Hi!
Originally I had only planned ten chapters for this story, but as it developed and the characters gave their input, it grew. There will be at least two more chapters past this and an epilogue.
Trivia: I named Cady after my older sister (although she was a Katie) and my mom (who went mostly by Liz).
My apologies for the long delay. Life with the children exploded, leaving little time to write. Summer fast approaches and I hope to take advantage of long play times in parks!
Wade Wells deserves the thanks for giving me a kick start to post the next chapter. I did not spend as much time editing as normal, please feel free to let me know of any glaring errors.
The final two chapters currently wait for editing and there will be one or two more before then. Thank you for the comments and critiques, I greatly appreciate the input.
So, does Keith recover fully? What do YOU think?
Enjoy, I have!
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"Catherine Elizabeth Kogane!"
Cady jumped and whirled around to see her Uncle standing in the doorway, hair standing on end, and looking around guiltily. She had slipped away from Nanny Magda, snuck into the repair bay and then into Black. He wanted to tell her about Daddy, and since his hospital room had too many people, she came to him. Licking her lips she smiled big, "Yes, Uncle Hunk?"
Hunk merely looked at her, hands on his hips not saying a word.
The little girl turned her gaze to the ceiling, and looked around the cabin. After about ten seconds the words poured forth, "So, Black wanted to tell me about Daddy but the doctor and nurse are in Daddy's room so I asked him what he wanted to do and then he asked me to come here and I asked Nanny Magda but she said now was not a good time and she could not come here with me because dinner needed serving soon and it would just have to wait until tomorrow because we all needed a early night and baths and she could not spare anyone right now to come but Black needed to talk to me and so I just had to come, see Uncle Hunk?" She took a deep breath and looked at Uncle Hunk hopefully.
The man took a deep breath and then a second one. "Did it occur to you that we would worry? Nanny looked around and you had gone. You did not tell her, nor any of the helpers. They could not find you anywhere and you scared Nanny. She called me and I had to leave what I was doing to come and find you. Uncle Darrell stopped working to find you. The princess, Ialla, Uncle Lance, who came in from patrol, plus many of the castle personnel stopped their work to come and find you. Sit there just a minute." With that her Uncle activated his com unit and informed everyone he had found the missing child and would bring her back soon.
Disconnecting the com and setting it to a privacy setting so he could speak with Cady uninterrupted, he turned back to the little girl. She looked chastised, sitting with her head lowered, hands in her lap, and legs still. Only when she felt sick, sad, or guilty did she sit without moving. Sighing, the big man rubbed the back of his neck with both hands, interlocking the fingers and looking up at the ceiling. He walked over to pick up Cady and then sat himself in the pilot's chair with the child on his lap. "Talk to me, Cady."
"I told you. Black said he needed to talk to me about Daddy and it was important and to come quickly. Nanny would not listen and so, I just came. I did not mean to make everyone worry Uncle Hunk, but it is Black and Daddy. Do you understand?" She kept her head leaning against her uncle's chest, listening to his heart and his breathing, fingers playing with a loose thread on his uniform. He did not answer her right away, but Cady knew he was thinking. Other than her Daddy, he was the only one who thought about what she said and did not treat her like she was dumb.
Finally, the man spoke. "I understand why you left, Catherine Elizabeth, but that does not excuse your selfishness. You caused many good people to worry and to quit their tasks because you could not wait until after dinner or until someone could escort you here. I am sure if you ask Black, he will tell you the same thing. His news could wait for a small amount of time to ensure your safety."
Cady looked down at her toes, "I know, Uncle Hunk. Black is agreeing with everything you say. I am really, really sorry. I just wanted to hear about Daddy."
Hunk wrapped her arms tight around his niece and squeezed tight. "I really understand Cady-did-what. Do you want to share?"
In the last week, Hunk had come to accept Black did speak with her and perhaps even with Keith. Nothing else could explain her knowledge of Keith's condition. Truthfully, Hunk felt a little envy at the connection she and her father had with the lion. None of the other pilots reported, or admitted, to any kind of communication, only occasional wisps of emotions. Princess had found comfort more than once in flying her Blue. Lance found release for his aggression and pent-up energy rocketing around in Red. Darrell had said he found inspiration for new inventions, fixes for old ones, and encouragement while sitting in Green with a pad of paper and pencil. As for Hunk, he had always felt a kind of acceptance and pride to boost his sense of worth. Although his mind knew his value to the team and Keith often reinforced the idea, his heart needed further convincing. The rest of the team ranked top or near top of their class while Hunk always felt he lagged one step behind. With his Yellow, he found a partner to fit himself completely. One who gave trust implicitly and bolstered his ego and sense of self-worth whenever he questioned his role on the most prestigious team in the universe. Thinking quietly, the pilot wondered if his acceptance of the communication Black exhibited with Cady and acknowledging the emotions he felt from Yellow could open him to the next step. In their four years on Arus, he had witnessed dozens of occurrences where only the acceptance of magic explained them.
