Rose Red (An Avengers Fanfiction)

36

My senses came back to me very slowly.

First it was sound, I heard when I woke up was beeping followed by the sound of an IV drip.

Then smell as I detected the faint traces of chemicals and the overall hospital smell that you just couldn't describe.

Taste settled in next, my whole mouth felt dry as if I had spent a month in the desert with no water.

Touch was odd since I felt a little numb, maybe it was due to the pain meds (because everything felt foggy) or because my body was trying to rapidly heal itself.

Through the haze I found myself staring up into the glaring light. I winced turning my head to avoid the bright lights.

I was in a hospital.

Again.

Boy, what did I possibly do this time to feel like utter and total crap?

Oh yeah, that's right.

I got stabbed through the heart by my bitch of sister.

Figures.

I stabbed her right back so we're even.

I squinted my eyes to make sense of the dark mass that occupied my vision, Loki sat in the hospital chair, a blanket draped around his shoulders as he leaned back into the chair, snoring lightly. In his lap was an open book which I assumed was Goblet of Fire judging from the bookmark and size.

I remembered everything. Throwing my father against the wall and Loki killing Amid. My fight with Miriam and then Loki stabbing me. I shuddered at the last memory hoping that it wasn't a warning or an ominous sign.

Miriam was dead and for good this time. Oddly I didn't feel anything, just hollow or maybe I felt a form of melancholy.

I tried getting up only to find myself regretting that idea. I groaned as I decided laying still was a smarter idea. I lifted my head ignoring my stiff neck as I tried to look up at the clock.

"Do you always try to cause yourself immense pain?" Loki groggily asked as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. He yawned as he pulled the blanket off him. "Welcome back to the land of the living. I hope you said hello to my daughter, darling."

"Hello, Trickster." I said wincing at the sound of my voice. Even talking felt like a Herculean task. "Miss me?"

"How do you feel?" He asked, ignoring my previous question. 

"Like death."

He reached out to hold my hand and I could tell how stiff his shoulders were. I wasn't sure if it was because how he was sleeping or that he was worried.

The look in his eyes told me it was probably the latter.

"That's one way to put it," he said pressing a button on the wall to summon the nurses. "You certainly look like death."

I smiled, ignoring my chapped lips. Loki, to my surprise, smiled too just before the nurses come in to check my vitals. The doctor briefed me telling me how I would need rest for my heart since it was still putting itself back together and too much stress might cause it to burst. The good news was it would heal itself till it was brand spanking new, thank the gods for a healing factor.

The whole thing lasted only an hour and thankfully I had something to eat. They just gave me crackers and some water since my stomach couldn't handle too much food at the moment. I didn't blame them, I wasn't as hungry as I should've been.