Gorma had yelled instructions to the medical staff as he prepped for surgery. Just looking at the captain, he knew it would be long and grueling. If he had not had word Garrison had arrived with backup medical staff, it would have pushed him to make the unthinkable decision. As it was, Gorma knew the other pilots would be rushing in to wait. He had other plans for them. They would be moved to two exam rooms on the pretext of clearing them for return to flight. Now that the other Voltron had arrived as well as Garrison fleet, that would not happed. The pilots were weaving on their legs, exhaustion pulling at them. Sleeping in four hour chunks for days and intense dogfighting, injuries, and lack of food had left them drooping. With the arrival of relief, they would soon all crash from their adrenaline rushes, and Gorma would ensure they all had at least ten hours of sleep. When they arrived for their exams, the nurses had orders to slip them all an injection to ensure they would sleep. He would have them moved to their rooms by orderlies, because he needed the beds. Already, the medical ward was over capacity and only life threatening patients were being treated here. The rest were triaged and sent to other rooms set up in the castle depending on their injury. The only thing that made the doctor feel thankful was that careful preparation had led to less confusion, more people being treated quickly, and fewer fatalities. Not many fewer, but every one made Gorma feel it was worth it.
He had ensured his staff would rotate in six hour shifts with several "breaks" where they would deal with sterilizing equipment, laundry, and other mundane tasks to try to give them time to reground after dealing with so much pain and non-stop injuries. His staff was in better condition than the fighters, but not by much. Everyone prayed Lotor would run out of equipment soon, or at least retreat now that Garrison had begun to arrive. Gorma gave the last his instructions to a young ensign who had broken two ribs, sprained his wrist, and broken his leg in two places. He was out for the duration of the battle, but could still help organize and take notes. The ensign nodded and left the room. The doctor paused and closed his eyes for a moment. The captain's chances were less than 10, but after all he had sacrificed for Arus and her people, they could try to save him. With a deep breath, Gorma pushed into the operating theater and began to fight against the odds.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lance opened his eyes, and looked onto a very familiar ceiling. His eyes felt gummy and his body felt like lead. Someone hummed a rather unidentifiable tune in the background. Turning his head, he saw Cady swinging her legs on a chair as she colored at his desk. Keith must be out on patrol if she was here. Lance bolted upright, Keith! What was the time, why was he in his room. The last thing he remembered was sitting for an examination as Keith had been rushed to surgery.
Cady looked over as he sat up in bed. "Hi, Uncle Lance! You woked up!" She jumped off the chair and carefully picked up an insulated mug. Walking with extreme slowness she crossed the five feet to Lance's bed and handed it to him. "Coffee!"
Taking the mug, he gulped carefully at the still warm liquid. He only half listened to Cady's chatter as he tried to wake his brain and kept himself from dashing to the hospital. Finally something she said caught his attention. "Stop, Cady. What did you say about shots?"
Cady rolled her eyes, used to the way it took Lance a few minutes to start thinking. "I SAID, I am glad I did not have to have a shot like you and Uncle Pidge and Uncle Hunk and Allura and the new pilots. Shots are just no fun!"
Lance began piecing together what must have happened, "Is anyone else awake, Cady-did-what?"
Cady nodded, "Just Uncle Pidge, though. The nurse told me I had to let everyone sleep, cause you were very tired. I knew if Uncle Pidge was awake, you would wake up too." She bit down on her lip, obviously trying to remember something, then brightened, "Uncle Hunk is out for the durfacetion!"
"Dur-a-tion." Corrected Lance absently. "Why are you HERE, and not with Nanny?"
Cady shuffled her toe against the floor, "Well, I did not want to be alone."
Lance took a breath. When Cady gave these kinds of answers, you had to drag them out one by one. It took patience, and that was usually anyone's job but his. Boy he really missed Sven! He could coax Cady better than even Keith! "You were not alone. You were with Nanny and the other children." When she did not answer but continued to draw circles against the floor with her toe, Lance went over to kneel in front of her. He put a finger under her chin and lifted her eyes to his. "Cady, what's up?"
"Daddy is not in his room yet."
Inside, Lance froze. He looked at the time. It had been over 9 hours since they had brought in Keith. This could NOT be good. "Maybe they had to put him somewhere else because of all the other people who have been hurt."
Cady shook her head. "No, the nurses just told me to go back to Nanny and they would let me know. I want to go wait, but they said I can not. 'Cause they are too busy and I would just be in the way." She looked at him with tears in her eyes, "I would not be in the way, Uncle Lance. I could sit quietly and wait, but they wouldn't let me. But if a grown-up goes, they have to let me stay. Uncle Pidge had to check the lions, but YOU could go with me."
Lance was already heading to have a shower. "Just give me five minutes, Cady-did and I will go wait with you." He took slightly longer than five minutes. Several days worth of grime and stink could not be cleaned in one day. He would have to toss the sheets as well. Perhaps convince Nanny he did not have to do his own laundry for once. After all, he was a Hero, and a tired one at that. Lance just let the thoughts pour out of his brain. If he thought about mundane tasks, he would not have to wonder why Keith was still in surgery after nine hours. He would not have to fear the worst.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The doors opened and Dr. Gorma walked out to see the original Voltron force eating and carrying on small conversation. Cady was curled up in her favorite seat on Hunk's lap. Dr. Gorma thought about sending her out, but she had been by her father's bedside enough times she had earned the right to hear directly from him.
The other four Voltron pilot's had begun a rotation in the lions to help with the battle against Lotor's forces. With the arrival of the garrison forces, and more arriving hourly, the tide had turned. Lotor had begun to take huge losses. He now had less than half his forces left and the attrition rate had become terrible. There had been no emergence of a RoBeast for nearly four hours and the hope was he had no more. Dr. Gorma had checked on the status of the battle while he cleaned up after surgery and had eaten something. He could not face the force without some fortification and wanted a chance to settle the captain in a recovery room. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and leaned against the wall, not caring for once about professional appearances.
Allura was the first one to notice him. Her heart lurched as she watched him rub his eyes and slump against the wall. She had never seen him look like this in all the years she had known him. Taking a breath and fighting against panic, she tapped Lance on the shoulder and pointed out the doctor to him. Within a minute, the force had gathered around the doctor, waiting for the news.
