Loki's Pain

Chapter Fourty-One- Changes

A bit later, Bruce saw Loki coming down the hall with a terrified look on his face. Bruce jumped to his feet and rushed out to meet Loki in the hall, hoping to forestall any panic when Loki saw the room empty. Bruce had called Natasha over to help Ash when he began struggling to explain female hygiene to the poor guy. Bruce wasn't exactly sure if she had been the best choice, but he hadn't been able to think of anyone else more trustworthy in that situation.

Once Loki saw Bruce standing there, his pace slowed, and he stopped in front of him with a grim expression on his face.

"What happened to Ash?" Loki asked when they didn't immediately head towards Ash's room.

"He was... Finishing a part of his new mutation." Bruce told him, only to clarify when he saw the confused look on Loki's face, "He is now fully hermaphroditic. All the parts are there, and fully functional. So....if you decide to use them, use protection." At this comment, Bruce saw Loki's face go white, and Loki almost looked like he might pass out, but Bruce grabbed his arm before he got too far. "Wait. Just let me finish..." Bruce begged, then did his best to calm Loki's fears as he proceeded to give Loki a detailed run down of exactly what had happened. By the time he was done Loki looked relieved, but still somewhat concerned. He clearly wanted nothing more than to be by Ash's side as soon as possible.

"He's going to be fine, Loki. So will you." Bruce tried to reassure him, but it had little effect. Right then was when Natasha and Ash finally returned from the bathroom. Ash looked far more confident than he had when they left, and much more comfortable in his new change of clothes. Bruce and the nurses had changed the bedding while Ash was gone, so it didn't take long to get him settled back into bed.

As soon as Loki was seated in a chair next to Ash's bed, his tensed shoulders drooped, his prolonged worry having drained what little energy he'd had. His left hand reached forwards to carefully brush Ash's tangled, lilac-tipped white hair out of his face. Ash had already drifted off, his body utterly exhausted from its sudden exertion, but he still turned his face into Loki's palm. Snuggling into Loki's touch instinctually, his subconscious recognized him and felt safe having him close by.

The nurses soon shooed everyone else out of the room, until only Bruce, Natasha, and Loki were left. When they tried to do the same to Loki, Bruce heard him growl menacingly at them in a way he had never heard before. Loki had always been a gentleman, even as a villain. That growl was threatening enough that even Bruce felt intimidated, so the nurses gave him a very wide berth afterwards.

When the nurses turned to Bruce and Natasha, seemingly asking for their help with him, Natasha simply raised her eyebrow at them before commenting, "Try it again, I dare you."

Bruce just shrugged before saying, "He's family, and calms the patient. If you try to remove him again I'll have you both fired."

The nurses both gasped in shocked outrage before stomping out of the room. As they stormed away he heard them mutter about complaining to Dr Shoop, and Bruce smirked, imagining the looks on their faces when they found out he was technically that doctor's boss.

"Thank you." Loki said to them both, dropping his gaze back to Ash afterwards, and leaving Bruce stunned. Loki's voice had actually been gentle, a soft voice that sounded vaguely tired, and Bruce was left worried about him as well. Glancing over at Natasha, he gestured towards the door with his chin, indicating for her to follow him out.

"I'll have them bring in a spare cot for you, so make sure you get some rest, okay?" Bruce asked, not bothering to hide his concern, "And have you eaten yet today?" Loki nodded, before admitting grudgingly, "Tony forced me to eat earlier, wouldn't let me see him otherwise..."

Bruce and Natasha had just made it to the doorway when the soft click of dress shoes on the tiled hallway floor could be heard coming closer. Cat glanced thru the doorway and saw that neither Ash or Loki was up to a visit right then. Glancing from Natasha to Bruce with an unspoken question in her eyes, Bruce simply nodded acceptance and gestured her towards his office to talk. Before following her in, Banner knocked on Shoop's office door and gestured for him to follow as well. The two grumpy nurses were already there, and by their disappointed expressions, he could tell they had already been informed of the proper pecking order. He walked away without acknowledging them, too tired to even spite them with a wry grin.