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Now Donnie has made a fair share of tech. He made the turtle tank, Sheldon, some badass weaponry and so much more. But he could not for the life of him figure out what to do now!
For the past hour and a half he’s been trying to create something new, tinkering with things and drawing up blueprints but his mind was absolutely blank. Any ideas the soft shell turtle had were either impractical, impossible, or fizzed away whenever he started tinkering with the materials to bring it to reality. It was absolutely miserable.
No seriously, this had to considered some kind of torture. He hadn’t made anything new in weeks! The most he had done recently were repairs and small upgrades that didn’t even change all that much. Hell, even his brothers were starting to notice!
Every time they asked what he was working on he made sure he was turned away when he answered— he didn’t want to look and see their disappointment.
Time blurred as he sat staring at the pile of scraps scattered across his desk. He fiddled with various pieces just trying to get something out of his brain, but nothing would budge. He’d probably have better luck running backwards in a fight without his battle shell.
Donnie slammed his fist on the desk. Various pieces of metal and broken tech flew about. Frustration burned at his core and he put his head in his hands.
He was the science guy! Tech was his thing! He should’ve had something new figured out yesterday. This was getting ridiculous!
How could he even be useful to his brothers if he couldn’t make anything? Yeah, they’d told him time and time again how useful his tech was, but what if he stopped producing that tech? Sure it’s a bit extreme to assume he’d never make anything again, but this is the longest he’d gone without at least having an idea of what to make since he’d been able to create! Fuck— it’s been nearly a month and all he had to show for his work was a pile of scraps! It doesn’t help that during that month his brothers have had to save him from a few different villains.
He couldn’t fight as well as the others and now he couldn’t make more tech. What good to the team even was he?
Donnie sighed and put his head down on the desk, hoping the cool metal might clear his head. Of course it didn’t do much, but it felt nice so he didn’t bother moving. It wasn’t like he was getting much done anyways.
The soft shell didn’t know how long he ended up laying there, drumming some random pattern with two fingers. He could’ve picked up an old unfinished project or taken a crack at making something new again, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. He’d probably would’ve fall asleep if his thoughts weren’t trying to play jenga with the mental walls he’s had up for god knows how long. That and the fact he’s had five cups of coffee in the past three hours, but it was mostly the first thing.
He was almost convinced he’d stay like this until he died until a knock on the lab door roused him from his stupor.
”Co-“ He cut himself off with a cough. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Come in.”
Leo poked his head in, took in the disheveled turtle in front of him, and promptly left.
”Weird,” Donnie muttered, wondering what the hell that was about.
Leo came back with a glass of water, coming in fully this time and setting it next to Donatello. The purple clad turtle took it and chugged it, not realizing how thirsty he actually was until now.
“Thanks.”
“No problem. If you were anyone else I would’ve gotten you coffee but I know damn well you haven’t slept at all.”
“Scoff! I am hurt by your accusation dear brother! I have slept a perfectly healthy amount thank you very much.”
“Sure Dee, I totally believe you. Please, remind me how many hours of sleep you’ve gotten this week?” The silence was telling. Leo snickered. “Now, what brilliant invention has got my brother pulling all nighters?”
The following silence was a lot more suffocating than the last, and Donnie curled in on himself slightly. His eyes fell on the scraps of metal scattering his desk and Leo’s followed. He softened a bit.
“Having a bit of an inventors block?”
“Yeah,” Donnie sighed and started fiddling with his thumbs, avoiding eye contact like the plague. Leonardo stood up suddenly and grabbed Donnie’s arm.
”Come on.”
”Wha-?”
”It’s doing you no good to just sit and rot in your lab, mi hermano,” The red eared slider stated. “We’re having a movie night.”
Leo dragged the soft shell turtle out to the living room and practically shoved him onto their couch. It was covered in pillows and blankets of various colors, sizes, and textures for all four of the brothers’ different preferences. His brother left again to do who knows what.
Donnie ran his hand across one particular blanket. It was purple and weighted. He pulled it over his lap.
Leo came back with popcorn and their copy of Jupiter Jim’s Pluto Vacation IV. He put the movie into the projector and sat down next to Donnie. The purple-clad turtle made it about halfway through the movie before passing out, the days of no sleep and weeks of general sleep deprivation finally catching up to him. Leo chuckled as Donnie slumped over and landed on his shoulder.
“Works every time.” He fell asleep not long after, a lot more tired than he had let his twin believe. And if the only reason he had stayed up longer than Donnie was to make sure he actually slept? Well that was his business.
And if Raph and Mikey took some blackmail photos when they found the two in the morning? Well, that was their business.