Brotherly Bonds

Don't let it get to ya

This one's a little bit of a change of pace. It's a little more Don-centric with a dash of Raph-big-brother-ness. It's kind of a 'what happened after' scenario for TMNT 2012 Season 3 Episode 23: The Fourfold Trap. Enjoy!

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As soon as they got back to the lair Donatello headed straight for the lab. There was really no point in analyzing the brain worm now. After what had just happened with Karai, it seemed pointless to even keep trying. Even more pointless than it had been earlier...

Donnie, you know how much this means to Sensei!

Leo, I'm trying as hard as I can.

Well, try harder!

Try harder!

Try harder!

Try harder!

Try harder!

Try harder!

Try harder!

He looked over at his equipment, hesitantly. All the data and calculations were there. He'd written it all out. He'd formed a hypothesis, he'd controlled the experiment, he'd concocted a solution, and he'd tested it out. But it was all for naught. He had nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Try harder!

Don sat down at his desk with his shoulders slouched, and his head in his hands. He gnawed on his lip distractedly as he allowed his thoughts to stray. Any further work on the brainworm would be pointless. He'd tried everything, but somehow everything was no longer enough. He had to do more. He had to come up with something else.

What is that, Donnie?

I don't know.

Well, can't you like analyze it or something?

They're always asking me, he thought, always counting on me. But someday...I won't be enough. They'll ask me a question and I won't know. They'll ask me to do something that can't be done. They already have. There's nothing I can do. I can't do everything. It isn't fair!

Donnie! Raph's been bitten by a giant poisonous robotic fish!

His blood ran cold and a shiver traveled down his spine. Of all the things they'd had to face since they're first trip to the surface, that one had scared him a way that no other ever had. Everything was riding on his ability to create an antidote. Donatello was a scientist, yes, but he wasn't a doctor by any means. His experience with venom and antitoxins was precious little. His brothers didn't know that. And Don was determined to keep that way. He'd rather they never knew how close they came to losing Raphael that day. Thankfully, despite his lack of experience, his vast knowledge had pushed him through. He'd done all he could, and luckily, everything had turned out alright.

Come on, we gotta get him back to the lab!

You really think you can save Raph?

Honestly, I don't know, Leo.

Yet again, all the pressure had been on him. He was the one who had to save his brother. He'd crossed his fingers and hoped that nothing went horribly wrong. They'd already lost Sensei, and they'd almost lost Leo. They couldn't lose Raph. Another loss would have destroyed them. The only thing that had kept him going through the night was the simple thought: I can't lose another one.

Speaking of Leo...

Not a day went by where Donnie didn't pause to thank whatever goodness there was in the world that had kept his brother alive. Not only alive, but well enough to recover fully from the injuries that had been dealt. Like Donnie said, he was a scientist, not a doctor.