Last to Wake
His lion had crashed the closest to the Garrison, but that didn't mean that Keith had been devoid of heavy injuries. He'd been the last to let go, the last who'd let their lion fall after blasting away what was left of the monster mecha. He was the last to fall.
Shiro had watched the whole thing transpire, he watched each lion fall into their respective area on earth, and he'd watched as medical teams were rushed to each of their aid. He himself was having his own injuries treated, but his priorities shifted slightly when he'd seen the lion's crash. The doctors weren't exactly thrilled when he'd tried to go and help the aid effort, but they didn't have a choice when Shiro rushed out. He had to see the paladins; he had to make sure they were okay.
Lance was the first to be recovered. He'd entered the Garrison Hospital first, Veronica next to him as he was carried on a stretcher. He was unconscious, and was rushed for a scan quickly. Doctors could confirm shortly after that besides a few broken ribs he'd be okay, he'd make a full recovery. But he was weak, weaker than the doctors had been expecting. He probably wouldn't wake for a while.
Veronica stayed by Lance's side as he was moved to a medical suite, an IV inserted with word on the family coming as soon as they could and were able. Shiro left Veronica to it, as word of the next Paladin coming were heard as doctors rushed the hallway.
Next to be brought in had been Pidge. She had some nasty bruises on her side and the back of her neck, plus a sprained ankle—but she was still conscious as she was brought back into the Garrison. Her lion being hooked up for transport back to the Garrison grounds.
Her family was first to get to her with both Colleen and Sam on the Garrison property and expecting her transport to the medical wing. Shiro ran out to see her arrival, his own injuries getting to him, but he didn't care, he had to make sure that everyone was okay.
Katie was moved to a suite, an IV also inserted into her arm. "Mom, Dad," she mumbled, as Colleen took a seat at her side. She held her hand. Pidge was quick to fall asleep, one of the doctors still looking her over.
"Don't worry honey, you're safe," her mother Colleen said. Shiro watched from the distance of the door. Sam noticed him.
"Shiro," Sam said, "Go get treated, we got this, you have to rest, it's been a... it's been a day."
But Shiro wasn't ready to stop yet. He knew that he couldn't till he knew each one of them were safe.
Instead of resting he sat outside a medical room where Hunk had been dropped off for surgery. He'd been a bit worse off than Pidge and Lance. He hadn't been responding or breathing properly when the doctors had rushed him inside.
It'd been a bit of a panic for Shiro to see him like that, with blood crusting the side of his face as doctors led him into a room with a red-light. But as Shiro waited and prayed, a doctor came out.
"He'll be fine, we stitched up the wound, and he'll make a full recovery. He just needs rest."
Relief flooded Shiro. Hunk was safe, he would be okay.
Hunks family came only an hour after Hunk had come out of his surgery and been transferred to his suite. He had a nasty concussion and a scar that'd be under his hairline, but Shiro didn't think anyone would notice it—as Hunk always wore his headband. Besides they all had battle scars now, it was just another addition to the injuries they all suffered from.
"Oh Hunk!" his mother said rushing to his side. A doctor was still in the room at the time and began explaining everything that had been told to Shiro.
Hunk was still unconscious, but they were hopeful he'd wake up soon enough to see his family. Having his family there would probably be the motivator for his brain as well, Hunk had missed them.
As more family flooded in Hunk's room, Shiro felt satisfied knowing Hunk had gotten his family back, happy they'd been freed.
When Shiro left Hunk's room Coran was walking down the hallway with Romelle and the mice on their shoulders.
"She just got transferred, we were just going to her new room," Romelle said as they stopped Shiro in the hall.
Allura had been brought in during the surgery. It seemed Shiro had been too focused on Hunk's surgery to hear the calls in the hallway when she'd been brought back. "She's fine, only minor injuries," Coran explained.
"Her own quintessence protected her," Romelle said, jumping in. "The doctors were amazed at how unharmed she was."
The three walked the hall to Allura's suite. Shiro wobbled a bit as they walked, nodding along as Coran explained that they had to fetch Allura and her lion out of the ocean, but how the water landing had actually saved her from more damage, it just took longer to get to her than the rest of the paladins.
