Splinter kept a vigil by Raphael all night long. Even though he was tired he stayed alert to ensure Raphael's survival through the many hours of unconscious. About 4 in the morning, Splinter noticed a change in Raphael. Raphael moved a little. He groaned softly as he started to come into consciousness. Splinter felt relief stream through his body.
Raphael opened his eyes a crack and saw the caring eyes of Splinter looking down on him.
"What's going on, master?" Raphael mumbled.
"You were seriously injured, Raphael. You need to get some rest."
"What?" Raphael said with confusion.
"I suppose I better get Donatello up so he can make sure you're all right. I'll be right back."
Splinter rose from Raphael's side and walked in the direction of Donatello's room when he was stopped by Leonardo. Leonardo looked at Splinter then towards the Den.
"Master Splinter, I heard some noise, is Raph okay?"
Splinter gave him a concerned look. Leonardo looked exhausted. "Haven't you been sleeping?"
"I tried but I just couldn't stop thinking about Raph." Splinter placed his hand on Leo's shoulder.
"He just woke up. I'm sure he'll be all right now."
"Oh, good." Leo said with a sigh of relief. Even though he was relieved that Raph was all right he still felt that something was wrong. The way that Raph had been acting lately bothered him.
Splinter could sense that Leonardo was concerned about something but now was not a good time to discuss it.
"Leonardo, why don't you keep Raphael company while I get Donatello."
"Yes, Master Splinter." Leo walked into the Den and knelt down by Raph's side.
"Raph, are you all right?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine Leo."
"Do you remember what happened?"
"Leo, nothing happened. Okay." Raphael was frustrated because he had no idea what anybody was talking about. He became aware of a pain on his thigh and noticed a large bandage on it. Leo noticed Raph eying the bandage.
"Well then, how did you get that?" Raphael looked at it and could vaguely remember getting stabbed but an image of a broken mirror was more clear in his head.
"I cut myself from the glass of the mirror in the bathroom, Leo. I don't really want to talk about it." Leo looked strangely at his brother. Why did Raph think that a mirror cut him?
Just then Splinter came back into the room followed by Michaelangelo and Donatello.
"Hey, Raph. You're finally up" Mikey said with a smile on his face.
"I better take a look at you."
"Donnie, I'm fine, okay. I just cut myself on some glass."
"Um... Raph that wound looked more like the work of a knife." Don sat down next to Raph.
"I would know if I was stabbed, Don" Raphael said grumpily. Don looked slightly confused.
"Could you tell me what happened to you, Raph?"
"There's not much to it. I smashed a mirror and the glass cut my thigh. It's not a big deal."
"Hmm..." Don said as he examined his wound to make sure it had stopped bleeding.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Raph said angrily. Don looked up.
"Ummm... nothing, Raph. Just relax."
"How can I relax when everybody keeps overacting over a stupid cut?"
"I think you should rest, Raph. If you want, I could give you something to ease the pain of the cut."
"I don't need anything for a stupid little cut. I wish you guys would stop babying me."
"All right, Raph. Just get some sleep, okay?" Don ushered everybody out of the room.
"Goodnight, Raph" Mikey said.
"What's wrong with him, Don? Why can't he remember anything?" Leo asked with concern.
"He probably can't remember what happened because it was a stressful situation for him and he was knocked out unconscious for quite some time. I think he's just trying to make an excuse to explain everything. He just needs some rest to clear his mind so we can help him understand what happened."
"Will he ever remember?" Mike said in a small voice.
"It might come back to him but he probably won't remember all the details. It'll just be pieces of the puzzle."
"I will watch him tonight. I want the rest of you to go back to bed now. I will wake you up if anything happens."
"Yes, Master Splinter." None of them really wanted to go to bed but they knew that Splinter was not one to disagree with.
Splinter shook his head at them. They worried him sometimes.
"Goodnight, my sons. Please get some rest." he said as the three brothers walked towards their rooms. Splinter went back to Raphael's side. He had already fallen asleep.
Splinter looked at Raph. Raph had a peaceful look on his face. Splinter sighed to himself.
"You just have to be my most difficult son, don't you?" Splinter whispered as he rubbed his hand on Raph's forehead.
Two weeks passed since Raph's injury. He was doing much better but not as well as he should've. He still couldn't remember what happened to him and his bruises weren't healing very well. Leo still felt worried about Raph. Even though Raphael appeared to be getting better, Leo could sense that he was getting worse in another way.
"Master Splinter, I'm worried about Raphael. I know that he's getting better but I think something's wrong."
"I have sensed this too, my son. I can sense that Raphael is not well."
"What do you think is wrong with him?"
"That, I don't know but we must watch over him to make sure he is okay."
"I just wish I could figure out what's wrong with him, Master. I think I'm going to talk to Donatello and Michaelangelo and see what they think."
Donatello and Michaelangelo were in the living room watching TV. They didn't even notice Leo walk in.
"Where's Raphael?"
"I don't know" Mikey said half listening.
"You know, Raphael is hardly ever around anymore" Leo said with concern.
"That's not unusual for Raph" said Don.
