"It will be fine, love," Loki insisted. "You'll only be gone for a few days at most, starting the healing and training Asgard's healers in the technique. Then they'll be able to continue monitoring those with meng mein injuries until they are fully restored." Amora hadn't left well enough alone; the wretch had ambushed a caravan transporting trade goods from Asgard to Vanaheim aided not only by Angrboða, but by the giant of a Svartálfar they'd encountered in Jötunheim that she'd called Kurse. A good dozen Æsir and Vanir had taken injuries to the meng mein and Eir was not able to heal them all on her own. Unfortunately, though she'd been able to replicate Kara's healing method to a small degree, her juniors had not the time yet to learn even the basics from her.
"Are you sure? It will only be you and Steve here. What if…"
"No ifs. The only if is that if you don't go to Asgard, people will die who need not. Yes, it would be better if there were more of us here so that I could accompany you, but that's not the case. Now go, before Eir is overwhelmed."
"Fine." She hugged him quickly and brushed a kiss across his lips. "Bruce's lecture is tonight; he's already called the airline and changed his flight so he'll be home by tomorrow afternoon. I left a message for Logan at the academy; he's still tracking down the missing students. Scott, uh, Cyclops said to call him if we have a problem we can't handle and he'll bring help. Nat called S.H.I.E.L.D. and put them on alert so that Clint can take off the minute he's needed, they're keeping our QJ in launch position for him. If Nick didn't have a stick up his ass, he could let him leave now, but noooo, only the Hawkeye can tell who should be trained in his specialties or not. Ridiculous; Nick just wants to keep Clint on a leash, he's such a jerk."
"I know, Kara. It's fine. Get on the platform and go, now. Every moment you delay…"
"I'm going, I'm going. Don't forget to call Tony again; or rather, call Pepper. You know he doesn't remember anything. He may be in the South Pacific for the rest of his honeymoon, but he's got his suit with him."
"Yes, darling; give mother a hug for me, hmm?'
"Sure. But I'm not hugging Odin."
That made him laugh. "Ah, but he will hug you, mark my words."
She shrugged as she stepped up on the fountain that was temporarily covered by a landing platform where Hogun, who'd delivered the summons, waited patiently. The moment she crossed the rune covered circumference, the telltale shimmer of Bifröst energy arose. "That's better than Thor hugging me; though at least now he'd have a harder time accidentally crush…" her sentence was cut off as they were pulled to Asgard.
"He'll still all but smother you with his affection, no doubt," Loki muttered as he returned back to Avengers' Tower to finish his interrupted breakfast.
… …
Steve looked up as Loki materialized in the middle of the lounge. "Darcy called. She said Jane and Erik are almost done with the Galisteo egress. The GV is already headed back to Asgard to help with the injured and to learn Kara's technique."
"Good. Are the three of them returning here?" Loki asked in an officious tone. Steve repressed a sigh. Just because the guy was a Norse 'god' or whatever, he had to constantly try to take charge. "We should at least have someone in the Tower should we be called to duty. Bethany spends too much of her time on her schooling to be much help there."
"Hey, she's got finals coming up and board exams. Her job here is to be a doctor, not man the Tower for us."
"I'm well aware, Steven. That was not a criticism, simply an observation."
Steve couldn't hold the sigh in any longer. "You manage to call Tony by his right name when he's not being a jerk; any chance you could start just calling me Steve?"
Loki smirked. "You had only to ask, Steve."
"Damn irritating…" he muttered under his breath as he headed for the gym, ignoring Loki's snarky chuckle.
"Was that an expletive I heard? Hmm, there's hope for you yet."
He refused to rise to the bait and kept on going. "Jarvis; let me know if we get any reports of trouble. Considering we're undermanned, I don't want to wait until our help's officially requested before knowing something's brewing."
"Of course, Captain."
… …
Groaning, Natasha panted, trying desperately to relax until the contraction passed. "Kakogo chyorta," she muttered. "I'm not due for over three weeks. Jarvis; call Beth, I seem to be in labor."
There was an atypical pause before the AI responded. "My apologies, Natasha; Miss Anderson is not answering. My records indicate that she is in a lab at this time of day. Students are not permitted to keep their cellular devices on during their labs."
"Chyort voz'mi. Who is here?"
"Prince Loki and Captain Rogers are both at home."
"Tell them…uhnnn, tell them I'm having contractions, bad ones, and they're less than five minutes apart. Then call S.H.I.E.L.D. and see if they have a doctor in the area."
