He wakes up to a cocoon of warmth and a light weight on his plastron. He removes the blanket from over his face and finds the room is far too bright for his liking, wincing away from the invading light that threatens to blind him. A few rapid blinks later and he makes out his older brother directly above him.

He tilts his head in amused surprise, and it draws his attention. Mikey immediately notices that Raph looks relatively calm for the resident hothead.

This is how Mikey knows that he doesn't mind the situation one bit, and he's easily able to ignore the snarky, "If you wanted to sleep, you should have gone to bed."

Mikey snuggles deeper into the blanket. "Who needs a bed when I have a Raph?"

Raph scoffs, and Mikey feels the weight on his plastron move as he lifts his arm. The youngest knows that he's only putting up a front because Mikey sure didn't fall asleep this way, and he ended up on his lap with a blanket and a pillow somehow.

Raph glances down and he smiles. Smug. Knowing.

"Splinter said that you should be layin' down if you were coughing." His older brother explains as a convenient means of excuse. Mikey's grin doesn't fade because there's plenty of couch space all around and he had every opportunity to move him elsewhere.

Raph scowls as if he understands what it silently implies. "Guess that means you're feelin' better. Stopped coughing a while ago, anyways."

Mikey clears his throat experimentally and decides that it does feel better. It's obvious that his older brother is getting uncomfortable and Mikey knows that if his discomfort rises too high, he'll chose a rash action like shoving him to the floor to calm it.

So Mikey sits up and stretches, purposefully aiming a hand in Raph's face. His older brother growls and swats it away, and Mikey scoots around to flash him a smile. Shy. Innocent. "Sorry about fallin' asleep. Guess being trapped in a burning building takes a lot out of a turtle."

Raph's annoyance is flatten by the reminder before it can flare, but he attempts to keep up his outward tough-guy appearance. "I figured. You better bet that's the last time fearless lets you and Donnie go on any solo missions."

The reminder of their injured brother launches a wave of fear through Mikey and his head shoots towards the lab. The door is open, but there's no sounds from inside. "Donnie! Did Master Splinter help him? Is he okay?"

"I think Sensei said he-" Raph begins dismissively, but Mikey throws the blanket and jumps to his feet. His older brother grabs his arm as he moves to climb over the couch. "Hey! What're-?"

Mikey spins to face him frantically, taking a step back. "I'm just gonna check!"

Raph looks like he wants to argue, but releases him instead. "Alright. Probably should make sure Leo's not mothering him to death anyway."

Mikey takes his freedom in stride and hurries to the lab to throw open the door, only for his heart to become lodged in his throat when he finds it empty. A million different horrific reasons that he isn't in the room flood his mind, and he's frozen until there's a grip on his arm.

He turns to face his older brother, whose irritated expression softens slightly, the firm but gentle grip pulling him towards the hallway. "Come on."

Mikey attempts to calm himself as Raph tugs him towards Donnie's room. He's suddenly grateful for the hold as he realizes that doesn't know what he'll find or what he'll do if his older brother's in some kind of coma- or has lost his smarts or has permanent amnesia or any of the other horrible things that happen in the movies and comics when people get concussions.

He winces as Raph opens the door as if expecting something to jump out at them, both pausing as they took in the scene.

Leo and Donnie are sitting on Donnie's bed, their shells against the wall and a comic in Leo's hands. Their injured brother is curled in on himself, tucked in the corner of the bed with his arm in a sling and a clean bandage wrapped around his skull. He looks one long blink away from passing out, but he's awake, and that's a win in Mikey's book.

Leo seems content despite the slightly awkward position, Donnie's good arm wrapped tightly around one of his, bandaged head lying on his shoulder as his unfocused eyes stare absently at the magazine that the leader holds.

Their older brother smiles when they enter and gives an awkward one-shoulder shrug when Raph raises an eye-ridge. "He's been clingy. Master Splinter says it's because of the concussion. It'll calm when he starts feeling better."

The leader lowers the magazine to his lap, and Donnie blinks as though shaken from a trance, glancing over to Raph and Mikey as they enter. Raph clears his throat and waves as if he'd rather be doing anything else. "Uh- hey, Don."

An expert at all things his brothers, Mikey now knows that Raph feels guilty for Donnie ending up this way. 

Their grumpy brother likes to pretend he's a lone wolf without a care in the world, but that never stops him from shouldering the blame if one of them is injured. No matter where he is at the time, in Raph's mind, an injured brother is a brother he failed to protect. 

Mikey knows that Leo feels the same way, even if he's better at concealing or dealing with it. The little things like Raph being more avoidant or Leo being more motherly give them away each time. 

Mikey assumes that it's an older brother thing, and he loves them all the more for it. 

Donnie offers Raph a small smile, sleepy at best and pained at worst, and mutters, "Hey."

He glances at Mikey. "Where'd you go?"

