Cherish

Isolation

"Donnie! Donnie!"

Mikey banged on the door of the lab.

"Donnie, come on!"

"This is bad." Leo mused.

"He hasn't been out for days." Raph said

"Not even working on some project ever keeps him in this long."

"Sensei couldn't even get him to come out." Mikey added.

"Donnie! We've got pizza!" Mikey tried again.

"That's how to get you out of your room." Raph hissed.

"Well, I don't have something...Donnie-ish to offer."

"Guys," Leo interjected. "Stop."

"Well what're we gonna do?" Mikey asked. "He can't just stay in there forever."

"You're right, and he won't. He just...won't be coming out just yet."

Leo led Mikey away from the lab, Raph followed behind.

Inside the lab, from under the table, Donnie stomach growled loudly.

'They're gone.'

Donnie shuddered at the sound of the voice again.

'You should eat something. I don't want you dying on me.'

"No. If I leave this room, you'll force me to harm my family."

'You have a point...but you do know I could force you to leave this room any time I wanted, right?'

Donnie gasped.

"Then...why..."

'I'm still thinking. How should I do this? Should I do it one by one, or all at once? Should I take you over completely, so much you don't even know what's going on? Or should I make you watch? Should I-'

"Stop...please..." Donnie gasped.

'Yeah, so I've got plenty to do while you stay in here and starve yourself. You're going to have to go outside sooner or later.'

Donnie shook his head, but the voice was right. The hunger was getting close to unbearable, and while he didn't want to hurt the others, the quickly seeping will to live still lingered, and he'd have to leave the lab soon.

'What're you going to do?'

"I'll go...but not today."

'...suit yourself.'

Donnie took the dismissive tone in the voice to mean that he was going to be left alone for the moment, and while he really didn't want to let his guard down, he was very tired. He felt himself begin to nod off, and though he fought it the entire time, sleep finally took him.

A few days later, Donnie still hadn't left his room. Everyone grew more and more worried for him, but the only one who hadn't stopped attempting to coax him out of the lab was Mikey, who banged on the door every day until Leo stopped him.

It was one of his calmer days. He actually left his usual position under the desk and leaned against the side of it, facing the door as if he were going to walk through it any moment.

'You're going to die y'know.'

The voice didn't even surprise him anymore. He chuckled lethargically.

"That's okay. The others will be safer that way."

'Maybe, but they won't be too happy about you dying'