Broken Wish
Inner Turmoil

Not only did the red paladin still feel like he constantly messed up and that his messing up this time was a major problem, he also found himself bored to death. On top of having nothing to do, it seemed like someone came in to check on him every fifteen to thirty minutes, eating away at any kind of privacy he did have.

He wondered if hearing Allura's voice had anything to do with the small ghost-like alien which was nearby. He'd not seen it since it floated by the computer screen, and hadn't heard Allura's voice then. Thinking about that, however, was annoying, so he simply found himself sleeping when he wasn't eating or using the restroom, not sure if he was glad the twenty-four-hour watch was over, as he now found himself alone.

Something light landed on his chest, making his eyes flutter in annoyance, the first thing he saw being the strange ghost-like alien, but then his dark blue eyes blinked a couple of times. At the foot of his bed reading his chart was some strange girl, though something looked familiar about her. She wore a purple and white dress, much like the dress Pidge wore in…

Keith felt his throat tightening, watching his fellow paladin stare at the chart, not at all sure if she recognized him or not when she came in. They hadn't met before, and he personally doubted there would have been any reason for the two to have met in this particular timeline. Her mouth twisted up, making him not at all sure if he recognized him and found the situation as awkward as he did, or if he, like always, made the situation awkward.

His eyes drifted to her hands, realizing then that she had his medical clipboard, something the medical staff likely didn't think was something he could use to harm himself, but his mind already figured out quite a few ways to kill someone – namely the person right in front of him – with the clipboard. He felt his eyebrow twitch, knowing full well Pidge was taking in the details on the chart, meaning she knew what he and Shiro hadn't yet brought up with the other paladins.

The red paladin's fingers twisted around the bed sheets, knowing full well not telling the others that he and Shiro were siblings would cause problems, and yet he never felt comfortable enough with any of them to talk about family, particularly since the family in itself seemed like a rather touchy subject. His mouth open, his voice cracking as he spoke. "Pidge?"

The girl looked up, the color draining from the green paladin's faces as a female the red paladin didn't know came through the door carrying a lunchbox with her. Pidge glanced back down at the clipboard. "Keith?"

"Oh, so you already know Takashi's younger brother?" The woman seemed nice, but she was also a stranger to him, yet she knew who he was. His shoulders tensed up as she stepped over, placing the lunch box onto his bed, his eyes drifting down in confusion. "How are you feeling Akira?"

Keith took a deep breath, not at all sure what to say, hoping Pidge might be able to come up with something on the fly, particularly since she did end up managing to trick the garrison staff into believing she was a boy. "Kind of." The green paladin looked at him, attempting to come up with a story. "He kind of recued me from a tight spot with two idiot guys, and we've been friends ever since."

The red paladin felt the color drain from his face, his eyes drifting to the bedsheet where the ghost let out a yawn with it's very small mouth. He'd thought at first Pidge had recognized him, but for some strange reason this world ended up being different then before, and even more confusing. He heard Mrs. Hold let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. Takashi was worried you were still having trouble making friends. Katie and I brought you some lunch."

"It's peanut butter and jelly, but also peanut butter cookies. Mom and I made them last night."

"Um… thanks." The red paladin looked down at the box, his confusion growing, with the feeling of loneliness growing. He wasn't sure what to say, not sure how to react. He wasn't used to people being nice to him, and his tongue hurt, no words coming out. He found himself struggling to look Pidge in the eye, embarrassed by the fact she saw him in the one place he never wanted to be, let alone have anyone know that he feared ending up in.

A shudder ran down his spine, knowing full well the manner in which those from his country viewed mental illness.

The room remained silent, as he attempted to figure out what was wrong, but then Mrs. Holt spoke up rather softly. "I know I shouldn't, but would the two of you like some privacy to talk? I'll be outside within earshot, and so will some of the nurses."

Keith's head darted up, a bit of relief washing over him as the small ghost let out a yawn. Pidge pushed her lips together, worried about what to say next. Her mother left, and she looked up, trying to say something at the same time as Keith. The green paladin took a deep breath. "You first."

