#His ankle is confirmed broken and will require surgery to fix but no updates yet on his ribs or spine or brain

[little-mouse-adventures]

Having a fuckin Thursday, my dudes (gender neutral)

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

CSUAVS prt 38 update

Sitting by Keith's bedside, Shiro watched his brother sleeping off the effects of his stay in the pod. Compared to Lance, Keith was the model patient, his ankle was still badly bruised, but at least he was on the right track. Getting Lance back on board the Atlas, Coran had insisted that they pass medical treatment over Lance's condition to Daehra. Between the damaged done, and Lance unable to be placed into the pod due to Keith being in there, Shiro wasn't entirely sure how that came about. She'd rushed into action, while he'd fallen behind, finding himself still standing in the same place as where he'd parted from Lance, when Curtis came to collect him. Shiro couldn't help but feel responsible for the current condition of them both. When Keith had missed his deadline, he'd had such faith in him that he'd ordered Acxa to hold off for the extra half a quintant. By the time they had moved in, the outpost was a smouldering crater with no sign of Keith or Lance, who's presence there had been confirmed by Daehra through a friend who'd aided Lance in infiltrating the base. It was his fault that Lance and Keith disappeared. It fell on him to brief the members of their respective teams. The one person they desperately needed to make sense of the situation was Lance. Lance who'd been right all along. The Atlas wasn't wanted in that region of space, the frank animosity a slap in the face after the all the peace missions they'd been on. People public spat in their face, ignore their presence due to the uniforms on their back, and that for the most part they were humans. They were associated with Voltron. The very Voltron that had failed to help them. Shiro found a whole new respect for Lance. Establishing himself out in this region of space was nothing short of miraculous, but Lance had always been like that. For good or for worse, he drew people towards him. Now he was deep below in hanger two with the rest of his team, a place Shiro wasn't welcomed, yet Coran was. Something more was going on with Lance, yet no one would tell him anything. Not even an exhausted Veronica who'd hounded Coran until he couldn't ignore her. They'd had them both back for nearly a movement, and still had no answers. The Altean they captured now occupied the pod that Lance should be in. His team was sorting through the ruins of the prison ship, and there he was, sitting by Keith's side because he refused to leave until his brother woke. Not wanting to alarm Krolia, he'd waited until Keith's vitals had stabilised and he was in the all clear before contacting her. The woman was currently stuck in diplomatic meetings, but had asked him to warn Keith that he was in a world of trouble once she got there. They'd all been worried. A phoeb with no idea what was happening had passed. Even with the time dilation in the region, it was hard on all of them. Hearing the soft click of the door, then the creaking of the hinges, Shiro didn't need to turn around to know that Curtis was there. Walking up behind him, his boyfriend draped a thick blanket from their bed over his shoulders "They've moved Lance up here. It doesn't look good" Leaning forward, Shiro clasped his hands together, resting the bridge of his nose against it "Tell me" "He developed a secondary infection in his lungs. They've placed him on a ventilator" A sob bubbled up. He'd been so worried about Keith... The guilt clawing him alive "There's another thing. I think it's best you come see him" "What about Keith?" "Acxa is waiting outside the door" That would have to do. He owed it to Lance to face the full brunt of his condition. Forcing himself up, Shiro moved to brush Keith's fringe from his face. Allowing himself a moment to take in the fact that he was so incredibly fortunate to have him back, before tearing himself away. Pausing to request Acxa find him if Keith woke, Curtis placed a reassuring hand on the small of Shiro's back as he lead him down the corridor to where Lance had been admitted. On his left side, Lance's hand had been bandaged, and was resting in Coran's hold. The man had clearly been crying. On his right side, Veronica stroked Lance's hair, while Daehra stood tapping on her holopad "Ho-How is he?" Shiro's voice was rough with emotion, the soft hiss of the ventilator felt like a blow to the gut "Daehra has done all she can. She's worked miracles on this stupid idiot brother of mine, but now it's up to Lance. He requested that our parents not be informed, and with the state he's in, I can see why" Full of love, Veronica's voice was soft as she smiled down at him. Glancing up from her holopad, Daehra looked to Coran who gave a small nod "Lance is suffering from a secondary infection in his lungs. It has not turned into what humans describe as pendona?" "She means pneumonia" Daehra nodded at Coran's words "Yes. That. He has had most of his little finger on his left hand amputated. There are multiple infected blaster marks to his body, as well as tearing and bruising. There has also been clear evidence of an intercranial sample being taken, as you can see where his head was partially shaven. I have set his broken arm, though he will need surgery on his torn tendon in the right shoulder. Due to his Altean healing, his body is healing at an accelerated rate, however due to the substantial amount of damage his body has taken, fever has developed. As he did not want painkillers, we have sedated him for the time being. He was also severely anemic, which resulted in a blood transfusion being required. He is showing no signs of rejection. Kidney production is decreased, due to internal trauma and swelling. I fear if you had not acted when you did, he would not have survived