He carried the little one across the room before turning and pacing back the way he had come while listening to the steady footfalls of the little turtle who followed his every step. He'd given up, an hour ago, trying to persuade Raphael to return to bed as he carried the fevered Leonardo.
Leonardo, thankfully, after two days with almost no rest due to a deep cough, had finally fallen asleep in Splinter's arms as he carried him upright, permitting the tiny four-year old to finally breathe and then sleep, miraculously at the same time.
While he'd been successful in keeping Donatello and Michelangelo separate, he'd also been unable to persuade Raphael to keep away from the sick turtle. Instead, he kept finding Raphael hovering over Leonardo, his green eyes wide with worry. He was pretty sure it was a medical miracle that Raphael hadn't come down with this fevered illness, although he had noted over the past few years that Raphael didn't get sick the way the other three boys did.
And he had to give Raphael credit, because the last time he'd risen to check on his sick son, he found Raphael using his own shell to try to prop up the coughing Leonardo. The sight finally prompted Splinter to do what he could to keep Leonardo upright, but comfortable enough to try to sleep.
Trusting that Leonardo was truly asleep now, he eased himself down into his recliner. Leonardo startled slightly when he sat, but his head remained heavy on Splinter's shoulder and Splinter relaxed a moment later when it was clear that the little one was going to remain asleep.
Splinter lifted an arm and invited Raphael into his lap. He watched the little turtle hesitate. Despite the affection he easily shared with Leonardo, Raphael didn't cuddle easily with anyone else. But with Leonardo slumped against one side of his chest, Splinter wasn't surprised when Raphael climbed up into his lap and settled against him as well. Nor was he surprised when Raphael's fingers found one of Leonardo's hands before he finally settled into sleep.
Splinter rested his head against the back of the chair. He didn't enjoy illness in his children, but he secretly enjoyed this moment, where he could hear the peaceful breathing of Donatello and Michelangelo across the room, while Leonardo and Raphael were curled against him, finally resting as well.
Leo slipped silently back into their apartment armed with medical advice from Dr. Donnie regarding the persistent cough that had kept not only Machi, but also himself, Raphael and Akito, awake for the past several hours. It was the first time one of the kids had become sick since moving in with them, and he and Raph had crankily gone back and forth earlier over giving the little fox medicine created for human children.
He immediately spotted Raphael on the couch in the dark room and moved that way, already armed with the correct dose of medication for their daughter. But he stopped when he realized that Raphael was actually asleep where he sat, his head tipped forward so that his chin almost touched his armored chest. And with his hands meeting in his lap, Leo could see that Raph's arms were providing the perfect curve for Machi to comfortably snuggle into Raph's plastron, while remaining fairly upright, allowing her to finally breathe and sleep comfortably, miraculously at the same time.
Leo smiled softly at the sight. He set the medication down on the coffee table where Raphael currently had his feet resting, so that he could slowly cover them both with a blanket. Then he settled himself on the couch as well, facing Raphael, so that he could continue to watch his mate and daughter sleep until his own eyes grew heavy enough to close as well.