Chapter 16 Part 1: To Live → The Aftermath, A Story of Healing
Everyone’s physical state
The aftermath of the final fight with Morris was brutal. Every member of the team carried wounds that told the story of the battle, with Draxum not making it to the hospital at all…
Raph’s most visible injury was his missing arm, torn away in the fight and replaced in the moment with a mystic construct just to keep going. The severed limb left deep tissue damage, heavy blood loss, and severe nerve trauma. In the hospital, he would require emergency surgery to seal the wound, multiple blood transfusions, and weeks of intensive care to stabilize him before any prosthetic or mystic reconstruction could even be discussed.
Mikey had some lacerations running along his side and back, each one a reminder of the razor-edged projectiles and shrapnel he’d dodged but not entirely avoided. Several ribs were cracked from close-range impacts. His care involved surgical cleaning of the wounds to prevent infection, stitches, rib strapping, and burn treatment, cooling gels, dressings, and physical therapy to restore full movement.
Leo escaped without losing any limbs, but his injuries were more hidden. The strain from constant portal use caused muscle tears in his shoulders and back. In the hospital, he would be given IV fluids and prescribed rest. Yuichi had similar wounds and multiple deep cuts along his arms and legs from broken debris. He would need wound cleaning, stitches, oxygen therapy, and antibiotics to prevent infection.
Splinter’s injuries were a mixture of physical and mystical, exhaustion from channeling the dragon through the power of a drug, and the hit to his head of course. Even though his injuries were minor, he was still worried sick about both his sons’ well-being. His old friend’s death hit him hard too. However… Through his grief, he persevered for his sons, trying to help them as much as possible. April and Casey Jones, who immediately tried everything to ensure everyone got the care they needed, were worried sick too. Even in the hidden city, April and Casey were liked because they really cared about the Yokai’s well-being and tried to integrate them into ‘normal’ society.
It would take weeks or months before the team could physically recover. And even then, the scars, both seen and unseen, would remain. But… How would mental recovery go? After intense psychological evaluation… The two people who needed the most help were Leo and Donnie. Furthermore, the family underwent several coaching sessions to help understand each other and have more insight into each other’s way of thinking and how that came to be. However, that came later, after Leo and Donnie were ready to handle it, since they were the ones with the biggest psychological imbalance after everything that happened. Leo and Donnie both started going to different types of therapy to help them get through their experiences, with Leo’s being more psychological and Donnie’s being more of an intense treatment to handle mystic powers better and not overdo oneself in a special clinic.
Leo’s mental recovery
Leo’s treatment was more focused on the mental strain during the fights, especially on the trauma he endured from two years ago. The treatment was intense… to say the least. It was based on EMDR, a treatment where you have to focus your eyes and do other focusing on something while you think about what happened to you. This one was specifically based on Yokai with powerful mystic energy and powers, integrating both the mystic and the mental aspect into one. After the EMDR, they would continue some sessions with ‘exposure’, making sure Leo could also handle his trauma in ways that include his senses, like seeing, touching, etcetera.
The first few sessions were insanely hard for the slider, with him coming out of each session sweating, crying, and insanely fatigued. Yuichi, April, and, at the beginning, also the whole family (except Donnie, who had his own treatment plan), were there to support him. The sessions weren’t often, being only once a week, as Leo could integrate into normal society, and the trauma was already worked through at a level where he could function. In the first two weeks of each week, everyone supported the Slider coming out of each session, with Yuichi just hugging Leo tightly after each session, no words needed. Afterwards, April and Yuichi just helped Leo, with them going back to Yuichi’s apartment to watch a movie or just chill in general. Then, after 4 to 5 EMDR sessions, Leo started exposure, with him having to do really easy exercises at first, like touching a metal plate and talking about what happened, which was possible thanks to the earlier treatment. After he had to watch plenty of models of metal arms grab things, he got homework from his therapist in the end. He had to spar with someone wearing a metal glove. Raph volunteered to practice a prosthetic arm of his (even though in the end he ended up choosing his own mystic power anyway). It was scary at first, but after all the treatment Leo had, it went easily. In the end, Leo probably would still feel fear if he saw a massive metal arm coming his way in a fight, but let’s be honest…
Who wouldn’t?
Leo was finally able to react to such a situation like a normal ninja, finally able to face his fear, even though it was still terrifying. Fighting in general can be scary, especially with people like Morris, who was insanely powerful and threatening.
In half a year of recovery, Leo started living with Yuichi as well, with them visiting the lair as much as possible for the great times they have. Leo and Yuichi finally had the time and just a moment for themselves to truly develop their affection for one another, instead of a time when there was a massive crisis. This made Yuichi’s katana glow even greener. Furthermore, Leo, Yuichi, and April indeed became the triple treat that New York always needed, including the hidden city, but they also focused more on themselves as individuals and as a friend group, with the couple also going on many outings and dates together.
Casey left again…He had to do another mission, but he and April confessed to one another, and are at the moment still in contact, video-calling whenever they can and generally really liking each other’s company. Just like Yuichi and Leo, they complemented one another perfectly.
Donnie’s mental and mystic recovery
After being possessed by the entity, who overused Donnie’s mystic energy again for its own gain, Donnie spent 2 months in a coma. During this time and afterward for 3 months, he was in a special clinic to deal with these kinds of situations regarding mystic powers. His body was kept alive through a mix of standard medical care, IV nutrition and oxygen therapy, and delicate mystic channel repairs performed by master healers, who worked in shifts so the restorative spells never faltered.
