Survival

Part 10

Donatello and Michelangelo worked on ideas on how to get natural gas pumping into the building. Raphael came out to the barn where the other two were talking and joined in on the conversation.

After about half the day had gone by, Raph finally asked them, "Why don't we get a trailer hitch, and a trailer and get one of those large white gas things that we have seen in yards and take that with us?"

Donnie looked up at his older brother and told him honestly, "Raph, for starters it would be obvious of what we are doing; two, no you can not do that. Then we would have natural gas in the air around us and then we would all get sick."

Mikey tapped his pencil on the makeshift desk and looked between his brothers lost in thought. "What, about um, pipe lines?"

Looking Donnie in the eyes, he continued. "Would that work somehow?"

Mikey had been unusually serious for a couple days now. It was weird for the older three Hamato brothers to see their baby brother so serious.

Donnie looked into his little brother's blue eyes and could see that he was adamant about this idea, though he had a good point.

Leo had felt left out so he half limped into the barn and saw how quiet his brothers were being. "Is something wrong, guys?"

The three jumped, not realizing their eldest brother had entered the barn. Raph cleared his throat and said, "No, we are just thinking. Do you have any ideas, Fearless?"

Leo took the seat that Raph offered and asked them, "Well, what do you all have so far?"

Donnie told his oldest brother. "Mikey suggested tapping into pipes to get to the natural gas. Trying to get it could turn out to be harder then expected."

Mikey piped up again. "Dudes, are there any other types of explosive gases out there? If natural gas is too hard to come by, are there any others?"

Donnie could see the shock on Raph and Leo's faces. Leo spoke before Donnie had the chance to. "Did you knock something in place or something? Because you're really coming through thinking of ideas and not goofing off."

Mikey frowned and told his oldest brother in a hurt tone, "I do know when to be serious Leo. I am not as stupid as you may think I am. At least one of you guys appreciate my ideas so far."

Leo rolled his eyes and said, "Mikey, that's not what I meant. I am just saying that..."

"That I am a goof off? Is that it, Leo? A stupid goof off? Is that how you really think of me? Do you know how hard I am trying to control myself? Yes, there are times that I do not even try. It's killing me to sit still right now, but Donnie's been teaching me to control my thoughts and it is working. Right now I am trying so hard and you do not even give a damn!"

With that said Mikey got up, throwing the pencil he had in his hand aside and stormed out of the barn not bothering to look back. Raph looked at his oldest brother and with a nod from Donnie, whacked the leader over the head, hard enough he nearly made him fall off his perch.

"Leo, you're the idiot here. Mikey was actually doing some good, thinkin of all these good ideas. Ya had ta go and open yer big mouth. No, he is not the smartest one of us, but he does have feelings, an ya just hurt 'em. He didn't do nothin wrong, now yer gonna go get his ass and haul it back in here, an I don't care if ya have ta drag 'em back in here. We need his ideas."

Leo rubbed the back of his head and stood up, taking a hold of his crutch, he walked out of the barn. He knew he asked for that, and the no nonsense tone in Raph's voice left no room for argument. Leo hobbled out of the barn in search of his baby brother.