Gone and Mute

Chapter 5

Quick note before I get started: This is sort of written after a season four where Lotor didn't get an alliance, and the coalition was a thing and Keith still left for the Blade of Marmora. He just has been back for a while, and Zarkon's empire has been weakened, but Lotor is simultaneously a threat.

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Lance stood in the bridge silently. The group was staring at him. Shiro seemed to be glaring, and Lance couldn't blame him. He hadn't exactly been all that cooperative lately, even though it really wasn't his fault. Hunk and Pidge seemed a bit concerned as Lance wrapped his arms around himself. His stomach churned at this and made him feel sick. It made him feel pathetic. Even Allura and Coran looked worried about how Shiro would handle the situation, and gazed at the group from a respectful distance. Keith looked... Lance couldn't tell, actually. He seemed emotionless as ever. Lance shifted uncomfortably under their gazes, skin crawling.

"So. What happened Lance," Shiro asked, voice hard and causing Lance to flinch back a bit. He looked at Keith, who looked back blankly, before raising his right hand hesitantly.

C... A... U...

He fumbled with his fingers a moment, and mixed up the G and the H.

H... G... T.

He folded his arms again.

"You got caught?" Keith asked to confirm what Lance had said, and Lance nodded. Keith shifted his gaze to Shiro, staying quiet on the letter mix up. He could address it later if he felt it was necessary.

"How'd you pull that off? I thought we could leave you alone for a mere few minutes to deal with more pressing manners," Shiro scolded. This earned a look from Pidge that Lance couldn't decipher.

Another pang of emotion sprang up from Lance's chest, and he looked down. He couldn't say anything to hide his feelings, so it was painfully obvious that Shiro's words were cutting deep into him. Hunk moved closer to Lance worriedly, but Lance moved away from him and shifted his arms slightly so he could move his fist around his chest in a movement of apology.

"He says he's sorry, Shiro," Keith translated quickly.

Shiro looked at Lance, who had folded his arms back over his chest. Hunk reached out and set a hand on Lance's shoulder. He let Hunk do this, not moving from where his feet were grounded on the metal floor. Shiro let out a breath and let his arms fall from their folded position to rest at his sides. "Okay, fine. Just a mistake, I get it. But it was hindered by your inability to talk, wasn't it?"

Lance was pretty sure the room dropped in temperature by a few degrees as everyone realized what Shiro was hinting at, what his goal was, and he swore Hunk and Coran, and maybe even Allura were about ready to protest the events of the next ten seconds. He nodded slowly in response to Shiro's question.

"Then I think it would be best if you stepped down for a bit. Just until you can communicate effectively with the team again."

"That's unreasonable!" Hunk cried before Shiro had even finished speaking.

"You can't kick Lance off the team just because a temporary problem can't be addressed immediately!" Pidge added. "What'll the rebellion think? How will they react to Lance being gone- without the Blue Paladin?"

"Maybe I can try piloting the Blue Lion," Allura offered, earning looks varying from surprise to disagreement. "Look, I am certainly not agreeing that this is the best course of action, but if it is the only one we have- and it may very well be- I have already bonded enough with the Blue Lion to be able to pilot her just enough to continue fulfilling missions until Lance can take over again."

A heavy silence settled over the Paladins, and slowly everyone turned their gazes to Lance, to see what he thought about the situation. He felt sick. He didn't want to give up Blue, not again. He'd already felt so separated from her the first time, and he didn't want to risk losing her entirely, to have to undo all that progress. Suddenly, insecurities flooded his head. If he was a good enough Paladin, he wouldn't be worrying so much about his bond with Blue. If he was a good enough Paladin, he wouldn't have to give up for his vocal cords to heal. His team would see how important he was and just learn to cope with his temporary impairment.

But instead of trying to communicate these feelings, he bottled them up and put a cap on it, and let them settle like a stone in the pit of his stomach. Surreptitiously taking a slow breath, he used his spread fingers to sign a simple 'fine' motion, to show he was okay with the action. Even though he really really wasn't.

"Then it's settled." Shiro didn't give anyone time to protest or ask Lance to second guess himself. "Allura will take over the Blue Lion until Lance's vocal cords heal up."

Just the sound of it made Lance's heart break a little bit more.