Cannonball

Chapter 1: Why?

A/N: This is a story that has been in my head for a long time so I've decided to start jotting it down. I've always thought about what would happen if Leo got paralyzed and how that would affect him in the long run. So after consulting with some talented writers on Stealthy Stories and asking for advice, I have finally gained the courage to write this story. I want to send a special shout-out to TheIncredibleDancingBetty for her medical knowledge and encouragement to get this bunny going. Go read her fabulous stories because she's awesome. I hope you enjoy this chapter and the chapters yet to come.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot to this story.

Summary: After Leo becomes paralyzed due to a car accident, he must adjust to how his life will change forever. With the help of his family and friends, will Leo realize that his life doesn't have to change and he's still worthy enough to lead the team?

He stared around his room at everything that was in it. He had asked to be moved here rather than stay in the infirmary any longer. What was the point when they knew what was wrong with him? He didn't want to have to stare at the walls and remind himself how he had changed. Nothing was ever going to be the same anymore, and it pained him to think of that. Gritting his teeth, he tried to move his legs off of the futon he rested on, but nothing happened. Nope, this wasn't a dream at all. He was really paralyzed.

The question that kept going around and around his head was why? Why did this have to happen to him? Why did they have to go out that day to search for mutagen canisters? If they had stayed home, none of this would have happened. Why did that little boy have to cross the street trying to get that mutagen canister? Why did humans have to be so stupid? And why did that man have to drive in a drunken stupor? What was the point in any of this happening?

"Leonardo, lunch is ready," Splinter said as he hovered in the doorway. "Do you want me to bring you a tray?"

"No thanks, Sensei," Leo said softly. "I'm not hungry."

"My son, you must eat to gain your strength," Splinter told him. "You cannot afford to become skin and bones."

"What good is eating going to do if I can't move my legs?" Leo asked bitterly. "It's not like the food will help me regain my movement. I'm still going to be useless."

"Leonardo, you should not talk like that," Splinter admonished him. "Just because you cannot move your legs does not mean that you are useless."

"Yes, it does," Leo contradicted. "I'll never be the ninja I once was." He reached behind his head and undid the blue mask his father had given him when he was younger. It was a symbol of how their training in ninjitsu had truly begun and how they were on the way to becoming true ninjas. At the time, Leo had been very humbled to receive his mask and had accepted it from his father quietly while his brothers cheered when they received theirs. Now he looked down at the fabric that had once defined him as a ninja. He wasn't a ninja anymore. The accident had seen to that. With one last look at it, he held it out to his father.

"Here, Sensei, you can have this," he said. "I won't need it anymore."

Splinter took the mask and looked at his son, puzzled as to what he meant. "What do you mean by that, my son?" he asked.

"I'm no longer a ninja," he said. "I can't lead the team anymore as you said yourself. That's why you gave Raph the job, right? So what's the point in me keeping my mask if I can't lead the team or be the ninja you've always wanted me to be?" Tears filled his eyes as he said the words no matter how hard he tried to hold them at bay.

A look of sympathy crossed Splinter's face and he embraced his son, rubbing his shell. "Oh, Leonardo, that is not true," he said gently. "You are still a part of this clan no matter what and always will be. You may keep your mask as that is what defines you as part of this clan. Yes, I did give Raphael the role of leader in your absence, but perhaps it will only be temporary until we figure out what to do. Donatello and Raphael have been discussing something, though I am not sure what it is. All I know is that they are doing their best to make things better for you."

Yes, Leo remembered Raph coming into his room and raging about how Splinter had given him the title of leader even though he protested that Leo still deserved it. He had felt it was unfair for Leo to lose it just because of his handicap and vowed that he was determined to find a way for Leo to keep being leader even if he couldn't accompany them to the surface anymore. He had gone to Donnie to talk about it, but Leo didn't know anything else yet. Maybe they were waiting to surprise him with it once they figured out what to do. He already knew Don was working on finding ways to renovate the Lair to make it more accessible for him to move around with Raph and Mikey's help. He was touched that Raph still believed in him and that they were willing to do all they could to make him comfortable, but it still didn't change the fact that he was still useless. He couldn't practice with them anymore or even use his swords. They were still in his room, and Leo was wondering why Splinter didn't just take them away and hang them in the dojo. Maybe it was because his swords were a second part of him, and Splinter recognized that and knew how it would feel if they were taken away.

