(no subject)

[bigbrained]

[Being core members of the Voltron coalition meant that sometimes the team had to spread their forces thin in order to take care of everything that required their attention. Sure, they had other allies who could hold their own -the Blade of Mamora for example- but it had a little more impact if the paladins themselves saved a colony or planet, as opposed to more Galra.

In other words: politics.]

I mean, I understand what Coran was saying but I still think it's kinda dumb, right Keith? [Undeterred by Keith's noncommital 'uh huh's and 'yeah's, Hunk continues on as he follows Keith's lead and slows down his approach. They're going to have to try and sneak up on this installation or risk the Galra retaliating against the captured techs for calling for help.] They've been around way longer than we have, and fighting for way longer too! It kinda feels like we're shoving them out of the way to get all the glory. Not that that's what we're doing, but it sure feels like that's what we're doing. I guess in the end it doesn't really matter who gets the job done so long as the people are saved, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Right? Do you have a bad taste in your mouth too, Keith?

Comments

[bigbrained]

[Yeah that's it, lean back and sleep.] Let's work on that tomorrow, Davy Crockett. I'm so tired I don't think I could get back up even if we had to. [And now that he's stationary, it's true; his head is heavy, and he's ninety percent sure that the thing about people with concussions having to stay awake is a Hollywood trope and not actually true, and his side aches but thankfully not enough to keep him up. And Keith is warm and his hair is soft under Hunk's chin and even with a busted leg, Hunk's confident that Keith can take care of anything that would try to come after them.

Hey, if they're lucky, when they wake up Yellow will be back.

-

It's still pitch dark when Hunk finally wakes up, and as he sits still and listens for the sound of intruders and comes up with nothing. Looks like they're still in the clear.

Keith is thankfully breathing, still against him (and that was part of the reason why Hunk wanted him right there anyway, just to make sure he didn't stop during the night), so Hunk doesn't move much, just letting his head fall back against the wall as he closes his eyes and dozes.

-

When he wakes again it's because he'd shifted and the movement sent a stab of pain through his side so blinding that he jolts awake with a gasp, jostling Keith as he grabs for his side.] OW ow ow ow, ow, ow-

[whatsacactus]

[He sleeps easy, heavy. Probably some of the best sleep he's had in a long time, though whether that's from the sheer exhaustion or sleeping against Hunk, he can't guess. Keith only rouses a little when Hunk shifts the first time, not even fully waking and settling again. He mostly just has those same dreams where he's looking for Shiro, risks losing the family he's found. Fun stuff. Things he's never going to bother the others with.

It's not until his foundation is moving and there's noise and--]

Wha? [God, he slept hard. He doesn't remember where he is for a minute, reaching to stand and immediately regretting it in his leg but he hears Hunk and that's the first solid thought that breaks through the jolt of pain.]

Hunk- hey, what is it! [Shit shit shit did Hunk get hurt worse than they thought, did something else happen, did he do something and doesn't know it yet, what what]

[bigbrained]

I'm fine, [Hunk wheezes, sounding anything but fine, half-doubled over and clutching his side. Geez, who knew a bruise could hurt so bad?] Just...p-pulled my side. Must've gotten stiff. [See look he can get u- oh owowowowow no he can't, he cannot get up right now,] Okay so maybe a little less fine than previously anticipated...

[whatsacactus]

Wha- Hunk. Pulled your side?

[Yeah, he sounds less than pleased about that. Christ, and here he's been sleeping on it. He moves as best he can to the side Hunk is reaching for and even if he can't see anything with the armor on, he tries to guess at it, just. Gently pressing his hands to different parts.]

You should've said something, or made me get up. [The head between the knees thing doesn't work for this. He thinks. So there's gotta be something else he can do to help.]

[bigbrained]

I thought it was just a bruise! It didn't hurt like this when we went to sleep.
[Hunk hisses and flinches as Keith pokes at him, but doesn't pull away. He's a little scared too, honestly; if Keith can't run and he can't even get up, they're done for.

