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Everything was slow.
Slow and far away. Distant.
The first thing he noticed was that his head felt light.
Was it made of tissue? Or goo.
Maybe more like taffy, soft and malleable.
Man he couldn't help but think that he could really go for a grape flavored piece of laffy taffy right now. Was his brain purple too? You know… like the taffy?
His brain wasn't always this slow, this loose… right? It felt wrong in every sort of way. A deep part of him began to panic, should he be panicking? Probably but he was much too exhausted to deal with it right now.
While coming to consciousness the mutant couldn't help but take notice of the tight pressure throughout the outside of his head… as if someone was trying to crush his skull using a compactor.
Wait… Could someone be trying to get past the tough wrapper that was his skull and find his probably delicious taffy brain inside?
….No of course not, not really, but it was a rather funny analogy nonetheless.
But… Was he in a compactor?
That… yeah, that would be bad.
He should probably check.
Being crushed among some empty, soon to be flattened, boxes wouldn't be very cool. Not cool, at all. Not very bad boy at all. Not gucci at all. He's gotta keep up his precious bad boy persona after all.
He began the excruciating long task of forcing his heavy eyelids open. It was as if his lids had been glued shut.
After what felt like ages he began to see a small sliver of light through half lidded eyes. Any more than that was just too much. Did he sleep at all last night? Geez.
His vision was dark around the edges, hazy, but thankfully he was able to focus somewhat on his surroundings.
Hey. Not the inside of a compactor.
Wins for Donatello today.
He was lying on his side. He could see one of his arms outstretched in front of him, fingers curled slightly with his palm up. He watched a drop of water slide down his finger and onto the ground that swayed beneath him. He looked past his hand and focused on the old brick a few feet away, the same type used to build much of Manhattan in its early stages, it too was also swirling to and fro as well. The neat lines of blocks tilting back and forth as if at sea.
Perhaps even dancing.
Wait, inanimate objects didn't just dance. Did not move back and forth in such a way that made him sick either.
Was he moving….
No. No he was sure he wasn’t.
He shifted his pupils down and noticed the ground looked a bit odd. It was.. shiny? No- wait, wet. Duh.
It was raining. Pretty heavily too.
Yet he couldn't hear the comforting lull of the precipitation hitting the pavement.
No, not over the much louder ringing in his ears that has so kindly made itself apparent. Was it always doing that?
Was someone's personal fire alarm going off...next to his head?
Unlikely. Especially with it raining so hard. But Perhaps- oh no wait.
It was clearing a bit. Another wave of pain and nausea filled his senses as he was able to focus more. But he could hear it now, distant like everything else around him.
The very familiar sounds of the city at night. Heavy traffic, the occasional honking, cars driving by, the annoying squeal of rusted brake pads.
But mainly he heard the rain falling thousands of feet onto the concrete jungle he called home below. Streams of water falling from the roof as thin unnatural waterfalls. Violently crashing into the gray rock and splattering all over the ground, then colliding back together with others of its ilk as cohesion did its job, forming large puddles.
He tuned into the interchanging points of pressure from the small drops that landed on his own body. His leg, his arm, his head. A rather large droplet landed near his eye brow, rolling down his forehead and into the growing pool below his temple where he rested.
Donnie couldn't help but continue to stare as the rain fell into a specific puddle not too far from where he laid. Somehow much more fascinating than it usually was. Encroaching his own precious space on the disgusting city ground.
His little voice in the back of his head told him to get up, ew this is gross. That something isn't right.
Something is not right.
But the softshell continued, watching transfixed as the neighboring growing puddle danced in his vision, reflecting the soft yellow city street lights not too far from him.
It was his own personal light show.
Eyes remained half lidded as he stared, too tired to fall closed or open wider as the faint voice demanded.
Transfixed by the chaotic performance of crashing drops and dancing lights and swaying ground.
He was so tired, but he wanted to not be here. But this wasn't right. What was he doing here? How? Why? Where was he? Where was his family?
