Two years later:

Hiccup and Jorn sat on the former's front porch listening to Astrid scream and cuss up a storm inside the house as she forced a baby out of her.

"It's too early for her," Hiccup stated, worry covering her face. "She still has two months."

"She'll be alright. She's the strongest women in all of New Berk," Jorn comforted. "She and the baby will be fine."

"If she dies, I-I don't know what'd I'd do," Hiccup confessed as he covered his face.

The two stood in silence, well, Jorn stood while Hiccup paced. After what felt like forever, Astrid's screaming ceased and the cry of a baby could be heard.

Hiccup rushed back into his home and straight to Astrid's side. Her face had lost all color and her hair was soaked in sweat. Her breathing was erratic and her eyes closed. It was clear she was unconscious. Down below she was bleeding quite heavily. While the midwife and Gothi cared for the premature baby, Jorn went to work taking care of Astrid.

"Hiccup, I need you to get me a lot of cloth, my medicine bag, and both warm and cold water," Jorn ordered, not caring that Hiccup was his chief.

"I can't lose her. I would have nothing to live for," Hiccup stated as he rested his forehead against her's.

"Kid," Jorn yelled sharply to get the chief's attention. "You won't lose her. Now get me what I asked so I can save her, or she will die."

Hiccup nodded and quickly gathered all the cloth in the house, Jorn's medicine bag, and two buckets of water, one warm, the other cold. For the next hour or so, Hiccup assisted Jorn in saving his wife's life. Hiccup rotated between getting supplies and keeping Astrid's fever down.

Jorn sat back, covered in blood and sighed. "I've done all I can. The bleeding has stopped, but she's lost a lot. It's a waiting game at this point."

"Is it safe to move her?" Hiccup asked.

Jorn shook his head. "I wouldn't recommend it. We need to make her as comfortable as we can where she is until she shows marks of improvement."

Hiccup sat down next to Astrid and took hold of her hand. "You can't leave me. I love you too much to let you go." He looked in the direction of his new child. He had been so focused on Astrid, he ignored the newest addition to his family.

The former Dragon Rider stood up and walked over Gothi and the midwife. "Don't leave her side, Jorn."

"I won't, kid," Jorn promised.

"Boy or girl?" Hiccup asked.

"Congratulations, Chief, it's a healthy baby boy!" the midwife announced, showing Hiccup the small bundle wrapped in her arms.

"Healthy?" Hiccup asked. "How is that possible, Neha? He's early."

Neha shrugged. "Miracle from the gods, probably. Have you considered a name?"

Hiccup looked at the little miracle Neha was holding, then back at his wife. If she died, he would have nothing to live for, but this baby wasn't nothing. He had been blessed by the gods as healthy as a full term baby. After a moment of thought, he had a name. "Nuffink."

Neha, Gothi, and Jorn all show him a quizzical look. Was this man really going to name his newborn son "Nothing?"

Hiccup could hear what they were all thinking. "I have my reasons." He took hold of his son and walked back over to Astrid. As he sat down, her eyes opened slightly.

"Hiccup?" she asked.

"I'm here, mi'lady," Hiccup smiled. "Meet the newest addition to our little family, Nuffink."

"Nuffink, really?" Astrid tried to argue.

"Once you're better, I'll explain why I chose the name," Hiccup promised.

"You better," Astrid said, as she drifted back to sleep.


Over the course of the next week, Astrid's health improved. They had brought a spare bed from upstairs, downstairs. Hiccup never once left her side. He helped Jorn in any way he could. Not once did he sleep or shave. He only ate when Jorn brought him something. Even then, he would just eat a little bit.

One day, Jorn had had enough. "Get some sleep, kid. Astrid is fine."

"I'll sleep when she wakes up," Hiccup promised.

"Look, kid, you're running yourself into the ground," Jorn informed. "I can't take care of you both at the same time. You're a handful just by yourself. You hardly eat, haven't shaved. When was the last time you even took your tonic?"

Hiccup's eyes darted back and forth. "Uh, um, eer. This morning. Yep, definitely this morning."

Jorn crossed his arms across his chest and rolled his eyes. "You lied better when we had dragons. Seriously, when?"

Hiccup's shoulders slumped as he averted Jorn's gaze. "Just before Astrid went into labor."

Jorn blew. "GODS DAMNIT, HICCUP HADDOCK! Do you know how dangerous that is? You are gambling with your life! What if Astrid didn't pull through? Your children would've ended up without either parent! Are you really that damn selfish? Or just stupid?"

Never before had Jorn yelled at Hiccup, well, anyone for the matter. For someone with a gentle soul, he could yell louder Stoick the Vast. Hiccup felt shame and humiliation. He felt like he let everyone down. He really was selfish. He had no excuse. Before he had a chance to apologize as if on cue, he felt his muscles tighten.

"Jorn," was all he could muster before falling out his chair and on to the floor as his body began to convulse.

The healer felt his anger disappear and leaped into action. He kept Hiccup on his side and held as tight as he could. Things went from bad to worse when Valka and the kids walked in. Zephyr screamed and SJ hid behind his grandmother.

"Valka, get the kids out of here. They shouldn't be seeing this," Jorn stated, still trying to hold Hiccup in place.

Valka nodded and took the kids away, back outside, to wait.

After what felt like an eternity, Hiccup's body stilled. He laid on the floor, unconscious. Jorn stood up and rushed into the kitchen to grab his medicine bag. Once he had it, he ran back into the living room. He rummaged through the bag until he found what he was looking for; Hiccup's emergency tonic. He uncorked it and forced it down his stepson's throat.

Jorn picked Hiccup up and carried him upstairs, laying him in his bed. Once the chief was settled, he walked back downstairs and out the front door. There Valka sat on the porch with the frightened children. Jorn sat down next to them "I'm sorry about that, kiddos. That must have been scary, seeing Daddy like that."

SJ and Zephyr nodded. Nuffink remained oblivious as he slept in Valka's arms.

"Very scary," SJ admitted. "Why were you shaking Daddy?"

"I wasn't shaking him, kiddo," Jorn answered. "I was trying to keep him as still as I could. You see, your daddy has a health condition that causes him to shake very badly. When he was a teenager, he got an owie on his brain that causes the shakes. If he isn't held down, he could get hurt. He takes a special tonic every day to keep these shakes at bay, but since your mommy's been sick he forgot to take it. And don't worry, in a few hours, he's going to feel a lot better."

"Are you sure, Grandpa Jorn?" SJ asked.

Jorn smiled. "I'm positive. Now, why don't you go play with your friends for a bit? Grandma will come and get you in a little while."

SJ took little Zephyr's hand and ran off to go play. Valka looked at her husband. "Is he really okay?"

"I don't know," Jorn admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's been so long since he's had one, who's to say how this has affected him." He gave her a quick kiss. "I need to get back to my patients."

Valka watched as Jorn walked back inside the Haddock house. She sighed, then looked down at little Nuffink. "Don't worry," she mumbled. "You are definitely not nothing."

The woman rocked the sleeping baby, singing an old Viking lullaby.


Author's Note: Special thanks to Draconicbeing2.0 for being an amazing beta reader and friend. Sorry for not updating as fast as I usually do. I've been very busy with work and taking care of my niece, while her parents enjoy a four-month vacation in Vegas with her younger brother