Another Chance

Bandages

"I saw her. Sylvie, I mean, when she was walking away," Sigyn said without looking up from his hand.

They were in the infirmary of the dormitories, and she was disinfecting his hand with a cotton pad soaked in alcohol. Loki had assured her that he could do it alone, but Sigyn had insisted. Repeatedly. On the table there was also a small bottle of iodine. And a new pack of bandages.

"I've never seen her like this. Sylvie has always been so calm, so nice. And now she was scary."

"Do you know each other?"

"Not too much. The art club usually helps the drama club with the sets, but we've never really talked much," Sigyn explained as she put a layer of iodine on his wound. "You must have said something very bad to her for her to react like that."

"You know me, I can be a real jerk when I want," Loki said, faking rather than feeling the lightness of his tone. "Ask Sif."

Sigyn snorted and looked at him.

"I know. But I also know that you never are so without a reason. Or many, in her case." Sigyn shook her head. "You don't have to tell me everything, if you don't want to. Just... If you ever want to talk about anything, I'm here, okay? You can count on me."

Loki swallowed down the lump that formed in his throat.

"Thank you, Sigyn."

The girl smiled and opened a package of bandages. They were both silent as she bandaged his freshly injured hand, with the same skill with which she had bandaged the other. When she was done with that hand she pulled the other one. She removed the bandage, dirty and frayed from the fight, revealing her wound in her palm. A scab had formed, and except for a slight reddening at the edges, nothing seemed to be wrong.

"Shall I bandage you again, or leave it like that?"

"Leave it like that."

Sigyn hesitated for a second.

"Just promise me you won't be picking at the scab."

Loki smiled a little.

"I'll try."

Sigyn sighed and started putting away the things she had used.

"Do you think... Do you think Fury calls us out for this?" Loki asked.

What had seemed like a trifle a while ago suddenly didn't seem so trifle anymore. The thought of Odin being called suddenly weighed a ton on his shoulders.

Sigyn turned to him, leaning against the counter whose drawers she had just closed. He looked at him, hesitating a bit.

"I don't know. Only she hit you, so maybe they will talk only with her," she said, sounding unsure. "But depending on what she will say, they might want to hear your side. Don't know. In any case, Fury does not usually get too involved in fights between students, unless it is something very strong or repetitive."

Loki sighed. He wasn't going to tell Sigyn that it was more than just a fight. Or that a few weeks before, in this very place, Sylvie had threatened him with a dagger. Nor the script catching fire out of nowhere. Norns, he wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her everything, including how he had gotten there, and maybe that would take some of the tightness out of his chest. But he wasn't sure how Sigyn would react. At best, she would think he was crazy. At worst, she would do like everyone else and blame him for everything. Fear prevented him from speaking.

Loki folded his arms on the table and rested his forehead on them, allowing himself a few seconds of dread before forcing himself back.

"Everything will be fine, you'll see," assured Sigyn, with her usual optimism.