Chapter 16: The Waiting Game

A/N: I promised an update, so here it is. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. It means a lot to me that you are enjoying the mystery I'm giving to this story. I hope this next chapter will be just as good as the others.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only won the plot.

Mikey followed behind his brothers, staring at Leo's beaten body. He had waned to help them carry him, but Raph had waved him away, saying that he and Don had it. So Mikey was stuck walking behind them, shocked at what had happened to his older brother. It seemed like the mystery was going to come to an end, but now they had no closure. A had slipped from their grasp yet again and had attacked Leo in the process so he couldn't reveal A's identity.

When they arrived at the Lair, Don and Raph laid Leo on a cot in the makeshift infirmary Don had set up while Mikey went to inform Splinter of their return and what had happened, a talk that Leo usually did as the leader. Mikey took a deep breath and knocked on Splinter's door then stepped in when asked to do so.

Splinter's face registered surprise as he saw his youngest son had come in and not his oldest. "Michelangelo, what is wrong?" he asked.

Mikey fixed his blue eyes on his father. "Leo texted us because he got a text from A," he reported. "A slipped up, and Leo knew who it was so he texted us to meet him at the Byerly Building. But when we got there, we found out Leo had been attacked and knocked out. Then we got a text from A saying, 'He knew too much.' A attacked Leo so he wouldn't blow A's cover. We brought Leo home right away."

"Were Madison and Robyn with him?" inquired Splinter.

"No, he must have taken them home before he got the text," Mikey replied.

"The attacker left no clues?"

"Nothing except that text," answered Mikey.

"I see," mused Splinter. "Come, we must check on your brother."

Mikey nodded and followed Splinter to the infirmary. Don had just bandaged most of Leo's wounds and was just bandaging Leo's head. He finished his work and looked up as Mikey and Splinter entered.

"I've treated most of the wounds the best that I could," he explained. "My biggest concern is his head injury. Without an X-Ray, it's going to be hard to see if he has any swelling in his brain. We'll just have to monitor him closely."

Splinter nodded as he approached his son's side and laid a paw on his son's forehead.

"Will he be okay, Donnie?" asked Raph. Mikey was relieved he had asked the question before Mikey could because Mikey didn't feel he'd be able to hold it together if he asked it.

"We'll have to wait and see," answered Don. "But I hope he will be. All of us will have to keep an eye on him during the night and until he wakes up."

"I'll take the first watch," volunteered Raph.

"I'll take second watch," chimed in Mikey.

"Then that leaves me with the third watch while Sensei takes the fourth watch, said Don. "Is that okay with you, Sensei?"

"That is fine, Donatello," Splinter told him.

"Great," replied Don. "Then I guess the rest of us should go to bed. Raph, wake Mikey up in two hours as that's the schedule we'll stick with."

"Got it," Raph said. "Night you guys."

The others said goodnight to Raph and Leo. Splinter kissed Leo on the forehead and followed his sons out of the infirmary.

Mikey went to his room and got ready for bed. He was worried about Leo, but he knew that if anything happened, Raph would let them know right away. Then Mikey remembered something and went to his closet. He dug around until he found his stuffed Teddy bear Leo had given him for Christmas when they were little. He had found it in the sewers one day when out scavenging with Splinter and had given it to Mikey. The orange-clad Turtle had named the bear Leon and had slept with it until he turned thirteen. But sometimes, when he was scared or upset, Mikey would take Leon out of the closet and tuck him into bed beside him. He did that now and drifted off to sleep, hoping that the bear would bring him some comfort.

An hour later, Mikey woke up, thinking that he'd missed Raph's wake up call. He jumped out of bed and hurried to the infirmary. He saw Raph sitting beside Leo, holding his hand and talking to him, but he looked up when Mikey came in.

"It's not your turn yet," he said. "You can go back to sleep."

"I can't sleep," Mikey responded. "So, why are you talking to him?"

"I saw on a show once that talkin' to people in a coma might help," Raph explained. "It's not doin' any good though. It's like talkin' to a wall." He sighed. "I just don't get why he won't wake up."

"Maybe he's afraid to wake up," Mikey mused.

"What are you talking about?" demanded Raph.

