Life In The Shadows

Sightless

*Bleep*
*Bleep*
*Bleep*

Amongst the silence of his brain, Loki could make out only one sound.

*Bleep*
*Bleep*
*Bleep*

The bleeps were regular, and had an odd comforting aura about them.

*Bleep*
*Bleep*
*Bleep*

But Loki, who's curiosity was larger then his endless ego, could not stand idly by as the sound continued. He groaned, lifting his hands to his head. He gasped shortly, as he fingered the thin fabrics of the bandages that circled his head. What had transpired, he didn't remember.

"Loki?" A familiar voice asked, placing their giant spade of a hand on Loki's shoulder, rubbing circles into his flesh.
At that point, Loki realised he was very much shirtless.
"Brother? What happened to my head? Why is it bound in bandages?" Loki replied, a small quiver noticeable in his voice.
"Th-Thanos struck you with a beam. It was all my fault. It sh-should've been me. But you're safe now. You're in Stark Tower. And Bruce is looking after you. You've been asleep for a month." Thor answered, his voice failing him at every opportunity.
"Bruce? Bruce Banner? As in-? As in the Hulk?! A MONTH?" Loki panicked, grabbing the sheets of the bed beneath him. Well, they could've been sheets. He couldn't actually see.

Thor hushed his quaking brother, mumbling words of comfort as Loki shook beneath him.
"He hasn't hulked out since before Thanos, it's been 2 months, now. You're fine, and anyway, he wouldn't hurt you! I wouldn't let him" He proudly declared, while scooting his plastic chair backwards, or so it sounded like.
"Water?" He offered, his hand still upon Loki's shoulder. Loki nodded, immediately crying out in pain at the movement. He reassured Thor that he was fine, upon the offer of the return of the doctor. Thor pulled his chair back again, and placed a straw upon Loki's lips, encouraging him to suck, as being at an odd angle, summoning the water was no easy task.

After he had been refreshed, Bruce popped his head around the door, for a quick checkup. He also explained that he had a young woman, by the name of Shuri, who would wish to watch the procession of observations. Thor welcomed them in, ignoring the growing anxieties of his blinded brother beside him. He could hear quick footsteps, followed by lighter ones, as the pair approached.
"Right, Loki, I will remove the bandages, I doubt it'll be fully healed, but now you can try and open your eyes, so I can work out when you'll be able to see again." Banner explained, his voice jolly. Loki just mumbled, and fought to still his quaking hands.

"So, this is Thanos' work? He got wasted by that yeezy chinned boi?" a femenine voice chimed him, her accent thick with the rich tones of Africa.

"If you are referring to Thanos' attack, then yes, I was 'wasted'." Loki spat, already detesting her presence.
Bruce spoke some words of discouragement, shutting the female up. He moved onto removing the bandages from Loki's forearms, and asked Shuri to collect a bucket of warm, soapy water.
As he wiped away any remaining iodene that had leaked from the patches he placed over the larger cuts, he spoke.
"Loki, I'm going to clean your arms, and the rest of your body, it may sting, especially over your head." He informed, waiting for a sign of consent.

Shuri returned quickly, the water sloshing about in the bucket, handing Banner a sponge. He dipped it deep within the water's enticing heat, pulling it out with a splash. The moment he placed it against Loki's raw wounds, Loki cried out, and struggled beneath his hold. Bruce muttered words of apology, rubbing the sponge further up his arms, his tense grip relaxing as Loki's screams subsided.
He rubbed it beneath Loki's armpits, smirking as he squealed beneath him, giggling uncontrollably.

He had found a ticklish spot.

Thor picked up upon this, and joined in, until the younger prince was practically screaming for mercy. Thor hadn't heard this sound in centuries, the sweet, high laughter of his brother, filling him with pride as he poked and prodded him further.

"T-Thor stop! I need to finish- finish cleaning" Bruce wheezed between laughter, rescuing Loki from his turmoil.

Bruce rubbed the sponge over Loki's bare chest, leading up to his neck, and then his lower face. When he was positively covered in soap, Bruce retrieved another sponge, filled only with water. He cleansed Loki, then moved up to his upper head.
"This is going to really hurt you, be ready."  Banner warned, guiding Loki's hand to Thor's.

He gently ran water over Loki's head apologising every five seconds, as Loki writhed beneath him. Thor's grip on his hand tightened, as Bruce rubbed the dried blood from his wounds. Meanwhile, he requested Shuri to collect some Q-tips, to help open his eyes.

Bruce nodded in approval at his work, Loki was going to heal up nicely, aside from reddening, and scars. Shuri quickly returned, and Bruce got to work right away, wiping away small residue, and working slowly to open his eyes.

Bit-by-bit, Loki eyes became unsealed, causing a sort of ticklish feeling, according to Loki's mumbles. Bruce finally opened Loki's eyes, gasping at what he found. Both irises were bleached white, the colour from the pupil drained, contrasting with the glowing red of the scar tissue.

Bruce didn't believe that Loki would ever see again. But he was willing to try.

He pulled a lighter from his pocket, lit it, and held it infront of one of Loki's eyes.

"Can you see any light? Any tiny little glow?" Bruce asked. Loki's eyes squinted, and he shook his head reluctantly.
"I don't know whether you'll ever see again. The light test is often true." Bruce gently explained, his brows flying upwards at Loki's calm demeanour.

"This is- not as bad i believed it would be. As soon as I regain my magic, I'll be able to see. As long as I remain here, and get explanations, it bothers me not." Loki replied, pulling himself into a sitting position.
"May I have something to eat?" He asked, all previous drawl in his voice vanishing.