Finally, Lance could take no more, "Doc, please." His face was showing his anxiety and he could not seem to pull air into his lungs. 'Please,' he begged to any higher power which would listen 'Please do not take him away from us.' Lance could not imagine any life without his best friend and commander. It had nearly done him in when they had thought Sven dead. But if it were Keith. It would devastate him. And Allura? Lance did not think she could survive mentally intact without Keith. Although Lance could not figure out the relationship between the two of them, it worked. Allura had grown to be a responsible, caring monarch and a hell of a pilot under Keith's tutelage. She really had been a spoiled brat when they first arrived. Beautiful, but spoiled. Lance still remembered the first conversation the five of them had about the princess shortly after their arrival. No one had expected to see such a gorgeous woman. They had all followed her around with their tongues nearly hanging out until they realized what a handful she was. Sven, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge had gleefully turned her over to Keith on the pretext he was the leader of the expedition. Over the last few years she had grown and changed into a lovely woman, who adored her Captain. Lance still held out hope Keith would realize this and do something about it. Worst would be Cady. She loved her father with a fervor he returned. Yet at the same time, Cady had grown up around the Garrison. She had known people to not come back, but Keith had always come back to her. What would happen to her if? No, he would not contemplate that possibility.
Lance shook his head and brought himself back to the present when Dr. Gorma started to speak.
"Captain Kogane suffers from multiple injuries. Multiple broken bones, cuts and lacerations. The majority of the physical damage came from the last attack. Those quills, for a lack of a better description, were all barbed and had to be dug out before they could move any deeper. The only fortunate thing was the captain had been bandaged for cracked ribs and the extra padding kept many of the barbs from sinking deep. He has muscle damage in his right arm and hand from them and will require much physical therapy to regain use. One barb penetrated completely through just below his left shoulder. It cut off blood supply to his left arm, and it will take time to see what if any is the permanent damage. The barbs had to be severed from the main shaft one at a time and then removed. We think we accounted for all of them, but some were rather small. Quite surprising that. I guess they were designed with that idea in mind. Large quantities, small item, more damage."
The team listen without a word. Dr. Gorma looked grey with exhaustion and had paused to rub his eyes again. When the silence continued, Hunk finally broke it. He could not stand not knowing. "Doc, what aren't you telling us?" He tightened his hold on Cady as she looked without expression at the doctor. For such a young child, she already had her father's remarkable control.
Dr. Gorma closed his eyes and finally opened them, looking directly at the princess. "He has been taking Agappon."
Allura gasped and turned white. She swayed on her feet and would have fallen had Pidge not caught her around the waist and supported her.
"What the hell is Agappon, and why is that bad?" Lance demanded, his fists clenching and unclenching in fear.
Neither the princess nor the doctor answered immediately. The princess had brought her left fist to her heart and her right hand covered it. "H-h-how long, doctor?"
"Over 72 hours." Came the flat response.
Allrua's legs gave out under her, and she sank to the floor, both hand coming to cover her face. "Oh goddess!" Tears started flowing down her face and she covered her mouth in disbelief.
The team looked back and forth between Allura and the doctor, fear and panic in their features.
Hunk looked at the doctor and very clearly enunciating each word spoke low. "Doctor, with all due respect, what the fu is Agappon?" forgetting to watch his language around Cady in his agitation. Ironically, she began petting his arm to calm him.
The doctor sighed and waved his hands for the team to move. He walked with slow deliberate steps to a chair and nearly fell in it. He leaned back and closed his eyes, beginning to speak and dreading what he had to tell them.
"Keith came to me when he knew Arus would have to hold out a minimum of five days before help would arrive. We discussed a rotation schedule with the other lions and what we could do to keep them in the air. He wanted to plan that we would hold out seven days before help arrived. Seven days." Dr. Gorma shook his head, "I knew what we were up against, and what advice I gave went against my oaths as a doctor. I also knew my oaths as a doctor would be useless if the planet lay in ruins. So we planned. Then came the kicker. What about Black? He knew and I knew there were very few choices. Voltron would be needed and there were only two people who could fly black and of those two, only he was fully trained and the princess was needed in Blue. How could I keep him in the air to protect Arus and the people?
The plan evolved as such. For as long as possible, I would keep him going on stims. We started with low doses and gradually increased the potency of each dose. The stims would increase metabolism. With each shot he would receive, he would also receive a high potency multi-vitamin shot to try and combat some of the effects and we would increase his caloric intake. Essentially we concentrated TPN's and had him drink a rather foul concoction of concentrated calories.
At some point the stim would fail and would not be able to keep him going. It varies with each person but two days is average. Keith made it to the third day.
Agappon is a root found only on Planet Obreck. Legend has it one of their ancient warrior kings chewed it in a great battle against darkness. The battle lasted ten days and at the end of the tenth day, when he knew they had driven back the darkness, he turned to the soldier at his side, smiled, and collapsed. He died even as he fell. They say he had aged fifty years. His hair had turned snow white, the skin hung loosely from his frame, and his muscles had wasted away to nothing. It is used to this day there for meditation, dream walking, and other religious observances. It is a stimulant but works differently. As long as you chew the root or have regular doses absorbed through the skin, it continues to work. The longer you use it, the less effective it becomes and booster doses must be repeated at a more frequent interval. It keeps a person alert and awake but comes with a huge cost. We are not completely sure of how it works, but most believe some magic is involved in its growing cycle and harvest. Obreck will not allow anyone outside their religious hierarchy to know anything about it. When you take Agappon it somehow keeps the higher brain functions working at normal or higher than normal levels. Essentially no 'battle fatigue' symptoms. No loss of judgment or impaired decision making. Physically a person does not lose reaction time or feel tired.
Agappon essentially stops many metabolic processes. The body no longer digests or absorbs food and must survive on its stored reserves. In addition, the body required a higher than normal amount of energy to function. Heart rate slows so the body can take more damage than normal without the person losing consciousness or bleeding to death. The danger comes when the person stops taking Agappon. All the damage taken, lack of nourishment, and sleep hit the body at once. As you can imagine, the longer one takes the root, the harder the subsequent crash. Stories and medical histories show there is a threshold around three days where the rate of collapse and non-recovery from Agappon increases exponentially. In a healthy person."
