Keith drifted.

Surrounded by darkness, for a while he simply was.

The vast silence was broken by faint pounding. Vaguely Keith wondered what was happening but before he could try to make sense of the situation a deep exhaustion overtook him.

The next time Keith resurfaced from oblivion he instinctively knew he was closer to awareness, able to distinguish himself as more than a floating mass in a sea of nothing. He could feel his body, heavy and unresponsive but definitely his. There was a faint static hum and as he concentrated he was able to make out snippets of words, broken by heavy pounding.

"Ke...!"

Bang! Bang!

"...ith...!"

Keith may not have known much else but he would know that voice anywhere. Shiro.

"Come on...let me...need...sure he's...ok!"

Bang!

"Wake up!"

Shiro sounded worried and that was enough to spur Keith into action. He tried to make sense of the mangled words, struggling against the darkness that beckoned him. Putting everything he had into forcing his heavy body to cooperate, eventually he managed to curl his fingers into a weak semblance of his fist. At least his hand seemed to be working. Even such small movements sent ripples of agony racing up his spine to his skull.

There were more bangs before a sudden metallic screech rent the air as the hatch door opened and a shadowed figure rushed towards him.

"Keith!"

Keith tried to respond but all that came out was a low groan. He fought to open his eyes, the world cartwheeling above him before slamming to a stop with Shiro filling his vision. It took him a moment to realize where he was. He was lying on his side on the floor, flashing lights and warnings displayed up the screens above him. Then clarity dawned.

He was in the cockpit of Red, and from all the alarms he guessed they'd crashed. Might explain his head feeling as if it'd been split in two.

"Keith? Hey buddy, I'm right here," Shiro said, kneeling beside him.

"Sh'ro" Keith slurred.

"Hey!" Shiro grinned in relief. "Are you okay?"

"H'rts..." Keith blinked heavily, reaching a shaky hand towards his head. He wasn't entirely convinced it hadn't exploded.

"I know," Shiro soothed, grabbing Keith's hand and placing it back on the ground. "Just relax."

"M'fine," Keith argued. Shiro ignored him, glancing around them nervously. His face had that pinched look Keith knew to mean he was worried.

"I can't contact the castle or the other lions," Shiro said, looking back at him. "Which means that for now we're on our own."

"M'fine," Keith reiterated, trying to push himself up into a sitting position. A lightning bolt struck the base of his skull and he crumpled, vision gone completely white. He was distantly aware of Shiro calling his name, but it took a few moments before the fog of pain cleared.

"Keith!"

Keith stirred feebly, eyebrows scrunching together in confusion. He was on the floor with Shiro looming above him, his face a rigid mask of terror.

"Don't do that!" Shiro admonished, heaving a shaky breath. "You've got a bad concussion."

"I do?" Keith asked, unsure how that had happened.

"Tends to happen when you try fighting Zarkon by yourself then get tossed out of an unstable wormhole," Shiro grumbled.

"Wha-what?"

Shiro looked at him, his anger quickly fading. "You hit your head pretty hard huh?"

Keith nodded and instantly regretted it as the world swung around him.

"Ughh," he groaned, curling in on himself as a wave of vertigo hit. Suddenly his stomach spasmed violently, reducing his world to pure misery. There was nothing to bring up but that didn't ease his discomfort. Between each dry heave he gasped for air, eyes clenched tightly shut. He was sure his skull would shatter.

"Breathe...you're okay...just breathe," Shiro murmured, one hand braced against Keith's shoulder to hold him upright while the other rubbed circles on his back. Slowly the comforting touch broke through and Keith relaxed as the bout of nausea ended. His head throbbed and he whimpered, fighting to hold back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks.

"Easy, you're alright," Shiro said, gently checking Keith's head for any obvious injury. Keith allowed himself to be manhandled, too exhausted to put up any fight.

"This sucks."

Shiro chuckled, looking down at him with a mixture of relief and concern. It wasn't like Keith to admit when he was beat, but he was definitely down for the count. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so lousy. Maybe when the Kerberos mission had vanished and he'd feared Shiro dead. Or when Zarkon had told him he fought like a Galra soldier...