His mind wandered for a few minutes as he sat in silence with Cady. She often needed to talk, but with him, often just sat and cuddled until she felt ready to tell him what bothered her. He had learned he could learn more information from silence than from asking probing questions. Let Keith and Sven handle the big questions and the heart-to-hearts with Cady, he would take the small moments and cherish them.
When Cady began to speak, she did not look at him, just continued to sit with her head on his chest, fingering the loose thread. "Black said Daddy is very close now. He hears and is listening and has said he is trying to come back, but the way back is mixed-up and not the same as the way out. I am not sure what that means, Uncle Hunk, but I know that my Daddy will wake up soon. Black says Daddy sill has big wounds. But his heart is strong and he will be here for a long long time. Black does not want to let Daddy go yet, because I am not ready to take his place. Someday, I will fly Black just like Daddy, but that is not for a long, Daddy. It makes it much easier for him when he has someone who can hear him. Dr. Gorma has done a very good job taking care of Daddy and we just have to remember that Daddy will still be Daddy but a little bit different. Black says more changes are coming and we have to be ready for them." Cady fell silent.
The yellow pilot hugged her for a moment before relaxing. "This is wonderful news Cady. Can I share this with anyone?"
He felt the girl shake her head. "It will not happen until tomorrow. Daddy still has a long way to go, and Black is making sure he is taking it slowly. He also says at first Daddy will not wake for very long and still sleep a lot. His mind has to fix things inside. Black says 're-es-tab-lish connections.'"
"Hmmm," said the man, "Perhaps we should go to bed early, it appears tomorrow will prove an interesting day."
"Uncle, Hunk?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"I am in BIG trouble, right?"
"Yep, you are."
"The 'No- dessert- for- a- long- time-' kind of trouble?"
"That and the 'Nanny-needs-help-in-the-kitchen' kind."
"Uh-oh."
"Plus, the 'You-will-write-an-apology' kind."
"How many?"
"It will take a while. You need to write to Nanny Magda, the Princess, the team, the people you sneaked passed. . ."
Cady's eyes grew huge. "THAT many?"
Hunk nodded, "THAT many."
"Oh." She paused and then looked up at her Uncle, "I think I am really tired Uncle Hunk, maybe I need to go to bed early and really thinking about what I did wrong."
Laughing, the man stood and with ease of much practice, swung the little girl to his shoulders. "At least act sorry or Nanny will see right through your little act."
"Yes, Uncle Hunk. I promise."
The man strode out of the lion with his charge. Behind them, the control panel suddenly activated and a frenzy of activity started.
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The next morning, Cady gobbled her food, sitting at the edge of her seat. Even Magda's reminders to 'Eat like a person and not a hooligan' only slowed the girl momentarily. After finishing she bounced impatiently in her chair asking her Uncle if he had finished yet. Finally, taking pity on Cady, Hunk stood. He bent to give Saria a kiss, grab one more breakfast bar, and then held out his hand. As she tugged on his hand to make him move faster, he laughed and scooped her up and onto his shoulders. "Duck at the doorways, Cady-did-what. Saria, send me the list and I will take care of it." With a nod at the rest of the breakfasters, he strode into the hallway and toward the hospital.
"I just know he is going to wake up today, Uncle Hunk. Black told me, and he would know. Can we go faster, I really really want to see my Daddy."
"Patience, little princess. I do not think a minute will make a difference, but if I mow someone down in the hallway, it will make a delay. Remember, taking the extra minute to do a job correctly the first time, saves work down the road."
He could feel Cady rolling her eyes. "I know Uncle Hunk."
Several minutes later, they approached the doors. "Down, please."
The pilot swung his young charge off his shoulders and she walked through the doors and made a beeline for her father's room. Normally, she would stop and chat with the staff and anyone waiting to see one of the medical personnel, but today she just waved to them and hurried though the waiting area and down the hall.
