In the decade that followed, Grace's life changed dramatically, though not in the same way it did for the Avengers. The exposure of S.H.I.E.L.D. changed her life very little, though it was nice to no longer have the Tower constantly crawling with men in suits or to have Tony constantly complaining about never having any inventions to himself, always finding Agent Coulson near his laboratory, inspecting what he had recently come up with.
The first thing she did was follow up with Dan on his offer for the top floor apartment in the Depot. Three years after Loki left Midgard, she moved back to Detroit, happy to be closer to Izzy. Her graphic design career blossomed and her artwork was featured on magazine covers and in galleries. She also sketched more often for herself, a portrait of Loki done from memory hung in her bedroom next to one she drew of Tony. She relaxed into her new life, happy, going out regularly with Izzy and her friends. She often wondered if Loki was still alive and if even Thor knew the answer to that question. He did not regularly visit New York, his time on Midgard mostly spent with his girlfriend, so she did not have the chance to ask.
Her happiness in Detroit was interrupted four years after moving there when Izzy was brutally murdered, her body dumped in the park next to the bridge. Grace was shaken. She was hurt even more deeply when Izzy's obituary referred to her as Isaac, her family refusing to acknowledge the identity Izzy felt most comfortable in. Grace was highly uncomfortable going to the funeral alone, so Tony accompanied her.
When they reached the church, she instantly felt out of place, her long black gown and pastel rainbow shawl just a little too fancy compared to the styles worn by everyone else. She and Tony sat in the back as they heard the preacher condemn Izzy and pray that she had time to repent as she lay dying. Of course, Izzy was called Isaac and never referred to as 'she'. Grace felt every instance of this as a little stab in the heart. When family began to share their stories of Izzy, Grace asked Tony if he would come with her and speak. They waited until a lull in the stories and approached the pulpit. Tony took off his sunglasses and was instantly recognised by many in the room.
"I...I didn't know Izzy too well- we met through my sister. Every time I saw Izzy, though, I saw vibrance, life, and love. I never saw the sin you all keep talking about. I saw the laughter. I don't know, maybe I stopped seeing that stuff a long time ago, but there's one thing the universe keeps pounding into my head and that's that you can't live a life you're going to regret, even if that means taking a nuke into an alien wormhole. I did that for a long time and I was self destructing every day. Izzy didn't live to regret life, Izzy lived to love it in all its quirks. I saw that every time Izzy was a guest in the Tower, every trip we took to Detroit, and every time I heard the two of them laughing together. I am going to miss that laugh. I am going to miss that reminder that what I have done to turn my life around is only the beginning- until I can learn to laugh like Izzy, I'm not there yet. I'm still not there. I hope someday that I can live as joyfully as she did."
Grace stepped up next, "Izzy was my oldest friend. I know some of you- I know some of you from when she only went by Isaac. When we were growing up in Brewster, she knew something was wrong in my life before I could tell anyone that my aunt was whoring me out. I didn't tell her until years after Tony became my family, but that was one of her most amazing virtues- she was patient and waited for me to tell her on my time. She always did this. She waited for me. She waited for me to ask her out on that first date when it was still Grace and Isaac. The only time she didn't wait for me was when she told me she was going to live as Izzy. Then it was my turn to be patient. I did my best. I was patient with her when she was kicked out of her home. I was patient when she sobbed into the pillow at night unable to understand what went wrong. I was patient with her as she changed, bloomed, and became the amazing woman I knew for so many years after. And I was patient as she found herself and healed, finally feeling whole. The only person I have ever dated that I have loved so dearly that our friendship has survived breaking up is laying in a box in front of me and all I can think about is that I just don't understand how anyone could not love her just as she was. She was as bright as life itself. You may all only remember Isaac, and that's a damn shame. I wish you could have known Izzy- the Izzy I knew who laughed at all my jokes, who would hug anyone who needed comfort, who rescued kittens from abandoned houses and danced in the street when she felt like it and never had any shame about loving her life. I wish whoever killed her could have seen that love and let it wash away the hate. I hope someday you can embrace all she was, too- I know she would do the same for you."
Grace stepped away from the microphone and stepped up to the coffin, "Sweetheart, you're still beautiful, no matter how they dressed you." She set a photograph in the coffin and walked back to Tony. He took her hand and they left the church.
Two years later, Tony's health began to fail. He visited experts in every field of medicine but the best any of them could come up with was that the many beatings his body had taken while in his Iron Man suit had finally caught up with him. Grace began to spend more time in New York City, hoping she could help Pepper with Tony's medical needs while also keeping the family empire afloat. Tony finally married Pepper in a small private civil ceremony in the penthouse and began to work on his will. Grace worried about him constantly, but even when she was in Detroit, he talked with her through their private chat server and reassured her that he was fine. Pepper sent little updates to Grace when Tony refused to pass along information, not wanting to worry his sister.
