Chapter Text
Keith was startled awake by the sounds of papers being slapped down on his cluttered desk harshly. Sitting up quickly, the dark-haired young adult looked around the dimly lit room he had taken the unplanned nap it. The office room was small, windows covered by a thick tarp to keep the light out. Trash was littered all over the floor and desk, along with a few old files and folders, and even some old photo's.
Rubbing the sleep and crust from his eyes, Keith looked up to see a taller male leaning over the desk to squint down at him with both a curious and irritated look with warm brown eyes. It was Shiro, probably come to give him the 'dad talk' about sleeping on the job. Well, if he even considered this a job.
Like his adoptive brother, Keith worked at a marine biology facility. It served mostly as an aquatic rescue, however. College students often came into the building work with the injured or impaired animals for a project or such. Keith was one of those students but had the pleasure of having a family member work here, thus getting him an easy job.
"I've told you a million times before, so I don't think I have to say it again," Shiro said with a teasing and knowing smile.
"Yeah yeah. don't sleep in the office chairs or your boss will get mad. Not like she'll do anything though. Aren't you dating her or something?" Keith replied snarkily, sitting up in the stiff spinny chair. Shiro looked about ready to say something but was cut off when Keith yelped in surprise, chair tipping a bit too far back. He caught the edge of the desk and pulled himself forward before he fell all the way. It had fallen backward more than once during his numerous nap times, but that didn't stop him. Once recovered, Keith spoke. "I had-"
"You had homework last night so you procrastinated and then stayed up late to do it last minute?" The older man filled in, looking around the filthy room with a grimace. "I know you're busy with your classes and all, but if you did assignments right after you got them, you would have time to have a normal sleep schedule. And maybe even time to clean up a little bit." The remark caused Keith to lower his eyes away from Shiro's gaze and to bite his lip. He knew Shiro was right, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to do that.
Whenever his classes were finished the young violet-eyed boy would race down to the docks, climb into one of the facility's smaller boats, and drift among the waves. The ocean had always fascinated him to no end. The neverending crystal blue water held endless possibilities. The ocean was an alien world that was extremely mysterious and deadly yet so very beautiful at the same time, which is why he had eagerly accepted when Shiro offered him a job in a marine biologist study organization. What he hadn't expected was that his job would be sorting out paperwork for fish food on a daily basis.
And so he took the boring time to make up for lost sleep. Shiro didn't seem to appreciate that very much, but Keith swore he was just using his time the best possible advantage.
"I'm just worried about you. You know that. But what you're doing is something that I have to intervene in. I know that sounds stern and I might sound like a complete ass to you right now but you need to spend your time more wisely. Your grades and this job are what you need to focus on, not sitting in a boat and sleeping all of the time." Ouch, wow okay that was a bit harsh, even coming from Shiro. He knew that Keith had trouble focusing on things, so why did he never acknowledge that?
"I'm just tired, ok? And not just physically." Keith stated, slouching further into his chair. He didn't feel up to arguing with Shiro brother today. It was just one of those days for him. "I just want a break. From school, from this boring as hell job. I just want to do something that I want to do, not what everyone else wants me to do." With the explanation out of the way, Keith looked up to Shiro as he waited to see the disappointed stare from his closest friend and brother.
Instead, there was a gentle smile. "Well, this conversation would have been a lot easier if you had said that to start. Here." With his robotic prosthetic hand, Shiro handed Keith the small folder of papers that he had slapped onto the desk when he first woke the grouchy college student up. "Believe it or not I actually came here to give you this, not to harp on you for napping or slacking."
Keith sat up in the old chair, curiosity peaking a bit. "What is it?" He asked, talking the manilla folder and opened it to examine the thin paper contents.
"It's one of my assignments. Not a super important one, so I figured I'd see if you'd want it or not." Shiro watched with an amused look in his eyes and Keith groaned and rolled his own.
"So you're trying to make me feel better about having too much work, by giving me more work?" He questioned. "No offense but that's the dumbest plan I've ever heard," Keith commented, holding up the file he had yet to read.
"Trust me, just take a look at the documents and let me know your answer about it, okay?" Shiro asked as he turned to leave the musty office room. Opening the door he let the light flood in and the musty smell flood out.
"Fine, whatever." Letting himself slouch back into the chair once again, Keith tossed the file onto his desk with a ton of other old papers that had been abandoned. His aim was just a tad off, however, and the file landed on the corner of another pile, and the whole thing was sent toppling.
"Shit!" Keith swore as he dove for the falling pile in hopes of catching it. Lck was against him as his sleeve got stuck in the crook of the old beaten up chair, and he tripped, the pile, the chair, and himself all slamming into the floor simultaneously. On his way down he had a nice thwack to the head from the corner of his desk. A cloud of dust flew up around the fallen body, proving Shiro's statement about the mess even further. "Damn it...." The lump on the floor muttered with anger.
Sitting up, Keith rubbed his head where he had hit it, grumbling under his breath. He paused when his violet eyes landed on the very file that had caused the fall in the first place. It lay wide open on top of the pile, pages scattered but all in the same area. But what had caught his eye was the photo sitting on top and ion the middle.
It was a photo of a massive humpback whale just after a mighty leap from the depths. It's damp skin shimmering in the light that the picture had been taken in with shimmering liquid splashing around it in massive waves of foamy sea water. The whale's mouth was open as if it had been bellowing with joy as the playful activity. It was beautiful.
But why was it in Shiro's assignment file?
Curiosity peaking once again, Keith crawled over to the scattered papers and gathered them into a neat stack. Most of the files were pictures, leaving only a few for him to read thankfully. Reading wasn't very interesting to Keith all that much.
Ignoring the rest of the pile, the black haired boy held the files in one hand and fixed his chair with the other. Sitting down once again, He looked at the fine print of the papers he held. The top of the first paper read in bolded letters 'Humpback whale research expedition'. An expedition? Why would Shiro give him info for this?
