Beyris frowned to herself and kicked her feet aimlessly. She was sitting on a couch in the lounge near the infirmary, where Pidge and the other Paladins were resting. Beyris felt a little bored, but then again, it wasn't like she needed the Paladins to keep her entertained. She just liked being around them.

Her uncle had only left a short time ago, and he'd told her that he would be right back. He'd seemed really serious when he'd gone with Coran and Allura and Shiro to go and fight - what was his name again? Oh, yeah. Jenick.

Beyris decided that she would just call the guy 'Ick' for short. He was a jerk. Beyris hoped Shiro kicked his butt in the fighting ring.

In the short time since the others had left, Pidge had fallen asleep right over her computer, and Hunk had curled up on the floor next to her, surrounded by bits and pieces of tech equipment. Lance had been trying to read Beyris a story, but he'd nodded off half-way through the book, and although Beyris really wanted to know what happened next, he looked so tired, she didn't have the heart to wake him up.

She glanced over towards the infirmary door, where she knew Aurelis sat nearby at his desk. He and Coran had been talking earlier about something called quin-tess-ants levels. They'd said that it was important to keep track them during Keith's re-cov-er-airy time.

From what little the others had told her, Keith had fought Jenick, and now Keith had to stay in a healing pod until he got all better. Her uncle hadn't told her exactly how bad Keith's injuries were, but Beyris felt that they must have been pretty bad to keep Keith in a healing pod.

Beyris bit her lip in sudden guilt. She hadn't been able to give him back his jacket yesterday - she and Lance had had so much fun with the ice flowers, it had slipped her mind until just now. She really should give the jacket back to Keith. She got off the couch slowly and carefully, so that Lance could keep sleeping, and as she did, she made sure she kept tight hold of the red jacket. It was soft, and she liked it, but it was Keith's jacket, and she wanted him to have it back.

As Beyris tiptoed over towards the door that lead into the infirmary, she realized she would have to sneak past Aurelis. She stopped in her tracks, not sure if she could get past the healer - he might not want her to get too close to Keith - but she really, really wanted to give Keith's jacket back, because she felt really bad about forgetting about it until just now.

After a moment of hesitation, she made her decision. She'd just be very quiet and very careful, and put the jacket by the head of the healing pod. That way, no one would step on it, and it would be right by Keith whenever he woke up - which would hopefully be soon -

"Beyris?"

She jumped at the sound of her name, but she relaxed when she realized Lance was waking up and rubbing his eyes. He sat up, yawned, stretched, and came over to her. He yawned again as he asked, "Whatcha doing…?"

Then he saw the jacket, and his eyes immediately became more alert, and a little sad. "Oh...right..." he said, almost to himself.

"I - um - wanted to give it back," Beyris explained. "You know - to help him get better faster - I mean, don't you think it might help him?"

Lance looked away from her for a few seconds, and when he replied, his voice was hoarse. "Sure," he said. "It - it could - come on, let's-"

But Beyris had already bounded forward in an excited hurry, glad to have Lance with her. Aurelis wouldn't mind her coming into the infirmary if another Paladin was with her, because with someone tall like Lance, Aurelis wouldn't say that she was likely to be stepped on because she was so small. Aurelis was always so worried about her.

She chuckled to herself. The healer was funny, and he really was very nice, but he was very easy to startle - maybe it was because he was always reading or writing something down. Aurelis really got into books. Or medical charts. Anything with words or numbers, really. It was kind of - what had Pidge called it? A-dork-ab-le.

"Hi Aurelis!" She trilled as she bounded into the infirmary, and she saw the healer almost hit his head on the lamp near his desk as he jumped in his chair and spun wildly around to face them. She seemed to have that effect on him whenever she bounded, scurried, or poked her head into the infirmary room.

"GAHH!" he said, trying to keep his papers and pens from flying onto the floor, but he soon abandoned the attempt and just clutched his heart. "What-" he began to ask, looking between her and Lance, but then Lance explained Beyris' idea. As Aurelis nodded in understanding, Beyris scurried to the head of the healing pod and peered in at Keith, who was still sound asleep under the shimmering energy field.

