Leo was trying his very hardest not to look down. He may have gotten over his fear of heights a long time ago, but that doesn't mean he appreciates hanging from a cliff with one arm while holding two humans; one being unconscious and an absolute dead weight.
"Pull us up!" He yelled to his brothers, not even caring that his voice cracked. His sword slipped slightly from the rock causing his heart to drop even more. Opening his mouth to once again call for his brothers, he suddenly felt a strong hand wrap around his wrist and he found himself staring into the smirking face of his immediate younger brother.
"So," Raph set them on the solid ground. "How's it hangin'?" Leo glared as he gently set the humans down. He braced his hands on his knees, catching his breath and trying to slow his racing heart. Straightening out, he went to snap back at his brother, but he only managed to grimace as his side pulled painfully.
Having noticed the look, Raph's playful smirk dropped and was replaced with a worried frown. "You okay, Leo?" The oldest turtle shook off the pain and his brother's gaze.
"I'm fine, Raph," Leo told him. "Those electric prongs really pack a wallop. Probably just bruised a rib or something." It definitely wasn't a bruised rib if the warm trickle down his side was any indication. Leo wasn't going to tell his brother that though, especially not now. Raph looked like he was going to argue, but was (thankfully) interrupted by Donnie.
"Look!" The genius pointed to the bottom of the cliff. "There's the maintenance hatch. That's where we're going."
"Good job, Donnie." Leo said. "Vernon? Was it? How's April doing?" April was actually busy pushing Vern's hands off her head.
"I'm fine." She said before finally slapping Vern's hands. "Would you stop that? I wasn't even hit on the head." Vern finally backed off and Leo suddenly found ten pairs of eyes looking at him. Guess it was plan time.
"Donnie, you lead the way to the hatch." Donnie nodded and immediately started scanning the fastest way down. "Raph, Mikey, you're in charge of April and Vernon. Don't let them fall."
"I'd never let you fall, girl." Mikey ginned flirtatiously, causing April to shake her head in fond exasperation.
"No promises." Raph growled, causing Vern to swallow nervously. Leo just sighed. He'll take what he can get.
"I'll take up the rear," he finished. "Let's move out." He waited for everyone to pass by him before chancing a peek at his side. A bullet wound. Thankfully, it only looks like a graze, but he could tell it's pretty deep. The bleeding had mostly stopped seeping down his side, though it was still leaking. Using the end of his samurai skirt, he wiped away the blood so his brothers wouldn't see it. Jogging slightly to catch up with everyone, he ignored the painful twinge that caused his wound.
"It'll stop after a while." Leo told himself quietly as he felt another rivulet of blood run down his side. "It'll stop after a while."
TMNTTMNTTMNT
He was right.
It did stop after a while, until the Shredder decided to use him as a punching bag. The first punch just opened it again, but the second made it worse. Leo bit his tongue to stop a scream of pain from escaping. He tasted the strange metallic tang of blood in his mouth from biting down so hard. One more hit threw Leo into a haze of pain, and everything after kind of blurred together. One moment he's on the roof, watching helplessly as the Shredder body slams April over the side, and the next they're all riding the transmitter tower down like some kind of roller coaster. Maybe he should lift his hands? Isn't that what you do on roller coasters?
He hears himself ask his brothers if they have any confessions.
"I so didn't understand the ending of Lost." Who did?
His side felt very hot.
"I'm the one who licks the icing off the pop tarts and puts them back in the box!" I knew it was Donnie!
Why did his head feel so heavy? Oh, wait, Raph's talking now.
"…I love you guys so much!" Aw! I love you too, Raphie.
Everything was quiet and still all of the sudden, as if they were waiting for something. Oh yeah! My turn to confess!
"I got shot." Leo slurred, grinning. He didn't notice the stunned silence. "And I love you guys!"
"WHAT?!" Why are they yelling?
Leo shook his head as New York City started to spin. It was making him dizzy and he didn't like being dizzy.
"I'm not feelin'…so…good." The last thing he heard was his brother's and April calling out to him as darkness finally settled over him.
TMNTTMNTTMNT
"Raph?" Donnie's voice broke the sudden stillness. "We made it!" Raph sniffed, opening his eyes to see the dusty, crumbling streets of New York. They made it. They made it! Oh, he'll never take the nice hard ground for granted ever again! He gave another sniff that Mikey caught.
