Chapter 8: Delirium

A/N: Hey, I'm back once again. Sorry it took so long, but I had a lot on my plate including a Harry Potter story I've neglected. But now I'm back in the game and ready to get back to this story. This chapter will focus on what happened to Splinter after the battle with Shredder in New York. I figured that nobody has really done this before as far as I know, and I wanted to be a bit unique. So, I hope that you like it. Thanks to those who have stuck with this story and have had the patience to wait for an update. I will try not to keep you waiting so long, but I can't make any promises. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon Studios. I am making no profit off of this story. It's just something I'm doing for fun.

Dear Master Yoshi,

We returned to New York to face the Shredder and end this war. We had to encounter many obstacles to get to Shredder's stronghold, but we managed to do it. The battle was not easy, but we continued to fight bravely. I was determined to see the Shredder defeated so he would not hurt my family.

During the battle I was hurled out of a window. I tried to grab onto something to stop my fall, but I was unable to do so. Then I saw Leonardo coming to rescue me with a rope. He stopped my fall and brought me to safety, but I was still wounded. He wanted to stay with me, and I told him to keep on fighting the Shredder. He did so, vowing to help me when they were finished. I waited for them, but they did not return. I was badly wounded and in need of care. Then one of the Guardians came and saw my plight.

"Come with me," he said. "We will be able to treat your wounds."

"No," I protested. "We must wait for my sons."

"You are badly injured," he insisted. "You must get treated." Seeing I was about to speak, he cut me off. "We will make sure your sons know you are safe. You will be reunited with them when you are healed."

Despite this reassurance, I decided it would be best to get treated since I did not know how long my sons would be in the battle. I was very worried for them and hoped fervently that they would be victorious.

I was carried from Shredder's building and taken to the TCRI Headquarters. I remembered the building from when you moved to New York and before you moved to your home. I did not feel that the Guardians were going to harm me and felt safe with them. My mind was still on my sons and whether they were safe. I knew they would be worried when they saw that I was missing. I had left my walking stick so they would know that I was not captured against my will.

We entered the building, and I was escorted to a room. They laid me down on a bed and reassured me that I would be well cared for. I thanked them and wondered what would happen to me. A little while later a man came in. He did not look threatening, but I still tensed in anticipation.

"Greetings, Splinter," he said. "Welcome to our headquarters. I am Mr. Mortu."

"How did you know my sons and I needed help?" I asked. I remembered Mr. Mortu from the encounter where he gave me your ashes.

"We have been monitoring you for some time," Mr. Mortu replied. "Once we found out you were in peril, we came to your aid."

"Thank you," I said. "Will you make sure my sons know I am safe?"

"Yes," he answered. "It is already being taken care of. We've gotten a report that your sons defeated the Shredder."

"That is good to hear," I said. I was relieved to hear that my sons were safe and that they had defeated Shredder. Now, we could be a family with no war or strife from the man who killed my master. I really hoped they would come for me soon.

"We should get you to the infirmary," Mr. Mrotu suggested. "They'll be able to assess your injuries and treat you."

I nodded and was escorted to the infirmary where I was put on a table. They scanned my body and discovered that my wounds were not as severe as they thought they would be. I was in pain, but I mostly had bruises and cuts. These were treated, and I was put in my room to rest. Later they gave me some food, which was fairly good.

I am feeling a bit tired, so I will resume my story tomorrow.

22222

Dear Master Yoshi,

Two days later, I had a horrible fever. I was delirious and did not know where I was. I even tried to fight those who were caring for me though I did not have much strength. When my fever did not go down on its own, they put me in a stasis chamber to heal me. Although I was asleep, I could still sense things. I could even feel my sons' presence, though I was not sure if that was the fever, or if they were really there. I found out later that they saw me in the chamber and were really worried for me.

