Once again, thanks to all who take the time to comment, it is greatly appreciated and encourages me to write!

Another thanks to Trek who did the Beta.

This chapter, though short ranks as one of the hardest I have written. The next portions need only tweeking before posting, so it will come faster now!

--Kristina

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Princess, Magda, Coran, Lance, Darrell, and Hunk once again gathered in the conference room on behest of the doctor. For two days the doctor had only told them the treatment had made progress. For two evenings, the six had met with Dr. Gorma in this room. This made the third evening. The third evening of waiting for no news. The third evening ending a day of anxiety and fear. The third evening following a day of prayer and hope. The third evening of hope slipping a little more sideways. They sat in silence, without even the pretense of conversation; each lost in their own thoughts.

Coran fiddled with a data pad, the soft taps and wooshes of the stylus loud in the quiet room. He focused on the next day's activities. It helped him to cope, this busy work. Schedules of clean-up, census taking, communications with the shelters needing assistance in digging out the entrances, running interference between the ships still in orbit and the princess, overseeing castle repairs (while ensuring each group had the equipment and materials needed), and general question answering.

Magda sat in prayer, her eyes closed, her fingers moving over the dark blue beads in her lap. For each bead, she offered a short prayer for the Captain, the planet, and the people in her care, before sliding her fingers to the next one. The stones glided smoothly over her skin, slight grooves from years of prayer welcoming and cradling her fingers like an old lover, offering comfort and hope.

A coin flipped back and forth over the fingers of Lance's right hand while his left hand tapped out the coin's rhythm on his leg. His eyes flicked every few minutes to the door as though willing the doctor to come, otherwise staring straight ahead, focused on nothing.

Eyes closed, head back, fingers interlaced together over his stomach, Hunk appeared asleep except for the faint worry lines on his brow. The last member of the group, Darrell, held a data pad and stared at the screen. The young man had neither moved nor touched the pad in several minutes. His eyes stared unseeing at the screen.

Allura fought tears, blinking rapidly, as she looked over the people in the room. As Keith's condition showed no signs of improving, the bonds between them stretched and pulled against one another. "It was not our fault!" she burst out suddenly into the overwhelming silence.

The room stilled. A waiting descended as though even the universe waited for the shape of what would come.

"It was not our fault," Allura repeated, "Keith deliberately kept everyone in the dark as to his plan. We simply assumed the plan he presented to us would apply to him as well. Those six days. . ." she trailed off, her eyes focused inward. Then the princess shook her head and continued, "Those six days defy description. Already, I try to push those days away to the back of my mind as if they were a nightmare or a horror tale told around a fire in the night." The princess paused again, "And yet. And yet." She looked around the table. Lance did not look at her, but endlessly flipped the coin over and under his knuckles. Magda's beads stilled as did Coran's stylus. Hunk opened his eyes to look at the princess and the green pilot set down his pad. She looked at each of the people around the table before her. They represented surety and safety to her. Each had given up so much to defend Arus. Zarkon had destroyed Balto to try and destroy the green pilot. Lance seldom saw his friends and family on Earth. Hunk had found his love, but spent more time fighting than inventing and fixing as he would. Coran and Magda. They had become her surrogate parents and helped raise her.

Closing her eyes, Allura took a cleansing breath. Opening her eyes, she looked again at her family, her voice emerged stronger, clearer. "And yet we endured. We faced the greatest threat this planet has ever faced. Never has a force of so few stood against so many. Keith did not tell anyone what he intended, but he shone for six days as a beacon against the darkness which threaten to engulf Arus. He stood strong and defiant in the face of incalculable odds and his sacrifice will inspire many of those who suffer under the oppression of the Drule's to stand and fight. The story of this battle will spread throughout the galaxy and grow in the retelling. The reports I have read shine as a testament to the belief my people have in their Captain. For so he has become for my people. Black flies, and the people know their Captain watches over and protects them. When word spread of what," she paused to swallow hard and blink back tears, "what happened against the RoBeast, my people rallied. After six days, the Drule's had begun to make inroads against us. Let me read you what someone told me. This comes from a sergeant whose company fought near the castle." Picking up her data pad, she began to read.

"Word reached us of Black falling out of the sky and the Captain being critically injured. Scuttlebutt said he would not live. Not live! Our Captain. When I called what was left of my company together we had a meeting. Black and the Captain had given everything to save Arus and we had despaired of winning the battle. Rumor said the Captain was touch and go. It was decided. We would wipe out the Drule infestation from around the castle to protect him. He could not longer protect himself, so it would fell to us to keep the Drule shit from reaching him. After talking to my company, we spread the word around and then it began. Every company rose up and exploded. The reinforcements had finally reached us and we caught the Drule bastards in a meat grinder. It took us a day, but in the end, they surrendered. The castle would be safe, and so would our Captain. We did our job and will tell our grandchildren how we served the Captain."

Placing the data pad gently on the table, Allura traced one of the swirls on the table. "Many reports like this have come in, so the commanders tell me. The people do not doubt the captain will recover and even in his fall, he inspired my people to greatness. Galaxy Garrison analysts show that as word of Keith's fall spread, the fierceness of fighting increased and the Drule's began to lose ground. The analysts also say the fighting would have continued much longer had this surge not happened." Finally, she looked at each person around the table, "My people believe in Keith, we must as well. If we despair, than Lotor wins after all."

No one spoke, and another silence fell over the room. This time, it held less sorrow, less tension. Worry still permeated the air but without overtones of despair. Allura sent up a thought of thanks to the Goddess and God Above she had found the right words. The six people sat in silence for several more minutes before Dr. Gorma entered the room with a broad smile upon his face. All six occupants of the room sat straight in their chairs, looking to the doctor.

Before even sitting in his chair, Mikko began speaking, "We can no longer detect any presence of the parasite."

He paused as words and sounds of relief exploded around the room. Pulling out a chair, he sat with his hands folded in front of him. When everyone had quieted he continued, "That is the good news, the best news I could have at the moment. We had begun to," suddenly stopping, the doctor shook his head. "Before you ask. No, I do not know how long the captain will remain in a coma. In terms of purely physical damage. I can accelerate the healing of the surgeries, the bruises, various cuts, scrapes, and stitched areas, and the break in the leg. I can also encourage the regeneration of the tendons and tissues damaged in the left shoulder and right hand. The rest will depend on when the captain wakes. It will take time to recover all the muscle mass lost and damage to the muscles. Eventually he should regain most of not all of the use of his left arm and hand. As to the rest of his recovery," here he paused, "much depends on the captain."

Looking around the room, he saw they had no further questions and rose to leave as a soft voice stopped him.

"Doctor."

"Yes, princess?"

"He WILL wake?"

The doctor paused with one hand on a chair. "I cannot answer that question, Princess." Silence followed his soft pronouncement. After a painful pause, a quiet Gorma left a room filled with silence, unsaid words, and tears.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .