Fic: "Caduceus" 3/14 [Thor movie]
title: Caduceus
author: perletwo
fandom: Thor [2011 movie]
words: 18,343
rating: PG
disclaimer: Not mine. All Marvel's.
a/n: Done for a prompt at norsekink (as genfic, not kinkyfic):
I found it a little bit insulting that Jane was 'updated' from a nurse to an astrophysicist in the film, because nurses are amazing. They have one of the hardest jobs around. They work long hours in conditions that can be extremely confronting (and on occassion, dangerous), and they care a huge amount about helping people.
On that note, I would really love an au of the film where Jane is still a nurse.
Chapter 2
Jane came back into the exam room with a thick file folder in hand, and pulled a rolling stool up to Thor’s bedside. She sat down and began reading off to him the terms of a 72-hour psychiatric hold, and watched his eyes slowly glaze at the legalese.
“The actual patient advocates could probably explain this a whole lot better; they do it about 10 times a day every day,” she said. “Basically it boils down to this: we want to keep you here to make sure you’re not a danger to yourself or others, and to help fill in some of those gaps in your memory like how you got here. We’re required by law to document every step we take with you, and under the law we’re not allowed to do anything that would demean you, harm you, imprison you or rob you of your free will. The law gives you the right to challenge anything we do you might find inappropriate, even to walk out of here; the patient advocate, who in this case will be me, is here to make sure you get those rights. If you make that challenge, I get you a lawyer and he and the hospital’s lawyers go before a judge, and we have to convince the judge we’re taking the appropriate steps and that we have just cause.”
Thor shrugged. “I have apologized for my - behavior - when first I woke. I will stay if you think it necessary, Jane Foster. I trust you to act as my shield-bearer. But I have seen no true sign of ill will in this place.”
Jane cringed delicately. “The law on this kind of situation was built up over years, case by case, as abuses of power came to light. I’m too young to’ve had firsthand or even secondhand contact with those kinds of cases, but anybody who’s ever spent time on a medical campus has heard the horror stories…medical campuses always have the worst horror stories.”
“I could perhaps tell you worse,” Thor murmured, and Jane arched an eyebrow.
“As for your behavior, we don’t want or need an apology. What we want is to make sure you’re not going to do that again, or don’t feel you have to do that again - that you won’t wake up feeling threatened or under attack.”
“Ah. So you would remake the fundamental nature of the universe for me. I see.” He smiled wryly.
Jane answered it with a wry smile of her own. “We’re not quite that dedicated. Maybe just adjust the way you experience the universe a little bit.” Their smiles went on a moment too long. Just as Jane was beginning to feel a twinge of - discomfort? Anxiety? - there was a tap on the door.
Jane turned to see a plump-middle aged black woman in a gray skirt suit and a lab coat open the door, and let out a small squeal of delight. “You lucked out, Mr. Odinson. This is Dr. Marjorie Wheeler, she’s one of our best psychiatrists - and a good friend of mine. Marjie’s here to ask you some questions, what’s called a standard psychiatric evaluation, it’s one of those document-everything formalities, no tricks involved, I promise.”
Thor gave the older woman a stately nod, and took the hand she offered. “Mr. Odinson. Luck’s got nothing to do with it, young lady, I asked for the case soon as I heard you’d been assigned. You don’t really think I’d pass up a chance to get you on my ward, do you, Jane?”
Jane grinned. “Marjie’s been trying to talk me into giving up emergency room nursing and come over to work with her in the psychiatric ward for ages now.”
“Or any other ward you like, Jane, just because I’d like the pleasure of your company -”
“- yeah yeah.” Jane reveled in the debate’s familiar rhythm. “Her argument is, ER work is a young nurse’s game, and I’m too old and slow to keep up.”
“I never said slow,” Marjorie insisted.
“Just old?”