"Voltron?" His tone strained, sounding almost desperate.

"What?" Pidge's initial response made his heart sink, and he thought her words confirmed that this was a different reality where he'd met her under different circumstances, meaning the rules were changed, and he didn't know how to act. "I don't know where the lions are Keith. I don't know how to get out of this world. Actually…"

A sigh of relief left his mouth, his eyes closing. He felt his hands begin to tremble, just in time for the ghost to float up, and touch his forehead. "Um…" The creature pulled away, floating out of the room. Pidge's head turned to look at the creature. Keith's eyes blinked a couple of times. "You can see that?"

"Yes. More importantly…" The small paladin turned towards Keith, her eyes flashing with anger. Her tone of voice strained, but she kept her voice down so her mother couldn't hear them. Tears also welled in the corner of her eyes. "What the quiznack has gotten into you!"

"What?" Keith's dark blue eyes blinked a couple of times.

"How can you be…" Pidge moved forward, wrapping her arms around his thin frame, making the red paladin tense up, a few sobs coming out of her chest as she pressed her face into his chest.

"Pidge…" The fifteen-year-old reached up, unsure of what he should do, plus his wrists hurt badly. The girl let out another sob.

"How can you be so dense? Why would you of all people think of hurting yourself? Of trying to kill yourself?"

Keith's eyes blinked a couple of times. "I didn't."

"Stop being such a jerk!" Pidge pulled away, wiping away her tears, lifting the red paladin's hands up so he could see his bandaged wrists. "What about this? Why do this to yourself?"

The red paladin felt his blood run cold, and his mouth couldn't open to say anything. He felt guilt wash over him, and his facial features twisted in frustration. "I'm sorry?"

"Sorry?" A few more tears fell from her eyes. "If you're really sorry, then start telling me the truth." Pidge's finger poked his chest. "Why? Why did you hurt yourself?"

The fifteen-year-old pushed his lips together. "Do you know how one of the ways to wake up from a bad dream is to hurt yourself?"

The small female let out a deep sigh. "You're an idiot."

"I'm quite aware of my stupidity, how much of a failure I am, how I always mess up." Keith watched Pidge's facial features twist up in horror. "What?"

"What are you talking like that?"

"Because it's true. You said to start telling you the truth, so I am."

Pidge's eyes widened, her voice tightening. "Do you always take things so literally?"

"Yes. I do. It's a major problem of mine."

The green paladin sighed, pulling herself up to sit on the bed. "I'm sorry I called you an idiot Keith."

"Why? It's true."

"No it isn't."

"You said I was."

"It's a figure of speech for when someone does something very dumb." Pidge turned to look him in the eye, causing Keith to look away. "Don't you trust us?" The red paladin froze, his throat tightening as his eyes closed shut. "Why didn't you say anything about Shiro and you? It would have solved a lot of the problems between you and Lance, wouldn't it have?"

"Really? Would letting him know I have family there at the Castle of Lions have solved things?"

"I see your point."

Keith's eyes snapped open. "What?"

"Still…" Pidge let out a deep sigh as her mother peeked her head around the corner.

"Sorry kiddos. It's time for us to leave. I'll see if we can come back and visit tomorrow, Akira. Is that alright with you?"

"It doesn't matter." The red paladin looked at his hands, knowing full well it did matter. On one side, he didn't want to be alone. On the other side, the conversation he just had with Pidge hurt – it hurt a lot.

ver since."

The red paladin felt the color drain from his face, his eyes drifting to the bedsheet where the ghost let out a yawn with it's very small mouth. He'd thought at first Pidge had recognized him, but for some strange reason this world ended up being different then before, and even more confusing. He heard Mrs. Hold let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. Takashi was worried you were still having trouble making friends. Katie and I brought you some lunch."

"It's peanut butter and jelly, but also peanut butter cookies. Mom and I made them last night."

"Um… thanks." The red paladin looked down at the box, his confusion growing, with the feeling of loneliness growing. He wasn't sure what to say, not sure how to react. He wasn't used to people being nice to him, and his tongue hurt, no words coming out. He found himself struggling to look Pidge in the eye, embarrassed by the fact she saw him in the one place he never wanted to be, let alone have anyone know that he feared ending up in.

