Chapter 8 – The Longest Three Weeks

So far, it has been six days, and Leonardo is still in a coma. Though the family is still concerned, chores still must get done.

One of the first job checks marked was getting the hot water pipes working. April was happier than the others because she really wanted to have hot showers.

Each teen would take turns getting more dry firewood, while others would start cleaning up a few other rooms, mainly two of the bedrooms, so the living room wouldn't be so crowded.

While Casey searched the barn for some things to use in fixing a leak in the house, he found an old truck in the barn. It would be a project for him to fix since he needs to keep busy. Ever since he can remember, he hated any of his friends or sensei's being seriously hurt. There was always the chance they might not make it.

Seeing Leo and what the Kraang has done to him triggered his anxiety. Indeed, the poor boy has witnessed so much death, and it is still hard for him.

Before jumping in and working on this old truck, he would first talk with Donatello and see about borrowing some of his tools.

Splinter has started walking in the woods and meditating by the creek. He attempts to connect with his ancestors in hopes they could give him some insight into what to do about their situation. But, unfortunately, so far, he hasn't been able to reach any of them.

He is more disappointed in himself than anyone else, including his ancestors.

After the chores are done for the morning, Michelangelo sits by Leo's side, holding his hand. He still tries to coax his brother to wake up by squeezing his hand frequently.

Donatello has researched and found that playing music might help Leo, so he found a list of classic Glam Rock from the 70s. He even mixed in some boy bands and pop songs.

As the music is playing, Donnie stares absently at the monitor. The quad-split screen changes video images each time he taps on the mouse. Each video box shown is from different hacked cameras around New York. But things are normal so far, and to Donnie's puzzlement, with no signs of the Kraang.

This all seems confusing and suspicious at the same time. Where did the Kraang go, and why aren't they taking over the city yet?

Raph walks into the living room with three sandwiches on plates. He stops when he hears the music playing. He turns and raises a brow at Donnie. It isn't what he'd expect his brother to be playing.

"This isn't your usual type of music Don," The older brother mentions.

"It isn't. It's Leo's," Donnie replied – not moving his eyes off the monitor.

"We found a website that said that sometimes music helps people in comas," Mikey explains.

"Is it working?" Raph asks hopefully.

"His finger twitched a few minutes ago, but other than that, he still won't wake up." Mikey starts excited but tapers in heartbreak.

"Don't give up, Mikey. I'm sure Leo will wake up soon," Raph said positively.

He proceeds to hand his little brother one of the sandwiches.

"Here, try eating something." The giant turtle suggests.

Michelangelo takes the plate and stares at the sandwich before slowly picking up the breaded snack and biting down on it.

Raph leans over and sets the second plate on the table by Donatello.

"You too, Don."

Gradually, Donnie turns away from the monitor to glance at the sandwich. Then, he picks it up and returns to stare at the monitor while nibbling on the food.

Raphael flops down on the couch. He focuses on the crackling fire before eating his sandwich.

Neither of the brothers says anything more to the other. They are too worried about Leo and only hope he will wake up soon.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

During the next twelve days, Leonardo still hasn't woken up.

The family is getting more concerned. Leo should have woken up a while ago, but his healing process is slow because of the extreme blood loss. So even with Splinter donating some of his DNA, it, sadly, might not have been enough.

However, they are not about to give up hope. Each one ends up uniquely dealing with this.

Splinter has been reading to Leonardo from some of his books daily. If anything, he hopes his voice will bring his son back to them on a conscious level.

"Hamato Ninpō is a sacred power, passed down for generations. It gives the user immense mystic energy, allowing them to shape a weapon from any object. It also aids in swiftly maneuvering and lifting heavy objects that would be too difficult for normal ninjas."

Splinter pauses and looks up from the pages to check on his sleeping son. He waited momentarily, hoping there would be any reaction, but there was none. So, with a deep breath, the old rat continues.

"It is most common that the Hamato Clan can be the only ones to harness this power. However, adopted members of the clan can tap into the energy of Ninpō with the consent and training from an elderly member of the Hamato Clan."

Once Splinter finishes a chapter of reading, he then journeys out to the nearby creek and meditates for many hours.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Casey has a hard time dealing with this situation. He does try to sit by Leo but feels he needs distraction more. When he found the old truck, it became a blessing, giving him the distraction he needed.

Donatello aided Casey in rebuilding the old engine into a battery-powered one. With some of Don's tech, the truck no longer needs gas. It may look old and rusty on the outside but will run similarly to the Turtle Tank.

However, most of the repairs are currently done by Casey since it was his project. April does help as well for at least a few hours of the day. The two human teens find some comfort in bringing the old machine back to life.

"When do you think it will be ready?" April asks as she hands Casey a socket ratchet.