“Gettin’ there, girl. If not yet, then soon.” Thor smiled, enjoying their banter. “Now, I grant you the ER’s a more practical place to get your adrenalin rushes than those extreme sports things you used to give me forty fits doing -” To Thor she added, “-would you believe, a normally perfectly sensible little thing like this, skydiving? - but y’know, you can take life at an easier pace, Jane.”
“Again with the skydiving. It was just the once,” she explained to Thor. “For a special occasion. Marj, I was just explaining Mr. Odinson’s rights on a 72-hour stay. How we can’t make him wear that very unattractive hospital gown instead of real clothes, for instance, or take his money or deny him a phone call, or force him to take meds.”
“Thor,” he said to Marjorie, and looked down at himself. “To friends. I have no other clothes than those on me when I got here. And I have no money, nor anyone to…phone-call.”
The two women exchanged a glance, and Jane got up to rummage through the closet for his belongings. “Well, they’re filthy, but they’re intact. I think I can get ‘em clean if you don’t mind my taking them for a couple hours, and I might have some things I can bring you to wear in the meantime. Your boots look in pretty good shape, all things considered, so no problem there.” She turned back to Thor. “That’s assuming you agree to stay and let us look after you a few days. If you do, would you like me to stay here tonight? That sofa converts to a small bed.”
“A generous offer, Jane Foster. But surely ‘observation’ does not require you to watch me sleep?”
“Well, in your case it’s less the sleeping than the waking back up,” she answered, and he gave her a slow nod. A bit flustered, she grabbed the shirt and slacks from the closet. “In that case I’m gonna go home, see what I can do with these, grab a meal, pack up a few things. Meantime I’ll leave you in Marjie’s capable hands, okay?” To Marjorie she gave a snarky grin. “I’ll try not to jump out of any planes on the way.”
“Don’t sass off at me, young lady, I’m your mother,” Marjorie answered with great dignity, and settled down on the stool Jane had abandoned. Jane gave her shoulder a squeeze as she passed, and Marjorie patted her hand before turning her attention to Thor.
Chapter 4
author: perletwo
fandom: Thor [2011 movie]
words: 18,343
rating: PG
disclaimer: Not mine. All Marvel's.
a/n: Done for a prompt at norsekink (as genfic, not kinkyfic):
I found it a little bit insulting that Jane was 'updated' from a nurse to an astrophysicist in the film, because nurses are amazing. They have one of the hardest jobs around. They work long hours in conditions that can be extremely confronting (and on occassion, dangerous), and they care a huge amount about helping people.
On that note, I would really love an au of the film where Jane is still a nurse.
Chapter 2
Jane came back into the exam room with a thick file folder in hand, and pulled a rolling stool up to Thor’s bedside. She sat down and began reading off to him the terms of a 72-hour psychiatric hold, and watched his eyes slowly glaze at the legalese.
“The actual patient advocates could probably explain this a whole lot better; they do it about 10 times a day every day,” she said. “Basically it boils down to this: we want to keep you here to make sure you’re not a danger to yourself or others, and to help fill in some of those gaps in your memory like how you got here. We’re required by law to document every step we take with you, and under the law we’re not allowed to do anything that would demean you, harm you, imprison you or rob you of your free will. The law gives you the right to challenge anything we do you might find inappropriate, even to walk out of here; the patient advocate, who in this case will be me, is here to make sure you get those rights. If you make that challenge, I get you a lawyer and he and the hospital’s lawyers go before a judge, and we have to convince the judge we’re taking the appropriate steps and that we have just cause.”
Thor shrugged. “I have apologized for my - behavior - when first I woke. I will stay if you think it necessary, Jane Foster. I trust you to act as my shield-bearer. But I have seen no true sign of ill will in this place.”
Jane cringed delicately. “The law on this kind of situation was built up over years, case by case, as abuses of power came to light. I’m too young to’ve had firsthand or even secondhand contact with those kinds of cases, but anybody who’s ever spent time on a medical campus has heard the horror stories…medical campuses always have the worst horror stories.”
