In Sickness and In Health

Chapter 3

"Okay, Lance and Keith are up first. For today's team bonding exercise, we'll be looking at one another's fears." Shiro states as he handed head sets to the two.

Lance shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want to show anyone his fears, especially Keith. And knowing Shiro he would want to watch and make the others watch as well. He has so many fears, to be frank, he is as afraid of showing his fears.

"Keith, you'll go first. Are you ready?" Shiro waited for Keith's okay before starting the simulation. 

Lance was expecting no fears from Keith or a little fear that could easily be concurred, a fear that most people on Earth will have. And that is what Lance technically got, Lance learned that Keith was afraid of snakes. Usually Lance would use this as a leverage for blackmail or a prank but just for the past few days, Lance hasn't been up to the challenge of pranking anyone.  

And that is what Lance got, he learned that Keith was afraid of snakes. Odd, he basically lived in a shack in the middle of the desert, there ought to be a lot of snakes out there.

Soon after Keith went up, it was Lance's turn and he wast not prepared for everyone to see his fears. To hell with it, maybe being afraid of showing his fears was a new fear of his.

When Lance gave everyone the okay for them to enter his mind, his mind felt like a whirlpool of colours. And as it slowed down, Lance knew what was going to be first; his fear that the team doesn't respect nor care about him.

It started out with Shiro, the person that Lance looked up to. In this reality doesn't even give him a second glance and snaps at him for almost everything Lance did no matter if it was good or bad. He never gave him praise when it was deserved, he never said the words 'good job' or 'you're doing great' as Shiro did with the other Paladins.

The second was Keith where he's seen as the hero and never crediting Lance for his ideas which lead to the other Paladins thinking that Keith was greater than him and that Lance needed to step up his game and stop goofing off.

Pidge was snapping at Lance because of his brotherly teasing and she doesn't acknowledge him being there most of the time. 

Hunk, sweet summer child Hunk even forgot about Lance and became closer to the others, leaving Lance out of the group.

And last but not least of this horror ride of a fear was Allura who tells Lance that he isn't worthy of being a Paladin of Voltron, that he needs to step it up considering he wasn't good as the others. The princess would no longer even give him a smile. 

The Paladins just sat there speechless, they didn't expect Lance to be afraid of them -the rest of the Paladins- not accepting or caring about Lance.

When the screen went black signaling Lance closed off his mind to the others, no one spoke a word. Lance just opened his eyes and smiled at the others as they started all over again with Pidge and Hunk.

xXx

It was dinner time and once again Lance was feeding the mice but this time he was even naming them after his family members. It saddened him a tad, but naming the mice after his family made him calm and happy.

"Lance..!" Shiro called out to Lance for what seemed to be the hundredth time to Shiro himself. 

"O-Oh sorry Shiro! What was it?" Lance looked up at Shiro who was tapping his fingers against the table.

"Allura and Coran picked up a distress signal from a near by planet. Considering its already late, we'll go tomorrow right after breakfast." Shiro began to state the plans for tomorrow for Lance who seemed to be lost in his own little world.

"Maybe it's Shay~! Calling for Hunk because she misses him~!" Pidge sang in a light tune to annoy Hunk which is wasn't really working but it was making him embarrassed.

"H-Hey...! Shay is not my girlfriend, she's just a really cool rock girl...!"  Hunk stuttered out, clearly very flustered. 

Lance chuckled, seeing his best friends face turn a dark shade of red, "I'm turning in for the night. See you all tomorrow!"

"Good night Lance, don't be late! Be sure to set your alarm!" Shiro called after Lance as he walking towards the doorway of the dining room with the four mice on his shoulders.

xXx

When Lance woke up his alarm clock that Pidge set up for him was going off in his ear. Lance usually didn't set his alarm for this early but considering they had a rescue mission right after breakfast and Lance didn't want to be yelled at by Shiro or Allura even worse, the both of them.

When Lance attempted to get up and put on his suit, his knees turned to jelly which almost immediately made his sit back down on his bed. He could of swore that if he got a good nights rest or half of one he would be feeling better. What did his mama do back on Earth do while he was sick?

He couldn't even remember what she did anymore, all that Lance could remember was his mama pressing her cool hand against his burning forehead with his multiple sisters crowding around her. Watching her as she took care of Lance. 

"Oh mi dios mama..." Lance spoke softly in Spanish before attempting for a second time to get dressed.

He was surprised that he was able to get on his suit without a wave of dizziness that had a high possibility of hitting him. Upon leaving his room he had to hacking cough rise up from his lungs. Not wanting to wake anyone or spread the germs by air, Lance kept his mouth closed plus covering his face into his elbow just to make sure that no one would catch whatever the hell that he had, he didn't want anyone to blame him even if it might have been is fault. 

When Lance walking into the dining room he saw that he was not in fact the first person to wake up, but the last, "'M'sorry that M'late..." Lance slurred, trying to keep his voice steady.

"It's okay, you're not as late as you usually are." Allura barely looked up from her bowl of space goo when she spoke to Lance. 

"Not as late as I usually am..." Lance though to himself as he sat down and began to feed hearty proportions of his meal to his little family of mice who greeted him with a chorus of squeaks.

"Lance, you need to eat. We're going on a mission after breakfast and we don't want you collapsing on us." Shiro spoke up when he noticed that Lance wasn't eating a lot. 

"If he collapsed or not, he'll still hold back the team." Keith huffed, clearly annoyed for no reason.

Everyone was dead silent for a bit upon hearing Keith's comment, even if everyone knew it was true or at least that's what Lance thinks. 

"Lo siento..." Lance spoke quietly not even noticing that he was speaking in Spanish, "Shiro can I skip this mission...? I don't feel a hundred perfect. Por favor..." Lance spoke in Spanish once again, ever so slowly going back to his native tongue considering he was to tired to think or speak in English. 

Coran opened his mouth to speak but Keith beat him to it, "No! Shiro, you can't! Can't you see that he's faking it so that he can just sleep in?!?" 

Shiro started to answer Lance's question but Lance spoke up instead, "Never mind..." Lance stood up and pushed in his chair letting the mice eat the rest of his food he barely touched himself, "I'll be in Blue preparing her for the mission if you need me before we start the mission."

With that Lance left the room, leaving it in awkward silence that no one was willing to break.

xXx