Sighing off the transmission to Obreck, Mikko sat back in his chair. Abruptly he grabbed a data pad and started writing down his list, muttering to himself as he did so.
"Ok, Mikko, let's figure this out. First, the last two months before the invasion the captain spent more time out of bed than in it. Let's say he averaged four to five hours of sleep a night, on a good night. The exception being the times the princess or Cady coerced him into an actual night of sleep. Follow that by six days of intense battle with very few breaks of any duration. Three days of stims, three days of Agappon, one surgery which lasted over ten hours and at least five times he was resuscitated, three heart attacks in six hours post surgery, and a second surgery which only lasted about ninety minutes. So then he is under anesthesia for all that time. That brings us to day seven. Then some recovery time bringing us to day eight. Then I ordered the entire team to stand down for a standard twenty-four hours. Day nine, today. We are two days post surgery. Add into that almost no sleep for six days, injuries which should have killed him, mystical roots and crazy drugs. Add into the fever which has not yet abated, note to self testing should be done. Add lack of hydration, lack of nutrition. Add into the equation Agappon can cause depression or psychosis in some people. Ok then, how does it all add up?
Mikko sat back in his chair, the stencil tapping on the pad. Deciding to pull up the data from the lab, he looked at the report. The compound was had a natural tropane alkaloid base but someone, probably Haggar had modified it. It resembled the chemical signature of a plant called Belladonna from Earth. A similar plant grew on Orped called Dream Walker which differed slightly from the Earth compound. Dream Walker sent people into a dream or coma-like state to allow for dream states or to enhance meditation. Belladonna on the other hand in its natural form could kill an adult who ate one leaf. The roots in some variation held even deadlier poisons. Symptoms of Belladonna poisoning included depression, tachycardia (which explained the heart attacks), hallucinations, confusion, among a host of other physical issues. Dream Walker poisoning could induce spontaneous fever and a disconnection with the real world, leaving the user unaware of their state.
Reading further, he blinked at a most devious addition. The compound, combining the worst properties of Bella Donna and Dream Walker, attached itself to the smooth muscles lining the digestive tract and veins. It acted like a parasite, interrupting the flow of nutrients to the body while releasing the poisonous compound to the body and keeping it from recovering. The more calories they pumped into the commander, the more the parasite would grow. If they cut off the TPN, the captain would starve to death in a short amount of time as he had no reserves on which to draw. What little nutrition came through kept him alive.
Gorma sent word back to the lab, they had to find a way to counteract the poison without killing the captain in the process, and it did not look like they had much time. Mikko wanted nothing more than to fling himself headfirst into the lab and rush the technician along. It was not is forte, however, surgery and critical injuries claimed that slot. He let out a long breath and ran his fingers though his hair. Sending out several more messages, he asked for a conference of people to help him make some decisions about Keith Kogane.
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Allura sat with Cady on her lap as she read aloud from a book. The little girl had come with tears in her eyes, asking the princess to please come and sit with her daddy with her, because she did not want to be alone in the room with him. It had taken all of Allura's self-control not to break down crying at the pronouncement. In four years, Cady had never been afraid to sit with her Dad in the hospital before. When the princess had asked why, the little girl had replied her Daddy was too far away and could not hear her. She felt like he was not in the room.
Not needing any other explanation, the princess readily agreed. When they arrived, the nurse on duty smiled, but did not leave the room. Orders of a nurse in constant presence still stood. Keith looked nothing like himself. His muscles twitched in random patterns, his breathing shallow, but steady. Seeing him, Allura could understand why Cady did not want to be here without someone. It did not seem he had improved at all in the three days since help had arrived.
Pushing negative thoughts aside, she half listened to the little girl on her lap, but in reality prayed. Goddess and God above, please listen to your humble servant. I ask not for myself, but for the man laying here in front of me. He has given more to Arus than any one person should be called upon to do. With no word of complaint, with no hesitation, and with no doubt, time and again he has put himself between the planet and the forces which would stop it. He humbly accepts the accolades of the people and then puts the medals in a drawer without any care for them. He does not look back, but forward to the next threat, the next mission.
