Fix You (Loki Romance)

Chapter 25

Loki padded into the bedroom, expecting to see Eir waiting for him. The room was empty. He moved to the closet and found a clean choice of clothes, slipping into them slowly and with little thought.

Turning to hobble into the living room, he found Eir waiting on one of the couches, intently reading a book. Or rather, she was studying the myriads of notes he had written in the margins. Looking up, she closed the book and sat up.

"I wanted to speak with you, if that's alright."

Plucking the book from her hands, he returned it to its place. "I don't want to speak of it." He mumbled.

"I am not asking you to." He looked at her. "You don't want my help."

"No." He took a book down without looking at the title. It was near his fictional collection and that was all that registered. He curled up in an armchair, his long legs draped across the armrest while he propped the book on his knees.

"Loki." He glanced at her. "If I leave you alone..." She looked away, searching for the words.

Feeling a spark in his chest, he sneered. "I don't need fixing. And I don't need anyone's help. You are here to mend my body. My mind is mine to make peace with."

"But you don't know how to make peace." She insisted. "You bury yourself in anything to escape your feelings. You degenerate into madness o-or nothingness even and Loki, we have already waited too long to begin trying to cope with what's happened."

"Nothing happened." He ground out. "I am not mad. I don't need your help or-"

"But Loki-"

"I don't want your help!" He snapped. He was standing suddenly without any intention of movement. His leg protested sharply under the weight, collapsing from under him. Eir caught him, gently setting him back into the chair. Looking away with anger simmering in his eyes, he pointed to the door. "Leave me."

"Loki-"

"I am your prince! You are under oath to obey me. Now leave!"

Eir took a deep breath. She didn't move. "I am under oath to do what is best for my patients. You are one of them." She bent to meet his gaze. "I want to see you tomorrow to begin therapy on that leg."

"I'll think about it." He gave her a bright, empty smile. "Thank you for your loving concern, dear Eir."

The next morning found him in the infirmary, gritting his teeth as he stretched his leg and tried to extend his ankle. Eir knelt beside him, her gentle hand moving with his leg. Petra entered to join Thor in observing. Something about her entrance started it. He didn't know what. He didn't know if it had anything at all to do with her. But one moment the door swung open and in the next a shiver of fear hurried down his spine. His breath came in shorter pants, slowly shortening and hastening until it was all he could focus on.

He wasn't getting oxygen yet his lungs reached desperately for quick gasps of air. Eir was kneeling in front of him but what she was saying was lost in a dull jumble of sounds and the dark flecks invading his vision. He was on the floor. The tile was cold and the room was too warm.

He couldn't breathe.

He was going to suffocate. He'd pass out and die here, here where he was supposed to be safe and healthy; he would die here of all places. They weren't helping, why weren't they helping?

He tried to speak but the words lodged in his throat and his stomach turned violently, tumbling up through his chest and into his mouth. Doubling over, he emptied his stomach onto the floor.