past another quintant" When Shiro's knees gave out, Curtis was there to catch him. Guiding him over to lean heavily against the wall. He should have waited. He should have waited to see how Lance was before placing priority on Keith's healing. No wonder Keith had wanted so desperately to go to Lance. "There was also traces of blood in both ear canals, so we will need to wait until he wakes again to assess if there has been any permanent damage. Lance has requested I stay in charge of his medical treatment" "I'd like to sit with him, if that's ok?" "Shiro, you need to rest. My idiot brother will be fine, and you've been sitting by the bedside of that other idiot. Curtis, take him to bed..." Veronica quirked an eyebrow. Unapologetic over the phrasing "... or I'll drop off all your paperwork and force you to complete it all at once. As well as each of the prisoner interviews..." "Come now, Veronica. I would rather not kill my boyfriend off with paperwork. He wanted to sit by Lance for a while, let him have that. Then I promise I'll take him to bed and you can boss him around as much as you like tomorrow" "You're supposed to be on my side" Curtis held a healthy fear of Veronica too, but the pair of them didn't need to gang up against him when he was already feeling so low. This entire mess was his fault. Lance and Keith would be carrying lasting scars from this experience, and worst of all, he still held no answers for them. Coran was on hand to translate the Altean on board the ship, but he'd been glued to Lance's side, Shiro unable to tear them apart "Fine. I expect you to work tomorrow. Daehra, you'll call me if there is any change" "Yes, of course. Lance shall be sleeping for the next 12 vargas at least. I'll check in with Keith. Coran, please watch over him and Shiro. Shiro, I expected better of you. You clearly need rest" "Yes, Daehra. I will rest. Thank you for all you've done for him" "Yes, well, someone needs to be there for him" Lance might be able to forgive him, but he was still in trouble with his team. Not that he could blame them. Lance was their leader and he'd let them down. The only reason they were cooperating was for the sakes of Lance and Keith. Copping the insult on the chin, Shiro turned the other cheek. Once Lance was awake, then things would sort themselves out... * Propped up with his foot elevated, Keith was planning his escape. The vent was annoyingly out of reach, covered as if to tease him. His mother hadn't been impressed by that both he and Lance had been wounded, Krolia making it her mission to repeatedly bump against his elevated leg, not realising it at first that she was doing so intentionally, laughing heartily when he pulled her up on it. He wasn't allowed on his feet, and no one tell him how Lance was doing. After the first varga of being confined to bed, every following vargas had been playing the part of the recovering patient... who needed rest and to be left alone. No one wanted to leave him alone though. "Rest, we'll be right here" could only be said so many times before it grated on his nerves. He wanted his boyfriend, so the first chance he had to escape, he was escaping to find Lance. He wasn't left alone until the middle of the night. Having faked sleep long enough to fall into a nap, he woke up to find himself blissfully alone. Finally alone. Slipping out the bed, he grabbed the crutches he was confused to using for the next movement. He didn't need the damn things, but when Shiro gave him that "dad" look, he had no choice in the matter. Sliding his hands into the cuffs, he limped forwards, not loving being forced into crutches he neither needed or wanted, but grateful to be freed from the hospital bed he'd begun moulding into. Making it outside his room, Shiro was leaning against the wall casually, Keith well and truly sprung "You took longer than expected. Acxa left nearly a varga ago" "Stuff off. I fell asleep" "I know. And now you're going back to bed" Fixing his brother with the coolest glare he could, Keith hobbled forward. Pods were supposed to fix everything. Why was his damn ankle still sore? "I'm going to see Lance" "Keith..." "No. He's my goddamn boyfriend..." "Keith..." "I need to see him" "Keith, he needs rest" "It's not like I'm going to jump him. Why won't anyone tell me what's going on with him? I have to see him. There's things you don't understand going on" "I know Lance means the world to you..." "Goddammit Shiro! Let me see him" As if 10 quintants of being unconscious wasn't long enough to be separated from Lance, he didn't understand why he couldn't see him. Shiro knew that Lance had PTSD. He knew that Lance couldn't calm without him... "Keith, Lance was the one was asked that you not visit him" That wasn't expected. Why would Lance not want to see him? If it was because of what happened, Keith didn't blame him. He didn't blame him for any of it... "You have no idea what happened Shiro" No one had asked what had happened, everyone kept telling him to rest instead "Honestly, I'm worried about Lance. He won't take anything to help with the pain. We weren't able to place him in a pod, due to the Altean we apprehend. He's been quiet and withdrawn since waking. He doesn't want to talk to any of us, instead asking to be left alone" Lance had been badly wounded. He'd needed the pod more than Keith had, and certainly more than Kre'el did "And you listened to him?! I need to see him. I can't believe you'd put her in it, instead of him! You have no clue..." Being on crutches didn't stop Keith from taking a swing at Shiro, livid at his brother for placing priority on Kre'el instead of Lance. Dodging the the blow with ease, Shiro sighed "I suppose I deserve that. Lance's team refuses to speak to me, blaming me for not sending backup in sooner. You, Coran, Daehra and Lance all seem to be keeping some kind of secret. Whatever it is, it's not helping Lance. Not when Lance is clearly hiding things" "He's not