The pressure around his head grew in intensity. Was it permanent? Was he always going to feel like this?
He began to give into the pull of sleep again, allowing his eyes to easily slip closed. The questions didn't matter. Nothing mattered except for his head hurting. He would very much like it to stop doing that. The encroaching darkness numbed the pain-
Oh, I wanna dance with somebody,
I wanna feel the heat with somebody
Huh?
Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody,
With somebody who looves meee
Is that…
Whitney Houston’s ‘I wanna dance with somebody?
Ooh ooh dance
Come on baby dance
Yes. Yes it was. But where? He managed to shift his wavering gaze slowly down. Moving his head and tucking his chin to his chest when it wasn't enough to see the still muffled song's origin.
Fire flared through his neck and the side of his head at the small movement. His skull was squeezed more, there was an all encompassing throbbing throughout the entirety of his to be confirmed taffy brain now. Nausea overcame him. He couldn't help the small groan that escaped his throat at the brutal onslaught of pain and discomfort.
But there it was, his sacrifice was not in vain, the source of one of his most beloved childhood songs. Seeing the glowing light through one of the purple pouches in his belt.
Ooh, yeah dance
Now get with this. Whoah!
His phone.
Another wave of nausea overcame him and Donnie squeezed his eyes shut. Making an instinctual effort to breathe slowly and not move. He really didn't wanna throw up right now.
He couldn't help but think what did he eat last?
Did he eat anything at all today?
What day is today?
God, what the shell happened?
The phone light turned dark and his head was the tiniest bit thankful for that. But sadly the song was gone. Once again all he could hear was the lulling of the rain. The inferno in his head and neck calmed down once again as he settled, the whisper of more pain a promise if he moved again. Nothing comes easy to the genius of the family.
…Where was his family? .
Why was he alone?
As much as he loved being alone, the thriving introvert he was, he kinda didn't want to be alone right now.
Whatever didn’t matter. Someone would come search him out eventually. They always did. That's what happens when you live with the same 4 people underground away from normal society your entire life.
They would find him soon enough. So he remained still, tired eyes screaming in victory as they finally slipped shut. His limbs dead weight at his sides. The throbbing and the searing pain persisted. The churning in his stomach persisted…
The puddle under his head was growing now, he could feel the warm liquid touch his purple marked covered shoulder that was uncomfortably squished between his body and the filthy concrete.
Maybe he was sick.
He was so tired.
….
….
Oh, I wanna dance with somebody,
I wanna feel the heat with somebody
Oh. There it is again.
He kinda wished it would play the whole song and not just the chorus. That would be nice, the entire song was an 80s music masterpiece.
Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody,
With somebody who looves meee
Once again the mutant forced his heavy eyes open. Seeing the phone light up again, taunting him from his pocket. With great effort he managed to shift the soaked limb that rested on his side, shaky arms and fingers fumbling with the pocket latch before popping it open.
The phone slides out on its own, landing face up with a splash in the concrete. The music a bit louder now.
Ooh ooh dance
Come on baby dance
He grabbed the phone and slowly dragged it up to his face. The bright light made his head pulse. But there was no music app playing. Just a picture of his eldest brother.
Oh. Raph was calling.
Of course. That was his ring tone.
It took a few tries for his thumb to activate the green button on the too bright screen, but sure enough he managed and the loud music abruptly stopped.
Silence.
“...Donnie? ..Ya there?”
Yup that's Raph. Wait, he should say something right. What was the customary thing to say after answering the phone?
“...H-helooo.”
Nailed it.
Well not really. His voice came out much too quiet, slurred, weak. Not like himself. He could at least recognize that between the obnoxious throbbing in his head. But he was sick, at least pretty sure he was sick; the softshell decided to give himself a break on this one.
“OH MY GOD! Donnie!! Where are you?! We've been freaking out! You said you were gonna be gone for like 10 minutes tops. But it's been almost an hour! Y- You know how Raph gets!”