Reading further, he read that it was just a side expedition to collect notes. Nothing too important all in all. Once he got the second page, his eyes widened.
The expedition was out in the middle of the ocean and lasted for a week. Just following a pod of whales and recording them for some documentaries. Almost like a vacation to go whale spotting. And Shiro had practically handed it to him on a golden platter.
Standing up almost as quickly as he had fallen down before, Keith grabbed the folder and quickly tossed the papers and files inside before jumping over his desk and dashing out of the room and into the bright sunlit hallway.
The building was set up in a giant rectangular shape, with the middle of it completely open and full of picnic tables, leaving the hallways out in the open. It was designed mostly to reduce heat buildup, as it did get very hot in the summers and air conditioners were expensive. Keith liked it. It felt less enclosed and more open that way, similar to the feeling he got when out on the ocean.
It also made it easier to get around without getting lost in an endless maze of hallways and doors. This lead to Keith finding Shiro within a few short moments. His adoptive brother was by one of the empty tanks just outside of the facility itself. He was knee deep in the dirty murky water as the well-toned male scrubbed the bottom with a bristled brush. He offered Keith that job at first, but that offer was turned down with a complained of the dirty water.
"Shiro!" He hollered from the edge of the nearly empty pit. The tank was a 20-foot tank but only 1 foot of water remained as his brother cleaned. Hearing his name, Shiro turned around and looked up at the one who had called him. The white floof of hair above his forehead was slicked back from the water, a few strands hanging loose here and there showing how hard he had been working.
Smirking, Shiro pointed to the files Keith was holding. "I take it you actually read something I gave you for once?" He teased with a light chuckle, earning another annoyed groan from the shorter male above him.
"Yeah. I did." He replied. "Let me get this straight though before I go accepting or declining it." He took a deep breath. "You're giving me a week to myself, to go out on a boat on my own into the middle of the ocean to study whales?" He asked. "It's basically telling me to do what I usually do in my free time."
"Yup. But this time you'll actually get paid for it, and have a valid excuse to do that and not go to your classes. I'm not telling you to skip your classes or anything. Hell, you could take the time on that boat to catch up on some of your late work if I had any say in it."
It really wasn't a bad idea. It gave Keith exactly everything he wanted AND needed in one big happy bundle. Freetime to himself out on the open, beautiful ocean, and time to get caught up on his assignments without worry. And he could sleep in too if he wanted. This wouldn't be his first time on an expedition so he knew that sleep was good when the entire ocean was rocking him back and forth like a sleeping child in a mothers arms. If it were an option Keith would have chosen to sleep on a boat every night.
"Is Allura ok with me taking this assignment?" He asked. Allura was the one who ran the facility. She was kind, yes. But mostly to the animals. When it came to people she could come off as intimidating. She wanted things done her way and as efficient and fast as possible. Which is why Keith was surprised she hadn't fired him yet. He was a slacker and they both knew it.
"I spoke with her already and we both agreed that a break like this will do a lot of good for you. As long as you start actually going over that paperwork when you get back. It might not seem like it but we actually need those feeding records sorted." He stated with a light chuckle. "So, you up for it?"
Keith didn't even have to think, for he already knew his desired answer the moment he had seen the whale photo laying atop the pile of scattered sheets of paper. "Hell yeah. I'm in." The boy stated with a huge smile. "Now get up here so I can hug you for being the best bro in the entire universe."
Letting out a laugh, Shiro abandoned the scrub brush and made his way over the ladder at the side of the drained tank before climbing up to meet Keith at the top. Once up there, Shiro sighed with a smile and opened his arms and the shorter male gladly opened his own before trapping his brother in a gentle hug.
Everyone's hugs were a bit different and special. Keiths were gentle and short. Never going overboard but the affection was still there. Shiro's hugs were gentle and tended to last longer than Keiths. Everyone swore Shiro was magical or something and that he gave the best hugs right along side of Hunk. Hunks hugs were the best by far, lasting however long you needed them too and they were always a good thing, no matter the mood. And Pidge? Pidge just didn't do hugs unless it was her brother. But those usually ended in wrestling matches.
"Now," Shiro stated, pulling away from the embrace and planting his flesh hand on Keith's shoulder. "Go get ready for your trip. I already have the boat ready, but you still need clothes and food and whatever homework you decide to bring. Get some rest tonight and then you can head out in the morning." He informed. Keith nodded before turning and speedwalking back the way he came. "See you in the morning!" The buff male shouted to him just as he banished around a corner.
Once out of sight, Keith let his excitement go wild and he dashed the rest of the way back to his office. Once there, he barged in and nearly tripped over the stack of papers still on the floor, momentarily forgotten. With a short muffled grumble, he grabbed his bag and dashed back out of the door.
Within a few short moments he was on his motorcycle and on his way home for the night to pack, get ready, and hopefully get a good nights sleep for once before the week started.
----The next morning----
Keith hadn't been able to sleep at all that night, despite the fact that he had even gone to bed early. The boy was far too excited to close his eyes and he knew he would get some decent sleep on the trip, so it seemed pointless to keep trying after the first few restless hours. He ended up just going over the assignment files and watching whale documentaries all night long. Shiro didn't exactly approve, but he couldn't exactly force Keith to sleep either.
"You sure you don't want me to come with you?" Shiro asked for the tenth time. He and Keith were currently packing up the last of the gear onto the boat. It was a bit larger than your average fishing boat, and much nicer looking as well. The logo for the marine facility was scripted in a fancy curved letter in bright neon blue on the front end of it with a few dark blue stripes running down the sides and to the back end where the stuff was being loaded on.
"Yeah. I'll be fine. Besides isn't the reason I'm doing this because you thought I needed some alone time?" Keith questioned, hoisting a box sound recording machines onto the deck.