hiding things!" Snapping at Shiro, Shiro raised an eyebrow "He's not hiding anything about the mission Shiro" "Then what is he hiding?" He wanted to tell. Shiro was genuinely concerned for Lance, but this wasn't his secret to tell. He was once again trapped by the situation. Lance most likely wasn't taking painkillers due to his drug addiction, not like could admit that out loud. Not to Shiro. Not to the man he'd looked up to and desperately wanted him to think him equal "He... some stuff happened, and he didn't deal with it very well. Coran knows he's hurt himself. If he's acting weird, it's probably because of that. We talked about it a bit... he agreed I should go find Lance and to help him. Then Lance had his heart kicked to the curb, by a person who thought was his friend. Please, Shiro. I need to see him before he gets too far into his head" Shiro let out another sigh. Staring into his eyes, his brother looked like he hadn't slept in the whole 12 quintants since he'd dropped in from nowhere and had rescued them "I'm sick of being on the outside Keith. How am I supposed to help you both?" "I promise you... when the time is right, I'll tell you anything he gives me his permission to. I broke his trust. It's so fragile right now that he can't trust anyone. That Altean bitch did this to him. You should have left her to die there" "Does that "Altean bitch" have a name?" "Kre'el. Like the woman in his briefings. The one who helped him after what happened with Klearo. She was a shape shifting bitch. Now, I need to see Lance, or I'm going to stab you this damn crutch in my hand" "Between you, Curtis, Lance, and Veronica, I've barely had a moment to sit down. I was never going to stop you, Keith. I simply wanted to know what was going on" "Are... are you ok?" Shiro gave him a crooked smile "Not really. It was... all of this is my fault. I held off sending in backup when you failed to check in. Then when we did, the outpost had already been destroyed. For... for a while phoeb I thought you were dead..." Letting go of the crutches, Keith reached up to wrap his arms around Shiro "You're not to blame for what happened. You saved us after the crash. Lance isn't to blame. You're not to blame. She's to blame. Ok. You're my brother, Shiro. I know you're worried for Lance, and I don't know how we're going to work through this, but we will. Lance is tough" "I prioritised your healing over his. I didn't thunk that he was as bad as you described. I thought you were allowing your personal feelings to cloud your judgement. Then when I saw him..." Shiro's breath hitched, his hold tightening "When I saw him I realised how much of a mistake I'd made..." "Lance will understand" Lance wound understand while Keith was internally torn. Lance should have been given priority over Kre'el. Shiro shouldn't have made the call to put him in a pod without knowing Lance's condition. All Keith had had wrong was a little bit of stabbing, a busted arm, and a broken ankle... and maybe some trauma to his head... but Lance... he... God. He needed to see him. Releasing Shiro, he took up his crutches again, gripping the handles tightly as he stepped back "Can I see him now?" Running his human hand through his hair, Shiro looked even more exhausted than before "Yeah. Yeah, he's just down the hall" Holding the door open for him, Keith limped into the room. Shiro hadn't told him that Lance was on oxygen, his love's blue marks shining brightly against his ashen complexion as Lance rattled in a breath "It's better than it looks. He developed an infection. For a while we were scared it'd turn to pneumonia, but the antibiotics kicked in" "From his finger or the blaster marks?" "Blaster marks. You know about his finger?" Keith nodded, taking a cautious step forward. All he wanted to do was dive into bed next to Lance and pull him into his arms. He was exhausted, and unprepared for Lance to be on oxygen "They took a bone, muscle and skin sample from both of us. Mine from the wrist, and his... from his finger. They... They planned this all. Klearo was working for that woman... She wanted him to bring Lance to her. For his... Altean whatever... whatever caused the marks... can I sit by him?" "Do you promise not to disturb the equipment?" "I won't disturb him. I won't cause a scene. He needs to rest, and he's finally safe enough to do so. Thanks to you" "It's thanks to you. Your message came through. We were there as soon as we could be" Keith shook his head "In that case, its to thanks to Lance. He forced his hand out of the cuffs, even with his finger gone. He got the comms of the officers escorting us and he kept me going on that ship... It's him that brought down the ship. He tackled Kre'el as the ship entered the wormhole... We were... I promised him chocolate. And a shower. Has anyone showered him?" "I don't know. Daehra refused us access to him for the first few days... Lance refused care from anyone else" "He's been through a lot with Daehra. She understands" Limping over to Lance'd bedside, Keith longed to plant a kiss on Lance's sweaty brow "I'm pretty sure she hates me" "Daehra doesn't hate anyone. Though at times she reminds me of Krolia. Like when you upset her or do something stupid. She's not afraid to stand her ground against it and tell you as much" "She didn't want to work with us. While you and Lance were gone. She insisted on waiting to hear from either of you, until Acxa informed her that the base had been destroyed. His team rejoined us after that" "I'm not surprised. They are fiercely protective of him. He brings out everyone's doting side. Can I have some time alone with him?" "I can't guarantee someone won't drop by. Hunk tried to come by earlier, but Lance refused to see him" "I think for him, everyone knowing is the worst possible outcome for the situation" "He does know..." "He knows everyone is here for him. He's just not used to relying on them anymore. Thanks, Shiro. I promise I'll