Chapter 2: Lullaby For A Big Brother
Donnie sighed sadly as he once again entered his lab to find that Raphael had once again fallen asleep by Leo's tube.
Carefully, so that he didn't wake Raph up, Donnie scooped his intimidate older brother up and put the red masked turtle to bed. Donatello put Raphael on the bed and quietly snuck out once again.
Donnie then returned to the lab.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he watched the heart monitor beep but the one the tested brain waves was silent. A part off him wanted to walk over to there and switch the life support off.
To end his brother's suffering.
But Donnie refused to do it unless all the members of his family agreed to it. Raphael and Michelangelo were still refusing to turn the machine off. Aside for himself, Splinter was the only one who agreed to it.
"H-Hey bro."
He knew that he wasn't gonna get a reply, but talking did help. "I know your proberly tired huh? Well I'm heading to bed now anyway, so if you want I could sing you a little lullaby."
When they were tots Splinter singled Leonardo out.
Kept saying that since Leo was the eldest he could look after himself. The rat would never tuck Leo in, hug him, sooth him after a nightmare or sing him a lullaby like he did with the others
Donnie took a deep breath and began to sing as memories played through his mind about Leo's past and what Donnie did to help...
Fate has been cruel and order unkind
How can I have sent you away?
The blame was my own; the punishment, yours
The harmony's silent today
But into the stillness I'll bring you a song
And I will your company keep
Till your tired eyes and my lullabies
Have carried you softly to sleep
Donnie felt the tears fall from his eyes as he recalled him, Mikey and Raph when they were younger.
Once did three turtles who shone like the sun
Look out on their kingdom and sigh
They smiled and said, "Surely, there is nobody
So lovely and so well beloved as they"
So great was their reign and so brilliant their glory
That long was the shadow they cast
Which fell dark upon the big brother they loved
And grew only darker as days and nights passed
Donnie wept as he recalled the loneliness in Leo's eyes when Donatello, Raphael and Mikey would play games and refused to let Leonardo join them. It's not that Don didn't notice Leo's depression as they got older, he just simply ignored it.
Lullay moon prince, goodnight brother mine
And rest now in moonlight's embrace
Bear up my lullaby, winds of the earth
Through cloud, and through sky, and through space
Carry the peace and the coolness of night
And carry my sorrow in kind
Leo, you're loved so much more than you know
Forgive me for being so blind
It was true Donnie had been blind. He always thought of Leo as a big tough brother that would stand tall and proud no matter what verbal and physical beating he got, even from his own family.
He was so very wrong.
Soon did one turtle take notice that others
Did not give his brother his due
And neither had he loved him as he deserved
He watched as his brother's unhappiness grew
But such is the way of the limelight, it sweetly
Takes hold of the mind of its host
And that foolish turtle did nothing to stop
The destruction of one who had needed him most
Donnie recalled a memory. After getting another beating from Raph and verbal lashing from Mikey, Don walked passed Leo's room to go to bed. Leo was sat on his bed, crying.
But Don just shrugged it off and called him a wimp, not thinking that Leo had feelings as well.
Lullay moon prince, goodnight brother mine
And rest now in moonlight's embrace
Bear up my lullaby, winds of the earth
Through cloud, and through sky, and through space
Carry the peace and the coolness of night
And carry my sorrow in kind
Leo, you're loved so much more than you know
May troubles be far from your mind
And forgive me for being so blind
Donny wept silently as he remembered Raph finding Leo on his bedroom floor two days after Don had heard him crying, with a stab wound on his chest that was done by his own katana.
He had punctured a lung and now not enough oxygen couldn't get to his brain.
Now Leo was brain dead.
The years now before us
Fearful and unknown
I never imagined
I'd face them on my own
May these many winters
Swiftly pass, I pray
I love you; I miss you
All these miles away
May all your dreams be sweet tonight
Safe upon your bed of moonlight
And know not of sadness, pain, or care
And when I dream, I'll fly away and meet you there
Sleep...
Donnie made sure that the water in Leo's tube was nice and warm, not to hot and not to cold, before he switched the lights off and went to bed...