As they neared the ten year anniversary of Loki's return to Asgard, Grace wondered more often if he was alive and what would happen to him after Thanos returned him to Odin. She tried to think of a way to contact Thor to as, even going so far as to track down Thor's girlfriend in order to send her an e-mail. She received no response to her message and decided she must have found the wrong woman online. She secluded herself more often in her apartment and sketched moments she remembered from the week they had spent together.
She was sitting on the sofa watching the ships on the river, eating straight out of the carton of ice cream, when she heard a knock on her door that she did not expect. She answered the door to find Thor on the other side and nearly dropped the ice cream.
"Hello, Grace. May I come in?"
"Yeah, yeah...just don't mind the fact I'm in pyjamas. It's been a long day." She dreaded asking what Thor's business was on Midgard, especially with her.
"You have probably guessed that I am here about Loki." He lowered himself into a chair and marvelled at the view, "Anthony told me the view from your apartment rivalled the one from his penthouse. He was not exaggerating."
"He's kind of jealous- it's cute. Now you said Loki?"
"He survived his ten years with Thanos. He returned to us a few days ago. He is very quiet, though he still did manage some bitterness for Father. I consider that a good sign."
"Oh?"
"Yes. I was sent to bring him home. He is deeply scarred and must sit or kneel- standing is very painful. I carried him from Thanos' chambers- he feels as frail as a child. His face was disfigured some time ago, his eyes seem permanently closed- I do not know if he even has them or if Thanos removed them. When I brought him before Father, he was aghast at Loki's condition, unable to contain his reaction. Loki heard him and asked, 'Odin, is this not what you wanted?' Of course, Father's reaction was one of sympathy- he said 'no, not at all my son' and Loki replied, 'then you were a fool to send me away'. I have never heard Father express regret for his decisions or admit he was wrong, but he did then. He apologised to Loki for his pains while kneeling in front of him- I had set him on a bench. Loki remained distant and silent. He asked if he was going back to the dungeons and Father told him no. He is in his own room, though restricted still by spells and many guards in the halls."
"Does he even remember me? It's been ten years and we were only friends for a week."
"That is why I am here, Grace. He has requested you. Since he cannot travel, Father has granted that I bring you to him."
"I thought your dad didn't think shit of Midgard people."
"I do not think his prejudices have changed much- he still complains of my life with Jane. But I think he also has decided that if ten years of brutality have not destroyed the memory of you, you are at least harmless and quite possibly will help Loki recover something of himself- and not the bitter and angry himself that we last knew him as."
"Does...does he still have his eyes?"
"We still do not know. He will not answer questions about what was done to him and not even the healers can convince him to let them touch his face."
"How long do I have to pack and for how many days?"
"Not long. Father wanted me to return swiftly. I do not know how long he wishes you to stay."
Grace put the ice cream away and went to her bedroom. She pulled a vintage plaid suitcase from on top of her rolling clothing rack and began to toss garments towards it.
"What's the weather like in Asgard? I can't stay for more than a week, not with Tony's health doing what it is. He's not in very good shape and I'm not risking him ending up in the hospital with no way to reach me."
"Understood. I will be sure to tell Father that is your reason. The weather is warm this time of year- a little cooler than here, with pleasant breezes that keep the day from becoming unbearably hot."
Grace focussed on packing, rolling her clothes tight so they would fit in the single suitcase, "I should probably put on real pants. I assume I'll be meeting your father before Loki? Shit, what do I wear to meet a king?"
"Jane wore her everyday garments- she was not prepared to travel. I suggest something neat."
"A dress- got it. You might want to leave the room if you're uncomfortable with naked people. I'm going to change clothes now." He did and she stripped down to her underwear and chose a rainbow halter dress and a long gauze shawl to wear. She packed the pyjama pants, counted her undergarments to make sure she wasn't missing anything, packed socks and an extra pair of shoes, double checked that she had shirts, skirts, and pants for the trip, and stuffed her jacket and toiletries in the remaining space. She called Tony and told him she was leaving for a week at most and then stepped out into the living room. She grabbed her keys, sandals, and purse and nodded to Thor, "OK, I think I'm ready."
"You pack very quickly."
"Tony has a habit of making surprise trips places. I learned fast that I either had to figure out how to pack for a week in under fifteen minutes or he was just going to drag me off and buy all my clothes when we got there. Of course, that was fun sometimes, too." She locked the door behind them and headed for a narrow stairwell behind the elevator shaft, "Roof works best for this, right?"
