21
A Friend In Need
A true friend will see beyond the smile on your face to the pain in your eyes. ~ Loki
Loki waited anxiously for the three home health aides from Sunshine Home Health Agency to arrive. Thankfully, they had enough women looking for extra hours that didn't mind tending to sick children for a week, or however long it took for them to shake off this virus. Loki knew it was a particularly virulent strain because it had managed to circumvent his magical children's immune resistance and even Steve's super soldier serum system had succumbed. Which meant it could be deadly if not treated promptly, or if the person's immune system was compromised. Loki had heard of it reaching epidemic proportions in certain parts of the city and that some people had already died of it. So despite his own precautions, he was frightened it could claim the lives of one of his children.
One good thing was that Max, who had been the first to fall ill, now seemed to be getting better. His cough was much improved and his fever was abating as well. It was getting harder to keep him in bed now that he was feeling improved, so Loki allowed him to rest on the sofa in the den, where he could watch cartoons, and had his father and both pets to keep him company. Until one of the others called Loki away, that is.
Mandy's idea of using the tea cart like a hospital cart was brilliant, and Loki had reason to thank the savvy old lady many times for it. When the three home health aides arrived he would show them how to stock the cart and hopefully they would take some of the burden for caring for nine sick kids off his shoulders.
At precisely eight-thirty that morning the doorbell rang, sending Odin into a paroxysm of barking and Mischief scooting under the recliner. Loki quickly locked Odin in the kitchen for the time being, removing the gate across the stairs. Then he went to open the door.
On his front porch stood three women wearing yellow scrub tops and white pants and jackets. One was about thirty with blond upswept hair and bright blue eyes. Her nameplate read Sonya. The other was familiar to him, she was the MA who had asked for his autograph in the hospital when Lucy broke her arm. She was in her twenties with long red hair and brown eyes called Christine. The third woman was older, looking about fifty or so, with short brown hair and hazel eyes called Mikaela.
"Come in, ladies," he greeted with a relieved smile.
"How do you do, Mr. Laufeyson?" Sonya took the lead and shook his hand as she entered.
"Much better now that you're here," he said honestly. "I've been nearly run off my feet trying to care for my kids all at once."
"We're here to help, Mr. Laufeyson," Christine said eagerly, eyeing him with concern. "You look kind of . . . tired."
"I am," he agreed.
"And no wonder what with nine sick kids!" exclaimed Mikaela.
"Why don't I introduce you to the children?" Loki suggested. "Then I can show you what I have prepared to help take care of them." He led the way into the den, where Max was sitting on the sofa watching cartoons with the Got Mischief? Blanket wrapped about him, wearing his Loki pajamas. "This is my youngest son, Maximus. Max for short."
Christine went up to the little boy. "Hey, Max. Remember me?"
The little boy looked up from watching Superfriends and his green eyes widened. "Uh huh! You were at the hospital with us when Lucy broke her arm."
"That's right. My name is Christine and I'm here to help your dad take care of you while you're sick."
Max smiled. "I'm not that sick anymore. Will you play with me?"
"Sure! But first let me see your brothers and sisters," Christine said.
"Max, can you say hi to Miss Mikaela and Miss Sonya?" Loki introduced the other two aides. "They're also here to help me take care of you."
"Hi. I'm Max and I'm four," he held out a hand to shake.
The other two women gently shook it, and Mikaela grinned. "You are a sweetheart! I can see where you get that from," she indicated Loki. "When he gets older he's gonna be a real heartthrob, Mr. Laufeyson."
Loki laughed. "You're probably right. Max, Christine will be back to play with you in a while."
"'Kay, Dad. M' gonna watch cartoons." The child said agreeably.
Loki then introduced the aides to his other children. It was decided that since Christine had already met Lucy, Aleta, and Max she would be in charge of their care. Sonya volunteered to take care of Nate, Serena, and Vince, with Mikaela taking Belle, Hunter, and Samantha. Loki showed them the tea cart turned hospital cart, and they all agreed it was a brilliant idea. After showing the aides around the house, and explaining where everything was, including the fact that he had a puppy and a kitten as well, Loki decided to take a quick shower, and allow the aides time to adjust.
"You go right ahead, Mr. Laufeyson," Mikaela said, smiling at him. "Take your time. We have everything under control."
Loki did so, luxuriating in the hot water, which undid all the tense muscles he had developed over the past three days of sleeping in chairs. He exhaled sharply and closed his eyes, allowing the water to run in warm rivulets down his face. By the Nine, I needed this. I didn't even realize how tightly I was wound up until now.
