Author's Notes: Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all! I probably could have gotten this chapter done sooner, but my laptop picked up a very bad replicating virus that had eaten into the hard drive and destroyed sectors of it as well as the registry. In the meantime, I was left to the mercy of an ancient laptop that likes to die at random intervals. The solution now is to get a new hard drive and load everything from scratch. Good thing for everyone that I work off a flash drive and not a hard drive so nothing was lost. Now, even though it is later than I would have liked, I present Chapter 25.
As always…
I hope I continue to do justice to the characters and the series of Voltron, and I ask for no flames, please. However, I will accept constructive criticism in order to develop further as a writer.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of WEP or Voltron, but my imagination lays claim to the origin story that I have created for Voltron. Also, the citizens of Fedmar and their respective leader are mine. In short, I make no money, and I only write about what I enjoy.
Chapter 25 – A Rift Amongst Friends
Cautiously, the Voltron Force filed into the room, not sure what to expect but preparing for the worst. Their tension and nervousness could be felt amongst them all. They all feared it could be the last time they would look upon their commander, but they all prayed they were wrong about that. As they each filed through the door, they found none of them could bring themselves to immediately look upon Keith. Instead, they surveyed the room, noticing the details that surrounded them.
Pastel blue covered the walls, the color similar to the sky in spring after a strong rain had washed away the haze in the distance. Bordered along the top of the room and in the corners were small, ivy-like leaves painted in a rich green with yellow lighting accents. A false window hung on the wall to the right of the bed's footrest and gave off the impression of the sun shining brilliantly through the glass. The unique design even allowed for false sunbeams to touch upon the floor beneath the window. The frame of the window was dressed in a cerulean curtain with soft, white lace streaming down from the fabric. Tiny flower buds were embroidered on the curtain, and the threaded blossoms were the colors of pastel yellow and pink.
To the left of the bed the wall offered a painting of a green meadow that was spotted in blue and violet flowers. The painting was detailed in unusual realism, almost so perfect it was initially mistaken for a photograph. It was a detailed and beautiful concept of a windswept countryside, and the tree in the distance of the painting offered ripe, red fruit that was imagined to be sweet and succulent.
The gentle beep of a monitor caught them off guard, and they were all startled by the deafening sound of it. The noise had drawn their eyes to the form lying in the bed, and it forced them away from the calming atmosphere created in the room.
Dressed in a light green set of steriles, the nurse casually moved around Keith's bed. Her short, jaw-length hair was once dark, but the graying strands had overtaken the brown coloring. She appeared to be aged in her early fifties, but it was difficult to discern her true age. She was extremely agile as she moved about the tight confines of the wires and monitors, and her experience as a nurse showed as she swiftly took note of the readings on the instruments and adjusted them promptly.
She looked to the Voltron Force and smiled softly. Her brown eyes showed sympathy to them but also offered them strength. Her voice was deeper than any of them expected, and she quickly straightened a twisted end of the blanket and tucked it back under Keith's arm as though it was something she did constantly.
"He's a tough one," she told them seeming to be proud of the commander. "His body refuses to give in, and we've seen him respond well to the plasmi treatments."
"What about his consciousness?" Lance asked, taking the initiative to ask the one question they all most dreaded.
"I haven't seen anything in him yet to suggest his brain has recovered. That's what the doctors are for, and in all my years, I can tell you that no two head injuries recover in the same manner." The nurse shook her head. "Cerebral healing is always a tricky recuperation, and the paths that one can take when trying to awaken are as numerous as the stars in the sky."
"That sounded eerily beautiful," Pidge said as he put his hands in his pockets feeling lost suddenly.
The nurse laughed quickly but softly. "Young man, when you've been doing this kind of work for as long as I have it becomes second nature to find beauty in the bowels of despair."
Lance cringed visibly at the nurse's remark, trying not to be entertained by it while at the same time, he found it to be a tasteless comment. He realized that his reaction seemed to brighten her even more in her strange way.
"Pun intended," she smiled with a wink.
"How long can we stay?" Hunk asked, not sure if he liked her odd sense of humor or was afraid of it.
The nurse finished up her meticulous tidying of Keith's blanket. Then, she took out a small datapad and entered in her latest observations.
"Your visit time is only fifteen minutes for now," she explained as she returned the datapad back to her pocket. "Dr. Katrine wants to confirm if he has any progressions in his recovery. As he starts to heal, we can gradually increase your visiting time."