"I don't think, Keith. I KNOW you need some alone time. Still, I do worry about you being in the middle of the ocean on your own. Anything could go wrong." ANd there he went again. Shiro had a habit of going into what Keith and the others like to call 'dad mode'. When like this, Shiro would point out the small details of what could possibly go wrong. Even if it was his own idea he would pick out the little hazardous things.
"Everything has a chance of going wrong. Doesn't mean it will. Besides, you and Allura already checked for weather and currents and stuff like that. You guys packed this boat with enough supplies to keep a whole crew alive for months. I'll be fine." Tucking the last box into place and tieing it down with a tight cord, Keith turned to face Shiro who was standing with his arms crossed and a slightly saddened look on his face. It was the kicked puppy look.
"Just be careful, ok?" The words came out so soft and so quietly it caused Keith's shoulders to sag a bit. With a small smile, he walked over to Shiro and the two engaged in yet another hug.
"I'll be careful. If anything you've taught me stuck, it's how to not die." The small joke had Shiro laughing a bit, making Keith feel a bit better. He would not be the reason to make Shiro cry. That was a big no-no. If anyone made Shiro upset they would get an earful from Allura.
"Well, that's good I suppose. Remember to radio us if you need anything." Shiro explained. "It should work no matter where you are, but if it's cloudy you might get some interference." Releasing Keith from the hug, He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. It was a habit of his everytime they finished a hug, but the lingering touch was nice so neither of them said anything about it. The bond they had was unbreakable, and the little things are what made the bond strength between them.
"Sure thing." With one last quick and short hug, Keith turned and walked onto the boat. Shiro stepped back from the edge of the doc and moved to help untie the rope holding the floating vehicle to the shore. Once the knot was undone he tossed to the Keith, who caught it with ease and rolled it up to be stored away. "See you in a week!" He called to his brother as the current already started tugging him away from the doc.
"Don't forget to put the ladder down if you go swimming!" Shiro reminded, waving to Keith with his metal hand, and leaning on the doc with his flesh one. "And try not to get stung by any jellyfish!"
Keith chuckled and rolled his eyes at the joking warnings. He knew to take them seriously though. The last time he got stung by a jellyfish didn't end too well for him. Or the jellyfish in that matter.
"I'll be fine, you should worry more about yourself! Without me around you going to be stuck with Allura for the whole week." Keith reminded, having to shout over the sound of the motor of the boat turning on.
Keith watched a flash of fear cross over Shiro's face with a light bout of laughter. Sure he and Allura were a thing but that didn't make the white-haired tyrant any less terrifying to the one-armed man.
Now out of vocal range, Keith waved his goodbye to Shiro who waved back enthusiastically. What a dweeb. But he was the one dweeb that had taken Keith in when no one else would, and he owed Shiro everything for that. He wouldn't have gotten into a decent college, wouldn't have this job, hell he even doubted that he would have a home at all. And thanks to one generous person he had everything.
And Keith had no idea how to return the favor. He doubted he ever would be able to.
---Later that day--
A few hours later and Keith was no longer able to see the shoreline he had set out from. And it was perfect. Gentle waves and currents rocked the boat as it cut through the water to its destination, lulling Keith into a state of relaxation. While he steered, the violet eyes scanned the vast horizon, examining the paradise he had always loved. It was things like this Keith wished he could do all of the time.
A lot of other people in this situation would choose to listen to music or read. But Keith merely stood there as he watched the waves and listened to the sound of wind and water collide. To him, that was the music. The waves were the beat and the winds were the lyrics. The noise from the boat interfered a bit, and to him, it was like a slight static to a radio. Annoying to an extent but didn't necessarily ruin the song.
It was a clear day outside, only a few small puffs of white floating lazily in the sky It was too far from and for seagulls or pelicans to be around so the sky was empty of any life. The only things out here were Keith and the boat.
And it was perfect.
Deciding now was a good time for a lunch break and maybe a small nap, Keith cut the engine and walked out from the small compartment and into the streaming sunlight. It had warmed up a bit since that morning so Keith had donned a tank top and knee high shorts. His pale skin practically reflected the sunlight, showing just how much he needed to go outside more often. Maybe if he was lucky enough he would go home with a bit of a tan to show off.
Walking to the other side of the boat, his bare feet barely made a sound as they gently tapped the sun warmed wooden deck below. He had helped clean and repair this boat on multiple occasions with Shiro and Hunk after it was used quite often, so he knew the small ship like the back of his hand. The small scratch in the wood at the helm, a loose floorboard in the back that he tripped on at first, the mismatched paint from covering up scuff marks on the front, and the old boat horn which had yet to be removed. A new one had been installed, but Keith insisted on keeping the old one as every now and then there would be a birds nest in it.
He had checked before even packing up his stuff onto the boat as he didn't want to risk bringing baby birds to sea by accident. It had happened one time with Allura and when she returned a very angry seagull was waiting for her.
Chuckling at the memory, Keith popped open a red cooler to grab a water bottle from it along with a sandwich the Shiro himself had made. God, he could be such a dad friend at times. Everyone could always count on him for having snacks or band-aids right when you needed one. It was rather impressive and handy while a bit spooky at the same time. Keith had never seen Shiro buy band-aids so where the heck was he getting them?
Tossing the thought aside, for now, bare feet carried him across the deck once more only this time it was to the front of the boat. He leaned on the railing and opened his lunch, taking a deep breath of the salty air before digging in. Yup, definitely nap time after this.
"I could get used to this." Keith breathed out with the words quietly to himself. His voice sounded so small in the endless expanse of water, no walls or buildings to echo it back to him. In truth, it was humbling almost. He alone was so small in a world of water so big, so insignificant compared to the mighty waves and currents. He was like a grain of sand in the ocean. Pushed around with a gentle embrace to guide him to his destination.
