Loki was shifting his seat as the limo headed to the children's hospital. Looking around, he almost laughed at the ridiculousness of what sat before him. Both Cap and Thor were already dressed in their fighting ensembles. Tony was fidgeting with his bracelet under the cuff of his blue striped suit and adjusting his yellow striped tie. Natasha was in a black turtleneck and olive green pea-coat, while Clint was wearing a magenta t-shirt and gray wool jacket. As for himself, Loki was wearing a white long sleeved collared shirt, a green vest, and black slacks.
As if reading his mind, Bruce spoke up. "If you're wondering about why the casual clothes, wearing formal wear, especially black suits is...well frowned upon. It invokes the thought of funerals and that's probably not good for patient morale."
Loki hummed nonchalantly and returned to his thoughts. It was not as though he was necessarily shy or unnerved by children. After all, growing up as a prince on Asgard, he was taught decorum. He and Thor would sometimes venture into the city. More often Loki would either go as himself or in disguise where children would shyly pay their respects in the former instance. But now he was obliged to entertain ill children and keep his identity a secret.
Before he could contemplate it any further, the limo stopped in front of a tall austere looking building that read 4th Juban hospital. Two older men, several doctors in lab coats and a few nurses all bowed as the team reached the steps. The older man with salt and pepper hair stepped forward to shake hands with each of them.
"Watashinonamaeha Samejima Kojirodesu. Watashi wa byōin-chōdesu.
Kyō wa anata no hōmon ni kōei desu. Watashitachi no kanja o tazunete anata no jikan o kakete kudasai."
"My name is Watashinonamaeha Samejima Kojirodesu. I am the hospital's 're honored by your visit today. Please feel free to take your time visiting our patients." Loki translated as he shook hands. To the director he said, "Watashi wa Laufeyson Rucas, abenjāzu no intapurita desu." (I am Lucas Laufeyson, interpreter for the Avengers.)
After all the formalities were arranged and all the doctors were introduced, they were led inside the building. Each of them changed their shoes for slippers at the genkan. Loki almost laughed outright at Thor's slippers with his armor, though the Thunderer looked slightly embarrassed himself. Clint observed this as well, but covered his laugh with a polite cough.
They followed the director to the first floor, which was filled with orthopedic cases. It was a large room with several beds in a row on either side of it. Each one of the Avengers fanned out and met with both the children and the parents. Loki stayed near the Captain, who seemed to struggle a little with his Japanese as he mostly knew phrases from a book. Meanwhile Thor stayed close to Bruce, who was also not fluent of the language.
The second level was the orthopedic cases. They all split up, taking turns visiting each patient, as there were not many on the ward.
Cap spoke to a six year old boy with a leg cast who's eyes lit up. The child flew into a flurry of Japanese, then suddenly stopped as he realized that Steve might not understand.
Loki understood the boys words even as fast as they were spilling out. He translated, "He said that he can't believe that he's meeting his hero, Captain America, and he really excited that the Avengers are here."
Steve chuckled, then reached out to shake the boy's hand. "Ask him how he broke his leg."
After receiving his answer from Loki that translated as, "I was doing tricks on my bike and broke my leg." Steve smiled, but said in a sort of stern but friendly tone. "I know you've probably been scolded by your mother, but promise that you won't do again. Okay, son?"
"Hai!" the boy returned with a sheepish grin.
The Avengers went from level to level to greet the children, finally ending up on the 10th floor playroom where a plethora of children had gathered to meet them.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Tony Stark!"
There was a cacophony of exclamations and cheers. One of the younger ones shly approached and handed Tony a homemade greeting card, while bashfully explaining that the children had signed it. .It was then that Loki noticed a small girl, sitting in a window seat, reading a book. She only looked up once, before returning to reading. The others were occupied with the remaining children (Tony was showing off his new A.I., Thor was showing some the Mjolnir, Bruce was trying to convince the kids that bringing out The Hulk was not a good idea. Natasha was playing dolls with some younger girls, while Clint was teaching some older boys how to use a play bow and arrow set and Cap was showing a few his shield). Loki glided past them and the forgotten toys to where the girl was sitting.
