As always a giant thank you to Amonraphoenix for beta reading this chapter for me! Don't know what I would do without you;)

Also a big thank you to Flamedragon242, I love kittens too and Kinnie98 for your wonderful reviews!

Chapter 15

Leonardo clutched at Donatello's limp hand as his younger brother lay on the bed comatose and hooked up to a ventilator; the machine forcing breath into his brother's abused lungs.

Donatello's injuries had been the most severe out of the three rescued from the island. One lung had been punctured while the other had severe pulmonary contusions; which roughly translated to a badly bruised lung. He had also suffered three broken ribs and a broken fibula in his right leg. He had also suffered and managed to recover from something called CRUSH syndrome without any complications, thanks to the timely rescue and administering of first aid. It was a close thing as Donatello could have lost both of his legs or even have died if they had waited any longer to get him the first aid he so desperately needed.

Donatello had been heavily sedated during the long flight home to prevent further injuries and then rushed into surgery at one of Karai's facilities when they had landed. Raphael had also been taken into the facility with a broken right collar bone as well as a broken right tibia in his arm and a severe concussion. The fact that Raphael had been able to lift Katherine and give her CPR with his injuries and considering how weak he still was because of his recent illness, was something of a minor miracle. It was most likely due to a rush of adrenalin that had soon wore off leaving Raphael in agonizing pain and panic as Katherine's heart had begun to fail once again.

Katherine had suffered from moderate hypothermia as well as heart arrhythmia and cardiac arrest during the helicopter and plane flights home. She was taken to Karai's facility where she was stabilized and then moved to Mount Sinai hospital in Manhattan, where her family was waiting anxiously for her and where she began to recover.

With an awkward expression of gratitude to Karai for all of her help, Donatello had been brought home to recover once he was stable and well enough to be moved.

Donatello had been placed in a medically induced coma for the past week and Leonardo was feeling ragged and worn out.

He knew Donatello would recover, but also knew that it would take time for his brother's body to heal completely.

Katherine too was still in the hospital. She had been treated for hypothermia and given medication to treat her heart arrhythmias which had finally dissipated with time, but she then suffered a setback, having contracted aspiration pneumonia -a complication from her inhaling the sea water into her lungs- which had lengthened her hospital stay.

Raphael had been on bed rest for a few days, grumbling the entire time and getting Michelangelo to tell him what was going on with Katherine, since Katherine had been taken to the hospital while his brothers had been taken to Karai's facility. They hadn't known Katherine's status until Holly had updated them with a phone call to Michelangelo informing them that Katherine would make a full recovery.

Leonardo had been able to talk with Raphael while his hot headed brother recovered. He hadn't thought to ever be able to talk with his younger brother again, and to do so was something he felt to be too precious for words. He was so incredibly relived and grateful that Raphael and everyone had survived their ordeals that words could not even begin to express these emotions, but he had tried.

Raphael had of course just growled and brushed his heartfelt words away, but Leonardo had briefly caught a ghost of a smile and a faint light of gratefulness in Raphael's eyes. Leonardo had also studiously avoided chastising Raphael for kissing Katherine, figuring that his brother had been caught up in the moment and had forgotten himself. As for Katherine kissing Raphael in return, she was most likely confused due to the hypothermia she had been suffering and her close call with death.

Thinking about Raphael and Katherine made him uncomfortable.

Katherine had been placed in a private room with security, which had limited the number of reporters, news crews and journalists that were granted access to take statements and chronicle her ordeal.

Holly was staying in New York with her aunt and uncle -Katherine's mother and stepfather- and both Michelangelo and Raphael had gone to the hospital to visit Katherine on several occasions.

Raphael and Michelangelo had begun visiting Katherine in the hospital. They had disguised their appearance by wearing motorcycle helmets into her room after her family had left for the day. Leonardo sensed that Raphael had wanted to go alone to visit Katherine, but as Raphael had a broken arm and collar bone, he couldn't drive.

Leonardo knew couldn't stop Raphael from visiting Katherine, and the fact that he was with Michelangelo and usually Holly made him feel a little better that Raphael and Katherine would not be alone together. But he had an uncomfortable feeling that Raphael was pushing the bounds of what was acceptable for the way he should be acting towards his ex-girlfriend. In fact, Leonardo didn't doubt that Raphael was taking full advantage of the fact that Donatello was lying in a medically induced coma to worm his way back into Katherine's heart, which was making him furious.

