Brotherly Blunders

Mr. Clumsy

Mikey's brothers were always making fun of him for being clumsy. Well today Michelangelo was happy, because today was payback time.

Hehehehehe...Who knew Raphael could be so clumsy?

This morning when the hothead got up he slipped on a comic Mikey had left on the floor of his room and landed on his butt. In front of Mikey, no less. Hahaha, that was hilarious. Even though Raph got mad at him for leaving his comic there in the first place, that was freaking funny! Though it kinda sucked that I was the only one to witness it...Mikey mused.

Later that day the turtles were in the lair, Mikey playing video games while Raph sat on the couch behind him reading a comic. Donnie was working in his lab and Leo was in the dojo meditating. Raph had been a little bit slower than usual in training today, but Mikey assumed it was because his brother was frustrated by all his teasing. He smirked. Time to play his favorite game: Tease the Raphie. "I'm gonna order a pizza. Want one, Mr. Clumsy?"

Raphael growled, but it wasn't his usual deep foreboding growl, it was lighter, almost croaky. "Will ya let it go already? I've had just about all I'm gonna take of your teasing, Mikey." Raph stared dryly over his comic at his little brother.

"Whatever you say, Dr. Trippinstein."

Raph threw the comic down on the couch dramatically and pushed himself up off the couch. Mikey jumped up and took off, seeing that familiar look in his brother's eyes. Raph chased his little brother around the lair, his eyes on fire. Mikey ran back down to the couch and Raphael followed, but his foot missed the step into the sunken television area and he went down face-first. Michelangelo laughed harder than he ever had in his life, until he heard his older brother's groan of pain. Raphael was tough, undoubtedly the toughest of the four of them. He'd sustained more injuries than all three of his brothers combined and most of them he'd endured without so much as a whimper. Raph didn't admit pain easily, he thought it made him look weak. For his red-banded brother to let out a groan of pain he had to be hurting, really hurting.

Raph felt himself falling, he felt his chest hit the floor and briefly knock the wind out of him. He'd had a headache all day, and his throat felt sore, but he hid the fact that he was sick because he didn't want to look weak. The red-banded turtle flipped over onto his carapace, attempting to ignore the throbbing pain in his face and chest. His green eyes stared woefully at the ceiling and he unknowingly let out a pained groan. He shook his head as the room began to spin. "Ugh." Mikey's face appeared standing directly over him, concerned.

"You okay bro?" Mikey asked.

Raph motioned to his brother and lifted up a hand, which Michelangelo took without question and heaved his brother to his feet. The room started to sway again and the emerald green turtle found himself clinging to his younger brother for support.

The youngest turtle frowned as he gently steadied his brother. Raph stumbled and Mikey had to pull him up by the shoulder. Raph's skin felt clammy and cool, yet covered in a thin layer of sweat, prompting the orange-clad turtle to press a hand to older brother's forehead. Raphael was too far gone to notice. Whoa, he's burning up! Michelangelo quickly put his brother's arm over his shoulders for support and guided him over to the couch where he lay him down gently. "SENSEI!" The freckle-faced youth vaguely noted the sound of feet running from the dojo and a breaking glass coming from Donatello's lab, but they were ignored as he sat there, never taking his eyes off of Raphael. He was sick. That's why he was so off his game today. He wasn't feeling well and I was making fun of him! Taunting him even! It's all my fault. If I hadn't made him chase me around the lair, he'd probably still be okay right now. Sure, he'd still be sick, but at least he wouldn't be anything like this! Poor Raphie! I'm sorry bro!

Leo hear Michelangelo's yell and he shot out into the main room. Normally, Michelangelo yelling was no big deal, especially when Raphael was involved, but something in his tone was different, filled with concern and alarm. He looked around and quickly spotted his youngest brother, who was standing near the couch. The eldest turtle bounded over to his little brother's side. "Mikey what's wrong?" Mikey gestured in front of him with a forward nod. Leo looked down to the couch in front of him. Raph. "What happened?"

"He's sick."

Leo gave Mikey a surprised glance before he placed a hand on his immediate younger brother's forehead. "Yeah, he definitely has a fever. How did you find out?"

"Well, this morning when I went to wake him up I left my comic on the floor and he tripped on it. Like one of those trips when someone slips on a banana peel, ya know? Hilarious. Anyway, I've been teasing him all day and I got on his nerves, ya know. He chased me once around the lair, but when we got back here he does a face-plant right over there by the couch. I was cracking up, bro. Until I realized he hadn't gotten up yet. I went to help him and...well" Mikey gestured to his sick brother on the couch.

Master Splinter, who had heard Michelangelo's confession, chose that moment to come up behind the two turtles making them both jump. "Well, then perhaps that is why he was sluggish in training today." The old rat knelt by his son's side, pressing a four-fingered hand to the sweating green brow. "Hm. Fever and chills. I will take him to his room, he needs to rest. Leonardo, fetch a bowl of cool water and a washcloth. Michelangelo, come with me."

"Sensei?"

"Perhaps you would like to assist me with keeping an eye on your brother?"

Mikey smiled and nodded. "Hai, sensei." Michelangelo sat and kept Raphael company, not that he was really awake or anything, but that didn't stop Mikey. The orange-clad ninja told his brother about how Donnie actually ruined his experiment when he shattered the vial of chemicals he was working with, and he told him about how Leo had been watching space heroes all afternoon, occasionally checking in with Mikey and Raph.

When Raph opened his eyes later that afternoon, or practically night, he found Michelangelo dozing off in a chair beside his bed. He smiled. "Hey Mikey."

Mikey jolted awake and stared at his brother. "Hey Raph, how you feelin' bro?"

"Eh, little better. Thanks for stayin' little brother."

"No problem, bro. It's what best friends do."

The corner of Raph's mouth bent upward into a sleepy, little grin. "Yeah. Thanks-" he yawned, his dulled green eyes getting heavy with sleep, "Mikey."