A/N: This is not the last chapter. There's kind of an epilouge coming up next. I'd hope you'd be kind to review to this. Sorry for the long wait on it (it and the next chapter were finished weeks ago) but my comp was being stupid and I din't want to risk it freezing and I having to start over. It's Mikey's chapter!
Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own 'im.
Michelangelo wished this was a nightmare. Then he could wake up and everything would be back to normal. Raphael wouldn't be pacing back and forth in worry; Master Splinter wouldn't be starring off into space; Donatello wouldn't be severely injured and crying out in pain when he was conscious; and Leonardo wouldn't be lying in his lap feeling more like a heavy thermo blanket then a brother. Michelangelo wished this, but he had learned a long time ago that wishing for things didn't always make them come true.
He felt tears in his eyes as he stared down at Leonardo. The eldest was watching him with half-lidded eyes. Mikey was supposed to be keeping him awake, but he couldn't shake the feeling of dread in his heart. His eldest brother was dying in his arms and the youngest could do nothing.
Michelangelo laid his head against Leonardo's plastron. Because of their hard shell, they normally couldn't hear each others heartbeat at all like this, but now Mikey could. The beat was hard and fast against Michelangelo's ear. A tear feel down his face at that.
"Mikey…" Leonardo sighed, low and weary. Michelangelo turned his face toward him. "Don't…cry…." He said as firm as he could manage. Mikey didn't answer at first as he continued to listen to his brother's heartbeat.
"I can't help it," He muttered, finally, "It's just not fair."
"Come…closer," Leonardo said as he weakly tugged on Michelangelo's arm. Mikey laid down on the couch next to him and wrapped an arm around his brother's neck. "It's…gonna be…alright…" Leonardo whispered, "Everything that…happens now…is meant to… There's no use…crying…over it. We should enjoy…the time…we…have left…together…"
"But you're not dying," Michelangelo said, "You can't."
"If I die…you still have…sensei…and Raph…maybe even Donny. Keep that in mind." Leonardo said. Michelangelo saw him squeeze his eyes shut as he wrapped a weak arm over his plastron. Mikey turned away from Leonardo's distress, took a cold wet rag from a bucket nearby, and laid it over his brother's forehead. Leo's eyes opened a little to look at the youngest.
"Does that feel better?" Michelangelo asked as he went to get another rag of dripping cold water to attempt to cool down his brother's skin.
"A little," Leonardo admitted. His voice was really starting to sound pained.
That's good," Michelangelo said. He looked up towards Donatello's open lab door and could just make out Raphael pacing back and forth inside. He wished he could do more. He wished he could give them all more time. He could if he had Renet's time scepter. Then everything would be better. He really didn't want his brothers to die. He wanted to live like a normal family where nothing would ever befall them. Even just being a normal turtle or human so Donatello and Leonardo could go to some type of hospital would make life so much easier.
His eyes drifted to the black-screened television sets. None of them were on and Michelangelo didn't have the desire to get the remote. Even though he wasn't looking at his brother, all of Mikey's attention was on the eldest. He was worried about Donatello as well, but it was Leonardo's uncomfortable heat that distracted Mikey.
"Mi…key…" Leonardo moaned and Michelangelo quickly returned his gaze to his brother. Leo's eyes were completely closed and his breathing had slowed. Mikey's eyes widened before quickly placing a hand to Leonardo's plastron: nothing.
"RAPHIE!" Michelangelo yelled as loud as he could as he quickly removed Leonardo's head from his lap so he could get off the couch. As Michelangelo went back to checking for a pulse, Raphael came speeding to a halt beside him.
"What's wrong?" He quickly asked.
"Leo's heart just stopped…" Michelangelo said, brokenly.
"Shit, move aside," Raphael said before trying to pound against Leonardo's plastron to get his heart to start up again. Michelangelo stayed out of Raph's way as he waited with a finger to Leonardo's neck ready to inform him of the first sign of the beat returning. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Master Splinter lingering in the doorway of Donatello's lab. His eyes were closed tightly, but Michelangelo guessed that it was in meditation. He looked to be whispering under his breath. Mikey prayed whatever the old rat was doing, that it would work. Don't leave us, Leo. Not now.
