Between Two Evils: Chapter 21
Jun. 26th, 2013 08:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
botiasThis is VERY short. Sorry!
Previous Chapters Here
“I'm fine,” Keith kept his attention on the observation window until the hovering young medic departed.
He was fine, physically. He had returned unscathed a second time from the planet that devoured so many. Maybe he should set up a tour service. Anger rose up, a fresh, hot wave; his fingers clenched tight on the mug someone had pressed on him.
There must be places he should be, other than this hallway in Trauma Med holding a drink he didn't want, but he could be useful to someone here in spite of the fact that he had driven a sword through her shoulder.
She didn't share a common language with him, didn’t know his name, but she had caught hold of him when he'd tried to leave, and she kept checking to see that he was still present if no longer at her side. He could understand that. Compared to all the other people on Arus, he was her oldest friend. He held her copper gaze while they sealed, scanned and injected. He kept expecting to see accusation there.
Again someone came to stand beside him.
This time it was not someone he could dismiss. Keith glanced at his commander’s reflection in the observation window before returning his gaze to the patient within.
“How is she?”
Keith tensed at the quiet words. In the confusion of his unannounced arrival with a gravely wounded young woman, they had hardly spoken, but one look from beneath thunderous brows had communicated a world of wrath.
“She's expected to make a full recovery,” Keith said, after a moment. “One of the volunteers actually speaks her language. They’re waiting for him before they go any further.”
Keith had known what the consequences would be when he had awakened Black Lion in the dark of night, pointed her toward Doom and let her fly.
The consequences were pathetic. Coran could not replace him, not with Allura gone. The only question really, was how much of Coran's anger was because of his unauthorized rescue mission, and how much was because the mission had failed. He had seen the hope on the older man's face when he had first arrived with a woman in his arms. He had grown up with military leaders, disciplined and often reserved. His commander on Arus was much like them, one of the most reserved people he had ever met. To see Coran be cracked open like that, and then to watch that hope die...
“Did you accomplish anything? Anything at all?” Coran’s voice was pitched low, due to their lack of privacy, but it did nothing to lessen the force of his demand.
What had he accomplished except to put them all at risk?
“I have some intelligence,” Keith said, at last. Congratulations are in order... You're in love with her. Aren't you? Keith gazed unseeing at the mug in his hand and felt the weight of his actions multiply, pushing him down until he felt pinned in place.
Voices from the room brought his head up. There was a new person there now, a sturdy man with hair and skin in shades of autumn; he was talking earnestly with the woman whose blood still stained his skin, his clothes. She listened, very serious. Then her expression changed, tension falling away. Her eyes sought his again as she lay back against the pillows.
Keith found the corner of his mouth turning up. His return from Doom was no miracle, but hers... He smiled then, really smiled, in spite of his heartache and exhaustion, in spite of the part of him that wondered what his failure would mean for them all.
Lance was always telling him that he needed to focus on the positive.
“Well?”
“You were right, Coran. Lotor is planning to use the lions for his own purposes.”
“What is it? How do you know?”
Keith took a sip of his drink. It was still hot, prickling his tongue. He turned his head and met his commander's haunted gaze. “Because I'm still alive.”
On to Chapter 22
Previous Chapters Here
Chapter 21
“I'm fine,” Keith kept his attention on the observation window until the hovering young medic departed.
He was fine, physically. He had returned unscathed a second time from the planet that devoured so many. Maybe he should set up a tour service. Anger rose up, a fresh, hot wave; his fingers clenched tight on the mug someone had pressed on him.
There must be places he should be, other than this hallway in Trauma Med holding a drink he didn't want, but he could be useful to someone here in spite of the fact that he had driven a sword through her shoulder.
She didn't share a common language with him, didn’t know his name, but she had caught hold of him when he'd tried to leave, and she kept checking to see that he was still present if no longer at her side. He could understand that. Compared to all the other people on Arus, he was her oldest friend. He held her copper gaze while they sealed, scanned and injected. He kept expecting to see accusation there.
Again someone came to stand beside him.
This time it was not someone he could dismiss. Keith glanced at his commander’s reflection in the observation window before returning his gaze to the patient within.
“How is she?”
Keith tensed at the quiet words. In the confusion of his unannounced arrival with a gravely wounded young woman, they had hardly spoken, but one look from beneath thunderous brows had communicated a world of wrath.
“She's expected to make a full recovery,” Keith said, after a moment. “One of the volunteers actually speaks her language. They’re waiting for him before they go any further.”
Keith had known what the consequences would be when he had awakened Black Lion in the dark of night, pointed her toward Doom and let her fly.
The consequences were pathetic. Coran could not replace him, not with Allura gone. The only question really, was how much of Coran's anger was because of his unauthorized rescue mission, and how much was because the mission had failed. He had seen the hope on the older man's face when he had first arrived with a woman in his arms. He had grown up with military leaders, disciplined and often reserved. His commander on Arus was much like them, one of the most reserved people he had ever met. To see Coran be cracked open like that, and then to watch that hope die...
“Did you accomplish anything? Anything at all?” Coran’s voice was pitched low, due to their lack of privacy, but it did nothing to lessen the force of his demand.
What had he accomplished except to put them all at risk?
“I have some intelligence,” Keith said, at last. Congratulations are in order... You're in love with her. Aren't you? Keith gazed unseeing at the mug in his hand and felt the weight of his actions multiply, pushing him down until he felt pinned in place.
Voices from the room brought his head up. There was a new person there now, a sturdy man with hair and skin in shades of autumn; he was talking earnestly with the woman whose blood still stained his skin, his clothes. She listened, very serious. Then her expression changed, tension falling away. Her eyes sought his again as she lay back against the pillows.
Keith found the corner of his mouth turning up. His return from Doom was no miracle, but hers... He smiled then, really smiled, in spite of his heartache and exhaustion, in spite of the part of him that wondered what his failure would mean for them all.
Lance was always telling him that he needed to focus on the positive.
“Well?”
“You were right, Coran. Lotor is planning to use the lions for his own purposes.”
“What is it? How do you know?”
Keith took a sip of his drink. It was still hot, prickling his tongue. He turned his head and met his commander's haunted gaze. “Because I'm still alive.”
On to Chapter 22
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2013-06-27 07:21 pm (UTC)Gracias
no subject
Date: 2013-06-27 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-28 10:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-30 07:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-07-15 03:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-07-26 04:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-07-26 02:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-07-26 04:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-08-01 04:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-08-18 02:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-08-18 01:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-08-19 08:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-11-18 03:42 am (UTC)http://botias.livejournal.com/232721.html
no subject
Date: 2013-12-18 06:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-09 05:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-04-15 12:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-07-27 03:08 am (UTC)Awesome!
Date: 2014-07-25 01:55 pm (UTC)I have really enjoyed reading the story so far. When I was younger Prince Lotor was my big blue alien crush!
You have a lovely way of story telling. I can't wait to read more, I really hope you will continue on with this story.
I just love this!
from Kiwi
Re: Awesome!
Date: 2014-07-27 03:02 am (UTC)Tenjo
Date: 2014-08-12 03:59 am (UTC)Julie
Re: Tenjo
Date: 2015-11-18 01:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-02-16 02:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-09-10 04:08 am (UTC)