Title: "Wake Me Up When September Ends"
Author: April Richards
Fandom: "Voltron: Defender of the Universe"
Rating: NC-17 (for language, sexual situations)
Category: Keith/Allura, Drama/Angst, Humor, Romance, WAY WAY A/U
Summary: After a massive attack by Prince Lotor, Keith faces the traumas of his childhood.
Author's Notes: *text between * means internal thoughts*. "*text between "*" means conversation over a phone or communicator or some such device.*" I am "updating" "Voltron" and giving the characters things like mp3 players, CDs, cars, and clubs. I figure a planet and century that has something like Voltron, there's no reason why Princess Allura can't have an iPod. ;) Also the poems/songs "You Fight" and "Midnight Sentinels" were written by me and don't use them with out my permission.
Disclaimer: Voltron is owned by World Events Productions, ltd. And "Wake me up when September ends", "Jesus of Suburbia", and "American Idiot" are owned and sung by Green Day and are on their "American Idiot" CD. I am using both with out their permission and I am making no money off this. Thank you very much.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"Keith, give yourself a break. You've been off your feet for a week and a half. I think you're allowed to be a little sloppy. As for our shooting, we were trying to avoid hitting you. I think that should count for something."
"And I'm grateful that you managed to mostly avoid me," Keith said.
"Mostly?"
Keith looked down. "I caught a few ricochets."
Lance's face flushed red. "And you didn't think to mention this?"
"I'm not hurt bad, really. And well, I didn't get a chance to what with Black Lion going solo."
"Keith, you shouldn't have gone into Black Lion! You are in no shape to be flying!"
"And I wasn't flying! I was just sitting there while the Black Lion flew himself!"
"Keith, do you enjoy worrying me?" Lance snapped.
"Of course not, Little Brother," Keith shook his head then winced.
"Well, you're doing a good job of scaring me and I'm sure you scared the Princess too, Big Brother," Lance knelt down and looked Keith in the eyes.
Keith looked down. "I am sorry, Lance."
"I know, Big Brother. Things have been screwy lately," Lance hugged his best friend. Stiffly, Keith hugged back.
In the Infirmary, Dr. Gorma waited with Dr. Tamborrie for Keith's return. "I called Dr. Tumbletea. He got orders from General Winnelli to get here as soon as possible. The *Bright Wing* will be making no stops until she gets to Arus," Dr. Gorma said.
"Good. The Captain handled himself well in the fight," Dr. Tamborrie commented.
"Coran told his aunt and uncle that. They also have ordered their ship to get here fast."
"Very good. The sooner we get this surgery done, the better for the whole planet."
"And speaking of the Captain, there he is," Dr. Gorma nodded towards the group strolling into the Infirmary.
"I'll need you guys to help me go through those journals Coran gave me. It looks like King Alfor was a verbose man," Keith said. "I mean, fifty good sized journals and he only lived to be thirty-seven."
"And you don't know at what time he talked about the Lions flying themselves?" Iain asked.
"Coran doesn't remember when, he just remembers maybe hearing something like that," Keith sighed.
"Father did write a lot. He has a few books in the Royal Archives that might be of help too," Allura spoke up. "They're books on magic and science. Do you want me to get them, Keith?"
"You better. This is going to be a long term project," Keith said.
Dr. Gorma cleared his throat. "Welcome back, Captain. I understand that you had a little adventure."
Keith blushed. "Well, I guess you could call it that."
"Well, get into the shower so we can rinse off the glass then I'll stitch up those cuts if they need it."
"I'll help you in the shower, Keith," Lance offered. "I mean I've seen it all before. We used to take our baths together remember?"
"Yeah when we were little kids," Keith snorted.
"I brought some detangler and one of my fine-tooth combs. That will get the glass out of your hair, no problems, Keith," Allura said.
"Thanks," Keith smiled at his fiancée.
An hour later, free from the shards of glass and dressed in clean red sweat pants and a Garfield tee-shirt that asked "Is that your face or did your pants fall down?" Keith rested in his new room in the Infirmary. "I still don't see why I have to stay here," Keith grumbled. "My room isn't that far away."
"Doctors' orders, Keith," Lance shook his head.
"Well, I guess we should start going through these journals," Keith picked up the first one. "It isn't like I'm ever going to be sprung from here."
"Keith, you're in the Infirmary, not the Stockade."
"Feels like I'm in the Stockade," Keith opened the journal. "Man, this is so creepy. He knew I was coming."
Lance picked up the next journal. "You are right, the man loved to write. Good grief, he wrote down what he ate every day!"
