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            One of the nurses came out and explained that they had to go in to surgery and it would probably take several hours.  By the time Dr. Gorma entered the waiting room, it was mid morning.  Lance was stretched out on two chairs, dozing.  He jumped awake when he heard the door open.

            "Any news Doctor?" Lance asked.

            "I was able to fix most of the damage done to her heart and lungs.  She has four broken ribs and three cracked and she is on a respirator."

            "But she'll be alright?"

            "I don't know, Lieutenant.  On the flight back, she flatlined once and stopped breathing twice.  We have to wait until she wakes to see if there has been any brain damage because of a lack of oxygen."  Dr. Gorma explained.

            "Can I see her?"  Lance asked.

            "Yes, try talking to her, it may help." 

            Lance nodded.

            The room was brightly lit.  The only sounds were the beeping of the heart monitor and the wooshing of the respirator.  

            Lance walked slowly over to the bed.  She was frighteningly pale, her hair brushed back from her face.  Bandages were wrapped from her armpits to her waist and they had put a thick robe around her.  He pulled the chair over and sat down, taking her hand in his, it was so cold.

            "Well, Darc, it looks like you got your first battle scar.  But I was hoping you would start smaller, like a skinned knee.  You have to get better.  There is still so much we have to do, so much I want to learn about you."  He studied her, looking for some kind of response.  None came. 

            "You know, I am doing what I always wanted to do.  I love flying, becoming a space explorer is all I've wanted, since my first day at the Academy.  Flying Red and fighting in battle is the job I always dreamed of.  But now that I look at you like this, all I want to do is take you back to Terra, get a nine to five office job and just settle down in a little house with a picket fence.  Take you away from all this danger.  I don't know how Keith and Allura do it.  To know that the person you love is going out and risking their life everyday."  He laid his head down on the bed.  "I wish I could be as strong as them." 

            The next thing he knew, a hand was on his shoulder, shaking him awake.

            "Come on, man, wake up."

            Lance lifted his head, "Keith?  What time is it?"

            "Its 4:00, Dr. Gorma wants to check her wound, you need to go."
            Lance stood and stretched, trying to work the kinks from falling asleep in an uncomfortable position out of his back.  He followed Keith to the waiting room.

            "Let's go for a little walk."  Keith said.

            "What's up?"  Lance asked as they walked through the hallway.
            "Lance, I know you're worried about her, but you can't continue like this.  You are still the second-in-command, I need your help.  Lotor is still a threat."
            "I'm in love with her."

            Keith stopped in his tracks, "Are you serious?"

            "I have never been more serious in my life."

            A grin spread across Keith's face, "I can't believe it, you're actually in love?  And her?"

            Lance grinned, "She loves me right back."

            "I can't believe you were able to trick a smart woman like Darcy into falling for you."
            Lance snorted, "You somehow got Allura.  I'll never understand that."

            "We can come to some kind of understanding, Lance.  I need you to partake in morning practices and your guard duty.  You are free to spend as much time as you like with her, but you need to keep your responsibilities in mind.  Which means I need you rested and in good health.  I can cover your duty tonight, but you need to get a good night's sleep and be on the practice field at 0600."

            "Can't you let Caleb practice the next couple of days?"

            "You cannot shirk your duties, Lance."

            "I swear to you, Keith, I am not shirking my duties.  What if it was Allura?"

            Keith ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I know this is hard…"

            "Keith, how did you do it?"

            "Do what?"

            "When I look at her lying in there injured, it kills me.  I feel so helpless.  How did you handle it when Lotor had Allura, when she came back injured?"

            "I had faith in her strength.  I knew she wouldn't give up and I knew I would find her."  Keith answered honestly.  "Darcy is a strong person, she'll pull through this."
            Lance nodded.

            "Alright, I can give you two days."

            "What?"

            "Caleb will fly Red the next two days and I'll shuffle the schedule so you're off guard duty.  But only if you promise that you will get some sleep and you'll eat.  I need you rested and in good health."  Keith said.

            Lance grinned, "Thanks man."

            "Go get a shower and change.  By then Dr. Gorma should be done with her."