He hadn't been able to have a word with Raphael ever since he was allowed out of bed because Raphael seemed to be avoiding him like the plague; which only made him more suspicious of his brother's actions. Raphael was always at the hospital, in Donatello's room sitting beside him, or in his own room, the door locked and refusing entry to talk. Both April and Casey always seemed to be under foot as well, and Leonardo did not want to call Raphael out in front of their family and friends. And so he had no choice but to bite his tongue and hope Raphael was not attempting to take Katherine away from Donatello.

"Oh man, that was beyond priceless." Michelangelo's sudden laughter filled voice drifted through the hallway and to his ears.

Holly chuckled. "You can laugh at Raph all you want, the expression on your face wasn't any better." She teased. "In fact I would say the look of terror was rather priceless."

Leonardo heard a snort as Michelangelo walked into Donatello's room. Leonardo looked over his shoulder at his baby brother whose face suddenly became sombre. Holly followed close behind, her fingers entwined with his brother's.

Leonardo would almost have felt jealous of his baby brother's happiness if he weren't so delighted that Michelangelo seemed to have found someone who he loved, and who obviously loved him back.

"How's Donny?" Michelangelo asked seriously.

"Better." Leonardo acknowledged. "He should be off the ventilator tomorrow sometime. And he will wake up naturally since we have begun to wean him off of the induction drugs that have kept him in his coma."

Michelangelo nodded gravely and walked up beside Donatello's bed. "I'm just glad he's going to be okay." He said as he gently touched Donatello's forehead before pulling his hand away and looking at Leonardo in the eyes. "And the good news is that they think Kitten's going to get out of the hospital next week sometime. So hopefully when she gets out, Donny will be wide awake by then."

Leonardo nodded in agreement. "Donny's lungs will take another three to six weeks to heal, so by the time his lungs heal completely, he should be able to get his cast off his leg as well." Leonardo gave a brief glance towards Donatello before standing and stretching out his stiff, knotted muscles. "So Kitten's doing well?" He asked hoping to find out anything he could about how she was doing, and also how Raphael was acting while visiting her.

"Yeah. Well I mean...she's in a lot of pain right now." Michelangelo amended. "But she's getting better." Michelangelo added, a look of guilt filled sorrow lighting his features. Michelangelo blamed himself for Katherine's current state and had been adamant in visiting her as much as he could.

Leonardo nodded, relived to know that Katherine was steadily improving. "Where's Raph?" He asked when he did not see his hot-headed brother behind Holly and Michelangelo. The thought that Raphael had stayed behind to visit Katherine alone sent a spark of suspicious anger rolling through his gut.

"He's coming." Michelangelo said with a wide toothed grin. "We had a little bit of an...incident, at the hospital today."

"Incident?" Leonardo asked hollowly, his mind streaming too many horrific scenarios to choose only one.

"Yeah, Kitten's mom kinda...uh...saw us." Michelangelo answered with a slight embarrassed shrug.

"Kitten's mother...saw you?" He snapped incredulously, his chest contracting in horror. "Without your helmets on?"

"Yup." Michelangelo answered completely unconcerned. "Well, it had to happen sometime, right?" Michelangelo said pointedly. "Anyway, we were in visiting after Kitten's mom and step-dad had left and Kitten's mom forgot something, came into the room without knocking and well... hilarity ensued." Michelangelo chuckled at the memory. "Raph tried to put his helmet on but it was too late and even though I jammed my helmet back on, Raph fumbled his and yelped in pain when he tried to move his bad arm." Michelangelo said with a grin. "But Kitten's mom was pretty cool, she even remembered me from Comic-Con, though it took a bit to convince her that we weren't wearing rubber costumes."

"Why didn't you just let her think that you were wearing costumes?" Leonardo hissed in anger.

