Just a Tic (Oneshot)

Will They Understand?

A/N: Hey cheesecicles! This was requested by CheysWorld9! I really hope you enjoy!

Warning: This chapter contains lots of fluff! Your heart may be melted! You may die of a cuteness overload You have been warned!

Quick note: I'm not experienced with tourette's syndrome but I did extensive research before writing this chapter! I apologise in advance if anything is wrong or incorrect!

~*~

Mikey was in Donnie's lab. He watched his genius brother reach for the medication bottle and took a deep breath as his eyes blinked uncontrollably.

Donnie glanced at his youngest brother before grabbing an round orange-colored pill from the bottle and handing it to Mikey.

"Here Mikey, your Fluphenazine is ready." Donnie stated as he handed Mikey a glass of water. Mikey took the pill and drank a swig of water.

Mikey suddenly started coughing. Donnie patted Mikey's carapace as he coughed, feeling a glob of sticky mucus in his throat as he tried to clear it. He coughed and coughed.

Once Mikey managed to stop coughing, Donnie gave his little brother more water. "There you go Mikey, you good?" Donnie asked.

Mikey nodded. "Y-Y-Yeah, I-I'm f-f-fine." He was used to it by now. He'd been dealing with this sort of thing for almost a month.

Mikey had tourette's syndrome. It was a nervous system disorder that caused involuntary and repetitive movements and sounds. There was no cure, but medication could help.

Splinter and Donnie were the only ones who knew. Splinter was the one who had first noticed Mikey's tics, but Donnie had been the one to diagnose Mikey with tourette's.

That was two years ago. Leo and Raph didn't know because Mikey didn't want to tell them. He knew Raph would just yell at him for being so annoying, even though Mikey couldn't control the movements and sounds his body made.

Raph would probably make fun of him. And Leo, he'd think Mikey was weird. As far as Mikey was concerned, Donnie and Splinter were the only ones who could know.

Both were understanding of Mikey's condition. They knew he couldn't control the way his shoulders shrugged uncontrollably. Or the odd barking sound he sometimes made.

You might be wondering...how did Mikey hide this from his other brothers? It was hard, because the tics usually happened without warning. However, Mikey always left the room before it got too bad.

And, Donnie and Splinter would always cover for Mikey, providing excuses for the young turtle's odd behavior. Leo and Raph suspected nothing.

Mikey was determined to keep it that way. The orange-banded brother sat on his bed with master Splinter at his side. Mikey's eyes continuously rolled back into his head.

This happened sometimes when Mikey was reading or thinking deeply about something. Splinter was used to it though, and reached out to stroke Mikey's head. "Just let it happen, Michealangelo."

Mikey had a variety of tics. Usually, he had one or more of them happen on a daily basis. He would blink uncontrollably at times and his eyes would roll back and forth in their sockets, as of trying to find a memory.

Sometimes, Mikey's shoulders would shrug up and down repeatedly. A more common tic was his muscle spasms. They often happened without warning, making his body and limbs jerk uncontrollably.

As Mikey placed his comic down, he made a grunting sound. "S-S-Sensei, c-can I h-h-have s-some w-w-water?" Mikey asked as he stuttered.

Splinter nodded briskly, getting up to grab his son a drink. He was very patient with Mikey, knowing the youngest turtle couldn't control his stuttering.