Allura, Sven, Hunk, Pidge and Iain each picked up a journal. The day passed as the group read through the numerous writings of King Alfor.
"Hey, King Alfor wanted to be a soldier. He fought with his father over it. King Alfor, well he was Prince Alfor at the time, wanted to go to the Space Academy. But King Rhinold forbid him to attend, even though he got good scores on the exams," Pidge said after an hour of reading.
"A loss for Galaxy Garrison," Keith commented. "Well he couldn't be a soldier, but he had some great ideas for defensive weapons. Pidge, Hunk, you're the experts at building things, do you think these planes are possible?" Keith held out his journal.
Pidge adjusted his glasses. "I think so. How about I get that copied and Hunk and I can go over the plans in detail?"
"Sounds good to me," Keith marked the journal and kept reading.
"He was a great artist," Hunk held out his journal. "Look, a drawing of baby Princess Allura at two hours old."
"You were a cute baby, Your Highness," Iain said.
Allura blushed. "Thank you, Iain. Oh dear," Allura laughed. The Voltron Force looked at her. "He describes the first time he saw my mother. He was so distracted by her beauty that he walked into a suit of armor and caused a whole row of suits to fall down. Grandfather was not happy with him."
"He seemed to conflict a lot with his father," Pidge commented. "Especially as a teenager and when he first married Queen Kerreigh. It wasn't until you were born, Princess, that the two of them started to really get along."
"I don't remember my grandfather. I was only a baby when he died," Allura commented.
"My grandfather died when Keith and I were young. Like maybe two, so we don't remember him, but Nana Bessie is still alive and going strong. She's 94 years old," Lance said. "When ever Mom and Dad had to go out of town, we stayed with Nana Bessie."
"What about your grandparents, Keith? I mean your blood ones? Are they still alive?" Pidge asked.
"No. They all died before I was born. I never knew them," Keith answered.
"Do you have any blood relatives at all?" Allura asked.
"No. I'm the last Kogane. I come from a long line of only children," Keith shrugged his shoulders.
Allura draped herself across Keith's lap. "You're not the last. I'll be a Kogane soon, love. And we'll have children."
"Thank you, Love," Keith buried his face into her honey-blonde hair.
Iain politely ignored the public display of affection between his future monarchs. He glanced down at the journal he was skimming through and yelped "Hey!"
"What is it, Iain?" Keith asked.
"Part of this page is written in another hand," Iain held out his journal so everyone could see.
"You're right. And it breaks the flow of the writing. He's talking about the omelet he had for breakfast and how good it was. Then all of a sudden, he's talking about 'And shared Spirit with the Lion'. Then back to breakfast," Keith looked over the journal. "I wonder if other journals do the same thing?" He handed back the journal to Iain and picked up the one he had been reading through. "Hey I found another line! Listen. 'When Blood of a Hero True is Shed.' Does anyone have a tablet?"
"I'll get one from Dr. Gorma," Pidge stood up and ran out of the room. He found Dr. Gorma and Dr. Tamborrie deep in discussion. "Excuse me, but can I borrow a tablet and pen?" Pidge asked.
"Sure, what do you need it for?" Dr. Gorma handed over the requested items.
"For clues we think we found in the journals," Pidge answered honestly.
"You do realize that your Captain should be resting, correct?" Dr. Gorma frowned at the youngest member of the Voltron Force.
"He is resting. He's in bed. But he'll go crazy if he doesn't have something to do. I know Keith. He's not one for lying in bed," Pidge shook his head.
"I know the Captain is getting restless, but he needs to rest and take it easy with his body," Dr. Gorma said. "Oh well, it's useless to lecture you on it. Just make sure the Captain takes it easy while you do your research."
"Will do, Doc," Pidge saluted and scurried off with the pen and tablet. He rejoined his friends. "I'm back!"
"What took you so long, Pidge?" Hunk asked.
"Oh, Dr. Gorma wanted me to remind you, Keith that you should be resting."
"Oh brother," Keith rolled his eyes. "I'm in bed, that's resting. Did you get the tablet, Pidge?"
"Right here, Skipper," Pidge held up the tablet. "I wonder if it'll make me write like a doctor? So what I do I write down first?"
"'When Blood of a Hero True is Shed,'" Keith read from his journal.
"Okay," Pidge's pen moved over the tablet.
As the afternoon passed, Pidge amassed several lines culled from the various journals. Pidge put down his tablet. "Well, what do these lines mean?" He asked.
