Title: Shock
Day: Whumptober 2023, Day 4
Prompt: "I see the danger, It's written there in your eyes" Cattle prod/Shock/"You in there?"
Fandom: TMNT 2003
Word Count: 2946
Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl
Rating: T
Characters: Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Splinter. Cameos of Leatherhead, April O'Neil, and Casey Jones
Warning: NA
Summary: Even though the Mind Probe didn't finish its job, it still started it. Even with a mind as strong as Donatello's that has to break through eventually.
Notes: I have so many ways I can play with the Mind Probe. Have one of them!
Shock
Silence had settled on the group as they slowly made their way back to the lair. The city above was celebrating the end of the invasion as well as working on getting the city back in working order, but for the group that was making their way through the sewers, celebration was not on their minds.
"…Do you think the treaty will hold?" Mikey asked, feet sloshing through the liquid as they walked.
"Traximus said they're willing to work with the Federation," Leo said, glancing at Mikey. "Hopefully the Federation will be willing to work with them, too."
"Whatever they do, I hope they keep it far away from Earth," Raph said. "I'm tired of dealin' with politics from space." His hands came up to his sai. "They cost us too much."
There was pause, and a brief moment where they all glanced back at Don. He was plodding along behind the group, eyes downcast, and quiet, as he had been since Professor Honeycutt's funeral. April, who was following behind Leatherhead and Casey, moved subtly closer to the purple-banded turtle. Don didn't even look up, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.
"However they solve their problems," Splinter said, bringing the group's attention away from Donatello, "I am certain that Professor Honeycutt's sacrifice will be honored."
There were murmured acknowledgements to this, and the group continued on, with minimal bits of conversation happening. They were simply too tired and too worn for much.
"I wonder how long it'll take the city to repair the sewers," April said after a moment. "Will you guys be able to stay hidden?" She looked at Don, but he didn't answer or acknowledge her. April frowned, and put her hand on his shoulder. "Don?"
The moment she touched him, Don jerked away so fast that it was like he'd been stuck with a cattle prod, hitting the opposite wall and freezing there, breathing hard.
"Whoa, Donnie, you okay?" she asked. He didn't even look up, just stared at the murky water he was standing in, half bent over.
The rest of the group exchanged looks, and Leo stepped towards his brother. "Don?" he said cautiously, "Don, are you good?"
Don didn't respond, just stayed where he was, staring at nothing and breathing hard. Leo glanced back at the others, uncertain about what to do next.
Splinter stepped forward, getting closer to his son. "Donatello?" he called to him, still with no response. He frowned laying a hand on his son's wrist.
Don reacted to that, making a noise in the back of his throat and flinching. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away from them.
"Master Splinter, what's wrong with him?" Raph asked, concern clear in his voice.
Splinter closed his lips and hummed. "I may have an idea of what it is. Come, let's get him home, quickly."
"Can he move quickly?" Mikey asked, eyeing his brother.
"We have yet to try," Splinter said firmly. He could feel his son trembling under his grasp, but even still he pulled gently on Donatello's wrist, much as he had when his sons were much younger. "Come, Donatello," he said. "You are safe. I am with you, my son. I am with you."
Something about that got through to Don and he opened his eyes, slowly tracking over to Splinter. He nodded, and the old rat tugged on his son's wrist again. Something, though, was still off, and he followed Splinter as if in a daze.
Leo dropped back a little, next to Raph and Mikey. "…You think they did something to him up on that ship?" Leo asked, his voice low.
"But that was hours ago," Mikey said. "Wouldn't we have seen something before now?"
"Not necessarily," Leatherhead cut in, and the brothers looked up at him. "Sometimes the effects of a situation won't make themselves known until later. I once saw a Guardian who had been through a traumatic experience seem fine, only for it to come crashing in on him days later."
Raph's hands tightened on his sai. "If those horn-heads did anythin' to Donnie, I swear I'm gonna—"
"I'll be right there wit' ya, Raph," Casey said, laying a hand on his friend's shoulder.
April's gaze hadn't left Don, her brows pinching in worry. "I hope Don's gonna be alright," she said softly.
"Even if he's not, we're going to take care of him," Leo said firmly.
The conversation trailed off, as they approached the lair. They entered, and Splinter lead Donatello straight to the couch, where he sat his son down. Don was still in a daze and not really responding to things, and in the better light of the lair they could see how pale he looked. Splinter frowned, and shifted Donatello's wrist, taking his son's pulse. "His pulse is high," he said. "And he does not look good. Leonardo, my medicine chest."
"Hai, Sensei," Leonardo said, and headed off.
"Michelangelo, cool water."
"On it, Sensei."
"Raphael, first aid supplies."
"Got it, Sensei."
His sons went scurrying off in different directions, and Splinter reached up and put a hand on Don's face. "Donatello? Donatello? Can you hear me, my son?"
Don flinched a little, leaning out of his father's hand. Splinter frowned. That wasn't like his son.
Mike returned with the glass of water. "Any luck, Sensei?" he asked.
Splinter shook his head. "He is not responding to my questions."