"Yes. Did Anthony also teach you that?"
"Yep. He calls his rooftop access the Thor Door. So how do we do this?"
Thor put his arms around her, "Hang on to your suitcase very tightly." Grace hugged it to her chest, "Good. Heimdall? Bring us home." The light of the Bifrost enveloped them and Grace found herself laughing and yelling in amusement as they travelled. When they set foot upon the bridge, she staggered a little before she was steady enough to walk.
"Shit, that was awesome!" She felt her face, "Glasses still here, sandals both still on, suitcase still here, shawl still on. We made it!" She straightened herself out, ran her fingers through her hair, and took a deep breath to calm herself, "OK, let's do this thing."
When they entered the palace, they were met by a contingent of guards, "The All-Father requests your presence immediately."
As they walked, Thor noticed Grace shifting her suitcase from one hand to the other, obviously nervous, "Do not be afraid, Grace. He is not as frightening as Loki makes him seem."
"It's more the dislike of Midgard folk that has me nervous. Have we done something to offend him in the past or something?"
"No, but he sees your people as weak and weakness is looked down upon here."
"Hence one of the reasons Loki feels like he's a misfit."
"Likely. Though his skills fighting with knives are far beyond that of any of our other warriors. While his talents may lay outside of what is conventionally valued, he is far from weak."
"So are we weak because we live stupidly short lives compared to you, or because we're physically weaker, or have no magic, or is it all of the above?"
"The last."
"Ah. Great."
They reached the long room in which Odin sat enthroned and Grace dropped behind Thor, hoping to somewhat disappear behind him. Once they stopped in front of the throne, she bowed her head and curtsied as Thor introduced her.
"Miss Grace Stark of Midgard. Your presence has been requested. I do not know what Loki's intentions are regarding you, but I advise caution in approaching him. Treat him like a wounded beast, unpredictable and dangerous. I also would like to make a point of telling you that you are not staying in Asgard permanently, though I fear that it is his intention to ask you to do just this. You are here as a short-term guest, and you are unlikely to return in the future. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Thor, take her to him. Do not leave them alone together. I am assuming she will stay at least a few nights, so send for a room to be prepared. You are responsible for the Midgardian's welfare while she is in our realm."
"Of course, Father."
"You are both dismissed."
Once they were out of sight of the throne, Grace took a deep breath slowly let it out, "OK, so that was terrifying."
"Father can be quite intimidating when he wishes to be."
"You don't say...if he was intending to scare me so I didn't want to come back, it's working."
"Give him time to see you with Loki, Grace. If you and he still have the friendship you did years ago, it may soften his heart toward you." They crossed from the public section of the palace to a narrow hallway lined with tall arched doors, "This hallway is where we have our quarters. Mine is here, if you need anything. Do not hesitate to knock, no matter the hour. You can see which room is Loki's."
"I'm guessing it's the one with four guards outside it."
Thor gestured for them to step aside and entered, dismissing the two guards who stood inside the room, "Loki. I have brought someone for you." Grace set her suitcase by the door and folder her shawl on top of it.
Loki turned over in bed to face the door, speaking slowly, his voice gravelly and his throat raw from years of screaming, "Unless it is who I have asked for, I do not wish to have guests."
"It is."
Grace's face fell as she saw Loki's injuries in person. His eyes were swollen shut, bruises dark across the lids. His jaw was set oddly, as though it had been repeatedly broken. There were long ragged gashes on each of his cheeks that ran from above his ear down to his chin, neither fully healed, neither bandaged. Something seemed wrong with his shoulders.
"Holy fuck, Loki. What did he do to you?"
He tried to smile, but only one side of his lips curled upward, awkwardly, "It is good to hear your voice, Miss Grace."
She walked up to him as he sat up in bed very slowly, "Do you mind if I sit down next to you?"
"No. I would like that very much." She settled onto the bed next to him and he opened his arms to her, bumping her as he felt for her body, "Forgive my blunders; I am still getting used to this." One of his arms was bent awkwardly against his chest as he tried to hold her.
She gently took his hands and placed his arms around her, holding him close, "So you're completely blind?"
"At the moment, yes. I remember Thanos pressing on them, but from there...all I know is that they burn constantly, or whatever is in their place burns."
"I've missed you. I moved back to Detroit, but right now I'm spending half my time in New York and half in my own place. I wish you could come back with me."
"I wish I could as well, but Odin has said that until he sees fit to lift the restrictions, I am not permitted to leave the palace and most certainly not welcome to leave the realm." He paused, "Is Thor still here?"