Hunk kept pace with her. They walked in the room to see Dr. Gorma sitting in a chair near the bed, a data pad in his hands. The doctor looked up as they entered. "Good morning, Catherine, Lieutenant."
"Did my Daddy wake up yet? Black said he would wake up today. Did he wake up?"
The doctor looked at her, surprised and then turned a questioning gaze toward the Lieutenant.
Hunk shrugged, "We had a discussion with Black last night. I told Cady we would come and speak with you this morning."
"Well," replied the doctor. "This is quite interesting." He looked between the girl and the man, weighing his next words. "Over the last 24 hours, and more specifically during the night, we have detected the rise of," he stopped and looked at Cady. "Yes, it looks like your Daddy will wake up today."
Cady smiled and went to climb on the bed to sit next to her father. She picked up his hand and interlaced her small fingers with his. "Good morning, Daddy. I am going to stay right here today. Black and the doctor said you will wake up today, 'cause I have lots and lots to tell you." Reaching her hand out, she patted his face and then looked back at the two men watching her. "Uncle Hunk?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Daddy is very, very prickly. Since he is going to wake up, can you shave him first?"
The pilot looked at the doctor who answered, "Catherine, I will ask one of the nurses to come and give him a shave. You are right, he will feel better when he wakes up clean shaven."
"Lieutenant, may I speak with you in the hallway? We will be right out the door, Catherine, should you need us."
She nodded and then turned back to her father, telling him about her visit with Black. The two men stepped out of the door and several steps down the hallway. "We started detecting signs of the Captain awakening the day before yesterday. Throughout the last 24 hours, his brain wave patterns indicate a rise toward consciousness. This morning, one of the nurses reported the Captain had briefly opened his eyes and focused on her. This occurred just over an hour ago. Based on the readings, I would expect the Captain to truly wake sometime today. Now will you please tell me of Catherine's encounter with Black."
The pilot nodded and turned to look momentarily at his Captain and niece. "You know she snuck away from Nanny last night and I found her in Black?" At the doctor's nod, he continued, "When I found her she told me Black needed to speak to her. She went to the repair bay because too many people occupied Keith's room. I assume this must have coincided with an increase in those patterns you mentioned?" Again, the doctor simply nodded, "Doctor, I do not pretend to know about magic or mystical energy or any of those traditions of Arus beyond what Saria or Allura has told me. I cannot see or measure it. It does not have a physical presence I can examine and take apart to see how it works. But over the last several weeks, I have watched Cady with Black. I have witnessed her knowing something before you, before any machine can measure an occurrence. She has reported something from Black regarding Keith and each time demonstrates knowledge she cannot or should not have. Each time something she has reported will happen, has come to pass. Obviously, there is something more here than I can understand." He held up his hands and looked at them for a moment. "For my entire life, machines have given up their secrets to me and whispered in my ear. Garrison took me to develop and improve on their machines. Yet for all my skill and all my knowledge, I cannot repair Black fully. I have spent as much time as possible working on his systems. Yet each time I believe his repair is complete, something else goes wrong. The rest of the crew no longer spends time on the lion; not because they do not wish to help, but because they have reached the limit on their abilities.
"In the last few weeks, I have come to believe the lions have some kind of connection with their pilots. It may sound crazy, but I think the wellbeing of the lions depends on the well being of their pilots. When we woke from the sedative you administered after Garrison finally arrived, the lions looked and functioned better than could be accounted for by the repairs which occurred while we slept. Over the 24 hours you grounded us, Darrell and I worked on the lions as well as dozens of others, and it seemed sometimes as though the lions preformed their own repairs. Perhaps you would call it healing or regeneration. In either case, I cannot account for how quickly we readied the lions for combat." He stopped and looked at the Doctor. "I know I am drifting far from the original question, but this has been brewing in my mind for some time now. Do you mind if I continue?"
The doctor studied the pilot for a moment. Of the five, the yellow pilot has always grounded the rest of the team. He believed in what he could touch, feel, and examine. Now, he echoed the doctors own thoughts and he wanted to know the conclusions the pilot had drawn. "Let's go to my office, Lieutenant. I will have one of the nurses sit with Catherine and the Captain and attend to his grooming. I do not expect any progress in the next 30 minutes."
