The School

He's Not Fine, He's Changed, He's Hurt!

Raphael's POV:

It's been three weeks since we've found Donnie, we've been doing everything that Master Splinter had taught us to help him heal. But it seems he is getting worse, not better.

He's able to sit up on his own, hold down food and he's been able to walk a little for a couple of weeks now.

Though he still has trouble breathing on his own. We still have some nights were he can't keep anything down, but not as often.

He still can't talk to us... I'm beginning to miss his unrelenting barrage of facts and information.

Though there seems to be something he's keeping from us...

Every night he somehow gets worse or gets some kind of new problem. Every day he looks less like the Donnie I grew up with and more like an empty shell.

Evey time I looked at him. He's had either a distant look upon his face, a depressed look or just a tired worn out look.

He's started going to his lab every day, he spent all day in there. I watch him sometimes.

He tinkers with random things, then out of frustration he throws it against the wall. The pile is getting out of control.

His usual calm and collected demeanor, has almost left completely. He almost has my attitude.

I know he can have conversations with us, He writes while we talk. Sure it frustrates everyone, but it works.

Every once in a while I'd look at him and I'd have a feeling that he is intentionally keeping something from us...

Something important...

<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

At the end of the third week I decided to talk with Leo.

He was watching Space Heroes, the lamest show ever made.

"Leo, we need to talk." I stood behind him.

"In a minute, it's almost over." He absent mindedly waved me off.

I stood in front of the screen, blocking his view. I turned his show off and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Hey! Raph, this better be good. That was the season finale." He glared.

I almost commented on that, but there was something more important on my mind.

"It's about Donnie."

That's all I had to say to make him forget about stupid Space Heroes.

"What about Donnie?" He stood up.

I walked off. We went deeper into to the sewer tunnels.

"Raph, what's wrong with Donnie?" I heard the impatience in his voice.

I quickly turned around, I didn't even try to hide my fear.

"I think Donnie is up to something, he gets more distant every day. And he's getting worse, not better." I searched Leo's expression. Trying to see if he understood.

"I think he's getting better. I mean he's moving around more, he doesn't need the machine as much, he keeps his food down and his scars are healing. So I think he's fine." He acted like I was exaggerating.

All the hope I had left, disappeared. He didn't understand, Donnie was not fine at all.

"He's not fine, he's changed, he's hurt! Don't you pay attention to the details?" I grabbed his shoulders gently shaking him.

"Haven't you seen how pale he is, the absent look in his eye's, have you heard his coughs and seen how they obviously hurt him?" Concern filled my eyes and voice.

"Have you heard how he breaths without his machine, have you seen how he acts in his lab or even seen his temper. Have you seen how tired and worn out he is, how frail he has become?" My voice broke as the tears started to fall.

"I'm worried he might not make it."

Leonardo placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Raph, you're making a big deal out of nothing. Just calm down, be patient and let's go home."