Mikey forced his eyes open. He knew something felt off the second he regained consciousness from a long nights sleep. He looked around the room, but everything was just the way he had left it the night before: messy. He checked his bed to make sure everything was still there, as it was.
He sighed as he climbed out of his bed and trudged along to the bathroom. He took care of his morning business before going to join his family in the kitchen. They had begun breakfast without him. He looked at the clock on the oven, it was after 9 AM. He took his seat at the table and picked up a pancake. He made a face as he picked it up and set it on his plate. He just wasn't very hungry. He felt that the pancake would taste bad.
"Michelangelo. I see you slept in this morning?" Splinter asked, setting his fork on the side of his dish, "Is everything alright, my son?"
All of his brothers turned to look at him, awaiting his response. He tried to speak, but it came out in a harsh scratch. He grabbed his throat in pain.
Splinter quickly stood up and picked up his youngest son. His three brothers surrounded him in fear and worry. "What's wrong with Mikey?" "Is he gonna be okay." "Why does he sound like that?" Only some of the many questions the young boys spat out to their father at lightning speed. He ignored their questions and focused his full attention on Mikey.
"Michelangelo, open your mouth." Splinter demanded. He ignored the questions and the tugging on his robe as he looked inside Mikey's mouth and down into his throat. He set him underneath the light fixture hanging in the kitchen.
He could tell that Mikey's throat was swollen and his tonsils slightly enflamed. There were dark spots on the roof of his mouth and a yellow coating around his throat. He placed his paw on Mikey forehead. He was running a high fever. He was starting to get worried, as he knew those were the signs of strep throat. He pressed his fingers around Mikey's lymph nodes in his neck only to find that they too were swollen.
He carried Mikey out of the kitchen and back to his room, setting him down on his bed. Mikey had all the major signs of strep throat. He tucked him under the covers and sat next to him. Leo, Raph, and Donnie all followed Splinter into Mikey's room. They were all very worried about their brother. They crowded the bed and waited for Splinter to say something.
"Michelangelo. You must not say a word at all today. Your throat is very sore and it will get worse if you try to talk." Splinter explained. The other boys listened closely as Splinter explained what was wrong with Mikey. They comforted Mikey and looked at him sorrowfully. Splinter tried to explain that Mikey's disease was very contagious, but the young boys didn't understand. They only wanted to help their little brother.
"Mikey isn't very good at not talking, daddy." Raph pointed out, making a slight joke out of the situation.
"Well, if he wants to feel better, he will have to remain silent for the remainder of the day." Splinter frowned, knowing it would be a great challenge for his youngest son.
Mikey pulled the covers over his head, slightly embarrassed to be the cause of such a fuss. He knew Raph was right about the difficulty of the task he was asked to complete. He opened his mouth to say something, but was given a stern glare from his father. He then quickly shut his mouth and frowned, not knowing how he would communicate with his family for the day.
Donnie saw the sadness building up in his little brother's eyes. He was unsure whether the cause was being unable to speak, or being in pain by the soreness of his throat. But naturally, he had an idea that may make him even the slightest bit happier. He ran off to his room and grabbed the notebook he had been given by their father just last week. He had planned to use it to sketch his newest ideas, but he figured that Mikey needed it more. "Here Mikey," He handed it to his ill brother. "You can write down what you want to say on the pages."
Mikey looked up thankfully at his purple clad brother. He opened the book to the very first page. His spelling was not always spot-on, but it was manageable. He quickly scribbled down a thank you and showed it to his brother. Donnie smiled, "You're welcome." He grinned, showing the gap in his teeth.
Mikey scribbled more down underneath where he had written his thank you to Donnie. He showed it to his father. Splinter squinted at the words, unable to make them out. He tried his best to read Mikey misspelled chicken scratch. He read aloud: "My throat hurts really bad." Splinter managed to uncover. "I know, Michelangelo. With enough rest, you will start to feel better."
Mikey laid back in his bed and closed his eyes, hoping he would fall asleep. Having just woken up though, he was not even the slightest but tired. He sighed, slightly upsetting his throat. It had already hurt him to talk and swallow, and now to breathe. He had a feeling that he would start to feel a lot worse before he started to feel better.
Leo frowned warmly at his youngest brother. It hurt him that Mikey was not feeling well. He wished there was something he could do to make some of the pain go away. He thought for a little bit, and then recalled a time where he had not been feeling his best and Splinter made him some warm tea. It made him feel better, so he figured it would work for Mikey also. Leo ran out into the kitchen. The pot of water Splinter used to make his breakfast tea was still fairly hot. He poured some of it into a small mug. He dipped a fresh tea bag containing herbal green tea. He didn't want to make it too strong, so he only let it sit for a little more than a minute before he ran it back to Mikey's room. "Here, Mikey. This might help you." He handed it to Mikey.
Mikey smiled at Leo accepting the mug. He looked at Splinter for reassurance that it was okay for him to drink the tea. He pointed to the cup, then his mouth. Splinter understood and encouraged him to drink the tea while it was still hot. He had learned in his human years that hot liquids are good for sore throats because they are easy to swallow and soothe the irritated throat muscles.
