Keith didnt kow where he was.
His surroundings were a blur. No color, no light, he couldnt even feel the ground under his feet.
All he could clearly make out were the two figures who stood before him in the empty space.
Shiro and Lance. Side by side. With open arms.
"You can only pick on." Lance's lips moved ut it wasnt his voice keith heard.
"Now choose." It was Shiro's phantom who spoke next. "Who do you care about more?"
Keiths mind whirred.
The whole thing felt so unreal, and yet here he was.
"C'mon. Pick one." The haunting etherial voices barraged him. "Who gets to live? Who gets to die?"
"You… You cant ask me that." Keith's voice rasped as he suddenly found himself unable to swallow.
"You have to."
"Make a choice. Or you lose both."
Keith couldn't breathe.
How could he choose?
Shiro. The one person who stood by him and never left his side. Who always encouraged and pushed him forward to becoming the best pilot he could be.
Lance. One of his closest friends. Someone who kept him from going too far when his grief over losing Shiro nearly tore the team apart.
He couldn't possible be expected to pick one of them over the other.
But he also couldnt just let them both die.
He couldn't.
He couldn't.
"Hows he doing?" Shiro asked leaning in through the doorway.
Lance gave a tired sigh. "Not great."
He removed the damp cloth that they'd draped over Keith's forehead and tested his temperture with the back of his hand.
"His fevers not going down."
"We should be back at the castle any minute now. Once there maybe there's something we can do."
Lance didn't look away from his feverish friend.
"I hope so."
Shiro pausesd for a moment before saying a reassuring voice.
"Keith's tough. I'm sure he can manage to overcome this fever."
"Yeah… I know."
