Hey everyone! Here's chapter 7. Thanks for your reviews! More please! lol ;)

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Donatello slept most of the night, only waking twice for a minute or two. It was obvious that the turtle was in pain, for a groan is what alerted his brothers that he was awake. Everyone was completely exhausted by now, and agreed to take watches over their injured brother.

Mikey went first, still wired on caffeine. When Raphael took over the watch, he found that Donatello's fever has risen a little, and he was restless, shifting often with a soft groan.

Raphael constantly rewet the towel on his brother's forehead. "You're okay, Donny," he whispered soothingly, as he patted his younger brother's flushed cheeks with the cool cloth. "Take it easy, bro."

Donatello's eyeridges furrowed, his head lolling to one side.

Raphael sighed, scrubbing a shaking hand across his face. He hadn't slept at all before taking his watch, and his eyes kept closing by themselves. "Stay awake," he told himself, not realizing that he said it aloud.

Donatello groaned again, as if in answer.

Raphael lifted his head, blinking tiredly before taking the towel and rewetting it again. "Not you, Donny," he said. "You stay asleep."

He got no answer…not that he was expecting one.

Raphael sighed again, nervously wondering why the fever had risen, and if it would rise anymore. He desperately hoped that it wasn't a sign of infection. Infection… Raphael suddenly realized. Donny usually gives us antibiotics when there's a risk of infection. Were we supposed to do that? "Oh, shell…!" he said. Suddenly more awake, he stood and crossed to their medicine cabinet, opening it and finding a bottle of penicillin. Taking it out, he looked at it, before looking at Donny. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Raphael saw that it was almost time for Leo to take over from him.

Bringing the bottle over to Donny's bed, Raph decided to ask Leo before he did anything.

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Voices suddenly floated through his brain, and Raphael blinked, realizing that his head lay on the side of Donatello's bed. He blinked again, before realizing that he'd fallen asleep…on his watch!

With a gasp, Raphael sat up, seeing Leo sitting in a chair on the other side of the bed.

"It's okay, Raph," Leonardo said. "He's doing fine."

"I fell asleep?!" Raphael exclaimed.

Leo nodded. "After I got here."

Raphael frowned. "After?"

Leonardo nodded again, reaching to take the wet towel off Donny's forehead. "You were awake when I came in, and fell asleep right after I sat down."

Raphael wasn't sure if he believed him. Sighing, he looked at the clock and saw that it was just after 8am. He reached for the penicillin bottle, and held it up. "Should Donny be takin' these? How's his temp?"

"Unchanged since I took over the watch," Leo said. "I think he probably should. We'll have to ask Donny the next time he wakes."

"But we shouldn't wait," Raphael said, nervously. "If his wound is infected we can't just leave 'em that way…"

Leo nodded. "You're right." He reached over to wake their brother up. "He needs to eat, anyway."

Raphael stood and sat on the bed, gently touching his brother's good arm before Leo had a chance. "Donny? Hey Donny, ya gotta wake up, bro."

Donatello didn't move.

Raphael gently squeezed the arm. "Hey Donny, wake up," he said a little louder.

Donatello's calm expression turned into a wince, and he turned his head, the breath hitching in his throat as he woke to a world of pain.

Raphael sighed. "Sorry, bro, but ya gotta wake up for us. We gotta ask ya somethin'."

Donatello turned his head towards the voice, struggling to open his eyes. "What?" he whispered.

At that moment, Mikey came in with a pot of coffee. He saw Donatello awake, and hesitated.

Leonardo glanced at him, and shook his head, knowing what Mikey was thinking.

Michelangelo tried to hide the coffeepot behind his back, even though the scent had already permeated the room.

Donatello, his mind fuzzy with sleep and pain, found himself saying, "Zat coffee?"

"Um," said Mikey. "No?"

"You shouldn't have any, Donny," said Leo. "I think caffeine is the last thing your body needs right now."

Donatello closed his eyes. Whether he agreed or not, they couldn't tell.

"Don't fall asleep yet," said Raph. "Should we give ya penicillin? Ya have a fever."

"Fever?" the injured turtle mumbled. He seemed to grow more alert, wincing at the pain. "Yes," he answered.

Leo grabbed the painkiller bottles off the nightstand. "Which of these should we give you?"

It took a minute for Donny to re-open his eyes again, and he looked at them. "That one," he said.

Leo blinked, unsure of which one he meant. He shook the bottle in his left hand. "This one?"

Donny nodded again, closing his eyes once more as the pain from his wound made the breath catch in his throat.

"Quick, Mikey, get 'em some water," Raphael said, opening the bottles.

Mikey put down the coffee pot and ran from the room.

Raphael rewet the cloth again, and patted it over his brother's face.

"Gotta go," Donny suddenly whispered.

"Go?" said Leonardo. "Go where?"

"Oh shell," Raph exclaimed. "He's hallucinatin' again!"

"No," Donny said, reopening his eyes. "Bathroom."

"Ohhhhh," the two turtles replied. They looked at each other for a second, as if trying to decide the best way to go about this, before Raphael slid an arm under Donny and slowly sat him up.

The pain in Donny's chest, shoulder and arm was incredible, and he couldn't stop himself from crying out.

Leonardo grabbed his good arm, and Raphael sat on the bed, leaning his brother against him. "Take it easy, bro, let us do the work."

Donatello clenched his teeth, his body trembling.

Raphael tightened the hold on his brother, as if he could calm his shaking. "Where's Mikey with the water?!" he suddenly exclaimed.

