Lance was in the gym taking his frustrations out on the punching bag.
    "Mind if I join you?"
    Not turning, Lance answered the new comer.  "Sure Kieth.  Arus is a free world after all."
    The black clad fiqure behind him didn't utter a word.  Just took up position behind the bag and held it as Lance's fists connected with their target.  After Lance had taken about twenty hard shots and backed off to catch his breath, Keith spoke.  "Want to talk about it?"
    Reaching for a towel Lance rubbed the sweat from his face and neck.  "Nothing to talk about."
    "Everybody makes mistakes..."
    Lance's anger reached it's peak and he reached out and grabbed the front of Keith's shirt making him stand on his toes.  The shock was evident on Keith's face.  "People don't make mistakes as big as this."  He let go of Keith and turning on his heel, left the room and his commander staring dumb-foundedly after him.
    After Lance had left the gym the fire of his anger turned to ice.  And he was left feeling hollow inside.  Letting his feet do the walking he ended up at the infirmery.  Looking through the window he watched the machines that were hooked up to Pidge.  Hunk was seated next to him in a chair, he looked exhausted.  The Princess stood beside him a worried expression etched her regal face.
    Lance felt his heart stop as he watched Pidge struggling to breath.

FLASHBACK

    Lance ran to the fallen Green Lion, cursing himself with every step.  He was the first to arrive at the crash site.  Ripping open the door to " pit".  Inside was a mess, control panels, wires, metal, 'blood'... 'God' there had been so much 'blood'....

END OF FLASHBACK

    A lump formed in his throat and he found it suddenly difficult to breath.  Hunk's shoulders seemed to have slumped even more and the Princess's face was tear streaked.  Glumly he moved away feeling tears burning in his own eyes.
------------------------------
    At dinner that night the table was devoid of conversation.  They were having soup, Lance wasn't sure what kind it was, he hadn't eaten any of it.  He was playing with it, trying to look like he was eating it.
    When he had approached the table he hadn't been able to look them in the eye and even now he stared at the table cloth.
    It was Coran that broke the silence.  "How is the young pilot doing?"
    "Not so good.  The doctors don't think he'll make it."  Hunk said quietly.
    Lance had the urge to jump up from his seat and run, but instead he clenched his hands into tight fists and sat stiffly.
    "Lance.  What happened wasn't your fault, it was an accident."  Coran siad trying to sound diplomatic.
    Once again Lance's anger flammed but he wasn't angry at Coran.  He was angry at himself.  Through clenched teeth he spit out, "Tell that to Pidge!"
    He got up but before he could leave Keith, who was seated next to him, grabbed his arm and stood up so that he could look him in the eye.  "Lance you can't keep blaming yourself for this.  No one here holds you responsible and I don't think Pidge would want you to beat yourself over the head, either."
    Keith could see the internal struggle of emotions in his friend's eyes but there was no indication on his face.  It was just a completly blank mask.  "Well maybe everybody else can forgive me for what happened, Keith, but I'm afraid I can't forgive myself.  Not now, maybe not ever."  With that Lance gently pulled his arm out of his grasp and walked out of the room leaving the others to stare after him.
    After he had gone Hunk leaned back in his chair and gave a low whistle.  "He sure is taking it bad.  I thought that out of the entire team he'd be the first one to easily brush off a mistake, even one as bad as this."
    "I agree, this isn't like Lance at all.  I'm beginning to get worried about him."  Allura added softly as she met the other's gazes.
    "Lance has to deal with this in his own time and his own way.  All we can do is be there for him... and Pidge when things get tougher, or worse.  Now though, I think it's best that at least three members of the Voltron Force get or try to get some rest."  It was more of an order than a suggestion and being accustomed to following Keith's orders without question, both Allura and Hunk went off to their seperate rooms.
    Alone, Coran came up next to Keith.  "Do you really believe what you said about Lance?"
    "He's strong, probably a better pilot than me but he's been shaken badly by what happened.  I have no doubts that if Pidge had been unharmed that Lance would have bounced back."
    "I hear a 'but' in your voice."
