Avatar Voltron AU book one: the revolution

Chapter ten: recovery

Shiro stirred the next morning, waking up fully when he realized where it was. "Keith... sorry for falling asleep on you last night." He said not expecting and answer. He got up off the bed and stretched out his arm. Keith felt his main source of warmth leave him. He groaned and opened his eyes.
"Shiro come back." He whined.
"Sorry Keith." Shiro said, "I have to get ready to see that doctor today. Which means early morning wake up call." He sighed and looked out the window; it was still storming. "Just my luck..." shiro groaned under his breath.
Keith sat up, his hair a mess. "Fine, I'm up I'll get ready." He muttered and got out of bed to grab a clean shirt. "What time do we have to leave?"
"In about an hour." Shiro said, he went to his room to put on so clean clothes of his own. He came back and tried to put the shirt on, without his prosthetic on it was not going well. "Umm... little help?" Shiro asked, his voice slightly muffled.
Keith chuckled and went over to help Shiro with his shirt issue. "Are you off of work today?" He asked and put his necklace on.
"Thanks, And Yes. Beifong let me have the time." Shiro said, "she knows there's a lot of work involved when it comes to getting one of your limbs blown off."
"Well that's good, we can have some time to relax after we get done at your doctor." Keith pointed out.
"You know I can't relax." Shiro sighed, rubbing the stump of his arm. "Let's hope this means I'm no longer useless on rainy days." He grumbled. Shiro picked up the prosthetic and put it into his travel bag.
"You aren't useless Shiro. You can't help that your arm is a lightning rod, and if I still had my bending, then it wouldn't be an issue and I could just redirect it." Keith sighed.
"If it was only that simple..." Shiro sighed, he looked at Keith. "We can stop on our way over there and get something to eat. I'll pay." He said.
"Are you sure? I can pay for us if you want." Keith asked and pulled his wallet out. "We got paid a few nights ago." He said.
"I'm sure keith." Shiro said, he smiled. "It'll be okay. Hopefully they won't have to put me under for this so you won't have to deal with me on the Anastasia."
"You under anesthesia is worse than you drunk." Keith teased and finished getting ready.
"Hey I've been sober for six months." Shiro pointed out. "So you're ready to go?" He asked heading out of the room.
Keith smiled and nodded. "Yep! I'm all set to go." He said and wrote a small note to leave for Lance and Hunk.
"Yeah let's not wake them up yet." Shiro said going to the front door. The morning came with a chill, winter was taking a grip on the city already. "Great. It's getting colder... that brings the chills and the frostbite."
"I wish I had my bending. I could keep both of us warm.." Keith muttered and walked out into the cold. "I have to use normal body heat now."
"It's good I don't have my prosthetic on." Shiro sighed, "remember last winter wearing that thing is like having an ice cube attached to my body." He led Keith down the street. Shiro wouldn't be losing if he said he was tiered of doctors and hospitals.
Keith smiled and nodded. "And how the snow stuck to your arm when we had a snowball fight." He snickered and yawned. "Man, I'm still tired."
"Sorry for dragging you out this early." Shiro said, they made it to the front doors. Shiro walked inside grateful for the warmth that came after. He walked up to the front desk.
"Oh, Mr. Shirogane. Just sign in and I'll let them know you're here." The receptionist said.
"It's fine Shiro, I just should have worn more than my Lion Turtles hoodie." Keith said and went to go sit down on one of the chairs.
Shiro nodded and sighed his name on the clipboard. After that he sat down in a chair next to Keith. "You know you've hit a low point when every nurse at the front desk knows who you are." He sighed.
"Well, its not like you can help it." Keith pointed out. "It's fine if they know you and makes it easier."
"It's just hard to think about sometimes." Shiro said. "Everything changed that night and I'm still not completely ready to except it."
"I know and its okay. We're all here for you and you know it. If it snows soon, can we have another snowball fight in the park?" Keith asked, hope in his voice.
"Yes. I could use a little fun." Shiro said with a smile.
"Mr. Shirogane." The doctor walked up to them. "It's time."
"Do you want me to come with you,or wait out here?" Keith asked his brother.
"It would be nice to have you with me." Shiro said standing up.
"You can come," the doctor verified.
Keith nodded and got up to follow Shiro. He took his hoodie off and tied the sleeves around his waist.
Shiro followed the doctor to the room. As per usual he sat down on the examination table and waited.
"I'm going to need you to take off your shirt." The doctor told Shiro.
"Don't worry, I won't look." Keith teased, put a hand over his eyes, and stuck his tounge out at Shiro.
"Very funny Keith." Shiro said sarcastically, "he said shirt not pants." He sighed and managed to get his shirt off; a rare victory.
