knew that Leo wouldn't let anything happen to him. Neither would his other brothers, or Splinter, or the Daimyo. When he felt sleep coming over him, Mikey didn't fight it, and let it take him, holding onto Leo's hand.
The next time Mikey woke up, he was in considerably less pain. It was dark, and he was covered with a blanket, which were both good things—the blanket for the comfort, and the darkness because if anything was wrong, it would be easier to look around unnoticed. It took him a moment to realize that he was still in the Healer's Pavilion at the Battle Nexus. He glanced around. He could see other, brother-shaped lumps sleeping nearby, and, across the way, the dark form of Kluh.
Mikey shuddered a bit at that, and slowly pulled himself upright. He was mildly surprised to find only a few bandages going around him, and some sort of splint on his wrist.
"Feeling better?"
Mikey jumped, and then immediately winced, his arm coming around to clutch his ribs. "Ow… I was, up till then. Scare a guy, why don't you, Leo?"
"Sorry," Leo replied. "But are you feeling better, Michelangelo?"
Slowly, Mikey nodded. "Yeah. It doesn't hurt to breath anymore. In fact, I don't hurt that much, really."
"The healers had to do a lot of work on you," Leo said. "The worst of it was some small cracks on your plastron and shell, and some broken ribs that nearly punctured your lung."
Mikey made a face. "Yeesh. No wonder I felt bad."
Leo nodded. "Fortunately, the Healers were able to fix most of it. They said that the your shell and ribs will need a couple of more healing sessions, but that you should heal up fine."
Mikey nodded. "That's good," he said. "I have no desire to be flat on my shell again." He couldn't help but think about the last time he had been seriously injured, back when they were stopping the Shredder and he had ended up with two busted legs, among other things. Back when they had all been horribly injured. Back before Leo had gotten all… whatever he was now.
Mikey drew his knees up, doing it despite the pain, and wrapped his arms around them, thinking about that. "Leo, listen, I… I'm sorry I didn't take it seriously at first. When Kluh had me and I thought I was finished, I remembered what you said. He said that after he finished me, he was going to go after all of you. And all I could hear then was you saying that if one of us goes down, we all do, and, I dunno, it made it so real. If… If I had taken it that seriously from the start—"
"Michelangelo, don't," Leo said gently, cutting him off. "You should have taken it seriously from the beginning, that's true. But you did pull through. You did focus. You did an amazing job, and you brought honor to our family, and to Master Splinter."
"Still. That threat was just… I don't know. It was too real." It had been so much pressure on him at that moment, and Mikey began to wonder if that was what Leo felt like all of the time. If it was, then Mikey was beginning to understand why Leo was acting the way he was.
Mikey closed his eyes and sighed, although lightly. His ribs still hurt, after all. He heard some shuffling beside him, and felt Leo's arm come around him, letting him lean over on him.
"Rest, little brother," Leo said. "The healers said that you'd be tired from the healing. You did well. Now rest. After all, you need to be healed up for the ceremonies."
Mikey smile a little. "Ceremonies. That sounds nice. Think I'll get a bigger trophy?"
He heard a light, amused breath come from Leo. "I don't know. If you do, we'll have to find a new place to put it."
"Mm, we'll work on that," Mikey murmured.
"Rest," Leo said. "Breathe easy."
"Sure thing…"
Mikey leaned more heavily on his brother, letting himself draw comfort from Leo's presence. He felt Leo's arm tighten around him, and, once again, Mikey let sleep pull him in, this time, able to breathe easy—both because of the healing, and because he knew that his big brother was watching over him.
Maybe, once this was all over, Mikey could return the favor, and watch over Leo a little too.