The three arrived at Allura's room. She wasn't awake yet, but unlike the others she lacked paleness in her cheeks. Maybe that was due to her alien nature, or maybe her own powers really had protected her. Either way Shiro wasn't worried by her state.
"Shiro you must be exhausted, you should really go get some rest," Coran said. He was observant that was sure. But Shiro hadn't made sure everyone was safe, he hadn't heard any news on the paladin he was the most close to.
His heart was sinking, Keith should have been the first one here, where was he?
"I can't," Shiro muttered out. "Not until everyone's back."
"You mean not everyone's been recovered? But Allura was the hardest to reach; there can't possibly be another paladin left?" Coran's voice echoed concern, and Shiro knew the logic to his voice. He was wondering the same thing.
Shiro scrunched his arm to his side, the flesh feeling strange on his own clothing. "There's been no word on Keith."
"But he landed right on top of the Garrison; shouldn't he have been the first to arrive?"
Coran's questions were all valid, but Shiro had no answer to them. He'd presumed the same, he'd presumed that Keith would be brought soon after the others, but he'd heard no word. He was worried and scared for the worst. But Keith was also stronger than the rest. His soul was that of a leader, that of his true successor.
An ushered breath made its way down the hallway. Shiro turned quickly approaching was Iverson. He was in a panic, a rush—despite his own injuries as well.
Shiro knew instantly this couldn't be good.
"It's the black lion," Iverson said, his voice firm despite the out of breath to his form. "It won't open, we can't get Keith out."
His stomach did a summersault, and even though he shouldn't be moving, or for matter of fact running, he was, he needed to see, he couldn't believe Black would do this.
Keith, Keith, Keith—his name ran through his head like a drill. This was bad, this was bad, he'd been in his lion so long, why hadn't Shiro gone to Keith first? He'd been so worried about everyone, but he should have gone after Keith from the beginning.
Iverson followed Shiro as he went toward the tarmac where the Black Lion had crashed. As Shiro arrived he noted the drills and where officers were trying to break into the lion. The earth tools would be useless to get Black open. Her mouth was closed, no movement as the lion's eyes were dead, no energy left.
His feet moved for him as Shiro approached Black's jaw, the officers stopping their work as Shiro got closer. "Please," Shiro banged on Blacks hanger—his artificial arm making a dent, and his real knuckle bloody as he punched.
Even though black wasn't his to lead or control anymore, he still had a connection, he still could try. He could feel the lion's presence. The lion had carried his consciousness for a really long time, so the connection they shared wasn't broken yet. Black had to listen to him. And it'd never willingly let Keith be harmed.
"Please Black, Keith needs medical attention, please let him out." Shiro's face turned soft. He'd already lost Adam; he'd had no one beside Keith on earth now that he'd consider his family.
There was no movement, no spark in Black's eyes as Shiro's hands dropped down its jaw. It was as if the Lion didn't care what Shiro was saying, as if it didn't care about Keith.
But Shiro knew that couldn't be the case, it loved Keith, just like it loved Shiro. The lions loved their paladins like their own, and Black was special, it was the head, the leader of Voltron. It knew better than anyone that it had to keep the other's safe.
Shiro's jaw dropped, and suddenly he knew the right answer, and the right words to speak to Black.
Shiro told the medical team to standby, waving his arm at them to give them the signal. Shiro placed his left hand on Black's mouth. His expression softened, and he took a breath, muttering on his breath, "Patience yields focus."
Shiro opened his eyes, stroking Black's side. "The other paladins, they're safe, they're alive." There was no movement, but Shiro felt a reaction through his core. "Hunk, Allura, Pidge and Lance. They're all going to be fine Keith." Shiro placed his forehead on the beast. "They're all alive, they're all safe."
Shiro wasn't sure if it was his own knowledge of what it meant to be a leader that led him to know what Black and Keith were thinking, but he knew in that moment that Keith had been ready to sacrifice and unless the other paladins made it—mentally—he wasn't ready to be saved.
Slowly the door to Black's hangar opened, and Shiro didn't leave a second to chance. He ran up the arch, tripping slightly as he tried to make it as quick as he could into Black's cockpit. The medical team followed in behind as an ambulance was powered up and a gurney was brought on standby.