"Yes, he is."
"Ah. Also on Odin's orders?"
"Yeah. He was pretty clear that you weren't to be trusted. And that I wasn't welcome here."
Loki kissed her cheek, "He might not welcome you to Asgard, but you are my guest and for that I am very grateful."
"I can't stay for more than a week. Tony's not doing well. All the beatings Iron Man has taken are catching up to him."
"I do wish you could join me here or I there."
"I know. But I have to take care of my brother. I love him. I also owe him everything- including my life. I need to be with him as his starts to come to a close."
"He is ailing that greatly?"
"The doctors say sometime in the next five years he'll be gone, it all depends. He's started forgetting things and his heart's doing some strange stuff. They say all they can do is wait. All the money in the world isn't going to fix him."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Miss Grace. Perhaps after, we can talk."
"Odin made it pretty damn clear that I wasn't ever going to come back. We've got another week, Loki, and that's it."
Loki sighed, "Merely a week. Please lay down with me...I am getting tired." Grace adjusted his arms around her and helped him settle back on the pillows. She felt his legs through the blankets as she cuddled up to him and realised that they did not seem to be straight and his ribs felt odd against her.
"Why won't you let the doctors here try to fix whatever Thanos did?"
"Because I do not believe they will have an interest in healing me. They are, after all, Odin's people."
"And? We have an oath back in the States that our doctors swear to, and it includes that they won't do any harm and they will serve their patients to the best of their ability. Granted, some of them are still shit-heads, but you get a few assholes in every profession."
"I do not know if our healers would stand by such beliefs."
"So you'll live in pain just in case they'd say no?"
"When you say it like that, Miss Grace, it sounds most unreasonable to say yes to your question."
"I know. Give them a chance."
"And who will stand for me if they make things worse instead?"
"You do know that you are loved and at least Thor will stand up for you, right? I will, too, but it's not like I count for shit here." Loki did not answer, "Look, maybe you're never going to have a good relationship with Odin, but don't write off your brother. Please? I'm on the verge of losing mine... I know you really want things with Odin to go back to how they were years ago, but if they don't, can you let what you do have be enough? Can you let the love of your friend and your brother sustain you?"
"I will try, Miss Grace. For you and for Mr Stark."
"Thank you. I don't know what I would do if I lost you to yourself- you're not the only one who only has one best friend."
Loki heard the sorrow in her voice and was very cautious when he asked, "What happened to Miss Izzy?"
Grace sighed and lightly rested her head on his chest, "She died, Loki. Some jackass beat her to death with a goddamned iron pipe."
"I am so sorry..." He turned his face to her and gently kissed her forehead. Their conversation came to a halt and Grace closed her eyes as she rested her hand against his cheek, careful to avoid the deep gouge that ran down it. Thor slipped out of the room and went to make sure that Grace's chambers would be ready for her when she wanted them, though he knew it was highly unlikely she would use them that night. As she drifted off to sleep, she realised how small Loki seemed- how frail his body was, how easily she could feel his bones through his skin. She hoped he was not as emaciated as he felt.
Two lazy days later, Grace finally convinced Loki to leave his room to join Thor for meals, though she had been unable to convince him to visit the healers. Thor brought an elaborate wheelchair to the room and Grace helped Loki stand from the bed, take a few unsteady steps, and lower himself into the seat. He was embarrassed to be seen in it, but Thor insisted that they eat on the veranda together so Grace could see the gardens. After a few days of this, Loki asked Grace to take him outside so he could feel the warm breeze and she walked slowly, describing plants she had never seen before and asking him what they were called. He realised that he had no idea if she had aged much through the years and asked her to describe how she had changed.
"I haven't changed much, Loki- my hair's back to being just black and there are a few grey ones sneaking up on me, but I'm still shaped about the same and I still have the same piercings. Nothing new except my glasses- no more chunky frames, just simple wire ones. Ten years older didn't change me as much as it might have- I'm just 42 instead of 32."
"You can see quite readily how I have changed. My outside is now as monstrous and twisted as my heart."
"Oh, come on- you're not a monster and you're not twisted- at least not in a bad way. I'm sure some people think you are, but fuck 'em. How long have you lived? And how many of those years were spent doing stupid shit? I think the percent of your life that you've done bad stuff is far less than the percent you've spent just being you."
"And what if the bad is also me?"
"So? We've all got something heavy in our lives. It's not like anybody's a saint. You live, you learn...or as one of my favourite poets once said, 'Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.' It's not like you can do any better than you know, right?"
"Not everyone has slaughtered people without thought or consideration."