"Damned if I know," Lance grumbled. "It's all just lines of poetry. Random lines of poetry. Maybe King Alfor had some bad burritos or something when he wrote that."
"There's nothing about bad food in here," Keith flipped through the journals. "If he was experiencing food poisoning, we'd know about it. He'd have written about it."
"But it doesn't make any sense. I mean, sharing Spirit, Lion flying free. It's all just nonsense," Hunk crossed his arms over his chest.
"If I may, Captain," Iain spoke up.
"Iain, it's Keith. You can call me by my first name. I won't shoot you," Keith sighed. "What is it, Iain?"
"When you were injured in the Black Lion, did you bleed?" Iain asked.
"Yeah, his blood was all over the interior of the Black Lion," Hunk shivered at the memory.
"And you died in there, right?"
"Only for a few minutes."
"Four minutes and forty-eight seconds," Allura clung to Keith. "The longest four minutes and forty-eight seconds of my life," She buried her face into Keith's chest. Keith kissed the top of her head.
"Well, maybe the King's poetry is about your attack?" Iain suggested. "It almost fits."
"Except for the sharing of Spirit. I don't even know how to do that. Maybe if I was from Planet Arus, I'd be able to share my Spirit with Black Lion, but I am pretty sure I didn't share anything with Black Lion. Besides, I'm not a hero. I'm just a soldier doing my duty," Keith disagreed.
"Keith, to the people of Arus, you are a hero. You, all of you, have risked their lives to save them from King Zarkon," Allura objected. "So please don't look down on yourself like that."
"Okay, Princess," Keith hugged her. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"I know," Allura pulled his head down for a kiss.
Nanny interrupted the kiss with a not so subtle clearing of her throat. "I brought up some dinner for Captain Keith. And the rest of you, your dinners are waiting in the dining room."
"Thank you, Nanny," Keith said.
"You're welcome, Captain. Now the rest of you, go and have dinner and let Captain Keith rest."
"Yes, Nanny."
The next day, Keith picked at his morning meal. Soon, he'd be taken down to have tests run. Tests that would determine if he'd ever walk again. Keith sighed and put down his fork. Allura walked into his room. "Keith? Aren't you hungry?" She asked, sitting on his bed.
"No. I guess I'm worried about these tests," Keith answered honestly.
"Oh, Love, you don't have anything to worry about. You'll walk again, I know you will. Do you want me to come with you for the tests?" Allura offered.
Keith nodded his head. "Please. I hate these tests. I had them as a child and I hated them then too."
Allura nodded. "Well, I'll be with you."
"Thank you, Allura," Keith smiled weakly.
A nurse came into the room. "Captain Kogane, we're ready for you."
"Thank you," Keith swallowed hard.
"I'll push you, Keith," Allura said. She got behind Keith's wheelchair and pushed him to the testing room.
In the testing room stood a long metal tube. Keith gulped at the sight of the tube. Two techs helped him out of his wheelchair and onto the table that extended out of the tube. The female tech put padded headphones over Keith's ears. "Did you bring a disc? You can listen to music, if you want," She said.
"I didn't know you could do that. I left my discs in my room," Keith said.
"Well, we have a selection of discs here. What do you like to listen to?" The female tech asked.
"Do you have any thing punk or heavy metal?" Keith asked hopefully.
"We have the Crooked Daggers' new disc," The female tech said.
"That will do," Keith smiled with a small amount of relief. At least he would not be stuck in the tube in total silence.
"Princess, you may join us in the observation room, up there," The male tech pointed to glass wall that separated the two rooms. "We'll be monitoring in the tests in there."
"Thank you," Allura nodded to the two techs. She leaned over and kissed Keith. She squeezed his hand once and stood back as the table slid into the tube. In the observation room, a camera monitored Keith's facial expressions and vital signs. Other screens were ready to receive the information from the scans being run that day.
The male tech spoke over a microphone, interrupting the music. "Captain, we're starting the tests now. Expect some shaking and noise as the table moves. Please be as still as possible." Keith managed to nod his head. He closed his eyes. The male tech pushed a button and the long tube started humming and buzzing. The male tech monitored the tests. "Damn, he's shaking."
"He's probably scared to death. He hates these tests," Allura said. "Excuse me," She stood up and turned off the disc. She leaned over the microphone and sang "Summer has come and passed. The Innocence can never last. Wake me up when September ends…" In the tube, Keith relaxed as he heard Allura singing. Allura kept singing through out the tests.
After four repetitions of the song, the table carrying Keith emerged from the tube. The techs helped Keith sit up and eased him back into the wheelchair. Keith looked up at Allura. "Thank you," He hugged her.