It felt wonderful to just have time to himself, and not have to worry about hearing one of his children calling or not waking up if one of them needed him during the night. After washing himself with some Mountain Fresh bodywash he just stood there happily marinating his bones in the heat.
Finally he forced himself to get out. He took his time getting dressed, choosing one of his favorite microfiber outfits—forest green pants and a sleek gold shirt. He wore his slippers, tied his hair back with a green hair tie and walked out of his bedroom to see how things were going.
He found everything running smoothly to his shock. The kids were either in bed or sitting in bed reading or watching TV or listening to iPods in Hunter and Samantha's case. Downstairs he found Sonya cooking breakfast, making scrambled egg, cheese, and sausage burritos. His stomach rumbled as the savory smells wafted to his nostrils. He couldn't recall the last time he had eaten breakfast that wasn't a power bar choked down before running inbetween rooms.
Max's laughter echoed through the room, along with Odin's soft woof, and when he walked into the den he saw Max playing fetch with the puppy and Christine. "Having fun?" he asked, smiling.
Christine looked up and her eyes went all dreamy. "Hi! Um . . . we let the puppy out so Sonya could cook and Mikaela's doing your laundry. He's so cute! I love dogs." And you, her gaze whispered.
"He's adorable, but he's also a troublemaker," Loki warned. "But that's true of my kids too, so . . ." He flashed her a grateful smile. He petted Odin, who frisked up to him, tail wagging happily. "Are you being good?" he asked the shepherd, who licked his hand and sat at his feet, begging for treats.
"Dad, he wants a treat," Max stated.
"I can get them, Mr. Laufeyson," Christine offered.
"I can show ya," Max said, and dragged her into the kitchen by the hand.
They returned with several Milk Bones, and they all gave Odin one. The shepherd crunched them down in twinkling, then went and lay down under the coffee table.
"Dad, you wanna play too?" Max indicated the game. "We just started."
"All right," he agreed, though he felt more like passing out in the recliner.
As they moved their gingerbread pieces around the board, Sonya came out with plates of breakfast burritos. She gave Max a small one and Loki a large one. "I figured you might like a home cooked breakfast, Mr. Laufeyson."
"I think you read my mind," he grinned. "I haven't eaten like this since Max came down with this flu. I just need a cup of coffee."
"Tell me how you like it," Sonya said, and listened when Loki told her he liked a bit of cream and two spoonfuls of sugar.
Soon a steaming cup of Dark Magic was by his elbow and he ate and drank the best meal he had had in three days. He thanked Sonya, then found himself yawning in the middle of a turn.
"Sorry, I just . . ." he began.
"You need to lie down," Mikaela said.
"I'll just rest my eyes in my recliner," he said. "Max, you play nicely with Christine, okay?"
His son nodded, too busy trying to beat Christine to worry that his father was no longer playing.
Loki went and curled up in his recliner, pulling a green and gold afghan over himself. He was asleep almost instantly.
Christine looked at him, concerned. "Poor guy must be exhausted!" She tucked the afghan more securely around Loki.
Max peered at his father. "Dad's tired from taking care of us and Odin."
"Well, we'll make sure he rests now that we're here," Mikaela said firmly.
"Yeah we don't want him to get sick too," Christine said.
"Oh, Dad can't get sick," Max began, then stopped talking before he blurted out the secret that only family knew—that Loki was an Asgardian god. "He's too strong for that."
"Honey, even a big strong man like your daddy can get sick," Mikaela said kindly. "But don't worry. We'll take care of him so he stays well."
Max just smiled. "Okay. Christine, it's your turn. Watch out for the Cherry Pitfalls."
Loki woke around lunchtime, feeling ten times better for his long nap. He found Mischief on his lap, and stroked the kitten gently. Mischief open one green eye lazily and purred, kneading his thigh. "Hey, baby girl. Have you met our new guests yet? Or were you too shy to say hello?"
Mischief purred in answer and rubbed her head against his hand.
Just then Christine came out of the kitchen with a plate of chili mac and cheese. "You're awake!" she exclaimed. "Aww! Is that your cat? She's gorgeous!"
Mischief remained on Loki's lap as the girl approached.
"This is Mischief. She's a rescue from the same shelter as Odin." Loki continued to pet the cat.
Christine held out a hand for the kitty to sniff, then when Mischief accepted her, gently stroked under her chin. "She's soft like velvet!"
"Yeah, she's a real charmer, right?" Loki scratched along her back and the kitten arched her back end when he scratched near the base of her tail.
Christine chuckled. "It's funny to see them do that."