"Maybe he's afraid to wake up because he thinks we're mad at him," replied Mikey. "You know how he gets when he loses to one of us. Maybe he's ashamed that he got attacked."

"I'm not mad at him," said Raph. "And there's nothin' for him to be ashamed about either. I just want to know who A is."

"What if A threatened him?" suggested Mikey. "He may not be able to tell us."

"A attacked him," replied Raph. "There's no need for a threat when you get attacked like that. The attack was enough of a threat."

"Yeah, you're right about that," said Mikey. "So, are you turning in early?"

"I might as well since you're up," Raph answered. "Let me know if there's any change."

"You got it," Mikey answered with a thumbs up. He laughed as Raph rolled his green eyes and left for his room. Mikey sat down in Raph's vacated seat and stared at his brother's bruised face. Why did this have to happen to him? Leo was the best ninja ever, and yet he was brutally attacked. It just wasn't fair.

He took Leo's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "C'mon, bro, I know you can hear me," he said. "How about opening your eyes for me? I know you can do it, Leo. You're tough. You're the best ninja ever. Don't give up, okay? We need you, Leo. We're all kinda lost without you."

Mikey waited to see if Leo would respond, but there was no reaction at all. Raph had been right. It was like talking to a wall. Leo wasn't going to wake up. With a sigh, Mikey spotted one of Raph's comics on the bedside table and picked it up. I might as well keep myself occupied, he thought.

When it was Don's turn to watch over Leo, Mikey woke him up and reported that there was no change before going to his room to sleep.

22222

Three more days went by, and Leo still hadn't woken up. The tension was beginning to show, and everyone was getting worried. There had been no television on because Splinter felt a quiet setting would help Leo recover, but that wasn't happening. Taking matters into his own hands, Mikey turned the TV on and turned it to Space Heroes, putting the volume up so Leo could hear it.

"Mikey, Sensei said no TV," Raph reminded him.

"Well, hearing our voices isn't helping Leo, so I thought maybe if Leo heard his favorite TV show it will help him to wake up," explained Mikey.

"That's stupid!" scoffed Raph, but after he said that, he heard a soft moan and hurried to his brother's side. "Leo, can you wake up?"

"You have to come back to us, Leo," begged Mikey. "You're our captain, and if you aren't here, we'll fall apart. If you go, it'll be just like it was when April disappeared."

"Mikey's right,"added Donnie. "You hold this team together, Leo. Without you, we wouldn't be who we are. I'm a genius, but I would never be able to lead the others like you can."

"And we all know what would happen if I led the team," chimed in Raph. "It would be a total disaster. I can't do it like you can, Leo. You gotta wake up."

Splinter put his paw on Leo's forehead. "Leonardo, I know that you have been through a lot and your spirit has been broken. However, now is the time to face your fears and return to us. Focus on my voice, my son. Find your way home."

The Turtles and Splinter watched as Leo seemed to be struggling against something. They continued to encourage the blue-clad Turtle until he opened his eyes. The three brothers yelled with delight, and Mikey wanted to run over and hug Leo, but Raph held him back.

"Take it easy, Mikey, Leo's still really hurt," he cautioned. "He can't take one of your special hugs right now."

Leo gazed at all of them. "What happened?" he asked.

"What do you remember, my son?"

"I remember going to the Space Heroes movie with Madison and Robyn," he replied. "I took them home and was on my way home. Then the Foot and Karai showed up and we had a fight."

"You don't remember anything else?" Don asked him.

"I remember a Foot Ninja knocking me out, but that's it."

"Wait, you don't remember that text you got?" asked Raph.

"I got a text?" Leo asked him.

"Yeah, you got a text from A, and they revealed who they were," added Mikey. "You texted us to meet you at the Byerly Building so you could tell us what you knew."

Leo looked confused. "I did?"

"Yeah, you told us you knew who A was," answered Raph. "You don't remember that?"

Leo shook his head. "No, I don't remember any of that."

A/N: Ah, another little cliffhanger. Looks like A's identity will have to stay secret for a bit longer. Will Leo recover his memory, or will A remain a mystery to the Turtles? And what will A do now that Leo can't remember? You'll have to stay tuned to find out. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.