Lance arrived at his dorm in record speed. Allura was a demon behind the wheel. He rushed into his dorm, not even bothering to grab his surfboard. As he burst through the door he tossed his phone on the bed. "Where?"
Shiro pointed to the bathroom. Lance almost cringed. He heard retching and coughing through the door. Taking a deep breath, Lance opened the door and stepped inside.
Keith was right up against the toilet, knees tucked in, cheek against the seat. Lance saw the opportunity for a joke, and stored it away to use when he got better. "Keith? Buddy?"
Keith groaned, and looked up. "You're not taking me to the hospital." He muttered, then clenched his jaw shut.
Lance was worried. Was he going to let that show? Hell no. He squatted beside Keith, feeling his pulse and temperature. He was scorching hot, but he was shivering on the tile. Lance noticed how Keith's shirt clung to him. Excessive sweating. So far it looked like a nasty bit of the flu. But that didn't explain the vomiting.
"Do you know if he had anything to eat or drink that he was allergic to?"
Allura looked at Shiro, since he knew more. "I don't think so. He came back from the library, and he called me a half hour ago, saying he felt like shit. He said something about eating some bad take-out?"
"Where's the box?" Shiro grabbed it and handed it to Lance. Lance swore in Spanish. He had gotten take-out Sonic, but it looked like they accidentally put cheese on the burger. "Keith's lactose intolerant. Fuck, okay, it's just going to make him throw up for a while, but it looks like he caught the flu for Annie Harbot."
"What can we do to get the fever to go down?" Allura asked. "We already sent Coran to get some over-the-counter meds."
"Perfect. Tell him to get Mucinex, sinus spray, any fever repressors, Nyquil and Dayquil. That should be good, and maybe a bottle of Gatorade." Lance got a thermometer and went over to Keith, who was mumbling something into the seat of the toilet. "Keith, I'm going to take your temp. Don't freak out."
Keith mumbled in consent, then flinched as the cold thermometer touched his temple. After a moment, it beeped. Lance pulled it away. It read 101.6. That wasn't good.
Lance left the bathroom. "Okay, we might have to get him to the hospital." He showed them the thermometer. "After a certain point, the brain just can't handle the heat, so it shuts down completely. Keith isn't quite there yet, but he's getting there. Plus, his immune system is down already, with his allergic reaction and all. The thing about Keith is he's too stubborn to consciously or subconsciously give in to something as petty as the flu. So we might be fine."
Shiro stared at him for a second. "Could you repeat that, but in English?"
Lance sighed. "So Keith's fever is really high, and that's bad. It could raise to a point where his brain forces a shutdown. He is already weak because of the cheese. But Keith is too stubborn to let something like the flu kill him, so we might be fine. If it gets any higher I'm calling the hospital, despite what Keith wants."
Shiro nodded. "So all we can do is wait for Coran?"
"Pretty much." They looked at him, and he shrugged. "Hey, I'm not a doctor yet. Also, this isn't a hospital. I can't do anything without tools, you know."
"And the fact that your still soaking wet from the beach." Lance looked down and swore. He had totally forgotten that.
"I'm going to change. Not too much should happen in three minutes." Lance snatched some clothes off the floor and changed into them, Allura looking away. He mopped up the water from the floor and tossed the dirty laundry into the hamper.
Keith was still on the toilet, moaning. He heaved, but apparently the burger was gone.
Despite their rivalry, Lance wanted to help him, to make him feel better at all costs. Maybe it was just the healer in him, or the fact that the two boys had grown closer over the school year. Whatever the reason, Lance was going to do whatever it took to get Keith better.
"Keith, I have to take your shirt off. It's disgusting." Keith didn't respond. Lance took that was an okay and managed to take off his wet shirt. He hastily disposed of it in the hamper.
Coran had arrived, with everything Lance had asked for and more. "Now, I don't know much about medicine, but this'll have to do." He said, handing over the bags.
"Do you think he'll keep them down?" Shiro asked. Keith, after all, was basically his brother.
"I have no clue. This is the best can do without taking him to the hospital." Lance took the fever medicine and some Nyquil in. "Keith?"
Keith looked up, face red and beaded with sweat. It made Lance's gut clench. He wished someone had done this to him, not something. Then he had someone to blame. He told himself to focus. Treat now, think later. "You have to take this."