Dr. Gorma paused in his recitation and leaned his head back on the chair, closing his eyes. The force did not know how to react. The only sound from them was the princess crying quietly while Pidge held her. Keith had been badly injured before. Actually, Lance thought, so many times they could no longer count the hours they had spent waiting to hear he was pulling through and would have another scar and another heroic tale to tell. At least would have another heroic tale to twitter him about and Keith would stoically take the scar and not think about it again. He was too damn noble for his own good. Before Lance could find his voice, Cady's broke the silence in her too serious voice, "Dr. Gorma. Will my Daddy be alright?"
The doctor was quiet so long that everyone thought he may have fallen asleep. Finally, in a very quiet voice, "Will he live? I believe so. Will he fully recover? The chances are very slim. IF I can keep him here long enough for his body to recover. IF he actually listens for the first time and follows a recovery and physical plan." The doctor took a deep breath and released it. "The captain's heart took a tremendous strain. Between the Agappone and the adrenaline he used. . .he flat lined no less than five times, I stopped counting. Until he wakes up and gains a little strength, I will not know if there is any damage to his heart. The blood loss was tremendous and we do not know if he suffered any brain injury due to lack of oxygen or if he will regain full use of his left hand. Medical technology can only do so much." The doctor's voice had grown rough. He had tried to see the captain as just a patient, but had worked on him too many times and watched him disregard his own safety time after time to protect Arus to not grow fond of the young man. He shook his head, cutting off any negative thinking, "I will not do the captain any good in this condition. If you will excuse me, I must sleep."
Cady nodded and looked around at the rest of the team. She would cry later, right now here daddy needed her. Allura needed her. She loved her Daddy too, although would not admit it aloud. Cady nursed daydreams of her father marring Allura. They would all live together like a family and Cady would take over flying one of the lions when she was grown-up enough.
Allura looked up, tears still running down her face, "Can we see him at least?"
The doctor sighed and nodded. "He will most likely sleep for two or three days. We have him on a light sedative and a spinal block for the pain. We cannot give him any pain medicine because it depresses heart and breathing rates. Keep in mind, his body has burned off any excess fat, although he had little enough to start with, and some muscle mass. We are pumping him with as many calories as we can, but be prepared." Dr. Gorma took a breath and released it. "He may have small moments where his eyes open, but he will not be lucid for several days. The best thing for him is quiet and rest. Just let me check if everything is ready for visitors." The doctor did not bother with the normal restrictions as to visitors. He knew Keith would be completely unaware of any presence in his room, and perhaps hearing familiar voices would help. He also knew once the force saw him, very little would be keeping them from his bedside. "One last detail. Because he is not quite stable, we are leaving a nurse in the room at all times." With that, Dr. Gorma began praying to the God and Goddess as he walked to the recovery room, wanting to make sure Keith did not look as bad as he was. There was nothing he could do about his hollow cheeks and bruised face, but a blanket should keep Cady from seeing the extent of the damage. The nurse shook out the blanket while Dr. Gorma check the stitching one more time. The oxygen hissed softly, and the heart monitor beeped in slow, but steady rhythm. Sending up one last prayer he told the nurse that someone was to be in attendance at all times with a defibrillator standing ready. It was just a feeling, but Dr. Gorma did not think Keith was in the clear just yet. Unable to delay any longer, he requested a nurse to send in Keith's family while retreated to the comfy couch in his office and sleep.
Hunk stood up carrying Cady while they waited for the doc to let them in to see Keith. He hoped it was not as bad as he feared. What would happen to Cady? He knew her family on Earth would take her in a heartbeat, but she had grown up on Arus and Earth with them. Shaking his head he paused thinking of all the times she had waited by her Keith's bedside alternately bullying and nursing him. Hunk believed she was the only reason he kept fighting to survive. In the last year, the Cap had another reason, although he did not know it. Hunk's gaze drifted to Allura who was wiping her eyes before going into the room. A nurse came to fetch them and let them see Keith.
Hunk entered the room first, carrying Cady. They could hear the soft sounds of the heart monitor and the low hissing indicating an oxygen mask was in use. As they crossed the threshold, Cady gasped and Hunk involuntarily tightened his grip on her as she buried her face in his shoulder. Dr. Gorma had hinted Keith looked rough, but not that he looked like warmed over death. They had all seen Keith too many times to count in a hospital bed, but this! This was. Hunk could not even come up with the word in his own mind. "Uncle Hunk?"
It took two tries before Hunk could force words out, "Yeah, Cady-did-what?" He tried using the nickname her 'uncles' had given her after being greeted by the same words from her father many, many times. She was rather mischievous, Lance's influence he supposed.
"This is bad, huh?"
"Yeah, Cady, it's bad." It did not even occur to Hunk to censor things for Cady. Growing up on a military base and amid a war, she understood things well beyond what a seven year old should. "You heard the doc, Cady. He will pull through, he always does. You know he will never leave you if he has any power over it." He patted the back of her head, his heart breaking for her. Hunk could only imagine what it had cost Keith to do what he did, knowing the very large chance he would never return.
Cady rubbed her eyes on Hunk's shoulder and then pushed him slightly to let him know she was ready. He walked to the bed, snatching a chair along the way so Cady could stand on it. He pulled it up to Keith's right side. With ease of long practice he set Cady down and she carefully turned to perch on the edge of her Daddy's bed. "Hi Daddy. You do not look very good today. Does this mean we can stay in bed and have pancakes? I like having pancakes in bed with you. I have to go back to the caves soon 'cause Nanny is gonna come looking and I do not want to miss desert today." She leaned closer, "Chocolate! Nanny said us kids have been so good the last few days she will break out the supply Uncle James sent. She said she would save a double chocohunka dunka for me! Anyway, get better soon. When Nanny says it is ok, I will come read to you. Nanny found a new book of tales she said you would like. I love you, Daddy. Wake up fast!" Cady leaned over to gently kiss Keith's cheek and brush a strand of hair which had fallen onto his forehead to the side. Then she turned and raised her hands to Hunk. "Nanny will be looking for me, Uncle Hunk."
