TMNT: One Small Turtle: Lab Partners

Mikey loved watching Donnie work in his lab. Now that he was older Donnie allowed him to help him more when he was paying attention. Mikey was lost when it came to all the science. He did not share the science passion, but the fact he showed an interest in what he did meant a lot to him. It was something Leo and Raph teased him for it, but Mikey showed a genuine interest.

Donnie pulled on his lab coat and placed his googles on the top of his head. Mikey crossed his arms and looked at Donnie. “An assistant need a lab coat too!” he complained

“Yes, yes, I have just the right one for you. Donnie crossed the room to his closet. “This was my lab coat when I was your age,” he said handing the coat to Mikey.

The seven-year-old turtle slipped the coat on and looked to his brother, “How do I look?” he asked.

Donnie scrunched up his face, “Something is missing,” he said.

“What is it?”

“I know!” Donnie went into a desk draw and pulled out his spare set of goggles and fit them to Mikey’s head, “now that perfect!” Donnie smiled.

Donnie set a step stool next to his taller table for Mikey to stand on. Mikey looked to his brother, “what ya doing today?” Mikey asked.

“Just some experiments, test out reaction levels and....just some experiments,” Donnie ended see his brother lose interest. “Can you hand me the blue test tube on the left?”

Mikey nodded reaching for blue test tube on the right. Donnie did not question the blue liquid, Mikey was seven he knew his left and rights. Mikey stood close to the beaker. Donnie poured the liquid, but out of the corner of his eye he saw the blue test tube resting in it’s spot on the left side, making the one he just added the blue liquid from the right. Before he could get Mikey out of the way before the explosion went off sending the two turtles flying. The room filled with flames.

Leo who was watching TV and Raph who was reading a comic book both jumped up, Splinter who was in his room was not far behind.

“Raphael the fire extinguisher, Leonardo buckets of water. Splinter went to Donatello’s work table to put out the chemical fire, while Raph tried to find his two brothers. Raph searched the room frantically until he nearly tripped over something, well someone; it was Donnie. Raph easily picked up his brother and carried him out of the room. Leo came in with the water while Splinter frantically searched his youngest son. He found and over turned bookcase, he turned his head, “Leonardo!” he yelled out. Leo ran to his father, lift the bookcase I believe Michelangelo is below it.” Leo lifted the bookcase while Splinter bent down to pull his son out.

Leo and Splinter met Raph who was trying to clean Donnie’s injuries. He was holding tweezers in his hand pulling out glass while Donnie’s hands were wrapped in wet cloths, “he hasn’t woken up, his hands have burns on them and he is covered in glass and cuts,” Raph reported as Splinter walked in with Mikey in his arms, looking very limp. Splinter laid Mikey next to Donatello and un wrapped the cloths on Donnie’s hands. His burns ranged from first degree to second degree burns, he could see blisters, and redness, a few spot he could even see the dermis. He just hope he did not suffer any major head injuries. There was no visual injury but that did not mean one was not present.

Splinter cleaned his son’s hands and then wrapped them, Leonardo was checking over Mikey.

Donnie slowly started to wake up. Donnie started to gasp in pain, his hands were shaking, “MIKEY!” he yelled bolting up right bringing his hand to chest.

“Donatello!” Splinter called out, “I need you to relax.” Splinter remembered back to the time five years ago when Leonardo and Raphael brought him home with stab wound close to his heart. Splinter always feared there was more to that injury then he knew, since that day he worried about his former youngest son’s heart.

“No!...explosion...Mikey....” Donnie’s eyes rolled into his head and he collapsed into Raph’s arms.

“Shell Donnie wake up!” Raph said gently shaking his brother.

“Oh my Donatello, what happened in there?” Splinter stoked his son’s head, “let me check Michelangelo.”

“He has a cut on the back of his head and I think his arm may be broken,” Leo reported holding his blue mask to the back of Mikey’s head, “what scares me he has not moved or reacted to anything,” Leo said, “he is so limp.”

Splinter took Mikey back into his arms, being sure to support his neck,

“I would still like Michelangelo and Donatello in the same room so we may care for them,” Splinter said looking at his two sons.

“Donnie still has the extra cot in his room, from when Mikey refused to sleep in his room because he thought there was a monster under his bed,” Leo said.
----
Splinter kept vigil by his two son’s beds. He has half sleeping when Donatello woke up, “easy my son,” Splinter said helping him sit up.

“Wha’ happened?” he asked looking at his banged hands.

Splinter looked at his son and placed a paw on his hand, “there was an explosion--”

“MIKEY!” Donnie shouted remembering what happened.