A splash off to the boys left startled him a bit, catching him off guard and nearly making him drop his sandwich on the side of the boat. Regaining his posture, Keith cautiously peered over the side of the boat. At a first glance, he saw nothing. It wasn't until he saw a small grey mass speeding up from the depths that he realized what it was.
He spluttered and fell backward onto the deck when he was squirted in the face with a stream of water and the surprise of a loud squeal. Sandwich now soaked and long gone, Keith sat up with an annoyed growl that dissolved into a small bubbly laughter. It was a pod of dolphins. The curious little thing must have seen his boat and wanted to have some fun with him.
Excitement peaking, Keith dashed the back end of the boat where Shiro had put a cooler of small fish for occasions just like this. Dolphins were always a welcome surprise to everyone, so when they saw them they took the opportunity to bond with them.
He grabbed the small cooler and moved it down the small platform that hung just a foot above the water. Taking a half frozen fish from the cooler Keith stuck both hand and fish into the chilly saltwater and splashed around to get the ocean mammals attention. The effect was immediate as a pod of what looked like 8 dolphins made themselves known, squeaking and clicking with excitement at the discovery of a new land walking friend. If Keith had to guess he would have assumed that this particular pod had come in contact with humans before seeing as they had no fear in him or the boat. Which means that they knew there were treats.
"Well hello there." He said in a quiet tone. "This what you're looking for?" Holding up the fish for the dolphins to see, a chorus of squeaks was given as an answer. With a light chuckle, Keith tossed the fish into the water. One of the smaller ones caught it before it even his the surface of the ocean. Laughing, Keith tossed another fish to the hungry mouths.
With a smile Keith let his feet dangle in the water as he fed the hungry creatures. They occasionally nipped at his toes, but never once bit him. It was moments like these that made Keith think that animals were in many ways better than people.
---Later---
Keith had run out of fish after the first hour of playing with his newfound ocean friends, but in that time he had taught them how to clap their flippers like an applause. Maybe when he got back to the facility in a week he could convince Allura to let him work with the dolphins there.
The pod had gone back the way the came from, leaving Keith with a huge smile and a good mood but very tired. The lack of sleep from the night before was starting to catch up with him so he deemed it nap time before he got moving again. The current where he was riding with wasn't quite strong enough to pull him off course if he only took an hour long nap.
Stashing the cooler back where he had gotten it from. Keith let out a small yawn before heading below deck. The deck was hidden with a small hatch behind the small area where steering was. One time he had managed to trap Pidge down there by sitting on the hatch to convince her to give his phone back which she had stolen for blackmail. What for? He didn't even remember at this point. Something stupid probably.
The inside of the boat resembled any normal small home. It had 3 main rooms. The first cozy lounge area with a small couch and a table with 2 seats against the right wall with a window just above it. The window lets light in that reflected from the water. The reflected light cast white streaks and patterns across the ceiling, mesmerizing anyone who saw it. Next, to the couch, there was a small fridge to keep snacks and such. The rest of the food was stored in a compartment closet behind the couch.
The second room was the one Keith was looking for. The bedroom. It was roughly the same size as the lounge, but with a skylight instead of a window and it had 2 sets of bunk beds. The third room was the bathroom which was a part of the bedroom. It was small, but it worked.
Unfortunately for Keith, the beds weren't as comfy as they looked. And so he put his own plan into action. Walking back to the lounge part, Keith popped open a small compartment hidden in the couch and pulled out a heavy cloth object with thick rope on the ends. A hammock he had made himself a long time ago.
Holding the hammock Keith strut into the bedroom once more and set about hanging up the makeshift bed. He tied the thick cord to each of the bunk beds, suspending the cloth part a few feet off the ground in the middle of the room. Once tied securely, he tested the weight with his hand, pressing down on it firmly. Once he deemed it strong enough, Keith let himself fall backward into the hanging bed. He tucked his body into the folds of fabric, letting one foot stick out and press against the bunk bed. With that foot, he rocked himself back and forth.
He didn't really need too as the waves rocked the boat enough to cause his bed to sway from side to side. Within a few short minutes, the sleep-deprived boy was resting among his dreams peacefully.
--- Sometime later---
Keith awoke from his 'nap' a bit groggy, not used to getting good sleep like that. Eyes still closed, he stretched with a wide and very loud yawn to express how rested he felt. Sitting up, Keith opened his eyes to find that he couldn't see very well. There was no way it was dark outside already, was there?
Baffled and confused Keith made his way upstairs, feet still bare. Opening the hatch he was shocked when he was hot with a gust of chilly air. It was unusual because around this time of year the air should be warm even during the night.
Once upon the main deck, Keith donned a light grey sweater and check the time in the steering area. He had only been asleep for about two hours and was still on course, so why was it so dark?
A deep rumble from way off in the distance caught his attention, causing him to whip around in surprise. The sky above was clouded over, blocking much sunlight from reaching the ocean surface. But what worried him was the massive wall of cloud and lighting off on the horizon. The deep rumble had been thunder then. Shiro had said the weather was clear though, so how was there a storm?
Considering himself lucky, Keith praised the fact that the storm wasn't directly on top of him and only the outskirts reached him. It wasn't raining where he was, just cold and cloudy. It was rather annoying actually and he hoped it passed by and was gone by tomorrow.
Deciding it was best to keep moving, for now, Keith went back to the steering area and powered the boat up. Luckily for him, his course and location were the opposite directions of the massive sea storm. But it still had him on edge as the storm shouldn't have been there in the first place, so who knew what it would do next. Mother nature was unpredictable.
Looking at the radar and compass on the dash in front of him, Keith noticed they were a bit twitchy and only pointed in a general direction instead of dead ahead. The storm was magnetic.