Mikey leaned closer. "Yooo, Earth to Donatello. You in there, bro? Come on, say something, you're scaring us with this zombie act."
A shudder ran through Don, and he leaned away from Mikey.
"I do not believe it is a 'zombie act'," Leatherhead said. "I believe it might be a form of shock. Master Splinter, if I may, can we remove his mask to better see his eyes?"
"Of course," Splinter said, reaching for Donatello's mask.
Leo returned, standing by Splinter's side with the medicine box, and Raph wasn't far behind him with the first aid kit. All of the brothers had a good view when Splinter reached up, untied Don's mask and started to remove it. It stuck at his temples for just a moment and then pulled away.
Everyone gasped. Hidden by his mask was an angry web of marks over each temple, looking as if something had worked its way under his skin and into his head. Small, but serious-looking burns accompanied the marks, and on the inside of his mask there were small traces of blood.
"What the shell happened to him?" Raph asked, his voice loud even as his hands gripped his sais.
Don flinched.
"I… do not know for sure," Splinter said. "But I might have a guess."
He reached up, fingers barely brushing over one of the wounds, and Donatello let out a strangled noise. Almost quicker than they could see, he had retreated to the other side of the couch, hands and arms protecting his head. His breathing turned panicked, and a small, distressed sound left him.
"What did they do to him?" Raph demanded again, and, again, Don flinched.
"Raphael!" Splinter admonished sharply, although he kept his voice low. "Mind your tone, my son."
Mikey stared at Don, his face pinched. "What's wrong with him?" he asked, keeping is volume down.
Don's breathing shuddered, and little noises escaped him. He trembled, curling away from his family, but tense, as if he was ready to fight for his life.
Splinter's eyes stayed fixed on Donatello. "When you were out earlier, I was meditating. Partway through my meditation I felt Donatello call out to me. He was highly distressed, in pain. I helped him fight off what was attacking him, but afterward I lost contact with him." Splinter glanced at his other sons. "I believe that this may be related to that."
"I don't understand," Casey said. "The big guy here said he was in some kind of shock? But ain't that supposed to come right after someone's hurt?"
April shook her head. "Physical shock, yes, if I understand it right. But emotional shock can come later."
"The young woman is correct," Leatherhead said. "Forgive me, my mind is muddled. But for now the best to do would be to reassure him and be calm and patient."
"Don't worry about it, big guy," Mikey said. "You've given us more than the four of us would have had."
"Everyone step back," Splinter said, eyes only for Don who was still clearly in distress, "and give us some space. If Donatello is, indeed, in some kind of shocked state from what happened earlier, then I will try to reach him through it—as I did before."
Splinter moved closer to his son, even as the others shuffled back and away—close enough to watch, but far enough away to give the two some space.
"Donatello?" Splinter called out again, moving slowly towards his son. Donatello was still breathing rapidly, his eyes not entirely focused, but still, clearly, aware of, if not Splinter specifically, then a presence being with him.
"Donatello?" Splinter called again, still slowly moving forward. "I am here, my son. I am with you. You are safe. I am with you."
Don's breath hitched. "M-master… Sp-plinter?" His tension eased a bit.
"Yes, my son," Splinter said. "I'm here. You are safe."
Don's arms slowly lowered and he stared at his father. "Master… Splinter."
Splinter smiled at his son, and moved forward again, within arm's reach of Donatello now. He was about to verbally reassure his son again when Donatello surprised him. He let out a sob, and threw himself forward onto Splinter, holding as if he was afraid that if he let go then Splinter would disappear.
"Father!" he sobbed out, and Splinter was stunned. He quickly wrapped his arms around his child, holding him as tightly as he could.
His sons hadn't called him "father" in many years, slowly transitioning from that, as children, to "sensei," "master," and "Master Splinter" as they grew. The fact that Donatello was calling him "father" now spoke volumes as to how deeply whatever had happened to his son had affected him.
Don sobbed as if he were inconsolable, and Splinter sat there, rocking him, shushing him, and whispering to him in both English and Japanese.
Everyone else stood back, not sure what to do. Mikey picked up Don's mask, holding it in his hands and looking at the blood stains on it.
"…What do you think happened to him?" he asked, his voice quiet, hushed.
"Nothin' good," Raph all but growled.
"Was this Bishop's doing?" Leatherhead growled out.
Casey shook his head. "Not unless he did somethin' before we got there or while you were unconscious."
"I didn't see any signs of him having done anything yet," April said.
"No," Leo said. "Splinter said that he felt Don call out to him before all of that. Whatever it was, it happened on the Triceriton ship, before we got to him." He glanced at his brothers. "Didn't you notice him being just a little off?"
Raph nodded. "He was just a little bit unsteady. Not much, but I noticed."
"And he seemed to take Just a touch longer to think," Mikey said.
"Something happened to him up there," Leo said. "But its just now hitting him."
