A Brief Enquiry Into Klance Disorders

Cotard Delusion (Keith)

Cotard delusion, also known as walking corpse syndrome or Cotard's syndrome, is a rare mental disorder in which the affected person holds the delusional belief that they are already dead, do not exist, are putrefying, or have lost their blood or internal organs.

"Keith. Are you... okay?" Lance asked, thin eyes scanning Keith's body. Keith was curled up in the corner of the room with his arms wrapped around his legs. A long, red gash was running down his left arm. It was bleeding profusely and looked painful but Keith didn't seem too phased by it. "Hello? Keith?" Lance waved his hand in front of Keith's face but the man remained still and unaffected. "You're acting really weird. I'm going to get Shiro." Lance backed up before racing out of the room, yelling for the black paladin.

A few moments later, Lance returned with a worried looking Shiro. "Keith?" They both bent down to meet the red paladin's height but he seemed to be staring right through them. "I'm sure that hurts. Do you want me to have a look at it for you?"

"H-Have a look at what?" Keith's voice was trembling so much that his words were almost incoherent. Shiro reached out and intertwined his hand with Keith's.

"Your arm. That cut."

"That isn't my arm."

"What do you mean? Of course-" Lance started to respond in a very matter-of-fact tone. Keith's eyes thinned into a glare so Shiro took over.

"Whose arm is it then?"

"It isn't mine."

"How isn't it?"

"I'm dead. I died. This isn't my body." Lance and Shiro both exchanged a concerned expression as Keith buried his head into his knees.

"How did you die then?"

"Zarkon was going to shoot Lance's lion but I dived in the way. I got hit and I died." Rocking back and forth, Keith refused to meet either of their gazes. That was most likely for the best because Lance was on the verge of crying and Shiro was clearly confused. Keith didn't need more stress piled on top of him.

"Keith, you aren't dead. You're alive."

Keith let out a strangled cry and pulled his hand away from Shiro's. "I'm not! You're- You're going to bury me! I- I don't- I can't-" As Keith began hyperventilating, Shiro started to rub his arm.

He turned to Lance before whispering, "Go and get Coran. We need to treat the cut and he might know what's going on with Keith. Hurry." Lance nodded his head before rushing out of the room and leaving Shiro and Keith alone.

"Don't make them take me away. Please, please-" Keith grabbed Shiro's shirt with both of his fists, pulling him closer with tear filled eyes.

"No one's going to take you away, okay? I can tell you that you're very much alive and you will be for a while." Shiro grabbed Keith's hand and placed it over his heart. Both of them could feel it beating so Keith hunched over and scrunched his eyes shut. "That's your heart, Keith. It's beating because you're alive."

"But- But it can't be-" Tears trailed down Keith's cheeks as he felt for his heart again. "I- I died."

"No, you didn't. We saved you. We put you in a healing pod and we made you better. The only long lasting injury you got from the attack was a scar on you face."

"But- But-"

"I've heard Keith isn't feeling very well?" Coran said as he burst into the room. He was holding a wrap of bandages and Lance was lingering behind him. He shooed Shiro away as he began to explain what was going on to Coran. Coran wrapped the bandage around Keith's arm whilst the other failed to show even the slightest bit of pain in his facial expression. "This almost sounds like... an Altean mental illness. I don't know if you humans suffer with it."

"How can we help him?"

"There is some medication I can create... Keith?"

"D-Do you think I'm insane?" Keith looked up and met eyes with Coran. His eyes were full of tears and he looked like he had seen a ghost.

"No, of course not. We just know you aren't very well and we need to help you feel better." Shiro had never heard Coran's voice so soft but he clearly knew what he was doing. Lance was stuck in the doorway, watching them converse as his entire body trembled. He had no idea what was going on so he could only hope Keith was going to end up okay. "Come on, let me take you to the med room. Then we can sort something out for you, okay?"

Puzzled and afraid, Keith glanced up at Shiro. Coran held out his hand for Keith to take. He stared at it for a long moment before pulling himself to his feet on his own. "You won't send me away? You won't bury me?"

"Of course not. You're alive, remember?"

Keith diverted his gaze from his feet up to Coran, his bottom lip wobbling. "I-"

"You're going to be okay," Surprisingly, Lance was the one to speak. He moved out of the way of the exit and sent a shaky smile in Keith's direction. "We're all here for you and we want to prove to you that you're okay. You didn't die or whatever. You're here and you're breathing. You're alive."

"I- I don't-"

"It's going to be alright." Lance stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Keith's waist. Unpredictably, Keith didn't pull away. He just hunched himself over and buried his head into Lance's chest.