______________________________________________
Chapter 21: Scars Too Deep to See
It was another day before Leo showed any signs of waking up again. Mikey was sitting with him when he started to stir.
Leo felt like he was dragging his limbs through quicksand. Everything ached...but something was different. A soft pressure was on top of him...warm He hadn't been this warm in a long time.
He didn't feel the need to shiver from the bitter cold that had been constantly pumped into the cell and the fevered chills no longer racked his body.
He felt almost...comfortable?
He moved his fingers across the soft cotton, no harsh metal under him. He shifted his head and instead of a grating sound of bone on rough rock he heard the rustle of a down pillow.
He tensed suddenly when he heard something shuffle beside him.
"If I lay perfectly still, maybe...." his mind wandered. He didn't want the warm feeling to go away.
"Leo?"
His baby brother's voice came through the murky cloud over his mind.
"A trick...can't trust....""Leo bro, are you awake?"
He sounded so worried, not like the images before. He wanted to trust. He want to see his family again. But this wasn't right.
"Was it?"His eyes blinked and cracked open. The fuzzy image of his orange banded brother slowly came into focus.
"M'key?" his voice barley over a whisper.
Mikey's smile spread across his face.
"Hey Leo! We've been so worried."
Leo's gaze wandered around the room.
"Where?"
"Donny's lab...uh, home. You're home bro."
Leo's eyes wearily met his brothers.
"Why?"
Mikey's brow wrinkled. "Uh, what do you mean why? You're our brother Leo. No way we were leaving you with Shred-head!"
Leo tried to take a deep breath and he closed his eyes.
"N'the deal." He shook his head slightly.
Mikey's smile faded. They had all talked to Leo while he was unconscious. Explained to him what really happened. But apparently it fell on deaf ears. He either couldn't hear them or didn't want to hear them.
Mikey swallowed thickly. "Leo, what happened wasn't..."
His explanation was interrupted by Donatello walking into the room.
"Leo! You're awake!" Don smiled as he quickly approached them.
Leo blinked in confusion. His question still going unanswered.
"Mikey could you go fix some chicken broth for Leo?" Don asked.
"Right...yeah." He hesitantly walked to the door. As he passed Don he whispered. "He still thinks that there's some kind of deal."
Don sighed and nodded his head slightly. When Mikey exited the lab he turned to Leo.
"Do you think that you could eat something?"
Leo shook his head. "D'nt wan an'thing."
"I understand that not much makes sense right now. But I can explain everything."
Leo narrowed his eyes. "The deal? If I'm here....what about y-your safety?"
"The deal was false." Don started but stopped when Leo's eyes widened. He followed Leo's stare to the doorway.
Raph.
Leo scrambled to sit up. He drew in a sharp breath when the stitches pulled and his body protested every movement. His head throbbed like it had a bass drum in it.
"Leo it's OK..." Don put his hand on Leo's shoulder. He removed it quickly when Leo recoiled from the touch.
"Wh-what do you want from me?" His hoarse voice raised a bit. "I-I sacrificed so much...you were safe!" He said in between breaths.
"I don't understand!"
Raph knew he was distressing his brother. He quickly backed out of the lab, only to run into Casey.
"Where ya goin'?" Casey raised an eyebrow.
"Don's trying to get him calmed down...I just make it worse." Raph tried to push past his friend.
"He deserves to know the truth." Casey blocked Raph's retreat.
"Ya don't think that I know that?" Raph spat.
"From you." Casey crossed his arms.
"I-I can't. He won't believe me." Raph shook his head.
"Talk to him." Casey urged. "I have an idea. Just go in there and talk to him." He spun Raph around and pushed him toward the lab.
"Wow, two ideas in a row Case. You're on a roll." Raph rolled his eyes and stumbled into the lab.
Don was doing his best at explaining everything when Raph walked up to the bed.
"It wasn't Raph." Don said and he pointed to his red clad brother. "He was with Casey."
Raph nodded. "You know I would neva do that, doncha bro?"
"I thought that I-I did." Leo breathed out slowly.
Raph turned suddenly when he felt someone walk up beside him. Leo's breath hitched.
Another Raph.
"Wh-what's going on?" Leo's voice cracked in panic.
The Raph touched his belt and the image faded into Casey.
"This is what you seen." Raph explained as he handed the device to Don. "It wasn't me at all. It was foot tech."
"This is the last imaging device." Don said as threw the metal disk down and crushed it under his bo.
"Do you understand now?"
"H-how do I know that was the last device? What if you aren't real?"
Don bit his tongue. He wanted to say trust. But Leo's trust was as crushed as the device.
"We'll just have to show you that we are real." Don said. "Slowly build your trust back in your family."
Don smiled sadly when he noticed Leo's eyes starting to slide shut.
"Get some rest bro. We'll be here when you wake up." Raph whispered.
"One step at a time." Don said.
Raph and Casey nodded as they watched Leo's breath even out and he drifted to sleep.