Hunk waited until they were in the air before contacting Castle Control. The five Lions flew in formation around the med ship, forming a barrier between them and any possible attackers.
"What's going on Hunk?" Allura asked.
"We just left Hillor. It'll be probably over a couple of hours before we reach Arus, we can only go as fast as the med ship." He told her.
She nodded, "How's Keith?"
Hunk told her everything the nurse had told them earlier. "Dr. Gorma thinks he should be alright, but he needs to take a few x-rays."
Allura studied Hunk a moment, "You're glossing over a few things aren't you?"
"I only told you what Dr. Gorma told us, that's all I know right now, Allura. Why don't you get some rest."
She nodded, "Keep me posted."
"We will." Hunk closed the connection to Castle Control and took stock. There was nothing on the radar. His view into the four other cockpits showed the quiet, determined faces of his comrades.
Renata had followed Pidge to Green. At first he thought to send her to the med ship, it might be easier for her to ride with them, but he bit back the suggestion. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he wanted her to ride with him.
"How are you feeling?" He asked her in a low voice.
Renata still could not bring herself to look out the window, so she sat quietly with her head bowed and her hands folded in her lap.
"Renata?" Pidge said, a little louder.
She looked up at him.
"Are you okay?"
"Oh, yes sir. Sorry."
He bit his tongue. He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her, try to get through to her that she was no longer a slave. A sigh of frustration escaped his lips.
"Are you, sir?"
"I'm fine. Renata, we have a long ride ahead of us, I think it would be better if you would call me Pidge and relax a little. You are no longer a slave. Nothing you say or do will get you into trouble."
She looked at him and watched as he punched a few coordinates into his onboard computer.
"You know Rankin?" She asked.
"Yes."
"What is he doing now?"
"He and Paget were married about a year or so ago. They live on Pollux. Paget was a lady-in-waiting to Princess Romelle of Pollux before she was handed over to Zarkon. Romelle is cousins with Queen Allura of Arus. A couple of years ago, Romelle married Sven Johansson, a former pilot with the Galaxy Garrison. Sven used to fly Blue Lion, until he was injured. When they married, he was offered the job of rebuilding and running Pollux's military. Well, to make a long story short, Paget crash landed on Arus and we helped her and Rankin get all the freed slaves to Arus. When they were free to, Paget and Rankin got married and Sven offered Rankin a position with the Polluxian military and they settled there." Pidge explained, never taking his eyes off the onboard computer.
"Oh." It was all Renata could think to say.
Smiling, Pidge looked at her, "Yeah, a lot has happened. I think Rankin will be able to fill you in better."
She smiled, "I can't believe I am going to see him again."
"Do you have any other siblings?"
"There were
eight of us. Sayyid
was the oldest, he died trying to fight Doom when they
came to our planet. Rankin was
next. Risin was killed by Lotor. Bruna, Rillette, and I were taken
as personal slaves for Lotor. They both disappeared. Rainger helped the
other slaves escape, I know he got away, I just don't know if he is alive or
not."
Pidge
counted quickly in his head, "Rainger is alive, he stood with Rankin at his wedding and went to Pollux with them. He
is also serving in the Polluxian military. But I only counted seven."
Renata lowered her head again, "My brother, Penlynn, he joined Lotor."
"I'm sorry."
"We have not heard from him in years. You don't mention his name in front of Rankin."
"What about your parents?"
"I don't really remember them. They died when I was young. Sayyid and Rankin raised us all."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I lost my parents too." Pidge told her.
"Do you have brothers or sisters?"
"Yeah, I have a brother…" Pidge trailed off when he noticed the bleep on his radar screen.
"Dante, check your six." Hunk called over the intercom.
"I'm on it," Dante replied.
The other four Lions closed in on the med ship as Dante circled back to investigate.
"It appears to be a simple transport," Dante announced.
"Hang back a bit, just to be sure," Hunk instructed.
"Will do."
Without warning a shot was fired and skimmed across Green's nose.
Renata gasped and buried her face in her hands. Pidge clutched the stick and steadied Green.
"You alright, buddy?" Hunk called.
"Yeah, where did it come from?"
"Not from back here," Dante said.
"Nothing on the radar," Pidge muttered.
Another shot came from nowhere and hit Red.
The Lion went into a spin and fell from formation.
"Caleb? Can you get control?" Hunk pulled Black up and went to help.
"Yeah," Caleb clutched his steering stick and steadied himself, flying back into formation.
"Hunk, your three!" Darcy called.
Swiveling his head to the right, Hunk saw a large black ship.
"Why isn't it showing up on radar?" Dante asked.
"A cloaking device," Pidge responded.
Hunk dived and barely missed being hit. Pidge and Caleb opened fire, striking the ship. It rocked slightly.
Dante abandoned the small transport ship and came around to help Darcy cover the med ship.
All at once, Hunk, Pidge, and Caleb opened fire, pounding the alien ship with laser blasts.
Hunk's monitor blinked, indicating an incoming message. "Hold your fire," he commanded as he opened the link.