"Shit." He muttered under his breath. That meant it was number one priority to lose that storm now. If it got too close he would be as good as lost. "So much for getting a lot of sleep tonight." If he wanted to lose the storm soon he would have to captain the boat all night. No time for breaks because if he slept tonight the massive cloud would be on top of him and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
Grabbing the radio, he clicked it on and tuned it to the facilities station. "Altea Marine Center, this is Keith Kogane calling from research boat 3, do you copy?" He asked into the small machine. He would ask Shiro about the storm and see if it was even safe to keep going or if he should turn around and go back. But his answer was only static, and so he tried again. "Altean Marine center, this is Keith Kogane, do you copy?"
More static. Fuck. This wasn't good.
"Shiro, Allura, do you copy?" His voice was louder and a bit more panicked now. "Can anyone hear me?" No answer. "Damn it..." He grumbled, putting the radio back. He had to make the choice on his own. Go back now before the storm got too bad, or keep going in hopes of outrunning it?
Being the reckless child he was, Keith chose to keep going. This was his chance to finally get a vacation and he wasn't about to chicken out now. He could make it. There's no way he would give up because of a bit of rain. Hell no.
"This should be fun," Keith stated sarcastically as the boat moved forwards once again, cutting through the choppy water. Since it was getting darker quickly with the clouds and soon to be setting sun, Keith relied more on the radar than looking ahead. It wasn't soon after that small cold drips of rain started pelting down.
With a heavy weight in his mind, Keith realized that the storm was moving faster than he was. This wasn't good. But it's not like he could turn around now. The storm had moved and now blocked his path back home so he had no choice but to keep going.
"This just keeps getting better and better doesn't it?" He asked himself as the rain steadily grew heavier and heavier. If Shiro had been with him then maybe he could have found a way to avoid the storm completely, but Keith couldn't read the weather like his brother could. There was a lot of things that Shiro could do that Keith could only wish to do.
Not dying in the middle of the ocean was now one of the things on that ever-growing list.
As the wind started to pick up, Keiths worrying only grew. The waves were steadily getting larger as well, tossing the small boat back and forth. Thankfully all of the supplies were all still strapped down do nothing went flying. Turning around, Keiths eyes widened and his heart jumped, stopping for a moment.
It had only been a few minutes and the storm was right behind him and towering miles high, blocking nearly all light. The sun had yet to set all the way but the sky was nearly black. Rain fell like stones now, pelting the boat with sharp tapping noises. Thanks to the wind the roof above Keith did nothing and he was pelted with dollops of water from every direction, soaking him to the bone.
With chattering teeth, Keith abandoned trying to escape the storm and now focused on keeping the boat from tipping over. Water flooded the deck but since all of the edges and railing were just like stair railings, the water just ran right back into the ocean.
"Shit the hatch!" Leaving the steering wheel behind, the young male turned around and dashed the short distance to the still open hatch, slipping a few times on the way. Looking down into the house like area, he saw that it was a water of the way flooded. "Damn it!" He hollered, jumping down into the lower deck. Once there he splashed into the murky mess.
In the knee,-deep water random objects floated about, like sealed supplies and stray bed sheets. Wading through the mess to the back room, Keith flipped the draining pump on. Thankfully it was still running and began pumping the excess water out back into the sea. That was one thing taken care of. Next, close the hatch and keep the boat from capsizing.
Turning around he quickly walked back the way he came, tossing object aside and onto the beds to keep them from clogging the drain. A sharp pain dug into the boy's foot and he fell with a cry of shock, spluttering when dirt water flooded his mouth. One of the dishes had broken and a sharp of it was now lodged in his foot, bleeding profusely. A string of curse words left his mouth and he stood back up on one foot. Water was still raining in from above and the boat was still being tossed too and fro.
"Come on already!" He yelled to no one in particular. With a grunt of effort and a cry of pain, Keith ripped the sharp from his foot and limped back up the above deck. Once there, he sealed the hatch and kept any more water from getting in. Ripping a corner off of his soaked sweater he quickly tied the tattered cloth around the hold in the base of his foot, temporarily taking care of it.
With those issues taken care of, Keith carefully made his way back to the steering area. Getting thrown off now would mean the end of his life. The wheel was spinning like crazy as the boat was whipped around, nearly tipping multiple times with no one in control. Reaching out, he caught the steering wheel with his bare hands, successfully stopping it but also severely bruising his hands. Next time, he was bringing Shiro with him.
If there ever was a next time.
A deafening roar had Keith frantic as he looked around. Thunder boomed above and lighting could be seen in the darkness of the raging storm, but the noise didn't come from them.
To his horror, Keith's eyes widened once again as he saw a massive wave coming right at his ship. The wind fueling its growth caused the roaring sound as it grew larger and larger, dwarfing the rest of the waves. To him, it was a wall of death ready to crush him.
His final thought as the wave came crashing down on him was him wondering if anyone had heard him screaming.
---Unknown amount of time later---
--Day one--
Blinding light burned through closed eyelids, sending Keith into a world of bright red. Entire body sore and tingling painfully, he wondered if he is what death felt like. If so, then death really sucked. Now he really wished that he had told Shiro no to the vacation.
Sitting up with a groan and a splitting headache, Keith came to the conclusion that he wasn't dead, just in a lot of pain. Eyes still closed, he reached up and rubbed the back of his head. Violet eyes snapped open when he felt something warm and sticking. Looking at his hand he found it coated with fresh blood. When had he hit his head?
In fact, he couldn't recall anything that had happened. He was trying to outrun a storm, and it had started raining, but what had happened after that?
Looking around, he received a slap of reality to the face. While the weather had cleared up, Keith now wished he was still back in the storm.
