Chapter 3: A soft cover makes even a splintered bat cuddly

"I don't want it! Get the fuck off of me! Bitch I'll fuckin-" Frank screamed as someone pushed his shirt sleeve up. The lights were still off and he didn't hear anyone come in. He hated when they did this. After such a nice day, after such a relaxing amazing day, they had to fucking ruin it. He was asleep. Why did they have to sedate him now? It was nighttime, there was no need.

"Sh sh sh, you've got to take your medicine. Nothing to make you sleepy, just for your fever." A familiar voice rang out and Frank blinked, trying to get his eyes adjusted to the lack of light. A hand was on his, gently rubbing back and forth. Slim, long, cool fingers rubbing from his wrist across his palm and back down. The rhythm and cool touch calmed him immediately. Frank relaxed back down on his bed and yawned.

"I'll give it to you and then you can have a present. Okay? Can you hold still for just a little prick?" Doctor Laufeyson said gently as they came into focus in the dim light. They smiled at the way Frank yawned, all big and goofy.

"Didn't hear you." Frank said as he blinked away the sleep dust from his eyes and watched the doctor smile and nod.

"Yes, you were sleeping so well I didn't want to wake you. I should have given you this two hours ago but you seemed to need your rest. Luckily your fever hasn't risen. Now, may I give you this and give you a present?" Loki said again and Frank swore their eyes glowed.

Loki was utterly content to watch the shorter man sleep. Frank was sleeping on his stomach, one arm under his pillow under his head and the other loose with his hand by his neck. Frank's shirt had risen up to show a bit of his stomach Which Loki found… oddly adorable. They'd seen that tummy already but the way Frank looked so relaxed and warm made it seem so cute. Loki had just sat and watched the omega, their omega, sleep.

"A present?" The man asked curiously. He never really got anything before, only ever had things taken away. What would the present be? Did having another blanket count? More blankets would be incredible…

"Yes, a nice big present and I brought a few snacks since you didn't have dinner." Loki explained with a small smile. They would make sure Frank ate enough for three meals a day at least. Since dinner was two hours ago there was no chance Loki would be able to go get leftovers from the kitchen. They'd gone and bought food from the convenience store down the block.

"Okay." Frank said and turned his head away from his arm. He didn't mind needles but he still didn't like to watch. It was always the worst part if you watched. Of course it was different when he was sewing himself up, then he was in control of the needle.

"Good, you know how this goes…" Loki said and pulled the scrub sleeves up to expose Frank's large upper arm and wiped it with an alcohol wipe that they had laid out next to him on the bed. They pulled the blue cap off the syringe full of slightly yellow tinted slightly viscous liquid.

"Can you do something for me, Frank?" Loki asked when they saw the way Frank was tensing his arm muscle.

"Yes ma'am." Frank responded and looked over at the doctor with squinted eyes. Loki gently rubbed up and down his arm trying to get him to relax.

"I want you to count down from twenty. Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, like that. This should be all over before you even get done. You just have to relax your arm while you count though, it'll make it hurt less. Can you do that for me, Frank?" The doctor spoke in the calmest, gentlest tone. One that floated around Frank's head making him nod.

"Good, good job." Loki said and Frank started his count. Frank's arm relaxed and the doctor acted quickly and efficiently. They would hate to cause Frank any more discomfort or pain than he would already feel, the medicine usually burned a bit.

"See that wasn't bad. Now sit up, I'll get you your present." Loki smiled as they slipped off their latex gloves. Frank had gotten to seven when Loki had said they were done. They reached over and opened a blue camo band-aid and stuck it to Frank.

They walked back to the door, flicking on the lights, and disposed of the trash and such outside the door and grabbed the box that they had sat beside the door.

Frank looked at his arm at the colorful bandage. They never had these before. He'd only ever even had bandaids the first few days, everyone else just stopped bothering.

Loki had taken a walk to the pediatric clinic down the street, stopping to get a coffee and sandwich on the way, to get a few things. They had worked there a few times. Special cases, extreme trauma, different conferences for new nurses and doctors, etc.