Shiro got to the pilots chair first, and boy did Keith not look good. "Oh gosh, Keith." His helmet had cracked down the middle, broken glass lithered the floor and the inside of Keith's armour. Shiro wasn't sure if that was what caused the trail of blood that led from Keith's forehead to the side of his suit.
Careful to move the boy, Shiro held Keith in his arms and moved Keith off his seat. He removed the helmet, glass falling more around the area. Shiro winced, hearing the medical team enter the hangar.
Shiro now in full light could see how pale— very pale—Keith was. It took him seconds to feel around for the pulse. He'd been so nervous and sweating so much that he almost missed the artery on Keith's wrist; he'd thought for a second he was dead.
But he felt it, weak under his fingers.
The medical team entered the cockpit, and Shiro had to fight his urge to keep holding Keith to his chest.
"Slow pulse, still breathing, signs of concussion or more serious head trauma based on pupil movement," a medical officer said, a flashlight in his mouth as he'd forced Keith's eye open. It didn't remain open and Keith didn't stir as the medical team assessed him.
A portable oxygen mask was added to Keith's face, slow puffs of air appearing under the plastic. Shiro's eyes hurt watching it, watching the medical team work, watching the way they worked their way delicately over Keith's skin.
Keith was carried off quickly after, and Shiro would have been faster to move, but the world was blurry, his heart was beating too fast, and he couldn't keep himself from falling.
He awoke in his own medical room—he wasn't sure how long after. He blinked readily, his eyes hurt, but he felt okay, he felt aware and awake. Shiro pushed himself up; Iverson was staring out the window from his room as he awoke.
Propping himself up Iverson looked Shiro's way. "The paladins?" Was the first thing Shiro asked, no hesitation to his words. Iverson bit his lip, but he nodded and explained the situation.
They were all okay; they'd all woken up— all except Keith.
Shiro ignored his aching as he got out of bed and walked toward Keith's room. He was a little sore, but he was okay. Iverson briefly protested his movement, but Shiro dismissed him, he didn't have time to be worrying about himself. He would recover, it was everyone else—Keith— who he was worried about.
"The paladins are all fine, but their quin-whatever was drained, so they're all exhausted and barely able to stay conscious for more than an hour. The doctors want to keep them all under observation for the week. The only one who's managed to stay awake longer than an hour is the alien princess."
Iverson's explanation was acknowledgeable, and Shiro was happy for the other paladins, they were okay, only a little exhausted.
But Keith, Iverson was avoiding talking about Keith.
They arrived at his room. Shiro pushed open Keith's door, Cosmo sat at the foot of Keith's bed watching over him as beeps filled the extension of the room. But Keith did not look alright. His eyes were closed and there was a bandage around his head now. An oxygen mask pumped air into his lungs, and against his pale skin the scar Shiro had been responsible for stood out harshly.
Shiro cringed.
"The doctors don't know if—" Iverson coughed, "when he'll wake up." He sounded solemn.
Shiro collapsed against the chair in Keith's room. Cosmo came up to him, he petted him gently. He looked and seemed to be feeling exactly what Shiro felt.
"He'll wake up," Shiro said. He moved the seat closer to Keith's IV pole. He moved his arm, and brushed his real hand through Keith's hair, "And I'll wait with him till he does."
Shiro spent a lot of time in Keith's room that week; he'd been officially released from the Garrison hospital after a day, cleared by doctors. The other paladins had gained some of their energy as well, but none of them were allowed to leave, even Allura who seemed to be able to stay awake the longest. She'd been the only one who'd been freely able to walk, despite the tiredness to her face. She was the first to visit Keith beside Iverson or Shiro himself.
"He'll wake up," Allura said. "And if I was at full strength I'd try and heal him myself, but I'm just not at that capacity right now."
Shiro nodded, he'd moved out his seat so he could let Allura sit. Coran was sleeping in Allura's room on the very same seat.
"Black wouldn't open, till she knew all the paladins were safe."
Shiro tapped his fingers along his side. He was tired, he'd been falling asleep in Keith's room a lot, but every time he woke up Keith was still the exact same as how he left him.
