Little Miracle

Twenty-Eight

¶Yay! I do have internet after all!¶

\Mikey's Decision/

Mikey's POV
===========

I sat down on the couch, right between Raph and Donnie, watching Space Heroes with everyone.

We had finished eating a while ago, and Leo suggested we watch a movie. Everyone looked to me for the answer, but my mind wasn't on the show, so I said the first thing that came to mind; Space Heroes.

I felt arms wrap around me and pull me to their plastron. I looked up, seeing Raph staring back down at me with a smile.

But it was forced.

Casey's words- like they had been doing ever since I had that talk with him- ran through my head.

Raph felt bad. Donnie felt bad. Leo felt bad. And according to Casey, I should tell them what happened. It would make them feel better, he says.

But... what if it doesn't? What if they feel even worse? What if they start to hate themselves? I don't want them to hate themselves, or each other.

But yet, when I was telling April some of the stuff, I felt better. I felt as though some of this weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. It felt... nice. It felt, as though for a moment, that none of the pain was there. It felt like I was simply reciting something. And after I had told April just that one part, I still felt better. I didn't and don't feel like I'll ever fully get better, but it helped.

I smiled back at Raph and snuggled deeper into his plastron, and could almost feel his genuine grin.

"Is something wrong, Mikey?" Leo asked me, and I sat up a little to look at him. "You haven't said much since... you haven't said much all day."

I frowned a little, confused as to why he did... that. Changed his sentence. Why would he do that? Was it about what happened?

Guilt made its way through my body as I realized it probably was, and he felt so bad. Anxiety coursed through me as well as I realized that I needed to make my decision soon.

To tell them or not.

I felt Raph's arms tighten around me as he pulled me closer to his plastron, and I could tell he wasn't going to let go. "Maybe he just doesn't want to talk," my red banded brother said quickly, and I caught him shoot Leo a look. "The kid's gotta right of speech."

I could feel the tension rising several degrees, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

Tension was never good. Shredder was full of tension. Tension led to pain. So much pain... so much pain...

"Mikey? Mikey? Mikey, you okay there, bro?" A familiar voice said, and I opened my eyes.

I was in the lair. I was with my family. My family was with me. Shredder's gone. He's not here. He died- I saw him die. He can't come back to get me. He can't.

"W- what? Oh, yeah, I'm okay," I mumbled, stopping myself from shaking. "Just... I'm fine."

The silence that followed was even heavier. I leaned against Raph's plastron even closer, listening to his heartbeat. It was fast; like, scared fast. Raphie was scared of something.

I relaxed and focused back on the TV, trying to ignore the looks my brothers and April and Casey were giving each other...

Ugh, this is all my fault! I shouldn't have gone down there. I should've stayed up on the roof with the others. I don't know why I even went down! They would've told me the plan at some point! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

I frowned as I realized the decision was going to come sooner than I thought. Like, I have to decide now what I'm going to do.

Keep it to myself...

...or...

...tell my brothers...

I bit my bottom lip as I battled over which to do, but I guess I already made up my mind.

I looked down army broken hands, my chest with my broken ribs, my sprained elbow, my whip marks, my bruises and cuts all along my body. I couldn't see my neck, but I still knew that my bruise was there. Not as bad as before, but bad enough.

I cleared my throat, earning the attention of everyone; especially Donnie, who was in full Doctor D. mode.

"Guys..." I began, staring at the floor, "I think I'm ready to talk now..."

¶So, so sorry for the short chapter. But I have internet, now. Also, for those who don't know, my messages DOES NOT WORK. That's why I answer questions here.¶

¶P.P.S., I did delete my other story. It was supposed to be a lesson story, one about how words really can be taken to heart, but I don't really think people got it. I also deleted it because, after I got to thinking, I realized that someone might read it and actually become depressed. Sorry to those of you who liked it.¶