His daughter, my daughter of the heart in many ways although I cannot say those words aloud, does not falter in her belief in her father. She simply knows he will always return, always have the magic kiss to make any hurt disappear, and tell the best stories. His arms keep her safe from harm, and the love he dotes on her reflects back to everyone who knows her. 'Those hooligans' as Nanny calls them, managed to raise a wonderful child with imagination, honor, and laughter. How Nanny's opinion of them changed somewhat when Cady arrived and she saw how they doted on her. Irreverent, messy, with disregard for protocol and rules, with this tiny little girl they became something more. Keith did that for all of them. He makes everyone around him want to be something more than they are. He does not use grand speeches, nor false promises or expectations. Just by living by his code of honor and ethics, people look to him for guidance and hope.
Selfishly, I want him back. I would trade much to have him look at me with that eyebrow raised when I have done something to surprise him, or when he is particularly unimpressed with something I have said. He has shown me courtesy, care, and something more I cannot name. He shared his daughter, his family with me when he saw how much I needed that. He taught me pride in my accomplishments and how to protect my people.
I love him. With every fiber of my being. I love him and like a cliché always thought to tell him, the next hour, the next day, the next week. He stands larger than life sometimes as though death cannot hold him. I would gladly trade my life for his, but know I cannot. My people need me, and he would never forgive me my conceit in believing my life was expendable for his. I can hear him lecturing me that after all the time and effort he spent in training me, I would repay him thus? No, I cannot trade my life for his.
I beg for his life. I will not demean You my Goddess and my God above by attempting to bargain. Many things I could say and will not. You know my heart and his. Moreover you know my people's heart. To them, Keith has embodied every principle which Arus held dear before the first of Zarkon's attacks. He never gives up and never quits, and by example has taught my people to rise from the ashes like the fire bird to rebuild and begin again. They have heard the stories of him returning to fight wounded and in pain. He does not accept excuses for failure. I have watched him cut down someone with a few words who makes excuses for their failure and raise up another who tried and could not succeed. How wondrous it is to watch him turn failure into success with a few words. He has done it with me.
I would not be the leader today without him. Leave aside the fact I would have been Lotor's bride or slave, he taught me how to lead. Not just command but to truly lead people without needing false flattery or begging. He taught me leaders to not ask for command, they simply assume you will follow their orders. There is no question of authority, because you did not ask for it, nor was it granted to you, you assumed the mantle of leadership.
I love him. I need him for me. Not as princess, but as me. He is my best friend. He is the lover of which I dream. He is my partner and my perfect fit. Please comfort him in his distress, and grant him healing. Let the boundless love I, his daughter, friends, and people of Arus sustain him in the struggle to heal, and give him something to which he can cling in despair. I humbly ask this in your grace, Goddess and God above.
Allura became aware of a single tear coursing down her cheek. She turned her head slightly to kiss Cady on the head. She looked up at Allura and gave a wavering smile. Then turned back to her fairy tale book. Both missed the movement from the bed. For a moment, it looked as though the captain had tried to reach for them. His fingers had momentarily opened and pointed to the pair. It had lasted only a few seconds, and then fallen back to the bed. Perhaps it had only been another muscle contraction.
The two stayed in Keith's room for another twenty minutes. Then Nanny called looking for Cady to have dinner, and reminded Allura of the meeting with Dr. Gorma in thirty minutes. She would bring dinner to the meeting. In the meantime, the princess' presence was required in her office. She gave Cady a last hug and smiled inwardly at how quickly both of them jumped to do what Nanny 'requested.' Magda had them both well-trained!