"I am going to get you something to eat," Splinter declared. "Whether you choose to eat it or not is up to you. But I do not want you to continue to wallow in self-pity. You are still a ninja and a ninja accepts change in all of its forms and learns to flow with it. That is what you must do, my son." He patted Leo on the shoulder and left to get Leo some food.

Leo didn't care what Splinter said. There was no way he was going to accept that this had happened to him. He had every right to be sad about what had occurred and every right to blame himself. He took himself back to that fateful night, the images coming back to him as if they were being played out on a movie screen.

22222

It was supposed to be like every other night on patrol. The Turtles were on the hunt for more mutagen canisters so that Don could continue to make a retro-mutagen now that Kirby had been restored to his human form. They were finding quite a few and took it in turns to grab them as they spotted them. Mikey was being silly and challenged them to a race, but Leo explained that this was a serious mission and they couldn't just mess around. Mikey was disappointed, but he accepted his brother's words. As Leo scanned one of the streets, he spotted a mutagen canister in the middle of the street.

"Found one!" he called.

"Good job, Leo," Don praised him. "You can go get it."

Just as Leo was getting ready to jump down and grab the canister, he spotted a little boy toddling toward the canister, too. He obviously thought it was a toy and wanted to play with it. Leo jumped down and raced toward the boy, grabbing the canister before the child could get it. The Turtle in blue hesitated, thinking that maybe the boy would start freaking out and be scared by his appearance. Instead, the boy scowled and tried to get the canister away from Leo.

"Mine!" the boy cried, but Leo held the canister out of his reach.

"No, this isn't a toy," Leo said gently. "You can't touch it. It's dangerous."

"Mine!" the boy cried and tried to get the canister again, but Leo wouldn't let him.

"No, you can't have this," he said. "It's not safe, okay?"

The boy wasn't taking no for an answer and was ready to try and get the canister again. But suddenly, a car came barreling down the street at a high rate of speed and was headed for the little boy and Leo. Acting on instinct, Leo threw the canister to his brothers and pushed the little boy out of the way of the oncoming vehicle. Leo made a move to get away as well, but it was too late. He felt his body go up in the air and over the car before crashing to the pavement. He found himself staring at the sky and willed his legs to move, but they didn't. Was he in shock, or had something happened to him? His head was throbbing, and his vision was starting to blur. He tried his best to stay conscious as he heard the screams of his brothers, but the darkness pulled him under before he could reassure them that he would be fine.

Two days later, he woke up, wondering what had happened. Raph had never left his side, and Donnie was concerned about the damage the car had caused.

"Leo, can you move your arms?" he asked.

Leo did as Don asked him. "Yeah, I can move them," he answered.

"What about your legs?"

Leo willed himself to do as Don asked, but they wouldn't move. What was going on? Why couldn't he move them?

Alarmed, Don took out a needle, which made Mikey flinch.

"Dude, what are you going to do?" he asked him.

"I'm going to see if Leo feels any pain when I poke him with the needle," Don answered. He proceeded to prick the top of Leo's leg with the needle. "Can you feel that?"

Leo saw the needle going in, but he felt no pain. "No, I can't," he replied.

Don repeated the process down Leo's right leg and kept asking the same question. Leo couldn't feel the needle at all when Don touched him. He did the same with Leo's left leg with the same results. This frightened him. Why couldn't he feel his legs?

"Donnie, what's wrong with me?" he asked in alarm.

"I think your legs are paralyzed, Leo," Don answered. "I'll have to take an X-Ray to confirm it though." He set up the machine, and Raph carried Leo to the table and laid him on his stomach so Don could take an X-Ray of his back to look at his spine. Once that was done, Leo was put back on the hospital bed while Don went to examine the X-Ray. Leo could see him frowning and could tell that something wasn't right.

"So what's the prognosis, Donnie?" he asked, not able to wait any longer.

"Well, according to the X-Ray, it looks like the car hit you in your midsection just at your pelvis," Don answered. "You'll still be able to move your hips side to side and do sit-ups, but your legs have lost all of their movement permanently."

"What does that mean, Donnie?" Mikey asked him.

"It means that Leo will never be able to walk again, Mikey," Don said sadly. "He'll be paralyzed for the rest of his life."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Raph asked.

