"MCCLAIN!"
SMACK!
Lances head snapped up from where it had been lying on the desk. Drool smeared all over one side of his face and made everyone in the class snicker. He was sweating like a pig and he was having a really hard time getting a full breath.
Iverson stood towering above him with his favorite flexible tin ruler.
"Is my lecture on gravitational forces that far above your head? Or do you actually know what I'm talking about?"
Lance let his eyes wander around the room. His peers faces burring together in a hypnotic much before he bent over and hurled all over Iversons shoes.
His leg was fine. He was alive. His back felt icy and prickly cold in the absence of the intense heat he'd just been exposed to, and his leg felt numb.
But the memory was fresh…and very real.
How was he back?
There was no way all of that was a dream! No way! No one dreams all that. Unless they're crazy.
Was he crazy?
Was this the start of his ultimate decline?
"Boy! Don't come to class if you're sick!" Iverson roared, but Lances ears were already ringing from pressure of an explosion that may or may not have happened, "Head to the nurses station! We don't want your germs!"
It took a moment for Iversons words to make sense. Lance turned in his desk and tried to stand, but his knees gave out and he fell to the floor. It was an effort to not hurl again.
Was it relief?
Was it fear?
Lance took several deep breaths; as deep as he could get them. The last thing he wanted, or needed, at the moment was to start crying. Nope, he wasn't going to do that.
A kid sitting next to him helped him to his feet and held him steady while he tried to figure out how to balance again. the ground didn't want to stay still any more than his gut wanted to stay inside his body.
"I'll take him down," the kid said as he led lance out of the room. Lance frowned. He used to know every single kid in class. The hall was deserted, thankfully, any living moving targets would have really activated his gag reflex.
What was this guys name again?
"Dude, you looked fine this morning," the kid said and actually sounded worried, "We were just goofing off ten minutes ago."
Paul? No…Steeve? Nope…
"Thanks," Lance said, noticing the kid hadn't let go of his arm. Good thing too cause the world was still spinning.
Was his name Frank?
"I hope you feel better in time for the simulator tomorrow."
"Can we…not talk?" Lance asked, shuddering. It wasn't so much that he couldn't remember the guys name, but the familiarity of the word 'simulator' and his surroundings were making him even more sick to his stomach. He wasn't supposed to be there.
Where was Hunk? Was he ok?
Pidge?
Did shutting the door help Shiro or not?
Was Keith ok?
"Dude, breathe!"
Lance bent over as he realized his getting caught in a HOLE had probably killed everyone! A HOLE!? Why couldn't he have just gotten shot or stabbed like a normal person! Why had it been something so STUPID!?
"Hey, Gunderson! Could you help me out here?"
Lance whipped his head around to see Pidge carrying a stack of papers. Without missing a beat, Lance launched himself in her direction and wrapped his arms around her middle while falling to the floor, this time with relief.
"You're ok!"
"AAAAAA!"
"I'm so glad you're ok!" Lance cried, not carring anymore that he was sobbing now, "I'm really sorry!"
Pidge looked up in a panic at the other cadet, who shrugged. She had been on her way to deliver class reports to her division leader.
"He's sick," the nameless cadet said, "I was taking him over to the nurse. He must be sicker than we thought."
Pidge held the papers firmly against her chest as she looked down at her sobbing pilot. Why had she been paired with such a weirdo? It was great that he was dense and hadn't figured out her secret yet, but holy crow was he annoying!
"Think you could help me out?" the cadet pleaded. Since it didn't look like Lance was going to let go any time soon, she sighed and said she would.
Somehow, with the others help, they were able to reposition Lance so they could drag him to the Nurses department. He sniffed and kept asking how 'everyone' was. He also kept apologizing.
She didn't answer because she didn't know what he was talking about.
Finally, they reached the office and, with the nurses help, the three of them were able to pry him off. The cadet thanked Pidge and she hurried away as fast as she could.
()
"Hey, Pidge," Hunk said coming into the class they had together after lunch, "Have you seen Lance? I can't find him anywhere."
"He was taken to the nurse," Pidge said moodily, not wanting to think about it anymore, "he should be taken to a psych ward."
"He's sick?"
"Delusional."
Hunk fidgeted for a moment. He wondered just how important todays class would be. But before he could make a solid decision, the teacher walked in and started class. Hunk never left a room when someone was talking.
()
Lance woke with a start.
The nurse had put him under because he'd tried to leave multiple times. He needed to get a hold of Hunk and Pidge and drag them out to find Keith and Shiro. He needed to figure out what was going on; the others were better at this kind of stuff than he was anyway.
He sat up to find the nurse sitting at his desk. The guy was large, very used to wrestling difficult patents twice as big as Lance. The bed creaked as the boy tried to get up.
"Get out of that bed and I'll strap you in it," the nurse said, not looking up.
"I'm not sick," Lance said, "Just a little confused. I need to go look something up."
This time the nurse did look up.
"You?" he laughed, "Now I know you're sick. Lance Mcclain doesn't study."
Lance scowled.
That was rude.
"Who said anything about studying. I need to look up a number…I'm pretty sure I saw a phone in his house last time…"
"Dr. Tap?" Hunk stuck his head in and saw Lance, "You're awake!"
"You're ok!"
"What?"
Lance ignored the nurse and ran over to his best friend. He hugged him and saw a disgruntled Pidge in the doorway over the big guys shoulder.
"There, I saw him with you," Pidge said, "can I go now? I have things I need to do."
Her complete disconcern felt weird and Lance had to pause for a moment. Pidge was acting shifty…strange.
"I didn't see you at lunch and then Pidge told me you were sick," Hunk said happily hugging back, "but you're hugging is as strong as ever, so I guess you're fine."
Fine?
"Tell me something guys," Lance said slowly, "Do the names 'Allura' and 'Coran' mean anything to you?"
"…Nooooo?"
"Should it?"
"Sounds like a foreign dish."
"As much as I love you for that pun, my friend, I need to sit down."
Lance flopped down on the bed as it was starting to sink in.
It had all been a dream.
But that was just so wrong! How could it have been?! I mean, he could have been sent back in time – stranger things have happened…maybe? But would he have been sent back by himself? Shiro had been there too! And he was sure the others were as well because they definitely wouldn't have left Shiro…
"There's smoke coming from your ears," Pidge said, "I've got to go."
"I'm coming with you," Lance stood, but this time the nurse was there.
"No, you are staying the night."
"I feel much better."
"Your blood test is going to come tomorrow morning and you will stay until then."
"But-"
"Do. Not. Argue. With. Me."
"…yessir…"
()
Pidge heaved a sigh of relief when she made it to the roof.
"I'm coming with you."
What made this idiot think she was going to let him? This was her battle. He might tattle on her or make fun of her! She couldn't afford to backtrack now. She was so close to finding something…she could feel it.
()
"Thanks for staying with me big guy," Lance sighed.
"More like I'm terrified you'll leave if I don't," Hunk said, his homework spread out in front of him on the next bed over.
It was so strange.
He and Hunk had always been close…but not as close as they had been when they were part of Voltron. Lance had always just assumed that they'd always been that way, but now that he had a personal look back, he noticed a gap. Hunk wasn't as close anymore as Lance was used to him being.
Then there was Pidge. How the frik did he not notice she was a girl!? It was SO OBVIOUS! It was also painful that the gap there was even wider. Pidge didn't hate them, he didn't think, but she didn't really consider them friends until after they'd run away.
This was very lonely.