"Immediately, Natasha."
She caught her breath as Loki apparated into the bedroom she shared with Hawk. "You're in labor?" he asked. "Isn't it far too soon?"
"Yes, by more than three weeks." She winced as another contraction rippled through her body leaving her gasping for breath. "I've been shot multiple times and had broken bones along with it that have hurt less than this," she complained.
"Jarvis, any word from S.H.I.E.L.D. or Bethany?" the god demanded.
"No, your highness. I've taken the liberty of contacting 911; unfortunately they are unable to assist. All ambulance and paramedic teams are currently either en route to the docks to transport casualties from a loading accident or are out on other calls. They suggest we transport Ms. Romanov to the nearest emergency room."
"Govno, my water just broke," she told them as Rogers burst into the room.
"Jarvis gave me the update, oh, crap, you're soaked."
"Her water broke," Loki told him. "Jarvis, I'm going to need instructions on delivering a baby," he continued as she felt another severe contraction seize her. "I much doubt we could transport her to an emergency room quickly enough to help."
"Can't you just, you know, magic her there" Steve asked.
"No, that wouldn't be safe for her or the baby." He gave her a worried look. "I am sorry, Natasha. It looks as though we'll need to handle this one alone."
… …
Kara stepped out of the Observatory, noting that Heimdall was gazing distractedly off into infinity. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"I am following Amora and her companions. The All-Father intends to send a company after them if we can locate their sanctuary."
"Loki will want in on that; so will I, for that matter. The blonde twosome and that freaky dark elf really need to go down."
"Tis most likely your assistance will be requested."
She reached for the reins of the black stallion that had been brought by a stableman. Svartlyn eyed her warily, but didn't object when she pulled herself into the saddle. "Don't give me any grief today, horse. Haul butt to the Valhöll, there are Æsir in danger of dying."
"A number of Vanir, as well, Princess," the stableman said. "It is a terrible tragedy."
"You hear that, Svartlyn? Move it, let's keep the body count down." The huge stallion reared once, but used the maneuver to pivot and turn back towards the city rather than as a ploy to unseat her. His powerful back legs hunched and then he shot forward, devouring the length of the Rainbow Bridge with strides worthy of a giant. "Woooo! You, go, boy!" Kara leaned in close to the beast's mane to cut the wind drag. The journey to the gates seemed to take no time at all. Now the big horse practically danced through the twisting streets and paths and when she tried to pull him up at the Valhöll's gates, trotted right on through. "Ooookay, I take it you know we're going to the Healers' Hall?" He snorted and unerringly took the correct turns. Servants and guards scrambled out of their way. "Sorry!" she called over her shoulder.
Svartlyn finally came to a halt just outside the doors to the hall that housed everything medical. He snorted again and then bent his front knees, somehow managing to lower himself so that she could slide off without any effort. "You made good time," Hrútr told her.
"Thank Svartlyn. He practically flew me across the bridge."
"He is the second fastest steed in all the Nine Realms," the healer told her. "Only his sire, Sleipnir is swifter."
She did a double take. No, Svartlyn had only four legs. "Huh, I guess the magic that gave Sleipnir extra legs didn't go to the genetic level," she said to the man. "Okay, what have we got?"
"Five Æsir and two Vanir at the brink of death, your highness. Another three need your technique as well. Lady Eir has only been able to heal two of those with meng mein injuries." He gestured to a corridor within the Healers' Hall. "Two others were declared dead at the scene of the attack. Eir has put these seven most gravely injured in a form of stasis to await your attention while we have been focusing on those with no or little injury to the meng mein."
"How long can they stay in stasis?"
"They have already passed the point of safely doing so."
"Crap. Okay," she said as they entered a room with a number of tables that were surrounded by glowing blue light. "Where do you want me to start?"
… …
"Sir, according to my scans, the baby is in the breech position."
Loki frowned at the AI's pronouncement. Natasha had been fully dilated for over an hour and there was no sign of crowning. "Explain."
"The infant's head is upright, in the same orientation as Ms. Romanov's body. It should be the opposite."
"Why wasn't something like this noticed before?"
"There was no sign of it during last week's scan, sir. It also appears that the umbilical cord is wrapped about the baby's throat."
"I've been having pains for two days. Not labor pains, just like the baby was getting restless. Maybe she moved?"
He muttered a few choice curses under his breath in the Asgardian common tongue. "What can we do about it?"