Keith shook his head to clear the thought away, cringing as his vision swam.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Shiro asked, instantly stopping his ministrations for fear he'd caused more pain.

"Nothing," Keith grunted. He wanted to sleep for an eternity or down an entire bottle of pain killers. Anything to ease the monumental ache reverberating through his skull.

"You're gonna be fine," Shiro said confidently, sitting back. "The others will find us soon, I'm sure."

Keith tried to ignore the optimism. He could feel his eyes closing, peaceful sleep calling him, but suddenly Shiro was shaking his shoulder.

"No, no, Keith! Come on, open your eyes!"

Begrudgingly Keith pried his eyes open, glaring at Shiro who huffed in relief. "Don't do that to me. We've gotta keep you awake until the others find us and we can put you in a healing pod."

"Mhmm," Keith hummed, blinking sluggishly. Shiro stood up and walked over to one of the consoles, entering a series of commands which turned off the warnings flashing on the screens. Keith could see wisps of grey clouds above them, the sky darkening.

"Where are we?" He asked.

Shiro tried a few diagnostics, his frown deepening at the lack of response. "I'm not sure. Whatever Haggar did to the wormhole, we had no control over where we ended up."

"Lousy druid," Keith grumbled.

Shiro frowned. "I just hope the others are alright."

"Me too," mumbled Keith. He couldn't imagine losing a team member, even Lance. No matter their differences or how much they fought, they all needed each other.

That's when he noticed the absence of Red's connection in his mind. Had his lion been injured during their fight with Zarkon? Or did crashing into a remote planet inflict damage beyond repair? These thoughts and more swirled through Keith's head as he fought to connect with Red but was met with eerie silence.

Keith lunged upright, ignoring the dizziness as the world shifted sideways. He couldn't feel Red. He couldn't feel anything.

"What? Keith, talk to me!"

Shiro was suddenly kneeling in front of him, his hands on Keith's shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"Why can't I feel Red?" Keith demanded, too tired and hurting to care about the tears which had begun to streak down his cheeks. Shiro was looking at him in dismay before strong arms pulled him forward, his head resting against a broad shoulder.

"You're okay, just breathe. You gotta calm down."

Keith could hear a wheezing noise and realized the sound was coming from him. There didn't seem to be enough air in his lungs. He was panicking, he knew it, but that didn't stop the anguish from washing over him. Something was wrong with Red!

"Calm down," Shiro repeated. Slowly Keith relaxed until his breaths evened out and the tightening in his chest eased. Shiro let him go, surveying him like he was worried Keith could break at any moment.

"Red's fine, a little banged up but honestly I'm more worried about you," he said, watching Keith closely. He thumbed away an errant tear and under any other circumstance Keith would feel mortified but at the moment he just couldn't muster the strength to care.

"But why can't I feel our connection?" Keith asked, the panic starting to rise again as he contemplated the possibilities.

"At best you've got a nasty concussion, at worst a skull fracture. If you tried to connect with Red right now the neural load could kill you. Your lion probably knows this and is giving you...space," Shiro explained.

Keith knew he was right, knew there was nothing to worry about, but that didn't stop the nagging sense of foreboding from pointing out that they didn't actually know if Shiro's guess was accurate. Because at the end of the day they were dealing with magical sentient machines. Nothing was "normal" or safe to assume anymore.

Shiro must've seen Keith wanted to argue and sighed, glancing up at the ceiling. "He won't rest until you two are connected, but be careful."

Keith immediately felt Red, a heavy presence at the back of his mind. It was just a whisper but that sent shivers running up his spine as the emptiness of his own thoughts was joined by another. He wondered why Shiro had been so worried, everything was fine...

"I've got you now," Zarkon growled, looming behind Shiro. Keith stiffened. He tried to warn Shiro, tried to move, but it was like his body had been paralyzed. Everything was fading away as his eyes rolled back and he knew no more.