The storm was completely gone and the sun was high in the sky, giving Keith a clear view of what was left behind. His boat had been torn to shreds, only half of it remaining. In a cruel stroke of luck, it had been the top half that was gone which left him something that was able to float. Somehow he had ended up on the front helm, the one part of the deck that wasn't completely destroyed by the harsh waves and wind.
Moving to stand up, Keith was painfully reminded of the damage done to his foot. The makeshift bandage was completely gone, but the bleeding was slow and sluggish and not flowing like it was before.
"Ok, think. Remember what Shiro taught you....um...?" His mind was foggy (Probably a concussion) but he could faintly recall the training for what to do in a situation like this.
"Ok.....uh." Looking around, Keith deemed the boat remnants stable enough to worry about later. Injuries were next on the list. To keep himself calm he voiced what he did out loud to himself. "Head injury, possible concussion or brain damaged, crippled foot," He poked at his sore body, wincing when he found a tender spot. "Bruised ribs, damaged ego, and a low chance of serving this damned situation." Keith chuckled to himself. It was almost ironic. One of the few things he loved was going to be the death of him.
Luckily his sweater had somehow stayed on and was fairly dry. That could only mean that he had been out long enough for the storm to stop, clear completely, and for the sun to dry his clothes. A full day at minimum. Damn.
Tearing off one of the sleeves he used the strip and tied it around his head, covering the gaping wound. As far as he would tell his skull was intact and not in any way damaged. Head wounds always bled a lot but most of the time they weren't too serious. With the leftover fabric, he re-wrapped his foot before attempting to stand once again.
He reached to grab the iron railing that was wrapped around the entire deck, only to meet open air. Turning to look, he found that the railing had been flatted down to the deck itself, looking nearly as if it had been folded. Water and wind were powerful, but only a solid object could have done that. "What the hell?" Keith asked himself. There was no land in sight so he couldn't have crashed into anything that solid. Maybe an animal had gotten caught in the storm and he hit it?
Too many questions had his head spinning and he nearly passed out again. Taking a moment to clear his mind, Keith tried to stand again without the railing this time.
"Ok, supplies. Food, water, and a god damned radio would be nice too." He stated. Keith limped over to where the gaping hole in the ship was and peered inside. It was mostly hollow as if the entire interior was flushed out. He couldn't see any of the packed supplies anywhere, meaning the storm had taken those. a few miscellaneous objects floated around in the waters around the half damaged boat. It was mostly driftwood and broken boat parts though.
So he had no supplies. No way to get fresh water or food. "Great. Fucking fantastic. " In a short spout of anger, Keith used his good foot to kick a stray chunk of plastic into the ocean. Not good for the environment, but the angered victim could care less about that right now.
Sitting back down, Keith let nausea and a headache have a chance to go away before he threw up or passed out. "Just....calm down. Patience yields focus..." He whispered to himself. "What do I have to do to not die? Simple enough of a question." Keith spoke to himself again. The thought of Shiro caused a spike of raw emotion to dig into his heart, but he would be damned if he started crying at a time like this. Emotions could wai
Standing back up, he scanned the area for anything useful. The driftwood might be useful to make a spear or a cheap fishing rod, and maybe there was still supplies floating around somewhere. Everything was waterproof so if he found a crate everything inside would be fine. But everything had been thrown off the boat by the looks of it.
And that triggered a thought. How was he still on the boat? He hadn't been strapped to anything and yet as the ship was torn apart, he was still in one piece, alive, and on the one sturdy part of the boat? It just didn't seem possible. This whole situation just seemed to get weirder and weirder.
Favoring his injured foot, Keith climbed down from the deck and picked his way down into the half-flooded damaged part of the boat. It was harder with bare feet as he carefully stepped among splintered pieces of snapped support beams and broken glass. One of the bunk beds remained bolted to the crumbling wall, so he snagged the damp sheet from it and started tossing pieces of driftwood onto it. With a tremendous effort, he hauled the wood up onto the deck, lungs heaving from exertion.
His foot had started bleeding heavily again, making him lightheaded from the loss of the precious red liquid. The sun was starting to set anyways, so he plopped down where he had woken up earlier that day. Falling asleep wouldn't be too hard as he felt his body wearing down on its own. He would probably just pass out but it was close enough to sleep.
Resting his head on top of the folded remnants of his sweater, Keith let himself drift off to a dreamless state of sleep. Before he completely blacked out he heard soft splashing noises from the side of the shipwreck.
--Day 2--
When he awoke the next morning, it was to the sharp tangy metallic scent of his own blood. He felt it on his face and Keith quickly realized his makeshift pillow was soaked red from his head wound. That wasn't good at all. If he kept losing blood at this rate he would bleed out within the next few hours. At this point, he was tempted just to let death take him seeing as it was inevitable anyway, but his stubbornness kept him from doing that.
Weak from hunger thirst and blood loss, Keith couldn't even stand up. He had to resort to crawling on his hands and knees. This was really really bad. The moment he moved he could feel the blood trickle down the back of his neck and his spine, causing him to shudder in disgust and horror.
But it was replaced by a pleasant surprise when he noticed an addition to his collection of gathered stuff. Next to the measly pile of driftwood, sat a rather large bright orange tote. One of the ones Shiro had helped him pack back at the facility. But how the hell had it gotten up here on the boat? It took 2 men to lift a tote that size, and he was pretty sure he was the only one out here. And it was sitting too perfectly to have been flung up there by a wave.
"What the hell." He stated. It was no longer a question, but a declaration of his confusion. But questions could wait. that tote could be his savior right now. Dragging himself over to it, Keith popped the small clip holding it shut and then flung it open. With a strained heave, the injured boy lifted himself on the edge of the box to peer inside. He needed to hug Shiro if he saw him again.
