Keith used to believe that torture was simply inflicting pain on someone. That it involved knives or electricity to make someone suffer until they gave in.
Before recently, he never believed that being left alone in a room with food and water would have counted.
Him and Lance had been scouting out an asteroid belt for a possible coalition hideout. However, they had no way of knowing that the Galra had the same idea.
The two paladins were blindsided, blasted at until their lions floated dead in space easy for the pickings.
Keith woke up in a small cell with Lance laying over his legs.
They had both been stripped of their armour and weapons leaving them in nothing but the thin white suits they wore underneath the thick black protective rubber.
Keith tried to shift Lance off him but lacked the room to get the leverage he needed. The room was so small that despite being half slouched against the wall he could still hit the opposite wall with the flat of his feet.
He couldn't help but feel sorry for the taller paladin with him, no way he would be able to stretch out comfortably.
Then again considering their current situation being able to lie down was the least of their worries.
Bringing his attention back to Lance, Keith looked him over for any sign of injury. Other than a couple bruises that always tended to litter his lanky limbs he seemed fine.
Keith grabbed him by the shoulder and shook roughly earning a groan in response as Lance woke up.
“Keith? Where are we?” Lance grumbled.
“I’m guessing a command ship being taken back to Haggar” Keith sighed looking around, there was nothing in the cell save for a door with a hatch at the bottom that slid open from the outside.
Lance nodded “wonder if this will be a ‘tell us where Voltron is or we hurt you’ kinda thing.”
Keith ran a hand through his hair, the thought had crossed his mind but honestly, he was more concerned with the fact they could be placed into the arena.
He knew he could handle himself but Lance was a sharpshooter. He wasn’t made for close combat and definitely not for the blow of killing another living creature with your own hands.
“Whatever comes we have to stay strong” Keith finally said after several tense minutes of silence.
Lance seemed satisfied with that answer as he nodded. His eyes widened as he realised he was practically sitting on Keith lap and quickly scrambled off muttering a quick “sorry” while he settled in next to the red paladin.
“It’s fine, I’m pretty sure they just tossed us in here” Keith shrugged.
“Remind me to give them a bad yelp review later”
Despite the situation, Keith found a small smile pulling at the edge of his lips.
Lance had that special kind of quality that allowed him to say exactly the right thing the cheer people up no matter how grim things seemed.
It was probably what Keith admires about him the most.
The two sat in a comfortable silence waiting for the inevitable opening of the door that would see one or perhaps both of them writhing in agony.
However as the minutes turned to hours nothing actually happened.
“Maybe they're like killing us into a false sense of security? Or they forgot we’re here?” Lance suggested shifting slightly. Hours sitting on a cold hard floor had left both their legs pretty much dead.
As Keith said that the hatch slid open and a tray containing two cups of water and two bowls of yellow food goo was pushed through.
“Well I guess we are VIP’s room service is to be expected” Lance chuckled as he picked up his water and thirstily drank.
Until that moment Keith hasn’t let himself think about the dryness to his throat. But now as he stared at the water it was all he could think about it.
Like Lance, he drank without a second thought.
They were a little more hesitant about the food but after sniffing it a few times their stomachs rumbled in demand for it and they gave in.
Once again they were returned to silence just waiting.
This silence eventually turned to sleep.
Keith woke up with an uncomfortable heat against his neck.
His first instinct was to toss it way and batted at it half asleep.
Then the heat let out a moan in protest and suddenly Keith wasn’t so sleepy anymore.
His eyes snapped open as he looked to Lance who at some point had rested his head against his shoulder and also spiked a fever.
A cold dread settled in Keith's stomach, before the mission Lance had not even seemed sick, certainly not to the point where his cheeks were flushed red.
Gently as to not wake him up, Keith manoeuvred Lance so that his face was resting against the cool metal. Keith placed a hand on his forehead and frowned.
The unmistakable heat of a fever was there… it wasn't too bad but who knew how long that could last especially in these conditions.
They didn't have any medicine and for all, they knew they would only get food and water once a day.
Keith bit his lip watching Lance sleep. He looked so peaceful as if he was completely unaware of the danger he was in. Keith wanted to let him sleep on but unfortunately, it was not in the cards and Lance ended waking himself up by coughing.
They were short barks that left him panting by the end of it and looking around for answers to his sudden discomfort.
Keith swallowed the lump in his throat “Yeah, I'm here. How are you feeling?”
Lance shrugged as he rubbed his eyes clearly still tired “not too bad I guess, my throats a little dry.”
Keith hummed in response, he didn't believe him for an instant but without having a way to actually help him all he could do was play along and hope to avoid panicking the blue paladin.
The hatch slipped open and yet again food and water were pushed through. Keith managed to catch sight of a purple hand but not much else.
And certainly nothing useful.
Lance drank his water in one go before he leaned back against the wall “man my back's killing me” he mumbled twisting so that his spine cracked.
“I'm sure the others will come for us soon,” Keith mumbled into his cup draining half of it before offering the rest to lance.
Lance held up his hand in protest. “No way dude you need to drink too.” However, as Keith continued to push it towards him Lance realised he wouldn't give in so took the cup and pushed his food closer to Keith “fine but you take some of my food… I'm not really hungry.”
The worry grew within Keith but he accepted the small victory as Lance drank. He just wished he didn't leave just under a quarter of his food before falling back asleep.
