Jewel Thief ◇ L. Laufeyson

10 ♢ what she deserves

Loki

Y/N's burn on her calf was quickly treated with ointment and wrapped in another bandage.  She laid out on a stretcher, nursemaids doing their best to take off Y/N's golden dress.  To save her dignity, I turned around, giving the nursed privacy as they changed her clothes.  A nurse turned me back around and gestured that I was allowed to stay.

Y/N was now on her stomach, a cloth covering her lower body.  Her back was bare, showing her bruises.  Along her spine was black and blue marks, along with another bruise on her left shoulder. 

"We think she injured her spine, Lord Loki," mumbled that same young medic who spoke to me on the field. "Her bones are...well, there are more than a few broken on her spine, most are out of alignment.  Her shoulder may be dislocated, as far as we can tell."

I nodded, clenching my jaw. "But she will be fine, yes? Because you will be able to heal these ailments? You can help her?"

"Oh," this young nurse look at me quizzically. "We thought you could tell us.  Or rather, explain?"

"Tell you-" I paused, very confused and even more concerned. "Tell you what?  What is it?"

The nurse looked back at Y/N. "She's...healing herself, or so we think.  Her legs are made up of diamonds, at least, the bones are.  That's what she told our head medical officer told us last time he saw her, when he overlooked her after the last fight.  She's got some bones made up of, well, bones, and some made up of- of the diamonds, as I said."

I narrowed my eyes, thinking.  I might have overhead Y/N speak of this before, or possibly Thor mentioning it once or twice - that Y/N was in an accident but her powers saved her ability to walk, by forming new bones made out of precious gemstone.  I breathed deeply, piecing together what the nurse was saying. "So...her spine is healing itself by-"

"Fusing the broken bones with new bones of diamonds, yes.  We believe so, Lord Loki."

I glanced at Y/N's bare back and realized the nursemaids were right.  Under the skin, movements could be seen - if I didn't know it was diamonds fusing her spine back together, I would have gotten sick to my stomach.  It looked otherworldly and painful, but Y/N was still unresponsive; a sort of blessing of rest.

"I think she will be just fine, after a while," the nurse continued quietly. "At least the Grandmaster won't dispose of her if she can still fight."

I clenched my jaw. "That man is going to have her fight again after these injuries?  He's insane!"
As the words left my mouth, I grimaced, realizing I had just insulted the Grandmaster in front of witnesses.

The other nursemaid noticed my discomfort and shook her head. "Don't worry, Lord Loki," she glanced around to see if anyone would overhear before dropping her voice, "we think he's crazy too."

Suddenly the door to the medical bay burst open and a guard stepped inside, walking up to me with determination in his step.  I instinctively puffed my chest out a bit, worried this guard was about to start a fight.  I pushed past the nursemaid to keep myself between her, Y/N, and the guard.

"Lord Loki, the Grandmaster has a message," said the guard.  His tone was not as threatening as I expected, so I let my guard down a bit.  I nodded to let him continue.
"He has a delivery of a possible new prize - a fighter - and will not be able to see you or Lady Shark, er, Lady Stark, this evening.  He requests you- that you..." the guard slowed down and swallowed uncomfortably. "He said, quote, 'give that pretty thing a kiss to make her all better'...and he hopes to see you both at his banquet tomorrow evening."