Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the property of Viacom, Nickelodeon, Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird and all organizations associated with said names. This is non-profit.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Exile
by BrownEyedBirdie
Author's Note: Here is part 2. This will complete another arc in the story. The remaining chapters are going to be a bit more one shot stories, but they're also going to wrap up some questions people have had. I've gotten a few PM from people who've had ideas they've wanted to see added and I'm glad to see so many had the same questions as me. So, what remains now is to wrap up one or two big story plots and start winding down for the approach of spring. Weiterlesen!
Chapter 16 – Or…?
Donnie sat with Raph beside the bed. He listened as Raph explained his dream, all the while watching Leo closely. Mikey stood in the doorway.
"Well, it's an interesting dream," Donnie said, "Probably brought on by stress."
"I think it's more than a dream," Mikey said, "Believe me, I know about dreams."
"Mikey, we've got a very real problem," Donnie said, "With Leo in this critical stage, he could go either way. We can't focus on some gaseous cloud Raph dreamt about. "
"Shhh," Mikey said, "Don't make the spirit of sickness mad."
"Spirit of sickness, Mikey?" Raph asked doubtfully.
"Master Splinter used to tell stories about spirits of illness infecting a person and turning all loco," Mikey said, "The spirit won't hurt Leo if we don't try to make the spirit feel offended or scared."
"Those are just stories," Donnie said, "We're dealing with medical science."
"Maybe it's both," Mikey said, "Come on, we're four mutated turtles with learned ninjitsu from a rat ninja master. Are you seriously going to not even consider it?"
Raph and Donnie looked at each other. Mikey gave a huff and threw himself in the corner of the room, his face scrunched in a pout. Donnie turned his attention to Leo completely. Not much had changed. Leo's breathing was still short and a rattle in his chest had begun to develop.
"I can see if the medicine we got mixed with some of that retromutagen can help," Donnie said, "But the rest is on Leo now."
Raph and Mikey bowed their heads sadly. A gentle tapping on the door caused them all to look up. April was standing in the door way, holding a tray with three cups of hot soup.
"Casey and I fixed some soup for everyone," April said, "And a bowl of broth for Leo."
"I'm going out to the barn to try and work up something for Leo," Donnie said. He moved to pass April but she held out a cup of soup and held it to his plastron. She gave him a level gaze and Donnie met it without flinching. Then he took the bowl and left the room. April gave Mikey and Raph a cup each and went back downstairs.
"Mikey," Raph said, "Help me get Leo cleaned up. Donnie could be awhile."
Mikey nodded, though he still worse a pout.
Donnie shivered slightly as a breeze drifted through the barn. He stood up and went to the oil drum where a fire was crackling merrily. He warmed his hands over the flames and tossed in another handful of sticks. He glanced at the table where he had been working. There were crushed pills and test tubes of failed retromutagen on the table. Donnie sighed.
"I wish I knew how to make this work," Donnie said, "The answers got to be there. Why can't I find it?"
Donnie sat back down and stared at his notes. The closest formula he had found had only done half the job. There was a component missing and he couldn't think of it.
"Think, Donatello," he said, "The retromutagen took the mutagen itself but also required an opposing mutagenic force. What's the opposite here?"
Donnie laid his head on the table in thought. The sound of the fire crackling and spitting filled his head.
"Leo, come take a look at this!" young Raph called. Donnie didn't turn his head but his face grew hot as he moved slowly. At 8 years old, Donnie was already at least two feet taller than his brothers. This resulted in more than one clumsy fall and a round of jeering from Raph. Splinter had decided that Donnie could benefit from a specific training style, tai chi.
"Donatello," Splinter said calmly, "Focus your attention on your movements. Do not let yourself be distracted."
Donnie sighed and began to move again. The tai chi exercise was something he was embarrassed about. He'd seen older people doing similar exercises on TV.
"I'll go make you some tea, Donnie," Mikey laughed, "You'll want something warm before your afternoon nap."
Donnie stumbled in a move and laid spread eagle on dojo floor. Raph and Mikey burst into laughter. Splinter moved in silence and pinched the back of Raph's and Mikey's necks.
"That is enough," he said, "If you have so much energy, I suggest you also do some training. 50 flips now!"
Mikey and Raph groaned but complied. Splinter lead them out of the room as Donnie stood again. Leo stood in the doorway, watching as Donnie began to move again.
"Can I make a suggestion?" Leo asked. Donnie stopped and bowed his head.
"Why not?" Donnie said, "Everyone else has."
Leo moved to face him and put his hands up.
"Do them again," Leo said, "Only this time, push into my hands. That way, I'm your opposing force."
Donnie looked confused.
"Weren't you the one who said physics was all about matter being in motion?" Leo asked.
Donnie grinned and positioned himself. The first move caught in Leo's hand and Donnie felt the firm grip stop him from losing his balance. Leo grinned.
"That's the balance," Leo said. Donnie gave a big, gap-toothed smile.
Donnie's head snapped up and his eyes were wide.
"That's it!" he cried.
Mikey sat with Raph in the room. Raph was staring hard at Leo and Mikey wondered if he was trying to stare the spirit down. Mikey had always loved scary stories, even if they hadn't exactly loved him. And Splinter's stories of the spirit world always fascinated the ghost hunter in Mikey.
"I wish I could see what you see," Mikey said. Raph blinked but didn't look away.
"It's not fun seeing something like this," Raph said, "But it's worse having someone pretend like they believe you."
"I believe you," Mikey said. Raph nodded and smiled wryly.
"If it were me, I'm not sure I would have," he said. Mikey thought about that a moment.
"Well, why would you," Mikey said, "It's not like you guys usually do."
Donnie came bursting into the room before Raph could answer.