Allura smiled, she pulled a hand along Keith's own. Her appearance turned a majestic magical blue and despite Shiro knowing that this might be the only way to cure Keith, he couldn't let her continue. "Allura stop!" Shiro pulled her away from Keith. She collapsed on her knees, her own body out of breath. "I can't have anyone else falling into a coma; I can't let anything happen to anyone else right now." Shiro was on the brink of tears, the closes he'd been to letting all his emotions out since he'd found Keith trapped in his lion.
Allura too looked mortified. "I'm sorry, I just. . .I feel so helpless, my quintessence was only able to save myself."
Shiro wrapped Allura in a hug. "You were brilliant," he said, "but over exerting yourself won't make anything better. We just have to believe in ourselves that Keith will wake up."
Calling a doctor Allura had to be wheeled off to her room in a wheelchair, her legs too weak to walk and her quintessence close to drained again. But it seemed the slight push in her magic had given Keith an edge, as a doctor came by that evening and removed Keith's oxygen mask, saying that Keith would be fine to breathe on his own now.
He just still would not wake.
Shiro wrote out his memorial speech in Keith's room as he sat with him. He'd been asked to write the speech to commemorate their fallen soldiers, everyone who lost their lives in the war. Shiro's own thoughts drifted to Adam. He found his name on the memorial hall already, his fingers running over the name. It'd hurt, seeing it there, but it hurt more that Shiro hadn't gotten to say goodbye.
Shiro visited all the rest of the paladins the night before the speech. Most of them had families waiting in their rooms for them, all with someone watching over them. Even Matt had been called to return for Pidge.
No one was in Keith's room when Shiro left. A twinge of guilt filled his stomach, his heart hurting to leave Keith alone. Anytime he left, he was worried; he was scared that Keith would wake up alone.
The day of the speech was Shiro's hardest time leaving, because it was broadcasted live he had to start preparing early, leaving Keith alone for the entire morning and afternoon.
"His mother is on her way with Kolivan," Coran told Shiro before he left the hospital that morning, it seemed he'd come to Keith's room to find Shiro and tell him the news. "I contacted her as soon as I heard about Keith's coma," Coran explained. "She'll arrive any day now."
With that knowledge in his head Shiro knew he could deliver his speech. He did with no stutter and no hesitation. All of the paladins were even awoken by their families to watch it. Each TV had been turned on for the paladins who were hospital bound—even for Keith. They would all be watching. And if not now, they would see after.
When he'd finished the memorial presentation Shiro didn't stay around for congratulations. He didn't want to be far away for a second longer. Having spent the whole day away from Keith's room Shiro was quick to get back, quick to run to his hospital room, with a door opened wide.
Shiro stopped his walk; Krolia sat on Keith's bed a smile looking down on his face, and Kolivan at the window leaning over. A nurse was replacing Keith's IV, and until she got up to leave the blades didn't notice Shiro, who was too shocked to move from the doorway.
"You sure got back here fast," Keith said turning his head on the bed. Shiro's mouth hung open; he'd been so scared when the doctors told him Keith might not wake up. But lying on his bed with bags under his eyes Keith was now awake. He was aware, he was looking at him. Shiro's heart beat strongly. He came inside.
Krolia moved over on the bed and Shiro took a seat at the edge of Keith's feet. "We got here this morning," Krolia said.
"And when did you wake up?" Shiro asked Keith, his mouth raw. Maybe he was still in disbelief.
"A few minutes ago," Kolivan answered for Keith, as the other boy tried to get his mind around the question. "It was during your speech."
Keith looked up at Shiro and his mom, Shiro could tell he was still a little out of it. "I liked it," Keith said.
Shiro'a eyes teared up, he wiped away at them not wanting to show Keith that weakness, how worried he was for the boy. "Do you feel alright?" Shiro asked.
Keith nodded slowly, he flinched after and reached for his head, his mother stopped his hand. "The nurse said don't touch the stitches, it could make them worse."
Moving his hand back down, one of Keith's eye's closed. "I know," he mumbled, the words slurring. Shiro looked over at the IV pole; he wouldn't be surprised if Keith was on some strong pain killers now that he was awake.
"You must be pretty tired Keith," Shiro said. "So you don't have to stay awake for me." As much as it hurt to say this Shiro knew that like the other paladins Keith must have been exhausted. He'd probably be bedridden for another week. But he'd woken up, and if he fell asleep again he'd wake up again.