"Depends," Casey shrugs while tightening a bolt. "Thanks to Donnie's battery-powered engine, it shouldn't take much longer."

"You're pretty good at fixing things. I always thought you only knew how to fight." April comments in an almost teasing way.

The comment does win her a slight chuckle, however. Casey seems to understand that would be his stereotype.

"Master Leonardo wasn't my only sensei from the alternate future. Master Donatello ensured I knew how to fix things in case they were needed on the battlefield. I would then find and fix old mechanical things as a hobby when we weren't running from, or fighting, the Kraang." He explained.

"It's a good skill to have," April acknowledges with a nod.

She leans forward at the progress and ponders.

"What else needs to be done?" She asks.

"Um, we will need to replace some of these spark plugs. They are looking a tad rusty."

"I think I remember seeing some over on the table. Let's hope they are still good." April jumps off the bench and heads to the other end of the barn.

Casey watches April as she makes it to the table, but a sudden rush of guilt washes over him. He lets out a big sigh and wishes Leo would wake up so they can plan a way to beat the Kraang once and for all.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Michelangelo doesn't sit by Leo as much as he used to during the first week. Instead, he now focuses on either training or cooking. Michael finds training is the best way to release his anger and frustration with everything that has happened.

"Kee-ya, Ee-sah, Hee, Yah!" The youngest turtle shouts as he demonstrates each punch and kicks.

There is an uncharacteristically intense focus on his face mixed with his emotion.

Raphael walks up behind Michelangelo but waits for him to complete his last move. While his youngest brother pauses to breathe, he finds this is the appropriate time to approach him.

"Mikey, you doing okay?"

"I'm fine," Mikey snaps. "Just training. Is that all right with you?"

"Sure," is all the big guy says.

As much as he worries about Leo, he is concerned about Mikey more now. Raph has witnessed Mikey have a few emotional breakdowns during his training, which is heartbreaking. So he figures that now is an excellent time to step up and do something about it.

Being the older brother, he must be solid and supportive towards his family, even though he is also struggling.

"I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind having a sparing partner?" Raph offers.

After briefly thinking about it, Michelangelo nods affirmatively over his shoulder.

The two face each other, bow, and start with a sparing stance before they begin their practice fight.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Since they first arrived at the farmhouse, Donatello prefers to stay at his computer most of the time. However, he still feels inadequate about securing the KEY. If he had done a better job of hiding it, the Kraang wouldn't have escaped the Prison Dimension, and Leo might not be in a coma.

Donnie glances over his shoulder to check on Leo, and as predicted, his appearance has no change. Except for the blue sweater Mikey and Casey both carefully put on him a few days ago. At the same time, they took off the bandage that covered his wounded plastron since it was nearly healed.

He taps on his mystic gauntlet, and a holographic screen appears above his forearm. A heart monitor shows a more stable rhythm, among other readings showing that Leo is improving. This does give the younger turtle some hope.

Donnie gets up and walks to his brother's side. He ponders while looking over Leo with the oxygen mask still on him. The moment he notices Leo's skin becoming his normal lime-green shade proves his readings seem correct.

With a deep breath, Don decided to go ahead and remove the breathing apparatus.

Raphael walks in from training with Mikey and raises his brow at what his brother is doing. For a moment, he thought the worst.

"Donnie?" He says in an almost alarming tone.

The intellectual turtle glanced over his shoulder before setting the mask aside.

"Don't worry. The readings show he is starting to breathe on his own now." Donnie explains.

"However, I plan to watch him for the next forty-eight hours just in case the readings are wrong." He adds with a hint of doubt.

Raph puts his massive hand on his smaller brother's shoulder.

"You mean 'we' will watch over him?" The older brother reminds him.

Don only responds with a weak smile and a nod to affirm that he agrees.

April then walks in with a few bags of fresh veggies and fruit. Casey follows behind, carrying a few more bags of canned soup and beans.

"Hey guys, guess what? The truck is working now, and we got more food during the test ride." April called out with a positive attitude.

"How's Leo?" Casey asks, noticing the breathing mask is off.

"He's showing improvement, but we will still need to supervise him for at least the next few days," Raph explains.

"That's good, right?" April asks.

"We'll see," Donnie says, trying to be optimistic, but also can't help being a realist.

OoOoOoOoOo

Coming up on day Twenty-three, and the weather is warming up a bit. Finally, spring is coming around the corner as the snow begins to melt.

The early sun rises, and the warm rays start hitting Leo on the face. The sounds of birds chirping outside suddenly perk the sleeping turtle's ears.

His cheeks and brow flinched before he started opening his eyes.

Leonardo begins to regain his sight after blinking a few times. However, it isn't until after staring at the wall in front of him, he starts registering that he isn't home. Leonardo moves his head around to see if he can figure out his whereabouts, but it only confuses him.

