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Raph could feel someone touching him again. It must have been the hundredth time someone had woken him by touching him and fussing, he was sick of it! A low growl escaped his throat, the hands stopped fussing. He felt one move to his neck. In the same place as where Leo had- Oh no! Raph's own hand flew out from under the covers, swatting the hand away from the pressure point.

For once he had woken up not feeling like crap, a little grumpy from all the prodding while he was trying to sleep, but feeling a little better than he had before. One of his eyes lazily slid open to glare at whoever had disturbed him, only to find Leo looking down on him in amusement. Raph couldn't help but groan, annoyed with the turtle.

Speaking of annoying turtles, where was Mikey? He looked around the room. The cat was gone, the TV was off, there were no bowls on the table... It was just him and Leo.

"Did you sleep well?" He heard Leo ask, interrupting his search for the orange turtle.

"Ahh... Sometimes.." He said, his throat feeling a little dry. "When people weren't touching me.."

Leo just smiled some stupid smile. As if his answer was typical. Raph wasn't even sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Thankfully, your fever broke again and is low." Leo mentioned, taking a seat next to Raph.

Raph moved, feeling uncomfortable with being so close to the turtle. He forced himself to sit up. Leo didn't stop him or anything. Good. He didn't want to be told what to do.

"How's Don?" He asked, hoping the turtle actually got some sleep after Raph left.

"Fuming." Leo said with a slight sigh. "He wasn't pleased we had allowed you out of bed. He was less pleased when he had found out he had missed your fit a few days ago."

Raph rolled his eyes. Leo made it sound like his 'fit' was something like an event.

"Next time I'll sell tickets." He muttered sourly just as something clicked. "Hold on.. A few days ago?"

Raph was frowning at Leo. Surely he hadn't been asleep that long, right?

"You've been asleep for a while." Leo explained, unfazed by the amount of time he had slept. "Don was getting worried, but it wouldn't be the first time you had lost a few days when recovering. Sleep is good for you anyway, it helps you heal faster."

Raph wasn't sure if it was as okay as Leo seemed to think it was. Leo didn't seem to be the type to joke like Mikey, so he wasn't trying to be funny, right?

"Raph?" Leo said, obviously sensing that Raph was still a little confused. "Seriously, it's okay. Your fever is down, some of your cuts have healed, and you don't look anywhere near as tired as the last time you were up. The sleep did you a world of good."

Raph nodded slowly, finding himself inspecting himself. Leo was right, some of his cuts and bruises were healing really well. Some were practically gone. Some of the worse injures, like the crack in his plastron, didn't hurt too much when he moved. He was healing, he was going to be okay..

"LEO?!" Came a rather overdramatic cry. "Why didn't you tell me he was awake?! I could have been cooking him something."

Raph glanced over to see Mikey, looking as if he had been betrayed by the act. Was this guy always so over dramatic and loud? He'd been awake barely five minutes and Mikey acted as if the world was falling apart around him.

"Mikey." Leo hushed. "Splinter's sleeping. How many times must I tell you?"

Mikey still looked like he had been the one who had been wrong, but Raph just shook his head. Splinter..

"Could I see him?" He asked suddenly. "Splinter?"

The soft hand... These turtles hands were rough. Capable of being gentle, but rough all the same. The texture had been nothing like theirs. It was soft. Almost like fur... But he couldn't be sure. He just had a feeling he really needed to see this so called father of his.

Leo was looking at him now, as if unsure of his request.

"I need to see him." Raph said, determined.

In fact Raph was so determined; he was refusing to sit on the couch. He got up. Leo tried to stop him, but he just shrugged the guy off. They can stop babying him now. Leo just sighed.

"Okay.." He said as he got up.

"Hey there sleeping beauty!" Mikey came bounding over.

Raph just looked at the over enthusiastic turtle, not sure how he should respond.

Leo tried to grab his arm, as if he couldn't walk without assistance. Raph pulled himself away from the turtle, nearly tripping over the table in the hasty process. Thankfully, Mikey was there to stop him. He sighed, giving Mikey a small thankful look, but said nothing. His eyes were on a door... He was sure that was where his father was.

It was strange, he felt tense, but calm at the same time as he approached the room. Tense as if there were some bad memories within the room. Though calm as in he knew this was a place he would always find safety and comfort should he need it.

Leo opened the door for them, but neither he nor Mikey followed him in as he walked past them. He looked at them, unsure what this meant. They just gave him an assuring smile in their own way. Mikey even added two thumbs up to his...

Raph looked back into the room, he could see Don by the -It wasn't really a bed, but instead a futon. He frowned. Where had that come from? There were incenses lit within the room. Sandalwood...