Picking her up and putting her on his shoulders, Hunk looked down to his commander and friend. "Wake up fast, Keith, otherwise you know Cady-did-what and Erick are going to cause no end of mischief!" He turned and walked out of the room, knowing Allura, Lance, and Pidge would want their turns.
The other three walked in to the room. Allura blanched and swayed on her feet. Pidge and Lance guided her to the chair Cady had used. "Oh goddess."
Pidge covered his eyes an shuddered. The Cap had been in many scrapes over the years, but looking at him, Pidge did not know what to think.
Lance patted Allura's shoulder while she looked at Keith. He looked at his best friend and wondered yet again at the will-power of the captain which never let him give up even when things looked bleak. He honest-to-God did not know how Keith could always find a way to beat the odds. Maybe because he really believed they would win every time. Lance took a deep breath. Well, he was going to have to start believing too, because it he would have to be Keith for a while.
Lance patted Allura one more time and turned to Pidge. "C'mon squirt, we had best check on the Black and think about giving the other team a break. Pidge lay a hand on the bed and then turned to follow Lance out the door. Allura sat in the chair abandoned. Taking a breath, she lifted the blanket to see the actual damage done. She had her suspicions that Dr. Gorma was trying to spare the team anguish of seeing Keith in this state. Her hand shook as she looked.
His right armed was swathed from shoulder to wrist in a white bandage. His hand was carefully turned upright, and she could see where chunks of his fingers and palm were missing from where the barbs had hit him. They had left his hand open to the air, although the nurses would have put a healing balm on it. Allura realized Keith must have pulled them out so he could continue to fly. She did not know how he had functioned when he must have been in so much pain. Her inspection continued across his chest, where more swaths of bandages gave his mending ribs support. He had always been lean with well defined muscles. Now his stomach and ribs protruded through and he looked shrunken somehow. His stomach was concave and looking upward his shoulders were protruding sharply outward. Tears formed in Allura's eyes as she surveyed the wreck of a man who had walked down the hall only days ago with women's eyes of all ages following him. She blinked them away and looked over his left arm. They had left it unbandaged with only a poultice to keep the wound clean and absorb any drainage. His left arm had two iv lines in it. One she knew was a TPN or nutrient solution as they tried to replace some of what Keith had sacrificed to the Agappon. His arm looked like it belonged to a man three times his age with the skin hanging loose where muscle used to lie. Her eyes drifted downward and she saw his hand for the first time. The fingers had curled into a crab like position and so the doctors had carefully opened his hand and placed it into a specially designed glove which would keep the fingers from curling and would gently move them in a random fashion. The hope was to keep the fingers and the muscles from atrophying and reduce the damage caused by lack of blood flow to the area. Doc Gorma had success in the past with the technique. Below his waist he had nearly no damage. A broken foot which had been set and injected with a substance to encourage new bone growth and repair. Medical science had yet to find a way to instantly heal broken bones, but it had found a way to enhance the natural ability of the body to fix itself. A biodegradable polymer was injected and affixed around the break in the bone. The polymer provided stability and strength while the body repaired the break. Doctors had found the bones knit together more quickly especially if they could keep the stress off the break for a day or two. In Keith's case this would not be a problem, he would not even awake before then. Combined with physical therapy, he should suffer no long term damage from the break.
Like the rest of his body, Keith's legs looked wrong. The skin hung loosely, making him look like a fat man who had lost so much weight the skin had remained stretched. She had avoided looking at his face. Allura was afraid to see what she would see. Slowly she tucked the blanket back around the man she had come to love and adore, although she did not have the courage to admit it to him. She looked at the nurse in the corner who was occupying herself with folding bandages. Looking at the time, Allura knew she did not have the luxury of staying at Keith's side. As Cady had to return to the safety of the caves, Allura needed go back to the danger of the sky. Lotor's forces had been severely diminished, but he had not retreated. From the last report, if he did not leave soon, there would be nothing left of his armada. Slowly she stood and brushed her hand across Keith's face. A tear slid out from one eye and she leaned over to give him a gentle kiss, something she could only do when he was unknowing. With a last brush of her hand over his face, Allura turned and walked out of the room back to the battle, putting thoughts of Keith in a compartment where she would not be distracted from the task at hand.
Daniee, the nurse, watched her leave and wiped a tear from her own eye. It was common knowledge the princess was devoted to her captain. The staff hoped that one day the captain would return her affection, but no one had ever seen evidence to the contrary. Except for his daughter, Captain Kogane kept himself under tight emotional wraps. The rest of the team flirted and dated among the staff and the village girls, but not their captain. The only girl in his life was his daughter. Rumor had it the few girls who had tried to pursue him were turned down politely with the reason he did not have time a woman deserved to devote to a relationship and he did not want to set either party up for hurt. Daniee had heard of once when someone had tried to push past the captain's reserve even after a polite refusal. After several weeks, the captain had requested a meeting with the woman and her father for a witness. Father and daughter were seen leaving the castle fifteen minutes after they had arrived. The daughter had been ashen faced and the father looked rather bewildered. No one ever spoke of what the captain had said, but no other girl had tried to pursue him again. Daniee only hoped the captain would see what was in front of him in the form of the princess. After all he had sacrificed for Arus and what he had come to mean, the planet wanted to ensure he stayed on Arus and would give him anything he desire, including their princess, to see to that.
Thinking about the last four years, Daniee wondered if the captain even knew how much he was adored by Arusians. His unflappable demeanor, honor, and code of ethics had become a pinnacle to which all young men aspired. His courage in the face of overwhelming odds, inability to quit, and belief that good would always triumph had inspired the people of Arus to look beyond themselves and their fears and look to their neighbors and their communities to try and build something worthwhile. Although not an Arusian name, Keith topped the lists of names chosen for boys.
Captain Kogane had personally rescued the princess more times than most people could count. Daniee had been working with Dr. Gorma for nearly two years now. In that time she had seen the captain come in stabbed, shot, beaten, concussed, with nearly every imaginable injury. Yet he always recovered and kept going. Dr. Gorma had given up on keeping him in bed long enough to recover without the use of sedatives, and the captain fought him for every hour he had to stay. Daniee had seen the scars that criss-crossed Kogane's body and wondered at his will-power to never stop. Another tear slipped out to join the first one, splashing on one of the bandages she folded. This time however, even the doctor did not know what the outcome would be.
