Leo watched as Raph paced in the waiting room. He knew Raph wanted to be out hunting those kids just as bad as he did, but the doctor still hadn't come back out with news about Mikey. There were dozens of questions running through Leo's mind. How long had this been going on? Why were they picking on Mikey? Why didn't Mikey fight back? Why didn't Mikey tell someone? Why didn't Mikey tell them?

Leo's head shot up when the hospital doors slammed open. Splinter ran in with Don, April, and Casey right behind him. Leo had never seen their father look so scared. His face was pale and he looked around frantically until he spotted his oldest son. "My son, how is he? What happened?"

Leo stood up as Splinter approached and shook his head. "I don't know Sensei. The doctor's haven't said anything yet."

Raph stopped pacing long enough to say angrily, "It was those bullies, Jeff and his gang. They were beating up on him with pipes!"

April gasped and Casey paled. "Why?" Don asked.

"I don't know but I'm gonna find out," Raph said cracking his knuckles threateningly.

Before he could do anything though the doctor walked through the door. "Michelangelo Hamato?"

He started when the large group rushed him. "How is my son?" Splinter asked desperately.

The doctor composed himself and looked over the charts in his hands. "Considering what your sons told me about the attack, he's relatively well off. He managed to protect his head so he only has a mild concussion. However, his right arm is broken and his back will be sore for quite some time. He had some mild internal bleeding from being kicked but we've managed to stop it. Overall, he's black and blue and in some pain, but he'll be okay. We've given him some morphine to take the edge off, but he's awake right now if you want to see him."

Splinter took the doctor's hand gratefully and bowed. "Thank you."

The doctor blushed slightly. "Thank your sons. If they hadn't brought him in so quickly it would've been worse."

The doctor led the family to Mikey's room and left them alone. Even Raph couldn't hold in his gasp as they took in their youngest. He looked a lot worse than 'he'll be okay'. Both eyes were still black from the previous day and his nose took up a third of his face. There was a brand new, white cast on his right forearm and up and down both arms were thick bruises. His lower half was covered but they could only imagine what his stomach looked like.

Mikey gave them a drug-induced smile as they walked in. "Hi guys."

Splinter sighed and walked up to the side of the bed, grabbing a chair and grabbing his son's intact arm as he sat. "What happened Michelangelo?"

"And don't give us any crap about you and the guys getting too rough," Raph barked.

Mikey flinched so Raph calmed down a bit, but just a bit. The blonde looked down at his sheets; he didn't want to see his brothers' disappointed faces when they found out. But it wasn't Mikey who told them. "Jeff and his gang have been pickin' on him for a while," Casey answered.

All heads turned to look at him. "You promised not to tell Casey!" Mikey accused.

Raph turned on him. "You're in the hospital you numbskull! How could you not tell us?"

"You knew?" Don asked Casey.

When Casey didn't answer immediately Raph turned his anger on his best friend. The muscular teen grabbed Casey's collar and slammed him up against the wall. "You knew, and you didn't tell us? You didn't even try to help him?" Raph snarled.

"I did try!" Casey insisted. "Mikey didn't want you guys knowing!"

"He's right Raph! Put him down," Mikey pleaded. Raph waited a second before letting his friend go. "I didn't want you guys to know," Mikey admitted.

Leo took Mikey's other side and carefully brushed some hair back, avoiding any injuries. "Why Mikey?"

Mikey leaned into Leo's warm touch. "I thought I could handle it myself. I don't want you guys always fighting my battles for me."

Don gave his little brother a soft look. "Mikey, we're brothers. We'll always fight each others battles together."

Splinter nodded. "Your brothers are right. You can always come to us with a problem."

April frowned. "Why didn't you fight them back? You could easily beat them."

"I didn't want to get in trouble for fighting, and I didn't want to hurt them," Mikey added.

His brothers shook their heads softly. Only Mikey would be concerned with hurting students when they were beating him up. "No more worrying about that little brother," Leo said. "Or worrying about bullies at all. We'll take care of it."

Splinter glanced at his sons briefly before saying, "Go to sleep Michelangelo. We'll be here when you wake up." Mikey nodded and let the morphine take effect. When they were sure he was asleep Splinter looked at Leo. "You know that I do not condone revenge." Leo waited. "But fear is usually an effective strategy as well."

Raph gave a toothy-grin and punched a fist into his open palm. "Fear, I can do."

Jeff and what remained of his gang were lounging in the park laughing. "I guess we can't go after baby Hamato anymore," Jeff lamented. "Too bad, he was a great punching bag."

"I bet you are too."

Jeff whipped around. Leo, Raph, Don, and Casey stood in front of the group. Jeff chuckled. "Come to avenge your baby sister? You can't take on all of us."

The four pulled out their respective weapons. "We're not here to take you on," Leo said, "no matter how much Raph wants to beat you to a pulp. We're here to warn you. You so much as look at our brother wrong again, you'll deal with us." He nodded towards Raph.

Raph grinned and threw his sais at a tree behind the group, just missing the faces of two boys. With a single leap he flipped and twisted so he landed on the jungle gym that the gang had been sitting on. "And we fight back."

Jeff looked a little less certain but still said, "You'll get in trouble for fighting too."

Leo smirked. "Didn't you know Jeff? Our father trained us. We can easily take you down without leaving evidence."

As if to prove a point, Don whipped his bo staff at Jeff so it just missed his face. "We don't mind hurting students who hurt our family."

The gang stepped back some. They had never seen the genius look so angry.

"So stay away from our brother and we won't have any problems," Leo said. "And if we hear about you bullying anyone again, you'll deal with us too, except we won't give you a warning first. Understood?"

Behind Jeff his friends were nodded their heads enthusiastically. Jeff nodded as well, although a bit reluctantly. "Yeah, understood."

"Good." They were gone.

The next time Mikey woke up he was feeling a lot better. Casey and April were gone but his brothers and his father were all sitting around his room. Splinter was reading, Donnie was working on a new invention, Leo was meditating, and Raph…Raph was conked out in the chair next to his bed. Mikey grinned. He wished he had a camera.

Splinter noticed the teen awake and put his book down with a smile. "Michelangelo, how are you feeling?"

The others stopped what they were doing as well and looked at him. "Much better," Mikey admitted. "It doesn't hurt so bad anymore."

Splinter nodded. "The doctor said you will be able to leave tomorrow, after you get your permanent cast."

Mikey smiled brightly. "Yes! I can get orange."

His outburst woke Raph up who started with a snort and looked around in confusion. "Huh? What?"

Mikey looked at him with a completely serious face. "Raph, did you know that you drool in your sleep?"

Raph blushed red and rubbed at his mouth. "No I don't!"

Mikey burst out laughing. "No, but you're adorable when you sleep!"

Raph growled and ruffled Mikey's hair carefully. "You'll pay for that when you're better."

"Those guys won't bother you or anyone again," Leo said. "But next time you have a problem, you better tell us."

Mikey nodded. "I will. Sorry guys, and thanks."

Raph grinned and pulled Mikey in for a careful one-armed hug. "That's what brothers are for little bro. That's what brothers are for."