It took a little bit longer before Donatello's sobs pettered off, but Splinter didn't let go of him even then, stroking his son's head, his shell, being careful of his injuries, and whispering to him in Japanese. Slowly, Don began to become more congnazant of the world around him, eventually coming back to himself a bit. He looked at his brothers and the others, opened his mouth, and then, after a moment of no sound, closed it again, eyes downcast.
Splinter took his son's chin in his hand, directing his son's gaze to him. "Donatello. You are safe. Can you tell us what happened to you?"
Don stared at him for a moment, then shook his head.
Splinter nodded. "Then will you allow us to treat the wounds on your head?"
Don looked panicked about that for a moment, but Splinter squeezed his hand.
"We will be with you. You are and will be safe."
Don hesitated, and then, slowly, nodded. Splintered gestured for his sons to come forward. Leo and Raph carefully tended to the wounds that Don had, Leo paying careful attention to the ones on his head, while Raph tended to other wounds that he had gotten over the course of their adventure. Mikey held onto Don's hands and talked to him throughout the whole thing. At some point, April stole away and came back with some tea for Don, carefully approaching the family, and slipping it to Mikey.
By the time that they finished, Don had come back to himself, and, although still in a fog, he seemed to be more with them.
Mikey draped a blanket across Don's shoulders, and Splinter sat next to his son, putting an arm around his shoulders. "My son. Do you think that you can tell us what happened to you?"
Don took a shaky breath and looked over at his father. "I…" he trailed off, looking lost for a moment, as if he wasn't sure where to start.
"Why don't you start with what happened when you were taken to the Triceriton ship?" Leo suggested.
Don took another breath in a nodded. "When I got to the Tribase," he started, his voice rough, scratchy, "they took me to Prime Leader Zanramon. He demanded that I tell him where Professor Honeycutt was. I refused, but they wouldn't take no for an answer. Zanramon… he…"
Don paused, his breath hitching again, a tremble starting up in him again. Leo sat down on Don's other side, pressing into his brother. "Easy, Don. Just take it at your own pace."
Don squeezed his eyes shut, and leaned into his brother. "He brought out a device… they called it the mind probe. They put it on my head and then it—it—"
Don curled over again, let out a sob. "It ripped into my mind!" he said. "It tore through it! It felt like it was ripping my mind apart, and there was nothing I could do about it! It was pulling everything out and I couldn't fight it! I couldn't-I—It was tearing me apart!"
Don was crying again, hands coming up to clutch at his head. Raph moved swiftly, pulling Don's hands away from his wounds, and pulling his brother to him, hugging him tightly, forcing his arms away from his head.
This time, though, Don wailed loudly. "It was—it was violating! They were stripping me of myself, they were laying everything about me bare! It—it—" He fell into near hysterics, his family gathering around him, pressing in close. It was clear that he was in no shape to tell them more, but that didn't matter. They surrounded him on all sides, supporting him, until he was no longer crying, but absolutely spent.
"Come, my son. You will sleep in my room tonight," Splinter said.
"Yes, Father," Don murmured without protest.
"Leonardo, go brew some tea. A calming blend, with a pain reliever. Michelangelo, go gather some water, and a compress for your brother's head. Raphael, come help me prepare your brother for bed."
The other turtles all murmured their responses—all with "father" this time, not any other title—and hurried off. Splinter looked back at April, Casey, and Leatherhead.
"Miss O'Neil, Mr. Jones. May I please impress upon you to prepare a place for Leatherhead to sleep?" Splinter asked.
"Of course," April said.
"Yeah, no problem," Casey agreed.
"Please, do not be concerned for me," Leatherhead said. "You have more pressing matters to attend to."
"You are our guest, and will have a place to sleep. However, I thank you all for your understanding," Splinter said as he and Raphael lead Donatello inside his room.
Raphael was quick to prepare the bed, rolling and laying it out. Mikey quickly returned with not only what Splinter had bade him to get, but also Don's pillow and his favorite blanket. Splinter helped to remove Don's belt and pads, and picked up the wash cloth from the warm basin of water Mikey had brought back. Splinter quickly wiped the worst of the grime off of his son while Mikey helped Raph to make the bed just right for Don. Leo entered the room with the tea soon after they helped Don to sit in the bed, and Splinter coaxed Don to drink it down, before helping his son to lie down. It wasn't long after that, that Don finally fell asleep.
"Will he be okay, Father?" Raph asked.
Splinter gently stroked Don's head, careful of the wounds on his temples. "In time, I believe so. But this has been a great shock to your brother. He will be dealing with this for some time, I am sure. We will need to be supportive of him."
"We will, Father," Leo said, his voice sure, calm, steady.
Splinter nodded. "Go, my sons. Clean up, recover as well. I will stay with Donatello."
His sons nodded and left, Mikey pausing at the doorway. "…sleep well, Donnie," he said, before exiting the room and sliding the door shut.
Splinter sighed, and looked down at Donatello. His poor son. The bandages, the tear tracks, the clear indications of pain, even in sleep—his son had suffered much. Splinter bent and placed a kiss on Donatello's head, much as he had done when his sons were little.
"You are safe, my son. You are safe. I am with you."