"I'm glad I could help you, Keith," Allura's voice was hoarse from singing with out a break.
As soon as Keith was resettled back into his Infirmary room, Dr. Gorma and a short, plump woman entered. "Princess Allura, Captain Kogane, this is my cousin, Sister Thyme," Dr. Gorma introduced the herbalist.
"Hello, Your Highness, Captain," Sister Thyme curtsied. "So, Captain, my dear cousin tells me that you prefer natural treatments to all the chemicals he uses?"
"That's correct. My parents were herbalists and I rarely went to a Western doctor. Instead, my parents treated me with herbs and I went to an acupuncturist," Keith said. "Her name was Dr. Jean Lui. She treated me from the time I was a baby until I left Earth for Arus."
"I know Dr. Lui. She trained me in acupuncture," Sister Thyme said. She looked Keith over. "You look like you're in a good deal of pain. How about I brew you up a cup of golden claw, raspberry and a few other things? Then, I can do a treatment on you. It's your back, right?"
"Yeah, my back. Sounds good," Keith said with a grin.
"And Princess, you've been quiet. I could hear you singing in the observation room. I bet your throat is hurting you. Here," Sister Thyme dug through her large tote bag and gave Allura a piece of hard candy. "This is my own homemade throat lozenge. It works like a charm and tastes pretty good too."
"Thank you," Allura took the offered lozenge and popped it into her mouth. It tasted of raspberry and honey. It slowly melted in her mouth and coated her throat. "Wow, it works. Thank you again, Sister Thyme."
"I'm glad, my dear. It has slippery elm bark in it. I sweeten it with honey from the bees I keep," Sister Thyme dug through her tote bag and took out several pouches of herbs and roots. She blended them and steeped the mixture in a mug provided by Dr. Gorma. After letting the mixture steep, she sweetened it with a drizzle of honey. "Drink this, Captain. It will help the pain and let you rest. Sleep is the best thing to help you heal. I'll make up a few more pouches and write down the directions for my cousin."
Keith took the dark brew and drank it. "Tastes kind of like roses," He commented.
"Do you need help getting into bed?" Sister Thyme asked.
"No," Keith pulled himself into his bed. He took his shirt off and lay down on his side. Sister Thyme pulled out a box of long, thin needles. She started the treatment by placing needles in Keith's head. As the needles entered into his skin, he relaxed.
"Oh my," Allura covered her eyes as Sister Thyme put more needles into Keith's body.
"It doesn't hurt," Keith murmured sleepily.
Allura looked over at Keith and giggled. "You look like a porcupine! What are you doing now?" Allura asked as Sister Thyme hooked up some of the needles in Keith's lower back to a machine.
"Just attaching a TENS unit to some of the needles. That will allow for deep stimulation of the area," Sister Thyme explained.
Allura's mouth opened into a silent "O". Sister Thyme put a disc into Keith's player and turned it on. Soothing flute music filled the room. Sister Thyme turned off the lights and lead Allura out of the room. "He'll rest during the treatment and be sleepy afterwards. That's normal."
Allura squeezed Keith's hand. "Rest then, my Heart," She said.
(The Next Day)
Reading an extremely boring book on Royal Etiquette and Protocol, Keith heard Coran's hurried footsteps. He put the book down and turned around to see a very flustered Coran entering his Infirmary room.
"Coran, what's wrong?" Keith asked, concerned.
"Dr. Tumbletea is here and waiting for you and the rest of the Voltron Force in Dr. Gorma's office," Coran said.
"Ah, I see. You didn't know about Dr. Tea before you met him did you?" Keith grinned.
"No. Today was my first meeting with the good doctor."
"He taught first aid classes that were mandatory for everyone at the Space Academy. And of course, medical courses for those going into the Medical Corps. And he's patched me up a few times," Keith said as the pair made their way to Dr. Gorma's office.
"Yes, I know his record. Dr. Gorma sent it to me. But, I was not aware of…"
"Yes?" Keith grinned, his black eyes twinkling.
"Of the way he prefers to dress."
"So Dr. Tea still has the same killer fashion sense," Keith smirked.
"You could say that. I already summoned the rest of the Voltron Force, so they'll meet you in the office."
"Thank you, Coran. Did you tell the Princess anything about Dr. Tea?"
"No, I didn't think to. Oh dear, she's in for a shock!" Keith broke out laughing. "This is not funny, Captain Kogane!"
"Oh yes it is, Coran," Keith snickered. They met up with the rest of the Voltron Force at Dr. Gorma's office door.
