Where We Collided || ROTTMNT ||

Scars Upon Scars

Donatello had to say, Red's shell was very, very durable. The hole in it was more like a slash. Actually, three slashes close to each other made it look like a hole in Red's shell. Donatello had been able to patch them up with April's help. Red was thankful, but he hadn't said much of anything afterward.

Truth be told, they hadn't either. Donatello had been so shocked to see Raphael's counterpart so calm and quiet, and polite of all things. He was seriously confused, and so was April. Shell, Raph himself was totally blown away. Donatello suspected he might also be a bit jealous, but Raph never showed anything beyond anger and harsh protectiveness over his brothers.

Master Splinter seemed annoyed by their silence, but tolerated it for Leo's counterpart, who was still out cold in the Dojo. Red also didn't seem to mind, and Donatello was happy with some silence to work on a way to get these turtles home.

They hadn't yet actually talked about being each other's counterparts, and Donatello wasn't sure if Red and Blue knew. Somehow, he suspected they did but just refused to say anything. Perhaps they were waiting for their other brothers and their friends.

Donatello didn't know, but he was okay with waiting for that moment.

He didn't have to wait long before they heard shouting down the subway tunnel, and Leonardo went running together with Raphael when Rockwell shouted for them. They returned with a very injured turtle and a human girl, along with Slash and Rockwell.

Donatello instantly ran toward them and Slash lowered the turtle to the floor. Donatello could see that Rockwell was keeping the boy's blood in his body, but the wounds needed stitches. And hot damn they needed a lot. The wounds ran from his plastron over his neck and even on his face. They looked exactly the same as Red's three slashes, and even Blue had a few of those scratches.

The girl with them seemed distressed and pressed her hands against the wounds on instinct, looking very scared. Donatello wanted to move her away, to let her know her friend would be okay, but then she saw Red and pulled herself away to hug him.

"Raph!" she shouted, flying into him, crying her eyes out.

"April!" Red said in return.

They hugged for a moment and Red quietly reassured her. The others watched, and Donatello could see April's face – his April – sadden a little. He wondered why, but he didn't question it. Instead, he went for his med kit and grabbed his needle and thread.

Rockwell assisted him and they couldn't wait for anything, so Donatello instantly began stitching the turtle up. Red pulled April away to see Blue and they were left alone. Donatello could feel Leonardo's gaze on his back, and Raphael was there as well, but they only watched.

"Oh my God," April said, and Donatello looked sideways to see her kneel beside the young turtle.

"You don't have to watch," he said quietly as he pulled another part of the boy's neck back together.

This young turtle had taken a full frontal attack, that much Donatello could tell. He was slashed almost clean through and he was super lucky to even be alive. His arteries hadn't been hit, but he'd lost a huge amount of blood.

"Can you take some blood so I can deduce which one of us can give him a transfusion," Donatello asked April.

Rockwell handed her a needle and April got to work, quietly doing her part. Donatello finished up the stitching and April handed him the vial of blood.

"Get him under some blankets and make sure he stays warm. I'm gonna run some tests," the purple-clad turtle said, leaving for his lab.

He watched from the corner of his eye as Raphael and Leonardo helped Rockwell lay the young turtle on the benches. Donatello felt sad for him, but he had a job to do, and he needed to be level-headed to help the boy. He would make sure, damn sure, that Michelangelo's counterpart would pull through.