Chapter Twenty-Eight
Pidge walked away from the Castle of Canesian, angry at Lotor. How could he refuse to help the princess? After all that - claiming he loved her! Ha! It was all a lie! Pidge walked on, kicking at stones, wondering where he could get some clues as to who was the Princess' husband and where he could find his relatives.
Pidge was approaching the village that was within proximity of the Castle when he heard a voice bellow drunkenly, "Hey, boy! C'mere!"
Pidge ignored him. He didn't have time for this! The voice bellowed again, this time more insistently, "Hey,Voltron boy! Didn't they teach 'cha ta respect yur elders? C'mere!"
Pidge didn't like being called "Voltron Boy", but he turned towards the source of the voice and startled. It was Bengale! He was the guy that Lance had rescued from Hagar! He used to be the prime minister here. Pidge smiled to himself. Perhaps he would know!
Pidge walked over to Bengale and said, "Excuse me sir, I didn't mean to be rude."
Bengale, who was sitting sprawled out in a broken down chair, said, "Well, good..glad ta see someone's respectable ta me."
Bengale took a gulp from the brandywine he was holding. He muttered, "laughin' at me..I coulda been King of this place..ol' witch.."
He shuddered and took another drink. Pidge decided to ask him - very respectfully of course. He didn't have much time.
Pidge said, "Excuse me, Minister Bengale, my name is Pidge, and I am a member of the Voltron Force.."
Bengale interrupted him drunkenly, "Yes, the Voltron Porch! My saviors! May the Gods of - of Fertility - uh - Victory bless 'em!"
He took another swig and Pidge said, "Yes, uh..well..I need to find out about Princess Allura's husband."
Bengale interrupted again, "H'sband? I 'll tell ya, boy..don't need to be no h'sband..Uh uh..old Hagar now.." the old man shivered, and then with sudden clarity, he looked at Pidge and said, "You mean the Princess of Arus?"
Pidge nodded and Bengale laughed, "Oh her! She's a beauty, all right..Devonn was crazy over her - jus' like I was for his mother."
Pidge was getting impatient! The Princess could be dying this minute! He pleaded, "Please, sir, if you know, tell me!"
Bengale's eyes narrowed and said, "Don' get uppity with me, boy! I was once Zarkon's right hand man! I could kill ya." Then a crafty gleam came into his eyes and he said, "Boy..gimme credits for anoth' bottle and I'll tell ya."
Pidge sighed. He didn't want to do this, but he was desperate. He handed Bengale some credits and the old man smiled, "Good..good..okay boy, I'll tell ya..the King's her husband."
Pidge yelled, "What!?"
Bengale said, "The King's, ya stupid boy! Pretends she dead, but I know."
Just at that moment, Pidge heard the roar of a ship's engines flying high above his head. He looked up and saw the unmistakable sleek form of the Phoenix, Lotor's ship, headed for Arus.
Pidge exclaimed "Oh crap! It's Lotor!"
Pidge started to run towards the Castle, where Green Lion was. He ignored Bengale's yelling drunkenly after him. Pidge made it to Green Lion and hopped in, activating the engines. As he took off for Arus, his thoughts were ajumble. Lotor - her husband!
On Arus
Lotor arrived on Arus, and immediately headed for the Castle of Lions. He was allowed admission, for since their planets were unofficially allies, he was welcome. Lotor's heart was racing a mile a minute. Were they dead? Was he too late?
He didn't know where their medical facilities were,so he had to ask. He was escorted there, and as he entered the main waiting room, he saw all ot them - the Voltron Force, Coran, all were there, except for the boy, Pidge, their faces grim, anxious, scared. Tension was thick, and it increased when Lotor came into the room. They all sensed he was keeping something from them, something important, but no one would voice their thoughts. Lotor could hear Allura's voice in his mind, begging him to come to her, but his ears heard nothing but eerie silence.
A nurse, carrying a vial of blood, rushed through the inner doors, her destination unknown to him. As the doors swung open, he glanced inside. He saw a man, whom he assumed was Dr. Gorma and several other medical personnel working on a small purple bundle. Lotor's heart leapt into his throat. She'd delivered!
He heard a woman yell triumphantly, "I have a femorral!" His attention was then captured by a larger team on the other side of the room who bustled over his frail wife. Too soon the door swung shut and before it did, he heard the weak wail of an infant - the sound of a new life.
"The child!" Lotor suddenly screamed, "What is it?" Akira looked at him. Lotor was a man inscensed!
He heard Allura moan, "Angel..I hear you....I listen!!"
Suddenly, the doors opened again, and a medical team quickly exited, holding monitors and IV's. One of them was pushing a gurney and on that gurney was an incubator. It's occupant - a very frail baby boy. His heart leapt with the realization that the frail life in there was a part of him and of her. His eyes followed them for as long as he could, all without losing sight of the door they had come out of. Before the doors swung shut again, he saw the child open his eyes, his green felinoid eyes watery with tears and upon his head, a crop of silvery hair.
