Brotherly Bonds

Paint it Black

Mikey shuddered. That last one scared him the most. He took a deep breath and followed Raph into the kitchen.

Apparently, Leo was already there, nursing a cup of steaming hot tea. The second Raph stepped into the room he jumped to his feet and put on his sternest scowl.

"You should be in bed."

"Well, I ain't. I'm hungry." Raph responded, sounding every bit like his normal, sour self. He tottered over to the fridge and almost fell over. Leo jumped up and was at his side in a blink.

Donatello had told them that Raph wouldn't be completely back to his senses until about twenty-four hours had passed. For now, the hothead was groggy, slow, unbalanced, and oddly forthright, which they'd discovered when he'd first woken up this morning. When they asked him how he was feeling, instead of protesting that he was fine, he'd proceeded to supply them with a very long, whiny list of everything that was bothering him.

Leo glanced over at Mikey as the youngest entered the room. Mikey nodded and moved into the kitchen as Leo softly steered Raph away from the fridge.

"Relax, Raph. Mikey will make you something."

Raph glared at his big brother, then at Mikey. "I can do it myself." He grumbled.

Leo's mouth flattened into a thin, displeased line. "Not when you're still drugged up."

"Ugh. Fine." Raph sighed, wiggling in discomfort and scowling as Leo insisted on helping him to the table.

"What would you like to eat, Raph?" Mikey asked, trying his best to keep up a happy face.

It was a rather disconcerting shock, therefore, when Raphael, drugged and exhausted as he was, called Mikey out. "What's wrong, Mikey?"

Mikey tore his gaze away and his shook his head, "Nothing." He went to the fridge and grabbed some eggs, deciding to make French toast. "Want some French toast, Leo?"

"I'm fine, Mikey, thanks." Leo replied curtly.

Raph's eyes narrowed at his little brother. "Liar."

Leo, who felt rather like the monkey in the middle, glanced between his two younger siblings with a penetrating gaze, but other than that, decided to stay out of it.

Mikey got straight down to cooking and Raph said nothing for a while, so he assumed that he was in the clear. Unfortunately, he relaxed too soon.

"Is it cause I told you eating too much pizza will make ya fat?" Raph asked, slurring the words a little.

Mikey jumped at the unexpected question and turned away from the stove to face his brothers with wide eyes. "What? No! Shell, I'd completely forgotten about that, Raph! It was nothing you said!" He said emphatically, trying to impress upon Raph that his current mood was not the hothead's fault. Well, in a way it kinda was, but not that way! He wasn't upset with Raph, he was frustrated with himself. He felt so helpless. He had no idea what to do or say, or how to act. If his suspicions were correct, which he was ninety-nine percent sure they were, Raph was fighting an enemy greater than any he or the rest of his brothers had ever faced. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how and knowing that was tearing him apart. A loud sizzling, crackling sound met his ears and he turned around to find the French toast smoking in the pan.

"Shit." He muttered, turning off the stove watching the now blackened pan slowly simmer down.

Leo frowned and narrowed his eyes. Raph was right. Something was wrong. Mikey hadn't burnt anything since last month.

"Is it cause Leo almost got his ass kidnapped last night?" Raph grumbled, ignoring the white-hot glare Leo shot in his direction.

Mikey said nothing, still tending the pan, ignoring his older brothers for as long as he could.