Taking A Chance

Surprise

Keith watched the other paladins walk towards the ballroom. Lance glanced over his shoulder and gave him a small smile. Sighing Keith turned in the opposite direction and went to the control room, he didn't see the need to put his armour on if he wasn't going to be near the rebels.
Lance turned back around when Keith disappeared from view. Everything about this was wrong. He had once admired Allura and all she stood for, and now he hated her and would do anything to get away from this Castle. With Earth in danger the knew that was not
possible because he wanted to save Earth and his family. He craved to see them again more than ever because they were finally in reach.
For two years they hadn't contacted Earth, scared they would lead the Galra there, but they had found it anyway. He wondered how long Earth had been sending ships into space, and why. His heart clenched at the thought something had gone terribly wrong that they would send ships full of families into space, and so far from home.
They walked into the ballroom and there was none of the normal friendly greetings with Allura as they waited for the first of the rebels to arrive.
Tables had been set up in the room and on them were a selection of foods think had made to welcome their guests.
‘You out did yourself with the food, Hunk,' Shiro said.
‘Thanks,’ said Hunk with a small smile, the opposite of his normal cheery self when it came to talking about food. ‘I left a plate for Keith in the control room.’
Shiro smiled. ‘I'm sure he appreciates it, and so do I, it's been so long since I've seen him eat properly.’
Hunk grinned. ‘I never knew he could eat so much.’
‘Our skinny emo friend has many mysteries surrounding him,' Pidge chuckled. She looked up at Lance standing next to her. He was lost in thought as he stared at the door, and her smile faded. It felt wrong to the here without Keith, there was no Voltron without him.
They heard voices outside the door and got ready as Coran let the first lot of people in.
There were about twenty people in all, some from races they already know about, and others they'd never seen before. Two of them were draped from head to toe in cloth, including their faces.
Pidge wondered what they had to hide.
Allura hurried over to greet them all, giving a speech of welcome. She turned to introduce the paladins.
‘Katie,' the two hiding their faces said it once. They threw the cloth from their heads, and pulled it away from their faces.
‘Matt, dad,’ cried Pidge, as she ran forward into their embrace.
‘Holy shit!’ Shiro said in shock.
The three Holt's stood embracing, tears flowing unchecked down their faces.
Hunk and Lance grinned, happy to see their friend truely happy for the first time.
The three paladins made their way over to them.
‘Shiro, your alive,’ Matt said when he saw him.
Pidge's father smile and held his hand out to Shiro. ‘It's so good to see you old friend.'
‘And you, Sam,’ Shiro said.
'You're paladins?’ Matt said.
‘Yep,’ said Pidge, ‘and this is Hunk and Lance, and Keith is in the control room.’ 
‘He's the red paladin,' said Sam. Pidge nodded. ‘We've heard he's half Galra.’ 
‘And,’ Lance demanded. 
‘Keith fights with us against the Galra,’ said Pidge, quickly. She didn't want Lance to fight with her father. ‘He didn't know he was half Galra.’ 
‘Don't get us wrong,’ said Matt, quickly. ‘We don't care, we've just never come across anyone who was half human, half Galra before.’ 
Pidge was thankful Lance backed down.
Lance looked past themat Coran who looked confused.
‘Coran?' asked Lance.
‘I'm sure I counted twenty people before we came to the ballroom,’ said Coran. ‘We seem to be missing someone.’ 
Lance did his own quick head count and his stomach dropped.
‘Someone's missing,’ he said. He glanced at Shiro before running out the door towards the control room. He heard heavy footsteps behind him and knew it was Shiro.
Lance burst into the control room.
Keith was laying face down on the floor. Lance ran to Keith and dropped to his knees.
‘Keith?’ Lance turned Keith over and pulled him into his arms as he sat back. ‘Keith?'
Lance was rewarded with a groan, and Keith pawed at his neck. Shiro pulled the the collar of Keith's jacket aside and they saw a red circle of his neck, and something fell to the floor.
‘What's that? asked Lance.
Shiro pick up a syringe. ‘He's been injected with something.’