Lotor heard her screaming and wailing from inside. Her voice was pain as she called again, "Angel! I hear you speak! I listen!" Lotor spun towards the door, his white hair whipped about his head like a fury unleased. His eyes were predatory, gleaming. He handled his fear and anger the only way he knew how - he rushed Akira, knocking the Voltron Captain to the floor. Lotor screamed in Akira's face. His eyes were the eyes of a man in mortal torment and pain.
"RELEASE ME! DAMN YOU! he roared in pain. "RELEASE US ALL!"
Suddenly, Nanny, who had been in the room with Allura, ran out half-sobbing, "Ve are losink her! Oh, my baby! Someone help my baby!"
Coran caught her as she stumbled, half fainting. A sound came from the other room - a sound of shock, worry and pain, "CODE BLUE! ICU! CODE BLUE!"
Knowing what it meant, Lotor, in a rage now, slammed Keith's head upon the floor and ground out, "This is your fault! If she dies not only will her blood be on your hands but I will make sure you pay with everything you hold dear!"
He continued to vent his rage, "You will lose everything.. you'll know what it's like to have someone take your wife away.. to hold her and know you can not be part of her life!" Lotor shook the man beneath him and yelled, "RELEASE ME!"
Keith's anger blazed forth. No. He would not. Lotor was lying,just like he always had. All he had caused Allura was pain and anguish. He had done the right thing. He didn't care if Lotor killed him for it, he would stand by his decison. He could see the hatred blaze forth from Lotor's eyes. This was what he was protecting her from.
Lotor ground out, "I kept your damned p romise, Akira, and I have suffered for it! You think you know her heart!"
Catching Lotor off guard, Keith threw him off. Before Lotor could do anything about it. There was the sound of rushing feet in the other room.
They heard Dr. Gorma yell, "Flatline! Hurry!" To their shock, they could hear the steady sound of the heart monitor going flat. Dr. Gorma was barking orders. At that moment, Allura was clinically dead. Everyone was frozen as they heard Gorma say, "C'mon Princess..One..Two..Three!..and they could hear the hum of the resusitator jolt. Gorma barked, "Again!" and they repeated the proceedure again. Everyone let out their breath when they heard a nurse say "We've got a pulse, Doctor..very faint..." and they heard the heart monitor beep slowly, but it beeped none the less. A few minutes later, Dr. Gorma came out and said, "She is alive - for now. Her pulse is weak. We may lose her at anytime."
Lotor groaned, "No."
Keith said hatefully, "You're not wanted here, Lotor! Leave!"
Lotor made as if to charge towards Keith when Pidge rushed into the room.
He yelled, "Stop!"
Keith looked at Pidge and asked, "Pidge,where have you been?"
Pidge said angrily, "On Canesian, trying to find who Allura's husband was! Well, I found him! It's Lotor!"
Lotor snapped, "And who told you this, boy?!"
Pidge stood his ground as before and said, "It was Bengale."
Lotor muttered, "That drunken.."
Lotor whipped around to face Keith and said, "I demand to see MY son - and my daughter Skye. But, then, Akira..since you, the great and noble Akira will not allow me to see my dying wife!"
Lotor grimaced in pain at the thought and ground out, "If she dies, Akira, I swear you will pay."
Keith said, "He's lying."
Pidge said, "He's telling the truth! "Keith, Lotor's her husband! They married on Canesian! Bengale told me! Let him at least see them!"
Keith was incredulous. He said, "No.."
Lotor was ready to kill him then. but Allura moaned from the next room, "Lotor.. I am coming to you!!!"
Lotor screamed in agony. Pidge, to everyone's suprise, lunged at Keith. Pidge was half-sobbing and hitting Keith, "Let him see them, damn you! You can't keep them from him just because you're stubborn! He kept his promise and he does love her! I won't let you make them orphans like ME!"
Keith looked at his youngest pilot. He had never seen Pidge act this way before. He couldn't say anything at the moment. Pidge drew away and said, "Keith, please.."
Keith looked at Lotor and he hated him just as he always had. But Keith had seen the small infant that Allura had delivered - he looked like his father - like Lotor. Just then Allura moaned, "I love you...my angel..Lotor..I will be with you at last.."
Keith gasped and then he and Lotor's eyes met, both glaring, filled with hate. Then Keith knew he had to relent, if only to help Allura.
He said, "Lotor, you can see her.." He saw Lotor's eyes change from hatred to relief. Keith said, "But..only for awhile, until she - " He did not complete his sentence. Lotor rushed into the room where Allura was.
He was about to follow when another assistant of Dr. Gorma's came to the waiting area and said, "Lady Giselle's surgury was sucessful. She is in recovery now, if you wish to see her."
Keith started. He had been so wrapped up here, he had not asked about Giselle.
He asked the medic."She's all right?"
The medic said, "Yes, she did request you come, Commander Akira."
Keith nodded and quickly looked towards the doors where Lotor had went. He would not be too long and Dr. Gorma would make sure and watch Lotor. Keith left and went to Giselle.