    Keith stared at the floor, "But... if he was going to bounce back he should have done it by now.  I fear that if we loose Pidge we'll also loose Lance.  I'd have had him grounded but he's already done that himself.  He won't even go near the Red Lion so I think the only thing that will do him any good besides Pidge recovering is if we can get him back into the pilot's seat.  I've been his best friend too long not to know what flying means to him but all we can do is wait and see."
    Coran sighed.  "Unfortunately, I believe you're right."
--------------------------
    Lance was tossing violently in his bed, unable to escape the nightmare he was reliving.
    He was in his Lion, all of them were.  They were practicing some new manuvers that Keith had thought up.  They were just about to do the inside-outside tuck.  It was designed in order to speed towards each other, then passing within inches of each other they would fire, taking out each other's trails.
    In the practive Lance had been paired with Pidge.
    "Hey Pidge, you ready?"
    "As ready as I'll ever be."
    "Okay on the count of three.  One, two, three..."  Lance moved the controls and his Red Lion shot forward, staring at his viewscreen Lance could tell that the Green Lion had done the same.  Lance smiled to himself, to anyone watching them it would appear that they were on a collision course, they got closer and as they were about to pass a button on his panel began to glow red.  His controls froze.  Looking up he saw Pidge move slightly upwards but he couldn't move his Lion down.
    His Lion shuddered and he heard the scrape of metal against metal.  He was knocked against his panels, the air flew from his lungs and he heard his ribs crack.  His Lion was whirling out of control and he fought to pull it out of the spin, finally the controls came unfrozen and he was able to stabelize.
    "Lance!  You okay?"  Keith's voice came over the intercom.
    "Where's Pidge, is he alright?"  Lance called over the com. link, wincing slightly at the pain in his rib cage.
    "He hasn't pulled out yet.  I'm afraid he's going to crash."  Came the startingly calm reply.
    Punching a button on his control panel, Lance managed to detect the trajectory of the Green Lion's fall.  Without thinking he plotted an intercept course, hoping to somehow break the inevitable crash.  The others must have thought the same thing because they were following the same flight path, only flying like a crazy man allowed him to reach Pidge first.  Positioning his lion just right he matched the Green Lion's speed and the slowed down gradually until Pidge's Lion was nearly on top of him.  When they finally did make contact Lance had managed to slow down the other Lion's decent by almost half.  But before he was able to diminish the distance to the ground his contols froze again and the Green Lion slipped away, falling rapidly to the ground below.
    Somwhow he got contol again and landed near the broken machine.
    "Lance!  Lance, wake up.  It's only a dream!"
    Lance sat up, sweat pouting down his face.  His heart hammered so hard that it felt like it was going to jump right out of his chest.  "Pidge..."
    "Pidge is fine, Lance.  In fact, he's improving.  That's why I came here.  To tell you the good news."
    Lance blinked in the darkness his ribs aching with each painful breath he took.  "K-Keith?"
    "Yah."  Keith sat down beside him on the bed.  "Lance why don't you come with me and we'll go see Pidge together.  He's not conscienous yet but half the machines thar were hooked up to him are gone and he's not as pale as he was."
    Thankful that he was wearing a T-shirt and jogging pants, Lance nodded his agreement.  But Keith didn't move so he could get up.
    "Your outfits red."
    Lance stared at Keith wondering what he meant.  "Yah, so?"
    "So, if you'd been hurt none of us would have realized it.  We were so busy with Pidge that unless you came out and told us you were hurt we wouldn't have known.  And I know you well enough to know that you would never have uttered apeep because it would have taken attention away from Pidge..."
    "Pidge needed all the attention, Keith.  For crying out loud he almost 'died'."
    "So you were hurt."
    Lance's lungs felt like they were on fire.  "No."
    "Why don't I believe you."
    Putting both hands on Keith's shoulders he shoved, pushing him off the bed.  Then in one fluid motion he was also on his feet.  "Now just leave it alone, I want to see Pidge.  Are you coming or do I go by myself."
    Keith's face had hardened into an expressionless mask.  "Let's go."
----------------------------
    At the infirmery Lance entered slowly.  The walk from his room to the clinic had taken alot out of him and it was getting increasingly hard to breath but with Keith on the war path he made sure that none of his discomfort showed.