"Are you crying?" The orange clad turtle grinned cheekily. Raph quickly wiped his eyes.
"No, knucklehead," his voice broke. "Just a little dus-"
"I got shot." Everyone snapped their gaze to Leo, who wasn't looking so hot. His green skin was ghostly pale under a layer of sweat, even though his body was trembling with shivers. He had his hand pressed tightly over his side and Raph's eyes widened at the sight of blood seeping through his fingers. The blue-banded turtle grinned suddenly, his teeth stained red. "And I love you guys!" That seemed to snap everyone out of their shock.
"WHAT?!" They all said in unison. Confusion flashed across Leo's face and Raph noticed him sway slightly.
"I'm not feelin'…so…good." Raph jumped forward, catching his big brother in his arms as he passed out. With him in his arms, Raph could feel the heat radiating off of Leo. This was not good.
"Donnie," Raph said. "You and April get the mutagen to Splinter and then prep your lab. Leo's gonna need your full attention, Don, so let April handle dad for right now." Donnie shook his head so fast his glasses nearly fell off. He was trying to put on a brave face, but from the way his hands shook as he reached for April, Raph could tell his younger brother was very worried.
"Got it!" Donnie said. "When we get in the sewers, April, I'm going to carry you. I can go faster that way."
April nodded. "Of course." Reaching down, she caressed Leo's forehead before turning back to Donnie. "Let's go." With that, the two of them disappeared into the sewers.
The sound of humans making their way back to the carnage reached Raph's ears. They had to get out of here fast. Slinging one of Leo's arms over his shoulder, he hefted him up; only pausing when Leo gave a short sound of discomfort.
"Sorry bro." He said softly. Looking around, he finally noticed Mikey off to the side. His baby blues were glued to his injured brother, and Raph's heart twisted seeing the sheen of tears threatening to fall. "Mikey." The youngest turtle didn't seem to hear him.
"Mikey. Come on bro, I need you to talk to me." Still nothing. The sounds from the humans were getting louder and Raph was getting desperate. "Michelangelo! You need to help me or Leo will die! Come on, you knucklehead! Get your head outta yer shell!" That snapped him out of it. With a quick apology, Mikey rushed to the sewer opening and jumped down, waiting to be handed his unconscious brother. Carefully, Raph lowered Leo down into Mikey's arms before jumping down himself. Just as the manhole cover shifted into place, Raph heard the first few humans arrive at the scene. He sighed in relief. That was too close for comfort.
Taking his position at Leo's side, the two turtles started their way home. It was an agonizingly slow process and Mikey was not helping much. He talked to pass the time and if Raph had any hair, he'd have pulled every single strand out by now. His favorite choice of topic was Raph's "last words" speech he gave when he thought they would be his actual last words.
"I mean, I knew you liked us, bro, but love?" Mikey snorted. "That's news to me." Raph was choosing to ignore him, but he found it getting harder and harder each second.
"Who knew you were such a big softie? Not me, that's for sure!" Raph clenched his jaw. "And you were crying! Like actual tears rolling down your face! I wonder if Leo saw that before he passed out? Doesn't matter. I'll tell him when he wakes up; although, he might not believe me. Big bad Raph crying like a baby? I saw if and I'm still having trouble-"
Raph couldn't take it anymore. "Would you, for once in your life, shut up?! Our brother is dying and all you can do is run your mouth a mile a minute!" Mikey's face immediately fell and Raph realized what he had just said.
"Mikey. I'm- I'm sorry," Raph said. "I didn't mean-"
"I know, Raph." Mikey gave him a smile. "You're just worried about Leo. He'll be okay. We're almost back to the lair and Don will fix him right up." Raph nodded at his little brother's words. Tightening the grip he had on Leo, the hothead cleared his throat of the surfacing emotions.
"Yeah. Yeah you're right." Raph agreed. "Donnie will fix him up and he'll be back to bossing us around in no time."
"Exactly." Mikey grinned. "And then we kill him?" Raph returned the grin with a dangerous one.
"And then we kill him." A shiver went through Leo's body and Raph was fully certain it wasn't because of his fever.