"I know that he's gone a lot but not this much. I hardly ever see him anymore. I'm worried about him."
"Dude, you're always worried."
"No, I'm not." Leo said defensively. He thought about this for a minute.
"Okay, so I get worried a lot but aren't my concerns always right?"
"Well, sometimes they have just cause but other times you're worried over nothing and I think today is one of those days."
"Well, I don't, guys. I truly do believe that there is something going on with Raphael and I intend to find out."
"Raphael's had a hard week. His behavior is understandable. Just give him some time Leo" Don said. Leo sighed in frustration and walked out of the lair.
"He's on a mission." Mikey said to Don. Don worriedly looked towards the exit. Why was Leo so worried about Raph? Was there something that he was missing. His thoughts were interrupted by Mikey laughing at something on TV.
Raphael walked along the shadows of the alley. Even after two weeks, he still didn't know what happened. His life just seemed to be so strange. He couldn't understand it anymore. Leo told him that he had been attacked by a gang and stabbed in the thigh. Michaelangelo told him that the night he woke up, he told everybody that he cut it with a shard of glass. He didn't remember any of this.
His body still ached all over from cuts and bruises. His thigh was slowly on the mend but still hurt quite a bit. Don told him that he should try not to over strain himself by walking around too much. He should only walk so much a day. Despite the advice and the pain from his thigh, he continued to wonder around, trying to put the pieces back together. He wanted to figure everything out so badly.
Leonardo walked in the sewers for about an hour trying to clear his mind. Why were Don and Mike so skeptical of him? Maybe they were right.
"I tend to worry too much over nothing. I mean, Raph is recovering from an injury, of course he's not going to be himself. He can't even remember what happened." Leo stopped walking for a second.
"Why am I talking to myself?"
"Cause you're worried and nobody else will listen except Splinter." he said to himself.
"Hmmm...that's true."
Leonardo returned to the lair after clearing his mind from the walk.
Raphael returned to the lair early the next morning. He was tired from staying up all night.
Leonardo was sitting in the kitchen.
"What are you doing up so early, Leo."
"Thinking."
"Well, I guess that makes the two of us." Leo looked up at Raph in shock. He just thought that Raph would say something like "Not practicing, ninja geek?."
Raphael noticed a pot of coffee that Leo had brewed. He took a cup and pored himself some.
"Normally, I don't drink the stuff but I could really use it right now."
"Oh." Leo wasn't sure what to say to Raph. A brief silence followed.
"How's that wound of yours healing?"
"Fine, Leo." Raph said in a gruff voice.
"I was just wondering." Leo said quietly and looked down at his cup. Raphael looked like he wanted to say something but didn't.
They sat there in an uncomfortable silence that seemed to last an eternity until Raph finally spoke.
"Leo, I wish I could understand my life. I can't remember anything that happened when I got attacked. I don't even feel like myself anymore." Leo looked at Raphael with surprise. He's never this open. Raphael looked away from Leo. He got up and left the room. At that point, Leo knew that there was something wrong with Raphael.
The next day, Donatello decided he'd better check on Raphael's injuries to make sure they were healing right.
"I don't think this is really necessary, Don. I feel fine."
"Well, I have to check them. I also need to make sure that the cut in your thigh is healing like it should after I took the stitches out last week." Don removed the bandages and examined the wound.
"It seems to be doing all right. Just remember to not strain it too much so the skin won't rip open."
"Yeah, Yeah, Donnie. I'll be careful. Can I go now?" Donatello looked at Raphael. His skin was a little pale and the bruises didn't seem to be healing very fast.
"Raph, are you feeling okay because you don't exactly look so good."
"What, Donnie? I feel as good as somebody who has been stabbed can feel."
"There just doesn't seem to be something right here." Don rubbed his hand on his chin as he was thinking. Maybe Leo was right. Something was wrong.
"I think I better do a blood test to make sure you're okay." Don finally said.
"Don, I don't need you to be sticking a needle in me. I'm fine."
"I really do think that I need to get some blood from you Raphael. It won't take very long."
"Okay" Raphael grumbled as he extended his arm. He hated needles. Donatello drew some blood and labeled the vial.
"There that wasn't so bad."
"Well, you weren't the one getting a needle stuck in your arm." Donatello gave Raph an amused look.
"Well, you're free to go now."
"Good. I don't particularly enjoy being pricked and prodded."
"I'm sure there are many that would agree with you but it has to be done."
"Well, I don't think it does." Raphael got up and left Don's lab.
Don was left to himself to ponder over Raphael's condition. He had a bad feeling about all of this. Raphael was still sick in some sort of way. He looked at the vile in his hand.
"I hope this blood gives me an insight on what's going on." Don had a feeling about what was ailing Raph but didn't want to think about it. It seemed too terrible to think about.
"Insight on what?" Leo asked. Leo stood in the doorway. Don turned around in shock and looked at Leo. Leo gave Don a concerned look.
"Is there something wrong with Raphael?"
Don looked down at his feet and took a deep breathe. His stomach churned at the thought.
End of Chapter 3
Chapter 4 coming soon!