Slash's Revenge

Chapter 24 - The Hardest Part

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

*Author's Notes: Here's chapter 24 of 'Slash's Revenge' and it's yet another angsty one. Sorry about the long wait for this update. Real life got in the way.

I hope everyone likes the new chapter. Thanks so much to all of you for reading. ;)

CJ

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Chapter 24 – The Hardest Part

The main living space of the lair suddenly felt like a hospital waiting room; the air heavy and thick with despair. Three out of the five teenagers occupying the space were slouched over on the couch with their head in their hands. The two other youths restlessly paced up and down the floors, as if trying to rut grooves in the concrete below their feet.

A very distraught-looking Michelangelo was currently sitting inches away from April, while Leonardo took root on the opposite side of the couch. The leader was pretty sure his baby brother had purposely sat as far away from him as possible because he was still upset about earlier, but Leo chose not to say anything about it. Actually, no one had spoken a word since Master Splinter had carried Donatello inside the Dojo about an hour ago.

After they had tended to the majority of Donnie's wounds, given him a strong dose of antibiotics, and even managed to remove the collar from his hideously bruised neck, Master Splinter rather bluntly announced that he was bringing Donatello to the Dojo for further treatment. No additional details followed, other than Sensei was not to be disturbed under any circumstances. Then, they had all watched on helplessly as Master Splinter cradled Donnie's frail body against his own and whisked him away. From there, the five exhausted teenagers had trudged out of the lab into the heart of the lair to simply wait for an update.

Never before had an hour dragged on for so long.

Each of them was struggling to cope with the situation. Mikey and April had taken turns at trying to comfort one another, Leo kept sighing like he was losing air, and Casey and Raph were doing laps around the room. None of them knew what else to do.

The words 'Donnie's dying' kept repeating inside their brains.

Another tormented wail emanated from the Dojo. It was the fifth one they had heard during the past few minutes and each one seemed more agonizing than the last. All eyes were once again focused on the shoji screens that kept them from seeing inside but did nothing to muffle Donatello's cries of pain.

Some of the teenagers were able to hold back their tears, but rough and tough Raphael could not. Hearing his little brother suffer was just too much.

"I don't get it! Why the heck can't we go in there?"

Though Leonardo was just as tempted to go charging inside the Dojo as his hotheaded brother, he couldn't forget his father's words...

"I need you to watch over the others and make sure they stay outside of the Dojo until I am finished."

"This is something I must do alone. The procedure requires complete concentration and I cannot afford any possible distractions."

Out of a sense of moral obligation, Leo chose to defend his father's actions rather than do something rash he might later regret.

He had to have faith in Master Splinter...

"I am asking you to trust me."

"Your brother's condition is very critical. There is a possibility that the infection may be too far along for even the mantras to save him, but I assure you I will do everything in my power to bring him back."