Raph's eyes suddenly closed of their own accord and his body moved without thought. He took a few steps forward towards the bed. He kneeled and bowed. It all happened so quickly and so automatically. It was just so natural that Raph felt nothing wrong with it. Though, he was feeling a little light headed. He took deep breathes. In, out, in, out...

"Raph?" Came a small voice.

Raph's eyes suddenly flew open as he realised that he wasn't alone. He had in a way, forgotten the other turtle was even there. He blinked a few times, glancing at the purple banded turtle.

"Are you okay?" Don asked him, looking concerned.

Don reached out to touch him, to check his forehead for whatever fever he might have. Raph caught the hand.

"I'm fine.." He said quietly. "Don't know what that was.. Just felt right.."

Don retracted his arm, giving him a small smile. "So not a memory?"

"No.. Bit like I don't remember how to talk, but I'm doing it."

It was really. He knew how to do things. He didn't remember them, he just knew. This was the same.

Raph looked down at the futon and he honestly wasn't surprised at what he saw. There, in the buddle of blankets, was an elderly rat. His father.. Master Splinter. How could he be surprised, really? After all he had been through. He was just happy it wasn't a rhino.

The rat was sleeping, though he seemed distressed. His breathing was laboured beneath an oxygen mask, and with the occasional cough, he could tell the rat wasn't well. They were both sick...

"Is he going to be alright?" Raph looked at Don.

"Eventually..." The turtle replied. "You both kind of got sick at the same time, but Master Splinter is no longer as young as he once was.. It's taking a little longer to start bouncing back from this. Thankfully, you're starting to recover. We didn't have to have you on the oxygen this time."

Ah...

"You okay?" Raph asked, not really wanting an awkward silence..

"After I recovered from the scare you gave me when I woke up?" He said as he checked a few things. "Almost thought you had done another runner on me..."

That last bit Don seemed to have been mostly talking to himself. He looked.. almost hurt at the thought. But he shook it away and got up. Using the crutches, he headed for the door. Raph followed. He felt bad for that scare he had given the turtle. He felt even worse for the bruises...

"Don? I'm-"

"Forget it Raph. It's okay..."

Raph sighed. It wasn't okay. Really. He had every intension of continuing this conversation when he spotted something that caused him to freak out as soon as they were back to the main area.

HUMANS!

Description
Raph could feel someone touching him again. It must have been the hundredth time someone had woken him by touching him and fussing, he was sick of it! A low growl escaped his throat, the hands stopped fussing. He felt one move to his neck. In the same place as where Leo had- Oh no! Raph's own hand flew out from under the covers, swatting the hand away from the pressure point.

For once he had woken up not feeling like crap, a little grumpy from all the prodding while he was trying to sleep, but feeling a little better than he had before. One of his eyes lazily slid open to glare at whoever had disturbed him, only to find Leo looking down on him in amusement. Raph couldn't help but groan, annoyed with the turtle.

Speaking of annoying turtles, where was Mikey? He looked around the room. The cat was gone, the TV was off, there were no bowls on the table... It was just him and Leo.

"Did you sleep well?" He heard Leo ask, interrupting his search for the orange turtle.

"Ahh... Sometimes.." He said, his throat feeling a little dry. "When people weren't touching me.."

Leo just smiled some stupid smile. As if his answer was typical. Raph wasn't even sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Thankfully, your fever broke again and is low." Leo mentioned, taking a seat next to Raph.

Raph moved, feeling uncomfortable with being so close to the turtle. He forced himself to sit up. Leo didn't stop him or anything. Good. He didn't want to be told what to do.

"How's Don?" He asked, hoping the turtle actually got some sleep after Raph left.

"Fuming." Leo said with a slight sigh. "He wasn't pleased we had allowed you out of bed. He was less pleased when he had found out he had missed your fit a few days ago."

Raph rolled his eyes. Leo made it sound like his 'fit' was something like an event.

"Next time I'll sell tickets." He muttered sourly just as something clicked. "Hold on.. A few days ago?"

Raph was frowning at Leo. Surely he hadn't been asleep that long, right?

"You've been asleep for a while." Leo explained, unfazed by the amount of time he had slept. "Don was getting worried, but it wouldn't be the first time you had lost a few days when recovering. Sleep is good for you anyway, it helps you heal faster."

Raph wasn't sure if it was as okay as Leo seemed to think it was. Leo didn't seem to be the type to joke like Mikey, so he wasn't trying to be funny, right?

"Raph?" Leo said, obviously sensing that Raph was still a little confused. "Seriously, it's okay. Your fever is down, some of your cuts have healed, and you don't look anywhere near as tired as the last time you were up. The sleep did you a world of good."

