It was a Saturday morning that Hiccup realized that he had lost his hearing in his right ear.
His morning had started out rather normal with the shrill sound of his alarm clock frowned, his brows wrinkling. This was odd. It was common for him to hear his alarm go off on his right but this time it seemed to be ringing from the left. He groaned loudly. Had his roommate Jack decided to go and swap his alarm clock and place it on his left inside. It was highly plausible, considering how much he loved to prank Hiccup. Hiccup sat up and rubbed his eyes before glancing at his left blearily. There was no sign of his alarm clock. His eyes snapped open. Where could it be then? It sounded as if it was coming from his left but he could not see his alarm clock.
Just then the alarm clock was silent. He turned to his right to see Jack with one hand placed over the alarm clock. Jack yawned widely before grinning at Hiccup sleepily. He opened his mouth to talk but there was no sound. Hiccup frowned and asked pointedly," Could you repeat what you said?" Jack rolled his eyes good-naturedly before repeating. This time, Hiccup's frown deepened. Why couldn't he hear Jack? It was most unsettling. His hand moved to tap on his right ear. He could not hear anything. He then proceeded to clap loudly, his hands positioned close to his right ear. There was no sound.
Hiccup's breaths grew short. What was happening? Have I lost my hearing, Hiccup thought wildly.
He jumped as he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He quickly turned to his right so that his left ear was facing Jack." Hiccup, what's wrong?" Jack asked worriedly. Hiccup forced himself to smile and replied," It's nothing, Jack. I… got to go." he rushed through the end of the sentence before running out with a confused Jack left behind. Upon running out, he grabbed his clothes and ran to the toilet to brush up and change before grabbing his wallet and leaving the apartment.
The warm sun shone over him as he left the apartment. He walked in quick steps, his loud ragged breathing heard by everyone walking past him. Passer-bys gave him odd looks, but who could blame them? Even after brushing up in his apartment, he was still a mess. A tuft of hair st up on the top left of his head and his eyes bloodshot. I have to check with a doctor, he told himself. He reached the hospital a few minutes later and walked straight to the reception.
"Yes, what can I help you with today?" the male attendant sitting behind the receptionist asked politely. "I think I have lost my hearing in my right ear," Hiccup whispered. He nodded seriously before typing on his keyboard.
Not too soon later he found himself face to face with the doctor. The doctor faced him, her face weary. "I am going to be frank with you," she began and his heart sank. "I have checked both of your ears and it is true that you have lost your hearing on your right ear," she said. "Did you actually realise that your hearing was getting worse?" she asked. Hiccup nodded my head slowly. "I did," he replied softly, his voice barely over a whisper," I thought that it was just a temporary thing. What could have happened to cause this?" She asked in return," Do you normally hear your music at a loud volume?" Hiccup nodded his head as an image came into his mind. In his mind, he was sitting next to Jack and they were listening to music. It was common for them to share the earphones. The doctor nodded her head and replied knowingly," That might have been the reason why." Hiccup sat up on the chair and asked in desperation," Will I ever get my hearing back on my right ear?" The doctor shook her head and replied matter of factly," I doubt it but you can hope for the best." Hiccup flinched and her expression softened," I suggest that you have check-ups for a few months so that we can check up on your ear and see whether we can do anything to help you."
He nodded his head and muttered a short thanks before walking out of the room. Upon leaving the hospital he began to walk around aimlessly. He wasn't keen on going back home yet. He took out his phone from his wallet and was shocked to see the number of missed calls that he had received from Jack. He cringed at the thought of returning facing Jack's wrath.
Just then everything came crashing down. He stumbled and sank onto a bench in a park gratefully. I might never get my hearing back for my right ear, he thought in shock. How am I going to tell Jack? Hiccup felt his panic growing. If I do, Jack might treat me differently. I can't have him acting as if I've changed just because I've lost my hearing on one side, he thought wildly as he placed his hands on his head.
A moment later, Hiccup stood up shakily and proceeded back home. "You're back," Jack shouted in relief. He ran forward and hugged Hiccup. "Where were you man," he said angrily" I called your phone so many times and I even stayed at home even though we were supposed to go to school today-" His voice faltered when he saw Hiccup's tired expression. "At least your home now," he said in a softer tone. "I was just so worried," Jack continued. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked anxiously as he glanced at Hiccup.
"I'm fine Jack," Hiccup mumbled and smiled half-heartedly in hopes to reassure Jack. "I'm just tired," he lied and started walking to his room, leaving a worried Jack behind. Hiccup went to his bed and curled up into a ball. I don't know whether Ï should tell Jack , he thought miserably, I won't have him treating me differently. Worse still, he might find me a burden to him and leave me. Cold fear gripped him as he rocked around in his bed. By losing my hearing on one side, I've already lost of my world, I can't afford to lose another by Jack leaving me, Hiccup thought. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When his eyes opened, all uncertainty was replaced by determination. I won't tell Jack, Hiccup thought. "I'm strong enough to face this by myself," Hiccup told himself firmly, hoping that by saying this out loud it might become a reality.
Even as he said this, doubt slowly crept into the back of his mind.