Sorry for the late update, I wrote extra for this chapter to make up for it! Please enjoy.
The next few hours was spent by asking questions that clearly couldn't be answered and getting angry over that fact, double testing blood samples, and meditation sessions galore.
Finally the turtle that this all had been revolving around had awakened, Don had made sure he had turned the lights to the brightest setting, he honestly had no clue what Mikes fit had to do with anything but he knew what had triggered it and he most certainly did not want a repeat of the event.
All three of the eldest surrounded Mikey cautiously, to scared to be loud or to make sudden moves, Mike took notice to this very quickly and didn't understand what so ever.
Upon just getting stares for a good two or three minutes Mikey cleared his throat making his brothers snap out of there trances.
"How...do you feel?" Don questioned.
"Not bad! Why the spacey speaking dudes?"
This concerned the three older brothers considerably more.
"Mikey. You don't remember? Dont try any jokes or any-" Leo shut up as he received a rare stern look from Mikey.
Raph shook his head as he spoke up. "Well recap for ya, we found ya in a alley way all beat up then we bring ya back, you wake up then freak out over it being dim in this lab then here we are."
Don put a hand on Raphs shoulder and gave him a 'dont you dare start freaking out in rage RIGHT now.'
Mikey tilted his head in confusion then all at once the clear recollection flickered across his face, he was speechless and gasping for air.
Leo saw this and put his hand on Mikeys hand and held it. "Mikey calm down bro just breath."
A few normal yet strained breaths later Mikey nodded and collected himself once more. Leo held Mikeys had lightly and spoke.
"Do you remember who your attacker was? If you do just take it slow and tell us."
Mikey nodded and closed his eyes then took a breath, "I remember."
His brothers perked at this. "I was hungry..."
Raph rolled his eyes, "it all starts with your appetite, great." This outburst revived a jab in the gut by none other then fearless's shoulder.
"Sorry Mikey please carry on." Leo said.
"So I went top side to get some pizza from Jays..."
Upon getting disapproving stares Mikey quickly carried on giving his brothers no chance to intervene.
"So I carefully jumped the rooftops to the closest Jay Pizza Place around. Once I got there I kinda realized that the stinkin place wasn't open 24/7. Heh.
So I retreated back and when i finally reached the ally I was about to go down the man hole ladder when something grabbed my ankle! I of course tried to kick whoever or whatever it was but it pulled me down quick.
This thing was so...so strong...I-I'm just ganna skip everything and tell you what I saw...guys...the thing that attacked me cannot be beat."
A distinct sound of Raph chuckling could be heard. "Mike we can beat em, we'll make em pay."
Mikey shook his head slowly. "You can't..."
Raph was getting angry now. "You gatta reason why we can't!?"
"BECAUSE ITS A SHADOW RAPH!"
Mikey propelled forward in a coughing fit and held his hands over his stomach.
Don rushed to his side and rubbed his shell as Leo gave him some water. "Mikey take it easy, slow breaths..."
Soon Mikey was better again, he apologized for the outburst, Raph apologized as well then asked nicely if Mikey was serious.
"I'm very serious! The thing was a shadow..."
Mikey yawned and cursed when he realized his mistake. Don looked him over and covered Mike up with a nice big comforter.
"You need rest baby bro. We're going to be right here when you wake up, alright? We'll talk more later, ok?"
Mikey nodded, then quickly spoke up using the rest of his strength to whisper his next sentence.
"Don...don't turn the lights off...please...and promise me...promise me that you all will stay from the shadows,ok?"
Tears rimmed the small turtles eyes, it broke the eldests heart to see there baby bro in such turmoil.
"A-Alright Mikey, I promise...we promise." Don gave his brother a huge yet gentle hug, as did Leo and Raph.
When they were sure the youngest was asleep they started the conversation they had been yearning to have ever since they heard the ridiculous thing Mikey had told them.
Raph rubbed his face. "He saw...a shadow..."