Almost a minute had passed and there was still no sign that Raphael's efforts had worked at all. Hope was slowly disintegrating and Michelangelo's knees grew weak. No…Leo… Raphael glanced at Mikey, but the youngest only shook his head. But then…he could feel it… Michelangelo quickly turned back to Leonardo with round eyes before wrapping his arms around the eldest.
"Mikey…" Raphael began but Michelangelo cut him off.
"He's alive!" He shouted, "I felt his pulse! He's back!" Raphael quickly checked himself before letting out the breath he had been holding.
"Thank god!" Raphael said, "But it's back to that fast pace again. We'll still need the medication."
"At least he's still alive!" Michelangelo exclaimed, "And his skin's cooled too!"
"That's 'cuz he almost died," Raph said, "His temp may rise again."
"I don't care," He said, "He's alive. That's all I care about."
"Guys?" April's voice greeted them from the entrance to the lair. The two of them turned to her as she was walking over with a pill bottle in hand. "How's Leo?"
"See fer yerself," Raphael said as snatched the bottle from her to look at.
"Oh my…" She said as she stepped closer and touched Leonardo's shoulder. "He looks terrible…"
"Well 'is heart almost gave out on 'im b'fore ya got 'ere," Raphael said before holding up the bottle, "They're pills."
"That's all I could get!" April exclaimed, "Those are prescription only Yanno? I already had to rob the pharmacy!"
"Please excuse Raphael, Ms. O'Neil," Master Splinter said as he walked over with his head bowed, "He is just anxious for his brothers." Raphael glanced at his father at that.
"It's just Leo's gonna hafta wake up first b'fore we can give this ta 'im," Raphael explained, "What if he don't wake in time?"
"He'll wake soon," Master Splinter stated wisely, "He knows he must."
"What were you doing earlier through meditation, sensei?" Michelangelo asked, "Was it about Leo?"
"Yes," The sensei said with a bow of his head, "I was guiding him back to us. It was not his time yet. He just needed the assistance." Leonardo moaned then and the four spectators glanced towards him.
"Can you wake up, Leo?" Michelangelo asked. All Leonardo did was groan in response. Mikey helped him to sit up and Leo's eyes fluttered open a little in response.
"Great," Raphael said, "Ya need ta take a few a' these, 'kay? There ta help wit'cher heart rate." Leonardo nodded to show he understood. The two brothers worked together to help give Leo the pills with a glass of water before allowing him to lie back down.
"Now how long 'til it takes effect?" Raphael asked.
"Only a few minutes," April said.
"His heart rate's already starting to return to normal." Michelangelo said after a quick check. "He's gonna be okay, isn't he?"
"Yeah. He is." Raphael said.
"Hey, where's Donny?" April asked.
"His lab," Raphael answered with a backhanded point of his finger in that direction, "He's been beaten real bad by tha same jerk who poisoned Leo. From what I can figure out, Donny was captured first and Leo found 'im like that in a refrigerated room b'fore da door was closed and da poisonous gas seeped in. Donny was already unconscious so didn't breath so much of it in like Leo here. We only got there at all 'cuz Leo called me b'fore he passed out. That's all we know so far as neither's been very talkative on da subject."
"I'll go see him then." April said.
"I'll go with you!" Michelangelo said before following April to Donatello's lab. April gasped as she laid eyes on him and quickened her pace to his side. "Raph said most of his bones were either broken or fractured." Mikey said in a solemn voice, "Something heavy had crushed him. He's in real bad shape."
"I can see that," April sighed, "I hope both of them survive. I hate to see them like this."
"Me too," Michelangelo said as he hung his head. April quickly stood and wrapped her arms around him.
"Cheer up, okay?" She said, "What are the others going to do without your comic relief?"
"I'm not in the mood for that right now."
"Maybe if you fake it, you might end up cheering yourself up." April said as she pulled back to look at him.
"Maybe…" He said with a small smile.
"That's better," She said, "Now if you keep that up, everything will be fine. I'm sure even Don and Leo could use that joy of yours. It might help with their recovery."
"Alright," He said with an even bigger smile as he wiped away a stray tear. "Thanks April."
"No problem. I'm always ready to help you guys."
A/N: Sorry for the nearly killing Leo thing but I needed to make this a little more dramatic. :D PLEASE REVIEW!