The young nurse turned to put on some soft, soothing music so the room seemed less sterile. After two hours she traded places with one of the other nurses who had brought in charts to update while she stayed with the captain. This would grow to be the pattern for next several days. Keith would be completely unaware how closely they kept a watch on him. He would not learn until much later he had crashed three more times and two nurses had each caught the beginnings of a crash and prevented them. Each time they brought him back, it took a little longer as if the captain was losing the ability to fight to come back. The third time had taken twelve minutes to bring him back. After the third attack, they took Keith back to surgery and installed a pacemaker they hoped would be temporary. He had been out of the first surgery only six and a half hours.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
As Hunk left with Cady, he pondered. Over the last four years they had been on Arus, a rhythm had developed for whenever Keith landed in the hospital. Hunk would take Cady in first and then the others would come in with Pidge leaving first, then Lance, and finally Allura. During the day, someone would always be beside Keith so he would not wake alone. When Cady was younger, she would sing songs or make up nonsense stories to tell him. In the last two years as she started to read, Nanny and Allura had found books at her level she could read to her Dad. Keith had been so proud when she started picking up reading at such a young age. He never pushed her, and let her set the pace. The nurses all adored Cady. She was a bright, friendly girl who always had a smile ready. Somewhere along the way, they had told the force they could keep an eye on Cady when she was here and the nurses, orderlies, and doctors had no problems with her staying with her dad. When this latest crisis was over, a cot would magically appear in Keith's room, and Cady would stay until he was released. Hunk chuckled inwardly. In reality, Cady would end up on the hospital bed with Keith most of the time. Their little girl loved cuddling. From the moment she was born, she had wrapped Keith around her little finger. He had read somewhere that babies do better sleeping beside their parents, so Keith had her beside him from day one. The guys had quickly learned if they wanted Cady to sleep, she needed someone beside her. They had all learned how to wear a sling so they could study or do their chores while she slept. Eventually she had grown out of the need, but would crawl out of her bed and into Keith's whenever she had the chance. When Keith was not home, it was a toss-up where she would go. Hunk smiled at the thought. Who could have believed five men could be such pushovers when it came to one little girl. Guess that was why the princess had them around her pinky. Cady had already broken them in.
"Uncle Hunk? Black needs to see us. We have to tell him Daddy will be ok."
Hunk nodded, and changed direction even though he knew Nanny would have his head. Cady believed Black was alive and had feelings just like she did. He would never admit it, but Hunk did not believe she was entirely wrong. Besides, if they told Black, the technicians would hear and then the word would spread the Captain was alive. They all needed some good news today.
The doors to the repair bay whooshed open to a mad house of activity. Repairs were being made to aircraft, land based fighters and launchers, weapons recharged and reloaded as magazines ran dry. Dominating the scene were the lions. Currently only Red and Black were undergoing repairs, but that could change at any second. As they drew close to the lions, it looked as though Red was about ready to return to battle. Lance was consulting with Pidge and one of the technicians about something they saw on the data pad in front of them. Large gestures followed their conversation. Finally, Lance nodded, then went to the elevator which would take him to the cockpit. It looked as though he was running through a final check before taking Red back to the battle. Lt. Hargrave was no where to be seen but Hunk guessed she was trying to catch some zs now that Lance had swapping places with her.
It took them several minutes, but finally they approached Black. Even after nearly twelve hours of repair, Black looked beaten. They had not yet replaced the polymer which protected the cockpit making the lion look unfinished. The technicians were taking advantage of the opening to run cables and lines and wires to try and repair the damage. Black's front left leg was being reattached and the numerous dents were being left except for where they impacted function. Black was needed back in battle, even though they did not yet have a pilot for him.
"Uncle Hunk, Black is sad." Cady piped up unexpectedly. She really though the lions were just large metal animals with special abilities.
"Why do you say that, Cady? How do you know he is sad?"
Cady appeared to be listening to something, "He thinks he did a bad job of protecting Keith. He tried his best, but he was tired. Put me down, Uncle Hunk, I have to go talk to him."
Hunk complied with her request and watched as she walked over to sit on Black's front right paw. She was nearly swallowed within the grooves. Watching her, Hunk gave her the privacy he knew she needed, although he stayed close enough to listen to what she was saying so he could tell Nanny and the other uncles. She had always found sitting with Black when Keith was hurt soothing. Lance had often eavesdropped on their 'conversations.' Cady would confess things to Black she did not even discuss with her Uncles. Even though Cady was a bright, cheerful, outgoing girl, she took after her father in that she kept many things close to her chest, including her worries and fears about her Daddy. Hunk shook his head. Maybe they had made a mistake to not try and protect her better from learning about the realities of being a daughter and niece of a bunch of pilots. They often forgot how young she really was to be asked to deal with such harsh realities.
"Hi Black. You are sad too, huh? I saw Daddy. He looks bad this time Black. He needs lots and lots of sleep, I think. I will have to ask Nanny to find more books to read to him. We will have to think of ways to keep him in bed this time, Doctor Gorma says. What?" She paused and cocked her head up at a listening angle, "No, it was not your fault." A shorter paused followed, "Cause you and daddy had been up the air for how long? And you did not even have a chance to rest or let them fix you up good. Nanny says Daddy was doing what he had to and you too! Uncle Sven told me once about Lotor, and I do not think he is a nice man. I know you and Daddy will always protect us. What? Oh, Nanny says you and Daddy held out. More help came and we are safe cause Daddy, um, you know the word?" she listened again, "That's the one. Sac-ri-ficed for us. I think Nanny is starting to like Daddy, FINALLY! Anyways, Daddy is going to live and it will be up to you and me to make him all better." There was a longer pause this time as Cady absently patted Black still in her listening pose. "Can you really do that? So what do we have to do? Oh. That's gonna be hard. I mean how do I make them listen to me? No one thinks you really talk, except Daddy. When I tell him about you talking to me, he just smiles and tells me to listen hard. We are gonna have to wait until Daddy wakes up, though. What? Ok, I can do that let me ask Uncle Hunk. Uncle Hunk?"