TMNTTMNTTMNT
Leo woke up slowly and with only a little pain. That was the first thing he became aware of; a dull pain in his side, but only in his side. Not bad given what he's been through.
The next thing he became aware of was the sounds around him. He could hear all the sounds that make up a sewer, so he knew he was home. Relief courses through his body at that realization. He could also hear familiar voices around him. His brothers, April, and…
"Dad?" His voice croaked from disuse and he could hear the scramble towards him. He cracked open his eyes, only to shut them tightly as the lights shot pain through his head. A furry hand rested over his eyes and Leonard could hear his father's comforting voice command someone to turn the lights down. The hand moved from his eyes to cupping his cheek, which Leo leaned into.
"You can open your eyes now, my son." Never one to disobey his father, Leo slowly blinked open his eyes, clearing up some of the blurriness. Turning his head slightly, he saw his father sitting in a chair beside his bed and his brothers and April pressing in behind him. "You gave us all quite a scare, Leonardo."
Focusing solely on his father, his blue eyes suddenly welled with tears. "Dad. You're okay. I thought you- I couldn't- you're okay?" A hiss of pain escaped past his lips as he tried sitting up. Everyone reached out, but Splinter merely laid a calm hand on Leo's plastron and pushed him down gently.
"I am fine, my son," Splinter told him. "But you are still injured. Rest now, and we will be here when you awaken." Leo suddenly realized how heavy his eyelids felt and he gave in to the call of sleep.
TMNTTMNTTMNT
What did he do to deserve this! He's never heard of something so torturous before and then to be subjected to it?! It's outrageous! It's unthinkable! It's… it's…
"It's not fair!" Leo whined, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're confiscating my comic books?!" Splinter raised an eyebrow at his oldest.
"It is a punishment," Splinter said. "It's not supposed to be fair. You had us all worried, my son." Leonardo still couldn't believe what he was hearing. How was he supposed to stay in bed and rest (Dr. Donnie's orders) without his comics? He'll be bored out of his mind!
"Sensei, can't we talk about this?" Leo asked, desperate. "It was just a flesh wound. How was I supposed to know it'd get that bad?" Splinter took a deep, steadying breath.
"That is not what this is about." He told him. "You should have immediately told your brothers what had occurred. The Shredder had already taken a lot of your blood beforehand; flesh wound or not, it was dangerous to leave it unattended. You should be grateful I am only taking your comic books for two months."
Leo's eyes widened comically and he sat up in shock, only wincing slightly as the movement pulled at his side. "Two months?!" He couldn't believe it! "But dad-"
"Would you rather spend a few hours in the hashi every day for two months?" Splinter asked with a raised bushy eyebrow. Leonardo saw a glimmer of hope.
"Yes!"
"Too bad." Splinter smirked as he walked out of his son's room with the prized comic book collection, a loud groan following him out.
TMNTTMNTTMNT
Not long after Splinter left, the three youngest turtles entered their brother's room. They had seen Splinter walk past with Leo's beloved comic books and knew what happened. It was a rare sight; seeing their fearless leader actually pouting at the ceiling with his arms crossed like an upset toddler.
"So," Raph smirked. "How long before you get yer nerd books back?" An icy glare was thrown his way.
"Two months," Leo grumbled. "And they're not nerd books!"
Raph snorted, leaning back against the wall. "Right, and Mikey's 'action figures' aren't dolls." Mikey, who was making himself comfortable at the foot of the bed, frowned at the rib.
"Hey!" Donnie, ignoring the other two, pushed his way next to Leo and started checking over his injury. He poked and prodded (gently, of course), and did a number of other medical checkups That Leo found unnecessary. He finally drew the line when he started waving a light in his eyes to check for a concussion. He hadn't even hit his head!
"Would you stop that?" Leo hissed, slapping the light away. "You're giving me a headache." Donnie merely rolled his eyes.
"How are you feeling?" The genius asked. "And don't even think about leaving anything out! If you're still in pain, you tell me."
"I'm fine." Three warning looks were sent his way. "Really, guys, I'm telling the truth. My side is still sore, but other than that, completely fine." Three collective sighs were released around the room. Donnie placed his hand on Leo's shoulder, giving it a squeeze.