Silence.
“....Helloo, i'm talking to you! Are you almost home? You better have a good excuse for makin’ us wait on ya’!”
Silence.
Was he almost home? Why did he leave the house? Why was he here again? He honestly had no idea. That tiny voice panicked again. His head hurt.
“...Don?”
Oh right. He's on a call, he should say something. Conversation was a two way street. Customary response go.
“He’oo.”
Nice.
“...Where are you?” He could hear Raph’s voice waver in that. He could almost smell his biggest brother's prominent worry stink from here.
But why was he worried? Was something wrong? He answered the call. With the customary response as expected.
Another wave of pain splashed through his head at his increased thought. He was thinking too much. His head hurt. He was tired. He should tell him. He was much too tired to chit and or chat right now. Raph would get it, he always wanted the genius to sleep more anyway.
“Mm’ tired…”
There was some talking in the background then. Raph louder, too loud, panicked? Which didn't help his headache. Why was his brother upset? Stop that.
There was some shuffling, more frantic talking he couldn't decipher. Suddenly a new voice came over the speaker.
“Heeey, DonTron, what's goin’ on, where ya been? You remember my peanut M&Ms?”
Leo. He didn't want to talk to him. Raph was upset. Plus the thought of food made him sick. Ugh…
“...You gotta talk to us, man. What’s goin’ on?”
Whoops. Right. Two way street. Uhh.
“...Heeeyy.”
Perfect.
“...Hey.”
Silence.
“...Can you tell me where you are, D?”
Oh wait he knew this one!
“Ne’ ork… Is- iss rainin’.”
Shell. Why did he sound like that? Did he mention how much he hated that? Because he hates that.
“Yeah it is. Tell me what else can you see?”
Leo's voice was calm. Just like his own it didn't sound right either. Maybe it wasn't just Donnie who felt off. Maybe his whole family was sick. Was everyone talking weird? Raph was a bit- wait, he had been upset. Right? Was he okay? He should ask.
But maybe ater… Not right now.
Holy toledo, he was tired.
He could hear some movement in the background, the sound of a familiar door slamming closed. More conversation-
“Come on Donnie! We're playin’ data collection. Like we used to, remember, come on, what do you see?” Leo said quickly a bit of worry now grazing his tone.
Why was everyone freaking out? Wasn’t he freaking out? Wasn’t something not right here?
“Come on man, just start with one thing you can see. More would be great but- J-just keep talking ok?” Leo piped in again.
Donnie wasn’t wasn’t particularly in the mood for this game at the moment. But he does like data collection. It was his job as a man of science to collect information, store data, and of course he couldn't just let Leo down. Not with this.
Despite the pain he peeled open his eyes again (when did they close??).
The fuzziness and black edges remained, so he couldn't see much. Yet he studied his surroundings and much too slowly said as best he could what he saw as he noticed them. Just like they used to play when they were tots.
“Phonee… pudl… ‘arbage caann…. soda cann.. box.. ‘ewsspaperr.. signn–”
“What does the sign say?” Leo intercepted quickly.
Donnie focused, pinching his eyes in hopes of making the reflective white letters on the street sign down the alley more legible. But he just couldn't read it. Was it numbers?
They were too blurry, the world tipped more to the right then it should at his increased focus and he pinched his eyes closed. Groaning as another powerful wave of nausea forced its way through his body.
Why did he have to read the stupid sign anyway? Fuck the sign.
“Donnie? Dee?! Please, please, we are coming to get you. But we need to know where you are. What does the sign say?”
He sounded desperate and Donnie couldn't answer. He felt sick. What did he eat today? Did he eat today?
…Didn't he ask himself those questions earlier??
He really didn't feel good.
He just wanted to go home.
He curled into himself more. Even the puddle under his head and shoulder had grown cold, that was disappointing.
“I- I feel sic’, ‘eo. Can you- ughh, cann youu come ge’ mee?” He managed to say. Geez that sentence took a lot out of him.
