Raph woke up with a bad cough and a high fever, he knew he had to stay in bed, even though he didn't want to show weakness, he knew that he wouldn't be able to hide it this time.
Leo came into Raph's room in order to get him for practice, he was about to yell at Raph, when he heard the coughing. He came over to Raph and gently put a hand on Raph's forehead, ``you are burning up. I'll get Donnie'' Leo said gently, before he turned and left the room.
He hated to be sick, but he kinda liked the attention he would be getting from his family. Raph seemed to lay there forever, but then he heard the door open, he tried not to cough, but failed big time. Donnie came over to him and gently put a hand on his forehead, ``wow, Leo was right, you are burning up. Well let's find out what is wrong with you, so you can get well again'' Donnie said in his doctor voice, Raph's answer was a smile, he was afraid that he would throw up if he spoke.
Raph just laid there while Donnie got to work, Donnie took some tests and said ``I'll be back with the results later'' then they heard the door open and in came Mikey with some soup and tea for Raph, ``try and eat something, okay?'' Donnie said worried, Raph nodded `yes' and gave a small smile, Donnie smiled in return before he left the room.
Mikey came over to Raph with the food, he smiled a worry smile. This was one of the times when Raph liked Mikey the most, because Mikey would not tease him. ``Can you sit up?'' Mikey asked gently, ``I can try'' Raph said in between coughs while trying to sit up. Raph managed to sit up, but then an overwhelming feeling came from his stomach, and he threw up on the floor. Mikey was fast and was out of reach when Raph threw up. He just smiled at Raph and said nothing. When Raph was done, he sat up in his bed again and gave an apologized smile to Mikey, then he reached out to take the food from Mikey, Mikey gave the food to him, ``I'll clean it up'' Mikey said calmly before he left the room.
Alone in his room, Raph tried to eat the soup and drink the tea slowly, and it seemed to work, but the smell of vomit didn't help at all, then the door opened up and in came Mikey with the cleaning supplies, he came over to the bed and started to clean up without a word. Once Mikey was done cleaning, he took everything with him back out, including the food tray.
Raph was alone again in his room, he laid down and tried to get some rest. The fever seemed to get worse and worse, each time Donnie came to check up on him. He knew this was a bad round, if Donnie was checking up on him every 30 minutes, while the others were not coming in to see him, the only times he would see someone else but Donnie was when it was time to eat.
The first day went by almost in slow motion for Raph, he didn't know what was going on outside his room. The fever was getting worse and the coughing was getting worse too, but there was nothing he could do about it himself, all he could do was try to rest and keep his food down. The next day before lunch, his family came in to him, and got him out of bed and onto a gurney, before they carried him out of his room and over to the elevator, that they then took up to street level. Once they were in the garage, they got Raph in the back of the shell truck and drove away.
Raph was getting nervous now, he didn't know what was going on, but what ever it was it wasn't good for him. During the whole drive nobody said a word, and when they would look at him, it was with sadness in their eyes, he didn't like that, but he couldn't ask them, because he was coughing almost all the time now. He knew it was bad for him, but if they were leaving their home it was to get help, that he knew.
When Raph woke up again, he was in a hospital bed in a hospital looking room, he tried to get up, but was stopped by Leo saying ``no, no, you are staying in bed, Raph'' he stopped and looked confused at Leo. ``We are getting help from Mikey's friends, they are working with Donnie to find out what is wrong with you, so you can get well again, but you have to stay in bed, Raph'' Leo explained to him, Raph nodded `yes' and settled down in the bed again.
Time seemed to move slowly and Raph got bored, but then Mikey and Splinter came in to visit him, and Mikey came over with a book that he read out loud for him, Mikey even used different voices for the different characters, Raph liked to listen to Mikey read for once. While Mikey read to him, Leo and Splinter left to check up on Donnie and the doctors. Leo, Splinter and Mikey took turns in being with him. Mikey would read to him or tell him stories, while Leo and Splinter would just talk to him.
On day five, was his guess, Raph noticed that he couldn't feel his feet anymore, but he couldn't tell them that, because he had a tube down his throat to help him breath, since there was nothing he could do to let them know, he just enjoyed the time with his family. Raph could feel things getting worse and worse each day, and all he could do was hope that they would come up with a cure soon. Therefor he tried to get the best out of it, since he didn't know how much time he had left.
On day twelve, Raph had pulled out the tube in his throat, but after he did that, he could feel how hard it was to breath, but he had to, how else was he going to tell them about his lack of feeling in his body? Leo and Mikey came in as he tried to get out of the bed, ``Raph!'' ``you can't do that!'' they yelled at him, while coming over to get him back down in bed, after getting him back in bed, Leo told Mikey to get a doctor, so Raph could get the tube back in, but Raph stopped them by saying ``can't feel my legs'' in between coughs.