"Are you enjoying your book?" Loki asked in Japanese, pointing to the tome in her hands. The little child jumped at the sound of his voice. He figured that like himself, if she became absorbed in a book, it would startle her to suddenly be spoken to. It reminded him of the time when he had been deeply immersed in a book and was taken aback by Thor who often teased him about having his nose in a volume of Asgard's laws.
"May I sit?" Loki asked politely in Japanese, which she acknowledged with a little nod. "My name is Luc, I am a- friend of Thor." He pointed to the Thunderer who was now telling a story in an animated fashion. "What's your name?"
She hesitated for a moment before saying, "Akiya Cheiko. How do you know Japanese so well?"
"I am blessed with All-Speak. It allows me to speak, read and write any language in the world and even the universe." He nodded to the book. "What are you reading?"
"A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett." Cheika answered, closing the book so he could read the cover. He had to admit it was not one that he'd read yet. He would have to remedy that when he got home. "Why are you in the hospital, Akiya-san?"
Her cheeks flushed, "I-I have leukemia."
"Leukemia? Forgive me, I know not what that it is."
"You've never heard of it?" She was surprised by this. "It's a kind of cancer in my bone marrow."
Loki did not know anything about mortal illness, but that sounded serious. Rather than say something uninformed, he looked around at all the parents that were speaking with the Avengers. "Are your parents not here?"
Cheika shook her head sadly. "No. I-I am adopted. My mother is housewife, and my father is am executive at a tech company and he''s teaching my brother the same work. Mom comes to visit but….." she looked away, "but my older brother is not sickly. He's an athlete and really good at pretty much everything, um-except school."
The Trickster pursed his lips. This reminded him very much of his own life and he suddenly felt for the child. Thor had always been the center of attention while Loki had been sickly growing up and struggled to gain approval from not only his peers and brother, but by his own father as well.
Clearing his throat, Loki said quietly, "Would you like me to read to you for a while?"
Her eyes lit up as she handed him the book. "Hai!"
The next 20 minutes please Loki to no end as he read the story of a rich little girl become poor, while maintaining her hope. This could not have been a better story for Cheika .Loki thought in the back of his mind. It had surprised him that while he read, her head suddenly was resting on his arm. He glanced at her for a moment and saw that she was starting to fall asleep, but he continued to read anyway. He only stopped when he heard Tony call his name. "We're about to go."
"Very well," Loki sighed and closed the book. The little girl looked up at him with glassy eyes brimmed with tears. Loki almost didn't want to part from her yet, then he had an idea.
"May I take Akiya-chan back to her room?" He asked a nearby nurse who looked puzzled, then nodded, remarking it was room 302 on the fifth floor. "Come my dear." Loki outstretched his hand which she happily took and was followed by a curious Thor and Tony.
When the elevator opened on her floor, Loki was led down a corridor to a room that was occupied with teddy bears and a few books, but was oddly absent of her family. Loki's heart dropped at this; if she were ill, he had hoped that the child's parents would be a constant comfort to her. Pushing down this feeling, he picked the girl up, and placed her on the bed, tucking the bedcovers around her, while placing the book on a the side table next to her. Loki spotted a piece of paper on it and wrote down something quickly. "This is my address if you ever want to write to me. Perhaps, if you like, I can send you some books."
The girls face lit into a smile that put a little hope in Loki, "Really? You would do that for me? Thank you Loki-san!" She sprang up and embraced Loki around the neck. When she had let go. Cheika fumbled around for a moment as if she were looking for something. After a moment she blushed and said, "It's not much, but will you accept this?" She handed him a pink pen with a crescent moon mounted on top that matched the design.
It was a not something he would outwardly reject. So smiling he said, "Thank you Cheika-chan."