"Thank you, Shiro!" His voice called to the sky. It was a box full of basic supplies. A few food rations in waterproof packaging, a water filter, a flare gun box, a flashlight with batteries, a first aid kit, and a thermal blanket. There was only enough food for a few days but Keith could stretch that for a week if needed. It had been his brother's idea to pack all of the extra stuff for occasions like this. If he hadn't? Keith didn't want to think about that right now.
Hastily he grabbed the first aid kit and one of the small food packets. With one hand he opened the first aid kit and the other he held the pack to his mouth and used his teeth to tear it open. As he munched on the protein bar, Keith dug into the kit looking for anything to clot the wound on his head as it was still steadily trickling down his back.
Grabbing a small packet of fine white dust, he smiled when he read that it was a clotting powder. Shoving the rest of the bar of food into his mouth, Keith got to work. He dumped the power onto a small thing of cotton gauze before pressing it to the wound on his head. It stung like fire and it burned like hell, but it would save his life. Holding it with one hand he used the other to wrap a long string of gauze wrap to hold the other part in place.
Once the white wrap secured in place, he let out a sigh of relief when he felt the blood stop flowing from his head. He still felt woozy and probably needed a nap, but now that he had this crate of supplies there was stuff he needed to do.
Using the leftover gauze he properly bandaged his foot and then took some painkillers. Probably not a good idea of how low his blood pressure was from the continuous bleeding, but he could care less as long as the pain stopped.
With his life in the green, for now, Keith pulled the rest of the stuff from the box. The whole time he stayed sitting so he wouldn't get another headache.
Grabbing the flare kit, he opened it up to find 3 flare sticks and a flare gun with 3 shots. It was risky, but he decided to fire one right now in case there was anyone close by. He wouldn't fire another one until he heard or saw someone else.
Using the box, Keith hoisted himself up to where he was sitting on the lid, half slouched. He loaded one of the flares into the small orange gun, pointed it to the sky, and fired. Anyone in a 30 miles radius would be able to see it. If there was someone close enough to see it anyways.
Carefully he put the flare gun back in the case and clipped it shut for he would not risk it getting wet or broken.
Keith's stomach cramped up, reminding him he was still hungry and thirsty so he downed another granola bar and grabbed the water filter. He was about to get filter some ocean water until he realized he didn't exactly have anything to put the clean water it. There were a few water bottles but he didn't want to use those until he absolutely had to.
"Damn it. Time to improvise. Again." He stated to himself with a crap ton of sarcasm. Digging through the tote once more, he found a plastic baggie that was big enough to hold a few cups of water. It would work for now.
Daring to stand up, Keith lifted himself from the box lid and nearly blacked out when a wave of pain and nausea washed over him. He screwed his eyes shut and froze in place, begging the sharp stinging in his mind to go away. Eventually, it did, and Keith was left to walk unbothered.
The painkillers helped with his foot, letting him walk with less of a limp to a part of the boat which was mostly submerged. Once close enough he let his body drop, landing on his knees. Since he was still wearing his shorts the water wasn't a big deal. For a moment he paused and let the cool water relax him. Even through the hell he just experienced, the ocean was still a welcome thing in his mind.
He sat there like that, filter and baggie in his hand as he let his eyes close. He could fall asleep right there if he wanted too, but that wasn't very wise.
A loud noise startled him a bit, snapping Keith out of the trance he had fallen into. The noise was low pitched, almost like a whine. A very deep wailing whine. Wait a minute-
"Whales?" Keith asked out loud to himself. Another wail echoed through the water, sounding muffled by the waves. It was faint, but there was no doubt about it. The noise was coming from a whale. How ironic. The reason he was out here int he first place was to find whales and study them. Only this time the whales had found him first. The situation made Keith chuckle a bit.
"If only you were people." He commented. "Or knew how to get me home. That'd be awesome." Keith dipped the filter into the ocean, filling the capsule with salty water. Once the water started passing through the filter he held the plastic bag beneath it to catch the fresh water trickling from the bottom.
The whole time the whales, wherever they were, kept singing from the ocean. The noise soothed Keith, helping him to relax and ignore the pain that the painkillers hadn't covered. It helped clear his mind and Keith faintly wondered if this is what people meant when talking about sirens and such. Sirens didn't exist though. Whales did and that was good enough for Keith as their song was enough to lull him into a state of bliss.
Once the bag was as full as it would go without spilling, Keith took a few long gulps from it, quenching his stinging thirst. Once he was satisfied by the lukewarm liquid, he zipped the bag shut and began his return to the deck. He was stopped by a very long, loud and drawn out whale call, this one sounding far closer than the others. It sounded like it was right where he was too.
Suddenly excited and forgetting his entire situation, Keith hurried the side of the boat and looked over the edge, eyes wide as he searched the dark blue waters for any signs of the gentle giant who was singing to him. He heard the call again, but couldn't see anything.
He stayed like that for a few minutes, waiting in hopes, but the whale did not show itself. With a disappointed sigh, he turned to go back to what he was doing.
A massive splashed could be heard behind him as a massive creature shot out of the water. Keith couldn't get a good look at it because he was suddenly showered with a ton of sea water, successfully drenching him. His stuff was safe though.
By the time he was able to see again, Keith barley caught the sight of a massive dark grey whale tail vanishes beneath the surface of blue. "Holy shit," Keith said under his own breath. It had the color and shape of a blue whale but had the white speckled underbelly like a humpback. He didn't get to see it's head though so he couldn't be sure.
But still, he had seen what he was looking for and that alone was enough to boost his mood sky high. With a chuckle, he flicked some of the salt water off of his arms and shook out his hair.
For the rest of the day, he spent his time watching for more whales and listening to their songs.
--Day 4--
For 3 days, Keith had been scavenging what he could from around the boat. So far he had gathered most if not all of the driftwood within a short swims reach and a few plastic baggies of various supplies. None of them contained food, however. Just things like extra blankets, clothing, some swim gear. He had come across a pair of goggles as well, so that was handy.
