Here is the second chapter to this little ficlet! Please please PLEASE review because I can't improve without 'em...Enjoy!
My eyes slowly flutter open. I was lying in a hospital bed, my family in the room. Deja vu if there ever was one... I think. This is the third time...?
"Why am I always waking up in the hospital with you people?" I joke, shifting under the covers.
Everyone rushes to my side. Deja vu times two...
"How are you feeling?" Natasha asks.
"Pretty good. My throat hurts pretty bad. Can I get some water?" I request, painfully clearing my throat.
"I'm on it." Clint says, and finds a cup in a cabinet. He fills it up in the sink and hands it to me.
"Thanks." I say and take a huge sip. "Do we know what's wrong with me?"
"Not yet. We're waiting for the doctor to let us know..." Tony explained.
Just then the doctor walked in. "Glad to see our patient has woken up. I'm Dr. Tanner. How are you feeling right now, Beth?" he asked and shook my hand.
"Okay, I guess. My throat really hurts and I have a headache." I reply.
"That's expected. Your family explained that you had a horrible coughing fit to the point of coughing up blood. It will take awhile to heal. I came in to talk about what you actually have." he said.
"Good. What is it?" I asked.
"Err, that's the problem here. We can't pinpoint what you have contracted." Dr. Tanner answered. "We have viewed your blood sample countless times. It's not a radical mutation of any disease I or my colleagues can identify. It's nothing like we have ever seen."
My eyes widen and everyone sits there in complete bewilderment for a few seconds. I go into another horrible coughing fit much like the last one, coughing up blood again. Dr. Tanner comes to my bedside and supports my back while Tony puts the glass of water to my lips and makes me drink. Overall it lasted about five minutes.
"So, are you saying she has a completely new disease?" Clint asks after I had calmed down.
Dr. Tanner shakes his head. "No, the microbes are too developed for it to be completely new. The only possible explanation is that Beth contracted it from someone who traveled to a location, possibly remote, where a different virus could be existing. Different from ones here in New York, or even the United States." he explained. "Seeing as your condition at the moment is stable, I have other patients I must attend to. I will check on you later tonight." Dr. Tanner finished and walked out the door.
Thor sucks in a breath. He hangs his head. "It...it is my fault." he said. "I should have known better. There was a small outbreak of a virus during my visit. I am immune to all Midgardian diseases, but you are not immune to mine." he stated.
We all let that sink in. "What kind of virus?" Bruce asked, breaking the silence.
"It causes violent coughing, vomiting, and can even cause hallucinations." he said, staring at the ground. Thor swallowed and cleared his throat. "Asgardian diseases are much stronger than Midgardian ones. Even our own die from this virus."
"And you just brought it back?" Clint said, anger rising in his voice as he jumped up from his seat. "You gave it to Beth!"
Thor stood up as well. "I was unaware! I had it when I was a child, so now I am immune!"
"But you didn't think to simply stay in Asgard until the outbreak passed?" Clint replied. He threw his hand at me in an angry gesture. "Beth could die!" he shouted, and the rest of us flinched. Even Thor. He strode over right in front of Clint.
"And I would do anything to take her place." Thor said in the lowest possible voice and walked out of the room.
Clint turned, gave one look to me and the rest of the family and then left, turning the opposite direction Thor had gone.