Mikey took a slow sip. It was still a little hot and burned his tongue slightly, but it was worth it when he felt relief in his throat. "Any better?" Leo asked after Mikey had swallowed. Mikey nodded in response. He smiled at his eldest brother in thanks before taking another sip. He was thrilled that he had found even the slightest remedy for his sore throat.
When he had finished the tea, he set the mug down and sighed in relief, his throat not being his main concern anymore. His father and brothers had long left him to rest, but he could still not rest. He stared up at the ceiling, sweating from fever, just uncomfortable. He wanted to yell to someone, but remembered that he was not allowed to talk. He knew he was supposed to leave his room, but he was so lonely.
Just as soon as Mikey rested his head back on the pillow, the door opened a little. Mikey turned his head to investigate as his brother walked into the room. Mikey tried to tell him to go away. He quickly scribbled that he was contagious, whatever that meant, and Splinter told them to stay away from him. He tossed the book to his brother, who was slowly creeping closer to him. He caught it with ease, skimmed it over, scoffed, and threw it back to Mikey.
Mikey didn't want to get his brother sick like this too. It was no fun at all, and the whole silent thing was really starting to get on his nerves.
"Sorry you're sick, Mikey." Raph sat next to him on the bed. "Do you feel any better?"
Mikey shook his head "no" and sighed. He knew that he should be resting, but he just couldn't sleep.
Raph smiled a little and pulled a small toy bear out from behind his back. "here," Raph said, handing it to Mikey. "Maybe it will help you fall asleep." Raph blushed a little. It wasn't often that he was kind to one of his brothers.
Mikey looked at Raph rather dumbfounded. He figured that Raph had come in to make him feel worse or trick him into talking. Those sound like the kinds of things Raph would do. Raph doesn't asked concerned questions or give teddy bears. He doesn't sit on beds and act nicely. He brings sadness and pain, not happiness and love. He looked up at Rap with eyes that asked "What are you doing here?"
"What? I can't help my little brother fall asleep?" He smirked a little, tucking in the teddy bear in with Mikey. "Comfy?" Raph asked, lightly rubbing Mikey's plastron.
Mikey nodded in response. His eyelids became heavy and he could feel a yawn building up in his chest. He let it out, now feeling more tired than ever. He looked up at Raph, struggling to keep his eyes open.
Raph smiled down at him, rubbing his plastron a few more times. Mikey closed his eyes permanently and fell into a peaceful slumber. When he was sure Mikey had fallen asleep, he silently crept out of the room, not before wishing his brother a pleasant rest.
After Raph left Mikey's room, he joined his brothers back on the sofa where they sat watching TV. He slouched down into the couch, able to actually hear what the characters in the cartoon were saying for the first time in his five short years of life. It was so different to him. Usually, he never had down time like this. He was either training or fighting with Mikey. And he could do none of that today. Splinter had decided to give them the day off; worried Mikey would fall behind in his absence. And there was no Mikey around to fight with. Only the silence that haunted the atmosphere around him. Donnie had nothing to say, which was also rare. And Leo sat there, taking in everything around him. There was nothing but an awkward silence between them.
Though Raph would never admit it, Mikey was the noise that the lair needed. He never realized just how quiet everything would be if Mikey weren't around. He often wished Mikey would be quieter, but he never imagined the tension that came with the silence. It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop all the way in Splinters room. It chilled Raph's core. He needed the commotion, the yelling, the fighting. It made him feel at home. He needed Mikey.
~~~~~~~~~~~The Next Morning~~~~~~~~~~~
Mikey awoke many hours later. He didn't know long he had been asleep. It felt like he was in a new year. There was no way it was the same day it was when he fell asleep. His eyes still shut as he was knocked back to consciousness. He heard the hushed whispers of his family around him as he lay in his bed. "I think he's waking up." "Be quiet. He'll hear you?" "He's moving!" The voices of his brothers clouded his still disoriented mind. They made it sounds like he was rising from the dead. It was just a deep sleep, probably the best he had slept his entire life.
He opened his eyes, meeting the close gazes of his brothers and his father. He stretched, remembering that he was still not allowed to speak. His entire family hovered over him, watching him closely.
Leo looked at him curiously, "Do you feel any better now Mikey?" He asked. He had been waiting all of the previous day to play with his little brother, and he was starting to get restless.
Mikey looked up at his father, waiting for him to say something. It was typical of Mikey to look at Splinter before doing anything, making sure it was okay to be done. Splinter smiled warmly down at him. "You may try to speak if you think you are ready, Michelangelo." He explained.
He opened his mouth, placing both hands over his throat. The soreness was not as bad as it was the day before. Thought he could still feel an uncomfortable scratching, it was more tolerable. He cleared his throat before speaking for the first time in about twenty-four hours. "A little bit." He said hoarsely.
Splinter rested his paw on Mikey's forehead. He still had a lingering fever. "You seem to be getting better." He smiled, "Would you like to join us in the living room?" He asked, understanding how Mikey hated the solitude.
Mikey smiled, "Yes, please." He said eagerly, pushing the blankets off of himself.
