Taking A Chance

On The Edge

When the door closed, Lance held Keith tight.
‘I'll sorry, baby,’ he said, ‘I didn't think.’
‘Not your fault,’ Keith murmured, ‘you asked something I didn't have the courage to.’
This didn't make Lance feel any better about what he'd done. He silently cursed himself for being so stupid. It wasn't his place to ask the question, why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut?
‘Let's get you better,’ Lance said, holding the straw to Keith's lips.
They had all been naive enough to think the polyphenols would expel the poison from Keith's system and that would be it. None of them expected the poison to fight back.
Within half an hour Keith lay on the bed screaming in pain and he was quickly moved to the medical bay.
Coran activated the bed and it scanned Keith and brought his vitals up on the screen above the bed, while Sam and Matt pushed everyone out of the room as Coran and Pidge did everything they could to stabilise Keith. Expelling the poison was putting undue strain on his heart and other vital organs.
All the others could do was stand outside and listen to him scream.
Lance paced back and forth tears rolling down his cheeks unchecked. He jumped when someone touched his shoulder.
Hunk held a towel out to him and clothes. It was only then Lance realise he only had his shorts on.
He took the towel and wiped the sIimy reside from his skin before dressing.
‘Thanks, Hunk,' he muttered.
‘Anytime, buddy,' Hunk said.
For the next hour they had to listen to the screams, but then came an even scarier sound, the bed was alarming. Something had gone wrong.
‘No, no, no,’ said Lance running to the door. ‘Let me in.’ He slammed his fists against the door. ‘LET ME IN.’
The door opened and they all rushed in behind Lance.
‘Clear,' Coran said. the and Pidge stepped back from the bed as it delivered a shock to Keith, his back arched off the bed. Coran intently watched the screen.
‘Again,’ he said.
Pidge tapped the controls.
‘Clear,’ Coran said, as the bed delivered another shock.
The room was filled with a steady beeping sound.
Lance let out the breath he didn't realise he was holding. Only now did he take in the state of the room. There was blood on Keith, the bed, and on the floor around the bed.
Keith's skin was even paler than normal, and his breathing forced.
Lance hurried to the bed and gently pushed Keith's hair from his face.
Pidge turned to Shiro. ‘Do you know his blood type?’
‘A+,’ he said.
‘Anyone else here have that blood type?’ she asked.
‘I do,’ Adam said.
Coran hurried over to him and dragged him away.
‘Pidge, is he going to be okay?’ asked Lance.
She looked up at him. ‘I don't know,' she said. ‘He's weak and if his heart gives out again...'
Pidge moved out of the way when Shiro came to the bed.
Lance looked at him and swallowed, then looked down at Keith. It was the first time he'd seen Shiro cry. Shiro's hands gripped the sides of the bed so hard the knuckles on his human hand turned white.
Pidge came back with wet towels and handed them out to the two men.
Lance started to clean the blood from Keith's face, while Shiro started on Keith's right arm. By the time Coran and Adam came back they had cleaned him up the best they could. 
Coran hooked up a transfusion for the blood and a bag of fluids that were with the medical supplies on the Earth ship.
‘He needs his rest,' said Coran. ‘I'd rather not have everyone in here at once.‘
‘Okay, Coran,’ said Shiro. He looked over at Lance. ‘Keep us updated.’
Lance nodded and watched everyone but Coran and Pidge leave.
Coran brought a chair over for Lance to sit on, and put the side of the bed down so Lance could hand Keith's hand comfortably.
After a while Keith's breathing began to settle into a steady rhythmn that lulled Lance to sleep.
Pidge looked up when the door opened and Allura stepped in. Pidge scowled and turned away from her, leaving Coran to hurry over to her.
‘How is he?' asked Allura, quietly.
‘He's better, but still at a stage where anything could happen,’ Coran said.
‘I've been so stupid,' she muttered, ‘and all because I was angry with him for leaving me, and angry with myself for falling in love with a Galran.’
‘We all make mistakes in life,’ said Coran, ‘but it's wthat you do to fix something that makes the good stand out from the bad. It's not always easy to do admit to a mistake, and it can take people time to find forgiveness.'
She nodded. ‘Thank you, Coran.’ She reached out and gave his hand a squeeze before leaving.
Coran turned to find Pidge watching him through narrow eyes.
‘You make forgiveness sound so easy,’ said Pidge.
‘It's not easy, Pidge,’ he said, ‘neither is admitting you made a mistake.'
She pointed at Keith. ‘This is not a mistake,’ she hissed. ‘Keith's life has been in danger twice now because of her actions.'
‘And she will have to live with that knowledge,’ he said, ‘and guilt can be a worse punishment that someone rejecting your apology.‘
Pidge blinked at him. Yes, guilt was a powerful emotion and one she knew all to well. Guilt she couldn't find her framily, guilt for leaving her Mum by herself on Earth, not knowing if her family weve dead or alive, and guilt that she felt glad of the experience the last two years had given her. The Garrison was Earth's best school for space exploration and technology, but she would never have learnt even a quarter of what she had out here in space.
She was broken out of her thought by a soft groan behind her, and turned as Keith opened his eyes.
Lance was already on his feet.
‘What happened?' asked Keith.
Pidge and Coran hurried to his side.
‘How do you feel?' asked Coran.
‘Sore and tired,’ Keith said.
‘That's to be expected,' said Pidge. ‘You've been through a lot in the past 24 hours.’
Pidge whipped out her data pad and sent a message to Shiro and Hunk.
Minutes later, they heard foot steps running down the corridor. Shiro and Adam burst into the room, followed by Hunk.
Shiro ran over and pulled Keith into a hug.
‘Breaking me,’ Keith squeaked.
Shiro gave a weak laugh and loosened his hold of the young man, but continued to hold him a moment before stepping back.
Chatter filled the room until Coran told them it was time to go. They willingly left knowing Keith was going to be okay. The whole time Lance had remained quiet, holding Keith's hand.
‘Can I go back to my room?' asked Keith.
‘I'd rather you stay here for the rest of the night, just for monitoring,’ Coran said.
‘Okay,’ Keith sighed.
Keith looked up at Lance. ‘You okay?'
Coran and Pidge left them alone.
Tears rolled down Lance's cheeks.
‘Come here,' Keith said. He moved over as far as he could on the small bed and held his arms out to Lance, who climbed onto the bed and burried his face in Keith's chest and cried. All his pent up emotions were released as he held onto Keith as if his life depended of it.
Coran came back twenty minutes later and saw them asleep in each others arms. the lowered the lights and left them there.