stay off the foot" "Make sure you do. There's a chair on his other side" "I'll get there" "Or I could fetch it for you" "No. I'll be fine. It's nice not to be laying down. We joked about how we were going to take a bath and stay in the bed for a phoeb... and I owe him his weight in chocolate..." "Keith, he's going to be alright. It might take sometime..." "If Daehra's been treating him, then he's going to be alright..." "He needs surgery" Blurting it out Shiro sounded gutted, Keith's eyes filled with tears that he'd been trying to keep down. Lance had those crazy healing powers... he wasn't supposed to need surgery "Wh... on what?" "Tears in his right shoulder. Daehra set his broken arm, but she's not allowing our medics to do anything other than provide antibiotics for the infection in his lungs. He really would be more comfortable if she allowed him painkillers" "Daehra has herbs for that... Don't think for a moment she'd let him suffer" Despite everything, Keith still found trust in her. He'd been to her home planet, met her family and seen how much her genuinely cared for Lance. She trusted in Lance, and Lance trusted in her. That was the most important thing "I wouldn't know. She won't talk to us" "I'll talk to Daehra. You should get some rest, Shiro. I know you're blaming yourself, but the most important thing is that we're both here. Try not to be so hard on yourself" With a pat on the shoulder, Shiro let them alone. Keith hadn't been able to take his eyes off Lance's sleeping face, wondering how comfortable he was laying propped up like he was. Leaning in, he rested his forehead against Lance's, tears rolling down and dripping onto Lance's clammy skin as he let out a soft sob. This wasn't supposed to have turned out like this. Lance wasn't supposed to be hurt like this. He'd wanted to protect him... How much pain had he been in on that ship? Vargas had passed since they'd given him the injection at the outpost. That wouldn't have kept him going for so long... Beneath him, Lance coughed. Keith pulling back to see sleepy blue eyes looking up at him "Quiznak. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you..." Using his right arm, that probably wasn't supposed to be moving around as a sling was poking out from the blankets up to Lance's shoulder, Lance clumsily pulled off the oxygen mask covering his lips "You're supposed to be resting, Mullet" Snorting an unsexy snot bubble, Keith wiped at his face "I've been resting" "That's good..." Lance coughed wetly, Keith moving the oxygen mask back over his lips. His left hand waving weakly as Keith. Taking the mittened hand, Keith tried to pull himself together "Shiro said something about an infection in your chest... and surgery... I'm so sorry, babe... you saved us. You tackling her down, god, I was so proud of you. Then I was so fucking scared... when I couldn't find you" Lance moved his hand back to lift the mask, ignoring Keith trying to keep in on his face "Not your fault. At all... all mine... just glad you're ok" "I'm not ok, you dick. You got hurt" "And you got that message out to Shiro" "That doesn't..." "Keith, please... babe... come here..." Lance wiggled, barely moving in his bed before wincing with pain "I shouldn't" "I need you resting too... I told them not to let you in... so you'd rest" Relief loosened the tight grip of rejection that had wound around his heart when Shiro had told him Lance didn't want to see him. His husband knew him too well "Idiot. They put me in a pod... it's just a bit of bruising that's hanging around" "That's good... that's..." Sniffling, Lance tried to hold it in, before coughing harshly. Pulling on Keith's hand, Keith pushed the mask back down with a glare "You're not allowed to go dying on me. You're not allowed to leave me like that. I couldn't fucking find you... I thought you'd been thrown out the ship and were killed in the shot the Atlas fired..." Being the stubborn shit he was, Lance pulled harder on his hand, coughing out "get in here" as he struggled for breath. There was a tangle of wires hidden under the sheets, Lance naked apart from a pair of boxer briefs and thick thermal socks. That and the numerous sensor pads stickied to his chest and shoulder. There was also the IV line that disappeared into his busted up left hand, and the air tubing to his mask to consider. Keith really didn't think he should be climbing in... but he couldn't say no to Lance. He couldn't deny him the comfort they bought sought... even when he had no idea where to wrap his arm or how much pressure to apply against Lance's chest "Stop thinking, babe" "I can't" "You got us out of this. It's alright" "It's not alright. None of this is alright. I'm sorry, Lance but this isn't ok. None of this is" "Babe, don't..." Lance coughed beneath him, cutting himself off "I never want to feel the way I felt when I couldn't find you" "Keith, I'm tired. Go to sleep already" Keith deflated. He knew he couldn't overwhelm Lance, but at the same time, everything coming to mind was sliding off his tongue with no filter "Ok... we can talk later... I love you" "Mmm, me too" Keith stayed tense as Lance finally fell asleep beneath him, or beside him. He wasn't really sure how they'd ended up by the end of it. He was more or in Lance's favourite spot to sleep, tucked up under his boyfriend's arm protectively. He'd told Shiro he wouldn't disturb Lance, or wake him, yet instead he woke him up by crying all over him. He was so weak. There were a dozen things he could have differently. If he just reached Lance before the crash, he could have prevented him being further injured. Nuzzling gently into Lance's chest, Keith hid himself away from the world, not wanting anyone to see him feeling so lost and confused. * Having gradually melted into Lance's hold, Keith's tears finally ran dry. Listening to Lance's beating heart and raspy lungs, the fingers of his left hand traces patterns around the sensor monitoring