"Cause, Kitten's family had to find out about us eventually." Michelangelo answered with a shrug. "Kitten dated Raph for over a year and she's been dating Donny for almost that long, or at least..." Michelangelo's voice trailed off, becoming serious before he glanced at Leonardo and pasted a fake smile on his face before he continued. "Anyway, sooner or later her family was gonna find out about us, especially with me dating Holly. So better sooner than later, and like I said, Sheila was pretty cool. I mean, she didn't freak out and she was polite and stuff. Though I think she was tempted to hit Raph, for...you know..." Michelangelo glanced at Holly who looked confused, "Breaking her heart." Michelangelo quickly supplied to Holly who did not know about Raphael having accidently punched Katherine, and most likely, Katherine's mother did not know about this incident either. "But Kitten's mom saw that he was injured and knew he was the one who had saved Kitten's life. So she just glared at him a little before giving him a very awkward kind of hug." Michelangelo paused and grew somber again. "But... Kitten's mom wants her to go home."

Leonardo frowned but nodded, knowing that it was understandable that Katherine's mother would want her daughter home after such a traumatic event.

"Then her mom left and Raph asked her about what her mom was talking about, and Kitten said her mother had received a call from a University in Canada that wanted her to organize, and head up a new Egyptology program for them."

"It's her dream job." Holly breathed out in barely contained excitement. "Well, besides traipsing around the desert looking for mummies that is."

Leonardo looked at Donatello. "So what did Kitten tell her mother?" He asked softly, his heart breaking for Donatello if Katherine had decided to leave New York to take the position at the University.

Michelangelo exchanged a look with Holly before answering. "I don't know. We didn't really get a chance to talk to her much after her mom left because she started coughing and was in a lot of pain, so we just left her to rest."

Leonardo nodded again, but turned his attention to Michelangelo, who tended to be oddly observant and intuitive about certain things. "Do you think she will take the job?" He asked softly.

Michelangelo bit his bottom lip. "I didn't get the impression that she was...enthusiastic about the idea, but...I don't know for sure." Michelangelo answered slowly as he looked to Holly for confirmation of his observation.

Holly only shrugged. "I don't know either. Kit plays her cards close to her chest, especially when it comes to her mom. So...it could go either way. If Kit had acted excited, Auntie Sheila would have called the University and told them that Kit had accepted their offer. Then she would have packed up all of Kit's things and shipped her back to Canada as soon as possible. She really wants Kit home, especially after what happened."

Leonardo grimly reflected upon the fact that things could have gone very differently. If Raphael hadn't insisted on finding Katherine's body, she would have eventually drowned. The only reason that she had managed to survive at all was through some quick thinking on her part. They had learned that Katherine had been trapped beneath a beam, but once all of the water had flooded the basement, she had been able to wriggle free. Unfortunately she hadn't been able to find her way out after having been pushed back and blocked in by some of the debris that had fallen into the basement -debris that Michelangelo had managed to move when he had found her.

Finding herself trapped and without a way out she had found an empty wine bottle and breaking it, had used the neck of the bottle as a breathing tube. She had found a small crack in one of the floor boards and place the bottom of the wine bottle through to the surface and found air. But this meant that she had been swimming for hours. She wouldn't have survived much longer.

Thankfully Michelangelo had found her, but his baby brother had nearly died being caught beneath the newly fallen debris himself. Katherine had freed Michelangelo and it had nearly cost her life.

But Raphael had refused to give up; continuing with CPR after Donny had been unable to due to his own injuries. Leonardo knew that Katherine owed Raphael her life. He just hoped that Katherine didn't think that she owed anything else to Raphael; who was no doubt playing up his role in rescuing her.

As if summoned by merely thinking about him, Raphael appeared in the doorway looking angry, upset and uncomfortable. Leonardo would have almost smiled at the expression on his hot-headed brother's face, but instead he was too worried about the situation Michelangelo and Raphael had found themselves in to be amused.

Raphael looked at Leonardo, who was most likely wearing a disapproving look on his face judging by the scowl that suddenly formed on Raphael's own face.

"I ain't in the mood for a lecture, Leo. I messed up, I get that. Now just tell me how Donny's doing." Raphael said briskly as he made a slicing motion with his hand.

Leonardo bit back the angry, suspicious words that he was so tempted to say. Instead he informed Raphael that Donatello was doing well and would be removed from the ventilator tomorrow.