Mikey doesn't know what he means by that, but he's sure that it implies that he missed him, so he hurries over to the bed and plops down in front of them. He smiles. Nervous. Hopeful. "Just talking to Raph. How are you feeling? What'd Splinter say?"

"Uh..." Donnie stares as though he started speaking gibberish, and Leo places a reassuring hand on his arm before addressing Mikey. "He's pretty jacked up on pain stuff, but he's fine otherwise. He'll need to sleep off the concussion and, as long as he takes resting seriously, his arm will follow along in the healing process."

Mikey stiffens. "Isn't sleep bad?"

"Only for the first few hours after a concussion." Donnie watches their older brother with glazed eyes, comforted by his presence, but possibly not taking in a word being said. "The bleeding was minor and not a huge deal now that the cut's clean and wrapped, and his reoccurring confusion is because of his brain getting knocked around when he hit it. I'm sure the pain and the added stress of being in a crumbling building wasn't helping matters. "

"But he's going to be okay." Mikey needs to hear the words spoken before he can believe them.

Leo nods. "He's going to be just fine."

Every muscle in his body turns to jelly, and he smiles. Overjoyed. Satisfied. "He better be. I was almost cooked alive because he chose a bad time to catch some z's."

Something changes in the eldest's expression, and Mikey's muscles rematerialized into lead. "Which brings up a very good point. That was a dangerous stunt you pulled tonight, Mikey. I gave you both explicit orders to call and not go in alone, yet by your own account, you chose to disobey, and look what came of it. With Don's broken, imagine what might have happened if we hadn't been able to track your t-phone."

Mikey shudders and shuts down the images before they can take over. He's already gone through those 'what if's too many times to count. "I-I just thought- with Donnie being all upset about A-team/B-team spars, an-and I didn't even think there were that many Kraang, I-I figured we could take them but-"

His shoulders slump. "I'm sorry. I know it was stupid and if I could go back in time and stop myself, I totally would. I don't know what I would have done if-if you guys didn't show up."

He can feel his eyes tearing up again, and all gazes are on him now, but he avoids looking at any of them until their hothead of a big softie is forsaking his post at the door to sit down and hold open his arms. Mikey initiates the hug without hesitation and sinks against his plastron as Leo gives a sigh of regret.

Sometimes it's funny how quickly his older brothers will melt at a little tears.

"Maybe we share a piece of the blame for bringing up the A-team stuff again." Leo admits reluctantly. "I should have known it would backfire like last time. I can't speak for Raph, but I don't know what I would have done if we'd arrived any later. Showing up to the burning building was terrifying enough as it was."

Raph doesn't say anything to confirm or deny, but Mikey feels his hold tighten and is more than happy to nestle into it. It turns out that Donnie is paying some attention because Mikey can hear him make a timid apology.

Leo's voice notably softens. "It's alright. I'm just glad you're okay."

Mikey feels lighter, knowing that they all share the blame and hearing that his brothers care that much, but he's careful with the misery he has left. With a pitiful sniffle, he quietly questions, "Are we in trouble?"

He knows what Leo's going to say even before he relents. "No, but I hope you've both learned your lesson."

"Definitely." Mikey smiles into Raph's plastron. Triumphant. Relieved. "No more running into battles without big bros to watch our shells. Consider us schooled."

"Wonder how long that lesson's going to last." Raph mutters above him.

Mikey straightens to shoot him a look, and Raph only smirks. In an act of revenge, he pulls away to cross his arms and lean against the wall, but he can't help it if his offended act dissipates at Leo's chuckle and Raph's snickers. 

He turns to Donnie, and his grin fades when he realizes that his eyes are closed.

The eldest notices his abrupt rise in panic, and his attention shoots to Donnie, but his expression immediately relaxes before he offers Mikey a reassuring look. He lifts a hand to playfully tug on purple mask tails. "Donnie? You good, bud?"

"Mmhmm." Donnie briefly opens his eyes before he lets them close again and yawns into Leo's shoulder. "Brain's numb."

"You have a concussion. We gave you some medicine." Leo explains in a gentle way that hints this isn't the first time that he's offered the reminder. Mikey sure knows how that feels. "You and Mikey got into trouble, but you're both safe and back at the lair."

Donnie's quiet. "Kraang bomb?" 

Leo nods even though Donnie's eyes remain shut. "That's right." 

Another beat of silence, and Leo seems content to let him take his time. Being the only one in the room not used to the random memory gaps yet, Raph gives the leader a tense frown, "Is this memory stuff... Okay?" 

Leo thinks for a moment. "I think so. Concussions tend to block trauma. Sensei said that the fact he can recall things with a little nudging means that he'll heal fine. He just needs a calm environment to rest and figure things out."

He shoots them both pointed looks, and Mikey grins back innocently, trying to bury the guilt that's decided to unfold again. Donnie stirs. "Leo?"

"I'm right here." 