Landor's face filled the screen. The cut on his cheek had stopped bleeding, streaks of dry blood ran down the side of his face. He was furious.
"This is a warning," Landor snarled. "This is not over."
The screen went black and the ship shot up and took off.
Hunk rubbed his hands over his face, "Alright guys, let's get home."
They fell into formation again, surrounding the med ship.
"Are you okay?" Pidge asked Renata.
She sat with her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. Her body was shaking convulsively.
He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and looked up at him, wide-eyed and pale.
"Are you okay?" He repeated.
She nodded, "I don't like flying."
"I know, but we didn't crash, did we?"
She flashed him a small smile, "And I appreciate it."
***************************
An hour and a half later, the Lions touched down on Arus. Dr. Gorma instructed his nurses to get Keith and Lance to the hospital wing as quickly as they could.
About ten minutes before they landed, Keith had come to. He was groggy and a little confused, but at least he was awake.
Green and Red were both in need of some repairs. Hunk and Caleb went over to talk to the mechanics. If this fight was starting up again, they would need the Lions in top fighting condition.
Nanny stayed in the Nursery with Cady and Erik while everyone else went to pace the floor in the waiting room.
Keith was x-rayed first and Dr. Gorma's thoughts were confirmed. The Captain had three broken and two cracked ribs. He had a concussion, but luckily there was no swelling of the brain. His ankle was badly sprained, his nose broken, and he was covered in various bruises and cuts. The cut on his arm was stitched and there would most likely be a scar. Luckily, no major veins were hit. With Renata's help, none of the smaller cuts looked too bad, no infections. His torso and ankle were wrapped and his nose set. Dr. Gorma prescribed plenty of rest and pain killers.
Lance was another story. He had been examined and x-rayed. There was a large bruise on his forehead from when he fell and there was a burn surrounding a jagged cut on his back where Haggar had struck him. But Dr. Gorma could find nothing else wrong with him. No broken bones, no concussion, no reason for him to still be unconscious. Blood was drawn to see if there was anything unusual in his bloodstream from whatever Haggar had hit him with.
Nurse Helene checked Pidge's hand and arm, the quick stitching the nurse on Hillor had done would suffice. Dante's flesh wound was nothing to worry about and all Renata needed was a meal and a good night's sleep.
Allura sent them all to bed, telling them that if this threat was back, she wanted them rested and ready for battle. Renata was set up in a guest room and told to sleep so that when her brothers arrived in a few hours, she would be up to seeing them.
Allura entered Keith's room to find him fighting to stay awake. Half his face was hidden behind white bandages. His torso and arm were wrapped with similar bindings and his ankle was elevated on a few pillows.
"Hi," she whispered, clutching his good hand and leaning over him.
"How's Cady?" His voice was low and raw.
"She's fine. Nanny is with her right now."
"Dr. Gorma
said something about Lance. I can't
really remember…"
"Shhh,"
Allura placed a finger on his lips. "Don't worry about trying to remember
anything right now. You're home and
you're safe. You need to rest."
"What about Lance?"
Allura pursed her lips, trying to think of what to say. "We don't know what's wrong with him, honey. Haggar hit him with some kind of spell and he hasn't woken yet."
"Is it bad?"
"There are no broken bones or internal injuries that Dr. Gorma could find."
Keith closed his eyes.
"Honey," Allura gently laid her forehead on their joined hands. "He'll be okay. You need to get better. Cady's home safe, you're home. Just rest."
"Lotor's out for Lance's blood." Keith's voice shook slightly.
"I know honey, but he'll be okay. Dr. Gorma said he can't find anything physically wrong with him."
"That's the problem. If it was physical, then he could fix it, but this is beyond physical."
She lifted her head and brushed the hair off his forehead, "Don't worry about it right now, Keith. Rest."
He closed his eyes, "I can't help but worry about him. He's my best friend and he was injured saving me."
"Don't you dare blame yourself for this Keith Whitaker!" Allura cried. "This is not your fault, its Lotor's fault. And Landor."
Keith nodded slightly, but didn't speak.
Allura watched as he gave in to the drug induced exhaustion. Her heart broke a little as she thought of the pain he felt, both physical and emotional. But she knew he would never complain. He didn't want to burden others with his thoughts when there was so much else going on. Keith would put Lance, Cady, her, and everyone else before himself. His selflessness and humility were just two of the numerous virtues she admired and loved in him. But there were times she wished he would put himself first, if only he could understand how important his well-being was to her.
Still clutching his hand, she rested her head on the bed. Her eyelids felt as though they weighed a hundred pounds each and fatigue made her eyes burn. Together they fell into a restless sleep.
*****************************
Darcy slipped into Lance's room and closed the door behind her. The heart monitor beeped quietly, otherwise the room was silent. Since he was breathing well on his own and Dr. Gorma could find nothing physically wrong with him, they had removed the oxygen hose and the IV tubes.