“I could perhaps tell you worse,” Thor murmured, and Jane arched an eyebrow.
“As for your behavior, we don’t want or need an apology. What we want is to make sure you’re not going to do that again, or don’t feel you have to do that again - that you won’t wake up feeling threatened or under attack.”
“Ah. So you would remake the fundamental nature of the universe for me. I see.” He smiled wryly.
Jane answered it with a wry smile of her own. “We’re not quite that dedicated. Maybe just adjust the way you experience the universe a little bit.” Their smiles went on a moment too long. Just as Jane was beginning to feel a twinge of - discomfort? Anxiety? - there was a tap on the door.
Jane turned to see a plump-middle aged black woman in a gray skirt suit and a lab coat open the door, and let out a small squeal of delight. “You lucked out, Mr. Odinson. This is Dr. Marjorie Wheeler, she’s one of our best psychiatrists - and a good friend of mine. Marjie’s here to ask you some questions, what’s called a standard psychiatric evaluation, it’s one of those document-everything formalities, no tricks involved, I promise.”
Thor gave the older woman a stately nod, and took the hand she offered. “Mr. Odinson. Luck’s got nothing to do with it, young lady, I asked for the case soon as I heard you’d been assigned. You don’t really think I’d pass up a chance to get you on my ward, do you, Jane?”
Jane grinned. “Marjie’s been trying to talk me into giving up emergency room nursing and come over to work with her in the psychiatric ward for ages now.”
“Or any other ward you like, Jane, just because I’d like the pleasure of your company -”
“- yeah yeah.” Jane reveled in the debate’s familiar rhythm. “Her argument is, ER work is a young nurse’s game, and I’m too old and slow to keep up.”
“I never said slow,” Marjorie insisted.
“Just old?”
“Gettin’ there, girl. If not yet, then soon.” Thor smiled, enjoying their banter. “Now, I grant you the ER’s a more practical place to get your adrenalin rushes than those extreme sports things you used to give me forty fits doing -” To Thor she added, “-would you believe, a normally perfectly sensible little thing like this, skydiving? - but y’know, you can take life at an easier pace, Jane.”
“Again with the skydiving. It was just the once,” she explained to Thor. “For a special occasion. Marj, I was just explaining Mr. Odinson’s rights on a 72-hour stay. How we can’t make him wear that very unattractive hospital gown instead of real clothes, for instance, or take his money or deny him a phone call, or force him to take meds.”
“Thor,” he said to Marjorie, and looked down at himself. “To friends. I have no other clothes than those on me when I got here. And I have no money, nor anyone to…phone-call.”
The two women exchanged a glance, and Jane got up to rummage through the closet for his belongings. “Well, they’re filthy, but they’re intact. I think I can get ‘em clean if you don’t mind my taking them for a couple hours, and I might have some things I can bring you to wear in the meantime. Your boots look in pretty good shape, all things considered, so no problem there.” She turned back to Thor. “That’s assuming you agree to stay and let us look after you a few days. If you do, would you like me to stay here tonight? That sofa converts to a small bed.”
“A generous offer, Jane Foster. But surely ‘observation’ does not require you to watch me sleep?”
“Well, in your case it’s less the sleeping than the waking back up,” she answered, and he gave her a slow nod. A bit flustered, she grabbed the shirt and slacks from the closet. “In that case I’m gonna go home, see what I can do with these, grab a meal, pack up a few things. Meantime I’ll leave you in Marjie’s capable hands, okay?” To Marjorie she gave a snarky grin. “I’ll try not to jump out of any planes on the way.”
“Don’t sass off at me, young lady, I’m your mother,” Marjorie answered with great dignity, and settled down on the stool Jane had abandoned. Jane gave her shoulder a squeeze as she passed, and Marjorie patted her hand before turning her attention to Thor.
Chapter 4