“I’m trying bro! W-were trying! You gotta work with me here! I-I don’t know. I–” He could hear his brother pause and take a slow measured breath before continuing. Another voice made itself known in the background, lighter. Orange in color- did voices have color? Of course not. Well wait- maybe? Like theoretically, could we produce a color with our voices. How would that translate? Via frequency?
Whatever. Doesn't matter. His head hurt. That was a question for a future, less sick, Donatello.
All of a sudden his blue brother was there again. Talking loudly over the speaker.
“-are on our way. You're alright. You're fine. You don't have to read the sign. Do you have your belt on?! Mikey said you had it on when you left.”
Belt? …Yeah he did. His phone had been in the pouch tucked away safe and dry. Now it was soaked and laying on the wet ground. Just like him. Poor guy, at least they were both waterproof.
…Are turtles technically waterproof? Were fish-
“Hey, talk to me! Do you have your belt on?!” His brother said again louder. Scared. He didn't like that. He should answer.
“..Yeaa.”
“Okay, okay, great. Press the panic buttons on the emblem. It has a GPS, remember, you put them in it.”
Did he? Huh, yeah he did remember that. But that was only for emergencies.
“Is- Is this ann ‘mergeency?”
….
“Oh my god- YES! Yes, this is an emergency. Press it! ”
Geez, he didn't have to yell.
Silently Donnie moved his still shaky arm down towards his belt. Pressing down on the green emergency button he didn't really fully remember making right now. Maybe a little bit, like some trouble with the battery source, a line of code, but not a whole lot.
Sure enough after he pressed down on the very green, clashing, piece of tech. It started to flash an annoying bright red. Thankfully no alarm went off.
There was more movement over the phone. Another conversation he couldn't make out. He could hear Raph more prominently again.
“--eet you there!”
Silence.
Some moments passed. Then he could see a flash of bright blue come from somewhere behind him. The light reflecting off the water covered surfaces. A sense of familiar electricity ghosted over his body momentarily, he was sure he had goosebumps from it. He always did get them.
It was quiet.
A car honked in the distance.
Rain continued to pummel the earth.
Then there was Leo.
Bright green skin sliding to his knees in front of him. Grabbing Donnies phone and bringing it to his ear and immediately placing two warm fingers on his neck. Leo was muttering something, but he couldn't really hear him. Leo’s hands were almost sweltering, somewhat shaking, but way too warm. Was his brother sick too?
“I got him Raph. Pull up outside the alley next to that pharmacy on 19th, get- get the med kit in the tank ready!”
Donnie watched through half-lidded eyes as his immediate elder brother hung up the purple phone and put it in his fanny pack, tugging the zipper closed with an obnoxiously loud ‘zzziiipp’. Then those much too warm hands immediately moved to cup his face, turning his head slightly to look up. Ouch.
“Dee, h-hey, I’m here, look here, look at me.”
The seriousness in his voice made no room for arguing and despite the increase in pain and exhaustion at the movement, he forced his pupils upwards. Looking into the same brown eyes that he saw in the mirror everyday, the same ones his brothers had, that his entire family shared.
“There you are.” His brother whispered softly. Rubbing his thumb against his cheek, the voice in the back of his head almost disappeared at that. His brother was here. Leo would take care of it. He sighed in relief, too tired to vocalize the expression.
“Keep focusing on me, kay?”
“..Mhm.”
Leo gave him a small tight lipped smile and got to work, gently removing his hands as he got to work. His face immediately changed drastically, much too serious. The smile gone.
The slider very slowly pushed Donnie onto his back. Leo kept looking back at him to see if he was causing him any pain. He was, oh god it hurt so bad. But he kept his focus as promised, lids falling only slightly at the movement. He couldn't even feel his limbs anymore as they adjusted to the new positions, falling and lying like a sack of bricks at his side.
