A Brief Enquiry Into Klance Disorders

Schizophrenia (Lance)

Schizophrenia
/ˌskɪtsə(ʊ)ˈfriːnɪə/
noun: schizophrenia
1. a long-term mental disorder of a type involving a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behaviour, leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion, and a sense of mental fragmentation.

TW: Schizophrenia, self harm (in the form of hitting your head against the wall), delusions (thinking someone is trying to kill you).

Lance backed up against the wall, his eyes as wide as saucers as he stared at Keith who looked extremely concerned. Lance was holding a knife in his trembling hands as the voices swirled around him. They were shouting, taunting, screaming at him to hurt Keith. To shove him up against the wall and press the knife into his neck. He didn't want to but he needed to. They told him that Keith secretly hated him; that Keith was planning to kill him and Lance just couldn't risk that. Keith was going to kill Lance unless Lance killed him first.

"Lance, listen to me. You're okay. Nobody's going to hurt you." Keith whispered, bending down and holding out a hand. He wanted the knife.

"As soon as he gets the knife, he's going to stab you." The voices said, so loud that Lance had to cover up his ears.

"Shut up!" Lance screamed; it was unclear whether it was directed at Keith or the voices around him. He threw his head back so that it harshly smacked against the wall. Ringing filled his ears and it dulled the voices for a couple of short seconds. "Will you just stop? I can't take this anymore!"

"Lance, Lance... You're safe. Give me the knife."

"He wants to hurt you. He secretly hates you. You need the knife. Keep the knife." As Keith leaned forward, Lance struck the knife out, just cutting Keith's arm. His jacket sliced apart to reveal a small cut on Keith's shoulder. Red bubbled to the surface of the wound but Keith didn't seem at all bothered by it: his concerns were elsewhere.

"Don't come near me!"

"Okay, okay!" Keith backed up, holding his arms in the air as he realised just how serious the situation was. He couldn't help but wonder if his best friend was actually willing to kill him. "I'm going to get Hunk, okay? Do you trust him?"

Lance turned his head so that he didn't have to look at Keith. His entire body was hunched over and shaking violently. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and he was squeezing his head with his hands in a worthless attempt to shut the voices up. He just wanted them to go away. He slammed his head back against the wall as Keith disappeared. The ringing made the voices subside so he did it again. Again. Again. Again. His head was pounding but at least the voices were quieter.

Hunk appeared a couple of minutes later with a glass of water and a couple of space cookies that he knew Lance loved. He approached Lance with caution, knowing how much of a state he was in. "Lance, what happened?" He left space between them. He had dealt with such a meltdown before so he knew Lance did not appreciate being touched.

"Keith's going to kill me, Hunk. You have to save me." Lance's head jerked up as he desperately stared into Hunk's concerned eyes.

"He isn't going to kill you, okay? He just wanted to help you."

"No, no, no. You're wrong! Are you working with him?" Lance thrust his head backwards against the wall again. His eyes were squeezed shut and the grip he had on the knife was still as strong as ever. His knuckles were turning white but it was worth it to keep himself safe. "You're working with him, aren't you? I know you are! Don't you dare come near me!" Hunk backed up further, giving Lance all of the space he needed.

"Did you take your meds this morning?"

"Allura rushed me so I forgot..." Lance murmured the sentence before raising his voice again. "Don't hurt me! I can kill you... I don't want to but I will if I have to!"

"You won't have to, okay? We just need you to take your medication. I can go and get it for you." Lance started to mumble himself and jerks washed over his body as he was clearly disorientated. "I will be right back, Lance." Hunk placed the cookies and water down about a metre in front of Lance and left the room. When Hunk returned, he was holding two small, white pills. He placed them down in front of Lance so that they didn't need to make physical contact. Hesitantly, Lance reached out and swallowed them. "I'm sorry I let you forget to take your meds."

"Not your fault." Lance buried his head into his knees, his breathing unsteady. He was still holding the knife but his grip was slightly looser.

"I'll speak to Allura for you."