My, name is Jackson Frost.
When I was only 18 I left home and joined the army.
I had never lost any limbs or anything like that, well not until I was to be stationed in Korea. My cargo van was hit with a missile, we all lived but I lost part of my leg, some lose nothing but their bravery, and another friend lost his sight, and both legs.
I remember why I joined the army. I wanted to be believed in. After I lost my little sister, my parents stopped believing in me, my friends too. Then I lost myself in pity and shame.
I spent all of my time in the army helping children and people in the middle east. First Afghanistan, then Iraq, and I was to settle in Korea until my retirement. But I guess some higher power had other plans for me, I had to retire early. Nineteen years of military life was not too bad. But I guess the higher ups decided I need to find a new calling. I wasn't able to work. I lived off my military retirement settle, which was well than enough to support one guy, and help pay for the hospital visits and the therapy sessions.
But I'll start from the beginning.
Voices faded in and out from left to right, and the lights flickered in his mind, as he waded in and out of consciousness.
"Mr. Frost..." A sturdy voice called to him.
A moan and the boy tried to keep his eyes open to look at the people who stood over him.
"There he is." A woman smiled and handed the man in bed a small plastic cup of water, which he downed like it wasn't enough. "How do you feel, Mr. Frost?"
"Like shit..." His voice was coarse, and heavy, as he sat up a bit more.
"Well, you look like it too," A new voice rang out from the doorway, and saw his old comrade, Eugene 'Flynn Ryder' Fitzherbert.
"Well, thanks, Ryder. Get your ass over here." He motioned for a hug, to which the other man gladly came over and took.
"Long time, no see, Jack." He roughly patted his back.
"Same," Jack laughed. "Hey you still with that English girl from the Infirmary tent?"
"Yeah," Flynn smiled, and a woman strode into the room, her excessively long blonde hair braided magnificently along her back.
"Hi, Jack." she shyly waved from next to Flynn.
"C'mon, Punzie, give me a hug!" Jack pulled the girl into a tight hug.
The three of them sat and chatted for a few hours, until a nurse came and shooed them away. "Mmkay, Frosty, prosthetic, and therapeutic doctor will be here in a few minutes, he may be the youngest doctor, but he is the best damn man in his field." She smiled and helped jack sit upright.
After twenty minutes, a young man with auburn hair and light stubble littering his chin, strode in with a shiny metal extension in his hand. Hello, Jackson, I am your doctor, and I am your prosthesis designer, and your therapeutic doctor, My name is Henrik, but most everyone else calls me Hiccup." he smiled softly at Jack, and the small red haired nurse left. "Let's see if this fits." Henrik knelt in front of Jack, and softly placed a silicone sleeve up his calf and knee. Then the cool metal was against the silicone, and it fit like a glove. "Ah, finally. It took four tries, you know, but you've been in a coma for about three months. Do you know how you got here?"
" Yeah, my cargo van was bombed, right?" Jack rubbed his neck.
The other man nodded, "Okay, lets see if you can stand." Henrik motioned for Jack to come to him, and carefully Jack stood, and placed some of his weight on the new leg. Jack took two steps, before he fell onto the other man, blushing lightly.
"Very good." Henrik smiled and helped Jack back into bed. And carefully he took the leg off, and set in against the nightstand. "Now, You sleep, because we'll be going to the therapy room tomorrow, okay?"
Jack nodded, and he closed his eyes, and what felt like hours passed, before he felt something hop up onto the bed. Frightened Jack opened his eyes to see a small black cat sitting on the edge of his bed. "Aww, c'mere little fella." The cat strode the length of the bed, and happily sat on Jack's chest. Smiling Jack stroked the furry cat behind the ears, and watched as it melted and began purring loudly, and soon enough it balled up on his chest, and fell asleep, and soon after Jack did as well.
After making his rounds, Hiccup went to gather his bag from Jack's room, and saw the small black mass of cat, which he brought with him, balled up on his chest. He smiled, and quietly walked up to the bedside, and leaned down and gave the cat a quick peck on his head.
