Chapter 16: Donatello-Desperation

Add ten years

He couldn't stop checking the monitors that were hooked up to his brother, his brother who was currently a suspect in a murder investigation as of yesterday morning. The same brother who had yet to wake from his injuries, and the same brother who had apparently been dying from cancer according to Samantha.

Don felt a tight, queasy, sense of absolute dread as a cop stepped up to Leo's parole officer.

Mike had left last night and hadn't come back yet, but Raph said he was at home, he'd stopped by to check on him, Raph had only stopped here briefly to check in on Leo's condition and then had left. Don hadn't seen Splinter since April and Casey took him home, not to mention them.

Don's eyes traveled over the broken body of his eldest brother, thin, fragile, and…pale, so pale. Despite what he had learned about Leo's past ten years he couldn't bare to leave for more than a few moments. His poor brother, so alone for so long, how could the others just leave? Leo had sacrificed his health and dreams to keep them safe, he'd quite literally signed a deal with the devil according to Samantha who finally hinted at why Leo had stayed out of contact…and oath to Her. Samantha claimed Leo never told her who She was, but Don knew…Karai.

The door opened and Don rose to his feet.

"I'm sorry Don…they found the murder weapon with his prints on it," Jack whispered, "that ties him to the case even more than his blood being there. It means he…had to have…"

"Sam said he's petrified of weapons…if that's so there has to be a reason why he picked up that weapon. He wouldn't just take it for any simple reason. Self-Defense maybe?" Don asked.

Jack shook his head.

"Don…the victims were…" Jack paused as if trying to gather his composure, "mutilated, it looks like a revenge killing, not self defense."

There was an awkward silence as Don sank back into the chair and stared at his brother's battered form.

"Where…is everyone?" Jack asked softly.

"I don't know," Don mumbled, "Raph had to work…April and Casey took Splinter home…the couch was hurting his back here and…they haven't been back."

Jack frowned.

"What about…Mike?" he asked.

Don shook his head before shrugging.

Leo stirred on the bed, his eyes flickering open and fixing on Don for a moment then flickering closed again before Don could even move.

Don looked at Jack, before getting to his feet.

"There has to be a way to prove it was self defense…" Don whispered, "Please…help me, help him."

A/N: Sorry for the long absence guys, been rather busy.