"Normally, the child would be delivered by cesarean section, that is, surgically through an incision in the mother's abdomen. However, we do not have the proper programming available for the surgical room equipment to assist with this. When surgery is not an option, the obstetrician or midwife must reach up into the uterus and turn the baby into the proper position."
"You are kidding me," both Loki and Natasha said in unison.
"I'm afraid not." Jarvis paused. "I have Miss Anderson on the line…"
"Steve, Loki? Who's there?" Beth interrupted.
"We're both here, Loki is working with Natasha, he has a little more medical experience then me," Rogers told his girlfriend.
"Okay, Loki, Jarvis briefed me and sent the scan results to my phone. I'm stuck in traffic, you're going to have to do this."
"Lovely."
"Bare the arm you're going to use and sterilize it. Alcohol, the kind in the medical unit, will do the trick."
"Magic will be faster," he said as he used his power to change the clothing on his torso to what Kara had described as a muscle shirt and disinfect his arms and hands thoroughly.
"Fine, whatever works. It looks like the baby is not quite upright, she's listing to Nat's left a bit. First you'll need to reach in, she's fully dilated so it shouldn't be too difficult, your lower arm isn't that big…wow, good thing you're so skinny."
"Um, Beth?" Steve interrupted. "He actually isn't. I mean, his arm isn't as big as mine, but it makes Tony's look like skin and bones."
"Really? Doesn't look like that under the clothes."
"Can we get on with this?" Loki asked.
"Sure, there's a glycerol lubricant you can use. It should be in the fourth cabinet to the right of the door."
Rogers lurched to his feet and hurried to the cabinet. "Found it!" He brought it back to the table and squirted it liberally on Loki's arm. Loki used his other hand to spread it evenly, glad he had taken the time to disinfect both.
"Once you're ready, make your hand as small as possible, getting past the base of your thumb will be the most difficult part. Don't reach to the left for the baby. Slide up over her body, carefully now." Loki bit back an exasperated comment. "Touch her gently until you feel the cord that's around her neck. You'll have to tilt her a bit more upright to get it loose enough to get it over her head. Let me know when you've gotten that far."
"Will do." Even though the mortal's cervix was fully dilated it was still difficult to ease his hand all the way inside and Natasha groaned painfully. "My apologies."
"Don't worry about it, just help my daughter," she managed.
"All right, I've got the cord, but…" he paused as hot fluid seemed to be flowing over his trapped hand. "Jarvis, scan again, what's happening in there?" he demanded.
"Oh my God," Rogers said faintly. Following the man's gaze he noticed red viscous fluid dripping down his arm.
"I believe she is hemorrhaging, sir," the AI informed him in a odd tone.
Loki tried not to panic and succeeded until he heard a heavy thump to his left. "Oh for pity's sake," he snarled. "Heimdall, we need a healer's help here, now!"
"What happened?" Beth asked.
"Besides Natasha hemorrhaging? Your hero just passed out."
… …
"Where are my energy donors?" Kara asked.
"Waiting in the next room," Eir informed her.
"Okay, we need chairs or beds for them. Once I start transferring the energy, they'll get lightheaded and then…"
"They are Asgardian, your highness, there won't be…"
Kara cut her off with a gesture. "Are they stronger than Thor? With this much damage to heal it's a painful and draining process on the volunteer donor. Thor was in perfect health and he passed out cold."
Eir paled satisfactorily. "I'll have cots brought in immediately."
Nodding, Kara examined the first patient. "There's a lot of damage, even more than Loki had. I'll need someone to reach into her abdomen and hold the pieces of the organ together while I transfer the energy. Once enough energy is transferred, it should begin to kind of knit itself back together. This one is really bad, you might want to get several volunteers in for each patient, just in case."
Eir dispatched another assistant as the first two returned with a cot. "Bring in more cots immediately. We may need several for each." The assistants' eyes widened and they hurried back out.
"Speaking of Thor, where is he?"
"Escorting the remains of the caravan and the surviving Vanir to Vanaheim, Kara," Frigga's soothing voice informed her. "How is it going?"
"It's not yet, we're waiting for the donors."
"Ah, well then, I'm here. This woman is Vanir, from what you said previously, she may need energy from another."
Oh. She turned back to examine the patient critically. Once the stasis was removed there wouldn't be time to experiment; this one was in really bad shape. "Okay, but once we get to someone who isn't this close to death's door, I'd like to try and use an Æsir donor. I understand the races are closely related."