pad on the side Lance's ribs. He didn't want to move to let Lance go, nor did he want to fall asleep in case something happened. Lance was so warm and alive beneath him right now that he feared being pulled away from him would destroy all of that. As the door to Lance's room slid open, Keith tried to hide beneath the blankets, knowing he'd be lectured if it was Shiro... or even worse, Veronica. He didn't know what he'd say to Hunk when he saw him... that was going to be awkward... Lucteal probably wanted to punch him in the face... No. He knew he couldn't hide successfully, but that didn't mean he didn't give it a good shot, keeping his head down as the chair next to Lance's bed scraped lightly on the floor. Whoever was there was staring holes through his head, he could feel their gaze on him, driving him anxious as they failed to speak. Unable to take the racing of his heart, or the speckling fear that he was about to be yelled at, Keith cautiously raised his head, ever conscious of the fact Lance's right arm was millimetres from his head. Giving him a tight smile, Coran stroked Lance's hair back from his face "How long has he been sleeping?" Clearing his throat softly, Keith's fingertips dug lightly into Lance's skin "A few vargas" "And you?" "I've slept enough... did he... I mean... did you?" "I've been by his side since we found him. He's got a long way to go" "How bad is it? Shiro told me he needed surgery" "That Daehra of his is a wonderful healer. Yet she doubted her skills in surgery. He's torn a tendon in his shoulder, so once his lungs are cleared up, he'll be straight into surgery then off to into a pod. He's off that horrible ventilator and that's the main thing" Keith choked "He was on a ventilator?" "When the infection in his lungs became evident, as a precaution. When it didn't progress into pneumonia, she made the call to remove it this morning" "I bet Lance loved that" "Has been particularly concerned about you" "I know I'm not supposed to be here" "As long as you don't disrupt these doohickeys, I won't tell if you don't. He's a very lucky boy" "He is... How are you holding up?" Coran seemed shocked by the question, raising his hand from Lance's hair, he fiddled with his moustache "It's all a bit strange, isn't it? Altean's. original Altean's and they're doing whatever they pleased. I'm a little shocked I'm afraid" "Lance and I were too..." Keith didn't know how to tactfully ask if Coran knew why both Kre'el's and Lasandi's skin was maroon "... have you made any progress?" "Young Veronica has everyone working on it. She and Lance had quite the fight earlier. Poor boy has so many secrets. And that Veronica has such a firm attitude..." "I worried about that... Shiro's upset that he doesn't know everything. He thinks we don't trust him... I have no idea what I'm going to say to any of them" "Lance made it clear that his injuries were his fault, and that the blame shouldn't lie with you. He was quite distressed about it all, after Veronica left. He refused to cry at all since waking, hasn't ushered a work about the pain either. I was worried he was going to shut down entirely, especially when he requested you not be allowed in his room" Lance was most definitely going to be falling into a flunk over all of this. Everything from the moment he arrived on Erathus was a lie... a lie that spread much further than he'd known. He'd been betrayed repeatedly by those he trusted and now Kre'el had planned to experiment on him "He said he knew I'd be in here like this, and wanted me to get some rest. I'm scared for him. Kre'el was his friend. She got him his job, got him back on his feet after he was tortured. Found him a place to stay that was safe... and all that was to keep him alive so she could eventually get her hands on him. She wanted to cut him to pieces... and... said something about how he was such a unique specimen he was with those marks... It was messed up... that whole ship is messed up" "They were designed to be disorientating, in case of prisoner escape. Nasty places..." Coran visibly shivered. Beneath him Lance shifted slightly, both men holding their breath until they were sure he'd fallen back to sleep "Has... have you tracked down the people she's associated with?" "That's a conversation for another time. You two need to worry on your recovery. Krolia has Blades working hard on it all. How are you? I'm sorry I haven't stopped by" "Better... Could be better, but better now I've seen him" "I feel like I should apologise to both of you, for what was done..." "Coran, let me stop you there. Just because you're an Altean, doesn't mean you're to blame. You should get some rest too. Lance'll be upset if you don't" A long moment passed "Yes. I suppose you're right. I know he's in safe hands with you here. Daehra will come by in the morning. She'll be able to give you a full report on Lance's condition" "Thanks Coran, and thanks for being here with him" "It was my pleasure... don't tell the others, but Lance was always my favourite" Everyone knew that anyway "Your secret's safe with me" Standing up, the Altean straightened himself out "Yes. Well, make sure you get some rest too. Or we'll both be in trouble with him" Keith's lips tugged into a smile. It was warming to know that Coran accepted their relationship, even with it shoved right in his face. Coran meant a lot to Lance, and Lance to him. If Coran hadn't approved... it wouldn't have mattered if they were married or not, Lance would started doubting everything "We can't have that" "No we can't" Unable to keep himself from fussing, Coran rearranged the blankets over them, making sure both men were covered and comfortable for the night. Lance woke him half a dozen times during the night with his coughing. Hushing his lover softly, he fell back to sleep after fit, soft nasally snores reassuring Keith that he hadn't suddenly died in his hold. When the lights of the ship began to shift brightness