All I can say is that I tried with this chapter.

I'm no chemist. Maybe someday when I have more knowledge I will be able to come back to this and improve the explanation.

But for now this will have to do.

Hope you guys like it! :D

Day Twenty Six: Admit Your Mistakes

Don P.O.V.

No.

This is crazy, it's impossible.

How could this of been passed around so quickly.

I…. Damn I have to tell Leo.

I fiercely push away from my computer with newfound determination, causing my desk chair to roll backwards.

The back wheels of the chair catch onto a crack on the floor of my lab. The chair, with me still upon it, tips over and crashes to the floor.

I think I had too much de in that mination.

Luckily I had my lab doors closed, so no concerning brother felt a need to investigate the noise.

Although now that I think about it. I haven't seen my brothers all day. I thought for sure that the closed lab doors in and of themselves would have brought a few curious brothers my way. I've been having my doors open so often lately, it's actually hard to get used to this silence.

Master Splinter told me that it would be healthier if I stayed in contact with the rest of my family throughout the day. Even if it is only through a doorway, and I think he was right. I've been closer to my brothers than ever.

….But this….

This could ruin all of that.

I sigh loudly, still sitting horizontally in the chair, arms flopping out on either side of me.

The fall didn't hurt, how could it? With my shell in all, but the clumsy mistake seems to have taken the fight out of me.

Just great, but there's no sense in mopping about it, this has to be fixed.

I roll off the downed chair onto my hands and knees. I put the chair back into its upright position and rise with the chair. I walk calmly to my lab doors and open them.

Immediately the loud audio of that old movie Lone Wolf and Cub, or something like that, fills my ears. Leo and Mikey are both seated on the couch having to talk fairly loud in order to be heard over the movie's volume.

Something about Mikey choosing the ball and not the sword.

Damn not Mikey, I don't want to talk about this to Mikey yet. I was just going to tell Leo. I mean what good would telling Mik-

….No that's not it, I just don't want Mikey to know what I've done yet, but that's not fair. All of them will have to know eventually. Hiding anything from any of them won't do any good.

Oh man, Mikey's going to take this hard. Or will he? It's hard to say; sometimes I just don't have enough faith in Mikey.

I walk over to the couch, carefully stepping into the pit with the TV. Better move with some grace for a while, I don't want another fall again. I'd lose serious credibility. I turn to the two of them giving what I hope is an apologetic smile. The two of them have stopped talking and are watching me suspiciously.

They probably think I'm about to turn the show off, well they're sort of right. I turn the nob on the audio player in tell it says 'mute.'

Keep your movements slow Don. Agitation can be curved through slow movements.

Neither of them protests as I basically smash their fun with an ironed pan.

Aw man, they are such good brothers. And Leo must be catching onto my nerves. I know he's still made about Raph and I's little joy ride. But right now he doesn't even seem annoyed.

"Guy's there's something that I need to tell you," I swallow nervously, "let's go into my lab?"

Leo answers first already removing himself from the couch, "Of course Donnie."

Mikey takes a moment to glace sadly at the television before getting up to follow.

I feel a moment of hope rise in me at his look. Perhaps I can convince him to stay! "Mikey," I say quietly and quickly, "You can stay here and watch your show if you want, Leo will make sure to tell you the important details later anyways."

Mikey doesn't even slow his pace snorting amusingly at my suggestion, "Yeah right bro, as if I'm being kept out of this. We are a teeeeeeam, and there's a t in team, which stands for turtles, which is what we are."

*Heh*

WAIT! No that wasn't funny, just mildly amusing!

Ugh! I'm stressing out here.

My little chuckle must have been enough invitation for Mikey to finish his walk into my lab. I follow right at his heels.

I close the door behind us as I enter. My brothers are grabbing some of the random rolling chairs I have laid about the lab. Luckily none of them touch my personal precious desk chair. I would've had to kick them out.

I walk past them and sit myself in front of my computer. I turn around so that we were all sitting in a strange triangle formation, with me at its peak.

"What is it Don?" asks Leo, realizing that I didn't know how to begin.

"Yeah dude, you know you can tell us. I don't see any red around," Mikey puts in, smiling at his little jab towards Raph.

Hmmmm you know, despite what Mikey thinks Raph can actually be very understanding, but I guess he's not like that to Mikey very often. So I suppose the insult was justified.

…..Alright, time to fix this.

"Guys, remember the overdosed girl that we brought to the hospital the other day?" I begin.

"Yes,"

"The hot one?"

I stare deadpanned at Mikey for a moment. Showing him my complete lack of appreciation for humor right now, "Yes that one, well I was a little curious-"

"Haaaaaah! Donnie what did you do?!" asks Mikey in mock horror, bringing one hand up to his mouth to help him gasp dramatically.

I glare at him "Mikey do you mind, this is kind of important."

Leo shifts uncomfortably in his chair.

Oh man, Leo's about to be out of his comfort zone, I've got to keep Mikey quiet.

"Mikey," I say sweetly, "If you're quiet for the rest of this explanation, I'll build you a hover board."

Mikey immediately curled his lips inward, eyes going wide.

I think he'll shut his mouth now.