Mikey rushed to Donnie and the doctors, while Leo stayed with him. Raph was breathing heavily and now he could feel the numbness spread up through his body, he knew now that he made a mistake with the tube, but he had to tell them. ``Leo?'' Raph asked coughing, ``yes, Raph?'' Leo said gently, ``talk to me'' Raph begged with a heavy breath, ``okay, Raph'' Leo answered, Leo started to talk about what they were going to do once he was better again, Raph laid there smiling and coughing while listening to him.
He fell asleep for a moment, and when he woke up, he saw Leo still sitting there next to him, he smiled sweetly at Leo. Raph could feel that his time was running out, and that scarred him, but he didn't want them to know that, therefor he stayed quiet about it. ``Mikey isn't back yet?'' Raph asked coughing, ``no, not yet'' Leo said sadly, ``Leo, will you promise me one thing?'' Raph asked him gently, ``sure, Raph, anything'' Leo said gently, ``promise me, you won't burn me, but that you will bury my body at Casey's farm'' Raph said breathing heavy, ``Raph'' Leo said sadly, ``promise me'' Raph begged him, ``I promise, Raph'' Leo almost cried, ``thank you, Leo'' Raph breathed heavily.
Raph cold feel his eyelids getting heavy, and his breathing getting heavier and the numbness was almost at his chest now, he knew that his time was almost up now. ``It's almost time for me'' Raph said sadly, ``no, it's not, Raph'' Leo said firmly, ``I can't any more Leo, I'm sorry'' Raph breathed, ``no, Raph. Stay with me'' Leo almost cried, as Raph looked into Leo's eyes, he managed to say with his last breath ``I love you, Leo'' and then everything was black for him.
Alone in the blackness, Raph was sitting there waiting for something or someone, which one it was, he didn't know for sure, but waiting he was. Then a little turtle tot came walking over to him, the tot looked like him when he was that old. The tot came over and sat down in front of him, ``hi'' the tot said calmly, ``hi'' Raph answered confused, ``where am I?'' Raph asked still confused, ``you are in your unconscious, here anything can happen'' the tot said, ``so can I wake up again?'' he asked the tot, ``no'' the tot answered fast, ``then what am I doing here?'' Raph asked the tot firmly, ``you are here because your body is getting reset from all of that artificial stuff, that you have been putting into it. Stuff like beer, cigarettes, medicine, flavor, aroma and food coloring. All of that stuff is bad for you'' the tot said firmly.
``So, I'm not dead, I'm just in some kind of a trance?'' Raph asked the tot, ``yes, but don't think this means, that you can just go and do the same again. You see if you don't get anything artificial, then you will live a very long time, longer than the humans, before you die of old age'' the tot started firmly but ended calmly, ``how old can I get, before I will die of old age?'' Raph asked curiously, ``I don't know, because there has never been anybody like you and your brothers before'' the tot answered calmly, ``your brothers will have to go through this to, within a year after you'' the tot explained.
``Time for me to go'' the tot said while getting up, ``wait, what about me?'' Raph asked nervously, ``you will be fine, it's almost time for you to wake up'' the tot said smiling, ``thank you for everything'' Raph said with a smile, the tot smiled back at him, before turning and walking away into the darkness. Alone in the dark again, he sat there waiting to wake up, then a strong pull took a hold of him and pulled him up towards the green light.
Raph woke up inside a wooden coffin, he held his breath and closed his eyes, while he broke the lid with his hands, once he broke through the lid, he started to dig while crawling upwards, it was like trying to swim through ground and it was hard, but he made it work slowly but surely. Once he was at the surface, he gripped the ground and pulled himself out of the hole, until he was completely out of the ground. Raph used his hands to remove as much dirt as possible from his face, so he could see again, he looked around and saw that he was at Casey's farm, just like Leo had promised him, knowing that Leo kept the promise made him smile sweetly.
Knowing that he had to get home fast, he went to the house and took the garden hose to rinse himself off first, so he wouldn't be leaving a trail after him for anybody to follow. He thought about how he would get home safely, and came up with one way. Raph went into the house once he was dry enough, and got the fire in the fireplace started, so he wouldn't freeze while waiting for his family to come. He found the phone and called home, but nobody answered the phone, then he tried April's place, but she didn't answer either then he tried Casey's place, but Casey didn't pick up the phone either.
Raph went to sleep in front of the fireplace, in order to stay warm for the night. The next morning, he tried calling again, but got the same result again, then he heard a car approach the house, he hurried up and killed the fire, before he went into hiding up under the ceiling on the rafters. He stayed quiet and watched the door, listening for voices, he heard his family and someone say that they better hurry up and dig Raph up, hearing this gave him an idea, and he stayed quiet in his hiding spot.