He watched the slider scramble to take off the black winter jacket he had been wearing and draped it over him, tucking it around his arms and torso. Donnie sighed at the new layer, it felt so warm, it had that soft well worn fleece on the inside he loved so much. He occasionally stole this black jacket from his brother, much to Leo’s annoyance. Not his fault it paired so very nicely with his purple hoodie.
He couldn't help the little chur he let out at the comfort generously provided.
“Yeah, you're freezing. Seriously who goes out without a jacket when it's raining in februa-”
All of a sudden Leo gasped, eyes widened. His brother was now focused on the ground near his head, shifting slightly to and fro. What was wrong? He made a questioning hum but the slider didn’t answer. Instead Leo was ripping his bandana off, quickly wrapping it into a tight square with his fingers.
“...Shit D, just– fuck, fuck”
“Oooo I'm tellinn’ ,” he teased with a small smile of his own. Well he thinks he’s smiling. The softshell was making an effort to at least.
It was something Leo said to him all the time. The threat of parental retribution. It felt nice to throw it back in his face. Sadly, Donnie wasn’t graced with the response he goaded. He watched dazedly as the slider took his blue mask and smoothly jammed it against the side of his head that previously laid on the concrete.
And then all he saw was white.
The fire from before grew and attacked his head and neck, growing more fierce as he moved, trying to escape the new blinding source of pain. Pathetically trying to get away from the offending blue fabric that was hurting him.
He felt hand over the jacket, holding down his shoulder. Leo was talking loudly, and it took everything in him to focus and understand what was being said to him.
“--sorry, sorry, sorry! I should've warned you! Y-You've lost– fuck, sorry, youve lost a lot of blood- I gotta put pressure on it!” Leo explained hastily.
Donnie wanted to respond with a ‘if you're sorry maybe stop adding to the pressure on my head. I don't like it’ but all he managed was a groan. He could feel his stomach bubble, and his mouth began to water. Something was coming. Leo moved the hand holding him down to rubbing his shoulder through the jacket as an act of comfort.
His head hurt. The nausea was back stronger than ever. He swallowed in hopes of keeping whatever he ate today down. It didn’t help.
It didn’t help at all.
“Well good to know you can move all your limbs still- Wowow, hey, hey, slow down-”
Donnie surged upwards the jacket pooled around his waist, instincts moved him to turn his head and empty the contents of his stomach.
The entire process wasn't pleasant to put it lightly. It was difficult to breathe between the coughing and heaving, his head throbbed and his arms shook as they held him up over the floor. The acid from his stomach burned his throat as it fell to the floor in a disgusting pile and his head pulsed. Every beat felt like his brain was going to burst.
It nearly felt like an hour of pure hell before finally his stomach was empty and he was able to take some much needed deep breaths. He felt a hand rubbing his back through his battle shell.
“..You done?” the slider whispered after a moment.
Donnie nodded. If he was only tired before, he was a dead man walking now.
He spit the last remnants of the horrid taste out of his mouth before slowly moving away from the vomit. Leaning back against his twins chest who welcomed him easily and adjusted accordingly to the added weight. He really didn't want to fall into the mess.
“...’orry- that, ugh.. that wass.. really gros’,” he said between heavy breaths. He felt his brother steady him with his one free hand, the other still pressing the mask to his head.
“Nah, don’t be sorry. I should have seen that coming. Here,” Leo helped sit him up a bit straighter against him. Guiding his arm up to his head to hold the soaked mask.
“Can you hold this to your head for me? You have to keep pressure on it, alright?” Leo asked. Pushing his hand over his against the wound, he understood the idea, and held the pressure as instructed.
He just didn’t have the energy to complain about it anymore.
“Great. Alright, Raph and Mikey should be here in just a sec. I'm gonna move ya’ to the road, okay?” Leo explained while moving the, thankfully still clean, jacket on his lap around to cover his back and shoulders.
“..Wha’s wrong?” He managed quietly. If anyone knew what was wrong with him it was Leo. He should probably know but it hurt too much to think.
