Lost in the Fight

Chapter 29 - Falling Apart

*Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

*Author's Notes: Here's chapter 29 of 'Lost in the Fight.'  

A great big thanks to everyone for reading, voting on, and/or commenting on my stories. Also, thanks to everyone who nominated my stories for the 2016 TMNT Universal FanFic Competition. That was a most unexpected surprise and very much appreciated. I also wanted to thank everyone who checked out 'Mikey's Worst Move Ever' this week. *hugs*

Okay, onto the chapter . . . 

--------------------------

Chapter 29 - Falling Apart

For a moment, it was as if time stood still.

Leaning heavily on his cot, Donatello stared down at his feet that appeared to be firmly planted on the floor. His limbs felt rubbery from their lack of usage, causing him to temporarily second guess his decision to get up, but he had already yanked out his IV tubing and was practically standing at this point. It was too late to turn back now. Leo was going to be ticked off at him either way.

The genius turtle sucked in the deepest breath of air that he could before releasing his staunch grip on the side of the bed that had supported him for weeks, trusting his once sturdy legs to hold him up.

The vast majority of the voices inside his head were now hollering at him, telling him he wasn't strong enough, but he refused to give them any say in the matter. The only voice he allowed himself to listen to was his own, willing himself to keep going.

I've got this!

I can do this!

They're wrong!

I'm not too weak!

I'll show them I'm not!

As he tried to straighten himself up, Donatello shifted a tenacious gaze on his oldest brother just in time to see him drop all of the medical supplies that he had collected and start sprinting towards him. Clearly, his big brother had no faith in him.

Unfortunately for Donatello, his big brother was right . . .

Donnie felt his uninjured leg buckle below him, and all of a sudden, gravity was working against him. One second, his eyes were pointed at Leonardo, and the next, they were staring down at the floor that he was about to crash into. Face first no less.

This is gonna hurt . . .

Not my best plan ever . . .

"Donnie! NO!"

The wounded turtle held out his good arm in a vain attempt to break his fall, but he knew without his other arm, the landing wasn't going to be the least bit pleasant.

Sealing his eyes shut, Donatello counted down the remaining milliseconds until impact.

Five, four, three, two, one . . .

That was when Donnie felt his oldest brother grab hold of him just in the nick of time and the excruciating pain was instantaneous.

The desperation of the situation did not give Leonardo adequate time to be mindful of Donatello's injuries. More concerned with preventing his younger brother from slamming his head into the concrete floor, Leo had blindly latched onto whatever he could of Donnie as he lunged forward and essentially tackled his wounded brother.

The genius turtle cried out in agony as soon as his big brother grabbed onto him and inadvertently jostled his injured shoulder.

Upon hearing Leonardo's shout followed by Donatello's scream, every other occupant of the lair was inside of the infirmary within ten seconds of the brainiac turtle's collapse.