"I don't want to sleep yet," Keith mumbled. He was already closing his other eye.
Shiro leaned over and tucked the sheets further over top of him. He heard his breathing in and out.
Krolia frowned once she saw Keith had fallen asleep; she rubbed a hand over his knee under the covers. "Thank you for staying with him," Krolia said, "I'm glad you were with him while we travelled here."
Nodding Shiro moved further away from the bed. "What did the doctor say when he woke up?" Shiro asked. He dreaded the answer, but he couldn't be in the dark on Keith's condition.
Krolia bit her lip. "She said that he won't be able to stay awake long for the coming weeks, and that if he pushes himself to far there's a chance he could fall in a coma again, the concussion he got from the fall was fairly substantial, and they said he's lucky to be alive."
Shiro frowned thinking back to the way Black had held onto Keith, hadn't let him leave.
"Well will make sure he doesn't push himself," Shiro said.
The other paladins all began to be released one by one from the hospital, but Keith stayed in bed, the most he'd stayed awake the first week was an hour. His body needed rest.
All the paladins came to visit Keith periodically, but Keith was asleep for most of these visits. Krolia stayed with Keith as often as Shiro, but she also had plenty of meetings with the Garrison about the blade and how they would be helping with earths operations. It seemed Krolia and Kolivan were trying to get the blades back to their same capacity again.
Reading by Keith's bedside about the start of the third week of Keith's hospital stay, Shiro stopped immediately when the boy began to stir. His bandage hadn't come off, but in a few days he'd be getting his stitches out.
"You doing okay?" Shiro asked about to call the nurse. Getting Keith food when he woke up was the best thing for him. Even with the IV drip helping provide nutrients he needed some solids in his stomach for energy.
Keith rolled over, his mood really varied when he was awake, but lately it was getting worse. "I'm fine," he said sulkily.
Shiro closed his book. He put a hand to Keith's forehead checking for fever, Keith shooed his hand away. His temperature seemed normal, but Shiro knew he had to watch out for it. If Keith got sick now there was a good chance it could be fatal.
"The others came to visit you throughout the day today. Lance made fun of you for being the last one to leave the hospital." Shiro gave a full laugh, but Keith's face turned darker. "Keith?"
"I-I. . ." Keith moved further into his pillow.
"What's up?" Shiro asked moving his chair in closer. Dull classical music played on the TV, Keith nose scrunched.
"It's because of me they all got hurt, if I'd been a better leader I could have made sure that no one got hurt. That I didn't put them in the situation where they thought they might die."
The expression on Shiro's face dropped. "Keith, your leadership skills are incredible, and what you guys did saved earth."
Keith tucked himself further under the covers. "But I-I. . . they all almost died because of me. If you were still the leader Shiro maybe no one would have. . ." his voice faded. So that was what this was about.
"Keith, what you did— as Voltron's leader you should be very proud. I don't think I could have done what you did, the choices you made— you saved earth Keith."
His eyes lit up a little and Keith turned his head over slightly. He felt Shiro's hand on his shoulder. Keith drifted off to sleep.
When Keith had reached the fourth week of his hospital stay, and his third week of being conscious—at least for the brief moments he was— Shiro wasn't that thrilled. He'd gone back to leaving Keith's room every so often, Krolia, and even Lance, Pidge, Hunk and Allura taking turns to sit so Keith wasn't alone. Cosmo was the one who was really faithful though, staying by Keith's side every night, watching over him like the faithful watch dog he was.
But Shiro heard the doctor's whispers, the way they skirted around Keith, and the way Keith had yet to remain awake for more than two hours during a day's timespan was worrying them. Keith was physically healing nicely, his stiches had been taken out, and the bruises all over his abdomen were only slightly brown and purple. But Keith wouldn't ever wake for long.
When the fifth week started Shiro left a garrison meeting early to go sit in Keith's room. Despite his worry he really wanted to be the one there when Keith woke up, despite the notification each time the person in the room gave Shiro when Keith awoke for his brief period that day.
"Hey," Shiro said, entering the room. Today Keith had been propped to lean upward. He was eating some yogurt as Hunk sat beside him.
