Happy Christmas Eve! Sorry I haven't been posting as much, life's been really busy with the upcoming holiday. I hope though, that this chapter brings you lots of joy and happiness. Thank you for reading. Please R&R!

*I own nothing*

TMNT

Donnie stared at Mikey; with all he was worth. Watching the heart machine, the white covers covering his frail younger brother's body….it was all just to much for him to handle. If only he had done something about it sooner, then maybe his brother wouldn't be in this situation. They all had their doubts about Mikey's 'healthy' diet but pushing it to another day had just sounded easier.

Oh boy were they wrong.

Now they had to pay the consequences, which were well worthy of death. Not that any of them would mention that, or frankly, accept it. What made it even worse was the fact that their precious outoto's life was in the hands of some stranger that they barely just met.

In simpler terms, it was out of their control. Which sucked greatly, beyond anything that they could have possibly imagined. Which made it even worse then it was.

Donnie sighed and looked over at the brown box sitting on the chair. Leo hadn't had the guts to unload it yet, but that was to be expected. When Raph had woken up and was released, Leo took the first chance he got to leave the dank and deary room. So, he asked Donnie to stay while he took Raph home.

And even though the young teen hadn't wanted to say yes, he knew that Leo needed a moment to process everything. It really didn't matter about how he felt, he couldn't even have begun to imagine the weight on his oldest brothers' shoulders. It was the least he could've done.

Now that it was just him and his younger brother, Donnie opened the box and peeked inside. There were a few small blankets and books, but what struck him on the head was the small orange teddy bear sitting on top of everything. Sure, he had been joking when he told Leo he should bring it, but maybe he hadn't really been serious about the whole 'kid' thing.

To be fair, Donnie had a similar item sitting on his bed, same with his older brothers. It was a gift from their father, it was given when they were just small children. Right about when Mikey was born. Of course, they all had a moment where they said that they were to old for it, but in their hearts, they never really meant it.

Donnie placed the orange teddy bear by his younger brothers' arms. "I thought you might like this," he said softly, "maybe it might bring dad here, we could all really use his love right now."

But there wasn't a response.

"You know…" Donnie sat down, "Life's really tough right now, and I guess that I never realized how much of a light you were in my life."

The silence that filled the room was killing him, slowly. He just wanted Mikey to speak…just one word and he would be satisfied.

"You're pretty important," Donnie whispered, tears fell down his cheeks, "That's why you're the youngest. God must've known what he was doing, because Mikey, your pretty darn special."

And he meant it, every word of it.

That bought him a moment of peace, a peace that he knew he couldn't take for granted. The trouble had only started, and Donnie feared that it would only get worse.

"Stay strong for me little bro, I'm really trying to stay strong as well. But….I can't. Seeing you like this makes me want to sob and cry," Donnie wiped away a stray tear, "Which I guess is ironic; I'm already crying. But in all seriousness…."

Donnie reached over and grabbed Mikey's hand. "Please don't give up, not for me or anyone. I need you, and you need us."

He squeezed his brother's limp hand. Shudders were heard as the genius brother struggled to keep it together, but it was fruitless. Donnie was going to cry, and maybe even more than that.

"Donnie?"

Donnie let go of Mikey's hand and stood up, he turned around and saw Leo standing in the doorway.

"What is it, Leo?"

"The doctor wants to talk to us." Leo said softly. Donnie nodded and got up; he followed his eldest brother into the sterile doctor's room.

"Please sit," The doctor gestured towards two chairs which the young teenagers accepted. "I'm Docter Autumn. I see that you're the Hamoto boys, is that correct?"

"Yes madam," Leo replied, he reached over and grabbed his brother's hand with the intent of comforting. But nothing could have eased Donnie's worries.

"Your brother Michealangelo isn't in a good state, as much as I regret to say. And although this is no easy topic to talk about, we need to discuss long-term care."

Leo bit his lip. "Long-term care?"

"Yes," Autumn replied, "Patients in the ICU often have a long recovery period. This is no exception for your brother. Quite frankly, he was quite lucky that he has survived this long."

"What kind of care are we talking about?"

"Sadly, medications aren't a reliable source, but when your brother does wake up, we will have introduce foods slowly. And then we will also introduce our newer version of psychological therapy."

"So, therapy?"

"Yes."

Leo took a deep breath and tried to process everything, but nothing could've prepared him for this. All these big words sounded absolutely terrifying and the fact that a highly classified medical professional was telling him this was even scarier.

Donnie squeezed his hand, trying to bring his brother back to earth. "So, he'll live…right?" Donnie asked.

Autumn sighed and looked down at her bland brown desk. "Honestly kids…" She looked at the teens with a sorrowful eye, "I don't know, he's in the state of life or death. It's up to him now."

Great

"But you'll keep trying right?"

"Of course," Autumn gestured, "We won't let Michealangelo go without a fight."

The young boys nodded their heads, if they could trust anyone, it would be Autumn and her team. It seemed that the young doctor cared a lot for her patients, which felt reliving on multiple levels.

"How much will it cost?" Donnie asked softy. Leo looked over, stunned that he hadn't thought about that himself.

"Well, it would average around a few thousand dollars. Although, the exact amount hasn't been determined yet."

"Ok," Leo sighed, relieved that something was going his way for once, "I'll send a check in a few days."

When it came to money, the Hamoto boys didn't struggle very much. With Leo being a nurse and their father's fortune, they had more than enough money to spare.

But they didn't spend it freely, instead the money was saved for occasions like this. Where money was the extremely vital and would be needed in large amounts.

"I hope it isn't an inconvenience," Autumn said quietly, "I hate to see families struggle like this. Especially yours."

"It's not an inconvenience, in fact, it's the only thing that's gone right today." Leo responded.

"Well...I think that's everything. I'll be sure to update you if anything happens. Good or bad."

Leo stood up and shook her hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Docter Autumn. Hopefully we'll cross paths again."

Autumn smiled. "I bet we will, many times."

Then, Leo and Donnie took their leave. They walked out in the hallway and faced each other. Leo's face was soft and caring, while Donnie….he didn't last long. Breaking down in tears, Donnie sobbed into his older brother's chest as Leo held him protectively.

"I miss him already," Donnie sobbed, his voice cracking with pure emotion.

"Me to," Leo said softly. "Me to."

TMNT

Well...there it is :). I hope it didn't feel to rushed. Have a amazing Christmas! Please R&R!