"They are; and we have few full-blood Vanir here in Asgard at the moment to act as donors so it would be most wise to find out."
… …
"Damnation, Heimdall, this is life or death here," Loki muttered as he used his limited healing magic to staunch the blood flow within Natasha's uterus.
"Didn't…didn't they have life or death emergency…too?" the former assassin gasped weakly.
Loki groaned in frustration. "So they do. Jarvis, what's the baby's status?"
"Apologies, your highness, but the child's heartbeat is weakening rapidly."
"Loki, save her. Don't worry about me."
"I'm damn well going to worry about both of you, woman. I-I didn't want to do this, it may cause complications later but it looks like we have no choice. I'm going to use my magic to remove her from your womb. Do you agree?"
"Yes, yes, just help her, ublûdok."
He frowned as he meticulously crafted the necessary working. "In point of fact, I am the legitimate son of Laufey and Fárbauti; making that expletive invalid."
She quite literally growled at him. "It's metaphoric, not literal, just save my baby."
"I'm working on it; if I could do this any faster, I would, I promise you that." Natasha subsided into pained moaning. He buried his horror at the situation and worked as quickly as he could.
"Loki?" Beth's voice asked. "Don't forget to cut the umbilical cord and tie off or cauterize the end of it before you take the baby out."
"On it," he replied. "All right, it's ready." He allowed the energy of his magic to travel through the woman's body. Concentrating carefully as the green-tinged energy sank within her, he fitted it to the weakening infant and once the baby was safely enveloped, pulled the energy back to him. A blood-smeared newborn appeared in his hands. He checked her over and his panic rose once again. "Fuck. She's not breathing."
… …
Frigga had fainted as had the second volunteer, but the Vanir woman's meng mein was healing nicely. Kara had endured the senses of no less than five healers and one aged sorcerer 'riding' on her consciousness as she performed the energy transfer. Absolute hell for an empath, but if she didn't want to have to heal all of the patients herself, vital. She was sitting in a chair, drinking some concoction of Eir's that was supposed to restore her energy levels. Kind of an Asgardian Gatorade, she supposed. "Okay, who's next?"
Eir gave her a worried look. "Can you do this again so soon?"
"How about you join in on the ride-along and be prepared to take over once I get it started?"
"Very well."
The next most serious patient was Æsir, and they had no shortage of volunteers, thank heaven. "Okay, can you take hold of the energies?" she asked Eir. "I've about had it…it's not the healing, it's the being watched thing."
"Yes, of course." Eir slipped her energetic 'hands' around the transferring energy with confidence. Kara monitored it for a minute and pulled out as soon as she was certain all was well. Eir frowned as Kara dropped out of the connection. "It's surprisingly draining," Eir told her. "The injuries I've dealt with before were minor, I had no idea how…" she trailed off and directed her concentration back to the process as Kara staggered back to the chair they'd brought in. Finally Eir stepped back and one of the apprentices was assigned to ensure the remaining injuries began to heal properly. "How in the Nine did you manage this when you were mortal?"
Kara shrugged. "I didn't have any choice. Thor was desperate for his brother to be saved; I couldn't let him down and visa versa when Thor was injured." She chugged back more of the energy drink. "It did knock me out afterwards. I think that now my exhaustion is because of all of the ride-along energy. I'm used to shielding from everyone else's energy and feeling it like that is kind of traumatizing."
The Grand Vizier spoke up from where he'd been examining the results of their work. "None of the born-Æsir empaths could have managed it; you did well."
"Thanks. Okay, who's ready to try the technique, start to finish, on the next patient?"
… …
"This is insane," Beth shouted in the back of the cab. "What is all the traffic about? It's not rush hour, there's no events, Jeez!"
The cabbie shrugged. "Dunno, been like this all day. Must be a full moon thing."
"Great." She rolled down the window to get a better look at her surroundings. "Five more blocks. Pull over, I'll run it from here, but keep working to get to Avengers' Tower. I'm not going to be able to carry my stuff." She handed him two of the fifty dollar bills that Tony had given her for emergency cab rides. "I'll have someone meet you at the main doors to take my stuff and pay you any difference, okay?"
"You work for the Avengers?" the guy said, sounding impressed.
"Yes, I'm their personal physician." She turned and bolted down the street, dodging foot traffic and vendors, thankful that Steve had been joining her on her runs. His company pushed her to push herself, even though he didn't intend it. She'd made half the distance when Loki's voice came over the Bluetooth earphone she was wearing.
