Hiccup woke up the sound of his baby boy crying. He lifted his hands to his eyes to rub the sleep of them, only to feel someone stop him. "Easy, kid. I just finished bandaging you up."

The young chief blinked a few times to bring his blurred vision into focus. "Jorn? Where's SJ?"

"He's right here, babe," Astrid answered. "He's just a little cranky from his nap. Normally Toothless or Stormfly would have slept with him, but..." Her voice trailed off for a moment before changing the subject. "How are you feeling?"

With Jorn's help, Hiccup sat up. "Like I just fought a madman while falling through the sky."

"Accurate," Jorn noted. "Because that's what you did. Now, follow my finger." He dragged his finger from side to side in front of Hiccup's eyes.

"Did I have a seizure?" Hiccup asked, knowing Jorn only did this when he had one. Usually, he remembered them, but not this time it would seem.

"Yeah," Jorn answered. "As soon as the dragons disappeared beyond the horizon, you collapsed and began convulsing. Weird thing, you were still conscious for a few seconds afterward. Eye movement is slow but should be better later on. Stretch your arm out and make a fist."

Hiccup did as he was told. He waited for Jorn to tap out a minute as he took his pulse. "How long was I out?"

"Heart rate is returning to normal," Jorn noted. "Most of the day. The sun is getting ready to set."

"What's the damage?" Hiccup asked.

"Broken ribs and right wrist, twenty stitches all together, a bruise on just about every part of your body," Jorn replied.

"What about my leg?" Hiccup wondered.

"Still no sign of it," Astrid answered. "The twins and Fishlegs sailed down and looked. Gobber's working on making you a new one. He should have it ready in a couple of days."

"That means you're on bed rest until then," Jorn stated.

"Figured that out already," Hiccup remarked.

The room fell silent for a long while. The only sounds that could be heard were the Berkians outside gathering supplies to build their new village. Children could be heard playing. But no dragons. Their roars did not fill the air, nor their giant flapping wings. There were none to yell at for blocking a path or eating a whole basket of food not meant for them. The silence of the tent was broken by SJ starting to wail.

"Give him to me," Hiccup said, holding out his good hand. "I'll calm him down." Astrid handed their crying child over to her husband, who held him close to his chest and began to rock him ever so slightly. "It's going to be okay, SJ. One day the dragons will come back. Once it's safe for them. Together, we'll spread the word about what kind, protective, amazing creatures they are. I will tell you tales of epic battles fought in the sky. I will speak of old and new lands."

As Hiccup talked of the dragons, little SJ quieted down and began to fall asleep. Astrid watched as tears traced Hiccup's cheeks. This change was going to be harder on him, harder than anyone else in the tribe.

"... One day in the distant future, we'll sail to the Hidden World with you, Mama, and your siblings. There, I'll introduce you to all the dragons we can find," Hiccup finished.

"Siblings?" Astrid pondered. "Do you know something I don't?"

Hiccup looked up at his wife and gave her a small smile. "I plan on having as many children with you as I can. I was my parent's only child. Mom miscarried twice before she had me. I came three months early, which was dangerous for both us. Afterward, Gothi declared it unsafe for my mother to try and bear any more children. Her body couldn't handle it. I want us to have at least a dozen."

Astrid laughed. "Not going to happen. Four maybe, but not a dozen.

"I'm the chief. What I say goes," Hiccup joked.

"And on that note," Jorn interceded. "Visiting hours are over. Hiccup, you need to rest."

Hiccup nodded and handed SJ back over to his mother. "Sweet dreams, little guy."

Astrid leaned over and gave Hiccup a quick kiss. "See you in the morning, babe. I'll bring you some yak bacon and eggs."

"Sounds great. Good night, mi'lady," Hiccup smiled.

After Astrid was gone, Jorn began to readjust Hiccup's bandages. "How are you feeling, kid?" he asked.

Hiccup pondered the question. He was distraught that Toothless and the dragons were gone, but at the same time, he was relieved that they were safe in the Hidden World. "Mixed emotions, both good and bad."

"Let's focus on the good for now. Your tribe needs a leader, who can help them through the rough time," Jorn stated. "We'll work through the bad together. This is going to be a big adjustment.

Hiccup was silent for a moment. He wished Toothless was here like he always was. Standing over him with a worried look in his eyes, making that famous warbling noise as if scolding Hiccup for getting hurt. Jorn was right; it was going to take some getting used to. The young chief decided to focus on other matters for the time being.

Hiccup sighed before laying his head on the pillow. "Good night Jorn," he murmured, realizing how tired he was all of a sudden. Pulling the thin blanket over himself, he shivered, not feeling Toothless's excess warmth that usually radiated throughout the room. It was going to be a long night.

Author's Note: Special thanks to DraconicBeing2.0