Burnout

Poltergeist

Suddenly, there wasn't nothing anymore and I opened my eyes. How was I still alive? Nothing hurt anymore, so they must've given me more morphine. I looked up at the machine to notice it'd been unplugged. Why'd they unplug it if I was still in the bed? That could be dangerous if I were to flatline again since they wouldn't know. I could hear Mikey crying, he must've been scared sick to see that kind of thing, I needed to go comfort him. I got up from the bed with ease and carefully walked up to him. 

"It's not fair! All I want is my brother!" He was sobbing, which broke my heart.

"It's ok, Mikey, I'm here now." I went to hug him, but my arms went through. "Wha-" I was dead and the afterlife was real?! "Mikey, can you hear me?" I waved my hand in front of his face, but nothing happened. All he did was lay his head onto his knees and cry. I heard Leo say something to comfort him and they hugged each other while I heard footsteps running to the room.

"Did someone hear Donnie?!" Raph looked panicked, but as if he were getting his hopes up. Could he hear me?

"No? Raph, are you alright?" Leo stood up and put a hand on Raph's shoulder.

"Yeah, 'm fine." He brushed Leo's hand away and folded his arms. "I'm gonna go ahead and, uh, y'know, say goodbye." He walked into my lab. 

"Raph! Can you hear me?!" I made sure to yell so it could be louder. He looked around.

"I swear I heard him! I'm not crazy!" April walked in and looked at him.

"Heard who?" She looked sad but curious.

"Donnie, I heard him!"

"Raph, look over there. Look at him. Do you think he's talking anytime soon?" She turned on a light and pointed at... me? Him? My body? It was confusing to word and would take some getting used to. "What, do you wanna check his pulse again? Want me to shake him to try to wake him up or something? He's not coming back! God, why do you have to be such a jerk! It's not funny!"

"But it wasn't-!"

"I don't care anymore! I don't want to hear your excuses! You killed your brother, you killed my friend! You didn't even think! And who cares if you thought it was a stranger?! He wasn't attacking and you still stabbed him! Why didn't you think to, I dunno, think about the fact that that was a living person?!"

"I wasn't thinking, okay?!"

"Yeah, that's why we needed Donnie! He did enough thinking for the both of you so you could keep being a meathead!" She shoved him and he didn't do anything back. "I can't believe I even tried to give you a chance to redeem yourself or something. I'm outta here." She stormed off, leaving him by himself. He held my body's limp hand and began to talk to it.

"Hey Don, I'm sorry about that. You shouldn't have to hear us arguing, I know it's scary." He was talking the way he used to when we were younger and he and Leo were arguing. "We just... didn't see eye to eye at that point, but it'll be ok. We'll get you feeling better in no time, buddy. You're gettin a little cold there. Here, let me wrap you up." He wrapped my body in the blanket and held it in his lap, rocking it slightly. He was clearly in denial, but it was nice to hear someone talking with me again. I saw my letter still sitting there on the table, untouched. Maybe they hadn't seen it? Or maybe they read it without touching it? Either way, they'd find it eventually. I wondered what my lab would turn into once they'd cleared my things out as Splinter walked into the room.

"Raphael, put him down. We'll give him a proper burial soon." His voice sounded the way it did when he talked about his dead wife and child.

"Burial?! You're not burying Donnie, he won't be able to breathe! You've gotta give him a chance to get better!" It hurt to see him not realizing I wasn't there anymore, maybe talking as a ghost was pushing him farther into denial? "I've heard him talk twice now! He's just a little cold and tired is all!"