One Hand Down

Part 7: Needle

Disclaimer: As stated previously – I do not own them. Warning - Raph doesn't like needles and you're goner heard about it!

The lair was rather quiet Michealangelo and Leonardo had gone out on patrol and would be back in the early hours of the morning. Master Splinter was sleeping, as he usually was at this hour of the night. Donatello slept in the armchair in front of the television, he had fallen asleep and his head to was one side. Raphael woke with a throbbing pain in his right hand, which echoed throughout his body. He winched, the drugs must be finally wearing off.

"Don", he whispered, he could hear his brother snoring close by, "Don!"

He reached down to the side of the couch the was one for his sais, he clunked them both together to make a noise with his good hand.

"DONNIE!" Raph cried, as another echo of pain ruptured through him.

"What?" Donnie jumped out of his chair, grabbing his bow staff.

"The pains coming back," Raph told him.

"Oh, okay. Well let me fire this needle up."

"Can't I just take a Panadol?" Raph asked weakly eyeing the rather large needle kit on the far table.

Donnie chuckled, "I'm afraid a Panadol won't be of any use to you, you need the heavy duty stuff. Besides since when did you ever want to take a Panadol? Thought you said "Taking Panadol was for wusses."

"That was before I smashed me wrist, man Donnie, couldn't April have gotten a smaller needle?" Raph asked as he squirmed at Donnie picking up the equipment. Donnie worked to get it ready.

"April got what she could get," Donnie replied, he squirted the liquid to test that the needle was working properly. Raphael gulped, he hated needles more than anything else. Ever since that time the Foot had caught him and jabbed needles into his side he had vowed to never have one again.

"Okay, you ready?" Donnie asked.

"No."

"You are going to have to have it, otherwise you'll have to suffer that pain," Donnie said, as another wave of pain rushed through Raphael's arm.

"I'll take the pain, if you don't mind," Raph said breathlessly.

"Oh come on Raph, this can't be as bad as when you got all your scars," Donnie said.

"You know shit, you know that?"

"Raph, just sit still and think of something nice – like the ocean, you are on a tropical island in the sun and the waves crashing onto your toes," Donnie soothed as he moved closer.

"I've never seen a tropical island let alone the ocean. Don't come any closer," Raph warned.

"Raph, I promise this won't be so bad, just a jab in the arm and it'll be over for the next seven hours."

"I said I'll take the pain, Don!"

"Well I'm telling you, that as your big brother I won't sit back while you suffer in pain when I can ease that pain!" Donnie told his brother bluntly. He was always the one who had to give the needles, and he was always the one who had to put up with his younger brothers avoiding the jab. He had to chase Mikey round the lair when he tried to give him the flu shoot last winter and Raphael had threatened him with the sais if he dared to try giving him any flu shoot. He had to get Leo to hold them down while he gave them.

"Cut the big brother talk, would ya! You know it gives me the shits, why do you think me and Leo never get along – because that's all he does is pester me!"

"Raph, come on, the others will be back soon, don't make me get them to hold you down, while I give you this."

"You are not giving me that!" Raph winced again as his arm felt the pain sweep through him.

"What you doing up, Don?" Leo walked into the room, closely followed by Mikey. He quickly glanced at Raph, who gave him a dirty look. Mikey headed to his room.

"No, Mikey Leo, grab hold of Raph for me," Donnie said.

Mikey and Raph's eyes grow wide, "I can't" Mikey ran into his room.

"Looks like it's just us," Donnie said to Leo.

"Don't you even touch me, Leo!" Raph growled.

Leo scratched his head, Raph never showed fear like he did now.

"How come you don't want a needle?"

"Because I don't want it, now piss off both of you."

"Raph I told you we won't stand back and watch you suffer!"

"Oh cut the sob story Donnie!"

"Raph he's only trying to help you," Leo said.

"You butt out of this, this is between me and Don. Do what the other one did, go to bed."

"Raph I'm not going to bed until you have that needle," Leo told him.

"Well, I hope your not tired, because it's going to be a long night," Raph hissed.

"Raph don't be such a baby and take this like a man!" Donnie said impatiently. He was sick of holding the needle.

"What did you call me?"

"He called you a baby. Raphael you're a ninja and you can't handle a needle? A needle is nothing compaired to getting injured by the Shredder!"

"You want to bet Leo! You ever had a bloody needle that big?" Raph yelled.

"People are trying to rest," Leo warned.

"I don't give a ….!"

"Raphael," Master Splinter walked into the room, looking from one son to the other.

"What is going on?"

"Raph won't take his needle, Master," Donnie told his father.

Splinter looked at his injured son.

"I don't want it Master Splinter, can't I just have something else? Please Master Splinter…" He begged. He hadn't begged to his father in years.

"My son, tell me why you fear this needle so?" The old rat asked.

Raph eyed his brothers, he didn't want to tell Master Splinter when there was an audience. Splinter picked up on this, when his son did not speak right away, "Go make some tea." Both left for the kitchen.

"Don't you have some herbs that'll stop the pain?"

"No. Now Raphael, I sense there is something in your past that has caused you to dislike this form of modern medicine."

"It was Hun, you know Shredder's over grown goon?"

"I know of whom you speak."

"Well, remember that first time they caught me, well they had me tied up and they threatened to cut me open with these huge pizza cutter things, that's why we no longer have one of those. It wasn't Mikey who lost it, I actually throw it out. I can't bare to have anything that reminds me of it, Master. I mean they were so close to cutting me right here," Raphael pointed to the middle of his chest where two plates meet."

"How come you never speak of this to me before my son?" Splinter was concerned. This was his greatest fear that a human would find his sons and use them as science experiments. His sympathy for his second youngest grow. Was this part of why he was such an angry young man?

"How can I? I felt like wimp if I went running and telling you what they tried to do," Raph shuddered.

"It is alright my son," Splinter placed his bony hand on his son's head.

"That's when they jabbed me here and here," Raph pointed to gap between his front and back shell. Just above where his sais usually rested. Raphael let out a small tear. Master Splinter winced, he knew all to well this was an area that was an area sensitive to his sons. He had always tried not to aim for this area when he was battling his sons in training and had taught them early on to defend this area of their bodies over others. For once wounded here, they were less able to defend any further blows.

"I am sorry you suffered this, my son," Splinter told his son, "I will give you an option."

Raphael felt the pain again.

"What?"

"You can let me give you this needle tonight and tomorrow morning, I will go out early to collect the herbs needed to make a medicine for your arm. You can do this or, I will sit here all night with you, as the pain comes back." Master Splinter replied.

There was a long pause.

"That is if you trust me, Raphael. It pains me to watch you in pain as I sit here. It would pain any father who's son is injured."

"Where would you sick that thing?" Raph asked.

"Miss O'Neil said it was to go into your arm," Master Splinter pointed where he saw the last needle go in.

"You promise not to tell the others?" Raph asked.

"Yes my son."

"Okay, but do it quick," Raph said, he closed his eyes firmly shut.

Master Splinter picked up the needle, with his other hand he rubbed the area on Raphael's arm where he planed to poke the needle in. Then he stroked his son on the top of the shell, he had learnt early on this was the best way to sooth his young sons during times of stress.