His side feels swollen and puffy, so Hunk starts to painstakingly unlatch his chestpiece and shoulder pauldron to try and work the bodysuit down his arm and chest to get a good look at-

Holy shit. A bruise so dark and big that its mottled purple-brown surface stretches across almost his entire left side.] Uhhh...shhh, ow, yeah...probably shoulda iced that, huh?

[whatsacactus]

[Oh shit. He didn't have to try and guess where the bruise was. It was just everywhere. He's genuinely worried now. If it weren't dark, he'd try to look for something he could use.]

Does your lion have ice even? God, the one time we really need Lance here. [His Lion could just shoot some ice somewhere and they could scrape off what they need.He doesn't know what to do. This is arguably one of the less ideal situations he's been in and he doesn't know what to do. He has to keep it together, not panic in front of Hunk.

Which means something he probably doesn't want to think about but he's gotta do.]

[bigbrained]

Yeah, ah, not so much. [Okay, so, next best thing,] Uh, kit. The kit...painkillers and- anti-inflammatory stuff. Be good with those.

[whatsacactus]

... Got it.

[Way better plan than what he was starting to put together.

Okay, he can do this, just get the kit and bring it back. He takes a breath and rests one hand on Hunk's shoulder to help get him up to his good leg.]

Don't. Move.

[Don't even flail, buddy. He starts limping to go find where Hunk put the kit back to and it's real slow going. Once he's out of immediate sight, he stops to lean against the wall holding his side to breathe because okay, he probably needs some of that too.

He's back later, tries to ease himself back down with the kit and opens it up. He... has no idea what any of this stuff is.]

...I don't know which is which. It's all in Altean. [No shit, Keith.]

[bigbrained]

[God...Keith's leg must be real bad for him to be so hunched like that. They're both gonna have to be careful.]

S'fine, I- had Allura show me some stuff after Lance got hurt. [Realizing that none of them could even read medicine bottles was a scary experience, one that Hunk immediately wanted to rectify.

He holds out a hand, the other gingerly cradling his side.] There should be one with blue stripes along the bottom, and another one with red letters.

[whatsacactus]

[He nods, starts picking up bottles and holding them in his suit's little lights to find the ones Hunk is talking about. For calling human medical practices barbaric, the Alteans matched it pretty closely in a lot of this smaller stuff. But he'd give a lot for them both to have a week in a healing pod.]

Okay this looks like one. [He holds out one bottle, red letters he thinks. Hard to tell with his vision blurring a little.]

[bigbrained]

[Hunk takes it, squints at the bottle as well before cracking it open and shaking out three little iridescent pills.] Here, you take one too.

[whatsacactus]

[He looks at the bottle in his hand, then the pills Hunk holds out to him. honestly? he trusts hunk with this kind of stuff entirely.He would just as soon make sure the bleeding stops and call it a day. so he grabs the pills and hands him the other bottle.]

Which is this that I'm taking?

[bigbrained]

[Yeah Keith you take one pill, you beanpole, give those back before you get high as balls. Hunk is the one taking two.] Painkillers. We're gonna have to get moving soon, right? [Hunk's gonna dry swallow those two and then some of the anti-inflammatory tablets also. Actually, there should be some water around here in emergency supplies...

With a hand to the side of the hull Hunk pushes himself up painstakingly to his feet. His side doesn't hurt as terribly as he thought, he probably just moved too quickly when he woke up.] Yeaugh... Okay, not as bad as before. I'm good, I'm good...

[whatsacactus]

[maybe he needs to be!!

probably safer to not, his head is swimming right now. So he gets a breath and just dry swallows it because it's faster and gets ready in case hunk needs help]

How long do you think it's been?

[nevermind his helmet is right there and he could just check himself.]

[bigbrained]

No clue. Mannn, should've asked Coran the average day-night cycle for this outpost...

Hang on, hang on a sec. Don't get up, I'm gonna check on Yellow. [And go find some of those supplies, too. It's not easy to do in the dark but Hunk knows the inside of Yellow almost as well as his childhood bedroom, and even on his side he doesn't have much trouble navigating around to the pilot chair. There's the supply bag, in a manual compartment below it, but first...

