The New Paladin

49: Take a Breath

"How's he doing?" Pidge asked from the doorway to Lance's room.

Lance was still asleep, cushions padded under his head and shoulders to alleviate the strange rattling that came with nearly every breath.

His hair was sweaty and stuck to his forehead and around his neck, he looked so small and fragile compared to his usually excited demeanor.

Hunk shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving Lance's unconscious form. "He wakes up and seems really out of it... He called me Dad."

Pidge frowned stepping in further to place her hand on Hunk's shoulder. "We're trying to think of something."

"When do Shiro and Keith get back?" Hunk asked leaning into Pidge's touch.

A sharp wheeze had the two flinching.

Lance's eyes parted slightly before a deep but weak cough tore from his throat.

It left Lance choking, breathless and already blacking out again.

Pidge hovered anxiously then met Hunk's gaze. "I'm going to get Coran."

Hunk nodded. "Please hurry."

Pidge disappeared out the room leaving Hunk to watch over Lance with his silent worry.

"Come on man." Hunk whispered. "You can pull through this, you're going to be fine again in no time."

Coran was soon there pressing his fingers to Lance's wrist as he cupped Lance's cheek. "Why isn't he getting better?"

"I don't know." Hunk said shaking his head. "We've tried everything."

Pidge walked over lifting her tablet. It flickered before a scan popped up on the screen.

"The... Lug? Did he call it a lug?"

"Lung I believe."

"Right his lung seems to have done something strange." Pidge explained handing the tablet over. "It looks so much smaller then his other one... Are they meant to be the same?"

"I believe so." Coran whispered. "See if you can find out what is happening. I'm going to go through every Altean book I know."

"Maybe that's it." Hunk said turning to them. "Maybe we're looking in the wrong place."

"What do you mean?"

"Lance is from earth, why don't we get the answers from earth?" Hunk suggested.

The door to Lance's room opened and Shiro stepped in with a heavy frown. "Have you guys figured out how to help him?"

"Not yet." Pidge sighed.

Shiro gave brief nod as he stepped over to stand next to Lance gently ruffling his hair. "What can I do?"

"Well..." Coran sighed. "We're just discussing what we might-"

"Paladins!" Allura said loudly as she arrived in the room with Keith right behind her. "Kolivan and the Blades might have an answer."

"What? What is it?" Pidge asked hopefully.

"His lung, it's all to do with what happened at the Blades base." Keith explained. "We need to sort his lung out."

"How?" Hunk asked.

"We found this." Allura explained handing over a tablet. "It's in a language we cannot understand but... We don't really have time..."

Coran took the tablet and moved to sit next to Lance. He compared Pidge's pictures for several long moments before he nodded.

"I can help him with these."

"What do you need us to do?"

~~~

Coran was terrified.

He wouldn't say it outloud nor would he let it show, but it was clear that Lance's condition was deteriorating and the pods weren't helping.

If they were going to stop this and make sure he was alright they had to act quickly.

"Aren't you going to move him?" Kolivan asked as Coran finished setting up Lance's room.

Kolivan and his team were still living on board the castle as they had yet to take them to any locations for a new base.

But right now Coran had requested the Blade since he didn't really have a connection with Lance and would be able to assist Coran if anything happened suddenly.

"We do not have time, also I fear moving him will make this worse." Coran sighed.

Kolivan nodded. He stepped closer watching Lance's weak shallow breaths before he glanced to the equipment they had all somehow managed to either put together or find.

Coran could feel the nerves kicking back in.

He hated this.

Seeing Lance so ill like this and not being able to make him better in an instant was painful.

Lance was a good paladin, a great person and a dear friend.

Coran could tell he had been through a lot and he wanted to make sure that he at least made it to the end of his story.

Coran placed his hand on Lance's arm. "Lance," he wanted Lance to know he was there, "I don't know if you can hear me, but we're going to help you." He promised. "You're going to be alright."

They got no reply but neither were expecting it.

Shiro arrived bringing the last of the equipment needed. "Do you want anyone else here?"

"Yes, Allura." Coran nodded. "I will need her help."

Shiro gave a greatful look then left, they all knew how much he hated this plan, he had been most anxious that it went as planned.

But knowing Shiro's past helped Coran to see that this fear was finally turning healthy, he wasn't afraid of small triggers like he used to be, he was now afraid for others, no longer unable to move because of the fear for himself.

"Alright." Coran nodded once Allura entered the room. "Let's begin."

~~~

The paladins outside of Lance's room were unable to settle.

Hunk was pacing, his yellow eyes glowing slightly brighter then normal, mumbling to himself about how Lance has to be alright.

Pidge was sat on the floor next to the door with her eyes closed, concentrated on any noise coming from Lance's room.

Shiro and Keith were slightly further away from the door but no less interested.

Keith's arms were tight across his chest eyebrows pulled low as his ears lay flat on the top of his head.

Shiro looked a lot paler than he normally did. His Altean marks standing out more against the pale complexion.

"He's going to be okay." Hunk said as he paused. "Right?"

None of the paladins quite had the heart to answer that.