Dragon tales
Story 1 problems already
Chapter 6 panic

Authors note: hey guys last chapter for this story now- it will be a while before the next one but I'm not quite sure when- just keep an eye out, it shouldn't be too long. For now though enjoy this chapter^^ let me know what you thought it really means a lot hearing from you guys.

Don't forget if you have any ideas I'm more than happy to turn them into a reality

okay that's all I can think of I don't think there's anything else I need to say so until the next story- bye!

Hiccup was outright panicking now. That one day would determine if he would get better, Goathi said. If he started recovering, then he'd make it, she said- things would get better from then on. And he did get better- he was doing so well!

He could think coherent thoughts, the ache in his head and stomach was starting to ease and he wasn't throwing up quite so much. He never thought he'd be so happy to hear him complain- that surely meant that he was almost completely better. He'd even been well enough to try a small meal... So, why?

Why he was still here, at his bedside, watching him panting heavily from a burning fever, in the edges of restless sleep. It was even worse than before! He'd made it past that day- he was getting better. Why was he still ill?! Why was he worse than before?! He was shivering and coughing uncontrollably. It had only been a few minutes since he last threw up- and already he could the slight retching that said he'd soon be lurching for the bucket again.

He didn't even try to send thoughts to him anymore- even the effort of that was too much for him now. He didn't protest at the medicine anymore- there was no response to it. None. He didn't grimace at the foul taste- he didn't squirm, or clench his jaw, in an attempt to stop him giving it to him. What was going wrong?! He'd done everything right! Gave him his medicine, kept a cold bundle of snow on his head (much to his constant distaste).

He'd stayed with him the whole time, watching his progress. He'd been, so, elated when he started improving over that first day... now, he was only terrified. Had Goathi been wrong?! Was he not going to make it after all? She was absolutely no use right now- all she came up with was some useless rubbish about a mistake being repeated (what in Thor's name was that supposed to mean?! Would it kill her to give them a straight answer?!).

Had that short span of better health meant nothing?... He just kept deteriorating, right before his eyes, and... he just couldn't stand to watch it, though he didn't dare leave his side. What should he do? There had to be something. He couldn't just stand around, and do nothing, while- what? What would happen?! That was what truly terrified him. He didn't know. What would happen next? Would there be a next stage in the illness? One that brought even more pain and misery to the Sky Dragon. Would it just keep going? Slowly wearing him down- stretching time- before he finally faded, after a long, agonising fight. Or would he just suddenly stop? Would he just look over at one point, to see him motionless. Or wake up to a stone cold body. Just like last time.

Forget panic- he was beyond that. He was desperate! He wished there was anything- anything- that could save his soul mate. He hated seeing him suffer like this. It hurt him like he never knew hurt before. He'd lost a limb and had to teach himself to walk on a stiff, chaffing replacement, and yet... it still didn't compare to this. This was a different pain entirely.

He went to the back of the room, where his breakfast had been laid out for him... but he couldn't eat. He had no appetite, seeing Jack like this. But, still... maybe he could give the Sky Dragon something to eat. He hadn't eaten in days and- whilst he didn't eat as much as a regular human- that was still no small length of time to be going without food. He needed something to keep his strength up- even if he would most likely throw it back up again. He picked up the pieces of bread with a thick filling of fish between them. He always loved fish- they'd been such a delicacy to him. His taste might be a bit off now, but... hopefully it'd help perk him up, and give him a bit of strength.

He gently brushed his white hair out his eyes, and he stirred somewhat. His eyes opened a little. They were so vague and grey now. There was barely even the slightest remnants that said they had been blue once... So blue... and so alive... Now they were almost dead. Clouded and lustreless. They didn't even focus on him.
"Hey Jack." He murmured, softly. He recieved only the weakest acknowledgement in reply. He held out the sandwich so he could see- or, at least, he hoped he could see it, and not just a vague blur that could've been anything. "Think you could try a bit of food?" He asked. Something which he think passed off as assent floated into his thoughts, and Hiccup broke a piece off. It was mostly bread, with little or no filling, but it would still-... He froze... A sudden possibility occurring to him as Astrid's words came back to him... Poison... That was what Goathi said... And he remembered how he'd thought back to when the other dragons got sick. Something new to the island had disturbed them. He hadn't thought anything similar had happened here, because nothing new had changed that could've upset him... Or he'd thought so back then. But now he remembered.