"Hey," Keith said. Despite all the sleep he was getting Keith looked pale, skinny and still tired. The IV still hung limply from his arm. Shiro frowned, but shook it away as he came inside. He replaced it with a smile.
"So Keith, how you feeling this morning?"
"Better," he mumbled, but Shiro knew the guy probably felt the exact same way as he did yesterday, and the day before. In fact Shiro feared that Keith was getting worse, judging on the younger boy's body language.
"Though that won't get him away from getting his nutrients, the doctor said it was okay for Keith to eat some yogurt and soft served things, so I was thinking after the strawberry yogurt he could have some pudding I'd freshly made with my family this week." Hunk's voice brought about a warm atmosphere to the room, and even Keith seemed to be revelling in it.
Shiro went to take a seat near the window, the three of them chatting idly as Keith began to fade. The food did seem to be helping though.
The door to the hospital suite opened, buzzing as Allura, Lance and Pidge entered from the side. They were dressed in their garrison clothing, and the bright orange only seemed to up the colour to the room.
"Hey Keith," Lance was the first to say heading straight for the side of Keith's bed. He jumped on the side, and Shiro winced as the bed bounced and Keith faltered slightly. No one else seemed to notice. "You ever going to be ready to leave this hospital, I'm getting tired of having to visit you."
Keith dropped his hand, he didn't seem in the mood to argue, and Lance seemed a little surprised by no rhetorical remark coming from his mouth.
Taking the empty pudding cup from Keith Hunk moved out of the way so Pidge could sit beside him, Shiro moved over as Hunk leaned on the window with him. Allura moved forward, going straight to the other side of Keith's bed. "How are you feeling Keith?" she asked.
Keith shrugged. "I'm fine, really." His mouth was dry; the way he spoke was like he was trying to hold back tears. Shiro thought back to the other week, the way Keith had blamed himself. Even now he was blaming himself for the situation, for his paladin's injuries.
Allura put a hand to Keith's forehead; it'd been a few weeks since she'd been released from the hospital. But Shiro was still worried the action of Allura using her power would cause her to collapse again. The use of her quintessence before had already delayed her leaving from the hospital, draining her energy much too heavily.
Keith grabbed Allura's hand. "I'm fine Allura, Shiro told me what happened, and I don't want you to risk yourself to heal me." He sounded harsh, mad even that Allura would even risk herself.
Allura frowned, but she stepped back. Pidge seemed irritated at what Keith had said. "Keith, she just wants to help."
"Yeah man, you've been in the hospital way longer than the rest of us, and you've barely been able to stay awake for more than a few hours." Lance's words hit Keith this time, and Shiro watched as Keith's own face reacted.
"You think I don't know that! That I'm weak, that I'm not getting better here." Keith gripped the bedding. His arm loosened. "But maybe it's what I deserve, what I should be getting after I let you all get hurt. After I left you guys and joined the blade."
The group looked visibly shaken by the comment. "Keith," Shiro was the first to say.
Keith shook his head. "No Shiro, maybe if I'd stayed I could have saved you sooner—I could have listened to Black, heard you inside her conscious. Maybe if I stayed, we would have gotten to earth sooner, we would have heard the distress call, we could have saved so many lives, if only I hadn't been so scared of you guys hurting me—of accepting me as a leader, that I—"
Lance slapped the side of Keith's foot from where he sat. "Ow," Keith muttered.
"You idiot, don't say that." Lance gripped at the sheets on Keith's hospital bed. "What happened to us— what happened to earth wasn't your fault, if anything we should be blaming Sendak, or Lotor—but even then, it had nothing to do with you leaving Keith." Lance wiped at his eyes, he'd teared up but was trying to hide it.
"Keith, you don't have to blame yourself for what happened here," Hunk said. "We got stuck in folding space and lost three years, that's not exactly something that could have been avoided if you stayed with team Voltron."
Allura nodded. "Exactly, Keith—you don't need to blame yourself, for any of this."
Keith's head dropped, his chest was pumping, and Shiro watched as he breathed, as he stayed awake for the members of his team. He was the leader now; Shiro had wanted that for him.
Moving his hand up Keith rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry guys," he said, he sounded worn-out, but he stayed upright. "I was just scared that you were all blaming me, for what happened—for me leaving. I, I've never had so much family before."
