By the time Shiro reached the observation deck, the alarms were deafening. The door slid open with a hiss, and his eyes widened at the sight inside.
Keith lay on the floor, unmoving, his side scorched from the power surge. The acrid smell of burned circuitry and armor hung heavy in the air.
"Keith!" Shiro shouted, sprinting across the room. He dropped to his knees beside him, gloved hand pressing carefully to Keith's shoulder. "Stay with me, buddy...come on."
A second later, Lance skidded through the doorway, breathless. His eyes locked onto Keith's limp form, and the world tilted.
"No...no, no, no," Lance stammered, stumbling forward. He dropped beside them, his hands hovering uselessly over Keith's body. "I was gone for two seconds! Shiro, he...he was still conscious when I left-"
Shiro's face was tight, calm in a way that only made Lance more frantic. "It's bad, but he's alive. We need to get him to medical, now."
Keith groaned faintly, his head lolling toward Shiro's voice. His eyes cracked open, unfocused, glassy. "Sh… Shiro…"
"I've got you," Shiro said firmly, sliding an arm under him. "Don't talk. Just hold on."
Keith's gaze shifted, hazy but determined, until it landed on Lance. His lips parted, like he wanted to say something-
-but then his body seized, a shudder ripping through him.
Lance's heart lurched into his throat. "Shiro-!"
"I know," Shiro barked, lifting Keith carefully into his arms. "Lance, stay close. Keep your head." The wires crackled again, like a threat.
But Lance's hands wouldn't stop shaking as he scrambled to his feet. His vision blurred, his chest tight like he couldn't breathe.
Keith had trusted him. Trusted him to come back. And now he was slipping away.
Lance followed Shiro out of the deck, but inside, one thought screamed louder than the alarms:I should've never left him.