Hunk came closer, "What do you need, Cady?"
Cady chewed on her lip and looked at her uncle. She knew he was the easiest to work around of her four uncles, but even so, he still would be stubborn about the strangest things. "Ok, Black has a request. He said he knows you do not believe me but asks you to please hu-mor me. Is that the right word? Anyway, he is really scared about Daddy and would like to see with his own eyes that Daddy is ok. He says Daddy is too far away to hear him. I am not sure what he means by that, but Black says he has never been so far away before. Does that make sense, Uncle Hunk?"
Hunk just stared at the little girl and then back at the lion. Was it really possible that, he shook his head, no he could not think about that right now. "Yes, it does Cady. So what does 'Black' want me to do?"
"Ok, just listen I am not sure what it all means, he's gonna tell me slowly. She looked at the lion with a look of intense concentration on her face, "Ok, you have to make an intra, inter, interface? between Daddy's room and Black. He needs um, Black I don't know that word, oh, Uncle Hunk he wants sound and pictures. Um, bi-, um, bi-dir," She paused and then said one syllable at a time as though she were repeating after someone. "Bye. Dir. Rec. Shon. Al. And he would like, please, hook it up to the," she again said as though repeating one syllable at a time, "Gam. Ma 4-2-7. Ar-ray." She looked at Black and nodded, "Can you do that Uncle Hunk? He says it is really important cause he can't hear Daddy."
Hunk just looked at the little girl, stunned, not knowing what to think. He knew she spent a lot of time with the lions and Keith was forever talking about technical schematics with Pidge while she was in the room, but there was simply know way she could know about setting up a bi-directional communication and know where to specifically attach it. He looked between Cady and the Lion. Slowly, he nodded, stunned. As he nodded he heard a shout from the technicians inside and he would swear Black appeared to sit up straighter, although he did not know how that was possible. He heard one of them shout, "I did not do anything, it just came back on-line, I swear!"
Cady looked at her uncle with a huge smile, "Black says thank you very much it takes some worry off his mind. He also says I have to go back to Nanny now, cause he needs to work on being better for Daddy." She took Hunk's hand and began skipping toward the exit talking about the chocolate she would have for desert that night. Hunk just kept looking back at Black, and he would swear the lion just looked, better? Was he going crazy. Well, he would do what Cady asked him to and hook up a feed to Keith's room. Shaking his head one more time, he walked Cady back to the caves to turn her over to Nanny. As they exited the repair bay, he heard the roar of Red's engines as Lance returned to the fight.
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Hunk returned to the repair bay shortly after returning Cady to Nanny. Glancing at the time, he knew he would not have time to keep his promise before needing to return to the battle. Feeling slightly foolish, he walked over to stand at Black's foot. "Um, Black? Yellow will be back soon, and I have to return to the battle. So, um, I will tell you that Keith's condition is grave. They have a nurse station in his room at all time. He is breathing on his own, but they do have him on oxygen. His heart is strong, well you know that, I guess." Hunk rubbed his hand over the back of his neck feeling slightly silly talking to the huge lion. "So, um, I will leave instructions for the techs to put a bi-directional transmitter on a specific frequency in for you and um, when I come in off my next shift I will hook up something in Keith's room." Looking up at Black he could swear the lion looked as though he were listening. Awkwardly patting the mechanical lion's leg, "So, um, do not worry. You know how stubborn the captain is, and well, he will pull through and be back harping at us before you know it." With a final pat on Black's leg, Hunk went to find the technicians to tell them what the crazy mechanic wanted now. As he started walking away, he heard a whisper. Shaking his head at himself, "Now Cady's got me doin' it." But he could have sworn he heard someone say, "Thank you."
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Five hours later, Hunk swapped places with Lt. Grunson. Yellow had taken only minimal damage and only needed some minor repairs before heading back out to the battle. It had turned into a mop-up operation. Nearly a full day after Galaxy Garrison started arriving, and seven days after Lotor had begun his attack, they finally had Lotor's forces in retreat. Keith's sacrifice would not be in vain. The damage to the planet was horrendous. Much of what had been rebuilt over the last four years had been lost. Amazingly enough, the loss of civilian life had been negligible.
Hunk felt extreme pride at being a part of Captain Keith Kogane's team. One of the biggest projects which had happened since the beginning of rebuilding was the construction of shelters for the people in case of attack. Princess Allura had insisted on building them before the construction of any other public building. The lions had greatly facilitated the building of the shelters. Each shelter was accessible by only one main entry point. Each entry point was a narrow fifty foot tunnel. The idea behind the narrow tunnel was that should an attack of great magnitude come, the tunnel could be collapsed preventing any enemy soldiers from capturing the people. If they had to collapse the tunnel, they would send a signal to the castle so when the all clear sounded, someone would come to help clear the tunnel. The shelter complex was also stocked with specialized equipment which would allow the villagers to dig out themselves as needed.
After the entry tunnel, the floor pitched down into a steep slope which wound down like a circular staircase. The real shelter complex was fifty feet below ground. The princess did not want to take any chances an angry Lotor would try to collapse the tunnel network onto the people.
The shelter itself was a very simple design. Each family had a small room for sleeping. The people would share bathing facilities, kitchen, and common areas. The storage areas were divided into three different sections. The first section were the food stuffs. Each village was responsible for maintaining the shelter with adequate food for the population of the village plus a margin for error. The princess had ordered that no less than a six month supply be kept at any given time. In addition to canned foods, there were dehydrated meals, and seeds which could be grown into fresh greens to keep the population healthy.
Then second storage section housed the equipment necessary for long-term occupation. Generators, fuel-cells, oxygen generators, cleaning supplies, clothing, extra bedding, blankets, medical supplies, and anything else the princess, the team, Coran and Nanny thought would be necessary.
