Splinter's P.O.V.

Ch. 6

I can't believe this has happened again. First Leonardo almost left us for good and now… Donatello is farther game than he was. I fear we just may lose him.

"Donnie's always been the techy achiever out of all of us," Raphael said. "There's nothing he hasn't achieved in."

"You'd be surprised. There is one thing I know of that he turned a few complete failures at once into a big success," I told him.

~flashback~

I know that Donatello always wanted a computer. A tech thing that I myself have no idea how to use. One day, Donatello and I went around the sewers to see what we could find.

Once we came to an area with lots of… of trash… we looked through it. Every now and then I'd hear my son outburst in amazement. He found lots of technology to mess with. He was so fascinated with everything he found that he started messing around with it.

I chuckle lightly, shaking my head. Seeing Donatello's eyes light up as he messed around with all that techy stuff… made me happy. I have no idea what he made, but it was sure something that made a weird noise.

"Oh, wow! This shows almost every sewer system in this city!" Donatello exclaimed. He got into his deep thinking gesture. "Hm? Sensei… remember that squid Leo and I told you about?"

"Yes, my son."

"I think I know how to get him back to the ocean now." He looked at me and his eyes said it all. 'Please, may I. I promised him I'd help him get home'

I sighed softly, "I'm coming with you, my son." He smiled big as his eyes lit up. This is the first promise he has made. I'm proud he's keeping it.

Donatello packed up a few other things he found into a beat up old bag. Once he got the bag zipped up, we headed off into the sewers again. I followed him to where he and Leonardo had their encounter with that squid.

It was a while before we actually got to the correct sewer. Looking in the water… the scent of blood filled the air. That gave me a bad feeling.

The further we walked down, the more my fur stood up on end. We stopped near the dead end boulders.

"This boulder wasn't here before," Donatello sounds confused. "Hm…" I could tell he was trying to make sense of this situation.

That's the moment when a dozen tentacles came out of the water, all headed straight at me. Donatello jumped in front of me in a split second, holding out his hands, "Wait, wait, wait!" The tentacles stopped as a squid's head arose from the tainted water.

"Oh, it's you," the squid sounded surprised.

"Yeah, it's me. I believe I found a way to get you home. Back to the ocean."

"Who's the rat? I'm hungry."

"Sorry, but he's my father. And fur isn't tasty anyway. Come on, let's get you home."

"Home sounds nice." The squid followed my son down a different series of sewers. Of course I stay beside him.

He stopped at a barred grate that shows the outside and the ocean. Donatello checked his little do-hickey thing before trying to figure out how to get the grate off for the squid to go through.

I watched or supervised him as he tried a few different things; cutting, blazing, almost everything but the grate still stood.

"Aw… nothing's working," Donatello groaned. "Now what do I do?" He held his head down in defeat.

"Do not give up so easily, my son. The answer will come to you in time," I advised him. Donatello sat down and to my amazement, he began meditating.

"How much longer?" whined the squid.

"Patience please. He just needs a little more time to figure out what he needs to do. I honestly have no idea what to do. Donatello is more intelligent than his three brothers in the technical field."

"So he's the brains of your sons then?"

"Hm? Well, he's smarter than me as well with that technology. My sons know this and it does show that I lack in that field when Donatello 'plays' around with techy things and makes new things with them. Fascinating, yes. Understand completely, no. He understands more than most others. Failure after failure… and yet…"

"That's it!" Donatello exclaimed jumping into a standing position. He started re-wiring that cutter thing with the other stuff he's got. He even took that thing he made that showed the sewers in the city and hooking it up to other things.

"Master Splinter, squid… you might want to get around the corner. This will probably make a mess…" he said something else that I didn't catch. The squid swam around the corner and went under the water as my son messed around with that stuff of his. Jumping up to the top of the grate, placing something there. Doing the same for all four sides of it.

He jumps to me and grabs my hand. Pulling me fast around the corner as an explosion shortly followed. Made me gasp sharply as dust filled the area. Donatello peeked around the corner, exclaiming, "it worked! Alright!"

The squid heard him and swam out fast. Saying 'thank you' as it dived into the ocean. "Wow. I can't believe it worked. I'm surprised it didn't cause a cave in!" Donatello rambled on, completely surprised his idea didn't cause a cave in and actually worked. I'd say this was the first explosion he actually pulled off without injury.

"My son, please. Calm yourself a minute."

"Alright Master." He tried to calm himself. He bounced in front of me. I sighed, "You have turned multiple failures into one huge success. Your knowledge is a powerful gift, my son. Never doubt your ability or let anyone tell you what your knowledge can or can't do. Your gift of knowledge will do great things. Just don't get carried away with it all the time."

"Yes, sensei. Whoo-hoo!" Donatello shouted, completely flipping out more that it worked.

~end flashback~

"So you see, turning failures into victories are now child's play for you Donatello. For the most part," I finished. "My son?" Donatello wasn't moving… still, but… after a little while he groaned and coughed.

"Donnie," my other sons softly said, lighting up with a small smile. "Donnie, come on bro, you gotta pull through this."

Well that's a start at least. Hm… maybe Casey and April can help out. It took four stories just for Donatello to groan.

"Master Splinter. If I may, I'd like to share a story with Donnie," April said softly. "Even though it'll probably be from last year or whatever…"

"Anything helps, April," I tell her, walking over to my sons and letting her have some space with Donatello.

...

Still hasn't woken up? Man, will he ever wake up? Don't go anywhere to find out.