"I never should've allowed you to connect with Red. You have to wake up," Shiro begged, his voice shaky. "Please."

"I can't do this without you."

Keith fought against the exhaustion weighing him down, his body rebelling against him. But stronger than the temptation of sleep was the broken edge of tears in Shiro's voice. Keith knew his friend needed him and he'd be damned to let unconsciousness hold him back.

He'd lost Shiro once. And he vowed to never let anything separate them again.

Pulling himself into awareness a second time was much easier, partially due to the lack of confusion. He knew where they were and what had happened though that didn't ease the effort it took to open his eyes.

Keith stirred feebly, his head a tangled mess as light filtered through the darkness. He squinted at his hazy and out of focus surroundings, searching for Shiro.

"Keith!"

The sudden rise in volume sent pain skittering throughout his brain, forcing him to clench his eyes closed and wait out the waves of agony until they settled and he was able to try again.

When he opened his eyes things were still blurry but quieter. He could see a dark figure towering above him and instantly panicked, Zarkon's voice echoing in his head. Knowing he was in shape to fight didn't stop Keith from jerking upright as he shoved himself backwards away from the evil warlord.

"Easy, easy it's just me!"

The world was still spinning but his vision was clearing and Keith realized Shiro was kneeling before him, hands raised in a sign of surrender.

"It's me, you're okay," Shiro said. Instantly the fight left Keith and he slid sideways, all the strength leaving his body.

"Keith? Come on talk to me," Shiro said, propping Keith back up against the console. His outline was shadowy but mostly solid in Keith's blurry vision.

As was Zarkon's.

Keith stared in horror at the destroyer of the galaxy, shock and despair warring within him. Even if he wasn't hurt the two of them couldn't take on Zarkon without the help of Pidge, Hunk and Lance. Which meant they were about to be captured. They'd failed.

"Keith?" Shiro asked, glancing over his shoulder at the empty cockpit before turning to look at Keith with concern. "What is it?"

"Z-Z-Zarkon!" Keith stammered, heart beating wildly in his chest. Their enemy was standing a few feet behind Shiro, surveying them with cold, calculating eyes.

Shiro was on his feet and bayard extended before Keith could blink, and in that instant Zarkon disappeared.

"Where is he?!" Shiro yelled, prepared for an attack.

"He...He's gone..." Keith replied, unsure himself.

"He what?" Shiro demanded, turning to glance at Keith before staring at the empty cockpit.

"He was there then he just disappeared," explained Keith, slumping back in exhaustion. Nothing was making sense.

Shiro closed his eyes in silence for a moment before he put away his bayard and looked at Keith with growing worry.

"He's not here. You must've had an hallucination," Shiro said.

Keith shook his head, trying to push himself to his feet. "I know what I saw! He was right behind you!"

Shiro was there, hands gentle but firm as he stopped Keith's upward ascent and guided him back to the floor.

"Relax, you've got a serious head wound. Black isn't picking up anyone else in range. While hallucinations aren't a good sign, we've just got to keep you awake until we can reach the others."

Keith felt the ball of anxiety in his chest loosen at Shiro's words, only to be replaced with a cold numbness. They were stranded and no one was coming to save them. He wasn't fit to walk on his own let alone pilot his lion which left Shiro completely alone if Zarkon really did find them. Though if given the choice, he'd swallow down the pain and push himself to show the evil megalomaniac what a real Paladin fought like.

"I think you should lie down," Shiro suggested, sitting on the floor beside him.

Keith shook his head. He didn't want to lay down. He waited for the dizziness and nausea to abate and when it didn't he began to fear he'd always be useless.

"You're not useless," Shiro said softly.

"Didn't mean to say that out loud," Keith murmured, leaning forward to rest his head in his hands while fighting his heavy eyes.

"It's alright," Shiro said, squeezing his shoulder. Keith felt himself begin drifting and all other thoughts faded.

"Hey, no sleeping!" Shiro ordered, tapping his arm.

Keith sat up, his eyes struggling to stay open. "M'not sleepin'" he slurred.