The final storage room held munitions. Keith was adamant about providing defense. He had argued with Coran and the Princess until they had thrown their hands up in defeat. Coran and Allura had maintained it was a waste of space and resources when they would have ground and air troops as well as the lions. The Captain had listened to their arguments and then simply affirmed there would be munitions present. In addition he and the other pilots would, as the shelters were complete, provide basic instruction to every person who could hold a weapon in their hands. When the other two tried to argue him, the Captain had looked at both of them and stated in a voice which brooked no argument, "As long as I am Captain of the Voltron Force, Head of Castle Security, and the most senior military person on this planet, I will never leave a single person without the ability to defend themselves again. Never again will the people of Arus cower before the Drule empire. Never again will they huddle in caves in fear. Never again will they face any enemy without the ability to fight back. Never. Again."
Hunk smiled as he remembered. Keith was generally mild-mannered and one of the first to offer compromises. He had shown a very different side of himself that day, one which did not often come to the forefront. The silence in the room had been absolute as he finished speaking. The Princess, Coran, the other members of the Voltron force and other people in the room had just stared at him. After a long pause, the Princess spoke in a very quiet voice, "It will be done as you wish, Captain."
Nodding, Keith had sat down and then turned the discussion to the next point.
Thus the storage rooms with munitions. In addition to small arms, Keith had stocked grenades, grenade launchers, medium artillery, smoke bombs, sniper rifles, and a few other odds and ends depending on how well people of the village took to the Captain's training. Much to the surprise of the Princess, the people of Arus had taken to Keith's plan with a vengeance. She had not realized how helpless many of the people had felt as Zarkon and the Lotor continued to attack. Planetary moral had increased, production had increased, and the overall positive effect of the shelters and the training given by Keith, Hunk, Lance, and Pidge.
Hunk believed it had made all the difference in this latest attack of Lotor. The fighters did not have to worry about protecting people. They knew the majority of Arusians were safe in their shelters. Protecting the real estate of the towns became secondary and they were able to focus on taking out the transport ships, the cruisers, and the RoBeasts. Lotor would waste resources on capturing or destroying people who were not there. Building could be replaced. People could not.
The people of Arus had also joined the fight. Knowing their families were safe, men and women armed themselves from the arsenals Keith had left and fought back. Lotor had to split his forces in multiple directions as fire fights and resistance groups fought wherever they could. Instead of an easily cowed populace, Lotor found himself fighting an entire planet of people determined to kick his ass once and for all time. Hunk had heard how the Captain's declaration of "Never. Again." had become a rallying cry all over the planet. He only wished Keith were awake so they could tease him unmercifully about it. Sighing, he walked over to where Black stood. Stopping, he stared. He could not believe how much the technicians had finished in the five hours he had been gone.
They had repaired the lion's 'eyes' and face. Black stood proud and tall. Of course, there were still technicians surrounding him and wires everywhere. Waving to gain the attention of one of the workers, he inquired about his request for the transmitter. They had just about finished with the repairs and installation of the transmitter. Smiling, Hunk went to check in with the nurse and find something to eat. He would be short sleep a little later, but it would be worth it to reduce the worry in Cady's eyes.
Lance was already crashed in one of the bunks put aside for their use. Hunk let the nurse know what he was doing and that he would come back for a nap as quickly as possible. Since they had all had a decent amount of sleep after Gorma had sedated them, he did not feel bone-draggingly tired. Knowing he would pay for this later, Hunk shrugged off the lack of sleep. It would be long time before anyone would have a decent night's sleep. After they all-clear was given, he would be heading out with Yellow to dig out those people who had collapsed their entry tunnels to the shelters. Plus all the repairs he and Pidge would be doing. Shaking his head, Hunk forced himself to stop making lists. Get through the battle first. Eating a ration bar as he went, the mechanic made his way to his work bench. He would have to scrounge some materials, but he could put together the sound and voice transmitter that Cady said Black wanted.
Two hours later, he had finished. Cleaning his hands, he found a box and put the cobbled together equipment into it and headed to the medical wing. The hospital was filled to over flowing with triage patients waiting in the hallway. It seemed to Hunk that less people were waiting for treatment and the pace less frantic than 24 hour earlier before Garrison had finally arrived. The yellow pilot shied away from the what if thought that tried to go through his mind. Garrison had come and Lotor was retreating. It would be years, if ever he could come with a force that strong. Hunk also knew that Garrison had given the green light on a ferret hunt. Instead of letting Lotor escape, each shipped possible would be marked with a homing beacon and tracked.
Hunk came to abrupt stop at Keith's door. There were at least four nurses in attendance, Dr. Gorma in surgical gear, and much equipment beeping and whirring. Among all the bustle, Keith lay unnaturally still. Hunk had seen Keith hurt, but never before had his presence been missing. It did not seem as though Keith was there in the room. The pilot stood awkwardly in the doorway with his box of equipment. He had not expected so many people to be back in the room. It was not a good sign. Struggling a moment, he finally cleared his throat. Dr. Gorma looked up at Hunk, the turned to say something quietly to one of the nurses. The doctor stepped away from the bed toward the door. He motioned Hunk to follow him into the hallway as the nurses continued to bustle around the room.
"Dr. Gorma, you look like shit, and what is happening with Keith?"
The doctor sighed and leaned against the wall. "We had to install a pacemaker. The Captain's body could not regulate his heart rate as the Agappon collapse continued. I thought he was over the worst of it, but evidence pointed to the contrary. I hope to try and reduce the burned on the captain's body. He has started to run a fever and I cannot pinpoint the origin. The only thing I have to go on is those damn barbs. They were coated in a substance I cannot identify and the captain's blood is a complete mess from the Agappon, the adrenaline, the pain relievers, stim tabs, blood thinners, and all the other meds we gave him during surgeries. I cannot even begin to identify if there is another substance causing trouble. There is little enough I can do to keep him stable. I cannot treat the fever without knowing the origin. Plus his body just cannot handle any more outside substances. It is already on overload and frankly I am amazed we brought him through surgery. His chance of recovery is minimal, but then again he has recovered from everything Doom has thrown at him. I just hope he can delve into that well again and pull through for us one more time." Dr. Gorma stopped and looked up at a stunned Hunk surprised at finding an audience. "Lieutenant, forgive my babbling."
"Doc, is it really that bad? I mean Black said that, well Cady said Black said Keith was far away, but is he really that bad?" Hunk's eyes pleaded with Gorma to tell him some good news.
