I Die Without You

Prompt 13: Goodbye Kiss

The explosion devastated the procedure room.

Several hours later, Emergency Work Crews arrived on the scene, to dig through the debris and rubble. 

The workmen were dispatched to various areas of the chamber so they could do the job in a more efficient and timely manner. They also kept in contact with their communication devices, letting the person in charge know what they were finding, and seeing if anything could be salvaged.

After a few minutes, a workman called to his fellow colleagues, "hey, over here! I found two people."

****

Beverlee awoke to brightness, and as her eyes adjusted, she immediately knew where she was.

The Med Centre at the auxiliary SHIELD facility. 

She had visited this place enough to know it as well as her own domicile.

"Loki?" she called out.

There was no answer.

She started to get worried. Searching for the button to call the nurse, upon finding it, she pressed it with determination.

She waited impatiently, every second feeling like an eternity. Finally, someone arrived.

It wasn't a nurse or even a doctor. 

It was Coulson and Thor. Both had a sombre expression on their face as they approached her.

They didn't have to say anything - she already knew and could feel tears immediately stream down her cheeks. 

No... 

Loki couldn't have died...

"I'm sorry," Coulson said, "we -"

"What went wrong?" Beverlee said, cutting off Coulson.

"The Chitauri energy beam, it..." 

"Not that," again Beverlee interrupted, "what happened to Lo... him?"

"Dr. Reiss is still reviewing the situation," Coulson replied, "but his theory is that when the beam harmonics changed, instead of the cyst being decimated... it burst, similar to an appendix. Whatever energy spilled out, it was deadly." Then added gently, "Loki... didn't survive."

Incompetent Midgardian medicine...

I never should have let him take part in this procedure... 

Beverlee felt another bout of fresh tears fall.  She felt Thor's hand on her shoulder.

"I-I want to see him," she said quietly.

"Are you sure?" Coulson asked.

"Yes," she replied. "The Initiative has been told?"

"Yes," Thor said, his voice quiet, "they are grieving, and they asked about how you were," he looked at her, "they want to see you."

Overwhelmed with emotion, Beverlee's hands came to her face. She was now shaking with long, racking sobs. She was finding it hard to breathe.

This had become the worst day of her life.

Thor moved to sit beside her on the bed and then put his arms around her. 

"I'll make the arrangements for her to see him," Coulson said. Once he saw Thor nod his head in acknowledgement, he took his leave.

Thor held Beverlee close and stroked her back to comfort her. He wanted to say something, but he knew actions at this point spoke louder than words. However, one thing came to mind, "I don't if you knew this, Beverlee... but whenever he would tell me he was going to visit you, his eyes would light up... a brightness I never saw - even during my entire life on Asgard."