“We got him out,” Splinter said. Donnie noticed the cot on the other side of Splinter with the sleeping Mikey in it. Donnie jumped to his feet to see his brother motionless on the bed, “Donatello your heart!” Splinter cried. His son’s heart had never given him a reason to be concerned, but ever since the accident Splinter was worried for his son’s health. With meditation he remained calmed in a fight even.

“My heart is fine unlike Mikey!” Donnie snapped, “I test myself every six months,” Donnie confessed for the first time, “did anything survive the explosion? I need to run tests.”

Splinter tried to hold his son down, “you are injured too my son.”

Donnie looked at his hands and he saw the scratches on his arms, “I should double checked,” he sighed, “please sensei, can I see Mikey?”

Splinter nodded and helped Donnie to feet, he was still slightly dizzy. Donnie looked at his brother, his head was wrapped just up to his eyes, his arm was also wrapped up, and his neck looked like it was in a brace, he was also covered in cuts and bruises, “sorry Mikey,” Donnie placed a bandaged hand on his brother’s bandaged head. Donnie slowly turned to his father, “has he moved?” hearing no response from his father Donnie hung his head, “his neck--”

“It’s not broken,” Splinter said, “we are just being safe.”

“What happened...to him...”

“We found him across the room, he was under the bookcase.”

“I should have paid more attention...”

“Donatello, what happened?” Splinter said.

“I asked Mikey for something, but he confused his left and right and I did not notice,” Donnie said hanging his head, “the substances are both blue, with only a slight shade difference.”

“Donatello is was a mistake, you trusted your brother knew his left and right apart.”

“A mistake that hurt us! We could have been killed!” Donnie stopped and held his head he was getting dizzy.

“Donatello!” Splinter called out, he watched as his son’s eyes slide out of focus and fall to his side.

Donnie rubbed his head and sat up, “I’m okay, think it’s just a concussion.”

“Donatello, please rest---”

“Not until Mikey wakes up,” Donnie said picked up Mikey’s hand, “please squeeze my hand.” Donnie knelt down keeping his brother’s hand in his and that is how he slept.

When Donnie woke up he refused to let go of Mikey’s hand, waiting for his brother to squeeze his hand.

“Donnie,” Leo called, “you hungry?”

“No,” Donnie said.

“You need to eat,” Leo pressed.

“Once--”

“Donnie, please eat for me,” Leo said. Leo sighed, “I will hold Mikey’s hand while you eat.”

Donnie looked up at Leo with sad eyes, “okay.” Donnie ate his lunch with one eye on Leo and Mikey.

“Donnie!” Leo called, “Mikey is starting to wake up!”

Mikey looked around the room, his eyes were glossy.

“Mikey can you squeeze my hand?” Mikey’s hand lightly squeezed Donnie’s hand. Donnie let out a sigh of relief, Mikey’s neck was not broken.

“N-Nie?” Mikey asked.

“Sorry Mikey, I thought you’re....neck....was....br-broken.....”

Mikey’s hand slowly touched the brace on his neck. Then he looked at Donnie’s hands, “you’re hand okay?”

Donnie nodded, “yeah they will be. How is your neck? Is it sore?”

“A little,” Mikey said.

Donnie looked at his bandaged hands, “Leo I need you to un wrap them. I need to some test and I need my hands.”

Leo hesitated, but listened to his brother. Donnie pulled back the sheet at Mikey’s feet. He took his brother’s foot in both his hands, “can you feel this?” he asked pressing his thumbs lightly into  the bottom of his brother’s feet.

“Yeah,” Mikey said.

“Now can you wiggle your toes?” Donnie smiled as Mikey wiggled his toes, “perfect,” he said, “Mikey you are going to have to rest, you got hurt badly.”

“You need rest too,” Mikey said pointing to Donnie’s hands and arms.

“I can rest know that I know you are okay,” Donnie said.
----
Donnie stepped into his lab, it had been two months since the accident. Donnie’s arms had healed. Mikey healed up nicely as well, he just had to be carful when he fell asleep so he would not get a stiff neck.

Splinter, Leo, and Raph did  a good job putting his lab back together. Donnie pulled his googles on and began to start working again. He heard Mikey entering the room slowly.

Mikey stood up on his tip-toes, “What cha’ doing Nie?” Mikey asked.

Donnie smiled and held up a bottle of food coloring, “juts making sure,” he said.

“Me too,” Mikey said showing Donnie a sloppily written ‘L’ on his left hand and an ‘R’ on his right.

“You ready lab partner?” Donnie asked holding out a lab coat.

“Ready!’ Mikey said pulling on the lab coat.