Empath [ON HOLD]

Chapter 3

A/N: After everyone finding out about him, and him having an episode. Keith begins to pull himself away from everyone, including Shiro.

Keith laid still on the cot in Red as he listened to Shiro leave. Once he knew he was finally alone he allowed the tears to fall. With each tear falling, made Red that more determined to protect her cub. Her barrier went up locking everyone out but also locking Keith inside, which he didn't mind.

Keith didn't know how long he laid there, not moving and not caring at all. He soon heard Shiro pounding upon Red's barrier and yelling for Red to open, pleading with Keith to let him in, that he could help him.

But Keith just wouldn't open it. Couldn't allow Shiro in.

Over the years, Keith had grown to knowing Shiro's presence and he has come to welcoming it when he needs it to ground him. But not now, he just can't. 

So Red leaves the barrier up and after awhile, Shiro leaves and all is silent again. He is protected from the outside world, from everyone's emotions but not that he is all alone, he is being attacked by his own emotions and his mind. Telling him that he is worthless and maybe worst of all a liar. It now felt like the band-aid was ripped off, exposing a gaping hole in his chest. Showing everyone the ugly, naked truth, that he was a freak.

All he has done since coming up into space was lying. He was doing it to protect himself. He didn't want to see their rejection on their faces, to be seen as a freak like he was so many times on Earth. This ability of his felt only like a curse to him and it was so bad that he wished for death to come, to save him and release him of all of life's pain. So Keith pulled his knees tighter towards his chest and buried his head in his knees as he felt a stabbing pain go through his heart, for he feared the worst and could only guess that now that everyone knew the truth about him that their perception of him has changed, and probably for the worst.

So many times Keith would hear Shiro or someone else come to Red asking for him and Keith didn't have an ounce of energy to move from his spot, so he just sat there in silence as he listened to his friends. And just hearing them only made the pain in his chest hurt that much more, because his mind kept telling him that they didn't really care about him, that he was a freak and had no place among them.

--------------------------------------------

Soon Keith felt a small pressure upon his shoulder and the feeling of being shaken awake. He blinked his eyes up and saw Shiro looking down at him. His eye brows crunched up as he was confused as to how Shiro got in here, into his safe place, his hole.

"Shiro?" questioned Keith as he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position but quickly got hit by a wave of dizziness. He laid back down and slowly glanced over at Shiro. Shiro brushed Keith's bangs off of his sweating forehead and cast down a familiar smile to him, asking the silent question that was upon his lips.

"Red lowered the barrier, it's been 3 days Keith. You need to eat something'' said Shiro as he gently sat down beside Keith. Keith frowned at Shiro and only pulled the small blanket closer towards his chest, with a shake of his head.

"Keith, if you don't eat something soon, we're going to have to put you on an IV and I know how much you hate-"

"Not hungry." Keith said cutting Shiro off.

Shiro sighed and felt completely helpless. He had no idea how to help Keith out of this type of situation. Back on Earth, Keith wasn't around that many people, he could always find a way to escape all of the noise and pain, but up here in space he had no escape except The Red Lion. Red allowed Shiro in because she was worried about her cub, he needed to eat and needed help and she could no longer sit back and watch it happen even though Keith didn't want the barrier down.

Shiro looked back at Keith and ran his hand over Keith's hair. He eyes were shut again, he was tried and had no energy. The episode wore him out but now with the not eating that was only making matters worst for Keith.

After a moment pause, Shiro pulled out the thermometer and gently rolled it across Keith's forehead.

103.4 F

"Shit" he said as soon as he saw the temp. he couldn't wait any longer either.

"Sorry Keith" Shiro said as he then slowly pulled Keith into his arms and carried him out of The Red Lion and quickly made it to the med bay.

------------------------------------

Shiro knew the second someone was around them for he felt the way Keith's body tensed up and was shaking. His eyes brows slipping downwards into a pain expression. He whispered apologizes after apologizes to Keith because he knew that this was only hurting Keith even though he was just trying to help him out. But all of his apologizes fell upon deaf ears for Keith was under a storm of pain and darkness, trapped in it and feeling like there was no way out.

He pushed the doors open and was met with worry faces of the others, for none of them knew what to do and seeing Keith this way pained them. Keith was the strong, hotheaded paladin who seemed fearless but over the past few days all they have witness was a pain staking fear from Keith.

How can someone seem so fearless but be full of it at the same time?

Shiro quickly laid Keith down as Coran rushed over. As soon as he got near him, Keith whole body began to shake.

"He's having a seizure" Pidge calls out.

There isn't anything Shiro can do to stop the horrible pain Keith is feeling, all he can do at the moment is hold Keith's shaking body down.

It pains him, it pains all of them to just see Keith in so much pain. They are all amazed at how well he has kept up this mask that he was alright, that he wasn't in stabbing pain every single second of the day and night. 

How could someone be in so much pain but still have the courage to keep going?