Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT. I do own a freakish amount of merch, but the turtles themselves? Nu-uh.

Blame

Leo laid Mikey down on the couch. Donnie rushed to him, checking his vitals.

"I'm going to tell Sensei." Leo said, leaving to carry out the action.

"I'll get some water." Raph offered, disappearing into the kitchen.

Donnie just sat there staring at Mikey. He was fine, but that fact refused to register in Donnie's mind for some reason.

'This is my fault' He thought.

'I could have saved him, but I just watched. He's hurt because of me. I couldn't save him.'

Donnie bit his lip. Mikey took a deep breath and his eyes opened. Donnie gasped. Mikey sat up and rubbed his head.

"Bro…did you get the number of that bus? Uwah! Dude! What're you doing!?"

"Mikey, I'm so glad you're okay!"

Mikey chuckled and returned Donnie's hug.

"Thanks, but I think you're overreacting a little. It wasn't that bad."

Donnie broke free of the hug and stared at Mikey in disbelief.

"Wasn't that bad!? Mikey, you scared me!"

"Really? Well, sorry bro, I-"

"No! Don't be sorry! It wasn't your fault!" Donnie hugged him again.

:"It was mine…" He whispered.

"Huh?"

Donnie shook his head, letting Mikey go and standing up.

"I'm gonna go tell Leo you're okay. Raph's coming with water."

"Wait, Donnie-"

Donnie had already gone into the dojo. Raph entered with a cup of water.

"Cool you're awake. You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." Mikey took the cup and downed the water. Leo came in soon after, Donnie trailing behind.

"Mikey…" Leo started.

"I'm fine."

"That's good. You had us a little worried there."

"Sorry."

"Nah, don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault."

"Right…"

Mikey watched as Donnie silently shuffled though the room, smiled at him one last time, and disappeared into his lab.

"Guys," Mikey said in a hushed tone. "I'm worried about Donnie."

"Why?" Raph asked. "He's worried about you. You're the one who got beat up by Bebop."

"What's wrong Mikey?" Leo questioned.

"Well, I don't know why, but I think Donnie blames himself for me being knocked out."

"Why would he do that?" Raph asked again. Mikey shrugged and turned back to Leo.

"I don't blame him Leo, I don't want him to blame himself."

"Don't worry Mikey, I'll go talk to him."

Mikey nodded and watched Leo until was inside Donnie's lab. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned towards it.

"Sensei."

"Michelangelo, I'm glad you're awake. Are you-"

"I'm fine Sensei."

Splinter chuckled.

"You answered that rather quickly."

"The attention is awesome, but I need people to stop asking me that right now." Mikey replied, gazing off towards Donnie's lab. Splinter nodded and returned to the dojo.

Donnie was absent-mindedly chewing a pencil when he noticed Leo enter.

"Hey Donnie."

"Hi Leo. Is Mikey okay?"

"Mikey is fine. He's worried about you though."

Donnie double-took.

"Huh? Why?"

"He says you blame yourself for him being knocked out."

Donnie's eyes widened. Had he been that obvious? Leo sat on the table next to Donnie.

"Is that true?"

Donnie didn't answer.

"It's not, you know."

"Not what?"

"It's not your fault."

Something inside Donnie snapped.

"But it is Leo. I was right there. I saw he needed help. I knew how to save him. But I couldn't…I didn't do anything."

Leo thought about Donnie's words. He understood how he was feeling all too well. If he had been in the same situation he would be beating himself up in the exact same way. Every time any of the others were hurt he felt the same way.

"Donnie, you're not the type to not do anything to help a situation when you're perfectly capable. You're stubborn. Even when all odds seem against you, you find a way. If there's ever a time when you don't do anything, there's a good reason. I don't know what it was, but I know you tried to help."

Leo stood and patted Donnie's shell.

"It's in the past. No use beating yourself up over it. Mikey's fine and he definitely doesn't blame you. Get some rest Donnie. It's late."

Donnie nodded. Leo smiled and left Donnie alone in the lab. While he did feel a little better, he still felt pretty bad about the whole situation. His mind wandered back to the spirit.

'Clearly I can't rely on outside forces to get the job done.'

Donnie stifled a scream and frantically searched around the room for the source of the raspy voice he'd heard speak.

'You idiot turtle, I'm inside you remember? Why are you looking around like you'll find me somewhere else in the room?'

"Th-the spirit?"

'Hello again. Anyway, I was just thinking about who to wipe out first.'

"Wipe out?"

'I thought I'd be able to paralyze you and just watch as your family was taken down by other people…or mutants in your case. But clearly you're going have to do it yourself.'

"By…myself?"

The realization hit Donnie and he gasped in horror.

'You sure are slow. Aren't you supposed to be the smart one? Oh, but I guess that's the turtle in you showing, isn't it?'

"Don't hurt my family."

'Oh, I'm not going to hurt them. You will.' The voice said with a snicker.

Donnie gripped his chest as the pain flared back up again. The evil cackle echoed through his mind again. He banged his head on the table.

"Get out of my head!" He yelled. There was no reply. Donnie listened for the creepy voice for a few moments before deciding that it had gone away for the moment. He heard the footsteps of his brothers as they went to their rooms for the night. Mikey said something in his usual joking tone, which was followed by a loud THWACK that could only come from Raph planting his hand upside Mikey's head, and an outcry of pain half mixed with laughter. He looked at his laptop background of April eating pizza.

"You took all that I care about from me; I take everything you care about from you."

The words echoed in Donnie's head and he whimpered, crawling under his desk.

"Don't hurt my family."

He whispered, although he wasn't sure who he was saying it to. The spirit inside him,

Or himself.

End Chapter 5