Hunk circles around the chair, reaching up to place a hand on one of the controls. He clings to the chair, listening desperately; he and Keith will need to leave if they don't want to be captured, but that means abandoning Yellow to the Galra.] Come on buddy, [Hunk whispers, squeezing the throttle. He doesn't know how long he stands there, listening painstakingly for a response that never comes.

Eventually he has to give up, not without great reluctance, and he stops to place a hand on the console first.] I'll come back for you, buddy. I promise.

[It hurts, much more than he thought it would, but Hunk still draws out the supplies bag and slings it over his right shoulder before feeling his way back to Keith.] Okay, I've got the stuff. We should get moving.

[whatsacactus]

[Hunk is gone. He still doesn't have a good grasp of what time it is or how long they were asleep, but he knows they should move. And he knows he's still exhausted. Maybe that blood loss thing is something he should be more concerned about from now on. Keith started with sitting up, back against the wall(floor) and rests his head back.

While waiting, it becomes laying on the floor on his not-hurting side. He's definitely sure his rib's cracked now, but the pain killer Hunk gave him is helping with it a lot; he feels like he can breathe and that's good. That's better.

But he makes the mistake of getting comfortable there, on that hard floor and sleep gradually overtakes him again. He's just... So tired. He'd been going almost nonstop for a solid twenty-four hours when they crashed here.]

[bigbrained]

...Keith? Keith? [Hunk drops the bag and falls to his knees next to where Keith's slumped onto the ground, feeling around his mouth for a breath, for something- oh shit, what if he misremembered the medicines, what if he just killed Keith-]

[whatsacactus]

[What if his Galra genes are deathly allergic to Altean medicine? What if the dosage was too high for his body makeup? What if ...

He was just asleep. He stirs a little, groggy and bleary eyed.]

Wha? 'm up-- 'm up. [He starts pushing himself up to one elbow and winces, holding his side because oh god that one was bad.]

[bigbrained]

[What is that. Why are you holding your side.] What's wrong? [Slips an arm under Keith's neck and shoulder to help him stay up without putting any weight on his elbow, other hand hovering nervously above where Keith's gripping his side.] Are you hurt somewhere else? Without saying anything?

[whatsacactus]

It's fine. [Immediate instinct reaction. But he eases into his hands to help him up. God this is stupid. If he'd just had a better plan, this wouldn't have happened. They'd be back at the castle giving a report and sleeping in their beds.]

It's fine, I'm fine. Just, slept weird.

[bigbrained]

Don't lie, [Hunk says, maybe a little sharper than he usually would. He huffs out a breath, resting his hand over where Keith had been clutching and presses lightly.] Here?

[whatsacactus]

[God, he's just - he's tired, and not for the first time thinking about how empty his stomach is. Everything that's wrong.

He grips at Hunk's arm and tries not to let on how much that hurts, but god it does and he can't hide it that well.] St-stop.

[bigbrained]

[Hunk does, immediately; barely even an inhale, for god's sake, Keith would've tried to hide it the entire time, wouldn't he?] So what d'you think? Bruised rib? ...busted?

[Turns and stretches for that med kit, dragging it over and popping the latch to rummage through it.] Either way we better bind that up. Can you get your armor off?

[whatsacactus]

[God. Okay. Sitting up. He can do that, he can stay upright. He'll focus on the second question, starting to get his chest plate off.]

It's fine, just sore. [That is literally not what it was like five seconds ago. But like hell will he make Hunk worry more, even as he's getting his body suit peeled down to show a dark, dark bruise on his side. It's Not Good, definitely cracked. No doubt in his mind now that he's seeing it even in this shitty light.]

...So a little bad.

[Keith.]

[bigbrained]

[The firm set of Hunk's jaw probably shows how he feels about that, but instead of saying anything he just silently digs through the kit. Binding a fractured rib is usually a bad idea, but in the short term it'll help Keith move around more easily. Once they're out of immediate danger they can remove the bandages so he can breathe deeply.

Yeah. Just...concentrate on what needs to be done. Not on the sick feeling of having to abandon Yellow in the wilderness, potentially to the Galra, and not on how Keith still doesn't trust Hunk as a capable teammate. Just focus on the short term.]