Disclaimer:still no...smiles at Leo and eyes Raph worridly
**Quick note: Remember that Leo took some serious blows to the head...he's still a little screwed up...**
Chapter 9:Little Things
I make my way down stairs, moving slowly, my body aches. The other day when Leo told us all to shut-up was great, unfortunately like April told me it was a couple of seconds later and he was gone again. It hurt having him there only to see him fade out again. Don told me Leo's out in the hammock on the porch right now. I guess he likes it out there, Mikey says Leo just swings and kinda hums to himself. He's kinda like a kid when he's like this. I reach the last step and wince as I forget that my other foot hasn't followed me yet and I jar my battered legs up good. April said that I was out for three weeks, it kinda freaks me out a little. Don comes around the corner and nearly runs me down, he's excited about something.
"Sorry Raph!" he exclaims as he bounces past me. I'm leaning on the wall panting for breath and clutching my dang ribs. I swear there isn't part of me that doesn't hurt. Whatever he's excited about he's around the corner and gone now. I shake my head and make my way toward the kitchen. April's got something that smells good going.
"Mornin' April," I greet. April turns around and grins.
"More like Afternoon Raph, but hi," she replies. I ease myself into a chair and breathe in slow. Stupid ribs. April rests a gentle gaze on me and then at my nod she returns to what she's doing.
"Mikey's outside with Leo, he pulled out for a couple minutes this morning....he asked what was for breakfast and for a mug of green tea," April looked a little sad for minute," I turned to hand it to him and he was gone again."
I sighed, Leo's fighting...heck he's waging war...but he can't seem to pull himself back for more than a few minutes at a time.
"He's getting better, at first it was only long enough to say your name remember?" I try to sound hopeful. April gives me a little smile. There's a creak of old wheelchair wheels and a happy tune being hummed. I turn slowly and see Mikey pushing Leo into the kitchen. Leo's eyes are all dull and they look almost empty. He's in there somewhere. Leo's slumped over in the chair, he's paralyzed from the mid abdomen down...hence no control over his abdomen area...we got him to sit up on the bed for a minute and then he fell over laughing like an idiot...can't sit up on his own. He thinks its funny when he's loony...when he come out of it he's ticked. Leo brightens when he sees me and gives me a goofy grin.
"Pretty butterflies...birdies," he mumbles. Mikey grins and shakes his head.
"He was trying to reach out and catch a butterfly by the porch and nearly fell out of the hammock," Mikey laughs. I can't help but grin...I half like Leo this way...he's a dork...all goofy...but strangely I miss his lectures...like now he'd be yelling at me for being out of bed, instead he's mumbling about butterflies and birds. I feel and ache that isn't physical. My amber eyes search his golden-brown searching for the brother I miss. Nothing there...I hear him mumble my name. Our names...he knows who we are, I think that's why he's trying so hard to pull back.
"Hey bro," I greet, "Was it nice outside?"
"Pretty," he mumbles. I chuckle. Despite his injuries he's fairing quite well, he's healing faster than I am, and he was hurt worse than me...I guess he always did bounce back faster than the rest of us when we were hurt. Suddenly he goes ridged. I tense...I think of his fits...and reach forward Mikey and April are thinking the same thing.
"Raph? Where are we?" Leo asks plain as day, I gasp. His eyes are blazing like they used to, concentration on his face. The old fire is back.
I find I can't speak. I open my mouth and close it a few times.
"Safe, we're safe bro...with April and Casey," I finally get out. He nods and looks around, eyes flicking over the room. Don comes rushing in, shouting something, and gasps at the sight of Leo.
"Leo!" he cries. Leo turns to look at him and smiles.
"Hey Don," he greets. Then to our dismay the fire goes out and he's gone again the goofy grin is back and he starts humming again. I realize I'm crying and brush the tears away, he was there and then gone again, so close.
"That's twice in one day," April gasps. I realize she's right, up until now he's only managed to pull out once a day, he's coming back. Heck...he's fighting tooth and nail to come back. I look at him closely, he looks tired as if the fight took a lot out of him. I suddenly become aware of my aching ribs and wince, sucking in a sharp breath.
"You really should be in bed Raph," Don chides gently. I grunt and sigh. Mike eyes me worriedly.
"What were you yelling about Don?" April asks.
"Oh....remember that wheelchair you ordered for Leo? It's supposed to be here today...I can't wait to work on it...remember all those sketches I had?" Don rattles off quickly. April grins and nods.
"Yeah, I'll keep an eye out for the truck...I guess that means you'll have to stay inside until it gets here," she says after a minute.
I eye Leo who is attempting to grab my bandanna tails at the moment. April says he's supposed to gain some mobility in his abdomen and possibly his waist area, unfortunately his legs are never going to even twitch again. She says he's gained some control over body functions, apparently Leo wore a turtle sized dipper for a few weeks. If he'd been sane I'm sure he would've killed himself from embarrassment. I still laugh when I picture it.
"Raph...Don if you're up for it would you give Leo his bath? I'm not thrilled with the idea of him pulling back when I'm bathing him. I have a feeling he might freak out," April asked. Don and I laugh.
"Yeah your probably right," I tease.
"Sure thing April, Raph you sure your up for this?" Don replies.
I nodd and say, "How hard can it be giving a 180lb goofy turtle a bath?" Donnie, Mikey, and April laugh and look at each other with a knowing look.
What did I just get myself into? I have a feeling my ribs are going to hate this...
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LOL! I kinda like Leo like this too...but that's not him and I definatly like him better as himself...though you have to admitt, Leo chasing butterflies is funny...
Reviews please?