Right back at the party, before all this... he had tried something new. In fact, some of the villagers had an aversion to it- something about the yeast disagreed with them. That night of the party- Jack'd had a sandwich.

He'd tried bread for the first time... And just a few days ago, just as everything had seemed to be going perfect- before everything got worse- they'd tried him on a bit of food. He couldn't remember what they'd given him, but, if he had to guess, he'd say it probably contained bread.

Slight confusion came from Jack as he wondered what was taking so long- and why he'd just frozen like that. He stood and put the sandwich back on the plate.
"Toothless!" He called, and the dragon's head popped through his doorway- he often went downstairs to escape the horrid sounds and smells of sickness (and torment Cloudjumper). His ears were pricked in eagerness to help out his rider. "Go and get us a fish." He told him. His eyes widened at the word 'fish', and he seemed to be grinning. "It's not for you- don't eat it on the way here, bud. Please." He told him. The Night Fury looked disappointed, but he saw the pleading look in his rider's eyes and purred, nudging him reassuringly, then his head disappeared again. Jack was really confused now. Hiccup could feel his feeble attempts at trying to push a question into his mind.
'It's alright, Jack.' He told him. 'I just want to try something.'

Toothless soon reappeared in the doorway, looking very proud at his incredible self control, as he deposited a whole fish at his feet. It was a little slimy and still had it's scales and fins and everything, but at least he hadn't swallowed it and attempted to regurgitate it again for the Sky Dragon's mouth. Although he guessed that was fine in the dragon world, he found it pretty gross- and he hadn't ever seen Jack do it, so he pretty sure he shared that opinion.

He found and unsheathed a dagger (there was always at least some kind of sharp weapon in his room- his dad made sure of it). With two careful slices he filleted, deboned and otherwise made the fish decent for eating. When he was done, he walked back over to Jack with it.

Please let this work, he prayed. Please say I'm right. If he keeps getting worse... I don't know what I'll do.

He never thought he'd be so happy to feel that freezing wet slap on his back.

He jolted from where he lay- well, he wasn't really lying down, more collapsed on the bed whilst sat on a stool. Yeah, that was a comfortable position his back was gonna love him, for but he couldn't help it. He'd been awake, at Jack's side, since the last time he couldn't stop his eyes drooping- and, like then, he just dropped off where he sat.

He was so exhausted, it took a while for him to even register what just happened. He groaned, inwardly. Why'd a snowball have to wake him up-? Wait... Snowball... His eyes suddenly snapped wide, and his mind cleared of sleep in an instant.

"Finally! You're near impossible to wake up- Toothless was easier, and he sleeps like a boulder. I tried prodding you, poking you..."

He was so stunned, for a moment he just let the ramblings wash over him. Then, he kick started into action. He sat up, quickly, and looked at his patient. He was sat up. He wasn't vomiting, he wasn't coughing, he wasn't gazing aimlessly at the ceiling, he wasn't shivering... and the snowball- that had to be him!

His jaw stayed open a second more, before a grin spread round it and he laughed from sheer relief. Jack's smile (which had grown from mildly annoyed to amused, at his expression) turned into a smirk. That smirk. His smirk. The one that he always hated, and loved. It made him want to slap him- it always meant trouble- and yet it was so endearing, and made him want to laugh sometimes. It'd make him groan, smirk back, shake his head and sigh.

His laughter intensified as he suddenly just couldn't hold himself back any longer- he really couldn't. He outright yanked Jack over to him, and crushed him, tight, like he was relieved he wouldn't break at the pressure. He carried on laughing with sheer joy. He was alive! He was well! Actually... he wasn't entirely better.

Joining tightly with his mind, he saw that he was still a little sore in the head- and that general sick feeling lingered, making him feel like 'grog' (his word, not Hiccup's, but actually, he thought it just about summed it up perfectly). But he didn't care- there was so much improvement! Sure, he'd seen this idiot bounce back from the brink of death overnight when they first met- but he still couldn't believe it!

