I awoke with a throbbing in my head.

And just about everywhere else.

I opened my eyes to blurry somethings move around. I felt something wet on my head, heard voices. A dull pain was shooting through my entire left leg. Some of it was numb. The rest of me was complaining loudly.

"Dad? Toothless? Richard?" I murmured, starting to sit up.

Only to be stopped by a firm but gentle hand on my chest. I fell back easily. Who was there? Anyone? I knew the healer would be there. And Toothless. I couldn't hear whirring. Maybe he wasn't. My thoughts were a blur. Where was I? Why was I in so much pain? Who was around me? How long had it been?

I closed my eyes tight to try to shut out everything for a moment and relax. Gather my thoughts.

I opened them again when I was relaxed enough. I was met with the ceiling of my house. It stared back, much nicer a sight than I thought it would be. I heard shuffling and murmuring as I turned my head to look around. I was met with Richard's warm grin.

"Welcome to the world of the awake."

I grinned and sat up slowly. No one stopped me. I saw the healer on the far side of my room, looking away. She was giving us space. I looked at Richard. He had a large grin on his face. Genuinely happy to see me. My face lit up as well.

"Glad to be here. Where is everyone?" I took the wet cloth off my head and looked around again.

Just three people in the room.

"Where's dad?" I had hoped he'd be here.

Richard's smile faded from his face like melting ice. I felt my heart sink.

"No. Don't.." I started.

Richard put a hand on my shoulder. "He's alive. But he hasn't woken up since we took him down here. That was a week ago. We weren't sure if either of you would..."

I felt dizzy.

"Dad. Please, no."

"If you hadn't been there, he would be.. gone already. He has a chance. You were worse off than him." Richard shook his head.

I partially ignored him. "I want to see him. Now. Then Toothless. Where is he?"

I sat up all the way and began to put my feet over the bed.

Richard stopped me. "Wait. H..Hiccup." He looked as though he was in pain.

"What? Something wrong? Is something.." I trailed off.

Something was very wrong.

Very.

Wrong.

I stared down at my legs.

My leg wasn't numb. It was gone. Everything under my knee. Just wood and metal.

I let out a pained gasp. The room spun.

My leg was gone.

I felt tears on the verge of coming. I would never be able to walk properly again.

I sat there for a good while. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the bed post and hauled myself to my... foot. Upright.

Holding myself up, I turned to Richard, standing there with a solemn face. I hadn't even noticed he was right there until now. My eyes closed for a moment.

Walk.

I took a step forward with my fake leg first, placing it down in front of me. A dull pain shot up my leg. Then, I paused.

This was going to hurt.

I got ready to put my weight on my fake leg and take another step forward. As I did, a much sharper pain felt like it was ripping my leg clean off. I stumbled, falling.

I never hit the floor. I fell into outstretched arms. I was put back upright, now leaning heavily on Richard. He slipped his arm under mine and around my back without a word. We began to move forward slowly. Every step hurt like I was being struck by lightning.

Down the steps, out the door. We moved through the village toward the healer's place. She was following slowly. At the same pace we were going. Slowly.

I heard a voice, then some excited noises.

Toothless bounded up to me, looking happy. His ears were tilted high, a grin spreading his face. "Hiccup!" He gave an excited bounce. "You're awake! You're awaaake!"

He buried his face into mine, and I stroked the top of his head. I could see that he had a patch job on it. He must have been injured. I hugged him tightly, letting go of Richard for a moment to hug my AI friend. Toothless emitted a purr, one from his animal noise chip. It comforted me.

We were soon on our way toward the healer's hut again, at no fast pace. Richard had said little to nothing, being patient with my... lack of speed.

We made it there, and moved inside, Toothless waiting impatiently outside. I saw my dad, lying on a bed and covered in bandages on his left side. He remained motionless as we approached. I sat down next to him, putting a hand on him. I had rarely seen my father without his armor. Without it, he looked smaller. His face was pale. I was barely aware that Richard had sat down beside me.

"Dad..."

I felt emotion build up inside me. I didn't care about the last few days before the battle. Or all those years before, where he had rejected me time after time. All I cared about was that moment on the surface when he had cared. When he had loved me. I silently begged him not to leave, now that things were better, and we could start over.

I bent over and whispered in his ear. "Dad? I don't know if you can hear me. You probably can't. I don't know if you'll wake up. I don't know if we'll get a chance to actually be a family. But I want to. I want to have a chance to do that." My voice was raising slowly. "Please be my dad. I love you." Tears fell from my face. "I love you."

Richard put a hand on my shoulder, comforting me.

I leaned into him. He didn't seem to care about anything else, just being there. What was he talking about, he wasn't a good friend? That was nonsense. I was glad beyond words that he was here.

"Richard? You're a good friend. And don't argue with me."

He didn't respond. The hand he had on my shoulder tensed momentarily, then patted me twice. I grinned.

We heard a soft moan. My father stirred slowly. The healer was at his side faster than I thought possible for the woman. She felt his heartbeat, checked his pulse, then pressed him down when he tried to sit up. His eyes blinked open, then he turned straight to me. He smiled, despite pain clear on his face.

"Hiccup." His voice was a little raspy. "We'll get that chance."

I moved down and hugged him awkwardly.

He stared me in the eyes. "And let's do it right this time."

I nodded.

I wasn't going to waste another chance to have a dad.