OPEN - And when the wave comes sweeping

[lonered]

Who: Keith & Anyone, Everyone, You?
Where: Temple hallways
When: Later stages of the plague event
Rating PG? Idk. Memories and talk of death
What: End stage plague things. Seeing things that aren't there, then not seeing anything. Fun times to be had by all.



[ Option A - end of week 2, hallucination boogaloo ]

Keith has given up any pretense of being well enough to do much besides lying in bed, curled up and shivering and trying to ignore the increasing loud voices that he knows can't possibly be real.

Or, well, he'd known that the last time he shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

But now, now as he wakes, he hears a voice calling for him -- nearby and frantic. It's a voice he hasn't heard, save in odd dreams, since he was a child. His eyes snap open, and all he sees is fire. Everywhere.

Keith scrambles out of bed, eyes wide and terrified -- and perhaps more jarringly to anyone who sees him, near glowing a vibrant yellow behind the usual violet iris and currently blown pupil -- and stumbles out into the hallway. His father's voice screams for him, but only Keith can hear it. Keith screams back, and his strained voice echoes through the hall, "Dad! Where... where are you? Please... no..."

The vision of fire rages and Keith stands, lost in the hallway, breath shallow and quick, terrified, near feral. He doesn't remember the last time he cried, but there are tears streaking down his ashen face from currently inhuman eyes. "Dad?!"


[ Option B - mid week 3, unseeing ]

By now the fever has broken, and there is a faint almost spark of hope in Keith that maybe this is over. It isn't though. And that becomes obvious far too soon after. The worst of the hallucinations are gone, but this time, as he stands in the doorway of the room that he shares with Shiro, he's clinging to the doorframe a bit too tightly, knuckles white.

His eyes have returned to normal, none of his Galra side choosing to show itself at the moment, but the way he's looking out at nothing isn't normal either. Noise will catch his attention, and he'll look in the general direction, gaze not quite focusing.

"Is someone there? I can't.... I can't see."

Comments

[lonered]

Whatever this sickness is, it's beyond everyone's understanding, it seems. With all the healers they have in the Circle, it has to mean something that they haven't been able to cure it or even keep it at bay. It's intimidating, thinking it about like that.

But the fact that Allura has made a difference right now is the first encouragement he's felt in a while. He shakes his head. "Don't be sorry. This is better. And it's the first time I've even had some hope for better since this all started. So thank you, Allura."

He means it too. This is movement in the right direction, and for the good it does to the shreds of his hope alone, he's grateful.

[juniberries]

There's a small smile in response, tentative, uncertain, and still disappointed by her inability to fully help. But, partly wondering if Keith was only trying to abate her concerns, she does feel better about helping in some part to make him feel better.

To give him hope.

Her hand squeezes his shoulder, warmly. "I wish I could have done more but-- I am glad. And know you can reach out to me for help." She pauses, not wanting to leave him alone, wanting to keep him company.

"Were you attempting to go anywhere?"

[lonered]

At least he's stopped talking about contingencies in the event of his death? That's something, isn't it? Of course, he's already spoken about it to Lance and now Allura, so he may have his bases covered more or less now.

He manages a smile, more in answer to her tone of voice than anything else. "Yeah, I know I can. Thanks, Allura."

For more than just the healing, he means. But oh. That. "I was going to go to the kitchen." ...which will now be a disaster if he tries, in all likelihood.

[juniberries]

"I can accompany you to the kitchen." Because...yes, it would be a bit of a disaster, him trying to head there by himself without guidance. Her hand moves to rest on his forearm, a constant reassurance of her physically being there beyond simply being just a voice. Or, in the case of his limited eyesight, from what she assumes, a dark shadow against light.

"If I cannot heal your vision fully, I will gladly be your eyes. I can even try to fix you some of the tea I've been drinking."

[lonered]

Keith is not the type to ask for help, or know how accept help all that gracefully. He's gotten better about it, better at it. Being part of Voltron and learning how a team and a family works has helped. So has meeting and getting to know his mother. But it's still not the simplest thing for him.

And now he does need the help. So it's only a momentary hesitation before he nods, "I'd appreciate it."

Because it would be a challenge without assistance. He's not used to navigating with no sight. "And tea sounds great."