"It doesn't look like it," Shiro said. He reached out to feel Keith's forehead and Keith swatted at him weakly, stubborn till death.

Shiro sighed. "You've got a fever."

"Just let me sleep," Keith begged. "You can wake me in a few hours. Please."

Shiro surveyed him for a long moment, his eyebrows pulled together in concern. Finally he relented. "Two hours."

Keith smiled ruefully, curling up on his side on the floor. He hoped the others were okay, then all thoughts vanished as unconsciousness took him.

"Shiro! Keith! Can you hear me? Are you guys alright?" Pidge's voice rang out loud and clear, shattering Keith's sleep. He cringed, curling tighter in on himself.

"Pidge!" Shiro exclaimed. Of course their tech genius had located them. "Its good to hear your voice!"

"Stop yelling," Keith groaned, his head throbbing.

Shiro was suddenly there, his hand squeezing Keith's shoulder. "Keith?"

"Is he okay?" Pidge asked, their voice much quieter.

"When we crashed he hit his head, I think he has a concussion," Shiro replied.

"We should be there soon."

After a moment of silence Shiro nudged Keith. "You still with me?"

"Mhmm," Keith grumbled, head heavy.

"Don't go back to sleep," Shiro warned.

Keith opened his eyes, blinking up at Shiro blearily. He knew what Shiro meant, the worry clear in his voice. Help was finally on the way and it'd be a shame to slip into a coma before they arrived. Keith considered arguing but decided against it upon seeing Shiro's frown. He could already feel the pain building up in his temples, though the thought of being placed in a pod terrified him. There was something about being so vulnerable that he didn't trust.

A distant rumble had Shiro clamoring to his feet and staring skyward as the castle approached.

"Ready to get out of here?" He asked, smiling at Keith.

"Let's do this," Keith replied, hoping his enthusiastic response masked how much pain he actually was in. Shiro bent down and grasped his arm before carefully pulling him to his feet.

The world exploded into constellations. He sagged, distantly aware of Shiro telling him to hold on as his arm was slung over a shoulder and his head lolled forward. Shiro began half-carrying, half-walking Keith out the hatch door and down the small ramp.

Keith tried to focus on putting one foot in front of the other but his head was too jumbled with all the signals becoming mixed up. His feet caught on every bump and divet before they reached level ground and a second pair of arms began aiding Shiro in supporting him.

Keith lifted his head, knees weakening as he caught sight of the Galran leader standing nearby.

"I'm so proud of you," Zarkon growled, eying him like a trophy.

"No...Zarkon..." Keith warned, trying to save his teammates.

"What?!" Lance yelped, and Keith turned in surprise to see he was the one helping Shiro carry him. He felt a flicker of annoyance at the panic on Lance's face, but the thought disappeared as he stumbled and Lance tightened the arm around his waist.

"Let's get him to the castle," Shiro said.

Keith lost time after that, everything melding into a long drawn out tunnel of agony and confusion. It felt as if they'd been walking for days, and when Keith's legs finally gave out he was surprised to find himself being lowered onto a chair.

"Keith?" Lance asked, bending down to look at him. Keith wanted to say he was fine but everything was spinning around him he feared if he opened his mouth he'd puke on Lance's shoes.

"What happened?" Allura was there, eyes appraising him in worry.

"Red had no power when we fell out of the wormhole so they crashed pretty hard. He was unconscious for maybe fifteen minutes, and he's been dizzy and nauseous," Shiro explained, standing behind Lance and the princess looking concerned.

"What did he mean when he said Zarkon?" Lance asked, glancing at Shiro.

Shiro shifted. "I think he's been hallucinating."

"M'okay," Keith sighed, closing his eyes. He hated having everyone hovering.

"Dude, you obviously aren't," Lance said, his voice missing his usual sarcasm. Keith opened his eyes and looked at him, shocked to see the worry evident in Lance's expression.

"The pods are still out of commission, we have damage in some major power systems. It'll be a while before we get them all fixed," Coran said, walking over with Pidge and Hunk.

