Room AU

Chapter 09 - His Strength

"I'm here to see my daughter, Loki. She was brought in last night. Can you point me in her direction?" Frigga asks the man at the front desk; it is six in the morning and the hospital is just now coming to life. There are nurses everywhere, some leaving and others just starting their shift." They wouldn't let us see her last night."

"Her room is the first one on the left. We just had a nurse leave, so she should be awake."

Frigga thanks the man and walks to the door, taking a deep breath before stepping in. The room is dark, curtains drawn as close as they can get and the lights off. There is a single bed and a Loki sized lump on it.

"Loki? Are you awake?" Frigga asks quietly and crosses over to turn on a few of the lights.

Loki groans and turns away from the light. She hadn't slept at all. There had been people poking and prodding at her all night long. She vaguely remembers having her stomach pumped full of charcoal. "No..."

Frigga nods and drags one of the chairs next to the bed and pulls out knitting needles. She does not look at Loki as she begins her task.

"Aren't you going to say something? Tell me how disappointed you are with me?"

Frigga continues knitting.

"I don't know what you want from me... At least say something..."

Frigga sets the needles down in her lap and Loki watches her face. For the first time, Loki registers how tired and sad Frigga is. The bags under her eyes are more evident than ever and Loki knows she has caused every single frown line she has. She hates how much she has hurt the people in her life.

"Is he okay? He wasn't the one that..." Loki asks and at Frigga's look, she puts her head in her hands. "Can I talk to him?"

"Do you think that's a good idea, Loki? He might not want to talk to you. Are you prepared for that?" Frigga asks her, her tone serious.

"No, but I need to at least hear his voice. To tell him..."

Frigga nods and pulls out her phone, dialing home.

"Hello, Thor. Yes, she's awake and talking. Can I speak to Fenrir please?"

Thor calls out for the boy, "Fenrir come here. It's for you."

It takes a few minutes for Fenrir to finally come downstairs to get the phone from Thor.

Frigga's smiles, "Hi baby, can you let me know that you can hear me?"

"I hear you. Ma?" His voice is far away, like he is holding the phone too far away.

"Is he there? Let me have the phone," Loki says, holding out her hand, shaking slightly. Frigga ignores her daughter's rudeness and hands her the phone.

"Fenrir?"

"Ma?"

Loki is struggling to control her voice, "Are you doing okay?"

"Come back."

"What's that Fen?" Loki puts a hand over her ear so she can hear a bit better.

Fenrir shouts a little louder, "Come back now, Ma!"

"I wish I could, my love. I just need to-"

"I pick. I pick for both of us. You come home now."

Loki then breaks down into sobs and Fenrir throws the phone at Thor. Frigga takes it back and exits, talking to her son quietly.

"How is he today? He wasn't up when I left this morning."

"He's okay. Quiet which isn't unusual. Haven't got him to eat. Even father has tried and there is nothing," Thor tells her, his voice soft.