As Loki, Tony and Thor entered the elevator, the industrialist joked with a grin, "Who knew you were good with kids. Color me surprised, Rock of Ages."
In the months that followed, Loki received a letter from Cheika every week or so, describing how she was feeling, about her treatments and about the books she had obtained from him. Tony had suggested he send her a small digital camera so that she could take pictures. This had resulted in a few pictures sent with each letter of her and the lastest book sent, pictures of the nature outside, and so on. After she had read "A Little Princess", Bruce suggested "Matilda" by Roald Dahl after Loki had explained her home situation.
A few weeks later, after Loki had sent her "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" A picture arrived of her wearing some sort of cloth on her head, looking pale but still smiling at the camera. He seemed worried as he pointed it out to Bruce.
"Most people lose their hair during chemotherapy because of the aggressive medication. " Bruce explained solemnly.
"Most kids can recover from cancer." Clint pipped in. "There's a 90% survival rate. When the cancer is stopped and doesn't show any signs of growing, that's called remission. They're considered cured if they remain in remission for 10 years."
"I see." Loki muttered, glancing again at the cheerful letter.
Loki sent "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe some time later, but didn't attain his normal reply as soon it was received by her. In fact, another week went by without a reply. He grew more and more worried as the days went by.
Then on a rainy April day. Loki and the other Avenger finally understood why. That day.a letter did come from Japan, but it was official looking, not in the childish scrawl of Cheika. Opening it with some trepidation, he read it. After a moment he stiffened, the letter falling to the kitchen table. Then in a slightly shaking voice, he said, "Will you please excuse me?"
They all looked perplexed at his sudden retreat, however it was Thor who picked up the letter. "It says" he began quietly, that Akiya Cheika succumbed to cancer and passed from this world last Monday."
"Oh….." A collective look of sorrow set in their faces.
"He was really attached to that little girl," Nat commented, "every time I looked over, I saw him reading to her."
""Why is he gettin' upset about one kid though?" Clint bristled, "I mean there are plenty of kids with cancer and some who just don't make it. It's sad, but a harsh reality."
After he explained her home life," Tony added, "I understood why. He saw a lot of himself in that little girl, and finally he had someone he could connect with because of it. He wanted to make her a little happier." Tony pulled out his phone and headed down the stairs to the lab, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to donate $10 million to cancer research."
Bruce cleared his throat, "I'd better go talk to Loki. Where is he JARVIS?"
"Mr. Laufeyson is in his library, sir."
Bruce tentatively knocked on the door of the library, calling out, "Loki it's me. Can I come in?"
A shaky voice called out, "Enter."
Bruce stepped in to find Loki sitting near one of the large windows, knees folded towards his chest as he looked out at the falling rain. In one of the trickster's hands was the pink pen Cheika had given him. Approaching him. Bruce could tell by the puffy red eyes and nose and the tear tracks that Loki had been weeping for some time.
Silence reigned for a few minutes before Loki spoke albeit with an unsteady voice. With a sniff he muttered, "Why am I languishing over the death of a small child? Mortal children are weak, fragile things, And yet…"
"Because you showed compassion and kinship to a little girl who for all intents and purposes echoed the life you had growing up. But it's more than that, she was sick and you wanted to make her feel better, maybe even get well. There's no shame in that. I wish there were more people in the world that is more sympathetic about the sick children. You gave her a few months of happiness and know what it is to have a caring friend." He patted Loki's shoulder. "It's like what Steve says, 'we can't win every battle, but we can only fight to save more lives. Tony's donating money for cancer research."
Loki tried to smile, "I suppose you're right. "
"Come on," He held out his hand, "Nat found an anime about the gods and it has you two in it."
To be Continued…
a/n: I know, it's been a long time. I've had some issues I had to deal with and haven't felt like writing because of them. Also this chapter was quite difficult to write due to the subject manner.
Thank you for the reviews and for following this story.
Next time will be a fun chapter!