"Good." He said it as if a weight's been lifted off his shoulders. "From now on, can we not keep things from the medic? You scared us pretty bad."
Leo looked at his brothers closely. He could see the exhaustion in all of their eyes and in the way their shoulders sat slouched slightly. Worry still swam in their eyes as they looked at their older brother. How long has it been since any of them actually rested?
Thinking back on it, Leo could see the same exhaustion in his father. He hadn't meant to cause them to worry this much. He was positive the bullet wound hadn't even been that bad when he got it. The bleeding had even stopped by the time they got back in the city. It was only when Shredder…
Leo shivered at the memory. The cold metal fist driving into his stomach and side. His brothers calling out to him while he told them to hold steady. A searing pain in his side after a particularly hard hit. He shook his head, willing the images out of his mind.
"So I keep hearing." He said, hanging his head. "I'm sorry for scaring you. I actually did it so you wouldn't worry. Guess that kind of backfired, huh?".
"Big time, bro!" Mikey grinned. "You even missed Raph crying! Like, that was such a momentous occasion and you had to take all the attention away from it." Leo and Donnie laughed as Raph glared at the smaller turtle.
"I already told you," he growled. "It was dusty." His posture exuded a dangerous warning, but Mikey was on a roll.
"Is that why your lip was quivering?" Mikey poked the bull. Leo was shaking his head while Donnie sighed. This will not end well. "Poor wittle baby Waphie!"
Raph clenched his fists tightly. "Five."
All movement seized in the bedroom. Leo and Donnie looked at each w with a shared pity for their baby brother. Mikey just looked confused.
"Four." Mikey looked at his other two brothers for help.
"Dudes?" He asked. He took a step back as Raph took a menacing one forward.
"Three."
Mikey was starting to freak out. "Why is he counting?"
"Two." Raph cracked his knuckles as he drew closer. Donnie decided to take pity on his brother.
"Mikey?" He said getting the orange turtle's attention. "You should probably run."
"One!" Raph lunged just as Mikey screamed and ran out of the room. "I'm gonna pound you, Mikey! We'll see who's crying then!" Raph chased after him. A loud crash was heard, followed by another scream from poor Mikey. Donnie thought about maybe going to try and rescue his little brother, but a hand around his wrist stopped him.
"They'll be fine." Leo told him as he tugged at Donnie's arm. "Besides, you're way too tired to be going up against a rampaging Raph. Why don't you try to get some sleep?" Donnie glanced between the door and his brother before giving a slight shrug.
"Fine," he said. "But I'm not going back to my room. Scoot over." Leo chuckled as he did as told. Donnie slid in next to him, his taller stature causing his feet to hang off the bed slightly. Being mindful of his brother's injuries, Donnie carefully wrapped his arms around his midsection and buried his head in the order's plastron. He felt Leo's strong arms wrap around him.
"And you guys call me bossy." Leo grinned, nuzzling the top of Donnie's head. Donnie just sighed in contentment.
"It's cause ya are." Raph's voice suddenly said. Leo had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at his poor baby brother, who was currently trapped in a headlock by Raph. Leo gave Raph a look and the large turtle finally let Mikey free.
"Awwww yeah!" Mikey said, grinning excitedly at the scene. "Turtle pile!" He carefully plopped himself on top of Leo, his body lying comfortably between Leo's legs and his head resting next to Donnie's on his plastron. "Come on in, Raphie. You know you want to."
Raph shrugged after a moment's hesitation. "Ah, what the shell." Leo watched with half-lidded eyes as Raph carefully wedged himself between the wall and Leo's side. His strong arms came around all three of his brothers and pulled them closer to his chest with his head resting on top of Leo's.
Sighing in contentment, Leo nuzzled his face closer to Raph and let the darkness take him into the land of sleep.
An hour later, Splinter found himself watching his sons sleep fondly. Taking great care in being quiet, he grabbed the blanket that had fallen to the ground and gently laid it over his boys.
"Sleep well, my sons." And if he took pictures to send to April, well, they didn't need to know.
I have a head canon (though it's probably closer to actual canon) that Leo is a big comic book nerd. Like bigger than Mikey. So this fic kind of stemmed from that. And I love the thought of a big, serious Leonardo come undone at the thought of losing his precious comic books.
Hope you enjoyed it!