"Thank you," Allura said, trying to smile in gratitude for the nurse's kindness, despite how strangely disturbing the nurse seemed to be at times.
"I've seen worse," the nurse said, attempting to bring a bit of final levity to the group with a gentle shrug of her shoulders, "But, we'll skip that kind of gore for now."
Then, she quietly left the room.
"I'm either going to have a nightmare about her or she's going to single handedly make Keith better," Hunk muttered.
Lance took a soft breath, remembering for a moment all the different kinds of doctors and nurses he had encountered during Jenny's ordeal with her illness. "It's how some of them cope," he offered. "Many medical professionals use a dark and twisted sense of humor to deal with it all."
Allura touched her hand to Lance's arm. "You sound like you've had some experience with this."
Lance shook his head, needing to change the subject. He still wasn't ready to divulge his past, and within seconds he thought of a convincing distraction that wasn't too far from the truth. "I watched too many medical dramas as a kid. Besides, our time needs to be focused elsewhere. Fifteen minutes isn't long."
With Lance's prompting, the Voltron Force shifted their attention to Keith and noticed that he wasn't even recognizable. His cheeks were swollen with bruises, and his long hair was swept back from his face, brushed smoothly onto the pillow. A tube emerged from his mouth, connected to a breathing apparatus. An intravenous line continued to supply his body with nutrients, and there were numerous wires extending to him that were attached to other machines. Most of the wires connected to Keith were hidden under the white bed sheet, out of immediate sight.
Allura swallowed hard and stepped closer, her breathing difficult. Her newly acquired clothes were slightly too tight for her and as she walked, and she found her breath shortened. The brown shirt gave her stiffness in her shoulders, and the matching pants held tightly against her waist. Her pink boots were hidden beneath the clothing, and they were the only things that felt remotely familiar. The staff had promised that they were in the midst of finding the appropriate clothing sizes and that a better outfit would be provided as soon as she finished her visit with the commander.
Continuing to move toward Keith, Allura saw thin bandages over his wrists from where he fought against the dungeon's chains, the oppressive shackles that held him against his will. She couldn't clearly see his back, but there was a layer of what looked like skin attached to him, and she could only assume it was some kind of protective bandage to help heal the cuts he had received from when Lotor struck him repeatedly with the whip.
As for any of the other wounds and the marks from Keith's surgery, the blankets covered them, and Allura was certain there were layers of bandages beneath the blankets hiding his stitches and his healing body.
Shakily, her fingers reached for his hand. As her fingers brushed over his, she felt his rough skin and was reminded of how his hands once felt against her flesh when he was holding her. Memories flashed of his fingers brushing her cheeks and how the calluses would gently scratch against her face. Then, she was flashed back to the intimate embraces they shared in the tower bedroom, and her heart threatened to shatter again. She knew that no matter what happened in his recovery, she would never forget the compassionate darkness of his eyes or the rough heat of his hands.
Taking a heavy breath, she forced the memories aside, somewhat surprised that Keith's hand wasn't frozen cold but was warm and inviting. Logically, she knew it was because of the medical machines and the subconscious part of his mind that continued to make sure his body had adequate blood flow. The imaginative part of her heart believed his warmth was the cause of some spell he was under and with the right enchantment, he would awaken.
Reaching into her belt, Allura used her free hand to bring forth the handkerchief. She glanced at it briefly, feeling the soft material. She had tried earlier to clean it up and remove the grimy reminders of the Drule dungeon, but some of the stains just would not release no matter how much she scrubbed.
"Keith and I need to confess something," Allura said, feeling herself begin to falter. She wasn't sure she was strong enough to admit her marriage. How she had managed to tell Lance, she still wasn't sure. After hiding it for so long, it was harder to speak of it out loud.
Lance moved toward Allura and put a hand on her shoulder for a moment. "They need to know, and it's not my place to tell them."
Gently, Allura put the handkerchief into Keith's hand, returning it to the man who had received it as her gift. She never thanked Lance for having the foresight to take it from the dungeon and bring it safely back to her. She would have to remedy that mistake later.
"What do we need to know?" Pidge asked, suddenly feeling confusion about how going to see Keith turned into a confession of some kind of guilt.
"The reason why Keith is lying here like this," Hunk said. The Yellow Lion's pilot crossed his arms over his chest and sighed heavily. When he brought his eyes to the princess, he couldn't help but feel on his face the accusing glare that he was aiming at her.