"They have a sensitive spot there," Loki explained. "It feels good when you scratch it. There's also scent glands there and when you pet them, they mark you so another cat knows that you belong to them."
"Cats really do own their humans, don't they?" the girl laughed.
"Oh yes. You don't own a cat. The cat owns you," Loki stated. His hand continued its rhythmic petting, eliciting more purring. "There's an old saying that if you become a cat's friend you have a companion forever, but make a cat your enemy and you'd best sleep with one eye open forever. Cats don't forget and they always get even."
"You know a lot about cats, Mr. Laufeyson."
"I've had several," he lied, knowing he couldn't tell her the true reason he knew such things was because he could talk to them and become one himself.
"I'd like one but right now my job has me away too much to take good care of one," Christine said wistfully.
Loki nodded. "It's good that you know that and won't get an animal only to leave it alone all day. Cats become lonely just like people and ones who don't have a lot of contact with someone become shy and fearful. That's not good for the cat or for you."
"How does she get along with your dog?"
"She tolerates him right now. But I think eventually they'll be friends once he stops thinking she's his new chew toy and quits drooling on her," the Asgardian remarked.
"Cats and dogs can be friends?"
"Oh yes. If they wish to." He glanced around. "How are my children doing?"
"Max was taking a nap on the couch," she indicated his son curled up in the green blanket. "And Aleta was asking for you, but I told her you were sleeping, and she had me read her a book. Only she said you read better."
"That's because I do voices," Loki said, amused. He inhaled the aroma of chili mac and cheese. "That smells divine."
"It's chili mac and cheese. I made some without but I like spicy and cheesy," Christine said. "Would—would you like some?"
"Yes, please," he said politely.
She set the plate on the snack table beside him. "Let me just get you a fork and some ginger ale."
When she returned she had his fork and drink and her own lunch also. She pulled up a hassock and sat down, eating her lunch while stealing glances at her crush through her lashes. She found he was even more hot now than he had been when she saw him in the hospital. And not only was he hot as hell, he was kind too. He didn't treat her like a servant or a child, despite the fact that she worked for him and he was worth billions.
As Loki ate, he asked questions about each of his children, relieved to note that though they were still sick, they hadn't gotten any worse and were cooperating with the health aides. He found his phone and texted Bruce, asking how Steve was, and if Thor had come back yet.
Bruce responded that both Steve and Tony were still sick, and Thor wasn't back yet. He then asked how Loki and the little zoo were faring.
Loki answered that he had hired some women to help care for them, and so far it was working out fine.
"Would you mind feeding Mischief?" he asked Christine. "Her food is in the pantry. She eats on top of the dryer in the laundry room because Odin will steal her food if we don't put it where he can't reach it."
"Sure, Mr. Laufeyson," Christine said, and she picked up Mischief and carried her into the kitchen, saying, "Are you hungry, girl? Let's feed you."
Max stirred and woke, yawned and stretched, then came over to Loki and climbed in his lap. "Dad, I'm done being sleepy," he told his father.
"I can see that, imp. How are you feeling?"
"Not all that sick anymore," Max replied. "Miss Sonya still made me take medicine."
"You need it so you don't get sick again," Loki told him. He could tell Max was better because he didn't have a fever any longer. Just a lingering cough and stuffy nose. He plucked a tissue from the air and held it to his son's nose. "Blow."
Max obeyed, then coughed slightly.
"Again," he ordered. "Good job."
Max exhaled softly, sounding much better now that he could breathe right. "I beat Christine in Candy Land," he said to his father.
"I'm not surprised. You beat me in that game. Where's Odin?"
"In his kennel, sleeping. We played with him so he was tired."
"That's good. Why don't you sit and watch cartoons while I check on your brothers and sisters?"
"Okay! I'm gonna watch Space Ghost!"
Loki rose and headed upstairs to see how the rest of his children fared. First he went to see Samantha, who was awake and sewing something while she leaned against a bunch of pillows.
"What's up, butterfly?"
"Hey, Dad," she said hoarsely. "I still croak like a frog, but I'm not wiped out any more. I'm making a bookmark."
"Very pretty. Looks like a patchwork quilt."
"It's cross stitch. But it's of an old quilt pattern, the Winter Solstice. See the snowflakes and the diamond pattern?"
"I like it a lot. Just remember to rest, okay? And drink lots of liquids."
"And take my medicine," she recited, rolling her eyes. "I know, Dad."
He hugged her. "Feel better, darling."
She kissed his cheek. "Quit worrying. I'll be fine in a few days or so."