When I woke up, I was lying in the room they had taken me to when I first arrived. Mr. Mortu reported that my sons had entered the building and engaged in battle with some of the Utroms. They had stepped onto a trans-mat, which caused them to be transported to another dimension. I was very worried, but Mortu assured me that they were doing all they could to try and bring them home.

"And what if you cannot do so?" I demanded.

"Then they will have to stay there until we find a way," he replied. "But try not to worry. We won't let any harm come to your sons."

How could I not worry? These were my children he was talking about. My babies I found in a sewer. I nursed them when they were sick, treated their injuries, comforted them when they cried, and showed them affection. Clearly, Mr. Mortu did not know what it meant to be a parent. I made a vow when I first found my sons that I would protect them until the day I died, and intended to keep that promise.

Mr. Mortu left the room, promising to keep me informed of their efforts to retrieve my sons. I said nothing for I was too worried about what may be happening. I decided to try to reach my sons via the astral plane. Surely that would give me a clue if they were alive or not. I closed my eyes and concentrated on my sons. Yes, I could feel them, though I knew they were not aware of my presence. I could feel their fear for me and their fear that they would not get home. I longed to reassure them that I was safe, but I could not do so because they were not mediating with me.

Feeling a wave of relief that my sons were safe, I exited my meditative state and ate the food Mortu had brought up. I was determined to get stronger and to greet my sons when they did return.

Eight hours later, Mr. Mortu came bursting into my room. "Splinter, your sons came back," he said. "They're fighting with some of our men."

I hurried out of bed and followed him to where my sons were. Sure enough, they were engaged with some of Mortu's men and some creatures I would later learn were Triceratons.

"My sons, they are not the enemy!" I shouted.

They stared in disbelief as they saw me then hurried to my side, gathering me in a bone crushing hug. I had to ask my sons to let me go because I thought they would crack my spine. They did so, their eyes showing their relief at seeing that I was safe. The Utroms transported the Triceratons back to their world. I then saw that my sons had been accompanied by a robot named Professor Honeycutt who was the designer of the trans-mat and told me of his history.

Then Mr. Mortu asked if we would like to know more about the Utroms and their world. He showed us a machine that would take us through their history and how they arrived on Earth. I saw Donatello's eyes light up at this for I knew he was fascinated by history and by machines. We went into the machine and were reassured that we would be safe.

I must say, the history of the Utroms was very interesting. They were carrying a prisoner to another planet and crashed on Earth when the prisoner tried to escape. They tried to get their ship repaired, but it would take time. So they tried to make suits that would hide their appearance so that they could walk among the humans. Meanwhile, the prisoner escaped and also made a suit, which resembled the one Shredder had. We thought that maybe it was a distant ancestor.

Later, my sons and I engaged in battle with this prisoner. Then something went wrong, and Michelangelo was injured. We retreated to safety so no one else would get hurt. Leonardo scouted ahead and reported that the prisoner had invented what would then become the Sword of Tengu.

Michelangelo recovered, and we were ready to go home when we were engaged in battle once again. It seemed as though we would lose until Donatello had the idea for Leonardo to use his mind to get the Sword of Tengu. Leonardo did so and was successful. We were also able to retrieve the device that would bring us home.

Once we were transported home, I thought we would be safe, but I was wrong. Shredder and his army were invading the building. We began to battle them, and it was not easy. During the fray, Shredder revealed himself to be an Utrom, the same prisoner we had seen in the machine. We were all shocked because we had not realized this at all.

But that was not the worst part. Shredder released a bomb that infected the building and would implode the structure. We were battling Shredder, and I was worried that we would all perish. Luckily, the Utroms were able to get the trans-mat working and urged us to use it. We hurried onto it and waited as it took us away from the building. It transported us out of the building, causing us to land on the Battle Shell (which caused some bruising and some sore tails). Shredder was not able to follow us out of the building, but I do not know if he is alive or if he has been defeated for good.

We dropped Miss O'Neil and Mr. Jones off and headed back home. My sons were talking about the events of the day and all that had happened. I wanted to tell them more about what happened to me, but I did not want them to worry about it. I was safe, and that was all that mattered.