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Doctor Gorma had asked to delay the meeting he had called for several hours. He needed some information which would not come available until then. All parties agreed and returned to their separate tasks. The princess returned to her desk to mediate the disputes starting to arise as to allocation of resources. She had worked closely with Romelle to design a plan which would allow for the most efficient dispersal of resources and a system for tackling complaints and problems. Allura would see only the ones members lower on the rung could not solve. At the local level, a temporary position of Resource Coordinator would follow the plan each individual town had developed for recovery. Above Resource Coordinator, a District Supervisor, then an Area Overseer all reported to the palace and one of five different Managers. Only when the Managers could not solve an issue, would the princess become involved. Similar rungs for differing areas followed the same example. This would allow the princess to stay involved, but not become overwhelmed by the massive amount of information coming toward her.
Suddenly, the princess paused as a thought came into her mind. In all of the recovery plans, no where did Keith's name appear. The other pilots had assignments from repair to teaching, but not the Black pilot and leader of Voltron. "Goddess and God above!" she exclaimed. Tears started flowing down her face as she realized that Keith had not expected to survive the attack against Arus, and that he had planned for that eventuality. Suddenly all his preparation made sense. Once again, he had put everyone on the planet before himself. It explained his detailed preparation of legal documents to keep Cady on Arus should something happen to him. It explained, everything.
The princess wanted nothing more than to push everything aside and sit beside Keith until he gave some sign of still living in more than name. To see that something of him wanted to come back. The impulse lasted only moments before she straightened in her chair. The captain had pushed himself to the brink, had prepared everything he could think of to make Arus survive. She would not disgrace herself or Keith's belief in her by breaking down now. She would attend to her business and she would see Arus prosper. Nothing would stop her now.
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Several hours later, Hunk banged his head, startled as his timer sounded, reminding him of the meeting with the doctor. He could only imagine what the news would be. Carefully he finished the last screw, then scooted out from under Black control panel wiping his hand on a rag. Packing his tools quickly, he asked the communications officer to send a reminder to Lance and Pidge. The former had spent the day with one of the surviving commanders from the Arusian air force to take stock of supplies and manpower available in the recovery effort. With so much confusion, it took time to sort through all the reports and separate the chaff from the grist, as his dad used to say. Pidge, not surprisingly, had spent the day repairing vital computer systems and trying to bring all castle systems back on-line. With an absent pat on the control board, he headed to the central computer system to drag Pidge out of it and remind him of the meeting.
Upon arriving at the room, he heard Pidge swearing a blue streak as he sat in front of a panel which looked like a plate of spaghetti someone had thrown on the floor and walls. He walked heavily so as not to startle the green pilot.
"Transmission wire looks fried, it will need complete replacement, like that will just turn up in the stores." More swearing followed cursing the designers of the system as unmitigated morons whose parents should have been sterilized.
Finally, Hunk cleared his throat, working to keep the amusement off of his face. The princess though of Pidge as her slightly younger brother, and viewed him through rose colored glasses. The young pilot, no dummy, did nothing to dispel the vision. He toed the line whenever Allura could see, but apart from that, he caused no end of trouble.
Pidge looked up at the interruption, irritation on his face, fading as he saw Hunk standing there, "Oh, it's you. Time then?"
Hunk nodded and nearly laughed as his friend simply shoved the mess of wires back into the wall and closed the panel. Pidge noticed the look, "Fried, anyway. I will have to rebuild the gods-be-damned system from scratch. At least I will do it right!"
The pair started walking toward the exit and Hunk paused to really look at his friend. Several years earlier, his eyes had finally stabilized enough to have corrective implants, repairing the genetic defect which had kept him in glasses for so long. Amazing that science had still not found a way to replace glasses for some people. Once science had unlocked the gene which caused the eyes to require correction, it had become standard to design a fix for it used in-utero. A very few repairs faltered for unknown reasons. Until the eyes finally stabilized in the late teens, old-fashioned correction was still used.
As soon as he could, Pidge had elected to have the surgery, although it had been delayed with the assignment to Arus. Sven had volunteered to take Pidge's place for the time it would take him to have the surgery done. Arus did not have the facilities to do the work, but planet Ebb did. After returning, he had looked like a young man, instead of a boy. The girls around the castle noticed as well. With guidance from Lance and Keith he had become something of a Casanova, but with better morals.