Lance thought to himself that it was a little bit strange that the Proselyt healing pods weren't arranged vertically like the Altean ones on the Castle. Instead, they were horizontal, like hospital beds back on Earth - and the activated energy field around this one reminded Lance of that one movie where a Norse god was in - what was it called - oh, yeah - the Odin-sleep.

Keith would kill me if I compared him to a one-eyed Norse god, Lance thought, but somehow the thought of Keith being annoyed at him just made Lance sad. He felt like he would give anything to have his friend be healthy and back to normal.

Suddenly Aurelis was rising anxiously from his chair and saying something to Beyris, and Lance's attention returned to the small girl. She'd hung the jacket up at the head of the bed, but now she was holding something different - something that Lance recognized.

"But Aurelis - look, something's different about it- "

"Stars, child, don't pick up the sharp object! No - no, no, no - stoppit - your uncle will kill me -"

Lance realized Beyris had picked up Keith's knife - the one he'd always had with him - and he joined Aurelis' efforts to get the sharp object away from the very energetic five year old. Even though it was still in its sheath, it didn't hurt to be careful. Lance stepped forward slowly, holding out his hands towards Beyris, not grabbing for the weapon, but making sure he could, if he needed to.

"-stars - uh - Beyris - how about you just - uh - "

But the girl was already holding it out to him, pointing to the hilt of the weapon, her eyes sparking and her voice excited.

"Lance, see?! See?! Something's different! The hilt is - different -"

Lance looked down at the weapon and realized Beyris was right. The black stone in the hilt of the weapon looked like it was glowing. As he took the knife from her, he brought the weapon closer to his eyes, so he could try and make out what he was seeing.

"…Beyris…did…did you maybe knock it against the floor or something?"

Beyris shook her head emphatically. "No, I just - reached up to hang Keith's jacket - and - and then the knife just - fell off the chair and onto the floor - and when I picked it up - I saw the hilt was glowing-"

Now Aurelis was standing right by them, and Lance showed him the weapon. The healer looked facinated. "Are you sure it wasn't that way before?" he asked, and Lance shrugged. "I don't think so. Keith never really talked much about it - I always thought this knife must have belonged to his dad - "

Lance felt his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth in delayed realization, just as Aurelis' jaw dropped open. "His - his father?" the healer asked. "You're saying this might have belonged to his father?"

"I - I think - so - I mean - maybe," Lance stammered. He didn't know what to make of Aurelis' expression. "W-why?"

Aurelis had already taken the knife out of Lance's hands and was peering at the hilt carefully. "Well - sometimes - rarely, mind you, but sometimes - there can be hidden compartments - perhaps his father left some kind of information in here, something - something that - yes, yes, I thought so -"

Beyris jumped up and down, trying to see what Aurelis had uncovered. "Whatisit-whatisit-canIsee-canIsee-Lance-lemme-see-lemme-see-can-it-help-Keith-'cause-that-would-be-amazing-"

Lance saw that Aurelis was nodding his head in amazement. "It's a heritage seal. Incredible. I've only read about them - I've never seen an active one before-"

"What's a heritage seal?" Lance asked. He felt excited and nervous, all at the same time, and Aurelis seemed to share his excitement. The healer's eyes were wide in both amazement and interest as he explained.

"It's a - well, not exactly a spell - but it's a lock that can only be opened by someone's descendants. You can only open the seal once - so if there is a compartment in here - only your friend Keith can open it-"

"How can you tell it's never been opened before?" Lance asked. Aurelis snorted gently in exasperation.

"Weren't you listening, Paladin? If it's a heritage seal - and this has to be - it can only open once. Some people theorize that heritage seals may activate when the descendant is in serious danger - but that's only a theory. It's never been conclusively proven."

The healer tapped a clawed finger against the black stone pommel thoughtfully. "My guess is that Keith's father stored something in here - something important that he wished his son to find one day. Once Keith wakes up, maybe we can try to -"

Suddenly Beyris was tugging at Lance's sleeve and pulling him over towards Keith, and Lance thought that she was trying to say that they should wake Keith up now, so that he could find out what information his father had left behind.

