I Don't Want You to Go -- (VLD)

Concussion

Blue Paladin.

A prestigious title gifted to only one person in the universe. To a person who regularly risked their lives to save those in need, from big cities to damsels in distress, from dangerous errands to full on battle. 

Powerful, legendary, a defender of the universe.

Yet not entirely true.

Lance was pretty sure that smashing your head into the control panel of your own, sentient, blue lion was not the sort of image that one would get when thinking of the legendary Blue Paladin of Voltron. 

But then again, Lance never really fit that image anyway.

Stop it, you're perfect my paladin.

Lance smiled slightly at Blue's words, just as the pain registered in his head.

He rubbed his temples slowly, groaning as his teammates voices managed to filter through the pain and nausea. He was glad they were okay, but right now their voices only served to increase the nail that was being driven into his skull. He should talk to Pidge about seat-belts. 

"Lance? Buddy are you okay?" 

It took a moment for him to register the voice, and another to place it as Hunk's. He shook his head in a futile attempt to clear the sudden fog of dizziness that clogged his brain. Although he realised afterwards that shaking his head around probably wasn't the best way to deal with a potential brain injury. Oh well.

Moving his hands back to the controls, Lance wiped a bit of blood off of the console, replying to Hunk as he did so.

"I'm good." He said, attempting to keep his voice as steady as he could while the world spun a little around him. He could deal with his injuries back at the castle. 

Or at least he intended to, but the sudden influx of maintenance tasks that required the paladins attention kept him from the med bay. They needed the castle to be in optimum condition, and then there were the other tasks that needed his attention. So Lance took a deep breath and forged on, ignoring the building pain and the random bouts of nausea.

He seemed to be doing okay, as his teammates had yet to question him. Although that was probably more out of their general habit of ignoring him as much as possible. 

But then a piece of space dust managed to wriggle into his nose, causing him to let out a loud and rather startling sneeze. Lance decided it was probably loud enough to ward predators from his young, before remembering that he had yet to have children. It might have been Blue's input though. He really couldn't tell at the moment. 

"Bless you"

Lance looked to the heavens in astonishment, could it be that after all these years of prayer and faith that his lord was finally responding to him?

"Is that you God?"

"Oh yeah, worship me mortal!" Came the voice from above. It didn't sound quite right. 

Oh.

"Shut up, Pidge."

The day only got worse as it continued on. Hunk had to explain a simple concept he'd learnt back at the garrison to him again. He messed up on a simple training exercise, causing Keith to yell at him as Allura called an end to the fight. And when he'd tried to reach for a glass in the kitchen he had only managed to knock it off, sending Shiro into a frenzy as he checked Lance for injuries, cleaned up the mess and berated him; all while Lance was still trying to comprehend exactly what had happened. 

But the worst thing happened when they attempted the mind meld program again. Allura could sense that they needed some bonding time, as tensions were running high. If she had looked at Lance specifically at this point, he would not have noticed. For his mind was chanting 'don't vomit don't vomit don't vomit' at him in a never ending mantra. 

They sat down in the circle, opening their minds to each other, the first incident arising when Hunk peeked into Lance's mind.

"Buddy, slow down your thoughts, you're making me feel dizzy."

Well that was a thing they had in common Lance decided as he tried to do as asked, only managing to increase his pounding headache.

"Lance, stop it!" Pidge groaned, wincing as Lance's thoughts hit her.

"Dammit Lance, get it together."

"Lance, this is no time for games"

He tried, he really did, but when Pidge wrenched her head piece off in a momentary bout of frustration, the others followed. Looking to Lance expectantly as he did his best to avoid their gaze.

"I'm sorry, I--"

"Sorry isn't good enough!" Allura yelled, having come down from the control room.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Stop being an idiot!"

"I'm disappointed in you, Lance."

Lance stood up defiantly, regretting it as his whole world began to rock a little as he did so.

Hunks startled cry of surprise was the last thing he heard before the world started falling.

And then everything went black. 

He woke up feeling much better than when he had blacked out. Although the lingering chill he was feeling indicated that he had been in the pod, so he supposed that was why. 

He remembered too late that he was falling, and that he would rather not smash his head on the metal floor. 

Luckily, Pidge seemed to notice his plight, struggling to prop him up as he attempted to regain his footing. It ended with both of them on the ground, but thankfully neither of them were too injured. 

Keith reached them first, holding out his hand to Pidge, as Hunk and Shiro hauled Lance to his feet. 

He tried not to look at them, embarrassed both from his previous fainting spell and current inability to hold his own weight. 

"Lance, why didn't you tell us?" Shiro asked, helping Hunk to prop him on the yellow paladins back. 

Lance gave him a non-committal grunt in return, burrowing his head into Hunk's neck. 

"Didn't think you would care..."

Only Hunk had heard him, and his mouth dropped open in shock.

"He said he didn't... think we would care..."

The others looked to each other, shocked that their blue paladin would think that.

"Of course we care, Lance." Shiro said placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"You have a lousy way of showing it." 

Shiro made to argue, but stopped himself as he remembered the events leading up to Lance blacking out. 

"Team meeting in an hour." Shiro bit out before hastily leaving the room. 

How could he not have noticed? He was supposed to be the team leader!

The rest of the team was having similar thoughts.

Pidge bent over one of her projects, mindlessly rewiring a section of it. She really had been quite rude to him.

Keith pounded at a training bot, trying not to remember the way that Lance had seemed to stumble around after the mission. He should have known he was injured. 

Hunk silently carried Lance to the kitchen, placing him in a chair and dishing up some of his latest creation. Only he and Lance would like it, he had no doubt that it would be too spicy for the others. He should have done more. He had never actively hurt Lance, but he hadn't stopped the others either. He was a terrible friend. 

They all decided to do better.

Because they were all stuck here, and they would be stuck here for a long time.

And it would be much better to be stuck with people they considered family.