Hey there. Yes you! *virtual hand pops out of your screen and points to you* Do you want some feels? I'll take it as a yes. Well I have the perfect thing for you! It's called Chapter 9! XD
This is my longest chapter so far I think so I hope that stops you from ending my existence. If you spare me after reading this I certainly will appreciate it.
Enjoy chapter 9! If you can….. XD
The only thing Hiccup knew was pain. The only thing he remembered was pain. The only thing he felt was pain. Pain. He loved pain… sweet sarcasm.
Hiccup cracked his eyes open and even that simple movement lead to… guess what? If you though pain Dimdimdim you're 100% right. The first thing he noticed apart from pain was Astrid. He tried to open his eyes even more since they were barely opened but failed.
WOAH it feels like Meatlug sat on top of me. He though.
In his half-conscious state Hiccup found himself on Astrid's arms. "Hiccup?" she called. Was it him or her voice'd just cracked? And more important what happened for her to be so worried?
"-Strid" He called, realizing that talking was even more complicated than opening his eyes. At the same time he wanted to tell her that everything was ok… by everything he meant… whatever she…thought that…wasn't…ok.
He felt something touching his head and immediately recognized who it was "Toothle-" He tried calling when a wave of pain covered his left leg.
"Yeah it's me. I'm right here." She said. His eyelids started closing and he fought to keep them opened, even if just a small crack. He couldn't see her face, only her neck, the edge of her chin and some blonde hair strips.
He felt more pain. He wanted it to stop. "Ast-" he called.
"I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." She told him, moving her head in a way he could see her face. In one hand that reassured him, on the other he had absolutely no idea what she'd just said.
Another wave of pain hit him, and if the others were big than this one was a tsunami. He found himself closing his eyes, gritting his teeth and groaning in an attempt to swallow a scream. He felt lightheaded and heard a voice calling for a Hiccup or a Iccp or something like that. Who was calling and who was being called he didn't know and everything else became darker than it was before.
The sun was shining, bright as in every summer morning.
Snotlout groaned in reaction to the light. While groaning again he sat up, rubbing his face and fumbling the area around him looking for his helmet. He found it nearby and placed it on his own head.
Another day of pure heat to go through, yay! It would start with breakfast, the twins driving him mad, Fishlegs talking about dragons and Hiccup creating some stupid adventure that would most likely end with all of them almost dying… Hiccup!
He remembered the past night. Snotlout was sleeping and then there were some explosions outside. At first he though it were the twins arguing about who'd get to take Barf and Belch to the stables again so he ignored it and continued sleeping.
He didn't know when he woke up after that but it was still dark outside. That's when his mind slapped itself and he realized that the explosions he'd heard were in fact plasma blasts.
Since it wasn't like Hiccup to be out there blasting things during the night he decided to check it out. Who knew… maybe they were being attacked.
He wished they were… it would be better than seeing Hiccup like that. He stepped outside but there were no ships on the horizon neither dragons flying. He decided to ask Hiccup what happened so he ran towards his cousin's hut. He'd found the twins along the way (surprisingly they thought the same as Snotlout. Only their assumption was slightly more confusing and destructive) and together they made their way to Hiccup's.
He froze when he reached upstairs. Even the twins did. He'd seen Hiccup vulnerable before: after the battle with the Read Death and the lightning bolt to the head. But this was depressing.
Fishlegs was reading a book about medicines or something like that. Astrid sat on the edge of the bed, holding Hiccup's hand. Toothless rested his head on his rider's chest and Hiccup… he was lying on the bed, apparently unconscious and moaning constantly. His features writhed in pain and his skin paler than it'd ever been (and he was slightly pale daily).
Snotlout shook the image out of his head. He jumped out of his bed and left his hut, heading for Hiccup's.
He cared about Hiccup. He never showed it and always kind of annoyed him but he really did. Acting like that was part of his… image. His heart'd broke when he saw Hiccup like that and the way the other riders looked at him when he asked if he could help… was really… disappointing. Therefore he decided to prove that he actually CARED, starting by helping Hiccup (even though it would be better if he was already ok by now) in whatever he could.
Astrid looked at Hiccup again. Actually she'd been looking at him for the past eternity hoping that at any moment he'd open his bright clever emerald eyes. He'd been unconscious since last night. He kept moaning and he even screamed one time (probably when the effect of the medicine Fishlegs gave him ended). That moment broke her heart. She had to secure Hiccup in order to stop him from falling from the bed and he'd only calmed down when Astrid gave him more of said medicine.