Don sighed, "I know he wasn't lying, you know how he is when he does attempt to tell a lie...but...I mean...maybe the loss of blood made him hallucinate?"
Leo paced and thought about this. "It seems like the most logical explanation...I mean come on...a shadow? I just...can't accept that..."
Don nodded. "I do know one thing...He is definitely scared of the dark now...again."
Raph groaned. "He had FINALLY gotten over that to...the squirt was pretty proud. Shell I'd be lying if I said I wasn't proud ethier!"
Leo and Don both nodded at this.
"I guess we will just...wait and see if he remembers what truly happened!" Leo exclaimed.
The next few days Mikey floated in and out of consciousness, this concerned Raph and Leo but Don always insured them it was just because of his major blood loss the night of the attack.
Every time the young brother would wake up the eldest would always ask the same sequence of questions: are you feeling ok, are you lying, and who attacked you.
And every time it would be the same! A yes then a grumble about them not trusting him and a shadow.
The three eldest decided that it was a subject meant to be left alone for later dates, but they vowed it would be brought back up eventually.
All the while every time Mikey went to sleep he always made sure to warn them about the shadows and made them promise to not to go near them and to also not turn out the lights.
This only reeled the thoughts of the eldest all the more.
Finally after the third time of waking up Mikey stayed awake all day and got an ok from Don that he could exit the cold and uncomfortably clean lab/infirmary.
While all this played out for two whole days Leo spent more and more time in his room, deep in meditation, he had finally reached Master Splinter and was trying to fill him in on all that had happened.
As he finished his report Splinter filled Leo in on what was happening on his end.
The damyio was in a unexplained coma, the healers and of course Master Splinter were trying all they could to keep the great being stable.
He also told Leo that he would have to postpone his arrival for another two to three weeks. Leo nodded and tried to hide the unsettling feeling that was developing in the pit of his stomach.
That night Mikey, after three whole days cooped up in the all but comfortable lab, finally got to sleep in his own room.
The light in his room remained on though, and although he tried to hide it by shuting his door, light still trickled through the bottom of his door.
His brothers concern grew painfully as they took notice, they let it slide though, later that night Mikey found himself in a cold sweat, gripping his faded worn orange comforter as if it were his life line.
He slowly peeled the warm piece of fabric off of him and put a shaky foot on the ground, he made his way to the only place he thought could offer him a sliver of comfort.
He made a right at Leo's room, past Dons room, then past Raphs room where he then jumped off the second level of there lair and bolted to the kitchen.
He then turned the light on and quickly looked around him, backing away from every possible shadow producer.
Once he finally felt mildly safe he slumped forward, he had, had a horrible nightmare about the terrifying event that had happened to him only about three nights ago.
He looked around carefully once more and rubbed his face as he stood, practically pinning himself to the counter and cabinets directly behind him.
He had no clue as to why he chose the kitchen of all places to run to in his haze of terror, he shook his head dismissing the thoughts.
'Better not to over think things.'
As he stood a little longer his courage grew a little more by the passing minutes, he finally mustered enough courage to move a bit as he did he found himself quite parched.
He shook his head. 'Once again I find myself under the influence of my own personal need for food...or in this case drink.'
He hesitantly turned around and opened the cabinet revealing a line of perfectly clean glass cups. Mike took out a cup and filled it with water, he stood in his original spot and sipped on the cold liquid.
As he looked down at his feet something made a movement in the corner of his eye, he whipped his head up towards the unknown thing that had caused the jolt of motion.
Mikey quickly became paranoid and began to panic,all of the sudden the chair that was sitting in front of him came into play.
The shadow of the chair moved upwards towards Mikeys ankle, he looked at it with terror filled curiosity, the sickening feeling in his stomach only grew as the seconds passed.
The young turtle, frozen with fear, managed a shrill scream but nothing more. The shadow took this opportunity and struck, Mikey was pulled furiously to the ground, he tried to scream again but the shadow of the table that was right above him cascaded over the defenseless turtle with its unforgiving shadow as well.