"Nope. Some people just slowly destroy people by putting them down again and again or by making them feel so worthless they kill themselves. Or they make their fortune inventing ways for other people to slaughter people en masse."
"You are quite the bright ray of sunlight today, Miss Grace. And what, pray-tell, have you done that could possibly compare to my worst?"
"I was a real little shit as a teenager. I know I made Tony feel like the smallest person on Earth quite a lot. And this is the man who pulled me from the gutter. I really tried to push him out of my life. He stuck with me, though. I have no idea how he managed."
"And that somehow is the equivalent of killing 80 people in two days, every casualty sustained in the Chitauri invasion of New York, and the atrocities I committed against Jotunheim as well as impersonating the All-Father while keeping him hidden?"
"Street kids don't exactly have a high survival rate or success rate in Detroit, let's just put it that way. I was thanking the man who saved my life by telling him to fuck off. It was deeply personal. I'm not sure if it's on the same level, but to me, it feels worse because of how deliberate it was. Besides, my family fortune comes from international weapons sales- it didn't come from glitter and butterflies. My brother's inventions have caused the death of thousands of people and that doesn't count the Stark casualties that Howard's legacy created, including the clusterfuck of S.H.I.E.L.D.."
"And what about my outside, Miss Grace? I know I am hideous. You cannot deny that or sugar it with pretty words."
"I can sugar whatever the fuck I want, honey. You're broken. Yeah, you aren't the prettiest face on the block right now, but you know what? You're still my Loki."
He laughed and smiled his crooked smile, "You are truly one of a kind, my friend."
"Damn straight I am. Nowhere else are you going to find a Grace Stark, a unique combination of sarcasm, cussing, and wit."
"Do not forget your kindness, strength, fortitude of character, and integrity."
"It's a good thing you're blind- I don't want you to see me blushing, you flatterer."
"Is it flattery if it is true?"
"Maybe. I say it is, so it is."
"Do you happen to know if it is yet time for our audience with Odin?"
She shrugged, "Nope. I thought Thor was going to come get us when it got close."
"Well you will have to be our lookout- I am rather useless in that regard."
"Don't you worry, I'm watching."
"I still cannot believe this week has gone so quickly- you only have two more days before you depart."
"Yeah. Sucks, doesn't it?"
"Yes. I hope Odin will consider my proposal."
Grace sighed, "I really wish you didn't think this was the only way. It's a huge sacrifice on your part."
He reached up and took her hand, speaking softly, "My dear Miss Grace, it is worth the loss."
She saw Thor walking toward them from across the garden and turned Loki's chair around, "It looks like our escort has arrived- I guess we'll find out soon enough."
Thor nodded to them when they were close, "Good afternoon, Loki, Grace. Father is ready to see you."
Grace took a deep breath, "OK. I hope he's less scary than he was the first time."
"Odin frightened you upon your arrival?"
"It's not like he said anything threatening, but he's scary as shit. I've never met somebody so intense."
"Ah. Well that seems rather normal."
Thor walked them in to the great hall and they approached Odin's throne. When they were fairly close, Grace stopped the chair and came around to help Loki stand. He leaned heavily on her arm and took a few unsteady steps forward before she helped him kneel. She knelt beside him, her head bowed, as he waited for Odin to acknowledge them. Thor stood back and simply observed.
"Loki. You have requested this audience. What is it you wish to say?"
"I wish to ask a favour of you, Odin All-Father."
Odin sighed, "I see very little reason to grant you favour. But make your request, we shall see if it is worthy of consideration."
Grace rested her hand on Loki's back as he settled back on his heels, unable to keep kneeling so upright, "You have made it clear that Miss Grace's visit is to be short and is not to occur again. You have also made it quite clear that I am not permitted to visit her until you declare otherwise. Miss Grace is the only friend I have in the nine realms. I have little hope of finding happiness without her in my life. I would like to ask that she be permitted to visit for a week every year."
"And why should I grant this request? I do not permit Thor's Midgardian woman to visit here regularly, why should I allow yours?"
"You have not stopped Thor from visiting Miss Jane. You have stopped me from visiting Miss Grace. I ask this knowing you are unlikely to grant it without a sacrifice on my part to convince you she is important enough to me to give something up in exchange for being allowed to keep her in my life. I...I give you my freedom. If you will do this, if you will grant me this visit from Miss Grace once a year, I will gladly give up travelling off-realm for the rest of my life."
Odin rose, "You would be willing to give up your freedom to move amongst the nine realms for the rest of your life for this woman who will only live a few more decades?"
"Yes."
Odin paused, obviously not expecting this request from Loki, "I will consider it and you will know by mid-day tomorrow. You are dismissed."