"If you need anything, call Mikaela."
He visited Nate and Vince next, the two boys shared a room, the largest one except Loki's own in the house, because Vince had claustrophobia and needed a room that was big, and because Nate also needed room for his wheelchair and other apparatus. Neither of the boys minded sharing, they had been used to it in the orphanage, and both had similar temperaments, though Vince was more active and almost always doing something that made Loki consider going on Prozac.
Currently the two were still confined to bed, or in Nate's case his chair, and it was a testament to how sick Vince felt that he wasn't trying to sneak out of bed and go down to Hunter's room to play his Xbox. He lay huddled under his X-Games quilt reading his way through a stack of comic books, and occasionally blowing his nose. A glass with ginger ale and a straw rested on his nightstand.
Nate was in his chair, looking wan but cheerful, putting together a brain teaser puzzle, with his favorite blue blanket draped about him. In his cup holder was a cup of tea with honey and lemon.
Loki was relieved to see the room was neat, the boys had on clean pajamas, and the beds looked like they also had fresh sheets on. The room smelled slightly of lemon Lysol.
"Well, you look like you're feeling much better, boys," he greeted his sons.
Nate looked up from his puzzle. "Hey, Dad. Guess what? Sonya showed me a new way to do this puzzle."
"Wonderful." He went and felt his forehead. "You don't have any fever."
"Not now. Sonya gave me Tylenol," his son said. "I'm just all stuffy and achy."
"Do you want to lie down?"
"Nah. Sick of being in bed," Nate remarked.
Loki noticed that Nate's bed, which was similar to a hospital one and could be raised and lowered, had the top part raised, so he could sleep half reclining, and not flat on his back, which was a must for a handicapped boy sick with a respiratory infection. "Okay. You tell Sonya if you need to lie down."
"Okay." He went back to manipulating something in the puzzle, his green eyes focused on his current project. "When I'm better I'm gonna build a labyrinth, Dad. We learned about them in school before I got sick."
"Yeah like in the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur," Vince put in. "Only Nate says his is gonna be able to have marbles shoot down it."
"That sounds very interesting. But you rest now and worry about that later, Racer." He ruffled Nate's mop of curly red hair. "How are you feeling, daredevil?"
Vince shrugged. "I hate being sick. But Hunter gave me his comics to read. They're pretty cool, but some of the stories are wrong, Dad."
"What do you mean?" Loki asked, puzzled.
"The myths about you and Uncle Thor."
"Vince, remember how I told you they were just stories? That's what you need to remember, son. We know the truth. Personally I think it's funny to read about what people think happened."
"Okay."He looked out of his window and sighed longingly. "I wish I was better so I could go and slide down the hill."
"You rest and take your medicine and think about getting well and you'll be better in no time," Loki told him.
Vince nodded and continued reading his comics.
Loki visited Aleta next, who was curled up with her lokitty and Brunhilda in her bed. Brunhilda sported a bandage about one arm and Minx had a bandage about her head. Aleta had a small plastic spoon and was pretending to give both her patients medicine. "Now you be good an' take your medicine so's you can get better, Brunhilda."
"Hey,spark," Loki called.
"Daddy, I'm playing hospital with Brunhilda and Minx."
Loki came and sat on the bed, saying, "What happened to them?"
"They got into a fight with some Bad People. I under arrested them though. Brunhilda broke her arm and Minx got hit in the head with a rock.'
"Goodness! They're going to take a lot of TLC to get well." He felt her forehead. "You still have a fever, sweetie. Did Christine give you some Tylenol?"
"Yup. And some cherry stuff too."
"That's good. Keep on resting and soon you'll be well enough to go play outside."
Aleta frowned, her lower lip sticking out. "I wish I was better now. Christine says Max can't play with me cause I'm too sick. It's not fair!"
"Being sick isn't any fun," Loki agreed, and thanked the Norns he had never been sick like this in his life. "But maybe this will make you smile." He snapped his fingers and a Cat in the Hat puppet, a fish puppet, and Thing One and Thing Two appeared on the bed. Loki took them and put the Cat and the Fish on one hand and the two Things on the other.
Then he said in a rather silly squeaky voice, and moved the fish puppet's mouth, "No! No! Make that cat go away! Tell the Cat in the Hat you do NOT want to play!"
"Yes we do!" Aleta cried, clapping her hands.
Loki moved the Cat puppet and did his voice in a deeper one with rolled R's for purring. "Look at me! Look at me now! It is fun to have fun but you have to know how!" Loki winked at Aleta and asked in his normal voice, "Do you want to know how?"