“What? Like in general? Well besides your usual big headedness, you definitely have a major concussion. I don't know what happened, who you pissed off. But don't worry we’ll take care of it,” the slider responded simply while wrapping his arm around Donnies shoulders and under his knees. “Make sure you keep pressure on that giant head of yours.”
“Mhm…”
He should probably be annoyed by that comment, perhaps follow up with an equally light hearted jest. But his head hurts too much to care about anything right now.
Too tired to care about anything.
He felt Leo hold him close and began to stand up.
“Annd lift offffuck, your heavy oh shell, y-you were not always this heavy!” Leo huffed as he lifted him up into a bridal carry. Even, apparently concussed, he knew Leo would never let this one go, he would be teased about this for years to come.
Donnie felt the fire in his neck and head burst with each quick step his brother took. His world, now no longer tethered to the floor, felt like it was spinning uncontrollably. If he didn't throw up earlier he certainly would have done it now, at least he got it over with.
The softshell stayed focused on keeping the shaky hand against his head steady, eyes still comfortably shut. They were not opening again. Not for a long time. Donnie felt what he could now only assume was blood leak down the side of his head past his purple mask.
He should probably be pressing down harder.
He didn’t want to. He didn't care.
He was so tired.
Leo was talking some more. He wasn't paying attention.
He could make out the oh so beautiful and familiar sound of the tanks engine getting closer. His baby.
Then another burst of movement, a bit faster this time.
Leo was still talking. Did he ever stop?
Then he was in a space that was all warm, as if he just entered an oven. Rain no longer pelted his skin, and he was thankful for that. Donnie groaned as his body was jostled, he was being moved into the embrace of another. One he was more familiar with.
The same one he had run to when he woke from scary dreams as a tot. The same one he looked to after a frustrating failed experiment. The same one he came to for comfort after the Shredder incident. The one person they all went to after the Shredder incident. The same strong arms that held them all so carefully as if they were made of porcelain.
Raph had always smelled the strongest of home. Which didn't make much sense considering his odd odor issues, but that's just how it was.
Suddenly calloused, rough, yet incredibly gentle hands were all over him. Touching his face softly, rubbing his arms, moving Donnie’s own hand away from his head, laying it comfortably on his chest.
He felt the large hand gently remove his purple bandana. Then another dry, soft, cloth was held firm to his head wound. The entire time, soft, soothing, words were being whispered to him. He could feel the familiar rumble of the voice resonating from the hard plastron he was pressed to. It distracted him from the terrible discomfort he was feeling and pulled him farther from the world of the waking.
He couldn't make out his brother's soft words. But in all honesty he wasn’t really trying to.
He didn't care about alot of stuff today, and he knew that wasn't like him.
But none of it mattered. He was alright now. His family was here. His brothers were here.
He could rest.
So he did.
______
Donatello came back to the world of consciousness with a killer headache. One he would expect himself to have perhaps after a 74 hour work binge.
The fact he didn't wake up in his lab or his own bed was a major clue as to what happened. He was in the medbay, what seemed like all the blankets they owned in the lair piled on top of him. A warm comforting weight he didn't hate at all at the moment.
The room was dimly lit thankfully by some small yellow fairy lights in the corner of the room, thankfully not bright enough to hurt his quickly growing migraine.
He took stock of his current condition. Besides the mentioned growing migraine and some absolutely terrible aches and soreness throughout the rest of his body not much else was wrong. 80% of the pain was radiating primarily from his right side. He could feel light bandages around his head, heavier and heavily padded on the right as well as some spots bandaged in the same side’s arm and leg.
The softshell noticed some soft snoring next to him. Turning slowly, he saw his youngest brother. Tucked into his oversized shell, something he often did when he slept, and cuddled into his side on the large-enough-to-fit-Raph medical bed. Not touching him, but close enough to provide both of them the comfort they needed. On his other side there was a somewhat massive stuffed bear tucked into the bed with him. One of Raph’s no doubt.
