2019 Voltron Whumptober Collection

31 Embrace

And Lance (much to his own horror) could understand why the teen had taken the split-second decision with absolutely no thought over his own life-

Keith had saved them all-

Saved the planets and the people what would've been wiped out in an instant if he hadn't done it, and he- he saved them, but-

He'd nearly died.

Though, if Lance wanted to get technical with things, Keith, he- he actually did die.

Twice.

After the second time his heart had stopped beating, Shiro was stuck over the teen, doing chest compressions while Allura and Coran finished with the last of the pod suit, blood already seeping through the fabric in some parts as the Black Paladin took one final exhale to the boy's mouth before they shoved him in a pod and prayed for a miracle, prayed with all their might the pod would accept him, because Lance wasn't sure what they'd do with themselves if Keith died.

They hadn't gotten the answer they wanted right away.

The pod's surface had flashed a bright red after a few seconds of Keith's prone body suspended inside, the machine's attempt at finding a heartbeat coming up empty as it emitted a long, drawn-out whine, saying their friend was dead.

Shiro froze.

Allura's hand flew over her mouth.

Pidge's eyes widened.

Hunk's eyes grew shiny.

Coran's jaw fell slack, mustache drooping.

And Lotor, still standing off to the side, only stared on with a blank expression pressed on his stupid purple face.

As for Lance, he- he felt numb.

No.

No.

They did not just go through all of the hell of cleaning Keith up, removing the shrapnel, stemming the worst of the bleeding, trying to keep Keith fucking alive only for that dumb pod to say Keith was gone.

That he was dead.

Lance lost it.

He'd been standing behind everyone when it'd happened, arms crossed, expression slack as the noise echoed through the room, and the next thing he knew he was standing in front of it, and punching the damn thing because Keith wasn't dead.

He couldn't be.

No one moved to stop him as he punched, kicked, yelled even, yelled every profanity he could think of and no one moved a finger against it. Everyone around him was losing it in their own way: crying, mumbling near-silent 'no's under their breath, eyes wide, expressions disbelieving that they'd just lost a friend, heck- family to this- this dumb war-

Lance hit the thing harder.

Dios, they couldn't lose him to this, Keith was supposed to live-

And then, the pod's surface pulsed blue, beeping to the irregular but weak rhythm of a heartbeat-

He'd fallen to his knees then, body hitting the floor with a dull thud, staring at Keith's slack and still bloody face as his chest weakly rose and fell.

Lance had nearly burst out crying in relief.

He was alive.

He- he was alive.

After that, the rest of the paladins had moved to deal with Lotor, leading the Galra prince out of the room (most likely to one of the castle's cells) to interrogate him.