Me Or Them (Voltron Klance)

T°H°I°R°T°E°E°N

Lance's POV

I promised I wouldn't leave him, so I didn't. I stayed with him while he was sleeping in his room. Because we weren't sure the exact effects of the pills he took, they couldn't risk him hurting himself. So, his room was empty and he was chained to his bed. I hated seeing him like this, but I knew that we didn't have a choice.

But, my mind wasn't on Keith at the time. It was on Shiro. I had no idea what was happening. Shiro was just gone. Something is going on, I just don't know what it is. Does Shiro have something to do with what's happening to Keith? Well, I know he is definitely responsible in more ways than one, but this is all just so weird and confusing! With Keith's mental breakdown and Shiro's sudden disappearance, that can't be a coincidence!

We've looked everywhere. Black is still there, and no escape pods are missing. It's like he just vanished into thin air. He has perfect timing considering "kick his ass" is highlighted on my to-do list.

As I was worrying about what to do next, I noticed Keith had begun to stir awake. I gasped, as I thought he'd be out longer than only 3 hours. Since this was alien medicine, I just figured it would have extra impact on humans, but I guess Keith isn't just human. He tried to move his wrist, but couldn't, so his eyes shot awake. Looks like he was confused and scared. I ran to his side and he looked at me.

"Hey, Keith. Sorry about the chains, the nurses thought it was a good idea...I tried to convince them it wasn't necessary, but they won that battle..." I said, trying to lighten the mood.

Keith seemed to calm down when he saw my face. He continued to tug at his restraints without saying anything. He then gave up and looked away. I noticed a small blush on his face. "Sorry, Lance..." He whispered.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I mean, someone has to be there for you." I replied.

That seemed to make him sad, because he looked down with a somber expression. I could only imagine that he was bummed because Shiro wasn't here. I sighed. Keith's fine, now, and I won't let him hurt himself. So, I walked over to the dresser by the door and picked up the single key. I walked back over and unlocked his cuffs.

He slowly sat up and rubbed his wrists. Then, he looked at me. "Thanks." He said in a small voice.

I nodded. "No problem. How're you feeling?" I asked him.

He looked down. "I'm not sure. I...I don't hear him, but I'm honestly not even sure if you're really here..." He said. He looked somewhat embarrassed.

How do I get him to know I'm here?

"I'm here, Keith. Those pills I have you are supposed to stop hallucinations, but we aren't sure how long it'll last. So, as soon as you start to see something that isn't there, just tell me and only me. Okay?" I asked.

He nodded. "Lance...why are you doing this for me? I know I've been a little out of it the past few months, but...I don't remember us being close...am I wrong?" He asked.

I chuckled. "No, you're not wrong. It's just that...now that I know what you're going through, I can't just sit by while you're suffering. Plus, we weren't close, but it's not like I hated you or anything. I actually thought you were pretty cool. You were a way better samurai than I'd ever be." I explained.

I briefly thought about how I used to think that he was pathetic. He suddenly became much worse than me at fighting and training, but looking back, that was probably because he wasn't sleeping or eating properly. I feel horrible for not seeing it or doing anything to stop it. I'm honestly trying really hard not to hate myself. I have to stay strong for Keith. I have to make up for my past mistakes. I have to for his sake.