"Anyways," I continue, "I took a blood sample of the girl we saved. Just to see what kind of drug she overdosed on. I uh, actually do that with all of the drug victims we take to the hospital. Just for records, you know."

I cough nervously before continuing. Ignoring Leo's raised eye-ridge.

"I compared the drug she overdosed on to normal drugs of this nature, and none of them fit. I mean none of them. There are some similar components, but trust me, this is a whole new drug, and a good one at that. It's strong, relatively cheap to put together, and is probably only as harmful as, let's say, cocaine."

Leo tilts his head in contemplation, "Don't people mix and match drugs all the time?"

Mikey sniggers before silently saying "So much for homeschooled."

I send a warning glare towards Mikey, who once again sucks his lips back in.

C'mon Mikey, you can't even stay quiet for a hover board. I mean it's a hover board!

"Aaaaanyways Leo," I say trying to keep at least a half of my audience on track, "yes drugs are modified and contaminated all the time. But not like this, not like this."

Keep Going Donnie.

"And there's more, it's not just a new drug, it's my drug. It's a modified version of the drug I told you about weeks ago."

Leo's eyes go wide, "What?"

"Let me explain," I say wanting to get as much out as I could. "The drug I made for Protozoa isn't actually supposed to make you high. However in my research I discovered that even taking in our plasma, which although is easier on a body than just our blood, it is still extremely hard on a human. The consumer of our mutated blood or plasma can experience extreme bodily spasms. The body will begin to naturally adjust to this new enhanced substance, but many times that change for the human can cause bad side effects. I'd have to do more testing to find out all of the side effects. Anyways to avoid this I made my drug a pill, and around the outer layer of the pill I injected components of compounds found in common street drugs such as peroxynitrate, THC, and I+/Cl-. The idea was that the drugs would relax the human consumer just long enough for the mutated plasma to safely enter their system without the body reacting harmfully to the substance. Our mutagen would then negate the effects of the drug so quickly that the short high that the human may experience wouldn't cause any damage. This whole process was supposed to be done so quickly that the human may not even realize that they were ever high!"

Leo leans back, taking in my explanation so far. His face is neutral and contemplating. He's trying to analyze the situation without even having all the facts yet. Good ol' Leo.

"So without our mutagen mixed in, it would just be a drug," says Leo.

I lean back myself thinking about just how much actually needs to be explained, "Yes and no, without our mutagen there is nothing to stop the high that is caused. But it's a little more than that. Whoever did this also replaced what I used in the formula as our plasma, with extra substances. He's messing with my original design, improving it for his uses. Although truthfully once the mutagen was taken out of the equation my drug didn't need much manipulating to be put to this use. But yes essentially my drug is now nothing more than a very bad street drug."

"Wait," Leo says back straightening, "Whoever did this? What do you mean?"

Shit.

"Remember that gun fight a few weeks ago? The thug that got away stole my flash drive. It had the information and formula of the drug on it. I've actually followed his name and-"

"Donatello!? you're telling me that some criminal has the schematics to our mutagen!? Do you know what you've done! Who that guy could tell! And what do you mean you've been following him? How long have you known!?" Leo yells toes and fingers curling in his anger.

Mikey uses the balls of his feet to scoot his chair farther from the two of us.

"I haven't known for that long Leo I swear. And of course I know what I've done! I'm sorry ok. I mean what were the chances that an actual intelligent bad guy would steal my drug? I'll make an actual percentage later, but let me tell you it was low, really low," I say trying to defend myself.

Leo opens his mouth to come at me again, but stops himself. I can still see the anger in his eyes, the stiffness in his shoulders. "I need to leave, yelling won't help and I need to leave. I'm so angry I can't have this discussion right now. I'm going to go meditate, but this has to be solved as soon as possible. We are getting that flash drive back, and you will delete as much information as you can from the guy's computer. I expect you to find out where the lowlife is by tomorrow."

With that Leo storms out of the room obviously forcing himself not to react childishly and slam the door behind him. Instead he deliberately closes the door very slowly, very softly as he exits.

Still seems a little childish to me.

But it was nice of him to leave. And smart of him to leave and calm down first before we make any sort of plan on how to fix this.

His words hurt. But he probably only allowed them to become so harsh because Mikey was in the room. I guess he's hoping that Mikey will comfort me. So he didn't mind so much what he said. Or on what sour note he left in. So despite his harsh words tightening my chest, he still cares.

But I don't need comfort. Leo is right. I have to find this guy and fast. And that is only the beginning. I'm not quite sure just how far my drug has spread, but I'll have to find out and stop it.

"Don you ok?" asks Mikey scooting his chair back over towards me.

I give him a sad smile, "Yes, I'm ok, and I have work to do."

I turn myself around to face my computer ignoring Mikey's presence. He sits there a moment longer before getting up and making his way out of the lab. Before he exists he turns around smiling at me as I watch him leave through the corner of my eye. "Don't forget Donnie, you owe me a hover board."

With that he left the lab, annoyingly leaving the lab door open behind him.

Oh I'll give him a hover board alright. He just won't like were I'll put it.

Next Time Day Twenty Eight: To Crash a House Party; Just Don't Breath Raph!