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“It’s the third door at the end of the hall on your right.”
“Thank you,” Loki said, as he finished signing the visitor’s log.
The directions turned out to be completely unnecessary as the door in question had several chairs lined up against the wall near it filled with ailing students. That included his son who was slumped down against the arm rest trying in vain to focus on his textbook.
“Sleipnir.”
He jumped, sending said textbook to the floor, and looked up his face flushed and sweaty.
“Mother! This isn’t me trying to get out of doing the presentation I swear!”
“I know, I know,” Loki said, picking up the book. “Let’s just get you home.”
Navigating the halls back to the school entrance proved a slight challenge as classes let out for the next one, and students crowded the hallways; so naturally they ran into Jormungandr along the way.
“Hey, mom, since you’re here anyway we could do a two for one deal.”
Loki simply glared and put on his best stern because I said so voice.
“You get to class and give your speech, take good notes, and we’ll see you tonight.”
“All right, all right. Love ya, bro, don’t blow chunks in the car!” he called to them as he walked off.
“I hate you,” Sleipnir mumbled.
Loki let the comment go and let Sleipnir lean against his shoulder knowing that it was only because he was woozy that his eldest was allowing such close contact.
***
Loki had already planned to get groceries, so the now duo stopped at the store on their way back, Loki mentally making notes to add more supplies to the list.
“Is there anything I can get you?” he asked.
Sleipnir thought for a moment before opening his eyes, but not moving from his spot pressed against the passenger window. “That new caramel apple ice cream?”
“Of course, do you feel up to coming in or waiting here?”
“Car.”
Loki nodded and left the AC on.
***
They came into the apartment to hear the phone ringing and angry squawks, barks, and meows that the noise was ruining everyone’s midday nap.
Not wanting to drop any items as they maneuvered through the menagerie Loki let it go to the answering machine.
“Hello, Mr Onlydottier, this is vice principal Crubbs-”
Flashes of green had everything away in an instant as he grabbed for the receiver.
“Hello? Speaking…yes, yes I understand. Of course I can come and get them…yes I’ll bring a change of clothes.”
Loki hung up and found Sleipnir who was already sprawled on the couch listlessly flipping channels, while Phobos and Deimos started curling around him and purring loudly.
“I have to pick up Vali and Nari, will you be all right until I get back? You remember all the emergency numbers?”
“Mother, I’m sick not dying, go get them.”
“Okay.”
***
So it came to pass that Nari and Vali wrapped in their brightly coloured comforters, along with the big bowl just in case, joined their older brother in the watching of daytime soaps and talk shows with people throwing chairs at each other.
Loki in between grabbing juice boxes and pillows was attempting to think about something to make for dinner when the phone rang again.
“Hello?…Howard, why are you calling? You are supposed to be doing this alone and…what did you mean Donna came by?... I know, I know they’ll meddle with everything and then the place will burn down without me,” he sighed, and rubbed at his forehead. “All right give me an hour and I’ll be there. Work on scene ten until then.”
Checking that his boys were good, receiving two half-hearted thumbs up, and a moan from Sleipnir who rolled over and went back to sleep, he left a note for the others that he had to run to the theatre and there was money for pizza.
***
Once several fires were put out, including a literal one courtesy of the prop department, Loki went home, having missed rush hour thank the Norns for small favours, and came into the kitchen to find his daughter putting vegetables into a pot.
“Hela, I left money to order pizza.”
“Soup is better for this,” she said, jerking her thumb towards the living room, “especially yours.”
“Oh, I can’t take the credit for that I merely enhanced the version made from Ms. Estelle of the stage.”
He kissed her forehead both in gratitude and to check her temperature too.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
As they finished up the soup Loki noticed a backpack lacking an owner.
“Where is Jormungandr?”
“Taking Cerberus for a walk.”
Speaking of the devil manifested him and Jormungandr came in with Cerberus rushing into the kitchen her tail wagging fiercely as he folded up her leash and put it away.
“Hey.”
Loki raised his eyebrow.
“Everyone is helping out and being responsible, whose home did I walk into by mistake?”
“Hah, hah very funny,” Jormungandr answered, filling Cerberus’ water bowl. “This is purely selfish I assure you the less time spent in germ central the better.”
Turning to the stove he levitated a ladle into the pot and poured some of the soup into a bowl floating next to it.
“I have to feed Naga and Medusa. Then Jasmine and I are going to chat,” he said as he headed to his room.
“Bring that bowl back when you’re done I don’t want any live mice in there!”
Loki received a mumbled, “uh huh,” and a closing door.
He sighed and got his own bowl, going to the table to observe those convalescing in the living room. While they listlessly sipped on broth and picked at pieces of dry toast.
Hela joined him, but that left an obvious chair still empty.
“We appear to still be one short.”
“Fenrir is sleeping over at Nathan’s house said something about a science project.”
Loki just nodded. He would have rather Fenrir had asked him first, but in this case Jormungandr was right the less time spent around everyone else was no doubt a good thing right now.
***
The night slowly wound down as leftovers were packed away, homework ignored, and Hela insisted on getting her brothers all their favourite books before retreating to her room to finish hers.
“You’re the best, sis, you know that?”
“Yeah, yeah, I love you too and I’ll remember this the next time you steal my Gameboy.”
Loki just smiled at it all. They were growing up so fast.
With his mind filled with memories of their younger years he got ready for bed himself. As he did he found his mind wandering even further back his fingers twisting around the chain of a necklace he always wore and had been given too long ago now.
“Do you have to go?”
Mother smiled and knelt down in front of him.
“Grown-ups can get very busy and sometimes have to be away, but-”
She unclasped the necklace she had on her neck and looped it around his, letting the gem shimmer in a rainbow of colours.
Loki smiled. “Someday I am going to be as good at magic as you, mama.”
“One day you are going to be even better, my little Loki, but until then you keep this close so you can know that no matter how far apart we are I am always with you.”
He grasped the amulet and squeezed it tightly, letting the colours flare in the darkness of his bedroom. It was times like this when he missed her the most, wanting so much to have someone to talk to who’d been through it all and could tell him if he was messing this all up.
He supposed he just had to do his best and hope that that was enough.
He settled under the deep red duvet and tried to relax. He has just stared to drift off when the familiar piercing ring of the phone broke the silence.
“Hello?...Yes, yes of course I can come get him.”
Throwing off the covers and finding a pair of discarded socks he made for the bedroom door, not even bothering to change out of his pajamas.
He knocked and opened the door of the room next to his as Jormungandr shoved himself back from his computer.
“It’s an educational game I swear.”
“Don’t care. I’m picking up Fenrir keep a watch on your brothers and make sure no one burns the place down in my absence.”
“Sure thing.”
“Thank you.”
Leaving the door open Loki continued down the hall. He turned off the TV as he went by the living room to get one more to join them in the pillow fort. He was halfway out when he thinking better of it he grabbed a small box of orange juice from the collection on the table to at least attempt to maintain his own health through this before leaving once more, comforting himself with one positive thought:
At least tomorrow was Saturday.
The End