in correspondence with "daylight hour", Keith gave in to the nagging call of his bladder. He'd only be gone a dobosh or two, but that was too long for his liking as he tried to hold out to the very last moment. Detangling himself, Keith grabbed up his stupid crutches, still objecting that he was stuck on for over a little bit of bruising, and limped over to the bathroom connected to the room Lance was in. Catching sight of himself in the mirror, he frowned before remembering that he'd come into the space to pee. Taking care of business, his stomach rumbled at him, reminding him that food was a thing. If Daehra allowed it, he hoped he'd be able to have breakfast with Lance. Lance could be horrible at remembering to eat. Limping over to the sink, the man staring back at him was in dire need of a shower. His hair oily and limp, raising an arm to brush it back, the smell of BO reaffirmed the need for a shower. It probably wouldn't be hygienic for him to be so dirty and laying in bed with Lance when he had so many wounds. Washing his hands quickly, he poked his head out the bathroom to check Lance was still sleeping, before snagging the door handle and pulling it closed. Lance wouldn't be able to accuse him of not looking after himself if he was freshly showered. The hot water felt amazing. Keith indulging in scrubbing himself nearly raw as the water washed away his offending scent. He'd have to ask Shiro if the Atlas had a bath. Maybe some candles, or small lights to create the mood... Curtis seemed like the kind of man to have bubble bath. Adam secretly enjoyed it, despite how stern he looked. As well as the herbal scents helping to relax Shiro's body after he'd seize up with pain. Spending far too much time in the shower, returning to his sweats and loose shirt seemed like undoing all his hard work... but he hadn't thought that far ahead, so had no choice. Leaving his crutches in the bathroom, Keith towelled his hair off as he let himself back into Lance's room. Sitting further up his bed, Lance had drawn his knees up to his chest, arms resting on his knees as he stared at the windowless wall to the right. The damn idiot had taken his oxygen mask off again. Keith had no idea how to swap to the nasal cannula, but they were going to have to if Lance didn't start behaving himself "You were supposed to be sleeping" "I thought you'd left" "I went for a shower. I was only getting up to go to the toilet, but then I smelt how had I stank, and decided to give your nose a break" Keith's joking fell flat, dropping his towel onto the floor, he hobbled over to Lance's bed, making the most of the space that opened up by his feet. Placing his hand on his boyfriend's, Lance pulled his busted left hand back "Sorry..." The guilt. The scent. Lance had thought he'd left him as in "not coming back" "Hey, it's ok. You're probably sick to death of laying around?" "Something like that" Lance wasn't biting. He wasn't giving him much of anything really "Babe, did you think I wasn't coming back?" Lance sniffled, moving to hide his face in his hands "Why am I so stupid? Nyma. Klearo. Kre'el... You. I... could hear the water and... and... I'm so stupid... Why am I so easy to use? What's wrong with me? Why... why does no one care about me? Why do they always leave me behind? I can't do anything right..." "You're not stupid, babe. You're not" "Then why does this keep happening?! Why couldn't she ask me for help?! Why couldn't... she just ask for help?" There was no "throwing his hands up", no "screaming", just cold pain. Manoeuvring himself up next to his boyfriend, he forgot about the whole wires thing in his haste to calm Lance back down "I don't know. I don't know why she went to the lengths she did. But babe, I love you. I love that you see the best in people. I wish I could... You're not stupid. What she's been doing, she's obviously been doing for some time" "She was my friend, Keith. She was my friend and she killed all those people... I killed all those people. How am I supposed to look at everyone? Veronica already yelled at me when I asked about you. She told me I wasn't what you needed. She's right, isn't she? You could have been killed in the crash..." Veronica had no right taking her anger and concern out on Lance "I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. Besides, from where I'm sitting, you're the one who was closer to death" "She wasn't happy about that either. She wants me to go back to Earth and stop doing stupid things to make her worry... it's her way of telling me how much of a burden I am. Nothing ever changes, does it?" Taking hold of Lance's oxygen mask, Keith put it back into place. Lance sounding wheezy as he sadly mumbled against him "I know she's your sister, but she's wrong. You're not a burden. You're not in the way. You helped expose what has been happening for probably decades. You kept going, even with that ship getting in your head, and me being practically dead weight. Plus, you ran around with most of your finger missing, threw yourself at Kre'el, took out a shuttle of guards... dragged me all over the place..." Lance glared it him from behind the mask "Like you wouldn't have done the same thing" "Don't. Don't sell yourself short. You did amazing" "Amazing at fucking up. Shit. I'm sorry... you don't need this. You should just go back to your room, where you're safe from a... from a fuck up like me" "Hey. Enough of that. I love you, and once you've come through that surgery, we're going to find some planet to hole up on. You're going to get all the chocolate you can eat, and we're going to take a ridiculously long bath together" "I'm sorry... I... I think I need help or something... it's all... it's all right there... and I can't..." Behind them something started beeping loudly as Lance "shoved" his way into Keith's lap. Sobbing and coughing against him, Keith rocked Lance gently. With Lance being the one to climb into his lap, his boyfriend