He had asked for some patterned bad-aids, a soft blanket, and a departure kit for trauma patients. The people there were happy to help and sent Doctor Laufeyson with all they asked for. Loki promised to come back and visit again soon, saying they were in town for a while. They had chatted lightly with two doctors they had found friendship in when they were in town. They had made sure to tell Loki that, when they were ready, the two would be happy to come over and have dinner.

"You got me a special bandage? Thank you." Frank said and smiled at his arm. He thought Loki had gone out of their way to bring him a special band-aid as a gift. Something else to make him happy today. Something someone went out of their way to bring to him. It made the omega inside of him preen, made his heart flutter, made his groin a bit warm.

Loki looked back and laughed lightly, in a soft kind of way.

"That isn't the present, silly boy. I got you a bit of a comfort package." Loki said with a smile as they brought in the thin cardboard box filled with the supplies they had gotten from the pediatric clinic and a long plastic container.

Frank looks at him with shock, his eyebrows shot up and his mouth open a bit.

"It's mine?" He said he couldn't believe one of these people really brought him… stuff. But Loki wasn't like these people. Loki was… an angel. Gentle and caring and giving, someone who cared, someone who… deeply cared. Not just for everyone like some nurses, no, Loki cared deeply for him. They cared for Frank.

He just looked at the things in the box. There was a folded blanket in a soft mint green, a coloring book and pack of crayons, some form of gloves, fuzzy socks, and a tube of something. Frank picked up the tube. It was a medical looking metallic tube, shaped like a toothpaste tube.

"What's this?" Frank asked Loki who was now sitting on the edge of the bed. They smiled and tapped the plastic container. Frank looked back down and picked up the surprisingly heavy container, it weighed lopsidedly in his hands.

Frank opened it, curiosity obvious on his face, the lid was held down using two velcro circles. Inside laid something that made Frank's eyebrows shoot up.

Six inches of smooth, soft, forgiving translucent blue silicone with a tube running through its center and a perfectly sized knot at the end. He hadn't had anything so… perfect. All they ever gave him were knotters that were way too big saying they were correct for his body weight. But this? It wasn't too thick, it wasn't solid and rigid, it wasn't going to make him cry out of frustration trying to get the knot. It wasn't overly heavy so if he wanted to be on his knees it wouldn't fall out, it wasn't so long that it would give him a stomachache, and the knot was perfectly manageable in size that it would satisfy without causing pain when being slipped out.

"You got me this? Can I use it? My next heat starts soon, it's supposed to at least." Frank said and held the toy in his hand. He was almost out of breath with excitement. He felt overjoyed and relieved, he would have a nest, a knot, and a clean scented room for his next heat. He always had horrible heats but this… this one could be managed.

"I expect you to, and I made you a special solution to put in it, full of vitamins and balancers. It'll help you feel calmer during your heats and not as… agitated." Loki explained and pointed to the tube. Frank noticed there was a small amount of tubing which seemed to be able to connect from the solution's tube to the bottom of the dildo.

"You just screw this to the top of the tube, this goes in the bottom, and then when you want it in you can just squeeze the tube. Granted it will be cold but it'll help you calm down." Loki said and couldn't help but share Frank's joy, his smile.

"Thank you, Loki." Frank said carefully and shyly looked over at the doctor's ice blue eyes. Loki reached up and moved their hand to cradle Frank's strong jaw.

"Of course. I'm here to help you Frank. I'll make sure you're taken care of for now on. Now get some rest, under your blankets this time." Loki instructed quietly and stood up, trailing their hand across Frank's jaw to his chin till it slipped from their grasp. Frank stared at them and his eyes dilated and grew fuzzy.

Float, my sweet dear, just float for me… Loki said in their head as they moved the box to sit under Frank's cot. They kept Frank's eyes until Frank was under the covers and comfortable. Frank was so close, almost there, almost floating.

Loki reached in the box and pulled out the light green blanket, soft as a cloud and big enough to wrap up in, and unfolded it to lay across Frank's other blankets. They pulled it up so Frank could feel it on his neck, chin, in his hands.

"Goodnight, omega ." Loki said while staring into Frank's big puppy eyes.

There it was. The break. Frank was gone. Loki turned and left, closing the lights out as they went.

Frank was floating.

Floating all for them. Frank was Loki's omega. And they were sure Frank would need them again.