Chapter 11
Odin was pleasantly surprised to see that his sons were getting along better than they had in years. They had been small children the last time he'd seen them sprawled in a pile like sleepy puppies, but as he peered around the doorframe he found Loki asleep with his head on his brother's stomach, Thor awkwardly petting him like a giant cat. A giant cat, now that was a good description for him.
Thor noticed him then, and almost jumped up before he stopped himself to avoid dislodging Loki. "Good evening, Father."
"Good evening, boys." He couldn't help but smile at how gentle Thor was being with his brother. It was a far cry from the rough and tumble play at best and outward aggression at worst that had been their relationship for years. "How are you both faring tonight?"
A shadow passed over Thor's face, which Odin did not miss. "He had a seizure today, the first since waking. During it, he relived his memory of falling off the bifrost, apparently with no context. Within a minute of returning to the present he could no longer recall what he had experienced, just that it was something upsetting."
Odin looked on the two sadly. "What have you told him?"
"Only that he was in no danger of falling and he should rest because he would feel better when he woke. He does not know it was a memory. He thinks it a nightmare."
"Perhaps he will remember again when he wakes. Regardless, there should be someone with him. He will undoubtedly have questions about what happened this afternoon, whether or not he has regained any memory." He sat down on the edge of the bed. "If you can extract yourself, you should go eat. Send a servant down with a tray for when your brother wakes. I will sit with him."
Loki was surprised to see his father sitting on the edge of his bed when he woke. He didn't visit as often as Thor and Mother did, being far busier, and they had ceased to sit by while he slept now that he was conscious.
"How do you feel, my son?"
"Continuing to improve, though still unwell."
"Thor tells me you had an interesting afternoon."
The events in question rushed back to him, and Loki sighed dejectedly. "I don't know what happened. It doesn't make sense."
Odin looked apologetic. "It seems that in the excitement of your return to consciousness we have neglected to give you the details of your own condition. I am very sorry that you were frightened because of our oversight." He brushed a stray lock of hair out of Loki's face. "I'm afraid that you suffer from seizures now, and we may have underestimated their effects. The ones we witnessed while you were unconscious we of course could see only the convulsions and not what you were experiencing during them, and from what I've been told about this afternoon it seems as if you are very vividly experiencing something."
"I had a kind of a nightmare." Loki admitted, fixing him with the look of a child begging for an adult to make things better, "Or something."
"Do you remember it at all?"
"No, but I know it was bad. I was really upset when I came out of it, so it had to have been something bad."
"It is possible that these are nothing more than dreams, brief hallucinations produced by the seizures. They may also be memories though. You did have a few painful experiences in the years that you cannot remember, and it could be that you relived one of them. I am afraid I do not have all of the answers."
"I know you don't, father, but I wish that you did. It always felt that way when I was a child."
"I believe that is true of all children. Do you want me to fill you in on the rest of the details of your injuries, or would you like me to give you some space to process what you've learned today?"
"Both, I think. I need space, but having more information might help me process it."
Odin smiled. "My little scholar."