Raphael nodded and walked forward, past Leonardo, sitting in the chair he had vacated moments earlier. Raphael reached out and gently took Donatello's hand in his uninjured one.

"You guys mind?" Raphael rumbled over his shoulder.

Leonardo shared a worried look with Michelangelo who gave a confused shrug. Leonardo gave Donatello and Raphael one final glance look before walking from Donatello's room, closing the door quietly behind them.

Leonardo caught up with Michelangelo and Holly. He separated his brother from his girlfriend and led him away so he could have a private word.

"What's up, Leo? Why are you acting so fidgety?" Michelangelo asked him, a concerned frown forming on his face.

"How has Raph been acting around Kitten?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Michelangelo's frown deepened but he thought about the question carefully before answering. "He's been helpful, supportive, maybe a little touchy feely with her, but nothing I would worry about. She was in a pretty bad way, Leo, and pneumonia isn't pretty. She's in pain and exhausted from coughing so much. She can only talk for a short amount of time because speaking aggravates her condition. Why?"

"I was just wondering how much Raph is playing up his role in rescuing her." Leonardo told his baby brother seriously. "You know I love Raph, and that I know he is a big reason that Kitten's still with us, but I don't want her to be feeling like she owes Raph something."

Michelangelo returned Leonardo's serious look with one of his own. "She does owe Raph her life." Michelangelo stated bluntly. "Not that Raph is taking any credit for it. He says I was the one who saved her, because I found her. Even though it was Raph who insisted we get her. Then Raph told Kitten that Donny started CPR on her, which saved her. Even though it was Donny who made the call to stop trying and Raph ignored him and kept trying anyway. Which is why she is still alive, cause Raph was too stubborn to give up." Michelangelo's words were now low, angry and somewhat bitter. "I know that I nearly cost Kitten her life. She saved me, not the other way around. But Raph hasn't said or done anything to make her feel obligated to him in any way. In fact I told Kitten what really happened when Raph had left the room for a minute to get her some ice, not because I am trying to stir up trouble between her and Donny, but because she had the right to know. So if you are thinking that Raph has been taking advantage of Donny not being able to visit her, and trying to steal her heart away, just forget it, because that isn't what's happening." Michelangelo bit out angrily before he turned and walked away.

Leonardo felt shame bubble up within him for thinking badly about Raphael, and it was a relief to learn that his suspicions were groundless. But he knew his hot-headed brother, and knew how much he still loved Katherine.

Donatello drifted in and out of a hazy reality. His mind was too clouded to think or understand what was going on, and he was too tired to care. The world in which he inhabited was warm and soft, his limbs tingling slightly as voices drifted all around him. He wasn't sure how long he spent floating within the confines of his fuzzy world, but eventually the haze was stripped away, exposing his senses to every painful ache with a blinding clarity that tore the faint breath from his damaged lungs.

Donatello blurrily opened his eyes, confusion and pain momentarily clouding his mind as he struggled to sit up. A strong, firm hand on his upper plastron prevented him from completing this action, gently pinning him to the bed.

Donatello looked up into Raphael's face. His older brother looked strained, tired and miserable. Dark circles were smudged beneath his eyes and Donatello felt his heart suddenly gripped by despair and anguish. The last thing he remembered before he had lost consciousness was the paramedics shouting that they were losing Katherine as she went into cardiac arrest.

He squeezed his eyes shut in grief as he realized that Katherine hadn't made it. They had tried to bring her back, and she had been brought back, but only briefly. Death's grip had been too firmly wrapped around Katherine's soul to let her go.

Donatello let out a choked sob, tears beginning to run down his cheeks in grief-stricken agony.

"Leo!" Raphael's panicked voice suddenly shouted. "Donny needs some more pain meds!" Raphael's hand was suddenly cupping his cheek while he whispered gently to him. "It's okay, Donny, Leo's coming and he's going to bring you something to help with the pain."

Donatello continued to keep his eyes tightly closed, knowing that no amount of pain medication would dull the anguish of his devastated heart. He dragged in a shaky breath, even though his lungs protested against this movement. He was able to gain a lungful of air, carefully releasing it before opening his eyes and confronting Raphael's gaze again.