"Yes!Yes! Tell me how!"
"A lot of good tricks, I will show them to you," the Cat said. "Your mother will not mind if I do." Loki then made the cat bow to Aleta, take off his hat and throw it up in the air.
The Cat caught the hat upside down on his hand and made it spin around, twirling it faster and faster.
Then the fish cried, "He should not be here. He should not be here when your mother is not."
The Cat laughed, then said to Aleta, "I know you are sick and not feeling well, but see, we can have lots of fun with this bell!" And the Cat produced a small bell that he rang. "Come Thing One and Thing Two, here they are! My crazy friends to say hello to you!"
Thing One and Thing Two waved and giggled.
Aleta waved back. "Hi!"
"Watch me now, then you'll see, how much fun you can have, when you can juggle like me!" the Cat said, and then Loki had the Cat juggle three colored plastic mini balls, then a plastic star, a plastic plate, and the fish.
"Put me down!" the fish yelped. "This is no fun at all! Put me down! I do not wish to fall!"
Loki then whispered to his daughter, "Well? Should he put the fish down?"
Aleta nodded. "Yes! The fish is scared!"
"Okay!" and the fish was put down.
Loki continued to parody the book, sometimes using quotes and other times making things up, all done in a silly lighthearted tone that made the sick little girl giggle and laugh.
Aleta wasn't the only one enthralled by the impromptu performance.
Sonya, Mikaela, and Christine had come up to see what was going on, and they peered about the doorway in astonishment to see the tall handsome video game designer sitting upon a pink canopied bed playing with puppets in such a ridiculously charming manner.
"Oh, but he is soo delicious!" Christine whispered.
"I wish my father would have played like that with me," Sonya said enviously.
"He's amazing!" Mikaela agreed. "I'm tempted to commit bigamy just from listening to him!"
They lingered in the doorway a few moments more, but then withdrew, fearing their employer would get angry if he caught them loitering when they should be working.
Just as Loki was about to end the puppet show, since he'd accomplished his goal, Aleta's gray eyes went suddenly unfocused and she said in a soft monotone, "A friend in need lies weak and afraid, death angels gather, Loki she needs your aid! Do not delay, go right away!"
Loki froze with the puppets still on his hands. The Vision was a warning someone he loved was in trouble. And the only "she" he knew besides Natasha was Mandy.
Abruptly Aleta blinked and rubbed her eyes. "Daddy, I Saw something."
"I know, spark. You saw that Missus Mandy needs my help," Loki said quickly, pulling the puppets off his hands. "I need to go to her house. Tell Christine or any of the others where I am."
Fear congealed in his stomach. Aleta never Saw something that didn't happen, though her talent seemed to pick and choose when and what it Saw. Glancing about, Loki shut the door of the bedroom, then said "I'll be back soon, Aleta."
He teleported directly from the room to Mandy's kitchen. "Mandy?" he called, his voice stiff with terror. "It's Loki. Mandy?"
Then he heard Mystic barking. Not her usual welcome bark but a rapid frantic staccato of yipping, the kind of sound a dog makes when something is wrong.
He bolted from the kitchen towards the sound, which was coming from the living room. There he saw a scene from a nightmare.
Mystic was standing beside the limp form of Mandy MacAllister, who lay crumpled on the rug next to the recliner. Her phone lay inches from her hand, as if she had tried to call for help.
"No! Oh no! No! Mandy, please!" he found himself pleading as he rushed to kneel beside her. He gently rolled her over, and felt for a pulse, terror surging through him.
There! It was weak and thread but it was there.
"By the Nine, what the Hel happened to you?" he murmured, tears glazing his eyes.
Then he felt a prickle of otherworldly awareness and he recalled Aleta's prophecy—death angels gather. He jerked his head up and saw hovering in a corner of the room a dark-winged figure.
The Asgardian's green orbs met the angel's fiery sapphire ones and Loki spat, "Get thee gone, Reaper! She is not for you!"
"No? I am not your enemy, Asgardian," the Angel of Death spoke in a soft even tone.
"If you try and take her you will be my enemy," Loki warned.
"I am Azrael, and it is my duty to claim the souls of the dying," the angel hissed.
"She isn't dead," Loki snapped, choking back the terror that threatened to engulf him.
"But she is near her time. Hence why I am here. I shall make you a bargain, Asgardian. If you can save her, bring her back from the brink, I shall leave. If not, her soul is mine."
It was then that Loki noticed how hot Mandy's skin was. It burned like a smith's forge. Her breath rasped in her throat, barely stirring her chest. "Norns help me, she has the flu! Just like my kids!" Guilt now joined the terror roiling in his stomach. "I'm sorry!" he cried, tears trickling down his cheeks. "This is my fault!"
