turtle tot stories | tmnt 2012

Donnie's Gap Teeth

*Yes, guys, I know Donnie's gap teeth are natural. But still, enjoy.*
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"Sleep well, my sons," Splinter said, closing the door to the Turtle's room.

The four little turtles had been playing all morning, until Splinter had finally decided to put them down for an afternoon nap. All four of them had whined and complained, reluctantly climbed under their blankets and unwillingly laying their heads down on their pillows.

Splinter had kissed each of their little green heads like he always did before they slept, then left the room for the dojo to meditate. He left his sons in their room to rest.

Little did he know they did the complete opposite of rest.

Raphael lay under his red blanket, waiting carefully until he was sure that his father was gone. Then he poked his head up. Getting to his big green feet, he walked across the room and reached out to open the closed door.

"Raph!" Leo whisper-shouted from under his Space Heroes blanket. "What're you doing?"

"I'm goin' to explore," Raph said gruffly.

"But Daddy says we have to take a nap!" Donnie objected, sitting up.

"Who cares?" Raphael replied. "Dad can't make us take a nap. Not if we don't want to."

"What's going on?" Little Mikey sat up.

"Raphie's going exploring," Donnie told him.

"Don't call me Raphie," Raph snapped.

"Exploring?" Mikey repeated, his voice clearly excited. "Where?"

"In the sewers," Raph replied.

"I wanna come, too!" Mikey stood up and raced over to his brother.

"Guys! Don't!" Leo insisted.

"Come with us, Donnie!" Mikey said. "I'll bet there's a whole bunch of stuff for you to look at!"

Donnie looked like he was in deep thought, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Okay," he said finally.

Raphael opened the door, and the three little Turtles snuck out of the room and into the lair.

"H-hey! Wait for me!" Leo cried indignantly.

He got up and hurried after his brothers as they snuck out of the lair and into the sewers for the very first time.
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The very moment they stepped out of the lair, the four little turtles were amazed.

The sewer stretched wide and far before them, it's tunnels twisting and intertwining with each other, creating a giant underground maze. The four brothers walked along the passageway, their feet splashing in the (nasty) sewer water. They stared around in awe and wonder.

"Wow!" Michelangelo breathed.

He jumped as his voice echoed around the tunnel and far away into the sewers.

"Did you hear that?" his eyes grew wide as his voice echoed again. "I'm talking over and over again!"

"It's called an echo," Donnie said matter-of-factly. "I learned that in my book."

"Eck," Mikey said, trying to master the word. "Eck-o. Echo! I like that. It sounds funny .Echo! Echo! Echoechoechoechoechoecho-"

"Shut up!" Raphael snapped.

Mikey shut up.

The four tiny turtles continued through the tunnel, Raphael in the front, Leonardo in the back. The young blue-clad turtle looked around watchfully; his blue eyes scanning every nook and cranny of the area.

Donatello zipped around, feeling and observing everything in sight. He poked at the sewage pipes, scooped the sewer water into his hands, and tested everything with his five senses-except for taste, that is. His eyes were bright with curiosity and wonder as the examined his little "specimens".

"Look, guys!" Leonardo called suddenly, pointing ahead.

Before them, the path split up into two directions. One went left, one went right.

"Which way should we go?" Leo asked.

Mikey had been kicking a rock as he walked along the sewer path. He kicked the rock again, but way harder than he meant to. It rolled down the left path. Michelangelo let out a squeal of excitement and ran after it.

"Mikey! Don't! We don't know what's down there!" Leo called.

But Mikey ignored him. He kept running forward, following the rock down the tunnel.

Quick as a rocket, Donatello shot forward and rushed leaped in front of his brother. There was a sudden shriek of terror, cut short by a horrible-sounding thump, and then everything was quiet.

"Donnie!" Mikey wailed. He sounded like he was crying.

Raph and Leo rushed forward. They skidded to a halt next to Mikey, who had tears in his eyes and was crying. Before them, a steep drop fell down into a dish-shaped pit in the ground.

Donnie had fallen in.

Leonardo immediately jumped down into the pit and raced over to his brother, and Raphael followed. Michelangelo followed much slower, sniffling uncontrollably.

Little Donatello lay sprawled in the center of the pit, his arms and legs splayed out. He was crying madly, crying hard sobbing and wailing in pain. His tears made his purple mask wet, trailing down his cheeks and plopping onto the ground.

But the most noticeable thing about poor little Donatello was mid mouth. Dark red blood poured from his mouth, and his brothers saw in horror that something white and shiny lay on the ground a few feet away from him.

Donnie's tooth.

Little Leonardo bent down next to his injured brother, stroking his shell gently.

"Quick!" he ordered Raph and Mikey. "Go home and get Daddy! He'll know what to do!"

The two other tiny turtles nodded, turned, and hurried off toward home.
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When Splinter arrived at the scene, he found Leo hugging Donnie close; they were both sobbing. Splinter bent down next to Donatello while his other three sons stood a few feet away, watching with concern.

All four turtles were crying hysterically now, Donnie in pain, his brothers in pain for his brother. Even Raphael was shedding tears; he was trying his hardest to wipe them away, trying his hardest to look tough, but standing right in front of his severely injured brother, it was hard to do.

Splinter was at work; he'd brought his first-aid kid with him, and was tending to his second-youngest son carefully. He took some handkerchiefs to clean up the blood from Donatello's face and mouth, then checked carefully for injuries.

All the while, his other three sons watched like baby owls.

Finally, Splinter stood up.

"Will...will Donnie be okay?" Raph asked with a sniff.

"Yes," Splinter responded. "Donatello is not too badly hurt. He will be fine."

Little Michelangelo ran up to Donnie and threw his tiny arms around his big brother.

"I'm sorry, Donnie!" he wailed, tears streaming quickly down his cheeks. "I'm sorry for chasing that stupid rock and coming here! I'm sorry you got hurt because of me!"

He stared at his brother in anguish. Little Donatello was barely able to speak. So instead of speaking to Mikey and telling him it was okay, he did the next best thing.

He smiled at his brother, showing off his brand new gap-teeth.