Raph nodded slowly, finding himself inspecting himself. Leo was right, some of his cuts and bruises were healing really well. Some were practically gone. Some of the worse injures, like the crack in his plastron, didn't hurt too much when he moved. He was healing, he was going to be okay..

"LEO?!" Came a rather overdramatic cry. "Why didn't you tell me he was awake?! I could have been cooking him something."

Raph glanced over to see Mikey, looking as if he had been betrayed by the act. Was this guy always so over dramatic and loud? He'd been awake barely five minutes and Mikey acted as if the world was falling apart around him.

"Mikey." Leo hushed. "Splinter's sleeping. How many times must I tell you?"

Mikey still looked like he had been the one who had been wrong, but Raph just shook his head. Splinter..

"Could I see him?" He asked suddenly. "Splinter?"

The soft hand... These turtles hands were rough. Capable of being gentle, but rough all the same. The texture had been nothing like theirs. It was soft. Almost like fur... But he couldn't be sure. He just had a feeling he really needed to see this so called father of his.

Leo was looking at him now, as if unsure of his request.

"I need to see him." Raph said, determined.

In fact Raph was so determined; he was refusing to sit on the couch. He got up. Leo tried to stop him, but he just shrugged the guy off. They can stop babying him now. Leo just sighed.

"Okay.." He said as he got up.

"Hey there sleeping beauty!" Mikey came bounding over.

Raph just looked at the over enthusiastic turtle, not sure how he should respond.

Leo tried to grab his arm, as if he couldn't walk without assistance. Raph pulled himself away from the turtle, nearly tripping over the table in the hasty process. Thankfully, Mikey was there to stop him. He sighed, giving Mikey a small thankful look, but said nothing. His eyes were on a door... He was sure that was where his father was.

It was strange, he felt tense, but calm at the same time as he approached the room. Tense as if there were some bad memories within the room. Though calm as in he knew this was a place he would always find safety and comfort should he need it.

Leo opened the door for them, but neither he nor Mikey followed him in as he walked past them. He looked at them, unsure what this meant. They just gave him an assuring smile in their own way. Mikey even added two thumbs up to his...

Raph looked back into the room, he could see Don by the -It wasn't really a bed, but instead a futon. He frowned. Where had that come from? There were incenses lit within the room. Sandalwood...

Raph's eyes suddenly closed of their own accord and his body moved without thought. He took a few steps forward towards the bed. He kneeled and bowed. It all happened so quickly and so automatically. It was just so natural that Raph felt nothing wrong with it. Though, he was feeling a little light headed. He took deep breathes. In, out, in, out...

"Raph?" Came a small voice.

Raph's eyes suddenly flew open as he realised that he wasn't alone. He had in a way, forgotten the other turtle was even there. He blinked a few times, glancing at the purple banded turtle.

"Are you okay?" Don asked him, looking concerned.

Don reached out to touch him, to check his forehead for whatever fever he might have. Raph caught the hand.

"I'm fine.." He said quietly. "Don't know what that was.. Just felt right.."

Don retracted his arm, giving him a small smile. "So not a memory?"

"No.. Bit like I don't remember how to talk, but I'm doing it."

It was really. He knew how to do things. He didn't remember them, he just knew. This was the same.

Raph looked down at the futon and he honestly wasn't surprised at what he saw. There, in the buddle of blankets, was an elderly rat. His father.. Master Splinter. How could he be surprised, really? After all he had been through. He was just happy it wasn't a rhino.

The rat was sleeping, though he seemed distressed. His breathing was laboured beneath an oxygen mask, and with the occasional cough, he could tell the rat wasn't well. They were both sick...

"Is he going to be alright?" Raph looked at Don.

"Eventually..." The turtle replied. "You both kind of got sick at the same time, but Master Splinter is no longer as young as he once was.. It's taking a little longer to start bouncing back from this. Thankfully, you're starting to recover. We didn't have to have you on the oxygen this time."

Ah...

"You okay?" Raph asked, not really wanting an awkward silence..

"After I recovered from the scare you gave me when I woke up?" He said as he checked a few things. "Almost thought you had done another runner on me..."

That last bit Don seemed to have been mostly talking to himself. He looked.. almost hurt at the thought. But he shook it away and got up. Using the crutches, he headed for the door. Raph followed. He felt bad for that scare he had given the turtle. He felt even worse for the bruises...

"Don? I'm-"

"Forget it Raph. It's okay..."

Raph sighed. It wasn't okay. Really. He had every intension of continuing this conversation when he spotted something that caused him to freak out as soon as they were back to the main area.

HUMANS!