Donnie hums his approval. "Half'in hour yet?"

Leo moves the magazine, picking up the t-phone underneath and glancing at the screen. "I'd say just about. Want me to stay here?"

Donnie's grip around his arm tightens. "Please."

Leo catches the confused looks being sent his way. "Master Splinter said that everything checks out, but he wanted us to wait about half an hour before Donnie hits his snooze button." Leo tugs on the mask tails again, his voice purposefully turning mushy. "And Donnie here's been so good about staying awake until then!" 

Without opening his eyes, Donnie lifts his head enough to indignantly remove his mask tails from Leo's grip, but the smile that he attempts to hide as he reburies his head in his shoulder ruins the illusion.

Leo and Mikey exchange amused looks, and the leader pokes his plastron, "Sooo good!" 

"Best." Donnie mutters defiantly, causing Leo to snort. "The very best."

"This is Donnie we're talking about, right?" Raph grumbles. "Sometimes I don't think the brainiac knows how to sleep."

Donnie huffs, and Leo admits, "Good point. We should probably take advantage of this before he decides that there's twelve things that he has to do and he can't sit still for even a minute." 

Donnie doesn't argue, probably already halfway to dream land, and Raph gets off the bed. Mikey follows his lead, his hesitant gaze on his injured brother, and feels the hothead's hand settle on his shoulder.

Leo smiles in understanding. "Don't worry. I got him covered."

"Not that you have much of a choice." Raph points out with a wave to Donnie's ever-tight death grip.

Leo rolls his eyes. "Turn off the lights on your way out."

Raph's hand leaves his shoulder as he turns to exit. Donnie's eyes flicker open, and he glances between them, his gaze lingering on Mikey. Surprising them both, his grip on the leader slacks as he looks up at him. "Can I- drink fi-rst?"

Leo stares for a long moment before it clicks. "Oh! You want a drink. Of course."

He pulls away gently, helping him to sit up with his shell against the wall, and then waves Mikey over. "Watch him? I'll be right back."

Mikey nods and steps forward to obediently take their clingy brother's hand, both watching as Leo dashes from the room. Donnie squeezes their hands, and Mikey looks at him apprehensively, confused by the sympathetic smile. "They came. Just- like you said."

Mikey quickly looks away. "I didn't know they were coming."

"Either way." Donnie squeezes again. "You- kept me a-wake. Us alive. Thanks."

Mikey shakes his head, voice trembling. "I'm really sorry, D. I shouldn't have run in. It was so dumb and I messed up and you could have died and I-"

"Hey." Donnie's voice is soft, and Mikey forces himself to look his older brother in the eyes. "I made the- choice to-to follow you. Not my bad. Not your bad. Our bad. An-and we're going t-to learn, right?"

Mikey nods and smiles. Sly. Small. "B-team for the win?"

Donnie pouts. "Don't- call us that."

Mikey laughs away his worries and turns to pull him into a careful side-hug. "Don't you dare go all concussed on me again."

Donnie's voice holds a wonderfully familiar sass. "No promises." 

Mikey pulls away, putting on a mocking stern face. "And no more arm dislocations. That was /horrible/."

Donnie shoots him an affronted look, and Leo's voice chimes in, "What was horrible?"

"Fixing Don's arm."

"Oh." Leo doesn't argue. "I'd imagine that was pretty bad for both sides. Good job for the first time, though."

Mikey beams as Donnie grumbles under his breath about the understatement of it being 'only pretty bad'. Leo hands him the water, and Donnie quiets to drink it, so Mikey decides to take his leave. He heads over to the door and spots Raph back on the couch, the hothead shooting him an impatient look that makes Mikey grin mischievously.

"Good night!" He flips off the light as Leo has Donnie lie down and slips out before the eldest has a chance to snap his name, bounding across the room and plopping down beside Raph.

Raph uses the remote to gesture to the tv. "This has to be the second lamest show ever. Why do you guys always like the lame shows?"

"You're just jelly that you haven't found a cool show of your own yet." Mikey shoots as he swipes the remote. Raph looks like he's about to forcefully take it back, and Mikey pulls a younger brother card, curling next to him and sighing blissfully. "Thanks for coming."

There's a moment of uncertain silence, Mikey's unpredictability will never be predictable no matter what his brothers say, and Raph's arm returns to its rightful place around his shell, holding him close and forever keeping him safe. "'Course."

He'd like to see those devious shadows try and get him now. 

Mikey opens his eyes and smiles. Genuine. Whole. "Who says comfort blankets are for kids?"

Raph squints down at him. "What?"

"Nothing." Mikey lifts the remote. "You wanna watch all of Leo's Space Heroes reruns so he thinks the machine's broken again and can't have Donnie check on it because he's supposed to be resting?"

"Why is that even a question?"

Raph's smirking, and the king of pranks smirks right back. 

It's good to be home.