The doctor sighed and closed his eyes, weary to the bone. "If you are asking what are the captain's odds?" He shook his head, "Pray, Lieutenant, pray. Because I am out of what I can do for him medically. His body is continuing to deteriorate and we cannot seem to stop it. We are going hooking him up to a blood bypass machine. We will spindle his blood through it in an effort to clean out all the remnants of the Agappon and other medicines. Perhaps we can clear out whatever is causing this fever as well. The Garrison surgeon will be arriving at any moment and we are going to find a way to save the captain. By the God and Goddess I will NOT lose him now."
Hunk watched as Dr. Gorma talked himself out of a losing attitude into one he recognized. Shifting the box awkwardly, he realized he would not be telling the rest of the team Gorma's assessment. "Um, Doc, I feel strange asking, but can I hook up this monitor in Keith's room? It's um, hooked into Black, and well, um. Maybe it will help?" Hunk desperately did not want to tell Gorma that Cady was swaying him to her belief about the lions, Black especially.
The doctor was already in another world, "Keep an eye on him and talk to him. Could help, could help. Go right ahead." With that Gorma returned to Keith side to check on the progress of the bypass machine. Hunk went in behind him and quickly set up the communication box. All he really had to do was find an out of the way spot with a view of the bed and start it. It had a stand alone power source to not drain anything vital. Finally, he set it on the table where the nurses sat to monitor Keith and pressed the on switch. Picking up the box he headed to the door when he heard an exclamation. With no forth coming explanation and no further excitement, Hunk went off to worry and then try to grab some sleep before his next shift with Yellow.
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Nanny and Coran were summoned to the medical ward. They arrived and were directed to Gorma's office where they found the usually unflappable doctor slumped back in his chair, feet on his desk, a large drink in his hand, looking worn. Gorma looked at his two long time friends and associates. The following discussion would be heartrending to all of them. Gorma did not even bother to straighten up as they skipped the pleasantries. He gestured with his glass to the decanter and glasses for them to share the bad news. It would be a long night or was it day?
"Tell me what is happening outside." He did not want to address the topic which brought them all here.
Coran looked at his friend of long standing and took a sip. "Lotor's forces are finally in retreat. Forces from several of our allies arrived, and it has become a rout for Lotor. The order came in from Garrison. No mercy."
Gorma nodded and swirled the liquid in his glass before motioning Coran to continue.
"Several ships are firing homing missals on any ship trying to retreat. The plan is to break into several divisions after the last enemy has left orbit and give them two choices; completely surrender or destruction. Then the cleanup will begin. We have received several messages that we can expect help in that quarter. Six planets and two alliances have let us know that volunteers are gathering and ships are preparing to bring supplies, manpower, and equipment to fix what has been destroyed. Early estimates show that nearly all the crops for the year will be accounted a total loss. We will need to dip into the gene banks again to reproduce some of the animals lost again to Doom." Coran paused and took another sip. "I will be savoring this, it will be several years before another batch of Linto brandy can be produced."
Magda (Nanny) looked over at Gorma. "Mikko, why did you really ask us here?"
The doctor just sighed and leaned his head back against the chair and closed his eyes. "I just finished yet another surgery on Captain Kogane. I am hoping that installing a pacemaker will reduce the stress on his body. He is having more backlash from the Agappon than I had expected. There are some things which I need to discuss with Allura and for that conversation, I need your help." Gorma paused to gather his thoughts, this was not a conversation he relished. "Keith's chances of recovery are minimal at best. Frankly, if he regains consciousness at all it will be a testament to his inability to ever quit. He left some instructions regarding his wishes. The captain researched Arusian law quite thoroughly before making some decisions regarding Cady. She has few memories of Earth and he was concerned if something should happen to him, she would be forced back to her family she knows only through brief visits, and exchanged letters. I would not bring this up now, but it looks as though the captain's recovery will be quite long." The doctor opened a drawer and pulled out an official looking document. "This gives Allura the right to keep Cady on Arus and look after her as her guardian. In accordance to Arusian law, he named the two of you as her watchers."
Coran looked stunned, and Magda had to wipe a tear from her face. "Why tell us this now?"
Gorma looked at both of them, "I do not want to be the one deciding what to tell Cady about her Dad. I cannot say with any certainty he will ever wake. Hell, I cannot say he will live through the next hour. The captain left the decision when and if to tell you. So, I am dumping at least this part of the mess squarely on someone shoulders that are not mine."
Silence met the doctor's pronouncement. Neither Coran nor Magda could think of a response. Finally, Coran broke the silence, "Tell me of the Captain's status."
"Physically his body is a wreck. Literally. He has a broken foot, several broken ribs, multiple cuts and contusions, probably a mild concussion. A spine pierced through his left shoulder and blood flow to his hand was lessened considerably. He may have permanent damage to both the shoulder and to his hand. We will be able to do some repair to any nerve damage, but only if the captain wakes soon and we can do tests to determine how much if any mobility he has lost. His right arm took the brunt of the attack and many of the barbs penetrated deeply into the muscles. The barbs were dug out one by one, but more damage occurred than I like. The results of the Agappon on top of the physical damage just compound everything. Many of the treatments for muscle generation and nerve repair will just exacerbate the problems with his heart. I cannot give him pain medication because it will depress his heart and lungs. I cannot give him treatment for the muscle damage because it speeds up the heart, in his case dangerously. In fact I cannot do much of anything except watch this poor man's condition deteriorate before my eyes! If I do not treat him, he could have permanent damage, if I treat him it could kill him. Tell me, Coran what should I do?" Gorma realized at some point he had stood and was yelling directly at Coran. He sat down abruptly and realized his hands were shaking and Magda was wiping a tear from the corner of her right eye. Mikko buried his face in his hands, elbows on his desk. He heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor, then the clink of crystal. His refilled glass was pushed to his elbow.
"A toast," said Coran.
Both men and Nanny stood holding their glasses. "To the best man this planet could have ever hoped to know, and the many years we will keep him here."
All three raised their glasses, and then drank the contents. Three friends looked at the glasses in their hands. Three glasses shattered against the wall in quick succession. Three silent people left the room. Two to discuss what they would do. One to try and find the oblivion from thought sleep would provide.
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