Even in stillness, the strain showed. His breathing was shallow for weeks, his skin lost its color, and some nights healers reported sudden spikes of energy, as if his own mystic power was trying to fight its way free before collapsing again. When he finally opened his eyes, it wasn’t to triumph, but to confusion. His limbs felt like lead, his mind lagged as though he was thinking through fog. It would take weeks before he could even sit up without dizziness, and longer still before he could stand unaided.
The healers called it a miracle that he woke at all, but Donnie didn’t call it that, not yet. The toll was still written in the tremor of his hands, in the headaches that followed the simplest thought, and, of course, the crushing reality that he wouldn’t be allowed to touch mystic energy for months.
Even though at first, the healers thought Donnie getting his full power back would never be realised, the treatment plan went as follows. Firstly, they would mainly focus on physical therapy, since mystic powers can put a lot of strain on the body when overused. In combination with the coma, it took 2 months before Donnie could even walk and function normally again, his workout condition still being substantially weaker than before he ‘burned out.’ Afterwards, he was allowed to slowly create really small tools again with his mystic power. It would be a really slow schedule to slowly increase his power while simultaneously not overloading his system again. Donnie slipped up multiple times, wanting to create the things he used to, but not being able to.
His recovery was not linear. It was full of ups and downs, Donnie’s self-esteem getting worse in the process, however…
He went back into pure machinery, not to force himself to help his family, but as a hobby. Doing this brought him so much joy that his mystic powers slowly started to come back, with the healers realizing it was due to positive energy that came from him finding something he enjoyed again.
Through all this, the family, including April and Yuichi, visited many times. Donnie was quiet, but surprisingly, really took a liking to Yuichi this time around. Yuichi was caught off guard by this and one day… They had the conversation they always needed, with Donnie asking if he could speak to the rabbit alone after everyone visited.
“What is it Donatello?” Yuichi asked, surprised that Donnie even wanted to talk to him.
“Yuichi… I…” Donnie couldn’t get the words out. But then, his eyes started watering. He did not make a sound, though.
“The truth is… I always admired… You were more powerful than me, and I wanted to protect-.” But the Rabbit interrupted Donnie immediately.
“Donatello, please… I always knew you cared for your brother, and I have always admired you for it… Our quarrel is behind us now, I just… want to start over again… with you.”
Donnie smiled slightly, his eyes still watering. Then he gave Yuichi something.
“I am not a big fan of hugs… But I made this… for… yo-.” Donnie couldn’t get the words out. He had a guilty look in his eyes from how he treated Yuichi in the past.
Yuichi’s eyes and ears perked up, smiling at Donnie as well. “What is it?”
“This can translate old Japanese texts. You can probably get really far yourself since you are Japanese. But… this should help a lot if you ever want to study something out of your home country.”
Yuichi’s eyes watered as a result. He was moved by the thing Donnie made for him. The rabbit saw how much passion was put into it, and he couldn’t help feeling like this.
After Yuichi started going to the others… Donnie said one last thing.
“Oh… Call me Donnie, Yuichi!”
Yuichi didn’t say anything, but he showed a big smile to Donnie, his eyes still watery.
Finally, they were going to have a bond as well.
It will probably take a long time before Donnie is going to be back in shape, with the healers theorizing 3 to 4 years of recovery before he can fully make powerful weaponry again. However, unlike before, Donnie’s change in attitude made them believe that it is possible for Donnie to recover, hence he doesn’t overload himself again like he used to.
After half a year… Donnie finally got discharged from the clinic, but he had to follow a set of rules so he would not overload his powers again. He also had to come back a few times for regular check-ups. There was no intense new danger, though, and Donnie would just focus on his non-mystic machines for now. It was a new passion of his, to work without mystic powers and to show his brothers that you can be strong without it.
And he indeed was… becoming a master tactician in the process, helping his brothers and Yuichi with certain types of drones and other machinery. Being on the sideline was insanely helpful for the team, as they could easily sweep through the enemy with all the intel Donnie gave them.
Family Therapy
The family sessions went splendidly, with everyone, except Yuichi and April, getting insight into their behaviours and patterns towards one another. They already knew secretly that they had these dynamics after the Kraang fight 2 years ago, but to have someone else say them and make you go through many exercises with these patterns and behaviours, was still eye-opening to the family.
Splinter cried the most each session, having doubts that all of this was his fault. Even though the family reassured him that this was not his fault, and that they wanted to help people just like the rat did, he wouldn’t let it go. The therapist, however, showed Splinter that even if he didn’t train his sons, they would still find their own path, whatever the case, and that it wasn’t his responsibility now that they were adults. The therapist did, however, reaffirm that it was okay to feel guilty, seeing the physical states the turtles were in, and even though they wanted to fight Morris, that any father would feel the pain and sorrow of seeing their sons get hurt. The therapist then said that he saw how much love and guidance he gave his sons, and that he should be proud as a father. What was also being said… which was a secret from the counselor… was that he thought Splinter was one of the most kind-hearted fathers he had ever seen and that he could immediately tell from the way the rat acted that he was a good person deep in his heart, even with what he went through. Splinter reacted by crying again, but with a smile on his face this time.
Most of the time, the therapist saw families that were a lot more dysfunctional in the sense that people loved but also acted like they despised each other, for various reasons… not only out of love, which almost made the therapist emotional as well, but he managed to stay professional.
Only a few sessions were needed, and they all ended with lots of hugs and affection towards one another. They already loved one another… maybe even a little too much, some would say. But it didn’t matter to them. They had each other, and they would continue to support each other through anything.
Time skip
After half a year… Things went back to normal. Everyone was hanging out with each other, with Yuichi and Donnie becoming a new duo as well. Everyone was shocked at this realization, but they liked that they finally found the good in one another.
Now… after another half a year, a year going by in total since the final battle…
How are the turtles, Yuichi, and April doing when they all rent a swimming pool just for them?