would know how to sit so it didn't hurt him, or at least that was how Keith justified it. Kissing Lance's sticky hair, blood and sweat was still trapped in the locks, Lance's oxygen mask pressed hard against Keith's shoulder, trapping it in place "Whatever you need, baby. Whatever you need, I've got you" "I don't know what I need... I can't... I can't stop thinking... she sold me... she could have stopped it all... I don't want to keep... I'm so tired" Probably because there was a million things going on, and no one to give Lance any of the answers he needed. Nor Keith, for that matter. Lance would continue over analysing things until he knew what every single little thing that happened to him meant and why it had to happen to him alone "That's ok. Shhh... That's ok" "I'm sorry... Keith, I'm so sorry" Keith didn't like the wetness of Lance's cough. Kre'el could get fucked. Lance needed a pod. He needed something done about this infection "Babe, it's ok. You need to bring your breathing back under control for me. I've got you, but you need to breathe for me" "C-can't..." Lance was panicking, Keith could smell it, and hear it in his wheezes. Tilting his boyfriend's face back, Lance tried to bring his hand up to his mask, Keith catching his hand before he could tinker with it. It wasn't great for conversation, but his heightened senses could make out the muffled words "In through your nose for me, then out through your mouth" "M-mask..." "That's right, babe. The mask is there to help" Shaking his head, Lance's face filled with pain as he fought to get his right hand out of Keith's hold and the mask off his face "You need to keep the mask on!" Wheeze-cough-crying was the only way to describe the Cuban's current state as he "coughed" out "Can't... pressure on face... can't..." Examining where the elastic straps sat, Keith realised the straps of the mask were in line with where a gag could sit. Tearing the offending device out of Lance's hands, he threw it. It didn't go very far, given he was sitting on the tube line, kind of just limply flopping onto Lance's shoulder where it mocked him. Lance hadn't had a reaction to things against his lips or mouth for a while now, so he'd forgotten about his dislike for them. No one that knew what had happened could blame Lance for hating the feel of the mask. His lover had probably hated the feel against his face since waking up "I'm sorry, babe. I'm sorry. Here, it's off now. Breathe with me... It's just us. Just you and me" Surely somewhere some kind of medical alarm had gone off to inform them that something wasn't right in Lance's room. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, the door to Lance's room slid open, Lance whimpering away from the sound "What's going on... Lance, buddy. You alright, man?" Hunk's soft voice had Lance trying to flee backwards from him. His coughing and crying only worsening as he failed to escape "No. He's not alright! Get Daehra up here" Snapping at Hunk was a shitty move. Keith felt it the moment the venomous words came out his mouth "I'm... going to find a nurse" Dammit Hunk. Lance didn't need a nurse, he needed to work through the attack slowly, in an environment where he felt safe. Gasping hard for breath, it was no good. His weakened lungs and generally poor condition didn't have the strength to support a panic attack. It was mere moments after Hunk took off running down the hall, that Lance went limp in his hold, Keith shaking his boyfriend as his mind leapt to the worst case scenario. Returning with a nurse, Hunk pulled Keith away from Lance as the nurse moved Lance out of his hold. The mask forced back into place as the man shot Keith a nasty look "Keith, man... maybe we should go so he can do his job?" "I'm not going anywhere" "I know you're worried about Lance, because we all are, but he needs serious rest right now. You... uh, probably shouldn't have been in his bed" Moving to the beeping machine, the male nurse continued on with his cold attitude towards Keith as he agreed with Hunk "He needs constant oxygen, and no stress. He isn't allowed to move, let alone have someone in here who clearly makes him agitated" Tugging at his arm, Keith was livid with both me "You're not even supposed to be touching him. His medical care is overseen by his team's physician, and if she's unavailable, then Coran. And if he's unavailable, me. All medical decisions for Lance, are to be made by the three of us, because that's what he wants. Seeing you can't even make arrangements for him to be moved to a pod, you have no right to lecture me on his health when I fucking know what's going on!" "If you continue to raise your voice at me, I will have no choice but to have you removed. I know the Commander has a soft spot for you, so you think you can get away with..." Keith bared his teeth as he growled in warning, prepared to launch himself over Lance's bed in order to punch the stupid nurse bastard in the face if he didn't stop messing with the stupid beeping machine "Keith, come on man..." There was a hint of whine in Hunk's plea "I am not leaving him!" Shaking Hunk's hold on his arm off, the teddy bear of a man looked to him with pained eyes "Keith, I know you're worried, but we need to let time help him" "Help him?! Helping him would have been putting him in a pod, instead of me! You have no idea what he went through!" "And you have no idea what we went through! He's my friend too!" "You're friend?! Don't you get it? He can't rely on his friends! He doesn't even know who his friends are anymore! That Altean bitch that you stuck in the pod, she was his friend and this is where it got him! Nearly fucking dead, and nursing god only knows how many injuries!" Hunk hung his head, shuffling his feet as he succeeded in making Keith feel even worse about yelling at him. "What's going on here, Keith?!" Striding into the room, Daehra and Lucteal both pulled the attention to them. Daehra wasn't pleased, but