"What is it?"
"Just some fever medicine and Nyquil."
"Is that going to help?" Keith tightened his grip on the toilet.
"For now, yeah. Just get through the night, and we can do more in the morning." Lance spoke in soothing tones. Keith managed to take the pills with some Gatorade, and gagged on the Nyquil.
"That- that's disgu-gusting!" He spluttered, coughing.
"Keith, it's going to help your fever! It'll also help you sleep! Just drink it like a man!"
"I don't wanna!"
"Keith, it's doctor's orders!"
"You aren't my fuckin doctor!"
"Fine! Want to go to the hospital or drink the damn medicine?"
Keith glared at Lance. "Give me the damn Nyquil." He took the cup and chugged it. He made a face.
"It wasn't that bad, was it?"
"Fuck you."
Lance sighed. At least he was talking and not heaving into the toilet anymore. He was still hot as hell…
Lance almost screamed when realized what he had thought. He hadn't meant it that way, and he felt the heat rushing to his cheeks. He pushed it down. He could think later, right now he had to get Keith to his bed… Which was at least ten yards away.
"Keith, you're not gonna like this." Lance said.
"Lance, what am I not go-" Keith was cut off by Lance scooping him up and carrying him out of the bathroom bridal style. "LANCE! PUT! ME! DOWN!" Keith shrieked, flailing.
Lance ignored him. Shiro stood there, trying not to laugh. Allura and Coran had gone home. Once Keith was on his bed, Lance took his temp again. 100.9. Not good, but not was bad as it was. Lance relaxed slightly.
"Shiro, if you want you can go home, or you can stay the night. It really doesn't matter to me." Lance said as he unpacked the stuff Coran had bought. Lance arranged them from morning to night, so that he could get a schedule going with Keith. Thank God it was Spring break. Shiro went home, after Lance promised to keep him posted.
Group Chat: Cat Shit
Hunk Muffin: hows keith
Lancelot: better. I got his temp down a little bit, and got some medicine into him, but theres nothing i can rlly do
Pidgeotto: at least u got his fever down some
Hunk Muffin: should I make soup
Lancelot: soup would be great hunk.
Hunk Muffin: yeah my mom always made mrs. Greens chicken noodle soup when I got sick
Lancelot: yeah he needs the carbs, and broth is great
Lancelot: also no milk idk if soup need milk but
Hunk Muffin: ok no milk
Hunk Muffin: y
Lancelot: Keiths allergic
Lancelot: the sonic guy put cheese on his burger plus he has the flu
Lancelot: I think h got it from Annie
Pidgeotto: annies been gone for a few days with it right
Hunk Muffin: ye
Pidgeotto: so how would keith have gotten it
Lancelot: idk I just want to get him back on his feet lmao
Daddy: why am I just now realizing my name on here is daddy
Lancelot: oh lmao I forgot about that
Lancelot: Allura is Mother
Pidgeotto: let me guess u didn't know it was called Cat Shit either
Daddy: wtf who named it that
Lancelot: LANGUAGE SHIRO
Lancelot: but it was me lmao
Daddy: how do I change my name
Pidgeotto: shalt say nothing if you don't sat please
Daddy: please
Pidgeotto: G
Pidgeotto: HA GOT EM
Lancelot: lmao
Hunk Muffin: lol
Mother: guys im trying to work out please
Pidgeotto: but your phone on silent
Mother: toddlers.
Daddy: Allura help me change my name
Daddy: allura help
Daddy: please
Lancelot: rip
Hunk Muffin: do you really want to know shiro?
Daddy: yes
Hunk Muffin: you cant. Whoever made the group named everyone, remember? It was in like January. We took a poll on names in class and you got pinned Daddy
Daddy: fuck
Pidgeotto: LANGUAGE DADDY
Daddy: please no
Lancelot: why not daddy
Hunk Muffin: yeah daddy
Mustache: why is shito everyones father?
Mustache: SHIRO I MEANT SHIRO
Lancelot: LMAO THAT IS GOLD FOREVER KEPT
Lancelot named the Group Chat 'shito'.