She removed his bangs from his forehead again, just for them to return to their previous place.
Even the bangs were as stubborn as they're owner. She knew something was wrong with him the previous night but Hiccup, being the headstrong he was, had insisted in the I'm just tired lie. Well she didn't buy it for a second.
If only she knew what was going on with him. At first when she found him unconscious on the floor Astrid though that maybe it was the tiredness leaving him like that. But then after their little one-sided talk she knew that there was definitely something going on.
Astrid'd never been so scared in her whole life apart from the Red Death and the lightning incident. Funny how it all involves Hiccup…It was horrible to find him on the floor like that, seeing him in pain and feeling helpless, feeling him passing out right in front of her, right in her arms. Watching him scream and writhe in pain…
A loud noise interrupted her thoughts. Astrid looked at the stairs to see all of the other riders appear.
"So how is he?" Fishlegs asked.
"He's getting worse." Astrid answered "When the medicine's effect ended he passed from moaning to screaming…"
"But he- he's gonna be ok, right?" Snotlout asked, although no one answered him.
"What is that silence supposed to mean?" Ruffnut asked.
"Whatever it is, I don't like it…" commented Tuffnut.
"It means that we don't know. We need him to wake up and tell us what he feels." Fishlegs informed "Besides we're not healers and we can't take him to one without knowing if it's safe to move him."
Hiccup opened his eyes, blinking multiple times to adjust to the light. He could hear voices and soon realized who the voices belonged to: his friends.
Feeling his hand resting in something soft Hiccup looked to the side. He found Astrid sitting next to the bed he apparently was in, holding his hand with her own. He looked to her face to see her yes unfocused as if she were thinking, not aware of the things around her. Yep she was thinking, that was definitely her thinking face.
He tried to ignore the pain coming from his leg and decided to say something.
"What're ya thinking'bout?" He asked in almost a whisper, trying not to stutter.
Her head turned to face him instantly, her eyes shining and her mouth creating a smile.
"Hicc- Hiccup!" Astrid exclaimed, holding back her tears of joy for seeing him awake.
The other riders hearing Astrid's shout raced forward creating a half-moon around their friends's bed.
"Hiccup oh Thank Thor you're awake!" Fishlegs cried.
"You never do that again you hear me!" Snotlout warned, smiling in the end.
"Aha that's our Thor's Mighty Hammer!" The twins celebrated, bashing their heads together.
Astrid hold his hand tighter while removing the cloth from his head. "You scared us half to death Hiccup." She said softly.
"Yeahhh what- what did I do, f-for sure?" He asked.
"Astrid found you unconscious downstairs yesterday night." Fishlegs told him. He was so relieved for seeing his friend awake. Hiccup was his best friend and he couldn't stand seeing him like that.
"Toothless called us." Astrid said "He was in complete despair."
Toothess who'd been lying on his stone bed perked his head, breaking through the group to reach his rider faster than a Speed Stinger. He bumped his head with Hiccup's and cooed happily, proceeding to lick the boy.
"Toothless hey b-buddy." Hiccup laughed. Toothless, with his own head, pushed Hiccup to a sitting position, cooed and leaned his head against Hiccup's chest.
"Th-thanks Toothless. You ok bud?" Hiccup asked the Night Fury. Toothless replied with a growl and what could've meant anything for Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Tuffnut and Ruffnut, Hiccup took as a yes. "That-that's releav-ving." He said hiding the pain his leg was covered in.
"How do you feel?" Astrid asked him. Hiccup looked at her noticing that they were still holding hands. If the girl realized it too he didn't know since she showed no intention to let go of his hand.
"I'm fine now. I guess I was just too tired yesterday, thanks for taking care of me." He answered. Hiccup didn't want them to know about his phantom pains.
"Yeah that's all very beautiful and all but we're not buying it." Snotlout replied.
"Yeah we don't want your cookies!" said Tuffnut.
"I don't think that's what they meant… I'm confused now…" Ruffnut tried.
"What Snotlout said is that we don't believe you Hiccup. We saw you during the night. I saw you the whole night and you're everything but ok!" Astrid finished letting go of his hand.
"She's right. You have to tell us what you're going through so we can help you!" Fishlegs added.