'Death comes for all, Asgardian," intoned Azrael. "Even you."
"Shut up, you bloody carping crow!" Loki growled. Then he cast a spell that made his hands icy, and carefully ran them over her head, neck, and down her arms and legs. "This should cool you down, Mandy."
To his shock, the elderly woman stirred, groaning. "Help . . . me . . . get help . . ."
Mystic whined and licked her mistress's face.
"I'm here, Mandy. Right here," Loki said, and kept running his hands over her, cooling her with his frost giant's touch.
Suddenly her eyelids fluttered and she opened her eyes. "L-Loki?"
"Yeah, it's me. I found you like this. But don't worry. I'm going to make you well."
"Cold . . . so cold . . ."
She shivered and he quit running his hands over her, sensing the dangerously high fever had receded.
He glared at the corner of the room, where the dark-winged angel was. To his shock, he saw the corner was empty and the angel was gone, back to wherever angels go.
Relief sharp as a knife washed through him. Then he quickly dialed 911 on his phone. He quickly rattled off the address and how he had found Mandy collapsed on the floor, sick with the flu. "Please hurry," he said to the dispatcher.
"An ambulance is on its way, Mr. Laufeyson. Can you stay with Mrs. MacAllister until paramedics arrive?"
"What? Of course! D'you think I was gonna leave her on the floor?"
"How is she doing? Is she conscious? Lucid?"
"She was just a moment ago. She knew me and asked me to get help. But she's shivering and burning up."
He grabbed a blanket he found over the chair and wrapped her in it. "I just wrapped her in a blanket."
"That's good," the dispatcher soothed. "Talk to her and reassure her that help is on the way. The ambulance should be there in about ten minutes, sooner if possible."
"Okay," he said, cradling the phone in one hand. He clasped Mandy's hand with his own and said softly, "Mandy, the ambulance is on its way. What happened? Can you tell me?"
"Loki . . . felt sick . . . dizzy . . . tried to call you but . . . I fell . . . must have passed out . . ." She squeezed his hand. "I thought . . . for a moment . . . that I saw an angel come to carry me to glory . . ."
"No . . . no . . . it was a dream," he whispered, swallowing hard. "There's no angel here, Mandy. Just me. You're gonna be okay, y'hear me? We'll bring you to the hospital and they'll make you well."
She clutched his wrist suddenly, gripping hard like the talon of an eagle. "Loki! Promise me . . . if they say I won't make it . . . bring me home. I don't want to die among strangers."
"Mandy, you're not going to die."
"Promise me, boy!"
"Okay, okay. I promise." He said quickly. "But you aren't dying today. Or any other day."
She smiled. "And are ye God Almighty, to know the hour of my death, dearie?"
"No, but . . . you aren't dying anytime soon," he said passionately. "Trust me." He gently slipped his arms beneath her and pulled her into his lap. "There, is that better?"
She weighed almost nothing, light as a feather to his Jotun strength. She sighed and leaned her white head against his shoulder. "You're a good boy, Loki. Do me a favor, dearie?"
"Anything."
"Take care of Mystic. And call my son. His number is in my phone."
He quickly texted Christine, telling her where he was and what had happened. He told he needed her to come over and pick up Mystic, that he would be going in the ambulance with Mandy.
He found Mandy's phone, luckily it was not dead, and typed the number of her son into his phone. He would call later, once Mandy was out of danger.
Sirens wailed in the distance, growing nearer.
"It's the ambulance, Mandy darling," he crooned into her ear.
"Stay with me, Loki," she whimpered.
"I'm here," he said, and blinked back tears. I almost wasn't in time! If not for Aleta . . . she would have died here all alone . . . He shuddered instinctively. He didn't know when it had happened, but somewhere along the way Mandy had ceased to be a mere neighbor and instead become something more. More than a friend, she had become the grandmother he never had and always wanted.
"Don't leave . . ." she coughed, the spasms shaking her tiny frame.
"I'm not leaving, Bestemor," he said, calling her the Norwegian for grandmother.
Then the siren blared and red and blue lights flashed in front of the house.
Mystic began going crazy barking.
"Mystic, calm down! They're here to help," Loki called to the dog.
He waved a hand and unlocked the door, recalling just in time so the paramedics wouldn't think anything odd was going on.
The door opened and in walked two paramedics with a stretcher and Christine with a leash.
