No Use |TMNT

Chapter 21

Leo's feet padded the floor in silence as he made his way to the living room. His mouth curled to speak, but closed with hesitation.

"So," Leo began, clasping Raph's attention, but he didn't catch Donnie's, who was sitting on the floor watching T.V. Leo was starting to back away from the idea, but he observed at Donnie's dented head and knew it was the right choice.

"I called Kirby to check on Donnie." He choked out with impatience, his stomach agitating, because Kirby could come and tell them Donnie can be dead any minute, or something worse. But nothing can be inferior to a death of a brother.

"Why the shell did you call him?" Raph asked, his voice thick with anger. His hands tightened into fists, and eyes tapering to a glower.

Leo resisted the urge to bark it out once again, how did his hothead of a brother didn't understand him the first time was beyond him. "It's been over a month, Raph, Donnie hasn't said a word since Mikey brought him home, I'm worrie–"

"You're worried?" Raph mocked, and he threw his hands over his head. "You've done nothing to help our brother, Leo. You slammed the door in front of him, and suddenly you're worried!?" He wanted to yell more, the anger flushing his face, but he glanced down to see his brother looking up at him quietly.

Donnie's eyes were unsheathed with tears, and Raph lowered his fists and released the tension on his hands. The red flush going away immediately after Raph realized he's petrifying his brother.

"I made a mistake, Raph! I assumed too quickly over the situation and never thought of how Donnie felt. Look, I called Kirby for a good reason. This is a way to fix both mine and Donnie's situation. I can make it up to him." Leo's voice dipped to a whisper, eyes gazing to his younger brothers who turned away from Raph to gaze up at the T.V. again. Leo glanced at Donnie who repeatedly tapped his feet against the rhythm of the show's tune. Oblivious to the world around him, nothing the normal Donnie would do.

His brother was alerted at all times, he didn't watch cartoons as much as he now did. This Donnie wasn't like the Donnie he knew before he left that night. Leo's spine gave a shiver, he didn't know if it was from the Wintery weather outside, or the thought of his brother never being himself again…

Raph opened his mouth to argue, but another voice interrupted him before he can even speak.

"H-Hello, Leonardo?"

Both Raph and Leo snapped their heads up at the new voice. Almost instantly, Leo's expression turned to a fond smile, and he walked away from the living room to the entrance of the lair and stretched his hand out to greet Kirby. His hand shook from the cold, but Kirby didn't realized it, or didn't really care.

"Mr. O'Neil, glad you could make it." Leo said, shaking Kirby's hand.

"Me too." Kirby answered, releasing the handshake and removed the black snow-filled jacket. "It's going to be snowing like this until middle of February, if we're lucky." Kirby stated, attempting to shake the cold off him.

"So." Mr. O'Neil removed the gray beanie, bristles of snow falling on his beard and his forehead wrinkled as he spoke, "where is he?" He asked softly.

Leo moved from Kirby's sight, so he was able to see the living room. "He's sitting on the floor." He told him as he jabbed his thumb over his shoulder where Donatello sat by the T.V…. watching Clifford. Leo grimaced, but he tried not to make it apparent.

Kirby stepped forward, and Leo nodded as an approval to let him see his brother. Kirby's eyes landed on the dented head. And while he was on the phone with Leo, Leonardo made it sound like Donatello had a bump on his head, not—not this.