A lot happens really fast in this chapter but it is supposed to. So just keep that in mind. I actually like this chapter because it gets interesting...well you'll see why. So Mikey's heart stopped...about that... Let chapter 12 commence!

A thump fills my ears. It is small, weak, but there. Silence follows. it continues to do this for a while, a pattern of a shy pound then silence following, but them it changes. The next one is different. It gains confidence and thumps harder, demanding to be heard as it rings in my head. It becomes a constant thudding and I realize...It is my heart.

I am not dead.

Colors flood my eyes and I feel water fly up my throat and out of my mouth, I lean sideways to force it out of my lungs and stomach. I cough and cough, trying to empty my body of water. Then I take a breathe on my own.

My lungs burst with happiness and become greedy with oxygen. I hear my heart still pounding above my heavy breathing. The next thing I feel is pain in my chest. My body is tired and sore, but my chest is hurting. I lay back down, too exhausted to move, and just stare at the ceiling, trying to get my breathing even. I feel a body collapse on top of my chest and I wince in pain. I look down at my plastron and see a purple turtle laying on me, breathing just as hard as I am.

Donnie.

I smile and reach out to him, I see my hand shaking as I touch his shoulder and he turns his head, eyes staring into mine. I am taken back by all the emotions swirling in those usually warm eyes. A storm of fear, panic, and relief merge together. His eyes for once of his life look unsure of himself. Unsure of his own abilities, they are burning with fear. Tears stain his face and he is still crying. We stare at each other for a few moments, I know he is searching my eyes just as I am with his.
Donnie's face breaks into a huge smile. The smile was genuine and happy, but his eyes were still ghosts of pain. What happened? I have never seen Donnie so shaken before. His lips start to move but I can't hear them. I turn to my left and see Raph above me, his lips are moving too, making a familiar shape. I stare at him, trying to make out his words, then I realize, he's saying my name. I strain my ears to hear him.

"Mikey? Mikey can you hear me? Mikey!" Raphs voice over powers the thumping of my heart and the now even breathing of my lungs. His voice is low and broken, crackling through the tears. Something shadows him that Mikey has never seen before. His normal strong passion is faded away, his confidence is gone, replaced by grief and sorrow. He doesn't even look angry, he just looks lost, he looks broken. I can fell the tenseness of his body and his emotions as he holds onto me, still not believing that I am alive.

"Raphie." My voice is hoarse to my ears. I feel Raph's body sag with relief and he starts to burst out in tears. Through the tears though, is a huge smile. He reaches out and pulls me up into a hug. I felt pain lace down my chest but I didn't care at that moment. All that matters is my brothers. Raphs arms are tight around me and digs into my body, afraid to let go of me. I heard nervous laughter fill the air. Love poured out of my brothers, I can feel it in they way they are looking at me. Whatever happened to me, it was bad. They both are overjoyed, but past that joy is still the fires of pain and grief.

"I love you so much! Don't you ever, EVER, do that to me again!" Raph says through his tears. I give a shaky smile,

"I'll try not to make it a habit." I say. Raph chuckles and crushes me into him and I let out a yelp of pain as my chest throbs.

"Raph be careful! His chest is going to be sore and bruised from the CPR." Donnie says but he too was holding onto me, he has been holding onto me ever since I opened my eyes. CPR? I look at Donnie with a confused expression. I had to be given CPR? The last thing I remember was... drowning. I gasp as the memories pounce on me. I was dying. I did die, my heart stopped.

I remember.

I remember The fear pulsing through my body as my lungs cried out for air. I remember my body fight against the water, begging and pleading to be released from it's death grip. I scream out but the water muffles them. I want to scream. I need to scream. The water enters through my nose and mouth, digging down my throat to my stomach. No. I need to breathe. Leo appeared in front of my vision, I didn't see him when I woke up, he must have been standing behind me. I scream out, but this time I hear it bounce around the room.

"Mikey! you are not drowning. Mikey it's okay." Leo said as he kneels in front of me, holding onto my face and forcing me to look in his eyes.

"No Leo. The water. I need air! Air! Leo help!" I reach out for my brother, my breath beginning to hitch again. I am drowning. I am being attacked! Leo help! No. No. Not again. I can't breath. Please not again. I feel Raph holding onto me still, and Leo's lips are forming words but my brain blocks them out. I gasp for air and fight the water. Pushing Raph away as well, I don't want him to get attacked too. I feel my body shaking and sweat dripping down my face. I have to fight, for my brothers. I can't be selfish. I must protect my brothers. Donnie appears in front of me and places a mask over my mouth. I didn't notice him leave.

"Breathe, Mikey this will help." I look at Donnie, unsure of his words but I trust him. I take in a huge breath and feel the clean oxygen fill my lungs. I breathe. I sit holding the oxygen mask up to my mouth and nose. I feel Raph wrap his arms around me again, like we were magnets and couldn't be parted. I feel Donnie rubbing my shell, trying to comfort me. I stare at Leo. Behind him, I see the water shifting around on the ground, waiting to pounce and hold me down. Waiting for the kill. I watch it carefully and my stomach clenches as it moves closer to my brother. I look back at Leo, his eyes are unreadable but he gives me a wobbly smile. He sighs and leans his forehead on mine. I feel my fear starting to disappear as Leo's forehead rest on mine. My brothers. They are real, focus on that.

They are real. aren't they? I can feel them, but that doesn't mean they are real. What If I am actually dead? I died in that water? I lean my head back from Leo's and peek behind him. The panic enters back into my brain. The water that was stalking around us, is now slithering towards Leo. It jumps back and shoots at my brother, trying to grab at him to drag him into the water.

"LEO!" I throw my oxygen mask and tackle Leo, trying to keep the water away from him. It will not drag him down into the depths like it did me.

"Mikey please! it's not real! Whatever you are seeing it's not real." Leo says and grabs My head with both hands. Staring Me down. It's not happening. This is not happening. Listen to your brothers. They are real. Please be real. I close my eyes.

"Please be real Leo, please" I begin to cry. I don't know whats happening. I am insane. I must be. I feel tears pour down my face as I rock back in forth. Closing my eyes, I don't trust them anymore. My chest and body felt so weak, so sore. I was shaking uncontrollably.

"Mikey." I hear my name and look towards what sounded like Raph, "Please open you're eyes." I shake my head no. I can't.

"Mikey, focus on us. We are right here, we all are." this time it was Donnie. I peek open my eyes and sit in silence. Looking at brother to brother. I am exhausted, but so are they. Emotionally drained too, I can see the physical effects as well as the mental. I died. My heart actually stopped. That was real. The water may or may not be, but I almost died. What they must have gone through in those couple of minutes, I don't know how I would feel if I was in their place. I was dead. The knowledge of this smacked me in the face. My heartbeat was gone, I wasn't breathing at all. I felt tears drip from my eyes. I look at Donnie, knowing he saved my life, they all did. They are real. Brothers. My brothers. They will protect me.

They will protect me.

They will save me.

I really enjoyed this chapter because you get to see Mikey going crazy. I know it was so close to him almost dying, I was going to make a fluffy chapter after the emotional dying thing, then I thought, you know what...if someone goes crazy, dies, and then gets CPR'd (that's not a word, is now) back to life, it would probably push a flow blown panic attack. Plus Mikey is going insane so... I don't know about you but I would freak out...yeah anyways! Sorry for my little rant.

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