"Bloody hell; there's fluid in her lungs and…Natasha? Damn it, woman, don't do this!"
"What's wrong?" she gasped.
Jarvis answered instead of the frantic god. "Ms. Romanov is also not breathing."
"Oh my God." Beth put more effort into her running, a litany of panicked curses on the tip of her tongue. She held them back to save her breath for the mad dash back to the Tower. "You're going to have to aspirate…"
"Just. Shut. Up.," Loki grated. "I have to do this my own way, there's no other choice."
She nodded, and felt silly since he couldn't see it, but kept on running. "Jarvis, can you do anything to wake up Steve?" she asked.
"Yes, Miss Anderson."
"What is that damned robot doing in here?" Loki demanded. "I'm trying to concentrate."
"Apologies, sir. I am using Dummy to awaken Captain Rogers."
"Sodding useless blighter."
Despite the desperate situation, Beth found herself grinning at the very British expletives Loki came up with when stressed. Kara had told her that Loki had learned modern English in the British Isles, but it was still startling to hear an alien cussing colloquially. "Almost there," she gasped as she rounded a corner and saw the Tower's entrance a half block away. A very welcome sound erupted in her ear; a baby's irritated cry.
"Thank Yggdrasill," Loki muttered. "That's one of them."
"How's Natasha?" she said as she pressed her palm to the reader and looked into the optical scanner. The private door opened and she headed for the elevator that Jarvis had awaiting her.
"Ms. Romanov is still not breathing," Jarvis informed her as the doors closed and the car began to rise.
"Oh, shit."
… …
The other patients were critical, but not so bad as the first two. Another Vanir proved able to use the energy provided by an Æsir donor; that was one big headache resolved. Soon the four other healers were each finishing up their own patient with Kara and Eir keeping a close eye on the proceedings. "Do you need my help with any of the others?" she asked Eir.
"No, we can handle it from this point on."
"Good. I'm going to go back to our chambers and collapse for a while."
"Take more of the tonic with you and be sure to eat a full meal," Eir admonished.
"Yes, ma'am." She trudged out of the Hall and down the corridor towards Loki's suite of rooms. She still couldn't get used to calling it 'their' suite. She'd just made the Royal Wing when a messenger reached her.
"The All-Father requests your presence, your highness," the woman said.
Kara sighed. "Is it really a request or is it one of his usual demands?"
The messenger smiled. "Ah, a demand, I'm afraid. He awaits you in the family room."
She sighed again and changed direction towards the smallish hall that Odin used as an informal receiving room. He was sitting in an armchair staring into the fireplace when she arrived. "Thank you," he said without looking away from the flames. "I realize you need to rest, but this could not wait."
Wow; an apology in advance of her expressing any annoyance. The old man was actually learning. "Sure; what did you need?"
"I'd like you to look into the flames and tell me what you see."
Kara blinked. "Um, what am I supposed to see?" she asked as she stepped up beside him and looked into the fire.
"You are both our goddess of Fire and something of a seer. You tell me. Sit down and let your conscious mind wander."
One of the attendants hastily pulled another chair up beside Odin's. She sat down and tried to do as he'd instructed. Her mind was beginning to zone out when she realized what he was trying to have her accomplish. It was almost like watching a blurry movie. "Thor's found them," she said.
"Heimdall found them; Thor has simply confronted them."
"Uh, it's not going well."
"No, it is not. I've sent for reinforcements. The best that Thor can hope for at this moment is to keep his people alive long enough for them to get there. He's too stubborn to allow them to escape."
"He can certainly be an idiot."
Odin actually chuckled. "Which is why I am so pleased Loki has recovered. Thor will need his counsel to reign successfully." She felt rather than saw her father-in-law's one-eyed gaze focus on her. "Have you told him yet?"
"Told who, what?"
"Your husband about your visit to Eir when your trip to Jötunheim was so rudely interrupted by Angrboða's spell work."
"Oh, ah, no. I was waiting for the right time."
"Make it soon," he advised.
… …
Author's Notes: Yes, yes, another cliffhanger. I realized it would be far too long if I continued and my head is throbbing from my sinus/ear infection, so you're Burdened with Glorious Suffering right along with me. If my antibiotics kick in the resolution will be up before I leave for Vegas on the 28th. BTW, ublûdok = Russian for bastard. Natasha was a bit upset.
