Adrenaline

Shiro's Apologies

Life in the castle was different from before. Many things were far better for Keith and everyone else despite the others having to get used to not making sure Keith ate and was lead to the bathroom every few hours.

Keith was better, far better. The lisp didn't disappear and it would take some getting used to. Someone like Keith had always seemed to invulnerable. Sure, Shiro had seen him as just a kid when they met, and still did a lot of the time, but Keith had still seemed strong and independent at all times. The lisp made him seem so young and it was so wrong coming from someone like Keith.

Keith didn't talk much the days after the visit to Jedremi. Maybe it was a habit by now, maybe he felt insecure about his new but lesser speech impediment. Keith seemed to switch between forgetting it was there and stopping midsentence if he had difficulty pronouncing a word, so there was no telling what the exact cause was. Shiro knew he was a hypocrite because he didn't talk much either but it was always easier to find fault in others and much easier to pretend away one's own faults.

Shiro was pondering about this as he was sitting and eating in the dining hall on the 4th day of Keith being healed.

"Hey, where's Keith?" Lance asked and Shiro didn't even try to act like he hadn't noticed Keith's absent.

The meal had barely started but they couldn't help wanting to know where he was at all times. Just in case. In case Keith fell and couldn't get up. In case that the healing backfired and had side effects no one had noticed before. In case that Keith wanted to give up again and there needed to be someone to stop him.

Lance's question was answered when Keith stumbled through the door. Graceful, agile and confident Keith who now looked like an unsure toddler who was old enough to walk but was still in danger of falling at every step.

"Sorry, I'm late" Keith mumbled and avoided everyone's eyes. He was impossibly better than before but still sounded slightly off and it left a sour taste in Shiro's mouth.

"Is your feet still taking a rest again?" Coran asked and Shiro looked up sharply at him. What was that supposed to mean? Keith walked awkwardly but that was just because he hadn't walked in a long time now and he was weak and malnourished. There was nothing more wrong with him. There couldn't be anything wrong with him.

"They never stopped sleeping," Keith said slightly louder than before but still nowhere near the normal noise level as he sat down at the first empty seat he could find.

"There's nothing wrong with your circulatory system, number 4," Coran said with a mixture of concern and curiosity that was just shy of morbid fascination.

"I know," Keith muttered quieter again and looked at all the eyes on him.

Coran took a deep breath and moved his lip comically but no one was laughing but they were watching Coran and Keith interact as if it was another reality show back on Earth. Even Shiro who was mentally rebuking himself to look away.

"I think we'll just have to wait and see," Coran informed Keith, and the whole room, dejectedly.

"Okay," Keith more mouthed than actually said and gave a single nod. He looked like an ordinary preteen being told to do his homework for his most hated class. It was something Keith had expected but still unpleasant to hear.

"We can run some more tests?" Coran suggested but sounded far more unsure of himself that Shiro had thought he could the first long while he had known the man.

"No!" Keith declined in a loud and sharp tone. He looked surprised about the amount of noise that had left his mouth and repeated the word much softer, "No."