Star Dust (A Paladin Adventure)

Illness sucks

When I woke up again, it was full dark and the house was quiet. The alarm clock said it was almost midnight. I got up and wobbled to the bathroom, grateful that it was en suite. I took the opportunity to wash my face and brush my teeth and felt slightly more human afterward.  I noticed, when I opened the door to the bedroom, that the blinds over all the windows had been put down. I smiled slightly.

"How are you feeling?" that accented voice asked from the doorway, and I jumped, not expecting anybody to be around. When I turned and saw Loki, he smiled and held out his arms. I cuddled in for a hug, not caring for a minute that the room was slightly spinning.

"Glad to see you," I muttered into his shirt. "I'm sorry that I forgot you were due to arrive. I meant to make your bed and put out the towels--"

"It is quite all right," he said crisply. "Between the two of us, my brother and I managed to make the bed." I looked up and he frowned slightly. "All right, the twins showed us  how to address the infernal 'fitted' sheet and provided an order for the coverlets, later. Thor and I found you insensible in the bathroom."

"What a treat for you guys," I muttered.

"Quite. Now, back in bed. You are not to become chilled, and your garment is brief." He followed me to the bed and drew up a chair after giving me more Tylenol and water. "The Avengers are here for conferences at the UN designed to address those with powers above your species. Having learned from the Sokovia Accords, this time representatives from prominent groups of  supers are helping to craft the guidelines. My brother is discussing the idea of having an embassy here on Midgard."

"I'd forgotten about that," I said, yawning. The little dogs came in and crowded by Loki's feet. "You've got a fan club all ready?"

"They have excellent taste in companions," he said modestly, and I chuckled. "You, on the other hand..." he gave me a reproving glance. "Are you that desperate for companions that you were willingly in company with a Peeping Tom with precious little in the way of social graces in a silly rubber suit?"

I scowled. "When you put it like that, it sounds bad."

Suddenly he burst into laughter. "Your revelation caused quite a lot of consternation," he said fondly. "The odd man in the costume came quite...unglued, I believe was the way Wilson put it. He apparently felt that his identity was inviolate behind his little domino mask and cowl." He shook his head. "Stark started to badger him, Rogers wanted to know about your social experience with him, Romanov wanted to know how he'd tracked you down--he said that he followed your cab, did you really have to stop for extra nourishment? Does he not have enough money to feed you adequately? And then the stated purpose of the unorthodox visit came out; some adversary of his developed a supercharged virus and he decided to test it in New York; this 'Batman' feels that it was released in the subway. When he was unable to contact you over a period of days, he decided to check on you.  Apparently this information will be coming out in the news outlets soon."

A little box near the alarm clock sprang to life. "Good evening, Emma and..." there was a pause as it scanned Loki with a narrow beam of blue light. "Loki. Please take your temperature, Emma." I reached out for the thermometer; after a moment, it beeped and I read it off-- still 102. "Please take a dose of Tylenol, Emma, consumed with at least eight ounces of water. Twelve or sixteen ounces would be better." Loki had to verify that I'd taken the medicine earlier and I drank more water. I got the improbable feeling that the bossy little box was irritated that I'd taken medicine on my own schedule. "I will alert you at six a.m. for your next dose and I will be monitoring you until then. I will summon assistance should your condition deteriorate. Now you need to sleep." A little light on the box dimmed.