Spread Your Wings and Fly

Chapter 17

Another chapter! You lucky people.

Chapter 17
Keith Pov

I wake to the sound of someone moving in what sounds like a kitchen. Bright light sears my eyes as I try to slowly open them.

"Ah, good. Your awake. Drink. It'll help ward off the pain." A person shoves a small tube of what looks like emerald green gloop in front of me. Wrinkling my nose, I push it away.

"I don't... I'm fine. Where am I though?" Then everything comes rushing back. The ambush. The voice.

"Your loss. But you'll need it at some point. Just tell me when."

"Where am I? Why did you kidnap me? Who are you?" The person is cloaked and a hood covers his face. At least, I think it's a he. The voice is different to the one who kidnapped me. In fact, the voice now sounds a bit familiar.

"I'm sorry I had to do that Keith. I just didn't know if you would cooperate." I didn't know what to think.

"You know my name?! How? Who are you?" The person moves back and I sit up. My head pounds and I have to lie down again.

"How about this for a bargain. I'll answer your questions if you drink this. Deal?" I wrinkle my nose.

"How do I know I can trust you? I don't even know you." The person thinks for a second. Then, the hood lowers.

It's a girl. She has midnight black hair and similar coloured eyes. Her hair is shortish and choppy with a golden streak down the left side. A silver streak lies next to it. Her eyes have a hard look to them but they also look sad. Like she's seen too much pain.

"Who are you?" I repeat. I've never seen her in my life and I know I wouldn't forget someone like her. Not because I like her, but because of the pain in her eyes. I feel like it reflects my own in a way. I wonder what happened to make her this way.

"I am Sena. You probably won't know me but we've met before. I was under a different name though." My mind clicks.

"You're Selena. Pidge's friend." She nods and I sigh.

"Keith, Pidge is special. And not in the way you think. She's... different. I don't know how to explain and I don't think I should tell you. It's her secret. And I know you don't trust me but I need you to. Not for me, but for Pidge. That time that the Galra took her? She almost died. If I hadn't helped her, she would be dead by now." I feel anger burning up inside of me. I don't know where it's coming from but I just feel like I can't trust her.

"Why couldn't you do more? Pidge now has PTSD because you didn't help her in time. And how did you save her? Why should I believe a word you even say?" I sit up again but my head makes me lie down again. It feels like needles are piercing my brain and this just makes me more agitated.

"Keith, please drink this. Then we can talk properly." Her voice has a pleading edge to it but I know it's all just an act.

"How can you expect me to trust you? First, you don't even say who you really are. Secondly, you take Pidge away privately where you could easily kill her. Thirdly, you could've saved her before she even got her PTSD. And lastly, you kidnap me. And you still expect me to trust you? Or even talk to you like a normal person? How daft can you be?" I spit all this at her. She stays quiet after I finish and I think I see tears in her eyes when she looks up. But the next second, their gone and I think I'm imagining them. A trick of the light.

"Keith, please trust me. Pidge..."

"Why should I do anything for Pidge?"

"Because you love her." I'm about to say something else but I stop. Because I have no voice. Because I know she's right. I do love Pidge and I would do pretty much anything for her. Seeing I don't speak, she hurriedly continues.

"Keith, I know how you feel about her. I felt the same way about someone. You felt helpless as you waited for her during the trials. You feel helpless now because you can't save her from her PTSD. But she's survived and..." Sena swallows and I wait for her to continue. I can definitely see tears in her eyes now. She takes a breath and continues.

"And you now have the chance to help her. She's about to help me make something that's never happened before happen. She didn't have to. But she is. And I need you to help me too." I think for a second.

I come to the conclusion that whatever Pidge is doing with Sena might be good. But I know I have to ask.

"What do you want me to do?" She smiles a small smile.

"I need you to keep Pidge grounded. She listens to you and... what we're going to do is dangerous. She'll need someone to be around her. To just comfort her if something... something happens." I nod.

"Can you give me that drink now? If it's not poison, I'll help you." I see her smile and reach for the drink. She hands it to me and I chug it down. It tastes like melted chocolate and the ache in my head disappears instantly.

"Mmmmm. Yummy. I wish all medicine tasted like this."

"Sometimes I wish that too. I made that medicine myself actually. A long time ago. Pidge drank it during her trials. It keeps your strength up for longer and makes all pain cease. I found it also has no negative side effects apart from going into a very deep sleep if taken too often and you're not really needing it. Does that make sense?" I smile at her and nod. She doesn't seem too bad.

"Sena, I'm sorry. I-I don't trust people easily. I suppose after the death of my father and the disappearance of my mother made me like that. But now, my mother is found and I have a boyfriend. My life is good. Yet I still don't trust people." Sena pulls up a leather armchair and sits in it, her arms wrapped around her legs.

"I don't trust people easily either. That's why I kept my hood up with you and Matt. I know Pidge trusts you both but I just can't. As much as I try, I find people do bad things. I once had a friend, someone who always had my back. But this friend, he turned on me when a war broke out. He killed so many of those I loved. It still haunts me every time I go to sleep. Every time I close my eyes, all I see are the faces of those who I couldn't save." Her voice is filled with emotion and tears now stain her cheeks.

I have the urge to hug her and I do. Tentatively, I stand and wrap my arms around her. I'm not the hugging type, but she seemed to need it and it's the least I could do. She cries silently while I hold her. She's small like Pidge, but my feelings toward her are completely different. I feel more like a brother holding his sister or a friend holding another friend. She sniffles and wipes her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I haven't cried in so long, I didn't know if I even could." I hold her for a moment.

"Sena, let yourself cry. It shouldn't matter if people see you. You cry, because you are human. You feel things. Don't bottle them up. I did the same thing, bottling up my feelings. All it can do is break you. Let it all out." She smiles and we hold each other.

"Thanks Keith. So far, you and Pidge are my favourite people right now."

Yeah, idk what to say. Hope you enjoyed!