Sleeping Death

Awakening

So sorry I've been gone so long everybody. Midterms came quicker than expected. Even worse they were all spread out. Anyway, I've had a little more time these last couple days and I've been working very hard on this. This story is so close to being done. So, so close.

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The first and only thing Leonardo registered was that everything hurt. He almost wanted to go back to the nothingness and lose himself again in the world of dreams. Dreams...Was he still dreaming? He lifted his head. Red-hot pain blasted across his plastron. He hissed and fell back, instinctively. Nope, not dreaming.

His head lolled to one side and his eyes slid open a crack. His father was asleep on a stool beside him. Keeping vigil.

How long had he been unconscious?

From deeper in the lab, beyond his line of sight, came muffled voices:

"Stockman's calculations are for a mutagenic dosage appropriate for a small rodent. It has to be adjusted."

His mind spun. What? What are they talking about?

"Tampering with the amount of mutagen in the solution could cause irrevocable damage. We have no idea how it will affect him."

'Him' who? Leo thought, his beak wrinkling in confusion.

"We don't even know for certain that it will affect him, but we're running out of time. We have to make the necessary preparations."

Time—Just what was going on? Who were they—

"But without the proper precautions—"

"We have less that three hours left. We've checked and triple-checked the formulas."

"It's such a big risk."

"I know."

"I just want to make sure you realize there are no guarantees we'll get him back at all."

Donatello must have nodded because Leo did not hear a response.

Suddenly, he understood. That note of quiet desperation in Donnie's voice...

Raphael... Leo's breath quickened. There was a chance they could get Raph back?! He lifted himself up on wobbly elbows.

The tomb, the Shadow, the Goolem, and the light flashed through his mind, slamming back down on the lab table. Pain rushed over him and he whimpered through his teeth. Doubt crept into his mind.

Had the Shadow been speaking the truth? Had he already sealed Raph's fate?

He felt lost.

Master Splinter's ears twitched and his eyes opened. "Leonardo?" he asked softly.

The tinkering sounds of Donnie and Rockwell ceased. Moments later, Leo's genius brother was at his side.

"Leo! How do you feel?"

Leo tried to speak, but his voice was dry and cracked. He shook his head. "Nuh, Don. Take care...Raph," he choked out.

Donnie shot a glance at Sensei. Splinter waved him away.

"Indeed. Go on, Donatello. I will care for your brother."

The purple-masked turtle nodded and left.

Wiping a small tear of pain from the corner of Leonardo's eye, Splinter asked, "How are you feeling, my son?"

"Hurts."

Splinter frowned. "You are lucky to be alive."

"Don't feel lucky." He said, his voice getting a little bit clearer.