A Turtle's Heart

"Hey Don, how's he doing?" Y/N asked as they entered the room. Donnie glanced over at them.

"Im not sure, x-rays show he has internal damage from how hard he was slammed on the ground," Donnie began, pausing to take a breath, "and he is incredibly weak, he will, hopefully, make it. We just have to keep a close eye on him. Raph is incredible strong and durable so that vine must have been incredibly strong, if it had done that to any of us instead... we'd probably be dead. Raph, by the looks of it, is the only one that could withstand that kind of blow."

Y/N nodded, looking over at the monitor Donnie had set up to track his pulse and such.

"Do you think I could have a minute?" Y/N walked to Raph's bedside, looking at Donnie.

"Absolutely, I'll be in my lab if you need anything," Donnie replied. He then turned and left, leaving Y/N alone with Raphael.

Y/N felt their eyes begin to water as they looked down at their unconscious boyfriend, IVs stuck in his arms to keep him stable.

"Hey Raph. Gods I hope you make it through this, I'm not sure what I'd do if you didn't." Y/N sat down on the stool Donnie had been using, pulling it close to the bed and taking Raph's hand.

"Please be okay, for me, you've got this, you can make it through," they whispered. Y/N felt tears run down their cheeks as they watched for any sign he could hear them. After a few seconds of nothing, Y/N rested their elbows on the bed and hung their head, holding Raphael's hand tightly as they began to cry.

Y/N cried by Raph's side for an hour. Mikey had come to visit Raph at one point but left upon seeing Y/N and decided not to disturb them.

Eventually Leo came to visit his older brother, his eyes obviously just as puffy and red as Y/N's, showing he had been crying as well.

"Hey Y/N, how is he?" Leo asked, sitting beside them and looking down at his older brother.

"His pulse just keeps getting weaker Leo, I'm so scared he might not make it," Y/N tried to keep their voice from shaking but it was no use. Leo took a shaky breath, trying not to cry and to be strong for his friend.

Leon wrapped his arm around Y/N, comforting them with a firm side hug. Y/N began to sob again and hugged Leo back, turning to fully embrace him. Leo felt as though he was going to cry as well.

The red eared slider returned the hug as the two began to cry for Raphael.

"Guys?" Mikey's voice was quiet and shaky as he entered the room. Y/N and Leo looked at the youngest turtle.

"Is Raph going to be okay? Dad hasn't left his room since we told him and April refuses to leave incase something happens, she says she wants to be here and Donnie is working on something to distract himself but it still really obviously crying and you guys are crying. Im worried." Mikey walked a little further into the room, holding a stuffed bear Raph had given him as a child.

"Come here little bro, Raph will be fine," Leo assured, opening his arms. Mikey ran forward, joining the hug. Leo hugged the two tightly, trying to be strong for them.

"It is late, how about we all get some sleep, let Raph have some space, he needs time to heal," Leo looked at the two in his arms. They both nodded and let go of the blue clad turtle.

"Y/N, could me and Mikey sleep in Raph's room if it's okay with you," Leo asked.

"Of course, as long as you try and get Donnie to join us, he shouldn't overwork himself, he needs rest," Y/N agreed.

"Got it, thanks Y/N, see you in a bit," Leo picked up his younger brother. Mikey retracted into his shell and the two left for the lab.

Y/N turned to Raph to wish him good night before leaving. They were shocked, however, to see his eyes open and a small smile on his face.

"Raph! You are awake! I have to go get the others!" Y/N turned but was stopped by Raph's hand grabbing their's weakly.

"No, wait," he breathed, barely audible.

Y/N stood beside Raph, a smile on their face that the turtle was awake and alive.

"Y/N. I need you to know." Raph paused to take a breath, "I love you, with all my heart,"

"I love you too, but please dont talk like you are dying, Donnie is doing his best, you will get through this. You have only been my boyfriend for like, a week or so! Im not losing you!" Y/N assured, more to themself than anything, holding his hand with both of theirs. The turtle shook his head.

"No, Y/N. I love you," Raph replied. Y/N shook their head, eyes welling up with tears again.

"You really know how to capture a turtle's heart, huh, Y/N," Raph chuckled. Y/N felt a horrible feeling in their guts as he said that, as if they knew what was about to happen.

-v^—-v^—-v^—-v^—————————————-

"No! Raph!" Y/N shouted. The monitor let out a loud, heartbreaking beep as it flatlined. Y/N felt Raphael's hand go limp in theirs as the smile on his face fell away.

Y/N let go of his hand and darted out of the room in search of Donnie. He'd be able to help.

"Donnie! Donnie! Raph flatlined! Donnie hurry you have to help him!" Y/N cried as they ran toward the lab. When they arrived, standing in the lab they found both turtles and even April trying to convince Donnie to get some sleep.

"Donnie!" Y/N caught his attention, "Raph just flatlined!"

Everyone's eyes went wide and the group ran as fast as they could back to the med bay as Mikey went to get Splinter.

Donnie began trying to bring Raph back using cardiopulmonary resuscitation. As he was working, Y/N was crying into April's shoulder as Leo hugged them both close. Splinter and Mikey entered the room and Mikey joined the hug, needing comfort. April wrapped her arm around him and let him cry into her other shoulder as she anxiously watched, tears in her own eyes.

Donnie tried to resuscitate Raphael for 20 minutes. Finally, he sat back on the stool, tears running down his face as he shook his head.

"No. No!" Y/N screamed, dropping to the ground. They curled into a ball and scooted against the wall.

Splinter began to cry like the others, his oldest son now dead, he felt incredible grief. He moved to his soft shell turtle son's side and pulled him close. Donatello sat on his knees, hugging his father tightly as he cried. Leo and April began crying as well, tightening the hug.

No one moved. No one wanted to do anything but mourn the loss of Raphael.

He was gone... and he was never coming back.