She pulled a chair over to the bedside and stroked the back of his hand, "Lance? Come on, wake up now. Dr. Gorma can't find anything wrong with you, which means you're just being lazy." She tried keeping her voice light, "You just want to be the center of attention." His hand felt heavy as she lifted it into hers. "Allura and I were talking about the wedding, I asked her to be my Matron of Honor. We figured planning it was something to keep us from losing our minds with worry. I told her how we were thinking of an outdoor ceremony and she thought that sounded great. She asked me where we were planning to go on our honeymoon, we haven't given that any thought. But if Lotor is back, I figure we should put it off until we know it's safe to leave."
She stifled a yawn, realizing she had had about three hours of sleep in the past forty-eight hours.
"Dammit Lance, wake up," Darcy whispered, her voice cracking. "We can't go into this new battle with both you and Keith out of it." She stood and grabbed the front of his hospital gown. "We need you, I need you. Wake up!"
She watched his face. His eyes stayed shut.
Slowly, she lowered her head until her face was buried in his chest. She could feel his heartbeat. He was in there, fighting to come out.
Tears stemming from fatigue, worry, and just plain frustration welled up in her eyes and soaked the front of the thin gown. If only they could find what was wrong, then they could treat it. Damn Haggar. Damn her for what she has done to us.
Darcy turned her head, laying her ear over his heart. She pulled her legs up and curled up against him. Willing him to wake.
*******************************
Darcy woke slowly. A feather light touch brushed over her hair before the weight of a hand rested on her head. She tilted her head back and looked up at Lance.
He looked back with heavy-lidded eyes. "Good morning."
She yawned, "'Morning."
Realization dawned on her and she jumped up so fast she almost landed on the floor. Catching herself on the chair, and performing some quick acrobatic moves, she somehow landed on her feet.
"You're awake!"
"Yeah, that happens when you're done sleeping."
"Don't be such a smartass right now," she grasped his hand. "How do you feel?"
Lance furrowed his brow, "I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"I don't know. I feel…I feel kind of weak all over, a little numb. My back aches."
Darcy reached over for the button to alert the nurse on duty.
"No, wait," Lance stopped her. "Tell me what happened."
"But Dr. Gorma will want to see you." Darcy protested.
"I'll see him, but first I want to hear what happened. Where's Keith?"
"Keith is in the room next door, you guys were able to get him out. He's pretty banged up, some broken ribs, a concussion, a fractured kneecap, twenty five or so stitches in his arm. He's on medical leave for at least a month. Dante said you were hit in the back by Haggar while you were trying to escape. He said you went down and never got back up." She explained.
"Was anyone else hurt?"
"Landor cut Pidge, but it's nothing too bad, and he was a little heavy handed with Renata. They'll both be alright. Dante was grazed with a laser on the leg, but it was superficial. On the whole it looks like your rescue was a success."
"And Allura and Cady?"
"They're both fine. Everyone is home and safe. You did real good Lance." Her voice cracked.
He gently squeezed her hand, "Its not easy being on the waiting end, is it?"
Swallowing hard, Darcy leaned over and kissed him. "If this is anything at all like what you went through when I was shot, I am so, so sorry." She whispered.
"Payback's a bitch, huh?" He replied, bringing his hand up to the back of her head, holding her face close to his. "This was nothing, I had to wait three days for you to come to."
She felt the tear fall from her eye and watched it land on his cheek. "I'm sorry."
He smiled, "Stop apologizing, none of it was your fault."
Nodding, she slipped her arms under his neck and hugged him to her. Very slowly, he brought his arms up and laid them heavily across her back.
Sighing deeply, Darcy pulled back to look at him, "Can I call Dr. Gorma now?"
"Yeah, I guess I better get this over with." Lance said, leaning back against pillows, totally wiped out.
After pushing the button on the bedside table, Darcy sat on the edge of his bed and straightened the blanket over him. "You really feel alright?"
"I'm weak. My arms and hands tingle a little, kind of like they're asleep." He stretched his arms out in front of him and flexed his fingers.
"And your legs?" She asked, placing a hand on his knee.
Instead of responding, his face contorted into a look of intense concentration.
"What is it?" She asked.
"I, uh, I don't feel my legs?"
Squeezing his knee, Darcy asked, "Not at all? No tingling?"
"No, nothing." His voice rose slightly.
She stood and ran her hand up and down his leg. It felt solid and warm. He felt nothing. The look of sheer panic on his face frightened her.
There was a knock on the door and Dr. Gorma entered, "Ah, you finally decided to wake up, Lieutenant. How're you feeling?"
"I can't feel my legs." Lance's voice shook with suppressed frustration and panic.
Dr. Gorma consulted the file in his hand, "There was nothing in the x-rays that showed a spinal injury. I'm guessing this is an aftereffect of the wound to your back."
"Is it permanent?"
"I don't know, we'll have to give it time and see."
Lance shook his head, "That's not good enough, Doctor, I need to know."
The doctor snapped the file shut, "We'll figure out what's wrong, Lieutenant. I'm working on it now. There was a trace of something in your blood. A small enough trace that I didn't think anything would come of it, I guess I was wrong. I'll call in a specialist to help me."
"Who?" Lance asked.
"Kadmus."
Darcy watched as Lance's already pale face grew paler and his eyes widened.