    Inside, Pidge was awake, which surprized Lance but hadn't seemed to phase Keith.  Both Hunk and Allura were seated in chairs near the hospital bed talking with Pidge.
    "Lance!  You're okay."  Pidge cried when he saw his friend at the door but he made no move to get up.
    Lance smiled feebly and walked over to the opposite side of the bed.  "Of course I'm fine.  You're the one who had us all worried."
    "But we collided.  There's no way you can make me believe that you didn't even get a scratch."  The youngest member stated earnestly.
    "Now that Pidge mentions it, I don't remember you getting a check-up when we got back."  Allura added.
    Lance tried to stand straight and look indignantly at them but the pain in his chest wouldn't let him.  "Look, guys it's been two days since the accident.  If I was hurt it would have shown up by now."
    "Still I think you should let a doctory check..."  Princess Allura started but Lance cut her off, his voice belaying his anger.
    "I'm fine.  There's nothing else to discuss."  He probably would have pulled it off but suddenly it felt as though a boulder had been dropped on his chest.  He couldn't breathe.  Leaning heavily on the bed he doubled over gasping and holding his chest.
    "Lance!"  Keith cried, alarmed as he went to his best friend's side.
    That was all he remembered because the world went black.
----------------------------
    It turned out that he'd had three broken ribs and with the stress they'd been put under one had scratched his lung.  It took him a week and a half to recuperate.
    When he did he went straight to the Red Lion.  When he got there Pidge was waiting.  For the first few minutes they didn't say a word and then Pidge cleared hi throat.  "I fixed the problem with the computer, it was a crossed wire."
    "Shouldn't you be in bed."
    Pidge smiled wide.  "That's what they want but if the Red Lion is needed I want to make sure it functions like it's supposed to.  Besides, my injuries weren't as severe as they had thought."
    Suddenly alarms were sounding all over the place.  And Coran's voice sounded over their com. link.  "Planet Arus is under attack by Prince Lotor.  We need the Lions immediately.  He's sent a Robeast."  Pidge, not missing a beat, had been off and running at the first alarm.  Watching the green clad figure speeding toward his Lion, Lance turned slowly to stare at the Red Lion standing in front of him but he couldn't bring himself to get into ' pit'.
    "Lance!  where are you?  We're taking heavy fire!"  Keith's voice was urgent as it floated over the com. link.
    Swallowing hard he made himself get into his Lion and quickly launched before he could change his mind.  As he reached the area of the fight, he could see the incredible monster that was threatening the very existance of the people on Arus.
    "Okay.  Let's go guys.  Activate interlocks.  Dinatherms connected.  Infracells up.  Megathrusters go!  Form feet and legs, form arms and 'body', and I'll form the head."
    "Go Voltron!"
    "I just want to get this over with so let's form the Blazing Sword."  Keith proclaimed.
    As the Robeast charged Voltron brought the sword down on top of him and on contact the monster disappeared.
    "We've go fighters coming at us!"  Pidge warned.
    A look at his scanners confirmed Pidge's comment and Lance knew the large robot couldn't manuver around the smaller crafts,  he said as much to Keith.
    "I agree Lance.  We'll have to disconnect.  On my mark.  Go."
    Lance felt his Lion disconnect from the others as he pressed in the code.  Almost immediately a fighter was on his tail.
    "Lance I've got a trailer and by the readings I'm picking up, so do you."  Pidge's voice came over the com., causing Lance's heart to leap into his throat.  "Lance, listen to me.  What happened before was a fluke.  I trust you with my life but if I don't get this guy off my back I might not have a life.  You maybe good enough to loose your guy but I'm not."
    "Alright Pidge, inside-outside tuck.  On three.  One, two, three."  Lance couldn't keep his voice from shaking and than as he saw the Green Lion coming toward him it was all he could do not to pull out.  He fingered the trigger button and as he and Pidge passed each other he pressed it.  The shot hit and destroyed the enemy ship.
    "We did it!"
    "Yah, Pidge we did.  Thanks."
    There was a pause before Pidge answered.  "What are friends for?"