"Well, sometimes surgery can repair the paralysis, but I don't have the tools or the knowledge to even attempt it," Don replied. "And even if I could, I wouldn't want to run the risk of making the injury worse than what it is."

"So what do you suggest we do, Donatello?" Splinter inquired.

"We'll have to just take it a day at a time," Don answered. "He'll have to have a wheelchair to get around, and other things to accommodate him. I'll make a list and then see if maybe Kirby can help with getting a wheelchair. I think a motorized one would be beneficial for him. We'll also have to renovate the Lair in some fashion, but I'll have to make a list for that, too."

"We can put up ramps so he can move around better," Raph suggested. "Maybe Casey and I can work on that."

"You'll have to see where the ramps have to place first and then give Casey the number of ramps Leo will need," Don stated. "I think that's a good idea though, so good thinking, Raph."

"Donnie, can you put me in my room?" Leo asked. "I don't think I want to stay here anymore."

Don nodded. "Yeah, you can go to your room if you want," he answered. "We'll have to get you a raised bed so that you can get in and out of your wheelchair and maybe a shower bench and a special toilet, too. I better put those down on the list."

"Speaking of which, I do have to go the bathroom," Leo said.

"I'll take you," Raph offered. He reached under Leo's shell and lifted him while Leo put one arm around his brother for support. Then they made their way to the bathroom and then to Leo's room once he was done. It embarrassed him to have Raph see him while he did his business, but this was the way it had to be for now. Raph set him down on his bed and tucked his favorite Space Heroes blanket around him.

"There you go, bro," he said gently. "If you need anythin', don't hesitate to use your T-Phone to reach us, and we'll be here."

"Thanks, Raph," Leo said.

"No problem," Raph answered. "I have to go now. Splinter wants to talk to me." He patted his brother's shoulder and left him alone with his thoughts.

2222

Leo snapped out of his thoughts and sighed. Yes, things weren't ever going to be the same again no matter what anyone else said. He was still useless and not worthy to even be a ninja. He wasn't sure what Raph meant when he said Leo could still be the leader of the clan. How could that be? Was he just saying that to make Leo feel better, or did he really have a plan to make things better? He decided not to dwell on it as Splinter came back with a tray of food that Mikey had prepared. Leo decided to eat it and also let his father tie his mask back on, even though he wanted to burn it. The food tasted good, and Leo was happy to be eating it. He wasn't sure how things were going to get better, but Splinter did have a point that he needed to accept it no matter what. At least he had a family and friends to support him, and maybe he could get through this with their help.

"Do you need anything else, my son?" Splinter asked him.

"No, thanks, Sensei, I'm fine," Leo answered. "But thanks for talking to me. I'm going to do my best to accept what has happened, but it won't be easy."

"And that is what we are here for, Leonardo," Splinter said gently. "We will help you through this and support you in any way that we can. You are not alone in this."

"I know," Leo said softly. "Thanks, Sensei."

"You are welcome, Leonardo," said Splinter, giving his son a pat on the shoulder before he left the room.

Leo finished the meal as his father instructed and waited for him to come back and take the tray away. He still hated that he was so helpless, but he hoped that once he had his wheelchair, he'd still be able to do things on his own to the best of his abilities. Don had even showed him some videos of people who were paralyzed like him and how they didn't let their disability affect him. Leo appreciated what Don was trying to do, but he still believed that he would be limited in what he could do for the rest of his life. However, he was still amazed at how some of these people still went about their lives and did things that they never thought they would ever be able to do again. After watching a few more videos, Leo decided that he would do his best to live as normal of a life as possible. After all, he was a ninja, and he was going to accept and flow with this change to prove that he was a good leader. Maybe that's what Splinter meant by Raph being leader temporarily. This was probably a test, and Splinter would probably give Leo the title back once he accepted the changes he had to make to his life. Satisfied that he had come to a decision, Leo picked up a Space Heroes comic Raph had left for him and began to read, trying to forget for a little while that things had changed and that he was with his cartoon idol fighting alongside him and defeating villains.

A/N: Okay, that last part was a bit corny, but it was the best I could do. I hope I got everything right as far as the medical stuff is concerned. If not, then feel free to throw a tomato at me, Betty. I know I kind of rushed Leo's acceptance of this, but as you saw, there's a reason he's going to finally accept what can't be fixed so that he can be the leader again. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I hope to have it up as soon as I can. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.