Four hours later and Loki is still unconscious. Thor hasn't left his side for more than a minute, refusing to let go of his little brother's hand.
Loki is pale. Too pale. The white sheets give his skin an almost translucent look and the trickster's shock of black hair makes the bags under his eyes all that more apparent.
Thor swallows nervously. His brother is too still. Thor can barely make out the rise and fall of his chest. The wound in his shoulder has been cleaned and bandaged by midgardian healers but it is healing slowly.
Too slow.
Too slow and too still.
Something is wrong with Loki's magic.
Loki can vaguely feel Thor's hand on his. But he is tired. Bone-weary.
The moment he realised he might be with child, he diverted almost all his magic into spells and shields around his abdomen. He had spells to guard his possible child against any attack.
And any detection.
Loki would not lose another child to Odin.
But the spells are taxing, they draw on his strength. So Loki has been careful. He disappeared into a safehouse and kept his head down. As he planned to until he knew for sure that he was pregnant.
He'd gone to Doom's hideout for what he'd thought was a life-threatening reason. Turns out Doom was bored and wanted to show off a new toy. Next thing Loki knew, his brother was crashing through the wall with his team of mortals and Loki was running for his life.
He hadn't been prepared. He had no reserves of magic to draw on and couldn't-wouldn't risk drawing energy form any of the protective spells in place. Teleporting could easily be dangerous for the child as could shifting form. Loki had no idea what, if any (though he wasn't considering that possibility at the time), child he was carrying. So many forms of his magic could be fatal. So Loki ran.
But, of course, Thor had seen him and given chase. He'd brought down the pillar, nearly on top of Loki. Then it was fire and pain in his shoulder as the arrow easily passed through the pitiful shield that his personal protections had dissolved to.
His hands cradled his stomach and Loki prayed that there was no poison on the arrow. Then Thor was rushing towards him and all the trickster could think was nonononono stay away, you'll take it away from mebut he was in no position to protest, barely managing to stay conscious.
Then Thor's hands were on his shoulders and he becomes startlingly aware the searing pain and blood loss and Loki's vision started to blur as he began to lose his fight with unconsciousness. He was aware of the sticky coldness that was his blood dripping down his arm and then Loki's pitching forward and all he can think of is the child that he may be carrying.
He stirs later to the feeling of the arrow being dug out of his shoulder. He knows it won't heal like normal. He has no energy for it. Just as he hasn't the energy to wake.
Nor the desire.
Loki is afraid.
Not for himself but for the child that he may lose before he even truly knows it exists. If Thor has informed Odin then Loki would rid himself of the child before it is born. He will not risk its birth into such a life.
Loki feels the pressure on his hand increase but cannot summon the energy or will to move. For now he will rest. Heal. Recover. And pray that Thor has not told Odin.
Thor is a man of action, but here he is helpless. He does not know magic, he can sense the pulse of it over Loki's skin but nothing more. He doesn't know Loki is not healing or why he won't wake. All he can do is sit with his baby brother and wait. Thor squeezes Loki's hand.
He waits for a response.
He waits for movement.
He receives nothing.
Frost giant=cold blood in my little personal head-canon