Adrenaline

Keith's Shock

He had been staring at her for a long time. Nothing changed. He barely felt like he was breathing in this little world of misery that he had built for Red and himself.

No, this wasn't helping he needed... He needed... He didn't know what he needed but whatever it was it wasn't here.

Keith stood up on shaky legs and moved to the elevator robotically. The inside looked as it did before. Just as gray with turquoise markings that gave it the familiar Altean flair.

Keith looked at the door for a long time before he noticed that he hadn't pressed any buttons inside of the elevator and it took him an additional long moment to remember that he didn't need to, as it moved up and down in its own. It had a small screen to choose destinations with but Keith didn't pay it any mind. It didn't matter if it took him to the domestic part of the castle, the control room or even to some unknown part of the castle.

The elevator stopped when it reached a destination and almost closed again before Keith stopped it with a hand faster than his mind and stepped out of the elevator.

The hallway was better than his spot in front of Red but not by a lot. He had been living in the castle for a while but at this moment, this hallway looked identical to every other hallway in the castle.

Keith needed something. This wasn't just losing his friend. It wasn't just losing his purpose. It was both. It was everything. He just wished he knew how to make it alright again.

Keith was tired. There was problems all the time and not the kind he could just stab away. No this was worse than that and it was enhanced by the restlessness itching at his skin. His muscles streamed every day because of his sudden increase in exercise but the restlessness had never been satisfied without running or jumping.

Keith walked down the hallway in a daze. It wasn't exactly like he was unware of his surroundings. On the contrary, he was too aware and it and was feeling everything and then nothing as his mind just gave up on the overstimulation.

It was in that hallway that Hunk found him.

"Keith? Hey, man," Hunk said cheerfully but turned serious when he took a closer look at Keith. Hunk furrowed his eyebrows and briefly bit the inside of his mouth right in the middle of where his cheek and mouth started. "Are you okay?"

Keith looked up at him. He didn't say anything but at least some of the lost feeling inside of him must have shone through because Hunk didn't press for any answers. He instead just took a hold of Keith's arm and didn't comment when Keith was even clumsier in his mental absence and Hunk had to almost dislocate Keith's arm in order to keep him upright.

"Come, we're going back to the lounge," Hunk informed Keith who gave what could have just as easily been relaxing his neck for a moment as it could have been a deliberate nod.

Pidge and Lance was talking about something lighthearted when Keith and Hunk arrived but turned serious at the sight of Keith's wide and confused eyes that was seeing something beyond anyone else's ability.

"What's wrong with him?" Pidge asked in a loud and commanding voice.

"I don't know," Hunk mumbled as he concentrated on sitting Keith on the couch. "I'm going to contact the others."

"You do that," Pidge answered absentminded and scooted over to Keith to better let her eyes run up and down Keith's body to check for herself if he was physically hurt.

Lance got the same idea, moved right in front of Keith, and tried to catch his eyes with no luck. Lance squatted and was almost eye height with Keith but was still not successful in his quest to catch and hold Keith's eyes.