Raphael's amber eyes were full of pain and worry. "I'm sorry, Raph." Donatello gasped out, not having any other words to convey his sorrowful, apologetic feelings of grief.

"Hey, Donny, don't talk. Leo'll be here in a second, you're gonna be fine." Raphael said clutching Donatello's hand firmly in his own.

Resentful bitterness welled up within him, drowning out his despair. He would live, but Katherine hadn't.

"And there ain't nothin' to be sorry for. I know you didn't purposefully get caught beneath those bookcases, and Kitten, she knows that too." Raphael told him softly.

"I should have tried harder." Donatello bit out painfully.

"Donny, you had a broken leg, and ribs, plus a punctured and bruised lung. You could have died!" Raphael insisted. "But you managed to hang on and you saved Kitten's life."

Donatello's eyes widened in confusion. "She's...Katherine is...?" His voice trailed off unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Wait, you thought...?" Raphael shook his head. "Donny, Kitten's fine. I mean, yeah there were a few complications, and a few close calls, but she's gonna be fine. In fact, she'll be out of the hospital in a few days."

Relief, warm and golden rushed through him as every muscle that had contracted in sorrow suddenly relaxed. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking another slow, painful breath before looking at Raphael and giving him a slight, relieved smile.

Leonardo rushed in at that moment, a needle clutched in his hand. Donatello shook his head lifting up his hand to stop his oldest brother from drowning his senses in pain medication again. "It's okay, Leo." He croaked, brushing the tears from his eyes.

"Are you sure, Donny?" Leonardo asked in concern as Raphael stepped out of the way, allowing Leonardo better access. Leonardo sat down in the chair beside his bed.

"Yeah." He affirmed with a slight nod of his head. He grew serious as he looked at Leonardo, his eyes shifting to Raphael before focusing on Leonardo again. "I thought...I didn't think Katherine had made it..." His voice trailed off as he took another shaky breath. "But she's alive." He whispered in something akin to wonder an awe. He closed his eyes. "She alive." He whispered again, this time more to himself than to anyone else.

"Yeah, Donny, she's alive and she's been wantin' to see you. She's been worried sick about you." Raphael told him solemnly.

Donatello studied Raphael's face, a frown forming between his brows as he took in the emotions that were rolling around in his older brother's eyes.

Raphael turned his head away so Donatello was unable to study him anymore.

"Raph, are you okay?" Donatello asked in a concerned voice.

Raphael cast a quick glance at Leonardo before looking back at Donatello attempting a shrug. Raphael winced in pain and ground his teeth together in irritation before answering gruffly, "Broken collar bone and arm. But in another two and a half weeks I can get the cast off. So yeah, I'm good." Raphael answered, though Donatello had the distinct feeling that Raphael was not telling him the entire truth.

However, some of the information that Raphael had told him had Donatello frowning in confusion. "What happened? How long have I been out of it?"

Leonardo opened his mouth to answer, but Donatello interrupted before he was able to speak. "What do you mean Katherine suffered complications?" He asked suddenly as his cotton ball filled brain managed to process this little bit of information that had been told to him a few moments ago.

Leonardo glanced at Raphael who answered that Katherine was recovering from aspiration pneumonia, but was otherwise fine. Leonardo then informed him that Donatello had been taken to Karai's facility where numerous doctors and nurses had looked after him. He had then been placed into a medically induced coma for his own safety. He was also informed of his numerous injuries which he took in stride, as he had expected as much, and Raphael had told him much the same thing a few moments before.

Raphael reached out and gave Donatello's hand a quick, encouraging squeeze. "You want me to take a message to Kitten for you?" Raphael asked. "She'll want to know that you're finally awake."

"You're going to visit her?" Donatello asked as he shifted to move, sliding his leg out of the bed. He let out a small grunt of pain, but ignored the agony that shot across his chest.

"Whoa, Donny." Leonardo stopped him by lifting up his hand. "I know you want to go see Kitten, but you can't. You're on bed rest for at least another couple weeks. You'll see her soon, and don't worry, Mikey will take Raph in." Leonardo said.

Donatello grimaced in pain as tiny razor blades tore across his chest reinforcing the fact that he had broken five ribs and that his lungs were still healing.

