Chapter 4
Master Splinter stood from his lotus position and hurried to where he heard the yell. His breath hitched when he saw Raphael carrying his youngest towards Donatello's lab. But what made his heart turn to ice was the blood was trailing behind them.
"Leonardo, what has happened?" The rat questioned with concern, following after them.
"It was the Foot, Master, they attacked us and Mikey got hurt." Leonardo answered quickly, entering the lab.
"Put him there Raph." Donatello told his older brother, sweeping a hand across a table uncaring of all that was on it that just landed on the floor.
"I was watchin' 'em Masta," Raphael said, gently setting their youngest onto the table. "'E was doin' fine, but suddenly 't was like 'e lost abuncha energy or somethin'."
"Like what happened the other day during training?" Leonardo questioned, standing by the table. Raph nodded before looking down at his brother again.
"Everyone out!" Donnie suddenly yelled. "I can't work with you guys talking in my ear." He was digging through some cabinets, pulling out a medical kit.
The turtles and one rat were quick to obey their "doctor" and made their way out of the lab, shutting the door quietly behind them.
"Something is wrong my sons." Master Splinter told the two. "I will meditate on this, but it must wait until we know Michelangelo is alright."
Leonardo and Raph nodded grimly.
Donatello grimaced as he tightened the tourniquet on his little brother's arm. He was trying to stitch up the puncture wound, but every few seconds he'd have to wipe away the blood pouring from the openings. He was praying that he wouldn't have to hook up a blood bag. Their supply was extremely low right now, and he wasn't sure he had sterilized needles in supply. He made a note to fix that soon.
He didn't give up and finally the underside of Mikey's arm was stitched up. Now all that was left was the top.
But something unexpected happened while he was working. He heard a groan coming from his little brother and the genius looked up, surprised.
"…Mikey?" Donnie asked, putting pressure on the wound to keep the blood from flowing out while he was distracted.
"Donnnn?" Came the tired reply. "My arm hurtttts…" Mikey whined, lifting his uninjured arm to cover his forehead.
"That's because you got stabbed in the arm ya bonehead." Donatello chuckled, feeling a little better knowing his little brother was awake.
"UUuggghhhh…" Mikey complained, turning his head to watch Donnie begin to stitch the wound. He grimaced at the needle gently exiting and entering his skin. "That's really groooosss…"
"It has to be done buddy." Donatello told him. "Try to go back to sleep."
Mikey suddenly stiffened. The brainiac looked up at his face and saw a measure of panic across his brother's features. "Mike? You okay bro?"
"…Y-Yeah, just…I don't wanna sleep anymore." Mikey said with a pout.
Donatello rolled his eyes. "Fine, but I don't wanna hear anymore complaining."
"But Donniee…it hurtsss…" Mikey looked at him with watery eyes.
"I'm sorry Mike, but we used up the last of the anesthetic from when Raph fell in that lady's cactus garden." Donatello told him, finishing another stitch.
Mikey let out a tired snicker. "That was sooooo bad…"
The orange turtle went silent after that and Donatello was able to finish stitching the wound. After cleaning it thoroughly with disinfectant and wrapping it with a light bandage he deemed the wound treated.
"Stay here Mikey, I'm gonna go get the others and you some electrolyte water to help your body rebuild your white blood cells. You lost a lot of blood but I don't think you need a blood transfusion...hopefully." Donnie told him, gently petting his brother's sweaty forehead.
"You…rock Donnie." Mikey sighed, leaning into the caress.
Chucking slightly, Donnie exited the lab to a pair of worried eyes. "How is he Don?" Leonardo asked quickly, obviously at his wits end.
"He's alright, I got him patched up and he's awake, you can go see-" Two green streaks suddenly flew past him. "…him."
"So he will be alright, Donatello?" Master Splinter asked, putting a gentle hand on his arm.
"Yup, Master, the sword pierced him right in between the radius and ulna, only hitting the bone a little. His arm's gonna be really sore but he should be okay in a month, maybe even sooner." Donnie told his father, beginning to walk to the kitchen.
"You did very well my son." Master Splinter told him and the purple masked turtle turned and gave him a wide smile.
"Thanks, Sensei."
After assurances that Mikey was alright and the consumption of tons of electrolytes, the turtles decided it was time for bed. Michelangelo was transferred up to his own room, where an orange kitten was waiting, ready for his dinner anxiously.