"I just don't wa-want ya guys worring'bout m-me." Hiccup mumbled.
"But we'll be even more if you don't tell us what's going on muttonhead!" Snotlout yelled.
"You- you're worried'bout m-me? Hiccup asked Snolout, a small grin on his pale face.
"No! I'm just… apprehensive…" Snotlout mumbled.
"Fine... It pro-probably's just a phant-t-tom pain." Hiccup admitted.
"Oh…yeah…" Tuffnut said "That… nope I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Not a clue…" Ruffnut finished.
"Amputees have these phantom pains. They feel their missing limbs and well it is really painful. I never thought they were real." Fishlegs shared.
"Oh the-they're re-real and-nd ver-very co-common." Hiccup informed, closing his eyes and hissing through his teeth in pain.
"I don't know much about it but let me check out your leg." Fishlegs said.
"N-no. There's no need! R-really" Hiccup tried.
"Look I know you don't like to show it but it's for-." Astrid said softy
"The greater good!" Tuffnut shouted interrupting Astrid who gave him a death glare.
"F-fine." Said Hiccup." But-t just be-because it's worse-se than the the othe-other ones."
"Yay! We're gonna see the ghost!" The twins celebrated.
"Since when and how often do you have these phantom pains Hiccup?" Astrid asked, while Fishlegs unlaced the pant's left leg right in the bottom where Hiccup's limb ended.
"Sin-since I-I l-lo-lost my leg-g and-d yo-you probab-bly don-n't wan-nt me to to answer the the la-last one." Astrid looked at him angrily "Let-t's s-say too of-often."
Fishlegs started analyzing the edge of Hiccup's leg.
"Oh my Thor!" Tuffnut exclaimed "It's almost like there's nothing there. I could pass my hand without feeling anything!"
" Very interesting indeed brother!" Ruffnut continued in her logical tone "Ghost for sure."
"That's be-because ther-there's nothing-nothing there to-to f-feel!" Hiccup yelled crossing his arms. Toothless roared in support of his buddy.
"Hum… aha…hum hum…hammm…ahhh" Fishlegs mumbled while analyzing.
"Would you mind sharing!"Snotlout exploded.
Fishlegs pressured a finger against the scar on Hiccup's leg " Does it hurt when I do this Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked "Hiccup?"
He didn't receive an answer.
Suddenly Hiccup saw the same thing he'd seen when Grumpy the crazy dragon injured him. He saw himself and Toothless colliding with the Red Death's tale. The explosions and fires around him turned into pure black and he saw and heard no more.
"Hiccup?" Astrid looked at Hiccup just in time to see him closing his eyes, grabbing him before he knocked his head against the wooden bed. "Hiccup!" she called lying him gently on the bed.
"Oh oh oh… hummm. I think we have a problem…"Fishlegs cried.
"Just one?" Astrid replied holding Hiccup's hand and removing his bandages from his forehead again.
"You know I hate to be the voice of Doom but… I- I think Hiccup's leg is… infecting again…."
Astrid felt like the floor below her had suddenly vanished in the same hole she was now falling in.
"What… what do you mean Fishlegs?" Snotlout asked although he knew the answer.
"I don't know much about this problem in particular but if- if we don't do something Hiccup… dies…" Fishlegs finished.
During a long moment no one spoke. The only thing they could hear was Toothless trying to wake Hiccup up with sorrowful coees. But then…
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha" The twins started laughing.
"What's so funny about it?" Snotlout asked them angrily.
"You guys are reeeeaalllly funny!" Ruffnut laughed "You should dedicate more to Loki'ing people!"
"Hiccup doesn't die! But that was a good one!" Tuffnut finished.
They both looked at his friends, their laughing decreasing as they saw their painful expressions.
"It was a joke right?" Tuffnut asked.
"No." Astrid answered "Hiccup is really… dying."
The twins looked at each other. Their once happy expressions turned into sad ones. "Oh." They said.
Do you hear that? I think it's the sound of you guys sharpening your weapons to come after me. Uh oh…
I'm sorry for what you just read. Yes it was all true, not a nightmare. Actually now that I think about it I don't know if I'm sorry… hehe.
Well if I were you I'd by a new heart to replace your soon broken one because… *whispers* this is just the start of my wickedness. You really are unaware of my plans for this story.
I remember you all that I don't write during the weekend so I'll see you guys on Monday!
Hope you enjoyed chapter 9! XD