"Thank you, Odin All-Father."
Grace helped him stand and he slowly limped back to his chair and sat. Grace bowed once more before turning Loki's chair and leaving the great hall. Thor did not follow.
"So...are we heading to see the healers still?"
"If you will stay with me."
"Just remember that I have no idea how you guys do this medicine thing. I also don't know shit about your interior anatomy, so you're going to have to help me out and explain things to me. Translate healer-speak."
"I will do my best."
She followed the directions he had instructed her to write down earlier, occasionally describing what they were passing in order to make sure she was on track. The wide hallways of most of the palace corridors could have fit a two-lane road in them and still had a little room to spare. Once they got into the more private areas of the palace, the corridors narrowed. They arrived in the healing rooms and were immediately the centre of attention, the staff watching and waiting.
Loki's voice was soft and hesitant, "Please, be gentle." He was ushered onto a low examination table and told to be very still; The healers tried to move Grace out of the room, but Loki stopped them, "Let her stay. She is my courage."
Grace sat in his wheelchair next to the examination table, "Flatterer."
A holograph of his organs appeared above him and Grace was fascinated by the image. It lit up in red and beeped agitatedly before one of the healers tapped it and something appeared in elegant script above the image. Single organs and areas of Loki's body glowed red on the holograph, some brighter than others.
"Miss Grace, will you please tell me what is happening?"
"A lot of shit's red. Your hips, your knees. A few spots on your legs. Your one arm. A bunch of ribs. Most of your spine. Your eyes, of course, your throat, and your jaw. There are some organs lit up, too, but they're not in the same place as mine and I'm not even sure they're the same things, so I'm not even going to guess at what's wrong in there. And there's some real pretty writing above your body that's glowing."
"That would be the alert that says I am not Aesir, though I look it."
"Ah. Well that makes sense. Got to make sure that everybody knows what body they're working with."
"It is why the machine was initially irate. It believed everything was quite seriously wrong."
"So the fact it stopped screaming is a good sign, right? Not everything is completely screwed up."
"At least something is normal, yes- perhaps only that I am still breathing, still have a heartbeat, and my body temperature is normal, but the machine does not think I am dying."
"I'll take that as a positive."
"It may be the only good news we receive here."
The lead healer nudged and poked the holograph, enlarging certain images and looking more deeply at problems. Loki moved his hand to reach for Grace and, though the healer watched intently, she did not stop Grace from taking his hand, gently squeezing it. Grace watched as the healers navigated the aerial images, particularly the different organs, and investigated them more closely. Other healers were working on making notes about the conditions of Loki's damaged joints. He hated the silence and Grace could feel him growing more nervous the longer they did not speak. Grace noticed that no one had yet dealt with the images from his face.
"Miss Grace, can you tell me anything?"
"They're looking at things in close-up. I don't know what your organs are, so I'm not really sure how to describe that- the one that looks like the kind of heart I'm used to looks OK, but the ones that sort of could be lungs have a spot that might be weak or something- maybe it was punctured sometime? Your legs look like they were broken and never set right- and maybe your joints were ripped out of their sockets and left out. Your arm...I'm not even sure how to describe that. It's just...a mess of fractures and badly healed bones. Looks like your hand might have been smashed. I can't tell why your spine is red. Nobody's looked at it yet."
"And my eyes?"
"Nobody's looked at them, either."
"Oh. That must not be a good sign."
Grace squeezed his hand, "I don't know. Maybe they're just waiting until they can get really in-depth with that particular examination. Whatever happened, there's a lot of damage there."
The lead healer paused her work and watched Grace as she interacted with Loki, glad that the arrogance she had always seen in him when he had come in with small injuries was gone and impressed with Grace's ability to keep him calm while they holographically dissected his body, "She is right. We are waiting. I am impressed you are alive. There is scarring all over your body indicating that these injuries are not the full extent of what you have been dealt. You have healed from much, some of which was much worse. We will get to your facial injuries. Have patience. I do not know what we will find and I want my team ready for anything."
Loki relaxed a little, "What can you tell me about what you will have to do to me? Will I walk on my own again?"
"Oh yes, but it will be a long and painful process. By this time next year, you should be ready to begin learning to walk on your own again. I do not want to fix every wound at once, as we do not know how your body heals to such things. We will do one piece at a time. It will be long, it will be painful, but yes, you will walk. And your arm will resume at least some of its motion. And I believe we will be able to relieve at least some of your back pain."
"I am afraid what you will tell me about my eyes."