Leonardo was happy to get Klunk his food as Mikey was laid down on his bed and covered by blankets.
"Alright Mikey, you tell me immediately if you don't feel well, or your arm hurts more than it should and stuff like that." Donatello told him firmly.
"I will Don." Mikey grinned tiredly.
"Good night my son, I will meditate on this matter through the night and see you in the morning." Master Splinter told him, gently patting his good arm.
"Okay sensei, night!" Mikey chirped. Master Splinter smiled softly before exiting the room.
Raphael was leaning against the wall. "Ya sure 'e's gonna live Don? I could use the extra storage space…"
"Yeah right Raph, more like you need another room to contain the sheer largeness of your snoring." Mikey teased back.
Raph growled in warning. "Last time I checked, yer head was not damaged so I wouldn't feel bad about hittin' you Mike."
Mikey just snickered.
Leonardo, after finishing feeding Klunk stood to his feet and brushed off his thighs. "Alright guys, let's leave Mikey to get some sleep"
Donatello nodded sagely. "Yes, he needs a lot of rest. A lot of rest." He repeated, staring hard at Mikey, who smiled up at him innocently.
Raphael came up and gently patted Mikey on the head. "G'night Mike." I was really worried you know, you better not do that again.
Mikey smiled up at his older brother happily. "G'night Raphie." I know, I'm sorry.
There was blood everywhere. He was on top of a building, surrounded by buildings that looked likes ones from New York, but they were so dark, so evil, they couldn't be the same ones.
And there was blood everywhere. Michelangelo looked around him desperately, trying to find something familiar. Unfortunately, he did.
His heart dropped all the way down to stomach as he saw three figures laying a distance away. Three, very turtle looking figures.
A cry escaped him without him realizing and he charged forward, sliding down beside Donatello. Lifting him up slightly he tried to control his panic but found himself unable to. "Don, Don, please, SAY SOMETHING."
"You could have done something." Came the reply.
"I-I couldn't, I wasn't there."
"Useless."
"Useless."
"Useless."
Michelangelo turned and saw his brother's faces turned towards him, their mouths moving but the words seemed to echo from somewhere higher. Gasping he dropped Donnie and scrambled away, blood getting all over his legs and arms.
"Useless." And with that, their eyes turned red and Michelangelo screamed.
And he was still screaming because oh god, he landed on his arm when he fell out of bed and it hurt really, really bad. Mikey managed to choke off his cry and began to breath heavily. After a few minutes he realized Klunk was at his head, gently pawing at him and meowing.
Sitting up, he reaching down and picked up his kitten, nuzzling his face into his warm fur.
"This is getting ridiculous Klunkers…" Mikey sighed, setting the cat down on the bed and slowly standing.
"I'm not useless…right Klunk?" The orange turtle asked rhetorically. Klunk blinked up at him. "Of course not….but I think I need Leo right now."
Quietly exiting the room, he made his way to the safe haven that was his oldest brother's room.
Quietly opening the door, he snuck in and closed it behind him. There sleeping peacefully was Leo, his gear placed delicately on a hook and a candle burning slowly on his nightstand.
Stepping closer until he was at the side of the bed, Mikey hesitated. He really didn't want to startle his brother, but he wasn't sure how to wake him up.
Sighing and mentally throwing up his arms, he reached with his good arm and began to shake Leo's shoulder a bit. "Leo? Leoooo?" He whispered.
Sure enough Leonardo's eyes snapped open at the combination of touch and sound and his eyes immediately shot to his brother. "Mike?" He asked, yawning and sitting up. "What's wrong? Are you in pain?"
"No…" Mikey lied, his arm still did hurt from when he fell on it. "But…I-…well…I just…I kind a had a bad dream…can I like...stay here?"
Leo blinked in surprise. Mikey hadn't asked him of that for years. But as he studied his brother's exhausted expression, Leo's own began to soften.
"'Course Mike." Leo answered and scooted over to make room.
Mikey immediately shot under the blanket, curling up against his brother's plastron as close as he could and let out a loud exhale. Finally, he felt like he could relax.
Leo laid them back down and stroked the top of his little brother's head. It was then that Mikey realized that he had started crying. Leo said nothing though, just continued to soothe him until Mikey's mind finally gave way to the embrace of sleep.