Before he tries to sit up, Leo sees movement off to the side and turns his head to see his big brother Raph.

The Alligator Turtle belted a big yawn and stretched out his arms. He wishes he felt better after his nap, but because of the stress and worry, Raph only feels more tired.

Leonardo needs his brother's attention, so he calls out to him.

"Raph," It stunned Leo that his voice sounded so raspy and strained that barely any sound came out.

However, Leo was just loud enough that catch Raphael's attention. The giant turtle swiftly spun his head to meet his brother's gaze.

At first, Raph didn't do or say anything. He kept still to see if he wasn't seeing or hearing anything. But, as soon as Leonardo blinks, it becomes the proof the older brother needs.

"Leo," he finally responds with a gasp. "Guys, get up! Guys, come on! Leo's awake!" He shouts as he shakes his dad and brothers from their slumber.

"Leonardo?" Splinter asks as he leaps to his son's bedside.

April and Casey heard the commotion and ran out of the two bedrooms down the hall. They rush as fast as they can into the living room to see everyone awake, including Leonardo.

Afraid this might be a dream, they quickly rushed to the gurney before they awakened. But, to their delight, this isn't a dream. The moment they waited for twenty-three days has finally come.

Before Leo can say anything, he is suddenly surrounded by teary-eyed faces. Mikey flops over his chest, belting a sob.

"Mikey?" Leo asks with a puzzled expression.

His youngest brother's action only leaves Leonardo more confused. He looks around at everyone's faces, which are a mixture of happiness and tears. Whatever happened to him left him on this gurney with an IV poking into his forearm.

"Oh man, Leo. You have no idea. We were so worried about you," April says, stroking his cheek.

"But looks like you're going to be okay now," Casey says, relieved.

Donatello taps on his mystic gauntlet, and the readings show a positive sign.

"I concur. You are nearing 100% on the health monitor." He says, unable to stop smiling.

Leonardo's head is riddled with so many questions that he doesn't know where to start.

However, one question does come to mind above the rest.

"Where are we?" He asks weakly.

"We are at my old family farmhouse, Leo." April answers, whipping a tear from her eye.

As he registers April's answer, Leo struggles to sit up. Donnie and Casey instantly assist Leo and adjusts the gurney so he can lie back in a sitting position.

"Why are we here?" Leo asks as he catches his breath.

"You don't remember?" Raph questions.

Leo responds by shaking his head in doubt.

"Leo, the Kraang escaped the Prison Dimension. We were fighting with them, and you ended up badly wounded. We are hiding out here while you heal." Casey responded honestly.

Leonardo freezes upon hearing those words. Flashes of images pop up in his head, and memories of that fateful day start buzzing in and out of focus.

Not everything is clear, but most of it is from seeing the hunting glowing red eye from the Kraang's mech suit to the feeling of the sharp talon piercing through the midsection of his plastron.

Gradually, Leo moves his hand under his sweater and across the area on his plastron where the Kraang crushed him. He almost expected the area to be damaged, but instead, it felt smooth, with a few small remaining cracks that were barely noticeable.

However, he does experience the faint sting of pain where the injury happened. Even though he can't feel them with his hand, he still can feel the extended cracks around his plastron formed when the Kraang squeezed him.

Splinter senses his son's worry and reaches over to sets his hand over Leo's.

"It's okay, my son. Draxum was able to create an adhesive that healed your shell."

The old rat paused with a guilty look on his face.

"I just hope he's all right. He stayed behind to distract the Kraang while we made our escape." He adds.

Leonardo looks at his father with his brow raised. This cannot be happening. He then looks around at the rest of his family, each one with the same guilt on their face. This makes him worry about the old yokai as well. He might be that he sacrificed his life to save all of them.

Leo felt the need to do something. However, he still has one more question.

"How long have we been here?"

"A little over three weeks," Donnie answers.

"Three weeks?" Leo repeats in disbelief.

"Yeah, you were out that long." Mikey sniffled.

Everyone was quiet while they allowed Leo a moment to let the information sink in. Then, suddenly, Leo lifts his head as he tries to get out of bed.

"We have to go back right now." He demands.

"Whoa there, cowboy," Raph chuckles. "You are in no way ready for anything now. You just woke up from a coma."

"Raphael is right. You need time to get strong again." Splinter points out.

Leonardo lets out a frustrated sigh. Gradually his face calms down.

"Fine," he grunts.

Michelangelo, unable to contain his actions, throws his arms around his brother and holds him tightly in a hug. Deep down, he knows this is what Leo needs right now.

At first, this action confuses Leo, but he soon smiles, seeing his brother so happy. Then, another pair of arms wrap around him, and Leo realizes Donatello decided to join the hug. Raph also adds his massive arms around his smaller brothers.

This seems to comfort Leonardo.

While the brothers are reunited, the rest of the family looks on with warm smiles.