"Whoa, Beyris," Lance said, digging his heels in and pulling them both away from where his still-really-damaged friend was in a healing coma, "-we don't want to wake him up too early - that would be really bad for him - "

Aurelis turned and came forward, closer to the healing pod, and Lance realized the small girl had heard a monitor beeping out a code.

"Aurelis," Lance said, trying to keep his voice calm, "-what's - what's - happening?"

Aurelis was reading a medical chart with growing concern.

"The healing cycle -" Aurelis said, his voice sharp but controlled. "It's - it's slowing down - that - shouldn't be happening - it's far too early - "

Lance felt his stomach drop into his shoes, but instead of completely losing his composure like he wanted to, he took in a breath and asked, carefully, calmly, like an adult would, "- and - do we - know - why - it's doing that?"

Aurelis shook his head. "I'm not sure - but -"

Just then, the monitor let out a consistent tone, and the domed barrier over the bed shimmered out of existence. Lance felt his stomach clench in sudden fear, and he looked over at the healer. From the expression on Aurelis' face, this entire healing cycle coming to a complete halt was about as far from a good thing as you could possibly get.

Maybe that theory about the heritage seal was more than just a theory.

"He's waking up," Aurelis said, his face going completely still and professional. He laid the knife back on his desk and reached for the comms unit. "You should try to make sure he knows you're here-"

Lance nodded, going over to Keith's side. Even as he did so, he heard Aurelis calling over the comms for his assistant med-techs to come to the infirmary immediately.

Keith's eyes flickered open, and Lance felt a surge of relief at how Keith seemed to recognize him and wasn't afraid.

"…Lance…?"

Lance leaned down a little, so that Keith could see him easier. "Hey there - Keith - uh - how are you - feeling?"

Keith's eyes were glazed, but he seemed to be tired, not scared - which was a huge improvement over the previous day. His voice was raspy when he replied.

"…my…head…hurts…"

Lance nodded sympathetically. "…I'm…sorry, buddy - uh - "

Keith suddenly took in a harsh breath, and his eyes seemed to focus for an instant.

"…Bey…ris…?" he asked, and Lance realized that Keith was asking if she'd been found by her uncle, if she was safe now. The Blue Paladin had to blink rapidly before replying. Of course Keith would ask about the girl's safety right after coming out of a coma. It was the kind of person he was.

"Yeah, buddy," Lance said, and he swallowed before continuing. "She's fine - actually - she's right here - "

Even as he said the words, Lance felt a sudden fear wash over him - not only a new, desperate fear for Keith, but a fear for Beyris as well. She hadn't known how badly Keith had been injured in trying to protect her. Keith had lured Jenick away from her to spare her that knowledge.

Even as Keith's eyes glazed over and he shut his eyes again, Lance heard Beyris squeak and start to run up behind him, and then Lance made a decision. He couldn't let Beyris see Keith like this. The Blue Paladin turned around, leaned down, and scooped the small girl up into his arms, turning so that she faced away from Keith just as the other med-techs arrived. Lance moved away so they could help Aurelis figure out what was going on.

Beyris wiggled impatiently in his arms. "Lance - come on - Keith's awake - I have to-"

Lance kept his grip firm but gentle as he tried to explain why he wasn't going to put her down.

"Beyris, listen, Keith isn't all - all better yet - he still - he still feels pretty bad - and - and we shouldn't really - uh - see him - now - "

Beyris stopped squirming and looked up Lance, her red eyes going round with concern.

"Is - is it bad - that - that Keith's awake? I mean - is it too early?"

Lance wanted to lie to her, but he knew he couldn't. Not only would it have been unfair - but Beyris was a smart kid. She would figure it out sooner or later. So instead, he just swallowed and nodded. She bit her lip, and Lance knew that he had to get her out of the room. He couldn't chance her seeing or hearing anything that might -

"Paladin - " Aurelis said, and Lance realized the healer had thought the same thing. "You - you should hurry back - and - and you should bring the others."

