Chapter 12

Raph stares at Leo's limp form beneath him. He couldn't believe he had to intentionally knock Leo out. What had gotten into Leo? He had wanted Leo back so bad, but not like this. Not with him acting so weird, like he didn't even know them. What was going on? And the vile that Don found... What is that anyway? And why did it look like Leo didn't want them to have it. "What is that thing Don?" he finally asked easing his pressure on Leo.

Don continued to look at the vile in his hand, turning it to look at it from different angles. "I don't know. But I'm going to find out." He coughed from the poison that still ran through the three of them and looked over at his brothers sadly after it had passed.

"What are we gonna do about Leo?" Mikey asked sadly, unable to meet Don's gaze. "I've never seen him act like that before..."

Raph rolled off of Leo and stood, allowing Splinter to come to them. Mikey's very question ran through his head. But he didn't have an answer. He shut his eyes for a moment wishing that he did. "We'll find a way Mikey."

"My son..." Splinter said softly, flipping Leo over onto his back and running a hand across Leo's forehead. "What has happened to you?"

"Take him back to the lab," Don said after a small silence passed. "I'll find out something as soon as I'm done with the research to help us."

Raph shivered slightly, feeling a little bit colder as time passed. He hoped Don could still find the cure for the poison in time. He couldn't leave Leo. Not like this. He sighed mentally and picked Leo up, hoisting one arm over his shoulder. "Help me Mike."

Mikey nodded, sneezed a couple times, then took Leo's other arm, pulling it around his shoulders and headed into the lab with Raph. Together they laid Leo gently back on the cot and stood back, each lost in their own thoughts.

Raph stared at Leo so confused. That was not Leo's normal behavior. Not liking to be called by his own name? That was totally strange. It was all too weird. He let out a frustrated sigh and left the lab. He knew what he had to do while waiting for his brother to return to being himself, but he hated what he had in mind. Even though he knew he had to do it. In his room he rooted around his things until he found some straps in one of the piles on his floor. He returned to the lab and regretfully started strapping Leo down.

"Raph?!" Mikey yelled at him, his eyes wide. He rushed forward and grabbed Raph's arm. "What are you doing?"

"I'm keeping him from hurting himself," Raph muttered, pulling away from Mikey's grip and continuing his task. "Or us."

"He wouldn't do that!" Mikey complained following Raph around, trying to stop him.

Raph stopped and looked up, half done with his task. "No Mikey. He just tried to. Something is wrong and I plan on keeping him from getting away from us. We lost him once, we're not going to loose him again!" he yelled at Mikey, his eyes narrowed. "And I'm not going to let him get hurt! Ya got that?"

"Raphael is right," Splinter said gently, pulling Mikey away from Raph. "We must find out what is wrong and help your brother. We can not help him if he hurts one of us."

Mikey sighed, his eyes downcast. "But tie him up?"

Raph grunted and continued strapping Leo down. "It has to be done," he said grimly. This hurt him more than it hurt Mikey. All Mikey had to do was watch. Raph was the one strapping their brother down. It wasn't supposed to come to this.

"Guys!" Don suddenly yelled, running over to them. He sounded beyond excited.

Raph didn't like that. Don was too chipper for a doomed turtle. He just couldn't believe they would survive this poison whether he wanted to or not. If that happened Leo might never return to normal. He wearily sat down in a chair and watched Don run over to them, breathing hard as he stopped. "What is it braniack?"

Don grinned. "This is it!" He held up the vile that Leo had had in his coat pocket.

"It's what?" Mikey asked.

"The cure," Don answered waving the vile back and forth.

"Fer the poison?" Raph asked.

Don nodded vigorously. "Exactly." He spun around and started pouring a little into three syringes. He paused to coughed again, then continued pouring the liquid. "I've analyzed it the best I can and it looks like this will do the trick. It'll have to be injected though."

"Make it fast then," Raph muttered. I want to be here when Leo wakes up again, he thought to himself. He held his arm out for Don, felt the needle pierce his skin, and held still as Don pulled it out. He shoved down his own cough before it could come out. He hated coughing and being sick, his throat being achy. Raph didn't feel any better after what Don had just done, but knew it would take some sort of time to work. He just hoped it would work.

Mikey though wasn't so brave. He eyed the needle with wide eyes. "You sure that's the only way to take that stuff?" he asked, his voice just barely above a whisper.

Don nodded. "We all need it and now. It has to be done or it won't work in time."

"It will be over quickly my son," Splinter said gently.

Mikey gulped and held out his arm.

Don quickly injected the cure into Mikey, then turned to the final syringe. The one for him. He gripped it tightly, then injected the cure into his own arm.

"How long til we know it worked?" Raph asked. He still had doubts about this stuff. What if was just more poison? Leo always protected them, but Leo didn't seem to really be Leo right now. And Don was sure it was a cure. Which brought him back to the question... Why did Leo try to keep the cure from them?

"Maybe a few hours," Don said in answer to Raph's question. "I can take a blood test after that and compare it with an earlier one. By then there should be less of the poison in our systems."

"Should?" Mikey asked fearfully.

Don looked at all of his brothers, gaze resting on Leo last. "There's a small chance it won't work. Very slight."

"Won't?" Mikey stuttered, his eyes round and wide.

"Just very small because of how late we were able to get it. But I'm very sure it will still work," Don explained quickly.

"How sure Donny?" Raph asked, feeling a small bit of worry.

"Ninety-three percent," Don said softly, his gaze back at them.

Raph nodded and slid a chair over to Leo's cot. "Good enough." It was better than nothing. He plopped down on the chair, ready to wait for Leo to wake up. He wasn't about to leave Leo any time soon.

"You three need rest now," Splinter advised. "It will help you get better."

Don nodded. "I agree." He tugged on Mikey's arm. "Come on. You're bed. Not the couch."

"But... but... What if it doesn't work?" Mikey asked, fear thick in his voice. "I want to watch TV one more time. My favorite cartoon is going to be on soon."

"It will work Mikey," Don assured him. "The positive out ways the negative." He pulled Mikey the rest of the way out of the lab, reassuring him all the way to their rooms.

Splinter watched Raph for a moment. "You must also rest my son."

Raph looked up at Splinter. He knew his father was right, but he couldn't bring himself to say he agreed. He didn't want to leave Leo's side. Not now. "I'll rest here."

Splinter looked at him and finally nodded. "Make sure that you do. Your brother will need you when he wakes up. And when you are well again."

Raph nodded and watched Splinter leave. Another string of coughs escaped him, leaving his throat raw. He would get better. He kept his mind on that thought as he watched Leo's chest rise and fall.