"I am afraid what we will find, given how bad they look on the outside. I can rebuild most things, but eyes...those are delicate. I will probably have to have the All-Father remove whatever spell it is that keeps you looking Aesir in order to work best."
Loki's breath caught, "I hope I can return to this form after."
"If the All-Father wishes, I am certain you will be able to." After she finished with her notes on his back, she waited for the other healers to complete their work before they moved over to the holograph of his face.
Loki whispered nervously to Grace,"Please tell me what they find."
"I'll do my best."
The healers first looked at his jaw and the holograph flashed red where he was missing teeth, where his jaw had healed unhinged, and where it had been broken and mended without being set. Grace described the damage to the best of her ability and then watched as they scanned up his face, tapping the image where is nose had been broken and noting that the cuts on his cheeks were something they could take care of easily. They then reached his eyes and everyone held their breath as they expanded the image. Grace could not tell what she was seeing. The healers seemed puzzled at first as well.
Thor entered the room and stopped, "Is that something I see stuffed under his eyelids?"
The lead healer nodded, "Yes. And it is obscuring the image so we cannot see what is under it. It appears that his eyes have been sealed shut, but it does not appear to be by magic. This is going to be very delicate work. We are going to have to open his eyelids, very carefully remove whatever is under them, and only then will we be able to examine his eyes."
"But he still has eyes?"
"There is something there- whether his eyes or another object, we cannot tell. We will not know until we open them." The holographs dimmed, "We will need him in his born-form, though, to be able to fix most of the damage. I will go personally to the All-Father to request this. I would like to begin this work today."
Loki tried to sit up and Grace helped him, "Slow, Loki. Slow."
"Please, madam, will the work on my eyes take more than two days? Miss Grace has so little time here- all of tomorrow and then she must depart the next day..."
The lead healer smiled, "If you are patient and the All-Father grants my request, we will have at least the foreign object removed from under your lids yet today. You may not be able to lay eyes on her this trip, but depending on what we find, you may." She left to seek an audience with Odin.
Loki rested his face in his hands, "Miss Grace, I hope they find I will yet see you. It would break my heart to know that I will see, but I will not be allowed to see you again."
Thor stood beside Grace, "I have been speaking to Father. I do not know what his decision will be, but do not lose hope. I spoke to him of how deep your friendship runs and it may do some good. Now we must all wait for tomorrow to know what he will say."
The lead healer returned to find Grace sitting on the edge of the table, Loki curled against her, Thor standing with his arms around them both; she smiled and waited a minute before breaking up the moment, "You may want to step back- I do not know if his skin will burn the same way the Jotunr's skin usually does when he resumes his born-form. The All-Father will be reverting him to that body soon."
Thor stepped back and Grace gave him one more hug and a kiss on the cheek, "It'll be OK, Loki- we're still right here."
"You may not like what you see, Miss Grace."
"I live with Iron Man and get regular visits from a guy who turns into, as Tony puts it, a giant green rage monster. I think we'll be OK."
He smiled and she helped him lay back on the table. Not long after he was settled, his skin turned blue, swirled with ridges.
"If I dyed my skin blue, I'd just look like a smurf. You're still pretty. Totally not fair."
Loki laughed, "Thank you for your assessment."
The lead healer gathered a few of her staff and put on a pair of thin gel gloves, "If you will please stand back, we would like to get to work. It be best if you would step to the other side of the room and have a seat on the bench." Grace and Thor did as they were asked. The diagnostic holograph appeared once again over Loki and an assistant brought in a tray of gleaming silver tools. The lead healer selected one and injected Loki with something that immediately relaxed him.
Thor leaned over to Grace and whispered, "That will dull his senses while they work- he will not be able to feel them as they free his eyelids or as they work free whatever is under them, nor will he likely be aware of what they are doing."
"I wonder what they're going to find in there."
"I do not want to even guess. I suppose it must be something quite painful."
"Thanos is a sick motherfucker, isn't he?"
"Yes, that would be a fair assessment."
The healers slowly worked to ease open Loki's eyes, slowly cutting through the glue with steady hands and a precision scalpel. The holograph shifted a little as the blade worked the adhesive free. They carefully began to lift Loki's eyelid, turning it inside out as they did, the foreign object not seeming to have adhered to the surface his eye, if it still existed, but only to the lid. They continued their careful work, bit by bit. Grace and Thor leaned on one another, both anxious over what they would overhear, neither certain when they reassured each other that Loki would be fine. It took the healers nearly three hours, teams working simultaneously on both eyes, to free the objects from the inside of his eyelids. Each was thick, pulsing, and wriggling when they pinched it between the tweezers and raised it up to the light.
"In all my travels of the nine realms, I have never seen such a creature."