He quickly realized what was happening, for one he was being attacked by freaking shadows! Secondly, these so called freaking shadows were also trying to choke him, he couldn't move at all let alone barely get a breath in.
He heard a shout.
"MIKEY WHERE ARE YA?!" Raph yelled as he heard the scream, he had already torn through Mikeys room tripping over Leo and Don who were also searching desperately for the distressed turtle, but still to no avail.
As they rushed through the second floors rooms ,which pretty much consisted there rooms and a small bathroom, they jumped to the first and hushed each other as they listened to the sounds of struggling and small whispers.
They bolted towards the small sounds and found a scrambling Mikey who was wrestling air, all the while rolling in shards of glass as he did so.
Raph and Leo picked the trembling ninja up, they held him close as they went to the lab, Don had rushed ahead to turn all the lights on.
The two eldest set there little brother, who was sobbing now, on the infirmary table. Mikey didn't know what was happening, he was terrified and he just couldn't get a grip!
Don put a gentle hand on Mikeys shoulder, "Mikey please calm down...take deep breaths...that's it...calming thoughts..."
Mikeys shoulders slumped as he relaxed, Don smiled a bit but then realized the cuts Mikey had received.
"You alright now Mikey?" Don asked slowly.
Mikey nodded thoughtfully. "Y-yea I'm alright."
"Good...can I patch you up Mike?" Mikey only nodded slightly, he stared ahead blankly as Don used tweezers to get the small shards of glass out of Mikeys skin.
As he applied band aids to the now cleaned wounds he looked Mikey right in the eye.
The turtle seemed to just look through him, this made Don unsettled. "Hey Mike." Don called as he layed his hands on both of Mikeys shoulders.
Raph and Leo watched all of this play out from there spot by the entrance of the lab, they both turned and headed towards the kitchen not wanting to disturb the little progress that Don was trying to make.
Meanwhile at the lab Mikey slowly began to talk to Don who was coaxing the shaken up turtle to tell what happened.
"Don...theres no point in telling you...your not going to believe me..."
"Try me."
"Don..." Mikey gave Don a miserable look, Don shook his head. "Don't be afraid to tell Mikey, ok? Just spill."
Mikey let out a exasperated sigh. "Fine...so I had a bit of a bad dream." A bit was an understatement the dream had been a full on nightmare. "And I decided to get a drink of water-"
"Wait...you had a nightmare and instead of waking any of us up you go to get a drink?"
Mikey shrugged. "I cant explain it myself dude, it just happened like that. But anyways...so as i stood in the kitchen just sipping on my water all of the sudden the shadow...the shadow of the chair that was seating right in front of me moved towards me! A-and it pulled me down...then next thing I know I'm getting glass taken out of me."
Don nodded slowly. "That all?"
Mikey gave him an unreadable stare. "Yea...that's all."
Don rubbed his face roughly with both of his hands. "Mikey...are you sure you weren't just...your imagination is-"
"Great...just great. I knew you wouldn't believe me, I should have known...actually I did know but you freaking insisted!"
Don was stunned as Mikeys eyes turned glossy with tears. "M-mikey I'm sorry...but...a shadow...cant attack you! It unethical!"
Mikey exploded. "ITS FINE DONATELLO I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN YOU WOULDN'T HAVE BELIEVED ME! I FREAKING WARNED YOU THAT IT WOULDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE! YET YOU INSISTED!"
Mikey gasped for air, he was beyond angry now... he didnt quite undertand why he was getting so mad himself but he let the anger flow through him anyways.
Leo and Raph ran into the lab but stopped short as they quickly realized what was going on, Mikey didn't seem to notice them, he was in a blind rage.
"Just to tell me you didn't believe me..." Mikey finished, tears rolling down his flushed cheeks. He stormed out of the room and to his, leaving three shaken up turtles in his wake.
Raph cleared his throat. "So uh...how'd the talk go?"