Ocean Blue

Chapter 48

Keith looked up as Sandas and her goon came back into the cell, bracing himself for the questions and beating that would follow. But another man came in behind them, seizing Keith's arms and holding him tightly.

"Really?" he choked scornfully at Sandas, "Do you need a guard to hold me still while you hit me?"

In answer, Sandas sucker-punched Pidge in the stomach as the other goon pinned her arms behind her back. Keith's eyes widened. "Leave her alone!"

"I will. Just as soon as you tell me the truth."

"Don't- you- dare," Pidge panted, "Keith- I swear- if you tell her—"

"Pidge—"

"Don't you tell them- not for me!"

"Quiet, you," Sandas ordered, backhanding Pidge across the face. Keith pulled against the man holding him, snarling at the governor. The guard holding him kicked him in the leg.

"Settle down," he barked.

"Ha," Pidge spat, "I've been hit- worse- on accident- by Lance's stupid tail!"

Sandas' gaze came level with Keith's eyes. "Will you tell me what I want to know?"

"Don't!" Pidge shouted.

"Shut up!" Sandas shouted back, kicking Pidge in the stomach.

"Don't you touch her!" Keith screamed, his hands turning to claws. He broke off from his guard with a quick wrench and lunged for Sandas, reaching for her throat. Sandas calmly struck him in the side, and he fell with a gasp to the floor. Sandas put one booted foot on his leg, turning towards Pidge triumphantly.

"You know the secret too, don't you? You know how he can transform?"

"I'd never betray him," Pidge spat.

"Really?" Sandas stepped down on Keith's bullet wound, ignoring his harsh scream. "Not even to save him?"

Pidge shut her eyes tight as Keith screamed again, a scream that faded to a harsh sob. Can't tell her. If you tell her, it'll get Keith killed. Don't tell her. Don't tell her. Don't-tell-her-don't-tell-her-don't-tell-her don'ttellherdon'ttellher. Another scream rang out, and she squeezed her eyes shut even further as tears leaked out, wishing that she could cover her ears and block out that horrible sound forever.

But she couldn't.

Keith's scream stopped, and Pidge opened her eyes to see that he'd mercifully passed out. Sandas sighed in disappointment.

"These pirates are a hard-hearted lot," she told her goons, snapping her fingers to signal them to release Pidge. "Perhaps they just need extra... incentive."

Xxx

"Keith?"

A harsh groan was her only reply.

Pidge crawled over to him. "Keith? Are you awake?"

"Hngh- ow..." Keith's unfocused eyes trained themselves on her face. "You're hurt..." his hand brushed her bruised face. "You okay?"

Pidge clutched the hand tightly. "I'm okay, Keith, stars! Think of yourself for once! Look at you!"

"Rather glad that I can't," he murmured dizzily, his eyes drifting shut. "Sorry- it's my turn for watch, right?"

"Nah," Pidge said lightly, although the effect was ruined by her voice crack, "It's definitely my turn for watch. You had yours already." He must think that they were back on the Castle. A lump rose in her throat as she thought about Coran and the Castle, both beneath the sea, now.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

"I thought it was my turn..." Keith started to push himself up. "I'll go ask Shiro."

Pidge pushed him back down, tears welling up in her eyes. "Shiro's asleep right now. Tell you what. You let me take the watch for now, and if it turns out that it was your turn, then you can take my next watch, okay?"

Keith went limp. "Okay... Thanks Pidge. You sure you'll be okay?"

"Completely sure. You rest up, now, or Allura will have both of our heads."

"Yeah... she will, won't she?"

"Yep. You go to sleep."

"'kay..."

Keith drifted off, his face finally relaxing as sleep overtook him. His face creased occasionally in pain and Pidge buried her face in her arms, crying quietly so that she wouldn't wake him up.

"Oh, Shiro..." she whispered, "I wish you were here. You'd know what to do- you alwaysknew what to do." She glanced out the windows at the gallows. "We're running out of time, Shiro," she murmured, "They'll find out that I'm not pregnant any day, now. But it's up to Allura, isn't it? Hunk will be shot on sight, Lance is stuck in a tank, and Keith can't transform. She's our last shot." She glanced out the window again. "Whatever you're going to do," she murmured to Allura, wherever she was, "do it fast." Tears threatened to spill over once again. "Or else I might not make it out of here alive."