Pidge had never felt more alone than she did right now. She had been in isolation for days, her only company the bugs and parasites she was pretty sure now resided in her dirty, blackened hair. It tickled her shoulders a bit, giving her the impression that she might look a little like Keith. She wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. She stared again at the dirt beneath her. Upon their second visit the guards had strung her up like a slaughtered pig. Her arms had long since lost feeling in them from lack of blood. She closed her eyes, attempting to drift back into the comforting break of sleep, where she could escape her mutinous thoughts. Alas it was not meant to be as a rustle from outside drew the attention of her fuzzy brain.

"Hello?"

Pidge just stared at the canvas wall that the voice was coming from. She wished now, more than ever that she hadn't attempted to bite the druid. Then she might be able to respond to the tired, yet curious voice of her older brother. She allowed herself to cry, her whimpers echoing through the silence.

"Shhh, don't cry!" The voice said, mildly bewildered. Pidge sobbed, craving the support of her brother. A brother who didn't even know who she was. She listened as Matt attempted to calm her, even when he didn't know he was talking to. Eventually her tears subsided, leaving her both physically and emotionally exhausted. She slipped into slumber, promises of return visits reaching her before she was pulled into the blissful unawareness of sleep.

As promised, Matt returned. She fought her latest dose of sedative in order to listen to him speak. He rambled about everything, from the weather ("terrible, as always") to the colour of his uniform ("I look like a bloody grape"). Pidge responded all she could, gentle moans and rustling fabric. It wasn't much, but it was all she could manage with the upped dose of sedative they gave her. She rather thought that the Galra didn't really want to deal with her. She was merely bait for the other paladins. She tried not to think about anything when Matt talked to her. The dark thoughts could wait for the early morning hours.

She looked forward to Matt's daily visit, eventually he started bringing his father as well. Pidge cried in joy at the revelation that they were both alive. Matt didn't understand why she sobbed but he did his best to comfort her anyway.

As the days wore on it became harder for Pidge to focus. The lack of food and the excess of medically induced exhaustion took its toll on her. She found that over time the ropes straining to hold her up lost some of their tightness. And she edged closer to the ceiling each day, her weight no longer a problem for the thick Galra strings. She wondered how much longer she would last.

Matt was talking to her, and something made loud laser like noises in the distance. Matt spoke in hurried tones. Sam listening for any sort of response from within. She was trying really, but nothing was cooperating. She heard footsteps approaching her prison and Matt and Sam gasped. She didn't really have the energy to wonder what was going on.

"I can only fit one more in my lion" the voice said, sounding pained that it would have to leave some people behind. It was silent for a moment before her family spoke again.

"Take the one in the tent, we don't know how much longer the prisoner will survive." She heard the sounds of a bayard powering up and she smiled. She kept her eyes closed as her prison was slashed apart by her fellow arm.

A gasp came from her family, she supposed she must look pretty awful. It was honestly no surprise that Keith no longer recognised her.

"Do you know who they are?" Keith asked, gently getting her free from the restraints. Still she remained still, not even attempting the useless movement in her weakened state. She felt herself being lifted into Keith's arms and she whimpered slightly as her battered body protested.

"Sorry," Matt said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, "we have no idea."

Keith said nothing and Pidge assumed he must have nodded his understanding.

She tried to hold in her whimpers as she was transported to the ship. Making it as easy for Keith as she possibly could. Finally they made it to Red.

Pidge would have cried if she had the energy. Instead she vowed to return for her family, her determination reignited by her last few weeks. She would save them.

She had to.