That night, my sons went up to bed, and I went into my chambers. But during the night, my sons came down and requested to sleep beside me for the night. I granted their request, and the four of them settled in a circle around me. Leonardo and Raphael at my sides, Donatello close to my head, and Michelangelo at my feet. I remember when they used to do this as children, but it was much easier then as they were smaller. Although they are bigger, it touches my heart that they would seek comfort from me.

22222

Dear Master Yoshi,

Leonardo has been sick for the past few days. Of all of my sons, he is the one who does not get sick very much, but when he does, it can sometimes be bad for him. This particular sickness came on suddenly. He was fine during the day and during their patrol, but in the middle of the night, he began vomiting.

I was concerned and hurried to his side. I was worried about how he had contracted this illness as none of his brothers were sick. Donatello concluded that it must have been the cold night air and insisted that Leonardo stay in his room.

He vomited again, and I was really getting worried. His temperature was still high and was not going down. I had prepared some herbs for the fever, but I did not want to give them to him for fear he would vomit them back up. I decided to wait until his stomach settled before I gave him anything.

"Sensei, maybe you should go downstairs," Donatello suggested. "I can keep watch over him."

"No, my son, I will stay," I insisted. "You may go and rest."

"But, Master, you've been here for hours," he protested. "Just take a rest."

I leveled him with a stern look. "I am staying here," I repeated firmly.

He sighed in defeat and went downstairs. I heard Michelangelo ask, "Is Leo gonna be okay?"

"Well, he's got a high fever," Donatello answered. "We just have to wait and see."

"Is Sensei givin' him those herbs?" Raphael inquired.

"He wants to wait until Leo's stomach settles," Donatello replied.

I tuned out the rest of the conversation and focused on Leonardo. He was quiet for a short time but then began to mumble in his sleep. I drew closer to his side so I could make out the words.

"Failure…Not good enough…Can't please Splinter…"

I grew concerned at these words. Was that how Leonardo viewed himself, or was this just a feverish dream? He kept muttering these words in a haunting mantra. It pained me to hear him speak this way, and I knew I had to reassure him.

I put a paw on his forehead. "You are not a failure, my son," I said. "You are a skilled warrior who has shown promise. Focus on your strengths, Leonardo. Ignore this voice giving you such negative thoughts. You are an asset to this team, a good leader who cares about his family. You do not have to worry about pleasing me. I am proud of you, Leonardo, and I love you dearly."

I was not sure if he heard my words, but he settled down after I spoke to him. I was relieved because I was worried about what he was saying. I stayed with him for a bit longer to make sure he was comfortable. Then Donatello took over so I could rest. I was reluctant to leave him, but I knew it was not a good idea for me to get sick from lack of sleep.

Shortly after I fell asleep, Leonardo's fever broke. I felt relieved when Donatello woke me to tell me the news. I thanked him and went back to sleep, confident that my son would recover from his illness.

22222

Dear Master Yoshi,

Leonardo is fully recovered from his illness. He joined practice today after being prohibited from it for so long. I could tell he was happy to be joining his brothers once more. It was good to see him there once again. I am so happy that he is fully recovered from his illness. I have often thought about speaking to him about what he said to me in his delirium but decide against it every time. I am sure the information would be hard for him to talk about, and it could be that he would not remember talking in his feverish state.

Mr. Jones and Miss O'Neil came down to celebrate Leonardo's recovery. It was a great celebration, and we all had a good time. I want to thank you, Master Yoshi, for helping Leonardo to recover. I truly believe your spirit guided him to get well.

A/N: Phew! I'm finally finished with this chapter. I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but I hope it'll be soon. I hope to get it finished tonight and then I'll work on chapter ten. I want to try and get a few chapters done at a time so updates will be more frequent, so if you don't hear from me for a little while, that's why. Feel free to review to let me know what you thought of it. Have a shelltastic day.