All that worry- all that stress, and panic, and desperation! He'd been frantic over his health! So many Vikings had perished after reaching the same state he had, but he was just too stubborn. He knew it. He knew he'd never leave him. He'd promised- and he never broke his promises. He was going to be fine- more than fine, he was going to be brilliant. Just like his Sky Dragon always was. He hid the thought, though- he didn't want his head getting any bigger.

Oh- Thor darn that Sky Dragon! Putting him through all that! And now he was gonna end up making him get all teary! That little-! He was suddenly severely annoyed- he tried to get mad, but his relief wouldn't let it stretch that far.

He let go of him, suddenly, and pushed him back onto the pillow. He looked mildly startled at the sudden shove.
"You, mister, are in very bad books. You had me worried sick- do you have any idea how much stress you put me under?! And I was so- erm.. I mean, er, it was Toothless too. Not just me- and there was Astrid, and little Freya, and my mum, and..." He trailed off at Jack's face. He was doing that furiously annoying one when his eyes just twinkled with mirth, and his smirk was was almost as wide as his head, as he tried hard to laugh. The one he did when he was making a fool of himself, and was thoroughly enjoying watching the show.

That smirk! That smirk again! He just couldn't stay mad at that one! It seemed he could manage to make him feel just about anything from his smirk- and yet, it was always the same one! He didn't know how he did it! That one smirk could infuriate- and relax- him! And it always wormed him out of trouble. Even now, he was trying to hold firm to his anger, but found himself slipping.
"Stop it! I am furious with-." He attempted to reassert his temper, but then he inexplicably found himself laughing, as Jack's attempts to hold his laughter back turned his face more and more comical.

The dam finally burst, and they both laughed together- unable to stop themselves. And for Hiccup- who'd heard nothing but panting, groans and lurching from him all week- the sound was bliss, and the moment was beautiful. He was going to get better. He nearly was already. The relief of that fact still hadn't left him yet.

The embrace of their arms might have stopped, but their minds stayed intertwined. Jack sending comforting thoughts to Hiccup, who gave relief and joy back. But, the simple happiness that radiated between them was something both of them shared.
"It wasn't as if I could help it, Hic." He laughed.

"It wasn't my fault."

His fault. Oh, Odin, now he remembered... It was his.

He'd gave him the bread- he was the idiot who had poisoned him! Twice! Oh Thor, oh Loki, and all the other gods he knew- he was so stupid! All this was because of him! He was the one who made Jack so sick! His mistake had caused his own stress- but he hadn't been the one who had really suffered from it. He knew how horrible, painful and miserable the whole thing had been for Jack- and it was his fault. He felt terrible! Guilt crushing him, as he became aware of Jack's confusion at his sudden going quiet.

He was going to ask why he was feeling like this! Should he tell him? Would he hate him for it? He'd done such a terrible thing- he'd almost killed him! And he actually would've done, if he hadn't realised his mistake! Guilt and shame swarmed him. But, as he wondered whether, or not, to tell Jack it had been him, he realised he didn't need to make that choice anymore.

Oh yeah- linked minds.

'You what?!' He heard Jack's astonished thought jolt through him. He'd come into Hiccup's mind to see what was troubling him, only to come across the reason for his sickness. All the vomiting, pain, grogginess, generally feeling miserable... Hiccup had done that.

Hiccup dropped his head, as he waited for his rage, and his furious shouting. He deserved it, but that didn't mean he was going to like it- he was positively dreading what hurtful words would be thrown at him. Then, he felt something from the Sky Dragon. Two words.
'For real?'

... What, he thought, barely even daring to believe he might not be shouting at him. He gingerly lifted his head to meet Jack's eyes, and found them- not screaming fury at him- but so clearly saying 'honestly. What am I gonna do with you? You seriously think I could ever be mad at you?'

...And then he saw that smirk, as he, feeling oh so pleased with himself at his own cleverness, folded his arms and spoke.
"You, mister, are in very bad books." He smirked... And then, he knew. He wasn't mad at him. Not in the slightest. He'd said that purely for the joy of throwing his own words back at him.

His face softened into a smile. He should've known, really. He gently tightened their mind's embrace, as he smiled ruefully at him- chuckling slightly at his own stupidity. With a bond as strong as theirs, they could make the biggest screw up in the whole history of the world... and they'd still forgive each other for it.

He moved his hand- to feel once more that steady, unstoppable beat. But, this time, Jack's hand grasped his strongly in return.