hell if Keith wasn't happy to see her there "Patients oxygen levels plummeted as his heart race increased, tripping the alarm..." Answering, the male nurse shot Keith a smug look "I was asking Keith. As per the patients request, I should have been made aware immediately of the change in his condition. Keith, can you tell me what happened?" "He had an attack over everything. He couldn't get a breath in with how his lungs are" "Alright. I understand. Lucteal, Keith, you may both stay. Hunk, I'm sorry. And you... don't make your presence known in this room again" The male nurse tightened his hands into fists, Keith thought he was going to throw a swing at Daehra, but instead stalked towards the door, muttering how Shiro was going to hear about this. Hunk looked deflated and possibly a little curious over why Keith was allowed to stay, yet didn't push the issue "I'll come back and see him at another time" That was all he said before leaving the three of them alone. Closing the door, Lucteal stood in the doorway with his feet a shoulders width apart. Daehra moving to check Lance's monitors... and Keith was left to hover. He didn't like this. This silence. He wanted to break it. He wanted to be like Lance and know exactly what to say, only he wasn't like Lance, and he didn't want to interrupt Daehra due to his anxieties. When the woman finished checking the machines, she pulled out her holopad and began tapping away on it. It was no good. He couldn't take being quite "How are his readings?" "Not great. Not as bad as they were either. I would have liked for the coughing to have eased by now, but I do understand why an attack would lead to him passing out. Do you know what triggered it?" "The feeling of the mask" "Unfortunately he needs the mask on. Did he talk to you?" "Yeah, for a bit. He wasn't happy to be up here" "I know that, but with how rapidly the infection manifested in his lungs, I felt it better that he was. Was he coherent and able to follow conversation?" "Yeah. He kept up" "Good. That means there's a good chance that there's no permanent damage to his hearing" "His hearing?" Why was he only hearing about this now? "Both ears were damaged. Blood in the canals. How active was he? Did he move his right shoulder?" "Um... yeah... Daehra how is he really? Not the Shiro version or the Coran version, but yours?" "You know how stubborn he can be. I'm mostly concerned with his lungs. That and his stubbornness. He refused to take more than his daily doses for the pain, no matter how badly it hurts him. The coughing is most likely agitated by his sore ribs, and his sore ribs by the coughing. He has multiple abrasions. A tear in his right shoulder. A hairline brake in the bones of his arm which has already begun to knit its self back together. His finger doesn't seem to be too bad given the damage. His left hand... is a mess. Coran explained that his pods will heal the wounds, but there may he heavy scarring to the hand given the damage. I have done the best I could for him. All I can do now is monitor him until he passes this infection so that they may repair the tear before placing him in a pod. Your Coran feared that given the damage has already tried to start healing it may heal wrong if he is simply placed straight in" "I know you would have... is there anything else I should know. They took samples from both of us..." "Lance mentioned as much. My scanner found bruising and tearing in his lower area... which Lance confirmed was from swabbing, as well as bruising from where a sample of his brain matter was taken. The needle so strong it passed through the skull and into the brain with pinpoint accuracy. His bleed passed with no complications, and I am treating him with a natural anti-inflammatory for the internal swelling. Colleen Holt has been most kind with her herbs, allowing me to take what I needed from her grow rooms" "But... he's stable, right?" "Yes, provided he can avoid another attack. He was very insistent on not taking his daily doses, but he is stubborn at all the wrong times" Keith gave Lance a fond smile "He is. How are you doing?" "I have... been better. No one will inform us of what has happened. We are treated like outsiders" "I'm really sorry to hear that. Earthlings can we be... complicated" "I know that full well. That Veronica one is quite scary" "Yeah. But she's also the one Lance is closest to in the family. Kind of like you and Lucteal" "I know her words hurt him. It is not healthy for him to hold it all inside. I do wish he would explain things. I've only heard fragments referring to Kre'el and Lasandi" Daehra and Lucteal both deserved the truth of things. Especially with how down Lance was "How about I explain things, then you let me look at Lance's charts" Daehra moved the holopad up, as if torn what choice to make "I'll explain things from my point of view. That way I won't be telling you more than Lance would be comfortable with. Is that ok?" "Yes... His charts are as I have told you" "I don't doubt that. I just want to know how to help him the best I can" "I understand. Please, tell us all you know" When Shiro finally got around to taking his statement, he'd have to go through it all again anyway. At least by telling Daehra and Lucteal the truth, he could work out the spots in his memory he was missing, and his own questions for his brother. There was protocol. Shiro couldn't just be wormholing all over the universe without permission. And just because Kre'el was captured didn't mean her criminal empire was magically snuffed out in the blink of an eye. Limping back to his lover, Daehra moved the visitors chair to Lance's left side for him, glaring at his leg that was supposed to be elevated. Yeah, he was as bad as his husband, and she knew it. Lifting his leg onto the edge of the bed, she scowled "You need to rest this. I do not need you falling ill. I have him to think of as it is. Now, tell us how this pertains to our friends"