Shiro leaned back, he smiled as Keith wiped as his eyes, getting out the emotions he needed to.
Looking over Keith sniffed, staring at Pidge. "You remember when I said, that everyone in the universe had a family Pidge."
Pidge nodded. "Yeah of course I remember." Her face dropped. "It was when I was trying to run away to go find my dad and Matt."
Keith grinned slightly, as if thinking back on the memory. "Well I, at the time, I was actually lying—you see even though I said that to you, I myself didn't have a family. I thought I had no one I could rely on as my family. Yet I had the nerve to lecture you and tell you everyone in the universe had a family—when in reality I didn't."
"Keith," Shiro was about to start, but Keith lifted his hand to stop him.
"But that wasn't true, I hadn't realized it yet—but I'd found my family. That the paladins would be my family and that going into space would even lead me to my mom." Keith looked up, looking around at his fellow paladins. "Now, I have more of a family than I know what to do with—I mean, if you guys. . .see it that way to."
"Of course we do Keith," Allura jumped in. Lance nodded along with Pidge and Hunk. The group each find themselves getting closer on Keith's bed, soon they're all wrapping him in a group hug.
"Hey cut it out guys," Keith said, but it was too late, and even Shiro drew himself in. It was like the time Keith had left to join the blades, only this time Keith wasn't leaving. He would be staying with them.
Somewhere in the chaos Keith eyes drifted. "Sorry," he mumbled, falling onto the warm bodies of his fellow paladins. He'd fallen asleep again, and as the group left the hug concern enveloped their faces.
"He's really sick, isn't he," Lance was the first to say, watching as Keith was layed down gently by Shiro onto his pillow.
"He'll be fine," Shiro mumbled, but he knew himself that that was a lie. "Or that's what I keep telling myself."
Pidge rubbed at her chin, as if thinking or trying to come up with a solution. Hunk was still holding the empty pudding cup, as if he could find an answer too.
Allura finally sighed. She raised her hand. "I think Keith is suffering for all of us."
Standing up off Keith's bed, Lance removed his hands from his side. "What are you saying Allura?"
Allura bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm not positive on any of this, so it's only a theory. But I know Keith has sensitivity to quintessence that comes from his galra side. I believe with that sensitivity Keith is able to alter quintessence in a different way than other earthlings." Pushing some of Keith's hair back Allura frowned. "I don't think Keith is letting his own quintessence recover, I think he's actually giving it. . .to us."
"What?" both Lance and Pidge said in unison.
"But that should be impossible," Shiro cut in. "How is he even doing that?"
Allura shook her head. "I don't think he's doing it on purpose." Allura pulled her hand back. "And in fact now, I believe he's recovered from this himself."
"What do you mean?" Lance asked.
Sighing Allura pushed away from the bed. "Before I wasn't sensing Keith's quintessence, not in the way I could sense it from all of you. It was weak, wavering—but after Keith called us his family, his quintessence changed."
Shiro thought back to everything that had happened, Keith's own attitude and the way he was reacting to everything—the pressure of being a leader, the pressure of wanting to protect his team. "He was trying to help heal all of you, even as he was unconscious, Keith was trying to protect his team—by giving up his own quintessence and giving it to all of you."
Allura nodded.
"So let's get this straight. Keith wasn't getting better, because he was giving us his quintessence?" Hunk asked.
Shrugging Pidge answered, "That's what it sounds like."
"He was trying to get us up faster on our feet, help us recover more quickly," Lance mumbled. He looked a little sad all of a sudden, but there was a small smile to his face.
Moving up past the window, Shiro went over and touched Keith's forehead. He brushed back his hair. "Right now, he knows all of you—he knows that he doesn't have to be by himself anymore." Shiro said. He looked around at the room—At Allura, Pidge, Hunk and Lance. "You've all accepted him as a family, and I think that's what has helped give him strength, to let his own self heal."
Shiro moved his hand down and grabbed Keith's, he squeezed it.
"He's going to be okay," Shiro said. And just then Shiro felt Keith's fingers squeeze back, as if reaffirming their own conclusion.
Keith had a family, in all the paladins, and forever he'd have one in Shiro.