Voltron Legendary Defender Fanfiction: Keith

Part 5

"Yeah sure..." he said following and thought to himself, 'I need to tell Shiro, this is not normal.'

The team gathered in the training room, doing some warm ups while Allura and Coran decided which drill to do. Lance and Keith were fighting and going pretty good till a spaz happened to Keith. Keith fell to his knees as his legs trembled, black spots blinking on the edge of his vision. "Keith?" Lance asked worriedly and kneels next to him, "I didn't beat you yet." He tried to joke but clearly Keith was out of it.

Keith shook his head lightly, clearing his vision a bit. "Right, sorry. Must've over done my training this morning."

"Let's stop. I don't think you should train." Lance put a hand on Keith's shoulder, "You are not yourself at all." Keith shook his head. "I'm fine, Lance. Let's just do this." He stood up, the black spots receding for now. Lance didn't think so but he understood Keith enough to know Keith never walked away, "Alright Keith, let's do one more run" Keith nodded. He managed to make it through training, though his head ache doubled by the end of it. Keith went to take a drink and Lance went up to Shiro, "Hey Lance. What's up?" Shiro asked.

Lance bit his lip. "Okay, so I think something is wrong with Keith." He started. Shiro's smile fell and he nodded, "What made you think that?"

"Well, for starters. This morning? He put his bowl in the sink after breakfast. And then he, like, took it out again. He seemed really confused and I had to remind him what he was doing before he put the bowl back." Lance said, worry clouding his face. Shiro's face was also worried, "anything else?"

Lance nodded. "Earlier, during training warm ups? While you were helping Pidge, Lance and I were sparring. And he just, fell. Like, for no reason he dropped to his knees and he didn't look very good. He looked like he was gonna pass out or something. He said he was fine, but... I don't really buy that." Lance said softly. Shiro put a hand on Lance's shoulder, "Thanks for telling me. The electrocution he suffered is worse than we think. He spasms all night and often through the day. This morning when he was training he was unconscious and now these. How can we stop or at least help him?" Shiro asks more to himself, "And Keith won't stop."

"That's for sure." Lance said, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, it's like the guy has a death wish." He glanced over at Keith, who was sipping a water pouch while looking at the mice, seeming to be having a conversation with them. "Uh, Shiro?"

"Mhm?" Shiro was deep in thought as Lance tapped his shoulder. "Look." Lance said quietly, pointing to Keith... Who was waving the water pouch around angrily as one of the mice chattered at him. They both simply stare at Keith puzzled, both thinking the exact same thing: 'What in the world is happening?'. Shiro sighed and goes over, "Keith?" Keith looked up, face brightening. "Takashi! Hey, I need your help. This little green guy, uh, or girl here doesn't believe that I once had a pet mouse. Can you please tell him otherwise?"

"Keith... you never have. Sorry. You are freaking us all out"

"I did too! Remember? His name was Herman and your mom killed him with a mousetrap." Keith huffed. The mice chattered loudly at that, clinging to one another. Shiro rolled his eyes, "You didn't have a mouse pet Keith. If it was your pet my mother probably would not have put traps out." Shiro was getting annoyed, Keith pouted, crossing his arms. "Just because he was a pest didn't mean I couldn't adopt him like your family adopted me."

Shiro tries to calm down and he looks at Keith, "Keith, you are delusional. You never had a mouse and my mother didn't kill it. Come on, " he reaches out his hand for Keith to take it. Keith blinked as he stared at Shiro's hand. "Y-You don't believe me?" He asked, looking at Shiro with tears in his eyes. Shiro bit his lip, "No Keith. I don't..." he said quietly. Keith's lower lip trembled, tears spilling over. "He doesn't believe me!" He sobbed to the mice, who crawled into his lap and squeaked angrily at Shiro. "Be quiet please..." Shiro said to the mice and looks at Lance, "You try and deal with him please." As Lance took his spot Shiro walked out of the training deck and leaned against a wall and thought to himself, 'I have lost Keith in a new way... not physically but mentally. He is not the kid I know.'.

Lance bit his lip as he knelt in front of Keith. "Hey, Buddy. Um, you doing okay, Keith?"

"I am just fine except *sniff* Shiro doesn't believe me.." Keith sniffled looking at the mice in his lap. "Maybe he just doesn't remember. It was a long while ago, right? And the Galra messed with his head too." Lance said, carefully taking the mice away. Keith shrugged, "I guess so... but it hurt!"