Nodding, the pilot followed the doctor as he went down the hallway. Stopping one of the nurses, he relayed his requests before continuing to his office. The two men sat. The doctor pulled out a data pad, "Mind if I make notes?"
Hunk shook his head. At the doctor's gesture, he took a breath. "Let me go back a moment. I started thinking about all this as I worked on Black. We repaired the other lions and had them combat ready within two days of Garrison's and Vehicle Voltron's arrival. At first, I attributed the delay with readying Black to the sheer amount of damage he took. After all, Lotor gunned for Keith. For every fighter that came after the other four lions, two or three went after Black and Keith. Until you told us how Keith managed to keep himself functional, I did not question why Black never left the air. I guess none of us considered that we took breaks from fighting but we did not have another pilot to relieve our leader. Tunnel vision, I suppose.
"All the lions took more damage over the course of that battle than they have ever taken at one time since we came." He paused a moment and looked at the wall. "Let me correct that. They took more damage over a short amount of time without major overhaul and repair in anytime in the history of the lions and Voltron. All of the repairs were jury-rigged after a while; bypassing systems and bringing secondary or tertiary systems to the forefront. We pushed these machines so far past design specs we entered new territory. Darrell and I had no explanation why the lions could still function and why they did not seem to wear down as we had expected. Power supplies did not drain as anticipated, recharging took less time with the four lesser lions.
"I have looked over the logs. In the beginning, Black lost power at an incredibly slow rate. That increased over the first days of battle until power seemed to drain faster than normal. Expected, considering how much we put the lions through. Then the third day power levels picked up. The drain diminished considerably. It was as though Black had spent time recharging instead of battle. I know Keith and Black came in for about two hours, but that cannot account for the massive increase in available power and the drop in drain rate.
"Then Cady started talking with Black. In the beginning, I thought she used this as a coping mechanism. But then she started asking for things she should not know or understand. She made pronouncements regarding Keith's or Black's condition far beyond her age or understanding ability. Catherine is a very bright girl and she has received teaching and training like no other child could have, but she is still only seven years old. She still understands with a child's mind, a child's eyes, and a child's ability. The concepts she shared belong to an adult realm. So, as I worked I started thinking.
"If the lions have a consciousness or something like that which we cannot understand, then perhaps those who have an open mind can hear what they have to say. If the pilots connect to a person as Cady has suggested, perhaps the bond works two ways. As the pilot's condition deteriorates so does the lion. As the pilot's condition improves, so does the lion. If you extend the analogy, it makes perfect sense why the Green, Red, Yellow, and Blue lions energy did not drop as expected, they would have two pilots to help them. As the pilots started to flag, a new fresh, well fresher, pilot would take over giving the lions a boost as well.
"Then I looked at the correlation to Keith's condition and to his lion. As Keith's energy flagged, so did the lion's diminish. I checked the records. On the third day when he started that root and gained his second wind, so too did his lion. In that last battle, when Keith fell to unconsciousness, the lion made it back to the castle, but barely. I could detect nearly no energy readings or active systems. Again, at the time I attributed it to the massive damage the lion sustained. But as we tried to repair the lion, we would no sooner have one system up and running when another one would blow. When I agreed to place a bi-directional receiver in Keith's room, the crew noticed several systems come one line which they had not yet repaired. It did not make any sense unless they repaired a conduit or connection which had kept the systems from receiving power. Only the systems which restarted had no connection to the ones they were repairing.
"Finally, some of the comments Cady relayed indicated the lion was focused on keeping Keith close and not taking the final steps into the darkness quiet and eternal and therefore could not bother with repair of self. Which meant that any energy fed to the lion, he would have used to maintain the connection with Keith and to bring him closer to us." Hunk stopped and looked at the doctor. "Does any of this make sense, or am I projecting what I want, or am I just flat losing my mind?"
The doctor did not immediately reply, but made a few more notes into the computer. He laid the pad on his desk, interlaced his fingers together and looked at the pilot. "I do not believe you are going crazy, nor do I believe you are projecting. As you pointed out earlier, Arus has a history of magic and mysticism. I have experienced the touch of both myself. My family does not have a connection with magic, although I have known my share of those with the connection. It is a gift, a burden, and a blessing all at once. Those with the gift cannot connect to other people as easily as with Arus, so they have fewer close relationships. They tend to bond with a few people only and their bonds are for life.
