Slash's Revenge

Chapter 39 - A Lack of Compassion

*Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

*Author's Notes: A new chapter of 'Slash's Revenge' is here! I sure hope you're all ready for it.

I want to thank every one of you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support. It just means so much to me. You are all amazing.

Let's get right into the chapter, before I get too sentimental here... 😊

CJ

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Chapter 39 – A Lack of Compassion

"That's it, D. Just four more to go and you're done for the day. You got this, bro."

Donatello had to bite his tongue for fear of saying something he'd later regret. He knew his baby brother was only trying to help, but Mikey wasn't the one in extreme pain.

The rather intense physical therapy regimen Master Splinter had developed to get Donatello back into shape was far more difficult than the genius turtle had anticipated. Sure, he had realized there would be some discomfort involved. But this? So soon? Donatello hated to admit it, but right about now, he much preferred being bedridden over this. Having his family wait on him hand and foot felt a heck of a lot better than doing therapy.

Gritting his teeth through the agony, Donatello somehow managed to get through the last four repetitions of the exercise routine before promptly collapsing into a heap on the Dojo floor. His whole body ached something awful, but his wounded shoulder was making the loudest protest. Maybe that was because Master Splinter had focused most of his rehabilitation program on regaining mobility in Donatello's left arm. Of all his injuries, the shoulder was proving to be the most difficult to heal. After ten days' worth of resting the arm, Donatello still could barely lift it above his chest. Not for lack of trying. The limb just wouldn't cooperate, much to the wounded turtle's continued frustration.

Master Splinter helped Donatello into a sitting position and carefully slipped the intellectual turtle's arm back into its sling. The arm was definitely showing some signs of improvement, but not so much that it didn't require the aid of the sling.

"You did well, my son. How do you feel?"

Unable to hide a telltale grimace, Donatello clutched his injured shoulder with his right hand, hoping the added pressure might help relieve the pain.

No such luck...

"Like I just got hit by a double-decker bus."

Mikey's round face showed sympathy, while at the same time, his eyes lit up with his trademark enthusiasm. "That's how you know it's working. Right, Sensei?"

A wan smile was Master Splinter's silent response to his youngest son's inquiry. The father then turned his attention back to Donatello. "Perhaps we pushed too much, too soon." There was a slight pang of guilt in Master Splinter's voice that the genius turtle hadn't expected to hear.

"No. I'll be all right. I'm just a little sore, is all." Donatello couldn't believe the words that had just come out of his mouth. Here, he'd been provided with the perfect opportunity to possibly ease up on his physical therapy and he had turned it down flat.

Maybe all the repeated blows to the head he had received courtesy of Slash had done more damage than Donatello had initially thought. That could be the only possible explanation for why the supposedly genius turtle had passed up his father's generous offer.

Donatello opened his mouth, fully intent on retracting his previous two statements, but not a single sound came out of his parched throat. That was because he suddenly found himself distracted by the sight of Raphael staring down at him from several feet away. The red-masked turtle's normally fierce green eyes were dulled by remorse while his lips formed a heavy frown.