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            For the next two days Lance spent every free moment he could with Darcy, but he kept his word to Keith.  Every night he went to bed and got at least five hours of sleep before returning to her bedside.  He ate every meal with the others, keeping them updating on her progress. 

            Romelle had been moved into the guest room where she was resting comfortably.  Allura and Paget supplied her with company.  Everyone took turns keeping her entertained with movies, books, and games.  As a joke, Keith and Sven hung rope on the back of the bedroom door, telling Romelle that if she tried to get up they would tie her down. 

            On the third day, Lance returned to flying practice.  He was able to keep his mind on the task at hand, but Darcy was always at the back of his thoughts.  After practice he went straight to the hospital.

            Nurse Helene, Dr. Gorma's oldest and most trusted assistant, stood beside Darcy's bed, taking her vitals.  Something was different.  Lance scanned the room trying to figure out what it was.

            "It's the respirator."  Nurse Helene said.

            "What?"

            "She's off the respirator.  She's breathing on her own."

            Lance grinned, "That's great!"

            "Yes, it is a huge step in the right direction.  Now, Lieutenant, if you can only convince her to wake up."

            "I'm working on it."

            The older woman patted his shoulder as she walked by, "I know you are.  Be patient, this is her body's way of healing itself."

            Lance sat in the chair beside the bed and took her hand in his, "Alright, Darc, now you're just being stubborn.  It's like the night you stayed in my room, you didn't want to wake up the next morning.  I guess you really aren't much of a morning person.  That's fine with me, I prefer the night.  I can't tell you how much I hate morning practice.  I don't understand why it has to so early, why can't it be at ten?  We would be even more alert.  I think Keith is just some kind of masochistic freak.  No one likes getting up that early."

            He watched her, seeing the rise and fall of her chest under the blankets.  It gave him hope that everything would be alright.  He sat back in the chair, propped his feet up on the edge of her bed and picked up the remote for the televiewer that hung on the wall across from her bed.

            There was a mouse on his hand.

            That was Lance's first thought as he felt something tickling his finger.  He jumped from the doze he was in and pulled his hand back off the bed.  Darcy's fingers had been lightly brushing his hand.

            "Oh my God!  You're awake!"

            She nodded her head slightly, tears filling her eyes.

            Lance leaned over her, "Oh, Baby, how do you feel?"

            "It hurts." Came the barely audible whisper.

             Lance reached over to the bedside table and pushed the button that sent a signal to the nurse's desk.  "He's coming, hold on."  Feeling tears in his own eyes, he brought her hand to his lips.

            Nurse Helene appeared at the door, "What is it?"

            "She's awake."  Lance told her.  "She's in pain.  Can you give her something?"
            "Calm down Lieutenant, let me see her."  She bent over the bed.  "Darcy, honey, can you hear me?"

            Darcy nodded slowly.

            "Can you talk?"

            "Yes."  Her voice was low and dry.

            "Do you know where you are?"

            Darcy's eyes darted around, "The hospital?"

            "Can't you give her something for the pain?"  Lance interrupted.

            Nurse Helene turned to him, "Why don't you go find Dr. Gorma, he went to check on Princess Romelle."

            Without another word, Lance took off down the hall and up the steps two at a time.  He knocked on the door to Sven and Romelle's room.

            Sven stuck his head out, "Vhat is it?"

            "Is Dr. Gorma in there?"

            "Ja, vhat's wrong?"

            "She's awake, Darcy's awake.  I need Dr. Gorma."

            Sven smiled at him, "Hold on a second."  He shut the door.

            Lance paced impatiently outside the door.  A moment later it opened and he could hear Dr. Gorma.

            "Everything looks good, Your Highness, just a few more weeks.  You know where to find me if you need me."  He turned to Lance.  "I hear you have some good news for me."

            "She woke up, but she's in pain and Nurse Helene won't give her anything."

            "Don't worry son, Helene knows what she's doing.  But Darcy is going to be in a lot of pain while she recuperates, be prepared for that."  They arrived in the waiting room.  "Please wait here, Lieutenant, I'll let you know when I'm done."

            Lance tried sitting down, but his feet tapped the floor and his hands gripped and released the arms of the chair.  After a few minutes, he was up pacing the floor.  Keith, Allura, and Sven entered the waiting room.

            Allura walked over and threw her arms around Lance, "Sven told us.  It's wonderful news!  How is she?"

            "I don't know, Dr. Gorma is in with her now."
            Hunk, Pidge, Dante, and Caleb walked in, curious to know how Darcy was doing.  They were followed by Col. Webster and his men, all of whom had stayed to see how Darcy fared.

            Lance locked eyes with Jesse who had entered behind Captain Epperly.

            Keith stood beside him, "Just ignore him, man, he is here as a guest with Colonel Webster."
            They talked as they waited.  Allura decided that as soon as Darcy was feeling better, they would have a party to celebrate her good health and the recent defeat of Lotor.

            "Not to mention a new baby." Hunk said.  "Romelle looks about ready to pop."

            "She has over a month to go," Sven said.  "She is getting impatient though."

            "Romelle?  Impatient?  No."  Keith teased.

            "Are you ready for the baby?"  Allura asked.

            "I hope so.  I don't know vhat else I can do to get ready.  Ve just want de baby to be born."  Sven told her.

            Lance stopped in his tracks as Dr. Gorma entered the waiting room and addressed the group gathered there.

            "She is awake, but she is very weak.  I have given her something for the pain, but it will make her tired and light headed.  Above all else she needs rest. The good news is that it appears there was no damage to her spine, she has full use of her legs and arms.  It will be a while, but she'll be fine."        

            Lance let out a shaky breath and felt his knees weaken, "Can we see her?"

            "One at a time.  She is tired and medicated, so she won't be awake much longer and I don't want her to over exert herself."

            Lance nodded and looked at Keith, who nodded toward Darcy's door.

            She was lying very still and quiet, at first Lance thought, with disappointment, that she had fallen asleep.  When he approached the bed, he saw her eyes were just barely open.

            "Hi there."  He whispered as he settled in the chair and took her hand.

            "Hi."  She whispered back.

            "How are you feeling?"

            "Great.  I thought getting shot would hurt more."

            "Smartass.  You just wanted to try and one up me with a bigger battle scar."

            The corners of her mouth turned up, "I do have a bigger scar than you now."

            "Showoff."

            "You have to be nice to me, I was shot."

            Lance brought her hand to his lips, "I am at your service."

            "Really?  I'm going to take advantage of that."

            "You didn't have to get shot for that, you could have taken advantage of me whenever you wanted to."

            "I love you." She whispered.

            He laid his forehead on their joined hands, "You have no idea what it means to me to hear you say that."

            "I was stupid, I should have said it before."

            He looked up and winked at her, "You're lucky that I'm such a patient man.  Now you only have to say it ninety-nine more times."

            "Actually, that's the third time I said it, so I only have to say it ninety-seven more times."

            "Sven said something about that, but it only counts when I hear it."

            "I can't believe you're arguing with me right now."

            "Is it really that difficult to say?"

            "It's a lot easier than I thought it would be."

            He reached over and stroked her cheek, "You never had anything to fear from me."     

            "It wasn't you I was afraid of, it was my own feelings.  I realized that I was more afraid of never being able to tell you."

            "You weren't going to die, you're too damn stubborn to die."  He said, fondly.

            "How's Romelle?"

            "She's on complete bed rest until the baby is born.  Allura set her up in one of the guest rooms."

            "But she'll be okay?"   

            "As long as she stays in bed, Dr. Gorma said they should be fine."  He watched as her eyelids slowly closed and then snapped open again.  "Don't fight it, honey."

            "Hmm?"  She asked.   

            "Don't fight it, go to sleep.  You're on a lot of medication and you need your rest."

            "Will you stay?"

            "Until Dr. Gorma kicks me out, kicking and screaming."

            She closed her eyes and smiled softly, "I love you, Lance."

            He leaned over and kissed her forehead, "I love you too."

            "Ninety-six," she whispered.

            "Ninety-eight," he whispered back.