"Zarkon and Haggar actively sought out those with the gift to capture them and use them for experiments and to see if they could either steal or replicate the ability to channel magic for their own purposes. I only tell you this, because I cannot consult with anyone now to give you a definitive answer to the question of the bond between pilot and lion. In the tradition of the lions, no such mention of a bond is made but that could be because you are the first non-Arusian pilots of Voltron. In the last few years, we have found basic knowledge missing because no one thought to record it anywhere. Much of it was considered common knowledge, and one does not write down common knowledge.
"If you could give me the records you examined, and your observations, I can add another pair of eyes to the questions. I believe you have it correct. With the new pilots, four of the lions would have two people to support them, but Black still only has the Captain. If their survival depends on their pilots, then it also makes sense Black would direct any energy possible to holding the connection with the Captain. I cannot explain the continued coma outside what Catherine has relayed though the black lion. Obviously, I can easily accept the lions having a personality and a consciousness. It explains much about their choice of pilot and the personalities of the pilots associated with each lion.
"In my experience, the Red Pilot has always had a passionate nature. Someone who lives life fully with no regrets and tries to experience everything possible. They live life on the edge, take risks, and often regard authority as a burden one must suffer.
"The Blue Pilot acts as the diplomat of the team. Often he acts as the peacemaker and the bond holding the entire team together. Like the water which gives the lion her home, the pilot easily adapts to changing situations and will find a way around a problem just as water finds a way around obstacles. The Blue Pilot often has depths not easily seen but felt. The pilot bonds deeply with those around him and feels the plights of strangers quickly and easily. He also will fight for the underdog and go to the aid of anyone who appears to need help without regard to self.
"The Yellow Pilot stands firm against all comers. Solid, dependable, and the confidant of the team. The pilot supports team members and keeps their secrets to himself. The pilot often sits in the background, quiet and observing. Most have a keen intelligence which only those close to them recognize.
"The Green Pilot, traditionally has either had the greatest age of all the pilots or lived the fewest years but with a wealth of experience packed into those few years. Like the lion, the pilot often uses agility and strength of mind rather than strength of body to accomplish a task. The strong man can easily move the boulder; the pilot would find a lever and friends. The Green Pilot often has an abundance of energy and identifies with nature. Like nature herself, the Green Pilot changes the face he presents to the world based on the people surrounding him at the moment.
"Which leaves the Black Lion. Unlike the other lions and their pilots, Black has chosen a wide range of people from both genders of all ages and experiences. The personalities of the pilots have ranged across the spectrum. Oral tradition says Voltron himself changes as the pilot of Black does. Only the strong sense of honor, duty, and an inner core of strength link the pilots of the Black Lion. Many have given their lives in the defense of Arus. King Alfor piloted the Black for a time, but soon switched to the Green. He had more interest in preparing the planet for what would come to pass. The princess' mother piloted Black and under her leadership found Voltron as powerful as any time in history until now. I could tell stories of her majesty, but that will wait for another time.
"Yes, Lieutenant, I believe in what you say. Can we prove the theory? Perhaps. We will have to discuss that at a later date. Now then, Yellow Pilot, can I help you further?"
Hunk sat back in the chair and stared unseeing over the doctor's head for several minutes. Dr. Gorma waited patiently for the Lieutenant to work through what he had iterated. Focusing back on the doctor, the man offered a small shrug, "As you say, we will have to test the theory later. Thank you, doctor, for putting my mind at ease." He stood, scraping the chair back against the floor, "I should return to Cady. Much will happen today, if Black foretells correct, and I do not feel right she face it alone."
The doctor nodded and also stood. Without another word, the two men returned to the vigil at the side of the newest Hero of Arus.
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As the morning progressed, the Captain continued to show signs of waking; twitching muscles and rapid eye movements. The entire hospital staff found excuse after excuse to visit the doctor; paperwork needing his approval, minor problems usually handled by one of the senior nurses, consultations on routine care, and report after report hand delivered rather than sent to the doctor's data pad.
Hunk spoke with Saria and with Magda clearing both his schedule and anything requiring Cady. Since the doctor did not want rumors spreading, he said nothing other than the doctor would like Cady to remain with her father for a while longer and Hunk would remain to supervise. Although her Uncle suggested several walks, Cady refused to leave her father's side. Black had stated her father would wake this day, and Cady would not miss it for the world. She ate the lunch put before her without taking her eyes off her father. Even necessary breaks she accomplished as quickly as possible.
The wait continued.
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