What am I

Awakening? Part 6

Three months had gone by and by now Donatello had created a makeshift lab in the outside barn, he had made and scammed himself some medical supplies from a local pharmacy, April had helped with that. Donnie was nothing if not resourceful. 

He was using various things to monitor his bathtub bound brothers including blood pressure monitors, thermometers and was tube feeding them too. They were stable, hydrated and their skin looked much healthier now and their vital signs were good. 

Raphael had camped out in the bathroom refusing to leave them, wanting to ensure he'd be there when they woke up. He remembered Donnie's fears about Mikey's possible brain damage & the worry he may remain in a vegetated state but tried not to think about it. 

Donnie as he usually did came into check the brothers as he did every day multiple times a day and night, over the last few occasions during the last day Leo began flinching when Donnie shone a light in his eyes and was very faintly groaning & his tongue was starting to lick his lips as his mouth was dry a sign his senses were returning and his fingers twitching. 

Leonardo was clearly coming round at long last. 

Raphael had questions that were eating him he had to ask because while Donnie declared Leo on the brink of waking up there were no such signs Michelangelo was about to do the same. 

"How long before we know something about Mikey Don? He can't stay in the tub forever and we gotta rescue Splinter, I need answers!" Raph asked his purple clad brother, who was himself looking worn out with worry.

Donnie hated not being about to give or know clear answers to questions he was the one with the answers it was his thing but he had none to offer he was feeling out of his depth truth be told, everything was a case of waiting and hoping. 

"I really don't know, there's been no improvement with Mikey in the way Leo has, I don't know what more I can do" Donnie bemoaned, with a sigh as he rubbed his tired eyes with his balled fists.

A large groan radiated from Leonardo as his eyes fluttered open, his voice was weak and croaky as he uttered "Raph" he was the first to come into his line of vision sitting right in front of him. 

Donnie darted out and returned with a jug of water and he fed it to Leo who took small sips, Donnie also smeared honey in the roof of his mouth to help with his recovery he'd been doing that to Mikey and Leo twice a day to keep their mouths moist while they were unconscious.

In his own distress Donnie became increasingly emotionally dependent on April, who in turn was leaning on Casey which caused the rivalry between Casey and Donnie to escalate. Raph was instead more fixated on his injured brothers so wasn't really policing the situation as he otherwise might have the family often found Donnie's fixation on April a bit concerning.

Now he was awake Leo was carried out of the tub by Raph and taken to a bedroom and April cooked him some soup and helped him eat it to regain his strength while Raph's focus was mostly on Mikey though he frequently visited Leo and was back and forth between the two, Leo was regaining his powers of speech and his appetite but his knee and leg was causing him pain.

But Donnie was satisfied with Leo's progress, Raph tried not to let Leo become too disheartened with the slow progress.

Donnie made him crutches but Leo was depressed at being so helpless, distressed at Mikey's condition and at Splinter's absence, he felt a failure as a leader but as Dr Donnie kept telling him, he had to let his body heal first and foremost, and barely mobile he had no choice but to comply they could move anyway owing to Mikey's condition so it wasn't just him holding up the rescue of Splinter. 

A few weeks more had passed and some weirdness with Bigfoot who was obsessed with Donnie and a fake April's mom thing, which set April on a total downer in it's aftermath she thought her mum had comeback to her only for it to be a con and she wasn't so helpful to Donnie for now  and following his own experience with a stalker in the form of Bigfoot Donnie began to see how his obsession with her may of made her feel and switched his attention back towards what he could do for Mikey now he had a sudden brain wave.