"What are you talking about?" Pidge pressed.
"Take your head out of your datapads for a minute, little buddy," Hunk answered without the anger he wanted to feel, pointing now toward Keith and the princess. "And really look at them."
The Green Lion's pilot turned his attention back to his friends and saw something very different about the princess and the way she held onto Keith's hand. "Oh," he breathed. After another second, it truly struck him with what he saw, and he repeated, "Oh."
"Okay, Allura, they got the first part of it figured out. Give them the rest," Lance coached. "No holding back."
Keeping her eyes on Keith, Allura breathed heavily, trying to steady herself. She took his hand tighter, trying to gather the strength from him that he always gave her. She closed her eyes and imagined him standing beside her, with his hand on her shoulder. When they were alone, Keith's dark eyes shone with humor at the idea that he finally wasn't the straight and narrow commander they all believed he was. He took pride in having broken more than a little rule, and he was happier for having the courage to break free of the restrictions that surrounded their relationship. He had someone in his life again, someone who he would love and cherish. She gave him a purpose, a reason to fight until his dying breath, and he would do everything in his power to be sure he wouldn't lose her, even if he had to give up himself.
Concentrating on the image of Keith in her mind, the man she loved and married, Allura didn't think about what to say. She just allowed it to flow freely. "We've been married for a couple months. When we took our vows, I secretly gave up my title and position as princess, and when Lotor discovered this, he nearly killed Keith."
Opening her eyes finally, Allura turned to the others expecting the accusing glare on Hunk to turn violent or for Pidge to yell at her. There wasn't even any shock on their faces, nothing to let her know that she had surprised them and upset them. Instead, they merely held their silence. She wasn't sure if their silence was better or if knowing how they truly felt was what she would have preferred.
"Stupid moron," Hunk finally said pointing to Keith. "He could have at least told us."
Pidge shook his head sadly, "Keith is the most private guy I've ever met. You could tell him your worst memory, and he'll let it fester inside himself for you so you don't have to be bothered by it."
Lance stepped closer to Keith and took a moment to study his friend. "He thought he was protecting Allura. He thought he could keep her safe from Nanny and Coran as well as Lotor. He always thinks he can do it all alone, and it's always been his downfall."
Hunk felt his shoulders fall in defeat, and his voice was unusually soft. "I thought a good team didn't keep secrets."
Lance thought back to his sister and the struggle he still maintains to keep her memory alive while he has to relieve her death every day. He knew why he told Keith about Jenny. Pidge was right. Keith had the uncanny ability to take someone's pain and make it his own. Feeling the tightness in his throat, Lance spoke quietly. "Sometimes we need our secrets."
"I'm sure you do," Hunk nodded with a twinge of sarcasm. "When you have that many girlfriends to juggle, you can't let on."
Lance spun toward Hunk and took a breath to try and calm himself. He really wanted to land a fist on his friend's face. In fact, he just wanted to land a fist on someone. The anger had been building inside of him, and every time he thought he was able to suppress it, he found something or someone threatened to bring it to the surface again. This time it was Hunk who nearly had him at the breaking point, and he was finding himself feeling satisfied at the thought of actually getting into a physical fight, even if it was with one of his friends.
"I get it," Lance grumbled, clenching his fists. "You're angry. We all are. We all feel some kind of betrayal about this."
"Funny how you're always included before Pidge or I ever are," Hunk shot back.
"Yeah, and I never asked to be Keith's second," Lance retorted. "He insisted on it, and unfortunately this is the crap I have to deal with in this position."
Hunk started to roll up one of his sleeves. "I'd be happy to give you an early retirement."
Allura released Keith's hand and stepped between the two men. She understood now why she and Keith chose to never tell anyone. They feared it would be the wedge that would divide the Voltron Force. She knew their friends would have been happy under normal circumstances, but while Arus was constantly at war with Doom, there was no such thing as normal.
Finding her voice, Allura discovered that it was stronger than it had ever been before. "Keith wouldn't want you fighting like this, and neither of you have any right to defy the ranks he established."
Pidge joined Allura between the two men. He felt the incredible tension in the room, and the pack of angry beasts they had suddenly become was not who they were. They always resolved their differences civilly, except for Keith and Lance. For whatever reason, their relationship could be tumultuous and still survive. Pidge knew that if a strike landed between Hunk and Lance, it would be the first unraveling of the threads that made them such a strong team.
