You're Needed Here Now, Donnie

Chapter 16 - Painful Reminders

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

*Author's Notes: Chapter 16 of 'You're Needed Here Now, Donnie' is here and this chapter may contain moments of angst and brotherly fluff . . . Consider yourself warned.

Thank you so much to all of my followers and to everyone that has taken the time to read this story and share your comments with me. It really means a lot to me. ;) CJ

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Chapter 16 - Painful Reminders

Just as Leo's unseen tears began to seep down, Raphael finally knelt down beside his brothers, taking a spot on the opposite side of Donnie as Mikey was sitting. The red-clad turtle had not spoken a word since entering the Dojo. All he had been able to do was stare down at the raw abrasions around Donnie's wrists while he silently stood behind Mikey like a statue, too mortified to talk for fear of losing it.

Once beside his injured brother, Raphael lifted Donnie's unoccupied hand up off of the straw mat that the genius was lying on. Raph clasped his younger brother's limp hand in his own hands, similar to what Mikey was doing with Donnie's other hand. All the while, the hotheaded turtle continued to stare at Donnie's wrist. He gently rubbed his fingertips against the ligature marks that circled his brainy brother's arm.

He couldn't take his eyes off of those marks, just as he hadn't been able to when they had returned to the lair after escaping Karai's traps that fateful night . . .

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After having stormed out because Raph was being such a difficult patient, a much calmer Donnie reentered the laboratory carrying a water jug filled to the brim in one hand while his other hand was tightly closed around something small enough to be completely concealed in his palm. Raph noticed that Donnie's tongue was curled up over his upper lip as he concentrated on not dropping the contents in his hands. It was kind of cute, in a hopeless, nerdy sort of way. Of course, Raph would never own up to thinking something along that line. His brothers would never let him live something like that down.

"And here we go. Now, I want you take both of these tablets with this whole container of water. And I mean the whole container; not just part of it. You were exposed to extreme temperatures for a prolonged period of time so we need to keep you hydrated. Once you drink that, then, you should go straight to bed and get some rest," Donnie instructed in his 'Doctor's orders' tone that they all knew better than to trifle with, for fear of ticking the genius off. Donnie didn't get out-and-out mad very often, but when he did . . . look out.

Raph rolled his eyes for about the fifteenth time in the last five minutes. He was seriously contemplating telling Donnie where to shove that container of water, but ultimately decided against it. He had to remind himself that his brother was only trying to help him, even if he was being a regular pain in the shell.

Holding his arm out towards Raph, Donnie pivoted his wrist so that his hand was palm-side up as he unfurled his fingers to present the aforementioned tablets.

It was then that Raph noticed the marred skin around his brother's lower arms.

"Donnie, what the heck did they do to you? Look at your arms!" Raph grunted and his temper flared at the mere thought of someone abusing his shy and peaceful brother like that.

Donnie jumped a little, startled by the bark in Raph's tone.

"Wh – what?" Donnie's voice squeaked out as he peered down at his lower arms. He quickly spotted what his older brother had been referring to and his cheeks flushed with red over the attention that he was drawing over some minor scrapes and burns.