"Why are you laughing, Keith?" Allura asked.
"Oh, Coran told a knock-knock joke," Keith lied cheerfully.
"Okay," Allura frowned. She knew Keith was lying. "Well, let's go and meet with this Dr. Tumbletea," Allura palmed open the door. She stopped at the threshold and gasped, her face turning bright red.
"Hello, Your Highness," Dr. Tumbletea curtsied. Allura's eyes took in a light gray suit with an A-line, knee length skirt and a white, silk blouse; silk, light gray stockings; sensible, low-heeled shoes, and for a touch of color, a blue scarf tied in a bow around his neck. Dr. Terrence Tumbletea's dirty blonde hair was cut in a short bob and he wore very little make up.
"Um… uh, hi," Allura stammered out. Keith, Lance, Sven, Pidge and Hunk howled with laughter at the Princess' red face. Iain just shook his head. "Er, hello, Dr. Tumbletea. Thank you for coming to consult on Keith's injury," Allura managed to regain control of herself.
"It's my pleasure and honor, Your Highness," Dr. Tumbletea sat back down on the edge of the desk. "Now, I have looked over the scans taken of your back, Captain. I'm sorry to say that it's damaged beyond repair."
Keith paled. "No. You're wrong. You have to be wrong!"
"Keith, it's going to be okay," Allura stroked Keith's back.
"You're wrong!" Keith screamed.
"Shh, Keith, it's going to be okay, shh," Allura soothed the Captain. Keith calmed down under Allura's touch.
"Your situation is not hopeless, Captain Kogane," Dr. Tumbletea shook his head. He stood up and picked up a box. He laid it across Keith's lap. "Take a look in that box."
"What is it?" Keith asked.
"The solution to your problem."
"What?" Keith opened the box and gaped. "What is this?"
"It's a cybernetic spine. There's one in the OR waiting to be surgically implanted into you. This is just the display model," Dr. Tumbletea said.
"A cybernetic spine," Keith repeated. "That's it? That's my only choice? More surgery? A cybernetic spine? There's nothing else that can be done?" Keith demanded.
"We've been in consult since your injury happened, Captain Kogane. There is nothing that will give you back the ability to walk," Dr. Tamborrie said.
"What about being a pilot? Commanding the Voltron Force? Will I still be able to do that with a cybernetic spine?" Keith asked.
Dr. Tumbletea nodded. "No one with my cybernetics in them has ever had to give up the military. I've put legs on soldiers and sent them back out to the front lines the next day."
Keith lowered his head in thought. *I don't want more surgery. And, cybernetic spines are experimental. What if it doesn't work? What if it does? It means no more pain. It means I can marry Allura. But more surgery. How many surgeries will it take me?* Keith thought.
Keith was so lost in thought that he did not hear the sharp foot steps behind the group. He failed to notice the gasp from Lance when Lance turned around to see who had come in the door. "Mom! Dad!" Lance exclaimed.
Keith looked up and spun his chair around. His mouth dropped open. Standing before him dressed in black uniforms with gray piping, chests dripping in medals and campaign ribbons and black berets on their heads were Caleb and Charlene McCastlin. The McCastlins saluted. Keith's military training kicked in and he returned the salute. Lance still gaped at his parents. Keith elbowed Lance in the side. "Salute, Lance!" Keith ordered. Lance managed a half-hearted salute. Keith glanced over at the rest of his team, they all managed to salute including Allura. Caleb and Charli turned their attention to Allura. Caleb bowed and Charli curtsied.
"Please, rise," Allura commanded gently.
"Thank you, Your Highness," Caleb said. "Sorry to interrupt you, Doctor Tumbletea."
"Oh, no there wasn't any interruption. We're just waiting for Captain's decision."
Keith felt the McCastlins' eyes on him. He knew what they were waiting for. *It's your only choice, Keith,* Keith thought. He sighed. "When can you do the surgery?" Keith asked. "And how long until I can walk again?"
"We can do the surgery as soon as you've been put under anesthesia. As for the walking, in a day or two after the surgery. We just have to make sure the medications are out of your system," Dr. Tumbletea answered.
"Okay. Just don't mess up my tattoo okay?" Keith asked with a weak smile.
"No problem, Captain. Now, if you'll follow me, we'll get down to the pre-op room and get you ready for surgery," Dr. Tumbletea said. "Oh, would you like some one with you until you've been put under?"
"Allura?" Keith asked.
"I won't leave until the doctors make me, Love," Allura kissed Keith. Keith leaned against her. "You'll be okay, Love."