Pidgeotto: perfection
Mustache: I am so sorry shiro
Daddy: its better than daddy
Lancelot: Shito is the best Daddy
Hunk Muffin: I don't like calling shito daddy its too kinky
Pidgeotto: that's b cur so sweet hunk
Hunk Muffin: tysm
Pidgeotto: no prob fam
Lancelot: im hitting the hay
Pidgeotto: who the hell says that
Hunk Muffin: im hurt
Lancelot: night guys and girls and daddies
Daddy: lance if u weren't my student and taking care of keith youd be dead
Lancelot: love you too
Lancelot: ttyl ig
Lance turned his phone on silent. It was already seven. Wait, it was only seven? He checked his phone again, just to be sure. How was he so tired? He mentally shrugged, then turned on some soft background music, suing the Bluetooth headphones he stole from Pidge forever ago. He out on his 'Good Feels' playlist and was ready to hear some Shakira or Beyoncé. Nope. He got MCR on full blast. He jumped a mile out of his skin launching the headphones from his head. "¡Mierda! ¡JURO CON DIOS KEITH!" Keith didn't wake up. Lance turned down the MCR blaring from his headphones. He found his actual playlist, but now he was too awake to sleep.
Group Chat: shito
Lancelot: now I cant sleep
Lancelot: keith replace my music with his emo stuff at full volume
Pidgeotto: that was me lmao
Lancelot: wtf pidge I literally almost shit myself
Pidgeotto: I want my headphones back
Lancelot: nope
Pidgeotto: ill hack ur phone
Lancelot: don't u fuckin dare
Hunk Muffin: hey you should come doen to m dorm guys I made come cake
Pidgeotto: why tf did u make cake its like 7
Hunk Muffin: I bake when im stressed
Lancelot: nah I should stay here with keith
Pidgeotto: what so you can catch the gay
Pidgeotto: flu*
Lancelot: wowww
Lancelot: Sent a Link: wowwww
Pidgeotto: that is so stale
Hunk Muffin: heroes never die
Hunk Muffin: h
Lancelot: omfg I thought I would never see the day
Pidgeotto: you swore! Im so proud
Daddy: go to bed guys seriously its like seven
Mother: its only seven and its break
Mustache: is there a party?
Lancelot: not that I know of
Hunk Muffin: Pidge and I are paying Overwatch
Pidgeotto: yeah im sombra and hes torbejorn
Lancelot: rlly I play mccree
Daddy: solider 76
Mother: I like Mercy
Mustache: who are these people
Pidgeotto: Overwatch
Mustache: oh, right! I played as , right?
Pidgeotto: yeah
Lancelot: Coran is a dva main? N I c e
Hunk Muffin: at least he isn't a genji or hanzo main
Lancelot: preach
Knife: who r u guys
Lance glanced over at Keith. He was asleep.
Lancelot: WHO TF R U THE REAL KEITH IS ALSEEP
Knife: wtf no
Lancelot: return the phone to 127 Baker's Drive
Knife: why
Lancelot: because that's my friends phone douchebag
Pidgeotto: who the hell has it
Hunk Muffin: didn't shiro take it
Knife: lmao yeah
Daddy: that isn't me guys
Mother: fuck
Pidgeotto: hold on
Pidgeotto: keiths phone is at the corner of main and elk.
Mother: on it
Knife: literally it's keith guys
Daddy: no keith is at home rn
Daddy: who even are you
Knife: who tf names their group chat shito
Lancelot: if you had any friends youd know
Hunk Muffin: just pls return the phone
Pidgeotto: hes moving
Knife: wtf are you tracking me?
Pidgeotto: fuck you
Daddy: ^
Mustache: ^
Lancelot: ^
Hunk Muffin: ^
Lancelot: wow we never agree on anything
Lancelot: well im going to bed night guys gals and fake keith
Lance put his phone down. Keith's phone was stolen once a month, so he wasn't too worried. Lance looked over at Keith. He was on his back, breathing through his mouth. He had drool on the one side. His mullet looked shitty as hell and was sweaty, so it stuck up and to him in weird places. He looked almost peaceful when he slept.
Why was Lance thinking about this? He had to get to sleep.
You're putting it off. A little voice inside Lance's head told him. Lance shoved the thought aside and focused on the wall in front of him. Eventually, he relaxed.
It would be fine. He could take care of Keith, he would recover, and Lance could teach him how to surf. It'll be fine.
Never say it'll be fine.