Looking up a little, the man in the bed caught his attention, he had a short beard, which didn't match his hair, that extended to his side burns, also not matching his hair, which was a snowy white. Hiccup noticed a thick swatch of hair that fell forward and tickled the man's face in various places, so he decided to softly push the thick white lock back, and he reveled in how amazingly soft it was.
Finally the boy pulled himself away, and sat in the chair next to his bed, and managed to fall asleep, even though it was awkward.
Light made Jack stir, he stretched, and something warm and light was settled on his stomach. Slowly Jack peeled his eyes open, and saw the small black cat still balled up on his abdomen.
"Morning." Looking up he saw the boy doctor and the red headed nurse from yesterday.
"Hey," He yawned heavily, and placed his arms under his head.
"So, after today you can be discharged, but of course you need to see me everyday for a while." The boy said to Jack with his nose buried in the paperwork.
"Uh... I don't have anywhere to go." Jack admitted softly.
"Oh.."
"Hey, Hiccup don't you have that spare room at your place?" The red headed nurse asked a bit too loudly.
"Well, yes I do, but-"
"Can't he stay there?"
"Well, He has to stay with family."
"My family is gone." Jack frowned. "I really don't have anyone."
"Oh, come on, your place is pretty big, right? You might not even notice him there, plus you can work with him more, than you would be able to if he wasn't with you." She smiled, and rummaged in the cabinets, and pulled out some cream and gauze.
"Yeah, I could even pay rent or something. Even help out anywhere else you need it." Jack said eagerly.
"Mmmmm... Alright, My shift today ends at noon, I'll take you home then." Hiccup sighed.
"Thanks, so much." Jack smiled and tried to sit up more, also he tried to not move the sleeping cat too much, but the cat stood and arched it's back in a stretch, and then he moved and sat on the bed, instead of Jack, which made him smile, and he gently scratched behind his ears.
"Okay, so, I'm going to show you how to apply this." the red headed nurse spent three hours showing Jack how to properly wrap his knee, without causing pain.
Finally noon came around, and a worn out Hiccup strode into the room, with a neutral little black cat at his heels. "Okay," He sighed heavily, and took the leg, and fastened it to Jack's numb of a leg. As he stood he handed Jack a pair of crutches, and a bag. "I picked some of my clothes for you to borrow for now, go change, so we can leave, kay?"
Jack went to the small restroom in his room, and pulled the clothes on, the pants weren't too snug, but the shirt was tight on his chest, yet long enough to go to a little past his waist line. After changing, he hobbled out on the crutches, and saw Hiccup sitting on the bedside. He looked up when he heard the click of the crutches.
"Alright let's go." He sighed, and hooked the small cat to a leash, "Come on, bud." Hiccup stood and walked through the building and to the elevator.
"Hey, you really don't have to let me stay with you, you know. I mean we just met yesterday." Jack said as he leaned his back against the elevator wall, and took some pressure off his new prosthetic.
"Well I've actually known you for a few months. Technically, you don't have to stay with me, you know?" Hiccup smirked at him as he bent down and picked up the small black cat, and let his side bag swing lightly off his shoulder.
"Well... How much of me do you know?" Jack asked lightly.
"Your whole story practically, well, actually just all of your actions, but what I would like to know is why you did them." Hiccup of course was not going to mention that he sat for the three months in his room, softly reading to him, and such other things, but you know he doesn't have to know those things yet.
"How do you know my whole story...? The only person who has access to it is my C.O., well former C.O., did he give it to you?" Jack tensed up a little, this guy was a stranger to him, yet he knew all about Jack, even if it was with help.
