Bandages

Chapter 7

No one said anything. The nurses looked between the different people in the room; nervous little eye flicks. The doctor frowned at a monitor as if passing blame.

Loki only had eyes for Mayura. He looked straight into her wide gaze and willed for her to give up the charade. To be so close, yet further away than ever before, left Loki with the barest of hopes.

"Mayura," Misao broke the silence. "Are you saying that you don't know this boy?"

Tilting her head back like she was prone to doing while thinking, she furrowed her brow, ever so slightly.

"Nope, don't know you. Sorry," she said, directing her answer towards the frozen boy.

"Loki-tama!" Ecchan zoomed into the ward, having slipped through doorways unnoticed by the throngs of people. The little summon saw the look on Loki's face and looked in the direction of his master's attention. "Mayura!"

Flying to Mayura, Ecchan awaited the soft pat on the head and gentle greeting, but none came. Wilting, Ecchan tried again, calling out, "Mayura?"

"Well, doctor, it does seem like some memories are missing," Misao said, not wanting to address something that was invisible to the majority of the room. "Mayura, what school do you go to currently?"

"Minabi College."

"When did you last go on a vacation?"

"In high school. It was a class retreat to the ocean."

"What club were you in while at high school?"

"Mystery club. Papa, I don't understand why you're asking these questions."

"It's okay, just… answer this last one."

"Okay, Papa."

Misao looked at Loki, as if he knew more than he let on before. Still looking at Loki, he voiced his question. "Do you believe in Kami-sama?"

"Papa," Mayura looked sheepishly at the others in the room, not wanting to offend anyone with her answer. In a whisper, she said, "You know I don't believe in Kami-sama."

"Doctor, can we speak in your office? I think Mayura needs some rest," Misao received a nod of agreement and started to follow the other man out. Pausing near Loki, Misao whispered, "Don't even think of doing anything that can harm my daughter."

"I won't, Mayura Papa," Loki intoned dully, but truthfully.

Ecchan, taking in the gravity of the situation, flew to Loki's side, hovering over the boy's shoulder. The little creature looked as depleated in spirit as Loki felt, but the god let as little show as possible.

"Hey," Mayura called out softly. "Will you come closer, please?"

Hesitantly, Loki took a pause before complying. He stood by her side and looked down upon her strained face.

"I'm supposed to know you, aren't I?" she asked almost shyly, even though she was only talking to a boy.

And as boy-like as he looked, more than any other time, Mayura supposed, Loki had an air about him. No, Mayura could not feel any spiritual energy, but she did feel a strong pulling sensation. And she was not a complete dummy; she realized it originated from the silent, shocked boy.

She felt the pull, even before she laid eyes on him. It was as if she was a piece of metal getting dragged towards a magnet. Odder, was how comfortable she felt with the sensation. It was like breathing; natural, sometimes you notice it, other times not. But when it stops, all that awaits is pain until it starts again. Even with him standing beyond the foot of the bed, it felt too far. With him in arms reach, Mayura felt more relaxed, her headache ebbed and she felt the tension release from her neck.

Mayura studied him. For all that he was a child, he was still one of the most beautiful people she had ever seen. Green eyes that held a wealth of emotion, silken strands of hair, a subtly expressive mouth, which at that moment was pressed tightly shut, as if holding back a flood of words.

"Ne, won't you answer me?" Mayura reached out, her fingers brushing his as he pulled his hand away. Smooth, soft skin did little to hide the strength of the small hand.

"I do not know," Loki spoke clearly and only after a few breaths.

His voice, velvet and rich, was nothing like the neighborhood children in Mayura's fuzzy memory.

"What do you mean," Mayura paused to air quote, "I do not know?"

"I do not know if you are 'supposed' to know me," Loki took a step back when she reached out again. The shock that ran up Loki's hand at the slight brush nearly had him regaling their years of adventures. But he was going to at least attempt to keep his promise to Misao. "You still need rest. I will leave."

Before Mayura could refuse or say farewell, Loki swept out of the room, gears turning in his head. His worst scenario was starting.

00000000000

"So what are we going to do?" Yamino asked over a fresh salad he was tossing. He tossed through all of Ecchan's retelling of the events at the hospital.

When Loki and Ecchan returned home, right at lunch time, the butler was more than a little surprised, but was unable to receive a clear answer from his father. Thus, the floating marshmallow told Yamino about what he saw. Nervous habit kicking in lead to a very well tossed salad, even sacrificing a few leaves in the frenzy.

"Do? Do about what?" Fenrir growled. He woke from his nap to get a door to his nose when Loki closed himself into his room. The black pup made his way down to catch the important pieces of the story. "It's not our place to do anything."

"But, Nii-san," Yamino started to complain.

"Hey, focus on what you can do," Fenrir said gruffly, though not completely unkindly. "Keep the house running, feed Dad, and whatever else it is that you do around here."

"I wonder what Loki-tama will do," Ecchan punya'd glumly.

"We all do, Ecchan," Yamino said as he finally set the salad aside.

It wasn't until the sun was setting that Narugami made his appearance at the house.

"Oi, Megane," the deity sauntered into the room as if nothing was wrong; except he never walked sedately when food was nearby. "No need for you to wait for me before starting dinner; you know I'd catch up."

"Yes, we are fully aware of that," Yamino responded crisply, with poise. It was almost convincing, if the nervous twisting and untwisting of a towel went unnoticed.

"So, I stopped by the hospital on my way here. Guess what I found out?" Narugami set Mjolnir by his seat, but did not sit himself.

"Mystery girl's awake and has no idea who we are," guess Fenrir with obvious sarcasm.

"We?" Narugami blinked slowly, his eyes unfocused as he thought. "Marshmallow."

"Yes?" Ecchan replied, cheerily, even to the nickname.

"Could she see you?"

"Mayura no can see Ecchan anymore," he replied, deflating into a white mush on the table.

"Interesting, very interesting."

"What is?"

"Well, Megane, she recognized me. She knew I went by the name Narugami. She has memories of us in class and other things, but she's missing a crucial piece of most of the events."

"Is this piece Loki-sama, by any chance?"

"Pin-pon, exactly," Narugami made the game sound for a contestant answering a question correctly and crossed his arms as he explained his thoughts. "I wonder if it's only Loki. She doesn't recall me being a god or anything like it. Maybe you should visit her. See what she remembers about you, Megane."

"I'll check on her tomorrow," Yamino agreed with a nod. "You said before, that she's had memories erased."

"Yes, and?"

"And I worry what state she would be in, if she had some of those memories, but no clear understanding. Loki-sama is directly tied to the solution to those situations."

"Who can say for sure? We will just have to observe for a while."

Upstairs, at the banister railing, Loki quietly took in Narugami's news. The information bode ill for the trickster, but it did not dishearten him. If she recognized the thundering god, even in his human form, there was hope for him yet.

Lost in thought for a moment, he was brought back to reality as the clinking of silverware emanated from the room below. Thinking that he had spent enough time away from his family, Loki walked down the stairs to join in the meal; hoping that his children could ease his loneliness.