Sorry for the long wait, college and whatnot.

Chapter 4: Fire Is Catching

"So Leo's seein' things now," was how Raphael decided was the best way to start the morning as he sat slouched in his chair at the kitchen table. Donatello stood at the stove with his shell leaned against the cold steel and a cup of steaming coffee in his hands. The purple turtle leveled a scowl at the red one before crossing his arms and taking a breath.

"Last night was rough on all of us. It might just have been a side effect of the sedative and pain relievers I gave him. Or it might have been a nightmare."

"I've nev'a seen Leo that scared from a nightmare before." Raphael commented taking a gulp from his coffee mug. From across the Lair he could hear the sound of Michelangelo's cartoons playing off of Donatello's computer in his lab. Even though the three of them had just woken up it was already four in the afternoon and Leonardo had yet to awaken. Donatello had ordered no one to disturb his sleep but Michelangelo pleaded to be able to stay with him and really, how could anyone say no when Michelangelo pulled out his puppy eyes.

"How's the hands?" Donatello asked rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully.

"Fine."

Donatello nodded then took a step forward to the table to sit in his spot. His put his mug down in the place he always placed it marked by discolored ring stains and extended his arm towards Raphael in want. Raphael looked at his hand as if it offended him but ultimately rolled his eyes and presented his burnt hands to his brother. Donatello looked at the right one first with a careful eye. It was angry red and swollen with his second finger twice the size it should have been. He touched the center of the red banded turtle's hand softly then moved out to all three fingers waiting for any kind of response.

"Do you feel that?" He asked pinching the tip of his first finger. Raphael nodded gruffly to which Donatello also nodded. When he was finished expecting the hand he laid it down gently and proceeded to the next hand switching from light touches to pinch testing the nerves in his hands and upper arms until he was satisfied he'd assessed all that he needed to.

Raphael took his hands back and set them on the table in front of himself lightly. "What's the verdict, Doc. Am I gonna live."

Donatello rolled his eyes already standing up. "The jury's still out on that one." Then he walked out of the kitchen yelling behind him, "Don't move, I'm going to get some salve for your hands."

Padding into his lab, Donatello took a moment to stare at his little brother curled in on himself sitting in his big plush chair. Cartoons played on the computer screen but Michelangelo paid it no mind as he slept soundlessly. Donatello grabbed one of the blankets from under the cot Leonardo lay on and threw it over his youngest brother. He then went over to the oldest and put his head close to his mouth. The sound of forced and heavy breathing made Donatello frown. Leonardo's breath sounded too forced and rattled deep in his throat in a way that worried the smart turtle. Donatello reached over to where the oxygen tank and mask lay and grabbed it. He quickly and quietly slipped the mask over Leonardo's face and secured it then waited to hear the sound of oxygen being forced into his older brother's mouth and nose.

"Don?" Michelangelo asked groggily from across the lab. Donatello looked over at him with a small comforting smile on his face.

"Just a precaution, Mikey. Nothing to worry about."

Michelangelo was quiet for a second before he lightly touched the bottoms of his feet.

"'m feet hurt," he said leaning his head back clearly still exhausted from the night before. His mouth barely moved making his words slur together. "Cold."

Donatello came over to touch the orange turtle's forehead. It was warm to the touch which gave him pause for a few seconds.

"Go back to sleep, I'll re-wrap your feet in a few, okay?" Donatello said lightly, with a smile on his face. Michelangelo nodded, his eyes already closing. Donatello stood back and placed his hand on his own forehead looking at his two brothers.

What am I going to do with you two?

After gently taking Michelangelo's legs and feet away from his body and out so he could take a good look at them he applied the salve and wrapped them back up being mindful of his sleeping brother. Then he walked to Leonardo and peeled back the blanket to begin checking his shell. There were three long cracks coming from one point at the middle right side and splintering out from there. Donatello cringed in sympathy pain at the look of the splinters and cracks. The glue he'd applied last night seemed to be doing its job with keeping everything together but all the same it could be a long time before Leonardo was sliding and jumping around like he used to.

It wasn't like none of them had never broken pieces of their shell before, Raphael had a bad habit of coming down too hard on his right side and really, their shells were meant to protect them but they weren't built for some of the moves and fights they've gotten into. Usually Raphael, the berserker, would just demand duct tape and a grimace and curse later he'd be fine jumping back into the fray with the best of them. But never had Raphael or anyone broken this much of their shell. According to Michelangelo a ceiling fell of Leonardo. A ceiling. A burning, heavy ceiling came down after the flames had burned away the floor above. Donatello shuttered hoping he had done everything he could to help his older brother.

Moving down to the back of Leonardo's legs, Donatello checked to ensure the salve covered the angry red burns completely. He peeled back the bandage of his right leg but stopped as Leonardo suddenly jumped. Quickly Donatello came forward so Leonardo could see his face. His older brother's pupils were blown wide with only small rings of color around the black abyss. His face was pale and sweaty around the oxygen mask.

"Don-what-" he tried to speak but it was hard with the mask clamped tight around his head.

"Shhhh," Donatello whispered putting his hand lightly on Leonardo's shoulder. "Everything's fine. Go back to sleep bro." That was all it took for Leonardo to nod slightly then settle back down with this cheek his pillow. Within a few seconds his breathing evened out.

"Days like this you really kinda miss Masta' Splinter," a voice said quietly from the door to the lab. Donatello looked up from where he had been brushing his hand along the side of Leonardo's head and shoulder. He moved his head up and down not wanting to speak. Quickly, Donatello covered up Leonardo's back and legs then tucked in the sides of the blanket wanting to let him and Michelangelo sleep peacefully. He grabbed the bottle of burn salve and walked behind Raphael out the lab. They both padded towards the kitchen without a word and sat down in their places at the table.

Without looking Donatello reached out for his coffee cup he'd left there before he'd gone into that Lab-turned-MedBay. He was surprised when his hand his hand touched nothing but air and he looked down to see his cup was gone. The rings stains marked the place where his mug should have been.

"Raph, did you put my cup away?" He asked.

"No." Raphael said looking up from the bottle of salve he'd been reading the back of.

Donatello looked around the kitchen slightly annoyed.

"Well where is it?" He asked no one in particular. Raphael shrugged before he stood up and walked over to the counter looking up and down. He did remember seeing the cup next to where his still sat on the table. With no luck finding it on the counter or near the stove Raphael sat back down.

"You must've taken it into the lab when ya left," Raphael suggested. Donatello nodded still deep in thought. Just as he was about to open his mouth the light above the kitchen table flickered once before going out along with every light in the Lair. Everything went silent as the electricity was cut from all of the miscellaneous devices around the Lair. Donatello sat there for a second debating on whether or not to grab the candles or the flashlights when suddenly the lights turned back on in a flash that almost blinded the smart turtle.

"Weird," said Raphael looking up at the kitchen light as if he could find the reason for the sudden power outage just by looking at it.

"Yeah," agreed Donatello. "Weird."

Short chapter is really short, sorry. I usually like my long chapters but I figured this was better than nothing right? Stay tuned boys and girls, more is coming soon.