"Don't worry about a thing, Mr. Laufeyson," she said, picking up Mystic. "Me and the other girls will watch the kids till you come home."
"Thank you, Christine," he said gratefully. "You just earned a bonus from me."
The paramedics approached, and he allowed them to examine Mandy and answered what questions he could about how he had found her and what she had told him. "I'm going to go to the hospital too," he told them. "She lives alone, so I'll need to go with her to sign forms and stuff."
"Who are you, sir?"
"I'm her adopted grandson," Loki lied without batting an eye.
He watched as the paramedics gently placed Mandy on the gurney. "Take care of her. I'm going to follow you in my van."
He forced himself to walk sedately past the paramedics and out of the house. But once outside he broke into a sprint. He reached the van in the garage in seconds.
He pulled into the hospital parking lot, only then realizing he had left without getting any of Mandy's ID and insurance cards. Loki, you dumbass! He swore at himself. Then he summoned her purse and took it into the emergency room.
The doctors admitted Mandy with an acute case of the flu that was going around, and started her on an IV drip of fluids and another for pain. They gave her some oxygen and a breathing treatment, and while they were doing that, Loki went into the hallway and dialed her son Sean MacAllister.
The phone rang and rang but only the answering machine picked up. Loki left a detailed message and his cell so Sean could call him back. Then he went back inside the room.
Mandy was sitting up in bed, pale, but looking considerably better than she had two hours ago. "How are you, Loki, dearie?"
He raised an eyebrow. "I should be asking you that. I left a message on your son's answering machine. He should call me back soon."
"He's probably still at work. It's three hours earlier in California."
"He doesn't check his messages?" Loki frowned.
"I don't know," Mandy admitted. "Sometimes it takes days for him to answer me when I call." She indicated the chair beside her bed. "Come sit down. You're pale as snow, Loki."
"I'm normally like that," he joked. He sank down on the chair.
"I'm sorry I scared you, dearie," Mandy said knowingly, and took his hand in hers. "But how did you know to come by? And how did you get in? The door was locked."
"I was just thinking about you and I decided to stop by. Call it a hunch," he told her. "And I picked the lock to get in when you didn't answer the door."
"Where did you learn that?"
"A talent of my misspent youth. I told you I wasn't always a nice boy."
"Wherever you learned it, dearie, you saved my life. I don't know how I can ever repay you."
"Mandy, stop. There's no such thing as debts between friends and family. I hope you don't mind, but I told the hospital staff I was your adopted grandson so they would let me stay here with you."
"Oh, Loki! I would be honored if you were my grandson."
"You would?" he gaped at her in astonishment.
"Very much so."
Just then an orderly arrived with some dinner for Mandy.
As the orderly was assisting the elderly woman, Loki's cell rang. He walked into the hallway to answer it, because the reception was better. "Hello? Laufeyson speaking."
"This Sean MacAllister. You left a message about my mother?"
"Yes, I did. I'm her next door neighbor . . ." Loki went on to explain what he had found and how Mandy was in the hospital with the flu.
"What's her prognosis?"
"The doctors think if she shows improvement tonight they can release her tomorrow. Otherwise they'll keep her here until they're sure she's out of danger."
"That's good."
"Would you like to speak with her?"
"All right. Put her on."
Loki frowned at the brusque tone. If it had been his mother sick and in the hospital he would have sounded far more concerned and not like she had just interrupted a board meeting. "One minute." He went back inside. "Mandy, your son would like to speak to you."
Mandy's face lit up. She took the phone. "Hello, Sean! It's so good to hear from you, dearie!"
Though he couldn't hear the entire conversation, Loki could tell from Mandy's reaction that it was not going well. When Mandy asked if he would be coming over for Easter, he expected Sean would have started booking a flight immediately. It was only two weeks till the holiday.
But apparently from the way her face fell, something was not right.
"I'll talk to you later. Bye!" she said, striving to sound cheerful. She handed the phone back to him.
"Well? When is he coming?"
"He . . . he isn't, dearie," she said in a small voice.
"What? What do you mean he's not coming?" Loki sputtered in outrage. "His mother almost dies of the flu and ends up in the ER and he's not going to come and see how you are? Name of God, why?"
Mandy gave him a sad smile. "He said he was too busy. But he would send me flowers."
"Send you flowers?" Loki felt a great urge to curse the insensitive arrogant jerk who was Mandy's blood son. The idiot was just begging to be turned into a jackass. Or a garden gnome birds could poop on. "Forgive me, but he's a total dumbass! Why do you let him treat you like this?"