As with most of planet Balto, growth came later in the life cycle than in most humans. As he reached his 20th Earth year, his long-awaited growth spurt arrived. Within the year he had grown to a respectable 5'11". Then the girls really started noticing him. With dark brown eyes, and a sharp mind, with Lance's smoothness with women, and Keith's sense of honor Pidge never lacked in dates. Of course, the princess did not know how much he dated, and Pidge preferred it that way. He had also started going by his real name of Darrell, as Pidge just did not fit anymore. The team still used his nickname, but much in the way family does, with the exception of Keith. Pidge had told him the first time Keith had heard someone refer to him as Darrell, he had quietly asked if that was his preference. When the green pilot had told him that his nickname did not seem to fit anymore, Keith had simply nodded. The name Pidge had never crossed his lips again. Just like the captain.
Which turned Hunk's thoughts back to the task at hand. Why did the doc want to meet with the team, Coran, Nanny, and the princess. He did not think it would be good news. Only one way to find out.
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The three pilots, princess, Coran, and Magda, gathered in one of the lounges near the hospital. Small conversations died as Mikko entered last, and shut the door. He had requested Cady not be present. She did not have the intellectual or emotional capacity to deal with the situation. As the doctor sat down and poured himself a cup of tea Nanny had brought, his gaze lit on the princess. He had debated leaving her out of the discussion, but in the end felt she had as much right to a say as the rest of the Voltron force. Sighing, Mikko closed his eyes for a moment to sent a fleeting prayer to the Goddess and God above for strength and guidance. The soft sound sounded loud in the quietness of the room.
"I imagine you all know or have a guess as to why you are here. In the last few days, the captain's condition has not improved. In some ways it has worsened. The analysis on the substance which coated the spines of the last RoBeast showed it to be a fusion of qualities of Earth's belladonna plant and Orped's Dream Walker plant. Without going into technical details, the effects of the compound are quite insidious. The effects range from fever, to tachycardia, which explains why the captain required a pace maker. In addition to physical manifestations, it also affects the mind. Once the poison entered the body, it started to attach to smooth muscle, which is why spindling his blood did not clear it. The parasitical part of the poison had already attached inside the veins. It continued to pump poison into the blood stream. We have started to spindle the captain's blood again in order to remove as much of the poison as possible and to try and stabilize his condition."
Mikko paused and looked around the table seeing expressions of shock, fear, and confusion. "The worst part of the parasite is that it is absorbing most of the calories we pump into the captain. For now, he remains stable, but as the parasite grows it absorbs more of the nutrients. Normally we would have some time to try and find an anti-dote, but the captain has no reserves left from which to draw. The Agappon and prolonged battle took care of that. If I did not know better, I would think Haggar knew what the captain would do, and deliberately designed a RoBeast and poison to target him. In any of the other team members, the poisoning would not have compromised the body's systems so quickly."
"Compounding everything is the sheer amount of physical damage the Captain Kogane took during the six days of fighting. From the reports I have read, Lotor kept gunning for the captain. You all know the damage, so I am not going to repeat it. So, this brings me to the reason you are gathered here." Once again, Mikko paused, fiddling with the data pad in front of him. There would be no easy phrasing, no pandering to the group.
Lance, as usual, broke the silence. "Doc, just spit it out. We all have seen Keith. Just tell us and do not leave us sitting here in suspense."
The doctor nodded, and then looked at the group, but focused on the princess. Her word would carry the most weight with the group. It was a known secret how she felt about the captain. No one, with the exception of Lance, would tease her about her not-so-secret feelings, but no one doubted she loved the Black's pilot. "Testing has found the organism can survive in a very narrow band of acidity. Lower or raise the pH of the environment too much and it dies." He held up a hand as several voices tried to ask a question at the same time. "Hold up, let me finish. We can purposefully cause either acidosis or alkalosis in the captain. The former would decrease the pH of the captain to a more acidic level. The latter the opposite. It would increase the pH, increasing the basic level. The reason we have not instituted either treatment is that both have dangers and we need someone with authority to decide whether or not to pursue the treatment. Captain Kogane appointed Magda and Coran as his arbiters, should he be unable to make a medical decision for himself. I felt that the other Voltron pilots should have a say in the decision."
Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Both treatments are not without risk. In the case of acidosis, we would increase his fluids and add in something to promote the removal of sodium bicarbonate from the body. We would also put him in a tent and increase his carbon dioxide levels. The potential complications include heart attack, tissue death due to low blood pressure and kidney failure. I am particularly worried about the stress to his heart. At this point, his heart cannot take too much more stressing."
"One alternative is to induce a state of alkalosis or decreasing the pH of his body. We would do just the opposite by increasing the captain's breathing rate to decrease the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood, and increasing the concentration of bicarbonate in his blood. We would also put him in a chamber to simulate a high altitude. The potential complications include arrhythmias of the heart, coma and hypokalemia, the lack of potassium in the blood which can lead to other conditions. I am not as concerned with the latter two symptoms as he is already in a coma, and we would keep a close eye on his potassium levels.
"We could also take a wait and see approach. Try and build some strength into the captain and give his heart a chance to rest. My only concern with this approach in the encroachment of the parasite. The captain needs calories to devote to healing, and the parasite is taking the majority of them.
"There is a fourth approach. We can simply cut off all nourishment to the captain. My technician tells me in his lab tests, the parasite did not survive long without a constant nutrition stream. Essentially, starve the parasite before the captain does. Again, the complications include stressing the heart, and increased muscle atrophy as his body increases its muscle consumption rate to keep going. The other danger is the parasite would actually feed off muscle tissue as well, making it a lose-lose situation for the captain. If we cut of nutrition and the parasite does feed off the muscle stores, the chance of successfully inducing a state of either acidosis or alkalosis become null.
"Last we discussed trying to irradiate the parasite. It had some effect in the lab, but this is not a very viable option, again due to the poor condition of the captain."
Mikko closed his eyes and sat back. "That is all I can tell you."
The table remained quiet, each person thinking their own thoughts. Several minutes passed before anyone said a word. Surprisingly, it came from Hunk, "For what it is worth, the captain has never given up on any of us, so I do not think we should give up on him. We must do something. It seems to me the best option is one of the first two you discussed, the one which could induce coma. It seemed the most return for the least risk. We have lived for four years in a constant state of risk. In comparison to that, this seems like nothing."
The doctor paused to really look at the yellow lion pilot. Usually he remained quiet and did not speak much. Lt. Garrett did not have much confidence in himself, but when he spoke, people listened. He always thought the answers through and had an eerie ability to make the correct conclusions without having all the pieces in front of him. Gorma likened it to being able to determine the shape of something by having only a partial outline. An incredible talent, if somewhat unexplainable.
"I agree with Hunk," added Lt. Stoker. Uncharacteristically, he added nothing more.
Lance simply nodded, a suspicious moisture around his eyes. "Can you give us any odds, Doc?"
"Not any you would care to hear."
Finally Allura spoke, "Is there anyway to lessen the possibility of complications to any of the treatments?"
"No," Dr. Gorma said shortly. "Not without extensive testing we have no time to do. The computer models can only predict so much."
A tear fell down her cheek, unheeded. "I concur with Hunk as well."
Magda and Coran nodded their agreement. "Do it, Mikko."
The doctor nodded and stood. "We will start immediately, then. It will take several hours before we see any results and I will send a page as needed." With nothing further, the doctor left the room.
There was nothing further to say. Coran and Magda left together. Then Hunk and Darrell leaving Lance and Allura. Slow tears leaked unchecked down her cheeks. It seemed too much effort to wipe them away. Lance had no words of comfort for her. He just sat slumped, head against the back of the chair in silence, as tears leaked from his closed eyes.
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