Hel (HOAM Spin-Off)

Sickness

"My Lord?"

Luk looked up from the papers in his hands and raised a brow at Amet.

"Lady Hel requests you allow her to rest today. She is not well."

Luk stood quickly. "What's wrong?"

"She has a fever, my lord. I have called for the royal doctor."

Luk nodded and hurried to his chambers. Hel lay curled under the duvet, trying to warm herself despite the sweat that beaded on her brow. A nurse stoked the fire and tucked the sheets more tightly around her. Luk came in and she curtsied before moving away.

"Hel?" Luk went to the other side of the bed and gently brushed her hair back. "Love, tell me what's wrong?"

She opened her eyes slowly, one shining with delirium and fever and the other still glazed in blindness. She shook her head and feebly reached to take his hand. The nurse spoke for her.

"She has lost her voice, my lord."

Luk sighed and kissed Hel on the cheek. "Do you want me to stay?" She shook her head and squeezed his hand. Smiling weakly, she mouthed that it was okay.

"My King?" The doctor stepped in. Luk left he and the nurse to work alone. He paced outside the room, waiting for the verdict. The door opened. The doctor cleaned his glasses and sighed. "I would tell you it is a serious form of bronchitis. However, she exhibits symptoms of other illnesses. The fever should break in a few days and her appetite will return soon enough. Keep her well rested and comfortable. I've prescribed some laudanum."

Luk nodded. "Thank you, Feris." He went back inside to check on Hel but she was already asleep. He entrusted her to the care of the nurse and went to attend to his duties.

Hel's fever thankfully got no worse over the next few days but it also didn't get any better. She didn't descend into delirium and slept soundly for most of each day. By the third day she could keep down some broth. She was moved to her own chambers upon Amet's command. Luk couldn't afford to get sick at the moment. Muspelheim was at war and he had too much work to do.

It was difficult to sleep for the first three nights. Hel's separate room had never even been touched after they were married. She never saw the need for it. It wasn't until she was left there to recover that Luk realized how much better he slept with her beside him. So, despite the scolding he was sure to get in the morning, he went to her room.

A sudden rustle made him pause as he opened the door. "Hel?"

"Oh it's just you." She coughed as he stepped in. Her voice was rough and pained but it was still a relief to hear it. "I was reading and Petra always scolds me when she comes to check on me."

He chuckled and sat beside her on the bed. "Can't sleep?"

"No. It's so strange having the bed all to myself. Have you come to share it with me?"

He nodded and crawled under the sheets, mumbling that Amet would kill him in the morning.

.................

"My lord?"

He jumped awake and looked to see Petra smiling at him. She held Hel's medicine and breakfast on a tray. "Amet just woke up. You may want to hurry to your room."

He fell back onto the pillows with a sigh. "Thank you, Petra."

Hel turned over and pushed him until he got up. "Go on. I'll be fine." He kissed her quickly and hurried to his room, closing the door just as Amet came in through the other one.

Amet narrowed his eyes. "You slept with her, didn't you?"

Luk smiled sheepishly and went to get dressed. "I might have."

"Well don't come crying to me when you're sick and the dead are piling up in Muspelheim!"

"Yeah, yeah."

By the end of the week, Hel's fever had finally broken. She started to take short walks outside, claiming the fresh air helped. Luk joined her when he could. It was a sunny day that they had decided to take off for a few hours. Luk held her hand and looked up to watch the clouds.

"Luk?"

"Hm?" He turned to find her looking around with one eye closed. "That bird there? Is it a sparrow?"

He frowned and looked over. "I believe so. Why?" He turned to find her looking at him. Her left eye, usually a milky white with blindness was a bit clearer today. "Can you... Can you see?"

She nodded hesitantly, her smile slowly spreading across her face. She wiped her eyes and nodded again, laughing quietly. "I can see you."

He grinned and pulled her to him, picking her up and spinning with her in his arms.

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This was sort of inspired by one of my favorite chapters of Jane Eyre - at the end when Rochester gains some of his eyesight back. Not gonna lie, that part made me really happy for some reason.