Grace shuddered looking at it, "I'm pretty sure that's a good thing."
The healers dropped the slug-like animals into separate glass containers. One of the healers took the containers into another room so they could be studied.
"Dear god, I hope those things weren't eating his eyes or something."
"I hope the same, Grace."
The healers continued gently scraping the film from his eyelids and began irrigating his eyes. They then let his eyes close and turned their attention to the holograph. An image of an eyeball now appeared below the translucent lid. Grace sighed in relief and felt her shoulders drop. Thor did the same, his tension releasing as he realised there was still some hope that his brother would yet again see. The healers prodded the holograph and the image rotated and zoomed in, showing other spots where the adhesive had built up around Loki's eye. They gently opened his eyes again and began working on removing the foreign bodies, continually flushing his eyes as they worked more of it free. They then applied a balm to the inside of his eyelids and a different paste to the outside and carefully bandaged over his eyes, no more trouble spots appearing on the holograph. The healers then turned their attention to the gashes on his cheeks and cleaned them, removing long strips of scabbing impregnated with dirt, gently running water through the wounds until they no longer saw flecks of grime. Then they stitched.
The lead healer left her staff while they closed Loki's cuts, "As you both likely saw, there was some sort of creature under Loki's eyelids. We will study it, but it was most likely from outside of the nine realms, placed in Loki's body by Thanos. We do not understand the purpose of these creatures, as they do not seem to have been actively consuming Loki's eyes or otherwise damaging his sight. We will wake him slowly in an hour or so. You may both want to rise and take a break before we do this- he is likely to be emotional and confused when he wakes and his eyes will feel very strange compared to what he has been feeling. He may wonder if he still has them or what we did to him that he needs such bandages. We will remove them in the morning, but the balm will keep the pain at bay and will help his eyelids to heal much more quickly and reduce their size so he is able to use them."
Grace and Thor stood, Thor thanking the healer for her work and for the work of her team. He also relayed Loki's fear that they would not heal him and hoped out-loud that their kindness would allay his fears. Thor led Grace to a small dining room off the healing rooms and asked one of the attendants to bring them something from the kitchens. They ate quietly and afterwards found Loki in the recovery ward. Sleeping, his oddly angled limbs made him look even more fragile, even in his Jotunr form. Grace wanted to touch him but Thor reminded her that the Jotunr had skin so cold it would give severe frostbite to all who came into contact with it.
The lead healer returned to Loki's side. Thor noticed that there were others around the edge of the room watching to see what would happen when Loki awoke. The healers, assistants, and a few ward attendants kept their distance. Odin stood at the back of the crowd, watching. Grace stood close to Loki and waited nervously as the lead healer administered a dose of something directly into his neck. After a few moments, Loki began to shift in bed.
"You may want to speak to him, miss. He will awaken best if he has a voice to anchor him."
Her voice was hardly more than a whisper, "Loki- wake up, honey. Thor and I are both still here. We stayed with you the entire time the healers were working on your eyes. You can't see right now because they're bandaged, but they think they fixed them. We'll find out in the morning if you can see or not."
He tried to sit up and firm, gloved hands held him back, "Not yet. We only just woke you. Relax while you get your bearings. Do you have your thoughts back yet? Do you recall why we were working on your eyes?"
"Yes. Thanos...Thanos put something under them. Did you discover what?" He settled back on the bed.
Relieved that he was easily regaining his bearings, the lead healer answered, "Yes, it looked like some sort of slug creature. We have never seen it before. It was secreting the glue that held your eyes shut. We will study it and try to discover what it was and what its purpose is."
Loki shuddered, "May I return to my Aesir form now?"
"I would prefer to wait for morning so that I can look at your eyes in person after they have had the night to recover."
"Am I to stay here?"
"Yes."
"Your other patients will not be too uncomfortable sharing the space with me?"
"I have no other patients at the moment, so as long as there is nothing unexpected this evening, it will be quiet. Your guests, however, will still have to return to their own quarters tonight. I want you to be able to rest without interruption."
"We'll be right here as long as we can though. Thor's been explaining medical stuff to me. I think I almost understand how you folks do doctors."
Thor added, "I will stay as late as allowed and we will return first thing in the morning. I have great hope that you will see us both very very soon."
Loki sighed, his hands drifting up to feel the bandages and stitches on his face, "And this is only the beginning."
"Yeah, but it is a beginning. That's pretty remarkable, if you think about it."
"We shall see what the morning brings, then, Miss Grace. Perhaps, as Thor believes, there is yet hope."
Grace smiled and leaned close to his ear, "My dear, there is always hope, even in the darkest of times."