"He blames me for his father's death," she said softly. "See, Connor was coming home one night from his Knights of Columbus meeting and I asked him to stop and pick up a few groceries. He was on his way home with them when a drunk driver hit him and killed him. Sean believes that if I hadn't asked him to go to the store, the accident would have been avoided. He has never forgiven me for that. It's why he took his wife and my granddaughter Rowan and moved across the country. So he wouldn't have to see the woman who killed his father every day."
"That's—that's crazy! You weren't the one who was driving drunk and hit him. It was an accident!"
"You and I know that, dearie, but my son . . . my son refuses to face the truth. It's easier for him to blame me than it is to say an accident took his father's life and he must move on. Sean was the apple of his father's eye. And I'm afraid I let Connor spoil him, being his only son and all," she said ruefully. "Sean has always thought the world owed him for taking his father away when he was almost graduating from NYU. And he's determined to squeeze every drop of satisfaction he can from it. That includes not seeing me unless he absolutely has to. In other words, dearie, not till I'm in a pine box."
Loki rose and swore in Old Norse.
Mandy raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what you said, dearie, but am I right in saying your mama would wash out your mouth for it?"
"Probably," he sighed. "And if I had your son here I would be tempted to punch him out for treating you this way."
Mandy's eyes twinkled. "I daresay I'd be tempted to let you." Then she asked, "Do you have my phone, dearie?"
"I do. Why?"
"Because I need to talk to my lawyer."
"Your lawyer? Why?"
"Because if anything happens to me, dearie, I want you to have power-of-attorney to make decisions in my behalf. Medical and legal. I trust you more than I do my son."
"Mandy, are you sure?"
"Quite sure, dearie. You were here to save my life. My own son can't even be bothered to visit and see how I am," her mouth drew down in a sharp line.
"I'm honored, but—this could alienate him further," Loki warned, at the same time wondering why he cared.
Mandy snorted. "He's behaved like an alien for years to me. I'm done, dearie. You'd not know it to look at me, but I have quite a bit of money saved up. And I know what my son thinks. He thinks as soon as I die, it all comes to him. Well, he might be surprised to learn otherwise."
"You don't mean—"
"That's why I want you to have power-of-attorney, Loki. Because I know I can trust you to follow my wishes. You have money of your own, you don't need mine. Your friendship is priceless, boy. Even if your father might not think so."
Loki gaped at her. "How did you know-?"
"Because you hardly ever speak of your father. Your brother, yes, and your mom, but him almost never. And there's only two reasons for that. He disappointed and hurt you or you did something like it to him."
"It's a little of both. He was never proud of me, because he had Thor to fill that role. My mother was, but eventually I disappointed her too. I was always the misfit in my family. I doubt that will ever change," Loki said sadly.
"Your brother—is he their natural son?"
"Yes."
"Ah. That explains a lot. Loki, believe me when I say that sometimes blood does not always mean a loyal and caring son. But then, I'm preaching to the choir, aren't I boy? You proved that today, didn't you? And it's your father's loss, not yours, if he can't see that. But my gain, for I think had you felt more at home in Norway, you'd never have come to America and moved next door to me and been there when I needed you. So you see, everything happens for a reason."
"Mandy, I believe you're right," he said, and gave her a heartstopping smile.
The octogenarian laughed. "Oh, Loki! You keep smiling like that and those nurses are gonna come in here wondering why my heart rate is off the charts!"
"You're exaggerating."
"I am not! With that smile I'm shocked some enterprising young woman hasn't snatched you up."
"Mandy, no enterprising young woman, as you say, wants to put up with me and nine troublemaking children, plus a kitten and a puppy."
"You just haven't met her yet."
"Because there is no such person."
"I'm going to take great satisfaction in saying I told you so someday, Loki!"
He laughed. "I hope you get the chance. When they release you, I'm taking you home with me. You can stay at my house until you're recovered."
"Loki, you don't have to—"
"I certainly do. Anything could happen—and it did. Besides I enjoy having you in my house. Gives me another adult to talk to. "
"Oh very well, dearie! You could persuade the sun that it was the moon." Abruptly, she yawned. "I guess I'm more tired than I thought."
"You need rest and I'm keeping you up," he said contritely.
"I'll call you in the morning to see what's going on," he promised, then he went and hugged her.
Her fragile arms went around his neck and she hugged him back. "Good night, grandson. Tell the kids hi from me and I hope Mystic behaves herself."
"I will. Good night, Bestemor. That means "grandma" in Norwegian." Loki left the hospital smiling, a far cry from how he had entered it. As he drove home, he hoped that things had continued to run smoothly while he was gone.