"We're going to have to amputate."

"What could have caused that?"

"Heart rate?"

"One-forty-six and rising."

"His blood pressure's going nuts too."

"Hang in there, alright?"

"Sedative's not working."

Hiccup's head hurt. It hurt so much. Why did it hurt? And why, when he opened his eyes, did he see that bright, bright light? Ugh, his head felt worse. He took several deep breaths.

Then a bomb of panic exploded in his body. Everything in him screamed, flooding him with conflicting messages. Run. Stay still. Scream. Be silent. Move your toes. Freeze. He felt himself shaking, and he could hear faint yells and shouts. "Help." He wanted to say that. "Help." But it didn't seem to come out right, or even at all.

And then - OW! Suddenly he could feel it, and it hurt. Why? All thoughts slid away as he screamed and screamed and screamed. He was so lost.

"Doctor?" he managed. The Doctor would help. He had to. He had to stop the pain. "Doctor!" He listened, but he only heard the strange voices mumbling, yelling, chattering. "Doctor!"

The white light filled his vision, and Hiccup slept.

I'm alive?

That was his first thought, when his vision cleared. Was he alive? Did they have hospital rooms in heaven? It was so white, Hiccup decided. Even the pale blue curtains cloaking the left side of his bed seemed too white, if such a thing was even possible. His bed sheets glowed, the walls glowed, his gown - what happened to his normal clothes? - everything was blinding.

Hiccup closed his eyes and listened. He heard normal hospital things, like beeping, and quiet, murmuring voices. The voices, he realized slowly, weren't American. They were British, like the Doctor's.

The Doctor!

"Doctor!" he blurted out, throwing his shoulders forward in an attempt to sit up. He was punished with a sharp blast of pain and several frantic beeps from something to his left. Hiccup jumped when something - or rather, someone, moved on his right.

"Nope," said the distinctly British male voice. "Just the nurse here. Hello."

Hiccup blinked rapidly, trying to clear his again foggy vision. "Huh?" he managed. Oh, very intelligent there, Hiccup. He tried to roll his eyes but that only made his vision blurrier.

"I'm the nurse. You're in the hospital? I always … I mean, I always thought, in those shows on the tube, they ought to say that straight out. Really, the patient always asks. Why don't the doctors or nurses just say it outright?"

Hiccup ignored most of the babbling. After a moment, he forced out, "I know I'm in the hospital."

"Oh." The voice, and the blur that must be the man, paused and sighed. "Well, good."

Hiccup searched for any memory he could pin his finger on. He had been traveling with the Doctor, of course. Toothless had just accidentally broken something, again. He'd been apologizing to the Doctor, who had been complaining.

"Why did I ever think it was a good idea to let you bring a dragon in here, Hiccup? He barely even fits through the doors!"

"Oh sure, like it's his fault the doors are too small!"

Hiccup strained for the rest of the scene, but it faded away. "I can't remember much," he mumbled, sucking in air and licking his parched lips.

"Here's some water," said the blur, moving around and waving something in front of his face. Hiccup took a wild guess as to what to do and slid his head forward in a turtle-like fashion. He felt an amazing sense of relief as deliciously, wonderfully cold water slid down his throat.

The next question, an important question, flashed in his mind. "What year is it?" he asked, his voice rasping.

"Oh, it's 2011." Hiccup figured that was a pretty weird question, but the blur didn't seem fazed. Maybe a lot of people asked that. The blur continued. "Summer. Nothing too big in the news."

Hiccup decided to ignore the blur's coolness and focused more on the date. If it was summer, in 2011, then … he was back in time, more than a year! Well, Hiccup amended, about two years before "his" time, anyway. But why? Had the TARDIS gotten stuck here? The blur had just said nothing interesting was going on, so they couldn't have come here to do any acts of heroism. Right?

Hiccup sighed. If they hadn't needed to come here, and it was out of the way, then the Doctor had chosen here - now, rather. Why?

The teen closed his eyes. And why did he feel only five toes?

He didn't want to think about it.

But he had to know.

Hiccup strained to reach the blankets, but his arms refused. Not enough energy, he supposed. "Help … I have to … see …"

The blur seemed to hesitate. Then it moved toward Hiccup. Hiccup shivered as the blanket was lifted off his torso. He blinked several more times to clear his vision. Then, with a growing sense of dread in his stomach, he looked down at his left leg.

What was left of his left leg, anyway.

Tears clogged his vision, and he shook his head. Then, however, his vision swam even more. Gritting his teeth, his head dropped back onto the pillows. He stared up at the ceiling. He knew he was in shock. He knew later the full enormity of the situation would slam onto his shoulders. For now, however, he simply let the tears fall.

He heard the blur sigh. "I'll leave you be. You seem to be doing fine." Footsteps echoed in the room, and Hiccup guessed the blur was at the door.

"If you need anything …" the blur hesitated. "If you need anything, I'll just be in the nurse's station. Just call for Rory."

Hiccup felt the room grow emptier, and he let his tears rain down his face freely.