"You know, he made sure you made it to me. He told me what was going to go on your grave stone, too. Well, in case you didn't make it. But, you know I'm not head of surgical prosthesis, and co-head bodily functions for nothing. I knew you were going to be okay. You had a very strong pulse during surgery, and your body seemed as if it was simply affected by the flu, and as though you didn't lose a leg. But hey, I've had stranger. Anyways, since we have plenty of time I can tell you about myself." Hiccup smiled and actually took the other man's appearance in, and boy did he look like complete shit, "But, I'm not going to wear you out before we even get out of the hospital. When we get to the house, You'll take a shower, then we'll have dinner, and after you go to bed, I'll go and pick up your stuff from the army base okay?" Hiccup held the elevator door so he could get out easier, and slowly but surely they make their way to Hiccup's SUV.
"Ah, how long does it take to get used to this?" Jack motioned to the new leg as he sat in the passenger side.
"Took me about four weeks." Hiccup smiled and started the car, and drove to his quaint two story house, and helped Jack out of the vehicle, and the small cat went straight to the house, his leash in his mouth, and waited patiently for his master.
Slowly, Jack took the path way to the door, and made it there in a rreally slow time.
"Good boy, C'mon, bud, lets go and get you some thing to eat, yeah?" Hiccup opened the house, and let Jack and the small cat in first, before closing it as he walked in. "You can sit on the couch for a few minutes, after I feed Toothless, I'll show you to the bathroom, and let you take a bath." He said in the doorway to another room, and Jack pulled his legs up on the couch and gently closed his eyes, waiting for Hiccup to come back.
A soft nudge woke him, "Hey, come on, now." Peeling his eyes open, Jack saw auburn hair, green eyes, and freckles. "Alright, here we go." Hiccup helped Jack to his feet, and helped him walk to the stairs, and to the second floor, "Okay, take off your pants."
That woke Jack up, "E-Excuse me?" He blushed lightly.
"It's the only way to take off the leg." Hiccup reasoned, and Jack complied, "Oh, and if baths are too uncomfortable, then I can see about making a water proof stilt at least." After his pants were off, Hiccup leaned down and unfastened the fake appendage, before turning to the door, "Holler if you need me, okay?"
"Okay," Jack said quietly, and finished undressing before he went to the tub, and ran the water, he sat in the warm water, and washed himself clean, with his host's Old Spice body wash, he reached for the shampoo, and was sad to find a really girly strawberries and cream scented scrub. So he did have a girlfriend, well damn.
A soft knock pulled him from his thoughts, "Yes?"
"I have some clothes for you to change into," Hiccup was muffled by the door.
Jack crossed his legs and placed his hands over his nether regions, "Come in."
The young host was wearing a pair of gray sweat pants, and a turquoise long sleeve shirt. "Here you go. They might fit, they're the biggest that I have." He placed them and a towel on the edge of the sink.
"Thanks, I'll be down in a few." Jack said as Hiccup closed the door, he dunked his head to rid his discolored hair of the tiny bubbles between the strands. He pulled the drain and leaned for the towel, and sat on the edge of the tub, drying his leg, before he pulled the silicone sock and the false leg over his stump, and fastened it. Just so he could stand, and dry himself off, and pull on his clothes. With the towel draped over his head, he strode from the bath room, and down the stairs, walking with ease, and with only a few trips, he made it to the kitchen, and he sat in a chair, and unfastened the leg. "Is there anything to keep this from getting infected after I bathe?"
Smiling Hiccup left the room, and came back a few minutes later with a small bottle, and a gauze wrap. "This is a special ointment that I use on my leg, My godfather makes stuff like this with lizard spit and stuff." Gently Hiccup applied the liquid and wrapped Jack's leg, "When you go to put the sock on, rolling it up makes it a lot easier." He rolled the sock over Jack's stub, and then fastened the appendage, "And there you go." He smiled up at him, and stood to go and finish making dinner.
~~DING DONG~~~
"Ah, Jack can you get that?" Hiccup asked frightened, as he stirred and and mixed the contents of the pans in front of him.
Slowly, Jack stood and took the small cane that leaned on the wall next to the stair case, and made his way to the door, with no trips. He pulled it open, and saw a small gaggle of people.