"Right here!" Mikey exclaimed, walking in with a tray. "Even I know he can't take those pills on an empty stomach, so I brought him some food." He stared worriedly at the sight of his injured brother leaning against Raphael.

Donatello fought the sudden urge to cough. His breathing was fast and shallow, the broken rib under the wound hampering his efforts to breathe.

"I think we should take him to the bathroom first," said Leonardo. "It's not like the pills will help immediately."

Raphael took the glass from Mikey. "Yeah," he agreed. He knew the effects of penicillin on an empty stomach. "Here, Donny, drink some."

Donatello obeyed, nearly choking when he tried to breathe and swallow at the same time. He couldn't stop a cough, and whimpered with a gasp.

Raphael was uncharacteristically patient, waiting until he was ready before feeding him more water.

Leonardo crossed to a nearby cabinet and took out a sling. When Donny was finished drinking, he looped it around his brother's neck and gently placed his wounded arm in it.

Raphael put the glass on the nightstand and waited until Leo was finished. "Ready?" he asked.

Donny gave a nod, and Raphael stood, pulling his brother's good arm around his own shoulders.

Donatello tried to stand, he really did, but he felt so weak and dizzy. The pain threatened to knock him flat on his face, but Raphael was ready for that, holding him up when his knees buckled.

Leonardo wrapped his arm around Donny on the other side, careful not to touch his arm. The walk was slow, and all four turtles were relieved that Donatello had wisely installed a bathroom in one corner of the infirmary section of his lab.

At the door, Donny tried to struggle free from his brothers' hold.

"Myself," they heard.

"Huh?" said Raph.

"Can do it…myself," Donny repeated.

The three turtles looked at each other. "I don't know about that, Donny," said Leo.

"Don't need help!" Donny said, voice louder. The strain on his rib was agonizing, and he was sure he felt it shift.

"Okay, okay," said Raphael, not wanting the injured turtle to get upset. "I'll just help ya get inside, and then I'll come out."

Donny, too busy trying to breathe, didn't reply, so Raphael brought him in.

"I'll leave the door open a little," Raph said. "When you're ready, call us and we'll come get ya."

Donatello, leaning against the sink, nodded.

Raphael left, hating to leave Donny alone…but understanding. If he were in Donny's place, he'd knock the head off someone if they tried to help him in the bathroom.

The three turtles stood around, nervously, expecting any second to hear the thump of Donny falling. It never came though, and finally they heard his voice.

"Raph?"

The red-banded turtle all but pounced at the door, disappearing inside. "Aw, shell," he exclaimed, at the sight.

Donny was sitting on the floor, his good arm wrapped around his pain-filled body. He'd started out fine, but when he tried to make his way back to the door, he grew dizzy again, and whatever strength he had left had abruptly deserted him. Thankfully, he'd managed to grab onto the sink with his good arm, somewhat controlling his inevitable slink towards the floor.

Raph's words made Mikey and Leo dash into the bathroom, and they watched as Raphael carefully pulled their brother to a standing position. Mikey moved forward to help before Leo had a chance, and the two turtles gently led their brother back to bed.

"Okay," said Mikey, as they helped Donny get situated in a reclining position. "Time for your meds!" With that, he tossed the bottles of pills to Leo and Raph, before picking up a bowl from the tray that he'd brought into the room. "Here you go, Donny, oatmeal!"

Donatello was relieved at Michelangelo's foresight, in making him something that was easy to eat.

Leo handed Donny the painkillers and penicillin, helping him drink the glass of orange juice that sat on the tray.

Raph opened his mouth to say something, but Mikey surprised them by sitting on the bed next to Donny and sticking a spoon into the oatmeal, scooping some up and holding it before their injured brother's face. "Open wide!"

The sight would've made everyone laugh had the situation been different.

Donatello made a face. "I don't…need help," he said, his voice soft and breathless.

Mikey made a face back. "You shouldn't waste your strength, dude. Seriously. Now open up."

Donatello sighed, which made him gasp and scrunch his eyes shut in pain. "Mikey—" he choked out.

The rest of his words were drowned out when a spoonful of oatmeal was shoved into his mouth.

Donny's eyes shot open and he almost choked, but he somehow suppressed it and swallowed.

The warm oatmeal felt good in his stomach.

"See? Was that so hard?" said Mikey, scooping up some more. He held it up high and swooped it towards his brother. "Vroooooooom, here comes the airplane!"

Raph and Leo couldn't help but smile.

Donny closed his eyes. Geez, he thought. He remembered times when his brothers had protested vehemently if they'd needed to be feed, and how frustrated Donny had been when all he wanted to do was help. He remembered yelling, 'why are you so stubborn?!' to an injured Raphael one time. Great, it always falls to me to show an example, he thought. Swallowing his own pride, he opened his eyes.

Mikey smiled, repeatedly bumping the spoon against his brother's lips. He laughed with delight when Donny opened his mouth.

Leonardo glanced at Raphael, to see that the slight smile on his face was overshadowed with guilt. Without hesitation, he reached out to put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder.

Raph looked at him before glancing down at the bottle of penicillin in his hand. Looking back at Donny, he could see the fever-flush that adorned his cheeks despite his pale skin.

"The sky is falling!" Mikey exclaimed, flying the spoon again. "Quick, catch it!" He shoved the spoon into Donny's mouth. "Yay!"

Raphael sighed.

TBC

Poor turtles!
Reviews are my fuel for thinking up Mikey's silliness! More please! LOL ;)