He had even found the old broken boat horn, the one that commonly had nests in it back at the facility. In his free time, Keith had tried fixing it in hopes of maybe answering the whales back. They seemed to be sticking around for the most part which meant two things.
Either he was close to their breeding ground which meant he was close to land, or he was stuck in the current they were riding on which meant he was lost as fuck. He hoped it was the first option.
His rations were starting to dwindle sooner than he hoped they would. Seeing as he was recovering from major injuries his body needed more energy, therefore he was hungry more often. But he would need to find an alternate food source and soon. Fish was the most obvious answer but he hadn't seen any during his little scavenging trips.
The only living thing he knew was close was the whales. He had yet to see the one who had jumped near him, and he hoped he would at least one more time before he either died or was found.
--Day 8--
Keith lay on the deck in a fetal position, curled in on himself as his stomach cramped painfully. His food had run out and the effects of hunger were kicking his ass. Water wasn't a problem, but the hunger was too painful to ignore. Spearfishing led to nothing but wasted energy and time as there were no fish near the surface in the water this deep. He still had yet to see the whale again.
Off in the distance, he could see a few clouds. A storm, but not as large as the one that had stranded him in the first place. It looked like it would be just rain and a bit of wind. Nothing to worry about. Hopefully.
Sitting up, Keith propped his weak body against the half-empty box. Most of the medical supplies had been used up as well for his head. It was starting to heal, but the progress was sluggish now that he was going hungry once again. He felt ready to give up at this point, but Shiro would be mad at him if he did. He didn't want Shiro to be mad. He faintly wondered if his adoptive brother was even looking for him right now. They must have seen the storm on the radar back at the facility so they must have assumed he was dead at this point.
Looking up, Keith saw the clouds above him slowly growing thicker. A gentle drizzle started to rain down, a cooling relief on the sunburn Keith had accumulated over the past few days.
And he cried. For the first time during this whole disaster, Keith let himself cry. The salty tears blended with the falling rain as he cried to the sky, begging for answers on why this had to happen to him right when his life was starting to get good. And soon his tears turned into cries that echoed across the rainwater.
He yelled in agony at what had happened to him, why he had to have his life robbed away from him before he could even do anything with it. It was unfair. He hated it. So he yelled, crying out to the sky begging for a second chance and cursing it for ruining his first.
Slowly Keith sunk down from where he had propped himself up, and curled into fetal position once again, sobbing loudly to himself, It's ok to cry now, he thought. No one was watching or listening. He could be pathetic now and it would mean nothing. No one would hear or see the mess he had become in nothing more than 10 days.
the wind picked up, howling with him and gently rocking the boat. The rain made the wooden deck beneath him slick and slippery, and occasionally his body would slide a few inches each time the shipwreck rocked back and forth. It was as if death itself was rocking him to sleep.
Suddenly the whole ship lurched to one side, cutting of Keith's sobs which were quickly replaced with shouts of alarm. With no grip or anything to hold onto, he started to slide to the end of the boat. With the way the current was now, there would be no swimming back to the boat if he fell off.
"No no no no!" He yelled, scrabbling weakly to grab onto anything. With the rails having been crushed, they offered no hold as he slipped right over them, and he was tossed into the sea like a stone in a lake.
The moment Keith's small malnourished body hit the water, the violent current overwhelmed him start started dragging him downwards at an alarming rate. Instincts running on full, he shouted and flailed, trying to get to the surface to no avail. The ocean was stronger than he was. It always had been.
With all of the sobbing and yelling he had done beforehand, it wasn't long before his breath started failing him and his lungs burned for air. He wished to please his lungs but had no way to do it as he sank further and further. Vision starting to fade, black spots began slowly growing in his sight. It wasn't the only thing he saw though.
A large shape moved in front of him, and his first thought was a shark, but the massive shadow was much much larger than that. And yet, it didn't look like a whale either. Most of it didn't anyways.
It kept swimming closer and closer until Keith could see the large creature fully, and his last breath was spent gasping in both fear and shock.
It was a giant merperson. Only massive, and with a whales tail instead of the typical fishtail people always wrote stories about. Was this the creature that had been singing to him for the past few days? Oh well, he guessed it didn't matter. Whether he was hallucinating or not he would be dead shortly anyways. Or so he thought.
Keith had gone completely limp at this point, brain barely functioning enough to let his gaze follow that of the giant mer as it approached him slowly. He was truly beautiful. A pleasant last sight before he died and moved on from this world. The mer seemed to have other plans for him though.
Giant hands suddenly appeared on either side of Keith, warm and welcoming as they cradled the small helpless human and he found himself at both the creatures and the oceans mercy. He himself was just barely the size of the whale mer's pinky finger. From the silence that deafened Keith, a deep wailing noise came from the creature's chest, so loud and so familiar.
The drowned human felt his whole world shift as the hands closed around him and he felt his body and the hands suddenly fly upwards, taking him and hundreds of gallons water with. After a short moment of stomach-lurching movement, the hands opened up and let the water fall back to the ocean where it belonged. Once the water was gone, that left Keith, coughing and spluttering the salty water from his throat and lungs. Despite it being water, the liquid made his lungs and stomach burn like fire.
Barely conscious, Keith was faintly aware of the giant creature setting his limp body down gently on the deck of his boat. Keith would have been more frightened and wary of the beast, but his brain was mush at this point and all he could do was hack up water weakly and watch his mysterious savior.
Once Keith had been set down, the merman's hands retreated, leaving Keith chilly and sopping wet as the rain still came down from above.
Finally having removed the ocean from his lungs, Keith lay there pathetically on his side in the rain, heaving with every breath as his chest moved up and down weakly. He wanted to sit up, stay awake, and see if the creature could talk and maybe even help him home, but before he could the pain and exhaustion took over, and he blacked out yet again.