Speaking of the snapper. He was actually surprised to not see him here. Leo neither. Huh. They would show up sooner or later, he was sure.
He could hear the usual noise of his dad’s commercials echoing from down the hall.
Donnie went to sit up slightly. Grunting at the effort, his neck and right arm and leg aches something fierce. Screaming at him to stop moving, to please be still. But Donnie was famously a stubborn turtle.
He needed water and some pain meds. A good bit of those. Preferably in that order. The current taste in his mouth was something truly awful. Revolting. He needed some water now. Like right now. He made to get up. Carefully moving his what seemed mostly uninjured left arm up and rubbed the drowsiness from his eyes before turning and searching the nearby table for what he desperately needed.
Sure enough a glass of water and pain meds were already there and waiting for him.
As annoying as ‘Nardo usually was, he did often think of just about everything when someone was stuck in the medbay. The softshell mentally made a note to himself to thank his most ornery sibling for his forethought.
Slowly he leaned over his sleeping brother moving to grab the glass of water resting on the small bedside table. He had been careful to not wake his younger brother, but it seemed it wasn’t enough. Next thing he knew the box turtle's bright green limbs popped out, making him jump slightly at the sudden movement, followed by rapid talking. A pure ball of energy that normally he could handle but currently gave him a bit of mental whiplash.
“Donnie!? You're up! Oh my gosh!! You're alright! What happened! We were so freaked out. I was so scared and- OH! Here, let me get that for you,” ‘Angelo spouted off quickly. Moving around Donnie’s still a bit too slow limb and smoothly handing the glass of water to him.
Wordlessly the softshell brought the cup to his lips and downed the whole glass. Sweet sweet relief. His younger brother got up and took the glass, refilling it and handing it back to him, the meds in the water already. Donnie downed that glass too.
Mikey took the glass from him when he was done and Donnie closed his eyes and leaned back into the many colorful pillows that cushioned his neck and head absolutely wonderfully.
“Thank you,” he whispered after settling down. Staring as his brother began to fidget next to him. He knew what he wanted. Donnie was observant above all else, and he knew all his brother’s tells when they were in need of physical comfort.
He slowly raised his arms, and open invitation for an obviously clingy box turtle to find comfort in. It took a grand total of 3 seconds for the box turtle to wrap his arms around him and melt into him, still mindful of his injuries, which the softshell greatly appreciated from his usually over excited sibling.
“Geez bro, you had us all worried sick. Y-you can’t do that ever again. Raph was just a mess, he called you like 20 times before you picked up. Leo was freaking out- I was freaking out! You do that again and I swear ill sick Dr. Delicate Touch on you,” Michaleangelo said, voice wavering slightly. Distressed.
Donnie nodded and raised his uninjured arm to rub his brother's shell soothingly.
“Sorry, sorry, i'm not angry, it’s fine. It’s not your fault. What happened anyway-” Mikey froze and sat up quickly.
“OH MY GOD! I gotta call Raph and Leo!”
Mikey sat back and moved to grab his phone, patting around in the layers of blankets until he found it hidden between the folds of what looked to be their dads bedspread.
He watched dazedly as his brother dialed his phone and held it to his head. Turning around and leaning back into his directly older brother. Still clingy and not ready to leave Donnie’s side. Which he didn’t mind too much, not at the moment at least. The thought of being left alone right now made him somewhat nervous. The genius very much hoped that went away soon.
“Raph! Donnie’s up!” Mikey exclaimed loudly into the phone.
Immediately he could hear frantic talking through the small speaker. A long string of questions that he couldn’t really make out. Mikey definitely couldn't either, considering he held the phone away from his ear and winced at the level.
“Hold on, hold on- just let me put him on,” Mikey held the phone out to him. Donnie took a deep breath through his nose and grabbed the phone, putting it to his own ear, the side not covered in bandages of course and braced himself.