"I did it!" he cried and practically cart wheeled into the bedroom. Mikey and Raph watched as Donnie inserted the line into Leo's mouth. Much like the air filer devices used in Dimension X, instead of air filtering into the lungs, the medicine would filter throughout his body and restore cells.
"This isn't a final batch," Donnie said, "It's only what Leo needs right now. There'll have to be other modifications but for now, we have this one."
"What's in it?" Raph asked. Donnie held up a needle. Raph cringed.
"Leo isn't responding to the medication because the damage he took from Shredder and his freak show was so extensive," Donnie said, "It's actually started to degrade his mutagenetic code."
"When I made the retromutagen," Donnie continued, "I used a source that was opposite of the mutagen to serve as the catalyst to reverse the genetic code of the subatomic layers…"
"English, D!" Mikey shouted. Donnie glared grumpily at Mikey.
"We're rebuilding his mutagenic code," Donnie said, "We're remutating his genes."
"So what's the needle for?" Mikey asked, starting to show the same nervous shifty gaze as Raph. Donnie held up his left arm to show the cotton swab over his vein.
"We're the only other three who share the same genetic code," Donnie answered, "It would have been better to use Splinter since he was technically the progenitor of our genes. But if all three of us do it, we can increase his chances."
Mikey and Raph looked nervously at each other. Finally, Raph held out his arm and squeezed his eyes shut. Mikey did the same. Donnie proved to be a smooth hand with a needle and there was only the slightest pinch as it entered. Donnie added their blood to the mutagen and waited. At last, it turned a marble green and teal color and Donnie gave a satisfied whoop.
"Help Leo sit up a bit," Donnie said. Raph turned and blink in fright. The gray shape, hanging like a mist over Leo, was back.
"What's the matter, bro?" Mikey asked. He saw Raph's face go nearly white with fear and guessed what had happened.
"Don't let it scare you, Raph," Mikey said, "It won't hurt him unless it feels threatened."
"What are you two talking about?" Donnie asked.
"That-that thing is back," Raph said, "Can't you see it?"
Donnie looked over at Leo. His chest rose and fell in shallow motions, as though something were pressing down hard on him.
"There's nothing there," Donnie said, "Sit him up."
"If we move, we'll irritate it," Raph said. Donnie frowned.
"The longer we wait, the worse Leo will get," he said, "And that terrifies me more than any spirit."
Raph watched as Donnie propped Leo up against his leg. The gray shape floated and moved around both turtles, but nothing happened. Raph couldn't move as he watched it take shape.
"Can you see it?" Mikey asked. Raph nodded. Slowly, it began to grow solid. It placed two gentle hands over Leo's chest and rubbed them in soothing circles as Donnie watched the medicine drip in.
"I don't think it's trying to get Leo sick," Raph said at last, "I think it's trying to help."
Donnie didn't respond but even he couldn't ignore the sense of warm hands gently squeezing his knuckles. It was an almost motherly feeling.
The gray shape looked at Raph and Mikey from under the gray cloak. The face was all too familiar, known from the photo their father kept so dear to his heart.
"Tang Shen," Raph whispered. Donnie looked up.
"What?" he asked. His answer came quickly as Tang Shen, finally became visible in the room as the sunlight poured in. A breeze floated in from the open window and it filled the room with the smell of spring.
"Mother?" Mikey sniffed. She smiled and held out her arms as though to embrace them all.
"My sons," she said, "Your brother will be fine. He is strong and full of life. You will continue to grow and find strength together as a family."
Donnie gently laid Leo back into the pillows as the last of the medicine was poured into the filter.
"You will save the city," Tang Shen continued, "You will save Miwa and restore all that has been lost to us." Tang Shen looked at each Turtle in turn and held them in her gaze.
"Raphael," she said, "Forgive me for the fear I created from our first encounter. Do not let your strength keep you from drawing from your brothers'. A time is coming when you will need their strength to lift you up."
"Michelangelo, I know your dreams and how they fill you with dread," Tang Shen said to her youngest, "But they teach lessons that you will need to find peace again."
"Donatello," Tang Shen said, "You have taken up a heavy mantle as leader. And you wear it well. You are not alone and you are not at fault. You must allow your heart to be open again."
Tang Shen knelt beside the bed and stroked Leo's face. As she did, the skin slowly grew greener and a look of peace crept over his features. Leo was sleeping. And it was a real sleep, deep and full of healing.
"So much has happened," Tang Shen whispered, "And so much more will happen. Do not give up."
"None of you must give up," Tang Shen said, her voice filling the room with motherly love and compassion.
"Mother, please stay," Raph said, sounding so unlike himself that Mikey and Donnie had to look to make sure it was indeed their brother. Tang Shen only smiled.
"Take care of my sweet Miwa," she said, "Bring honor back to the Hamato clan and to your father's name."
She began to grow fainter, like fog being burned away by the sun.
"I love you all, my sons," Tang Shen said. She faded away from sight.
Every eye was tearful, but still happy. Donnie wiped his cheek and looked at Leo.
"Hey, look," he said. Leo's breathing was steady and the rattle was gone.
"Was it the medicine or Tang Shen?" Mikey asked.
"I think it was a bit of both," Raph said, "But let's not count Leo out of this either."
"He's still fighting," Donnie said, "And we have to fight too."
Several hours later, April knocked on the door. Raph was sitting in the chair, watching Leo as he slept. Donnie and Mikey had fallen asleep on the floor under blankets.
"Is Leo still doing badly?" April asked Raph, "Or…?"
"Or," Raph said with a smile, "A great big 'Or.'"
*()()()*
There you go! Leo is on the road to recovery. But because this is the three month Leo has spent asleep, he's not getting up yet. Remember, this is all Donnie and Leo talking as Donnie shares with Leo what's been going on. Chapter 17 will be up next week. See you then.