"Well..." the doctor said examining Shiro with his cold hands. "The rest of your scars are progressing very well."
Keith took the hand away from his eyes and looked at Shiro. An amused look in his eyes. "Oh come on Shiro, you know I'm joking."
"I-I know." Shiro shuddered as the doctor ran his hands down Shiro's body. Shiro hates these examinations, they made him very uncomfortable.
"Let's see how your arm is holding up." The doctor said finally taking his hands away. Keith sat back, having no more snarky or funny comments to make about it anymore. He was pretty sure he had used them all up.
"Well, I see it's scarred over completely now." The doctor said. "That's good. You said you were having problems?"
"Yes every time it storms I feel this painful buzzing." Shiro confirmed. "Like I said last time... some times it just hurts."
"I think I know why it does it too." Keith said and sat up. "I think its because of the extra static and friction in the air, making the metal send small shocks to his real arm, causing the buzzing and pain."
"My thoughts exactly." The doctor said, "unfortunately, there isn't much we can do about it. If the prosthetic isn't made of metal you won't be able to move it."
"Is there anything you can do?" Shiro asked.
"I'm sorry but no. If you were a water bender things might be different but-" the doctor cut himself off.
"What? What is it?" Shiro asked.
"Have you been experiencing any back pain?" The doctor asked.
"No." Shiro said.
"That's good sign." The doctor replied.
"He may look like an old man, but he isn't that old yet." Keith teased from his chair.
"Well I'm sorry but there isn't anything we can do at this point to fix the storm issue." The doctor admitted. "But we will have to put you under."
"Why?" Shiro asked.
"There are still bone fragments inside of you." The doctor explained. "If they move they could puncture an artery."
"Well I'm sorry but there isn't anything we can do at this point to fix the storm issue." The doctor admitted. "But we will have to put you under."
"Why?" Shiro asked.
"There are still bone fragments inside of you." The doctor explained. "If they move they could puncture an artery."
"I'm glad I did come along this time." Keith smiled. "But why did it take a year for you to just bring this up?" He asked, reasonably skeptical on the reasoning.
"We didn't want to put him through any more trauma so soon." The doctor explained. "He had already lost so much blood."
Shiro shuddered, he wasn't completely on board with having to be put under for this. "Do I have the be sedated for this?" He asked.
"Yes. If you aren't you will be in a lot of pain." The doctor said, already filling a Syringe with Anastasia.
"How come we never even discussed this first? Shiro and I have a lot to do today, I think we should reschedule this." Keith said before the doctor could do anything.
"I'm afraid we can't hold this off." The doctor said.
"Keith is right." Shiro said quickly trying to get off the table but the doctor held him back.
"I'm sorry but it needs to be done now." He said firmly.
Keith got up and held the doctor back, making sure to not cause harm to him. "We have somewhere we need to be, sir." He repeated and gave Shiro an opening to leave.
"If this doesn't get done now he could die." The doctor said shrugging Keith off. Shiro froze half way off the table.
"Why haven't you said anything about this?!" Shiro was trying to hold down his anger.
"Are you a bender?" Keith asked, letting his suspicions out. The doctor being so forceful seemed off to him
"If you're asking if I'm an equilist then you're wrong." The doctor said sternly. "Not all nonbenders are in with them. If you are concerned about my intentions you may stay with him while I work."
Shiro stayed quiet, trying to hold down the boiling anger.
Keith looked at Shiro. "Well, you're the one who's in control here, what should we do?" He asked and loosened his grip on the doctor.
"If you stay with me..." shiro started. "I don't see a problem. If he's right I can't take a risk in not doing anything."
Keith sighed and let go of the doctor. "Fine. You know I wouldn't leave you anyways."
Shiro gave Keith a grateful smile, he laid all the way back on the table. The doctor carefully injected the the Anastasia into Shiro's blood stream. The familiar feeling off drifting off engulfed Shiro; he reached for Keith's hand and held onto it. Something to anchor himself.
Keith held Shiro's hand as the anesthesia started to take an effect on Shiro. "Its okay, I'm right here." He promised and didn't let go of his hand.
Shiro smiled and his world went dark. The doctor pulled on his gloves, a scalpel in one hand and tweezers in the other.
"I'm starting now." He told Keith. He walked over to Shiro's right side and made a small cut with to scalpel on the stump of Shiro's arm.
Keith nodded and looked away from the scalpel and the blood that was sure to follow. "Sorry for thinking you were an equalist. I lost my bending yesterday, so I've been a bit on edge since.."
"I understand. We've been treating a lot of people who they've taken off the streets." The doctor said. He pulled out what looked like a shard of bone. "You're brother is lucky to have someone like you who cares so much for him."
"Well, he's the only family I have, so we rely on each other." Keith smiled, still not looking at the work on Shiro's right side.
