Chapter Text
Donnie's vision was blurry, he slowly turned to face Mikey, trying to make out his features. Dark skin.. curly hair.. but why can't he figure out his face? Mikey's features looked like they were fading away from Donnie as if everything. What was happening? The world around him shrunk, getting darker around the edges of his vision
Mikey's voice began to break through Donnie's thoughts, though the words weren't quite clear. Was he saying something about Raph? Maybe saying something to him. The sound around Donnie was fading away no matter how hard he tried to pull it back to him.
His head got a sharp shock when he turned it, the feeling sent a shiver down his entire body. The blur of Raph stepping forward towards Donnie made him open his mouth and step closer to Raph so he could join the conversation. But then, everything went black.
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Raph gasped and stumbled slightly as Donnie fell into his arms "Oh god- Mikey call dad, now!" What else does Raph need to do? What does Leo do? He lays Donnie down, right? Protect his head? Something needs to be under it though. There's no way he should lay him down on rocks! What goes under it?! Leo usually puts Donnie's head in his lap, doesn't he? Maybe???
"Fuck.. uh.." Raph struggled to sit down while holding Donnie. He turned Donnie to his side and laid his head gently down in his lap while sitting criss cross. Wait, should Raph pin him down or should he not pin him down? Leo would know. Leo probably would have known before Donnie himself knew. Leo has known before Donnie himself knew. Something about burning copper or whatever. Raph will remember it at some point.
"I wish Leo was here." Raph mumbled, looking down at Donnie's convulsing body. There were bruises that had transferred over from his mutant body onto his human one along his legs and, to take a not so wild guess, probably his arms if you lifted his hoodie.
The sight of the largest and most prominent bruise, the deepest reminder of his first seizure where nobody knew what to do drilled into Raphs mind. It was only a few years ago but while looking at Donnie's face, the emptiness behind his eyes, it felt like it had all come back.
The memory of how Donnie was just trying to shower and then suddenly fell through the curtain, the rod going down with him. Thankfully, it didn't land on his head, just onto his leg. It was horrible watching Donnie visibly be in pain over something he had no control over afterwards.
"This sucks." Mikey stated, crossing his arms as he sat down across Raph. "Leo would've known. Leo would've-" Mikey got cut off by Raph yelling at him "I'm not Leo and Leo isn't here! You're stuck with me! I-I don't know what to do right now! Suck it up, Mikey!" His voice cracked, being reminded just how dependent Raph was on his brother sucked. "Also why the hell are you complaining while Donnie's literally taking a seizure? Fucking call dad!"
He was the strong one, the one who should be protecting his brothers, and he never really was. Leo was.
"Maybe if Leo were here.." WHO was Casey to mention Leo?? What fucking asshole does that? "You're a dick. Like.. seriously who does that? My brother is taking a seizure and you're doing this!" Raph threw his arms up before freezing when he felt Donnie sit up.
"What happened?" Donnie looked between the three before putting his hand on his head. "You took a seizure." Mikey mumbled, rubbing his back. The three watched as cogs turned in Donnie's head. Was turning human going to be an even bigger issue for his seizures?
With his luck, it probably will be.
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It had been hours. Well, no, not literally. It had been like fifteen minutes. Donnie couldn't hold himself up properly, nearly falling multiple times even though he was being supported by Raph. It was embarrassing being dependent on his brother like this.
He stumbled a bit, causing both Raph and Mikey to put their hands in front of him in case he would fall forward.
"Shit.. I'm sorry guys." Donnie mumbled, catching himself as their walking slowed down, stopping at a manhole and watched Mikey lift the lid. "It's not your fault. You can't control that, Don." Mikey's smile only made Donnie feel worse though. He didn't deserve to be smiled at, he had managed to make Leo completely change somehow, and not just physically.
The echo of their footsteps in the sewers made the silence so uncomfortable. Mikey tried to start a conversation, but Donnie wasn't paying attention at all. The feeling of his sweatpants being too baggy to the point he's had to triple knot the string was suddenly so annoying it was the only thing he could focus on.
Even when he reached their shared room and reached his tent he just wanted everything to just settle down. Sounds were annoying, textures were annoying, smells were annoying, god was anything not annoying Donnie right now?
His mind was trying to find something, anything, that was gonna comfort him, but that fell flat. He gave up and just closed his eyes, succumbing to the world around him.
His eyes shot open when he heard his name come from.. Leo? Leo was home. Donnie should apologize to Leo. He couldn't have sat up and nearly tear the zipper to his tent quicker just to get out. Wait. What was he saying?
The echo of the sewers gave Donnie access to the ability to hear every word. Something he usually would love, but right now he hated it.
"I never want to see him again."
Leo wouldn't say that. Leo would find a way to fix this, and that would mean being with Donnie! He'd never-
"You can't say that Leo, we don't know how to take care of him—"
Take care of him? What is he a fucking animal? He's a goddamn teenager he can take care of himself! Do they think he can't?
Do they think he's that weak?
"Take care of him? Raph he's able to handle himself!"
Leo still understands. At least he can say that. Leo may never want to see Donnie anymore but he still sees his potential. Thats something? That's like.. brotherly love or something? Right? But why is it only Leo who can understand that? Why is it only Leo who can recognize that Donnie is old enough to handle himself?
Donnie's hand absentmindedly reached to the bruise on the back of his leg. The day he got that bruise Leo never left his side, so wouldn't Leo think he'd never be able to handle himself? He let out a soft sigh and curled back into his tent, his eyes closing gently as his hand stayed rested on the bruise, pressing against it.