Using the communication device given to me by security, I pressed the appropriate button to make contact. It was time to get Loki medical attention.

I soon heard the voice of the Security Guard I spoke with earlier.

"Did Loki hurt you?" he asked.

I was shocked at what I just heard.

What kind of person was this?

And even if that had been the case, I would have been pressing the panic button located on the device, I wouldn't be contacting them by voice... Their lack of professionalism bothered me, but I just let it slide for now.

"On the contrary," I replied, keeping my voice calm, "it's Loki who is badly injured."

"Ah, you fought back! Good girl!" he said.

I looked at Loki, concerned about his reaction overhearing this. He simply rolled his eyes and shook his head. I offered him an expression of sympathy, then returned to the conversation.

I spoke slowly, enunciated, and my tone was more forceful, "can you please... tell Agent Coulson... I need Loki taken to the Med Centre? We will require a wheelchair or an available means of conveyance to transport him. Can you please do that for me?"

"Stand by," the Guard said. Then after a moment, "message sent and acknowledged. They will arrive shortly."

"Thank you," I said, then shut off the device and pocketed it.

**************************

It didn't take long for a person from the Med Centre to arrive - and as I requested, a wheelchair was also brought.

The man they sent, who identified himself as an orderly named Bruno, was quite tall in stature, and very muscular. I could understand having someone like this in the event of dealing with unruly patients, but in this case, I felt Coulson was being overcautious. Did he seriously think Loki was capable of pulling some stunt and this man had the power to stop him? I shook my head in amusement and disbelief.

I saw how Loki looked at the orderly. He wasn't intimidated in the least, and like me, he just smiled to himself and shook his head.

Bruno told us that since the Med Centre was closer to where Coulson and Thor were - still in the Briefing Room - they would meet us when we arrived. He then moved towards Loki, but I stepped in between them. Even if this orderly had the best intentions, I had no way of knowing for sure.

"It's okay, I can assist my friend into the wheelchair," I said to Bruno. "If it's all the same, I'd prefer you holding it steady so he can get in it with the least amount of hassle."

To my relief, Bruno complied without resistance.

"My hero," Loki said, in a very deadpan tone. Turning to look behind me,  my friend sported a wicked smile. I couldn't help but smile back and shrug. My instincts sometimes got the better of me...

Once Loki was able to get seated comfortably, the blanket still wrapped around him, I picked up his shirt. About to fold it, I noticed something odd - an area of fabric had char marks that curiously matched with Loki's injury. There was no way I could have missed seeing that, I was sure it had not been there before.

When I glanced at Loki, there was a concerned expression on his face, as if I discovered some secret. With Bruno in the room, I decided to hold off asking about it until we again were alone.

I folded Loki's shirt, carefully placing it in the convenient pocket that hung at the back between the handles of the wheelchair. The three of us were just about to go when suddenly an important thought came to my mind.

"Wait," I said to Bruno, "would you please ask Coulson to clear the corridors that route to the Med Centre?" For both our sakes and especially for our safety, the last thing we needed was to run into any other SHIELD staff. I handed the orderly my communications device.

Loki looked at me with an expression of gratitude.

While waiting for Bruno to get confirmation from Coulson, I grasped the armrest of the wheelchair and leaned in close so only Loki could hear me, "if you haven't the strength to impose your own terms upon life, you must accept the terms it offers you."

"That's a lovely quote, Beverlee," Loki said, "to whom is that attributed?"

"T.S. Eliot."

"Well, it's exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you," his expression turned to a blithe one, "for being my strength...and not accepting terms those would impose upon me."

"That's alright," I softly whispered, "but we're not finished yet."

Bruno interrupted us to let us know my request had been approved. Handing the communication device back to me, he then took the handles to push Loki's wheelchair and I walked beside them, heading to the Med Centre.