It was the hardest thing Lance had ever done, but he nodded and left the room. He left, taking Beyris with him, and she buried her face into his shoulder as he started to walk quickly back towards the lounge.

"It's my fault," she whispered, and Lance made comforting sounds as he patted her head.

"Oh, Beyris - no, sweetie, it's not your fault," he said, rounding a corner swiftly. "It's not your fault at all -"

She sniffed into his shoulder. It wasn't an attention-seeking sniff, but instead one of genuine sadness. She hiccuped the next few words into his neck, her words muffled but still distinguishable.

"I - I took the jacket to the infirmary - I picked the knife up - I think - I think I woke him up early -"

Lance patted her head again, still intent on getting to the others as quickly as possible. "No, sweetie, that had nothing to do with it - look, they're going to take - really good care of him, okay? And - um -"

Lance broke off as he saw Coran, Allura, and Shiro round the final corner ahead of him. At the sight of Beyris' distress, all three of them hurried forward, concern crossing their faces in the same instant.

"Lance?" Shiro said, and his voice was the best thing Lance had ever heard, because now Shiro was here, and he would help Lance know what to do.

Allura was here too, coming to stand right by him, and now Beyris was reaching out for her - Lance didn't mind, he knew Beyris wanted Allura because the Princess was kind and strong, and Lance needed to relay information now, he had to tell them what Aurelis had said, and he wasn't sure he could manage it if Beyris was crying into his neck.

Even as Allura took Beyris into her arms, Shiro held onto Lance's shoulders, and Coran asked Lance what was happening. The Blue Paladin forced himself to say the words clearly, fighting back the fear and almost vicious panic that threatened to stop his voice.

"The healing cycle - slowed down - and - and just - stopped. We're not sure - why. Keith's - awake - and Aurelis told me - to get you - and the others. He says - we have to hurry."

Shiro swallowed and looked at Coran and Allura. "I'm-" Shiro said, and his voice was only a little bit shaky. "I'm - I'm going straight to the infirmary - I'll make sure he knows he's not alone - "

"Go," Coran said, and Shiro took off running, even as Lance turned back towards Allura and Coran.

"I was able to tell - Keith that - Beyris was safe," Lance said. It was hard to talk over the lump in his throat. "But then - I - um - I - thought - "

"You were right to bring her away from there," Allura said. She was patting Beyris on the back soothingly, and Beyris had her arms wrapped tight around Allura's neck. "Coran, Lance - why don't you get Hunk and Pidge - I'll stay with Beyris until Rayzor can get here - I'm sure he's already -"

They parted ways then, and Lance decided it could have been worse. At least Keith didn't think they were going to torture him this time.

Even as Lance left the room with Beyris, Aurelis turned back to the Red Paladin and kept his voice very soothing and very calm. "Right, everyone, I need you to help me check on - the status of - the situation." His medical team understood what he meant, and as they worked, the Red Paladin blinked a couple of times and stared up at them. His eyes were glassy, and he seemed to be in some kind of fog or daze - which wasn't uncommon after the end of a healing cycle.

To Aurelis' relief, the obvious life-threatening injuries had mostly mended - but that still didn't answer the main question.

Why had the healing cycle ended so soon?

It should have gone on for another day at least - several of the injuries were far from completely healed - and Aurelis had to frown at the result of the temperature reading. The boy was far too warm - but there was no cause for a fever - not unless -

"Keith," Aurelis said, very quietly, "We're here to help you. Can you understand that?"

He felt the boy's gaze fall on him, and he hoped that Keith could sense they only meant to help him, to stabilize him until they could understand why the healing cycle had been interrupted, and why he had this strange fever.

For a moment, it seemed that Keith recognized him. But then Keith's eyes glazed over again, and Aurelis remembered what he had said to the Blue Paladin, right when he woke up.

His head injuries were still affecting him.

Aurelis saw pain and confusion flicker across Keith's face, and he knew what was going to happen next.