Chapter Five: A Dream and a Decision

Laying on his side, Donatello felt weak, his breathing haggard and his whole body was warm. He had his eyes closed, feeling exhausted and unable to move.
Surely, he could fall asleep right now and everything would be okay, right? However, just as he began to drift off, he could hear someone crying. Who was crying, thought Donatello.

His eyes fluttered open with difficulty and Aria's face came into view. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she stared down at him. Why are you crying, thought Donatello, unable to summon the strength he needed to speak.

Aria's hair was pulled back and tied up, her face was dirty and the yellow dress she wore was ripped along the bottom. The girls knees were scraped and bloodied a bit as she kneeled beside the Turtle. Looking closer, he could see that her right leg was discolored as if infected somehow. It was wrapped up with dirty bandages and kept in a make-shift splint. Why was she kneeling next to him like that? Her leg must have hurt a great deal.

It was so dark here, but somehow, he could see her clearly. Though he wanted to tell her that everything was fine, he couldn't seem to speak.

Aria took his limp hand and held it against her cheek. He could feel her tears at his fingertips as the girl nuzzled his palm to her cold face with a trembling grip. "Pl-please don't leave me alone," sobbed Aria.

Why would I do that? Donatello thought again. It felt normal that he would just stay beside her like this. He had no desire to go anywhere else.

Suddenly, a large, dark figure loomed over them and grabbed Aria by the waist to pull her up. She cried out, still holding onto Donatello's hand, but he couldn't do the same.

"No! Please! You need to help him, not me! Please, Please help him!" Aria screamed, struggling against her captor and doing her best to keep her grip on Donatello's hand. Finally, another figure appeared and forced their hands apart. The shadows were saying something, talking to her and to one another, but Donatello couldn't hear them properly, all he could make out were Aria's protests.

"NO! PLEEEASE! I DON'T WANT TO GO! PLEASE, HE'LL DIE! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME LEAVE HIM LIKE THIS! YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING! YOU HAVE TO HELP HIM!"

The figures were carrying Aria off as Donatello lay there helpless to stop them. His nose burned and tears filled his eyes. He couldn't do anything. His entire body was useless.

Please don't take her, Donatello wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out. Why did this happen? Why couldn't he protect her?

As Aria was pulled further and further from view, still struggling and crying out, the Turtles eyes were starting to feel heavy once again, but he didn't want to sleep anymore. He had to get up and help her. He just wanted to get Aria back, but despite his desperation, Donatello couldn't fight it any longer. He had failed to help Aria and the last thing he wanted to tell her was how sorry he was for being so weak. It was his final thought before everything went dark.

Opening his eyes with a light gasp, Donatello stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom, laying in bed. The Turtle took a few moments to breath and wipe the tears that slipped from his eyes as he lay there. A dream? It must have been. Though it was a rather intense one. His heart still ached as if it had just happened. Why would he dream up something like that? He sat up and shook himself mentally, looking around his room slowly to get his bearings. The dream had felt so real, he needed a minute to gather himself. It was a little early, but he didn't think he could go back to sleep after a dream like that.

With a sigh, Donatello got out of bed and was immediately faced with a picture he had hung on his wall of his family and April. Unfortunately, Casey was also in the frame, standing next to April with a smile.

Donatello always felt pride in how smart he was, but sometimes he wished that he was a little less sharp. After all, he could tell how Casey felt about April and he could also see how April was when around Casey. It was just another part of what scared him about confessing to her. The biggest part being that he was a mutant. A mutant Turtle that lived in the sewers who couldn't be seen out in public with her. What could he possibly offer her? Sure, she was friends with all of them and didn't seem to mind that they were mutants, but that fact might change if she considered actually dating one.

Did Aria consider all of this when she confessed to him last night, he wondered. Aria was a human just like April. He was still confused over why she cared for him so much and this promise she kept mentioning, but beside all that, she seemed so determined to be near him. This sweet girl was trying so hard for him. A mutant. Didn't she know that he had nothing he could give her? Aria was always dressed in expensive clothes and shoes. Besides the starry charm bracelet on her wrist, her jewelry looked pricey as well. Why would a girl like that come down to the sewers and want to be with a mutant like him? She said he had forgotten something, but what could it have possibly been in order to make a girl like that so attached to someone like him?

All of this was starting to give him a headache. Maybe he shouldn't continue to overthink it like he had been. Though it was in his nature to do so. Either way, it was a lot to consider right now and putting Aria aside, he needed to pluck up the courage to say something to April. He needed to know how she really felt and she needed to hear just how he felt about her. Perhaps that moment had finally been forced upon him.

It was still early, but Donatello decided to head for his lab. He hoped to keep his mind off of things with a project until everyone woke up. The day had only just started and he already felt like going back to bed.