Love is For Fools // Loki Laufeyson

Part 3 - Allies

"Is this good enough for you?" Loki asks mockingly as he walks, arms outstretched, into the middle of the suite. "Or do you need the only suite larger than this one?"

I look the floor-to-ceiling windows up and down, taking in the view of an extremely damaged New York City. I turn back to Loki and shrug nonchalantly. "I suppose. Depends on who I'd have to kill to get that larger suite."

He scoffs lightly. "Me."

I turn and send him a disbelieving look. "You're the only person in this shithole with a larger suite than me?"

He sighs. "Actually, that's the thing; I haven't given out any of the suites yet, seeing as nobody has asked for one. I assume that it is because nobody wants to share a floor with me-"

"Wait, there's nobody else on this floor?" I interrupt.

Loki chuckles. "No. When you insisted on receiving one of the best suites in this 'shithole,' you bought yourself a one-way ticket to sharing a private floor alone with me; of course, until somebody else comes along and takes one of the other suites."

I hold up a finger. "No, no, no. I did not sign up for quality time with the man who's forcing me to work for him against my will."

He shrugs. "Consider these favors I'm doing for you my way of making this a bit less against your will." He turns on his heel to walk towards the door. "My room is two doors down; don't bother me. For now, go tend to my wounded men."

......

"This really hurts!" the man on my table, I believe his name was Nick, exclaims as I hold pressure to his gunshot wound.

"Trust me, it's only going to get worse," I respond. I hold my left hand out. "Scissors," I request.

Upon not feeling a pair of scissors being pressed into my hand, I turn to the left and sigh defeatedly. "I really need a nurse," I mutter.

"You really need to work on your bedside manner," Nick remarks. I apply more pressure to his wound and he shouts in pain. "Who the hell hired you?"

"Loki, as a matter of fact," I retort. "And against my own will. However, I promised to treat his men to the best of my ability, so it seems that it's your lucky day."

He exhales sharply as I inject anesthetic around the entrance area. "How the hell are you supposed to operate on me if you don't have a nurse?"

I roll my eyes. "I'm not operating on you, dimwit; the bullet went clear through. I'm going to stitch you up and send you on your way."

"It seems that they stopped teaching bedside manner in med school," he mutters as I pick up scissors to begin suturing him.

"They didn't; I just treat people with the respect they do - or don't - deserve. Although I will admit that I wasn't a bitch to my patients back when I willingly worked at my job."

"At least you're self-aware." He sighs. "In my defense, I didn't want to work for Loki. His soldiers showed up at my apartment building and said join them or die. I didn't want to die, so I joined them."

"Is that how Loki's army gained most of its soldiers?" I ask as I press the needle through his skin.

He shrugs. "I mean, I think so. All of us are too scared to express our dislike for Loki since whoever we confide in might actually be loyal to him and then we get our asses killed, or worse."

I shake my head. "Worse?"

He nods quickly. "When we train, we practice on those who are not loyal to Loki. Let's just say that it's not an easy way to go." He furrows his brow. "Why am I telling you all of this so easily?"