Digital Mutation (Book Five)

Chapter 34: Not Okay

It's been almost a day since Sarina left.

Diaval and Donatello linger by Sarina's side, watching and waiting for any sign of success. They switch off to get food, water, and bathroom breaks, always leaving one of the two monitoring her.

Hours after Sarina plugged herself in and went under, Diaval noticed the lack of Circa's echoing thoughts in her head. In fact, he heard very little of anything in her head. The eerie silence freaked Diaval out more than he'd like to admit.

"Used t'hearing desires," he had said. "Even when sleeping."

Everyone keeps waiting, staying as hopeful as they can. They remind each other that the time difference was to be expected, seeing as their cyberverse journey had the same effect. What may be happening at a regular pace for Sarina is much slower for the rest of them.

Leonardo and Raphael walk into the lab, pursing their lips in synchronization at the sight of Donatello and Diaval seated so diligently at Sarina's side. Michelangelo sits against the wall near them, arms hanging loosely around his bent knees.

"Still nothing?" Leonardo asks.

Donatello doesn't say a word; he just shakes his head and exhales, resting his forehead against Sarina's arm. Leonardo looks at Diaval, eye-ridges raised and a hopeful glint in his eyes, but Diaval shakes his head too. Leonardo sighs and leaves the lab.

Raphael moves to Michelangelo and sits down next to him. They sit together for a few seconds before Raphael takes a deep breath.

"Hey...Mikey, about what I said a while ago—"

"It's fine, dude," Michelangelo interrupts softly. "Don't need to bring it up."

"It's not fine," Raphael insists. "I was angry and I bottled up all that...negative...crud," he says, struggling to find the right words for his feelings as he makes punching, smushing motions. "I said a lot of mean stuff, so...I'm sorry. You're worthy of love and all that junk, okay?"

Michelangelo almost laughs. "Thanks, Raph." He bumps his arm to his. "Y'know, you can talk to us about stuff, or at least you can talk to me. I like talking to you."

He bites his lip, bringing his knees to his plastron. "Yeah, I know. It's just hard to go and do it sometimes."

"I'm all ears right now, dude."

Raphael eyes his brother, who, despite everything that's going on in his life and with his feelings, is making an effort of smiling at him. It reminds Raphael that even with all the annoyances, Michelangelo is one of the best brothers he could ask for.

"I...don't know what to do about Taylor," he admits. "I haven't said anything to her since our last meet up."

Michelangelo frowns. "Why not?"

"I don't know what to say, I guess. I mean..." He shakes his head. "I showed up at her window and kinda laid my heart out for her. Does that mean I've got her back? We weren't dating before..."

"Do you want to date her?"

Raphael purses his lips, thinking, and he feels the back of his neck tingle. He goes to scratch it, then aims a glare at Diaval as the tall boy's lip twitches at the corner of his mouth. Diaval arches an eyebrow and, blank as his expression is, it challenges Raphael to see if he can get a lie past him.

"Yeah, I do," he admits and Diaval, satisfied, focuses back on Sarina. Raphael looks up at the ceiling. "But...what we had was kind of crazy and fast-paced and I don't even know if we could make a real relationship work, and..." He hates to think it, much less say it. "I'm not sure I can trust her completely."