"So what do we do until then?" Shiro asked. Keith looked up at his teammates, surprised to see their concern for him. He expected it from Shiro but not the others.

"Let me sleep, I'll be fine," Keith replied, shrugging off Allura's hand on his shoulder before rising to his feet.

Keith's vision went white again as a roaring filled his ears. Hands were there, steadying him as he was guided back down to the chair. Eventually the roaring dissipated and Keith was suddenly aware of someone repeating his name.

"Keith?" Shiro asked, sounding close. "Can you hear me?"

Keith nodded slowly, struggling to blink away the blinding white and relieved when his vision gradually returned to normal. Shiro was crouched in front of him, his shoulders minutely relaxing as Keith looked at him. Allura, Lance, Pidge, Coran and Hunk stood behind Shiro, all surveying Keith with varying levels of unease.

"Just relax," Shiro said.

"You should get some rest," suggested Hunk.

Pidge nodded. "We can handle the repairs."

"I'll start the diagnostic," Coran said, leading Pidge and Hunk from the room.

Allura turned to Keith. "We should get you to bed."

"Finally," he grunted, ready to lie down. Shiro helped him to his feet and Keith focused on not puking all over his friends while his stomach clenched.

"You okay?" Shiro asked, gripping his arm tightly for fear Keith would topple at any moment. Keith shrugged, careful to keep the movement to a minimum. Everything was growing blurry.

"Hold on," Shiro said, slipping Keith's arm over his shoulders and guiding him forward. Keith grabbed the one thing he could : Shiro's uniform on his upper arm, and held onto it like a lifeline. After only a few steps he was eased down onto a soft mattress and was surprised to find himself on one of five beds lining the far wall of the med bay.

"I didn't know these were here," he said, looking at Allura and Lance before turning to Shiro as he perched on the edge of the bed beside him. "Thanks for helping me."

"Any time," Shiro smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Think you can let go now?"

"Huh?" Keith asked, glancing down at his hand which was still tightly gripping Shiro's uniform. Slowly his fingers relaxed, letting the fabric go.

"You told me to hold on," he said.

Shiro nodded, patting Keith's knee. "You did great."

"Lance and I will go help with repairs, but if you need anything don't hesitate to call," Allura said.

"I hope you feel better," Lance added, actually sounding sincere. Keith watched them leave the room before daring to glance at Shiro, suddenly fearful he would leave too.

Shiro seemed to read his mind as he stood up and dragged a chair over. "I'll stay with you, I have to wake you every few hours to check your concussion anyways."

"Thank you," Keith mumbled, looking away. He knew he should get out of his armor and boots but the effort seemed daunting. Yet again Shiro knew him better than he gave him credit for.

"Let me help," he said, reaching out and beginning to unzip Keith's armor before pulling first his left then his right arm free, leaving him clothed in his simple red t-shirt. Keith shivered, cold without the armors welcome heat, but Shiro missed it as he tugged off Keith's boots and set them on the floor at the end of the bed and slung the armor over the back of his chair.

"Better?" He asked, sitting down and surveying him. Keith nodded, too exhausted for words.

"Lie down," Shiro instructed. "I'm not going anywhere."

Keith laid down, slowly curling up on his side. He was mortified to feel tears leak down his cheeks and run into his hair. His head was all jumbled and even the simple task of letting his friend take care of him was proving overwhelming.

Shiro sighed, leaning forward. "What's wrong?" he asked softly.

"I'm afraid I'll see Zarkon as soon as I close my eyes," Keith admitted, voice shaky. More tears were falling and he realized he was legitimately terrified of his hallucination.

"I'll be right here, and I promise if Zarkon does show up I won't let him touch you," Shiro promised. "You trust me?"

Keith nodded. Of course he did. He would follow Shiro across the universe and straight into battle against the entire Galra empire if his friend asked him to.

"Close your eyes," Shiro said. Keith did as he was told, his body instantly relaxing as he sank deeper into the mattress.

"I'm never gonna leave you."

At those whispered words Keith let sleep claim him.