"I'm sure Shiro will apologize once he remembers." Lance assured him. "Why don't you go to bed, okay? You did a lot of training today." Keith looks at him, "Do I have to? Won't Allura get more mad?" Lance shakes his head, "She won't be mad at all. Just get some rest and I'm sure Shiro will remember the mouse, uh, Herman, soon." Lance said, helping Keith up.Keith gave him a small smile and leaves. Lance lets out a big breath and was relieved it worked.

Lance reported back to Shiro. "I sent Keith to bed. I convinced him you just forgot about Herman." "Thanks." Shiro said nodding but doesn't get the fact that Keith isn't the same out of his head. Keith walked to his room, pausing now and then, getting turned around and wondering back the way he came, running into Shiro. "Keith. Where you going?" Shiro asked, already knowing but just wanting to check Keith's memory.

Keith blinked at Shiro. "Um... I was... Going to my, my room. I think I got lost... Why are you here?"

"I was going to check on you. Come on, I will help you there." He put an arm around Keith's shoulders and they walked to Keith's bunk. Keith smiled. "Thanks, boss man. Heh, that's what Lance called me the other day, but it think it suits you more, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but you are my heir. You will be boss man one day." Shiro smiled at him, Keith made a face. "Nah, that's your thing." He spasmed violently. "Oops," He giggled, "there I go again."

Shiro frowned at the spasm and makes a note to ask Allura and Coran for help. Keith suddenly paused and glared at Shiro. "Keith?" Shiro asked confused. Keith glared harder at Shiro. "You stole my chicken mcNUGGET!" He shouted angrily before slumping over in a faint. Shiro catches Keith and stares scared at his limp body. Shiro turned and picked Keith up to carry him back to his room, Keith groaned in his sleep, face contorting in pain.

'You hard head. I should strap you to your bed to keep you there' Shiro thought cradling Keith in his arms. Shiro took Keith to the bunk and laid him down. Keith yawned in his sleep, curling up around his pillow with a fine tremor. Shiro sighed and left, locking the door so Keith couldn't leave till Shiro got back.

Keith woke up half an hour later, blinking as he sat up, his headache gone for the moment. He got up to leave, finding himself locked in. "Great." He said sarcastically, 'Shiro why?'

Shiro went to retrieve some food for Keith and some other things before going to the bunk hall again. Keith sighed, pacing restlessly before starting to shadow box to pass the time. The door opened to reveal Shiro standing there. Keith glanced back, pausing mid-box, "There you are. What's the idea, locking me in?"

"It is the only way to keep you here and 'resting'" Shiro said with a frown possessing his face, "What are you doing?"

"Uh, shadow boxing." Keith said with a shrug, dropping his stance to turn around and fully face Shiro. Shiro nodded and set the food down, "What are we going to do with you? You were delusional earlier." "I was?" Keith asked, frowning slightly as he tilted his head. "Hm, said you had a pet mouse and you talked to Allura's mice friends." Shiro chuckled. "I have a pet mouse once." Keith said, smiling a little, "His name was Herman. Wasn't actually a pet, your mom killed him." Shiro nodded, "Yep... was it actually there?" Keith nodded. "I really did have a mouse. It was the summer you went to camp, I was lonely and I kind of adopted him without your parents' permission." Shiro frowns and rubs the back of his neck, "Probably why I don't remember him... sorry... Gosh, now I feel bad."

Keith shrugged, "Not your fault. Though it was weird I was talking to the mice. I don't usually do that." Shiro sat on Keith's bed and sighed, "Keith... I am very worried." Keith bit the inside of his cheek, "Sorry."

"Technically all this is my fault. If I didn't disappear we wouldn't have you electrocuted." Shiro looked at Keith and then looked away, "Not setting a good example for the future leader huh?" Keith sat down next to Shiro and put a hand on his shoulder, "Look at me Shiro." Shiro looked at him, "None of this.. Is your fault." Keith said firmly, looking him straight in the eyes, "Black sent you away because you were stressed and while I wish he didn't do that, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't in your control." Shiro nodded taking it but internally he was smacking himself.

"You're not a bad leader, Takashi. You're the best leader, way better than anyone ever was at the Farrison. You're brave and strong and supportive and even if you make mistakes you're still going to be the best. Because it isn't what you do. It's who you are."