Tmnt An Agonizing Secret

Chapter 10. The Sealed Room

"First, you gotta understand...I didn't know I had broken ribs. I-I knew I was hurt, but..." Mikey trailed off, clutching his chest with his arm. "...I didn't think it would be that serious." And I didn't think you'd find out about it either.

Raph growled lowly. "Mikey, broken ribs freakin' hurt like a b—"

"—Raph, language!" Leo interrupted sternly before Raph could finish his sentence.

Giving an irritated look to Leo, Raph continued. "Look, what I mean is ya musta been in some serious pain if ya were putin' up with broken ribs, bro. How could ya not think it was serious?"

Mikey clenched his side tighter in shame. "I didn't even want to think about it," he muttered grimly. "Enduring the pain alone...was enough."

Leo's breath caught in his throat. "You mean it was enough to punish yourself."

Mikey flinched visibly in surprise. "Yeah." That's the guilt king for ya. Leo's definitely the expert in this area.

Don cleared his throat loudly. "What's past is past," he said in a soft voice, looking at Mikey again. "Let's just start from the beginning."

Mikey sat up slowly, careful of his side. At that position, he finally had a good look at it—and cringed. Now that he was no longer covered with a bandage, Mikey could see how swollen the area had gotten, as well as how colourful. Man, I can see half the rainbow on my side. I really understand Raph's point now, and he's right. In the back of my mind, I knew it was bad, but I just didn't want to accept it. I didn't want to accept...what I'd done.

Taking a deep breath, Mikey began. "I was walking in the sewers, coming back from the comic book store, when I decided to go the long way home." Mikey shrugged. "There was really no reason to...I just felt like it. And then, on the way I..." Mikey hesitated for a second. "There was this sound. And I know it's usually not in our best interest to pursue things that could be dangerous ...well actually it didn't, like, seem strange or anything. See, the noise was familiar somehow, but I knew it wasn't a trap or something." Mikey could feel his nervousness grow as he drew closer to the truth. I know I'm starting to babble, but I can't help it. "Well, not that I could really tell whether or not it was a trap it just didn't seem like it could be, it was so familiar sounding and all—"

"—Mikey," came a gentle voice.

The youngest froze. "I-I know...I'm rambling. Sorry."

"It's not that," Leo continued. "You're shaking."

The oldest turtle put a comforting hand on Mikey's plastron, and it was only then—as Mikey felt his own erratic heartbeat— that he fully realized the rest of his condition. I didn't know I was shivering like this, with tremors head to toe, I can't breathe deeply enough and my chest hurts, it aches, can't—

"Calm down, just take it slow," soothed Don, pulling Mikey away from his inner turmoil.

The youngest flushed, suddenly ashamed. He gave a surprised squeak as another hand captured his chin and turned his head up. His eyes widened as he stared at the one responsible. "R-Raph?"

"Look here," Raph commanded gruffly, his concerned frown fading slightly. "Yer gonna get through this, be stronger. Yer gonna lose yer fear."

Lose...my fear. Despite the tremble that still racked the youngest's body, the turtle nodded resolutely. Raph gave a confident smirk back. Shell, I'm such a mess. But if there's one thing that I can count on for myself, it's that I never give—

-BEEP-BEEP- BEEP-BEEP- BEEP-BEEP- BEEP-BEEP- BEEP-BEEP- BEEP-BEEP- BEEP-BEEP- BEEP-BEEP- BEEP-BEEP- BEEP-BEEP-

Suddenly, a loud beeping noise erupted from Don's main computer workstation in the lab. The sensor lights flashed wildly, flooding the dimly lit room in bright red.

"What-what's goin' on?" Raph yelled over the shrill alarm.

Don was already typing away madly on the supercomputer. "It's the defence system. Something's tripped it!"

"Can you turn it off?" Leo called over his shoulder, keeping a calm face.

Don fiddled with his machine. "One second...there." When the sounding alarm was deactivated, Mikey and Raph lowered their hands from their ears.

"So...what set off the alarm?" Mikey asked in a quiet voice.

"That's what I'm trying to find out," Don answered. Leo and Raph left their place beside Mikey's bed to help Don. "Raph, Leo, see what you can do to get a visual on the intruder. There are two different cameras in that area that can be adjusted wirelessly from here." Don caught movement from the youngest in the corner of his eye. Without turning his head he instructed, "Mikey, you should stay in bed."

Mikey held his position from where he had started to move. He swayed his dangling feet that had almost touched the floor. "I wanted to help."

"Just rest, little bro," came the reply from Leo.

"Hey, I've got something!" Raph announced. "And...it's definitely not human."

Don sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I was afraid it'd be a foot ninja or something."

Leo nodded in agreement. "So then, what exactly is it?" The three older turtles crowded around the screen.

"It's a bit too dark to make out much, but judging by the size, maybe...a raccoon?" Don guessed. "Though it's so skinny, you could almost say it's a cat."

Mikey almost choked on his own spit. No. No. It can't be. No. It couldn't have survived...it's impossible! Mikey gripped the fabric beneath him to steady himself. Gotta calm down...it's just a coincidence. Gotta be strong, lose my fear...

"Where...where did you find the...intruder?" Mikey asked softly, hoping his brothers wouldn't detect his rising anxiety.

"Huh? Oh, it's right next to the Laird Street entrance," Don answered distractedly. He turned back to the conversation between his two other siblings. "Alright Leo, if it's a robot spy or something, I can try to intercept the signal..."

Mikey tuned out his chatting brothers. His arms snaked around him as he held himself in a tight hug. Shell. Shell. That's so close to...where it happened. It can't be a coincidence, it just can't! Maybe it did survive, maybe I'm not—Mikey ceased his tremors. Silently, he let his feet touch the cold lab floor. I have to see for myself. I have to know for sure. Mikey took a deep breath and held it. I have to make this right.

Holding his breath, Mikey used his ninja stealth to make the short distance to the lab door. He backed away from his brothers slowly, keeping his eyes on their backs as they discussed their next plan of action. Mikey felt a familiar stab of pain in his side but ignored it. Only seconds passed, but it felt like hours to Mikey. When he finally reached the door, he knew he had won. Suddenly, he yanked open the thick lab door and slammed it shut. He could hear muffled yells from behind it, and knew he had no time to spare. With expert precision, Mikey aimed his fist—and smashed the electronic code-activated lock that was mounted on the door. As soon as Mikey heard the expected 'click' sound of the door locking shut, he bolted to the entrance of the lair. Fighting against his raging emotions and the spikes of pain in his side, Mikey stopped in front of the large entrance door and opened it to reveal the sewer tunnel behind it. Just to be safe, Mikey turned back to check that no one was following him.

"Forgive me, bros," Mikey whispered. And with that, he disappeared from the lair, running as fast as his body would allow him toward the Laird Street sewer entrance. He repeated a mantra in his head to keep moving despite the agony that tore through his chest. I may not be one after all. I may not be one after all. I may not be—a killer!