Working Title : Loki & Annie

121 Three Men and an Interesting Subject

Rapidly standing Tony went out of the room telling the medical staff to go in while moving down the hall saying, "J, get a hold of the wizard and tell him to get his magical ass over here.  Maybe he can explain what just happened and why."

"Very good, Sir. And might I suggest contacting Doctor Banner as well? He has experience with waking and being unaware of what has transpired while in his alternate form."

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead." Under his breath, he added, "Why not?" He folded his arms behind his head, flapping his elbows several times, his eyes closed as he reviewed all possibilities. The one that he kept looking at all sides of was that the kid didn't keep memories as he aged. Though this didn't make complete sense, he had memories of Asgard so why not Annie? The kid had threatened them with all-daddy and even included the fact that Odin wasn't going to pay a ransom. Tony knew from personal experience that knowing that came from having it drilled into you from a very young age. Making sure you knew to tell a kidnapper you were worthless wasn't something a kid just made up on their own. If he remembered that under stress why didn't he remember Annie who he had seen only hours before?

In Loki's room, the medical staff had come in en mas. Several wanted to take Loki from Annie but she was having none of that. He wasn't leaving her sight or her arms because here she could pretend he was safe. Rather, she let them help her stand and move over to the bed where the back was raised upright to support her as she wrapped him up as fully as she could.

PA Jefferson came rushing into the room and a path was cleared for her, "Alright, everyone not necessary to critical care needs to get back to what you were doing. This is a patient's room, not a peep show." Removing her stethoscope from around her neck she raised Loki's shirt to listen to his heart. She caught Annie's gaze and smiled reassuringly, it was a standard issued smile doctors were taught from day one.

Annie was aware of the majority of everyone leaving the room, only the several nurses who had come in before staying. Each of them was working professionally and confidently so Annie took comfort in the hope they knew what they were doing and not just faking it. The fact they hadn't told her she needed to let Loki go had also calmed her because she wasn't sure she could let him go, not after what had just happened. Clenching her eyes closed she replayed the last minutes over and over. Coming to the same very simple conclusion each time, Loki didn't recognize her. At all. The way he looked was that of a terrified little kid who had no idea of where he was or what was happening. 

PA Jefferson tossed her stethoscope back around her neck and then carefully pulled Loki's eyes open to notice they were rolled upward. She gave Annie another smile which was a little more authentic this time, "His heartbeat is a little fast but it's slowing so that's good. Tell me what happened."

Taking a deep breath Annie started her story from after being told Loki had awoken. 

Outside the room Tony heard quiet talking but before he could eavesdrop the elevator opened and he glanced over his shoulder in time to see Bruce come out. "Oh thank god." Tony had no idea why he was so relieved to see Bruce since the man had made it clear he wasn't going to be primary in Loki's care. Bruce was like a calming fuzzy blanket with a nervous tick and glasses. A fuzzy blanket that Tony didn't need to wash because that would be -

"Hey, Tony. J.A.R.V.I.S. said there was an incident with Loki?" Bruce was putting his glasses on while wearing a slightly worried expression.

"Yeah, you could call it that." He pulled Bruce into a room that was used for consultations so there was a long table with chairs on the long sides. "I'm not sure that covers whatever just happened. J, start the show, go back a minute or two before the kid wakes up." 

"Yes, Sir." The large screen on the far wall began projecting the surveillance video of Loki's room.

As they were watching the playback the door opened and Strange walked in. Wearing jeans and a faded t-shirt advertising a 1993 Stucchi-Lee-Jimenez Family Reunion he looked like he had just come from a shower with his hair still damp. An eyebrow raised at what was being shown on the screen on the wall but he didn't say anything as he moved closer to watch.