After a few minutes the doctor removed the last shard. He sighed and started to stitch up the fresh cut. "You can stay here and wait for him to wake up," the doctor told Keith once he was done.
Keith nodded and looked at his brother. "Thank you for helping him." He said and held Shiro's hand again.
"Your brothers a walking medical miracle." The doctor said cleaning off his tools in the near by sink. "He was very lucky that night to have even survived at all. If I'm being totally honest when they brought the two in none of us thought either of them had a chance."
"The only reason he's alive is because of Matt. He saved Shiro." Keith murmured quietly and looked at the floor.
"Forgive me for asking but were they close?" The doctor asked. "Shiro doesn't talk much to anyone when he's here so no one knows him very well."
Keith nodded. "Yeah, they were like brothers to each other." He said in a sad tone.
Shiro stirred on the table. He felt the dull pain in what was left of his right arm before anything else. He let out a pitiful sounding groan.
"Good. He's coming around." The doctor said. he wafted some smelling salts under Shiro's nose to wake him up faster.
"That was...really fast. Even for him." Keith said. "It was a weaker anesthetic wasn't it?" He asked to confirm his suspicions.
"Yes. We've tried the strong stuff on him before. The reaction wasn't preferable." The doctor explained.
Shiro opened his eyes then shut them tight. He was staring up at The harsh lights of the room and they were far too bright.
"Can we turn the lights off? It hurts his eyes when he first wakes up." Keith asked and rubbed Shiro's hand. "It's good to see that you're up."
The doctor nodded and turned the lights off. Shiro opened his eyes again and looked around to get his bearings. He lightly squeezed Keith's hand so his brother would know he was okay. "How... how long was I out?" Shiro asked.
Keith chuckled at Shiro's question. "You weren't out for long at all." He said and squeezed Shiro's hand back.
Shiro exhaled, "How long will I have to be off duty after this?" He asked the doctor.
"Two days at most." The doctor said, "best to give it time to heal. You shouldn't wear you prosthetic for a while either."
"Okay, I'll keep an eye on you then." Keith teased. "Anyways, you being off will be nice." He smiled.
"Great..." shiro sat up and rubbed his temple with his left hand. He hated being off duty because it made him restless; but he would never complain about it because he knew Keith like having him around all the time.
"You can leave if you feel up to it." The doctor said, "or I could put you in a room and you can stay over night." He suggested. Shiro shook his head. He'd had enough of hospital beds to last several life times.
"We should head back home to see where Lance and Hunk are first." Keith suggested and got out of the chair to stretch.
"Good call." Shiro said as he got off the examination table. When his feet hit the floor he stumbled; his legs felt like they were made of rubber.
Keith grabbed the bag containing Shiro's metal arm and walked around the table to help stabilize Shiro.
"Thanks..." shiro sighed. He tapped his foot on the floor in an effort to rebalance himself. After a minute he was able to walk without issue.
"Are you okay to walk on your own?" Keith asked, not leaving Shiro's side. He brushed some of his hair out of his face and looked at his brother.
"Yeah I should be fine now" Shiro said, "just stood up too fast that's all."
"Keep an eye on him." The doctor said, "no strenuous activity for two days at most."
"Good, I don't want you falling like an idiot." Keith.teased and nodded to the doctor. "The gym is on the way home, so if you want to stop there, we can.
"You think hunk and Lance are there?" Shiro asked as they walked out of the room.
"They'll be there or back at home, and if Korra is there, I'm guessing the other two would be too, and I still need to thank them for saving me." Keith pointed out.
"Right." Shiro sighed. He owed Korra and Mako so much for getting Keith out. "The gym it is." He smiled and walked out of the front door with Keith. Shiro had forgotten how cold it was outside and the frigid air felt like a slap in the face. "I think it might be time to break out the winter coats."
"Here." Keith said and offered the hoodie. "It was originally yours any ways." He admitted. "I just stole it last winter because I couldn't find mine."
"No you keep it." Shiro insisted, "I can manage a little cold. It's not a big deal."
"Shiro, you just came out of an anesthetic, you need it more than I do." Keith protested. "Besides, I can just- oh, nevermind."
"Keith..." shiro pulled his brother closer to him. "Why don't we just stay close to each other? We can keep each other warm." He suggested.
"That works too." Keith agreed and got closer to Shiro, getting under his left arm. Shiro smiled, this felt nice; almost like back when he and Keith were younger. Back when things had been simple. They walked down the street to the gym. A few people stopped and stared at them but Shiro payed them no mind, he was used to it by now. Keith walked into the gym and down the first hall like he had done so many times before and into the first room on the right. The gym was almost like a second home. He remembered getting into arguments with Shiro and came here to blow off steam.