‘Give me that,' said Pidge, snatching it from Shiro, who jumped not realising the others had followed them. Sam, Matt and Hunk stood back out of the way.
'Let's get him to the bedroom,’ said Shiro. He slipped his arms under Keith and picked him up.
‘I'm going to see if I can analyse the contents of the syringe,' Pidge said. Matt and Sam followed her out. They knew if anyone could find a way to help it would be those three.
‘Hunk, go back to the ballroom, I’ll meet you there,’ Shiro said. Scooping Keith up in his arms, Shiro carried him back to the room he shared with Lance. Adam stood as the door hissed open, he had just fed Molly and was putting her down to sleep.
‘Adam, can you take Molly to our room,’ Shiro said.
‘What happened? asked Adam, as he lifted Molly into his arms.
Shiro quickly told him what they knew, before Adam left, minutes later he returned and wheeled the cot out and to his and shire's room. He had a feeling she would be with them a while.
Shiro lay Keith on the bed.
‘Shouldn't we put him in the pod?’ asked Lance.
‘I think I remember Coran say that it can't help with poisons, but I'm going to go and check with him,’ said Shiro, before disappearing out the door.
Lance stripped his armour off and threw it in the corner of the room, along with the body suit. He was only in his shorts when Keith groaned and tried to get up.
‘Baby, you okay?’
Keith pointed to the bathroom before putting his hand over his mouth.
‘Shit,’ muttered Lance. He get Keith to his feet and half carried and half dragged him to the bathroom. They had just made it in there when Keith threw up.
Lance panicked because all that came up was blood, all over them and the floor.
‘ADAM,’ screamed Lance. Keith lost all his strength, Lance sank to the floor with him. Lance held Keith as he continued to vomit blood all over them.
The bedroom door opened and Adam hurried in. From the doorway he could see Lance on the floor in the bathroom and hurried over.
‘Oh my god,' he cried. ‘I'll get help.’
By the time Adam had returned with Shiro and Coran, Keith had stopped vomiting and passed out in Lance's arms.
'Coran, please tell me he can go in the pod,’ Lance said.
‘I'm sorry, my boy,’ said Coran, ‘the pods aren't set up to deal with poisons, only physical wounds. I don't know what would happen to him if we tried to use it.’
‘The Holt's are analyzing the contents of the syringe,’ Shiro said.
‘I'll go and see if I can do anything to help,’ Coran said, hurrying away.
‘You two need to get cleaned up,' said Shiro. ‘You go in the shower while we get Keith undressed.
Lance's cheeks reddened. ‘But...’
‘Lance, you're going to need help with him,’ said Shiro. ‘There's no need to be embarrassed in front at us, we're practically family.’
‘Yeah, well, my mama hasn't even seen me naked since I was about 10,’ Lance said.
Adam chuckled, but Lance extracted himself out from under Keith as Shiro help him. Swallowing his embarrassment he stripped and stepped into the shower and washed the blood from himself.
‘Ready?' asked Shiro.
‘Yes,’ Lance said.
Adam and Shiro helped get Keith into the shower and Adam help wash him as Lance held hi, while Shiro threw towel over the mess on the floor and cleaned it up.
The young men were soon washed, dried and dressed in clean shorts and t-shirt. Shiro and Lance got Keith into bed, and pulled the blanket over him, while Adam disappeared from the room.
Lance placed his hand on Keith's forehead. ‘He's burning up,' Lance said.
Shiro sat tiredly on the end of the bed and rubbed his hands over his face. He wanted to scream at the situation, this shouldn't be happening and he realised in that moment how much he'd come to hate Allura.
The door opened and Adam came back in with a bowI which he put on the table next to the bed.
‘I think you will need that,' muttered Adam, ‘and don't hesitate to call for us.‘
Lance nodded.
Adam took Shiro's arm and lead him out of the room.
Lance sat on the bed and looked down at Keith. the piled pillows up behind him and lent back and ran his fingers through Keith's damp hair. His face looked then more pale than usual, despite the flush of his cheeks brought on by the fever.
He blinked and a warm tear slid down his cheek which he didn't bother wiping away.