Author's Notes: I still don't own Marvel or any of their characters.
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After the school day ended, Storm asked Bruce to come to the labs below the school. "I want to test you while your wife and baby are still in the hospital."
"No blood work," said Bruce.
"Just your reflexes and things. We don't have know how much Odin changed you," Storm said. "Charles can read your wife's mind in a limited fashion. With you, it's like he's dealing with another telepath."
"I'm a mindless beast that makes play he's still a man," Bruce said without emotion. "Loki isn't a true telepath, but he can do mind-control, so he must see something or, in my case, nothing. I was empty-headed before I went to Asgard."
"You were nominated for a Nobel Prize," said Storm. "You're a lot of things but empty-headed isn't one of them."
"You can run an EEG or MRI or both," said Bruce. "Can you wait until my wife returns before you tell me I have very little brain activity? I'd like to hold onto the illusion that I can think for a little while longer."
Storm said, "The nurse can call Hank to get your medical information, but I'd rather have him here to administrator the medication you need to keep the Hulk from destroying our lab equipment."
"Good-bye then." Bruce started walking toward the elevator to go upstairs. Finding Logan watching television, Bruce said, "I need to get some fresh air. Do you care to join me?"
Logan patted his cigars in his pocket.
xxxx
When Hank McCoy arrived to monitor Bruce's medication for his brain scans, Sif and Dagmar had been home from the hospital for over a day. Hank said, "Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." Bruce must have had a full work-up done by the military, at least, one of the times he was captured, but he wouldn't be told of the results. Tony could get the results, but why bother.
"Do you want me to hold your hand?" asked Sif.
"No, you stay with Dag," said Bruce. "I'm only going to be in the basement."
"I can bring Dag with me," said Sif.
Bruce kissed Sif's cheek. "The medication can fail and I can change into the Hulk. I don't want to hurt Dag." Bruce hugged Sif. "It just a few tests."
"Can you handle having electrodes attached to your head?" said Hank. "The last two incidents were caused because you were pinned under a car and before that rumble from the Helicarrier falling apart, which shows you don't do well with confinement."
"That's why you're here to check my heartrate and fill my IV full of happy juice," Bruce said.
"I want to do the EEG without medication," said Hank. "We will get better readings that way. Use your deep breathing and all your meditation skills."
"I took Xanax this morning," said Bruce. "I was planned to stop taking it until Sif and I could go back to having sexual relations, but I had an incident while building Dag's swing set."
"You had an incident and didn't tell me," said Hank.
"I was having problems pouring the cement and Sif was running around when her doctor told her bed-rest and I kinda lost it," said Bruce. "It's OK. I'm back on my Xanax."
Sif said, "Hank, nothing happened. The Hulk finished building the swing set and he put a single finger on my belly. He was hugging me when he got small, again."
"Logan was there and the Hulk and Logan have an understanding," said Bruce. "Logan and Sif thought the Hulk would turn the swing set into a pile of twisted metal."
"But he didn't," said Sif. "Logan pushed me away then we watched him assemble the swing set. Bruce is Bruce no matter what shape he takes and he loves Dagmar and me."
"But accidents can happen," said Bruce. "I would never intentionally hurt you."
"Storm also has claustrophobia," Hank said. "I'll be monitoring your vitals. You can do this."
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Hank watched Bruce's vitals as they put on the cap then placed all the electrodes onto the cap. His eyes appeared out of focus but his breathing was even. Bruce was, obviously, going to his happy place. The EEG showed that Bruce had no brain injuries and his brain waves seemed totally normal. He was a human being with no gross or even minimal abnormalities.
Finally, Hank removed the electrodes then the cap. "You can wake up now."
Bruce said, "Uh."
"I may want to look at these readings further," said Hank. "But you're normal. Nothing in your readings says you're the Hulk or why you're a closed book to Charles. You did a great job meditating. I'm very proud of you."
"Are your readings normal?" asked Bruce.
"No, my brain is larger than a normal and I have more interconnects. Having four hands means my brain is organized differently than people with two hands. You would see on an EEG that my brain has more activity in my motor cortex. I make the needles go crazy because my brain is so active, even at rest. But you need a CT scan or an MRI to see the real differences."
"I'm going to need medication for the MRI," said Bruce. "General Ross put me in a canister. I'll panic."
"You'll need to be unconscious, I'm afraid," explained Hank. "Let's get some lunch and Sif can hold your hand while I administrator the anesthesia. Sif says you're a great cook."
"I lived in some far off places - no Micky D's near by. I make mostly chilies, curries or stews. Whatever looks good at the local market goes into my pot. I'll make you some whatever looks good in the pantry stew, if you're game."