No Escape

Chapter 33

Leo struggled with his brother's weight as he made it to the door and opened it wide. It entered into another huge room; this one looked as if it had recently held many crates and boxes that had been quickly packed up and moved. Some of the crates even remained behind, broken open and their contents hastily removed for swift transportation.

Leo stumbled towards the open bay doors. His lungs were screaming as he began coughing harshly, his eyes blurring, while dark spots threatened to claim his consciousness.

Leo staggered into the fresh, open air of the night, his hacking coughs nearly dislodging Raph from where he lay across his shoulders and carapace. He could hear the wail of fire trucks in the distance and Leo half ran, half stumbled around the side of the building to the parked Battle Shell.

He made it to the van and opened the back doors, gently placing his brother's cool, limp body inside. Leo closed the doors and ran around to the driver's side, pulling open the door and jumping into the seat. Leo started up the van and floored it, trying to put as much distance between the warehouse and themselves as possible.

Leo looked over his shoulder at his motionless brother. Raphael looked too pale, his skin sickly and nearly grey. Leo pulled over into a quiet alley and slid himself from his seat; climbing into the back and touching his brother's cool neck. His pulse was even fainter than before.

Raph was dying.

Tears burned in his eyes as he desperately looked around the van, pulling some bandages and medicated ointment from the compartments built into the sides. He wrapped his brother's wrists as best as he could; trying to keep what remained of his precious life blood within his struggling body.

"Hold on, Raph, please," he whispered, his voice hoarse and raspy from disuse; or perhaps it was the smoke. He wasn't sure, and he didn't care.

Raph opened his eyes slightly. His eyes, glassy and dull with pain. He managed to focus on Leo, who smiled at his younger brother. "Raph?" he questioned in a quavering, hopeful voice.

"Leo?" Raph questioned softly, with a confused frown. His frown turned into bleak resignation. "Freak," Raph whispered weakly as his eyes lost focus and slid closed.

"Raph? Raph!" Leo shouted as he searched for his brother's pulse and found nothing.

"RAPH!" Leo roared shaking his brother's shoulders roughly. "Don't you dare die on me!" He screamed as he began pumping his brother's chest, begging him to live.

Leo could feel hot, salty tears rolling down his cheeks as he realized the pain, horror, and the devastating, choking terror that his family must have endured when Leo's own heart had stopped; and then when Leo had begun to try to take his own life over and over again.

Leo leaned his head against his brother's chest, desperately searching for a faint movement and the light thud of his heart, but he heard nothing. He felt no movement, but he refused to give up. He began another round of chest compressions, again placing his ear upon his brother's silent, motionless chest.

"Please, Raph. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," he choked out wretchedly. "You can't die, you can't. You're too damn stubborn to die!" Leo reminded his head-strong younger brother. Leo laid his head upon his brother's plastron one final time and closed his eyes in relief as he heard the faint thump of a delicate heartbeat, and felt the slight rise and fall of his brother's chest.

Tears of relief coursed down his cheeks and he stood, quickly climbing into the front seat of the van and slamming it into gear, his foot hitting the floor as he pushed the gas pedal down. "Just hang on, Raph, please, just fight a little longer," Leo begged his brother.