A shudder ran down his spine, knowing full well the manner in which those from his country viewed mental illness.

The room remained silent, as he attempted to figure out what was wrong, but then Mrs. Holt spoke up rather softly. "I know I shouldn't, but would the two of you like some privacy to talk? I'll be outside within earshot, and so will some of the nurses."

Keith's head darted up, a bit of relief washing over him as the small ghost let out a yawn. Pidge pushed her lips together, worried about what to say next. Her mother left, and she looked up, trying to say something at the same time as Keith. The green paladin took a deep breath. "You first."

"Voltron?" His tone strained, sounding almost desperate.

"What?" Pidge's initial response made his heart sink, and he thought her words confirmed that this was a different reality where he'd met her under different circumstances, meaning the rules were changed, and he didn't know how to act. "I don't know where the lions are Keith. I don't know how to get out of this world. Actually…"

A sigh of relief left his mouth, his eyes closing. He felt his hands begin to tremble, just in time for the ghost to float up, and touch his forehead. "Um…" The creature pulled away, floating out of the room. Pidge's head turned to look at the creature. Keith's eyes blinked a couple of times. "You can see that?"

"Yes. More importantly…" The small paladin turned towards Keith, her eyes flashing with anger. Her tone of voice strained, but she kept her voice down so her mother couldn't hear them. Tears also welled in the corner of her eyes. "What the quiznack has gotten into you!"

"What?" Keith's dark blue eyes blinked a couple of times.

"How can you be…" Pidge moved forward, wrapping her arms around his thin frame, making the red paladin tense up, a few sobs coming out of her chest as she pressed her face into his chest.

"Pidge…" The fifteen-year-old reached up, unsure of what he should do, plus his wrists hurt badly. The girl let out another sob.

"How can you be so dense? Why would you of all people think of hurting yourself? Of trying to kill yourself?"

Keith's eyes blinked a couple of times. "I didn't."

"Stop being such a jerk!" Pidge pulled away, wiping away her tears, lifting the red paladin's hands up so he could see his bandaged wrists. "What about this? Why do this to yourself?"

The red paladin felt his blood run cold, and his mouth couldn't open to say anything. He felt guilt wash over him, and his facial features twisted in frustration. "I'm sorry?"

"Sorry?" A few more tears fell from her eyes. "If you're really sorry, then start telling me the truth." Pidge's finger poked his chest. "Why? Why did you hurt yourself?"

The fifteen-year-old pushed his lips together. "Do you know how one of the ways to wake up from a bad dream is to hurt yourself?"

The small female let out a deep sigh. "You're an idiot."

"I'm quite aware of my stupidity, how much of a failure I am, how I always mess up." Keith watched Pidge's facial features twist up in horror. "What?"

"What are you talking like that?"

"Because it's true. You said to start telling you the truth, so I am."

Pidge's eyes widened, her voice tightening. "Do you always take things so literally?"

"Yes. I do. It's a major problem of mine."

The green paladin sighed, pulling herself up to sit on the bed. "I'm sorry I called you an idiot Keith."

"Why? It's true."

"No it isn't."

"You said I was."

"It's a figure of speech for when someone does something very dumb." Pidge turned to look him in the eye, causing Keith to look away. "Don't you trust us?" The red paladin froze, his throat tightening as his eyes closed shut. "Why didn't you say anything about Shiro and you? It would have solved a lot of the problems between you and Lance, wouldn't it have?"

"Really? Would letting him know I have family there at the Castle of Lions have solved things?"

"I see your point."

Keith's eyes snapped open. "What?"

"Still…" Pidge let out a deep sigh as her mother peeked her head around the corner.

"Sorry kiddos. It's time for us to leave. I'll see if we can come back and visit tomorrow, Akira. Is that alright with you?"

"It doesn't matter." The red paladin looked at his hands, knowing full well it did matter. On one side, he didn't want to be alone. On the other side, the conversation he just had with Pidge hurt – it hurt a lot.