Donatello let out a slow breath of air and lay back, shifting his leg back onto the bed. "Tell her..." He stopped because he couldn't tell her what he wanted to tell her. He couldn't tell Raphael to tell Katherine that he loved her more than anything. And that when he had thought she was dead, his entire world had become nothing more than an endless black hole of despair from which he would never have recovered.

Raphael nodded. "Okay, Donny, I'll tell her." Raphael told him softly and Donatello felt his eyes widen in surprise as he looked at his older brother.

Leonardo looked back and forth between them, a frown puckering his brow in confusion.

"Thank you." Donatello told Raphael, because he couldn't even imagine how hard all of this would have been for his older brother. To have almost lost Katherine after just getting her back, and then to have Donatello turn around and practically beg Raphael with his eyes to tell Katherine -his brother's fiancé- that he still loved her. It was a new low, even for him.

His line of thought stopped there as he studied Raphael's face, wondering if Katherine had said something that had caused Raphael some sort of pain.

"Kitten said for me to tell you when you woke up that she's glad you're okay, and that she's looking forward to seeing you." Raphael said as he gave Donatello's hand one more quick squeeze before straightening and turning to walk from the room.

Donatello watched Raphael leave a feeling of worry filling him. "Is Raph okay?" He asked Leonardo who still had a frown on his face.

Leonardo turned his attention back to Donatello. HIs brother paused as if he was trying to make a decision before finally blowing out a quick breath. "I didn't want to worry you, but..." Leonardo paused looking uncomfortable. "Katherine's been offered a position at a University in Canada to head up a new Egyptology program."

Donatello's mind spun as he looked at Leonardo in surprise. He had not been expecting this news from his brother. He let the words sink in and he felt himself nodding. Being offered such a position and opportunity was something Katherine had only been able to dream about. "That's...wow." He said both proud and genuinely happy for Katherine. It was then that the ramifications of the offer hit him. Katherine would be leaving New York, most likely for good. This thought sent a hot, sticky wave of gloom and despair rolling over him. His thoughts then shot to Raphael.

Would Katherine leave his brother? Is that why Raphael had looked so upset, because Katherine had accepted the position and had broke off their engagement? He wondered.

Raphael and Katherine had done the long distance thing before, and it had been hard, putting unwanted and unneeded strain upon their relationship.

"But I don't know if she's going to take it." Leonardo quickly interjected. "Raph hasn't said if she's made a decision yet."

"How is Raph taking the news?" He asked softly.

Leonardo frowned in confusion. "What about you, Donny? Maybe she doesn't want to make a decision until she talks to you."

"Me?" He asked in confusion. "Why would she need to talk to me?"

"Because, Donny," Leonardo began in exasperation. "She probably doesn't want to take the job unless she can figure out how it will affect you two."

"Well, she's probably talked to Raph." Donatello mumbled.

Leonardo quickly stood. "She shouldn't be talking to Raph, Donny. She's your girlfriend. This affects you and her, not her and Raph." Leonardo ground out angrily.

Donatello frowned and opened his mouth to ask Leonardo what he was talking about when Leonardo interrupted him.

"Listen, Donny. Even if Katherine does take the job, I'm sure you two can figure something out. Besides, she might not even be interested in the position." Leonardo took a calming breath. "Donny, Katherine loves you, and I know she won't just walk away from you for a job."

"Leo, this isn't just a job, it is the job. She has been working for the past 10 years -even before she went through university to get her degree- to make it to such a position. She would probably be the youngest person ever to be offered to head up a whole department. I could never stand in the way of that. And..." He stopped talking as he realized that Raphael, if he wasn't being the selfish bastard he usually was, wouldn't stand in the way of that either. Katherine was the only one who Raphael couldn't be selfish with. It was no wonder Raphael had looked miserable.

Leonardo walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder giving it a light squeeze. "You two will work things out." Leonardo reassured him. "Get some rest." Leonardo said as he slid the needle into Donatello's IV, pushing down the plunger.

Donatello's eyes shot to Leonardo's in protest. "No, I..." His eyelids drooped as he struggled to stay awake. His last thoughts full of confusion as to why Leonardo seemed to still think that Katherine was his girlfriend, since she was Raphael's fiancé.

hmmm wonder what's going on;)

reviews and opinions welcome:)