He waited for his family to come inside the house to look for him, but after a while, he heard April say that she needed to pee before they left. She came into the house and noticed the small amount of smoke from the fireplace, ``Raph'' she called out, then the others came in and looked around, ``why are you calling him?'' Leo asked, ``the fireplace'' April answered while pointing at it, they looked at it and saw the small amount of smoke, ``Raph'' Mikey called out while everyone started to look around for him, Raph yawned loudly once and got their attention at once, he was so tiered that he almost fell down.
Splinter held up his hands like he wanted to catch Raph, Raph had seen that his brothers were about four years old again and Splinter had gotten younger too, therefor he knew that Splinter would be able to catch him, since he himself had become four again too. Raph let himself fall down and sure enough Splinter catch him with ease, ``got you, my son'' Splinter said lovingly while giving him a big hug, Raph yawned again before saying ``ouch'' he looked at his hands, they were still healing from yesterday, ``let me have a look, Raph'' Donnie said worried while Splinter sat him down, so Donnie could get to work on Raph.
``How long have I been out?'' Raph asked confused, ``almost a year'' Leo answered calmly, ``I tried to call all of you yesterday and today'' Raph said calmly, ``ouch!'' Raph yelled suddenly, ``sorry, Raph, but I have to get the splinters out, otherwise it will heal wrong and hurt until they do come out'' Donnie explained calmly, ``I know that, but that one was in really deep'' Raph explained.
``What do we do now? Go home? Stay here?'' Raph asked confused, ``well we talked to April and Casey about that, and Casey's grandma has given us the farm, so we have been talking about making an underground home for us, while April and Casey stay up here'' Leo said calmly with a smile, ``yeah, but that is going to take a long time to make'' Mikey said sadly, ``what if we find a hollow space under ground?'' Raph asked seriously, ``well, only one way to find out'' Donnie said smiling big, ``there, finished'' Donnie told him with a smile, ``thanks Donnie'' Raph answered smiling.
``Why did you say a hollow space, Raph?'' Leo asked curiously, ``well, when I started to dig myself out of my grave, it felt like the coffin went down into a hollow space under my feet, that's why'' Raph told him calmly, ``then let's look at it'' Donnie said while walking toward the front door, ``uhm, did any of you bring any food, that I can eat? I'm starving'' Raph said while holding his stomach, ``sure Raph, wait here and I will make you something to eat, okay?'' April said smiling, before she went into the kitchen, she didn't wait for an answer, because she already had the answer, Raph smiled after her and went into the kitchen after her.
Raph sat down at the dining table and waited for April to finish, his brothers came in and joined him, they were all hungry and so April made food for everyone. While April was cooking, they sat and talked about what their new home should be like, and what it should have of rooms and things. Their conversation didn't stop when the food came onto the table, after eating and cleaning up, they went to where Raph had been buried, and saw a hole big enough for Casey to crawl through, Donnie took a flash light and pointed it down the hole, and sure enough there was a huge hollow space down there.
Sitting down at the dining table again, they began to make a plan for how to make their new home, Casey told them about why the farm never had much luck in farming plants, it was because of all those rocks that were in the way, and that gave Donnie an idea for building materials. Making plans and walking around the farm to look for materials, was kinda fun for Raph, he liked it, especially when he could be doing it with his brothers, they all had different ideas, but they made them work together.
.......................................
Raph woke up and wanted to go to the bathroom, but his brothers were in the way, so he decided to wait for them to wake up. He thought about yesterday when they had their fifteen birthdays, and how it ended with them going to bed together and having sex for the first time, just thinking about all of this made him smile sweetly, then he noticed that Donnie was awake, ``morning'' Raph said softly, ``morning'' Donnie answered back softly, before giving him a tender kiss on the mouth, ``I need to pee, will you move, please?'' Raph asked softly, ``sure'' Mikey said gently, before giving Raph a deep kiss on the mouth, Raph chuckled in responds, ``hmm do I get one too?'' Leo asked gently from behind Mikey, Raph giggled ``yes'' and Leo moved over to kiss him on the mouth, ``alright now I really need to go'' Raph said a little nervous, ``alright Raph then go'' Leo said smiling. He got up and went to the bathroom fast, with his brothers in toe, after he went peeing, he joined his brothers in the shower, where they started to make love to each other.
He was happy the way things had turned out for them, and for April and Casey. April and Casey had gotten married and had gotten four children together, two girls and two boys, and the farm was doing great for everybody both above and below ground. Their children were their friends, and they would practice with them every day, which made Splinter happy to have more students to teach. As happy as they were, they still missed their old home in the severs sometimes, and they wanted to go back there and fix everything, but it wasn't safe for them, because of the foot and the purple dragons.
However, waiting was not a problem for them, since they had found out how old they could get, so they had decided to wait until they were about 50 years old in human years, but that might be a problem for them, because they wanted children of their own, and Donnie was working on how to make that a reality for them. Therefor they had decided to stay at the farm, where it was safe for them and where they could grow in numbers.
The end.