"Come on, Hunk," Pidge pleaded, "Snap out of it. They're not evil like Lotor."
Hunk took a heavy breath and turned to Pidge. He'll never understand how the kid could bring him back from his rage. Maybe he just reminded Hunk of the siblings he had left back home, and he remembered what it was like to have to stand together in such a big family, especially since things were so tight. Shifting his eyes to Allura, Hunk saw the heartbreak of everything falling apart in her blue eyes. She never wanted anything more than to love Keith and be loved by him. Instead of standing beside her and Keith in their most desperate hour, he was looking to drive the wedge amongst them deeper and scatter the five of them so far apart that they would become nothing more than the five Lions, separated across the world of Arus, just as the Lions were when they had first arrived on the planet.
Unlike the Lions, though, if they were scattered, no one would go looking for them to bring them back together. Galaxy Garrison would simply send in a new team and find new assignments for the rest of them. Then, they would have betrayed Voltron.
Unable to look at Keith, Hunk sighed quietly. "I'm just angry. I feel like we're not good enough or something."
Allura moved toward Hunk and touched his arm. She felt inspired by him and guilty for not recognizing him sooner as the wonderful man that he truly was. "You're more than good enough, Hunk. We were afraid that your fierce want to protect us might have gotten you killed. We were trying to keep everyone from getting hurt or worse because of our selfishness."
Hunk smiled sadly at Allura. Then, he looked to the others before he turned to leave. "I hope you don't mind that I just can't stay here anymore. If Keith doesn't make it, I don't want to remember him like this."
As the door closed behind Hunk, the rest of the team could only stare helplessly at the floor. Each of them silently felt the same way, but none of them had the strength to say it out loud like Hunk could.
"He just needs time to accept all this," Pidge said sadly. "It's too much, too unreal right now."
Allura turned back to Keith, studying the medical devices connected to him. "I think I understand how he feels."
Glancing over his shoulder at Lance and Allura, Pidge explained, "Hunk was right about one thing. If Keith doesn't make it, I don't want to remember him like this either."
Moving toward the door and opening it, Pidge whispered, "I'm sorry."
Allura closed her eyes and took Keith's hand again in hers. Her voice was soft but tight. "We destroyed the Voltron Force, didn't we?"
Lance took a quiet breath. His anger had subsided again, only to be replaced by the ache of grief. He decided he liked the anger better, but now was not the time to let it consume him. "We all need time. We just got slammed with our worst nightmares."
"I never even got a chance to tell everyone about Voltron," she said opening her eyes.
Lance looked at her suddenly. "What about Voltron? He's dead."
Allura shook her head and turned to Lance. "No, Keith believes he's merely hibernating. There's a secret chamber, a heart, in Black Lion that Voltron's spirit hides within in the event of a catastrophic attack. Keith seemed very certain we could awaken Voltron by accessing that heart."
Lance ran his hands over his face. "We have to get back to Arus. The planet is vulnerable right now. Even Dirin's fleet can't handle a robeast. Only Voltron can."
The same nurse who had been in the room earlier entered and had missed the drama that played out amongst the Voltron Force. She seemed a little concerned when the entire team wasn't in the room, but decided it wasn't her place to ask questions.
"I'm sorry," she said, "but I'm going to have to end your visit for now. We'll advise you when you can come back."
Allura turned to Keith and leaned forward to softly touch her lips to his forehead. She hoped the touch of her lips would awaken him, like a scene from a romantic tale that involved magic and a happy ending. She wished that his hand would suddenly rise to hers in response, and for a moment she held her breath. Then, when she pulled back from Keith and nothing happened, she felt her heart fall into her stomach and knew that her wish had been denied. She began to wonder if he was rescued too late, and the damage that had been done was irreversible. She had no idea what she would do if that was the case. She was no longer a princess, and without Voltron, she wasn't even a pilot anymore. She had become nothing but a commoner and if the Voltron Force ceased to exist, she would lose the only true friends she had ever known.
Stepping away from Keith, Allura followed Lance out of the room. She had to begin considering her options for her future. The life she had once known and was familiar within was nothing but a distant memory now, and she realized that if she was offered the chance to relive the past few months knowing her future, she would undeniably allow herself the chance to share her love with Keith again. Some things were just more right than the wrongs they created.