“Hey Raph,” He said nervously. Much better than how he answered the phone last time. Nice. Talking was so much easier now, natural, as it should always be.
“Heey, heeey buddy, how you feelin’? You alright?”
“Yeah I’m fine. A lot better now… Where are you guys at?”
“We will be home in just a bit. Me and Leo- We've been patrolling the area. Were tryin to find the people who messed you up- no one hurts my brother and gets away with it!” Donnie could hear Leo yell in agreement in the distance at that. They were ridiculous.
“Don't worry, we're gonna get em D. But we're havin’ trouble finding any clues as to what happened. You remember who was with ya’?” Raph asked seriously.
… Who was with him… He took a moment to think about it. What had happened? Despite the growing migraine he took a long moment to think about the series of events prior to his head injury.
He had left their cozy sewer lair to get some snacks before their movie night. He remembered Leo wanted M&Ms, Raph a root beer, Mikey some vanilla ice cream (the weirdo that he was, who eats ice cream when it's 40 degrees outside), and he was grabbing himself some sour gummy worms.
He had volunteered to go despite the freezing showers because he wanted to test his brand new battle shell’s flight function. See if there were any bugs, and if the wings were calibrated correctly, and if there were issues he looked forward to adjusting the settings accordingly after their movie.
Nothing was better than staying up late with a hot drink while it rained above them, the gentle lull of the showers somehow kept his thoughts calm and on task. He was most productive on nights like those.
He remembered taking off from the roof of some apartment building, he had been flying, despite the cold temperatures he hadn't a jacket on, always worried it would get caught in his machinery. At first everything was going smoothly. But then it wasn't.
He went to emergency land on the roof of some brick apartment building but somehow he had missed the landing and he fell over the edge into a dark alley. He remembered panicking as he fell over the edge of the building, then nothing.
If he was human, the fall would have most definitely killed him. He had never been more happy to be a mutant in his life.
“Donnie? You ok? Need me to come home now? I'll be there in just a sec-” Raph asked, ever the worrier.
“I apologize. I'm alright. But you two can come home anyway, don't bother searching. I wasn’t attacked.. Ugh pretty sure all this was my own fault.”
“...How was this your fault?” The question was echoed as Leo was closer now, most likely invading their eldest brother's personal space. Listening in on the conversation.
Donnie felt himself turn red, knowing he had his two brothers out there on his behalf, even though he did NOT ask them to, on the righteous hunt for revenge against his supposed attackers. Those two were always ready for a fight, they all were honestly. It's the years of action packed Lou Jitsu movies that did that to them probably. Fighting was what they did best and they knew it. If he had found any one of his brothers in the same condition he had been in, well… he would be doing exactly what his older brothers were doing now. Except probably better, he was a master tracker after all thanks to his tech, of course.
Either way it’s not like he couldn't tell them. Ugh…
“... sigh I was testing my battle shell and maybe it was just a teensy bit faulty, dear brother…. aaannnd I might have fallen over the edge of the building into the alley.”
Silence.
“Damaging my head and limbs in the process. Don't laugh, Leo.” He added, cringing outwardly at his explanation.
As expected he could immediately hear Leo’s obnoxious laughter. Followed by Raphs much too loud exclamations, but obvious relief in his voice. Asking him how he could be so reckless, how could he not bring someone with him, that it could have been so much worse. What if he didn’t answer their call, what if he had freezed in the rain, what if he had bled out, etc, etc.
He mentally prepared himself for the long patented big brother nagging he was about to face. Mikey started giggling at his side, Donnie wasn’t sure if it was his recount of the events or their brother's reactions. Probably both. However, at least the box turtle had the decency to not scream laugh his heart out at Donnie's expense, which Leo was still doing in the background of the call.
Oh my god someone punch him. Please someone punch him.
Donnie knew the annoying amount of new safety rules his elder brother was going to impose on him in the near future in regards to his experiments were going to be beyond agitating. But it was expected, and as always he would manage.
He was just happy to be home.