You Go, I Go

Chapter 22

Sylvie, now at twenty-four weeks, had to finally do the Norns-forsaken gestational diabetes test. She began trying to ingest the glucose drink after they took the first round of bloods. It was very difficult for her with her sensitive stomach and gag reflex to get it down and keep it there. An hour after she started, she finally finished the drink. She had her second blood test taken, and was told she'd be contacted with the results later that afternoon.

Sylvie returned to her desk as soon as the medbay staff allowed her to leave. She began filing paperwork, but soon grew bored of it, so she started reading through the files Loki had left her about the last time Lokis ran the multiverse. She began scanning the pages, desperate to find anything to help them work out how to get back in control. She grew increasingly frustrated with every page that led to dead ends, to the point she gave up and threw the files into the air with a yell.

"No luck?" Mobius asked, popping his head into her cubicle.

"We'd have more luck finding a Kang Variant we can actually trust," she groaned. "I know I'm not supposed to get stressed, but the idea of just putting everything off for the next four months is driving me mad."

"Well, you have a responsibility to keep Junior safe now," he pointed out.

Sylvie sighed. "I know," she mumbled. "And Loki's out there right now risking his life for all of us." As if on cue, a time door opened, and through it stumbled a heavily injured Loki, being assisted by a TVA minuteman. "Loki!" she shrieked. "What happened?"

"This Variant got the jump on us," the minuteman explained. "Loki had his back turned for a millisecond, and that was enough time for the Variant to get to him."

"Let's get him to the medbay," Mobius stated, taking charge. "Sylvie, you can take the rest of the day off. If you'd prefer, you can wait in your old room."

"But-"

"Sylvie, you're in no condition to work or worry about him right now," he interrupted her. "It's not negotiable. Please, go."

She nodded and messaged Wanda to meet her in their old chambers when she returned from battle. She didn't have to wait long for her friend and Carol to show up in the room. They were met with tearful hugs.

"What happened?" Carol asked.

"Is it Junior?" Wanda asked nervously.

"No," Sylvie responded, sniffling. "Loki got injured in battle. Pretty badly. I don't know if he's going to be okay."

"Oh, Syl," Wanda sighed sadly, pulling her tighter into a hug. "He's Loki. I'm sure he'll pull through."

The two women spent the afternoon comforting their pregnant friend. Sylvie got a message at about 5 p.m. that afternoon about her test that morning. She was given the all clear, so it was one less thing for her to worry about. At dinner with the team, she picked at her food sadly. Not too long into dinner, Mobius rushed into the dining room and made a beeline for Sylvie.

"Loki?" she whispered.

He nodded. "He's okay," he informed her. "He was in surgery for a few hours, but the doctors are confident he's patched up really well and that he should make a full recovery."

"When can I go see him?" she asked.

"Whenever you're ready," he responded.

She nodded, cleaned off her plate and exited the dining room with Mobius, all too aware of the multiple pairs of eyes that followed her. The walk to the medbay was quick but sombre, neither of the pair daring to breathe too loudly. In the medbay, they were ushered to Loki's side. He was awake and alert, a good sign in Sylvie's eyes.