I know, I know, I'm behind on everything, including life.
And nope, HTTYD3 isn't out here yet. We can only wait. And yell at people who post spoilers without warnings.
-HTTYD-
Grimacing as the needle finally pierced his arm, Hiccup cursed his reluctant, uncooperative veins. The medical person stealing his blood muttered something about dehydration, and they were probably right - he hadn't been paying attention to much beyond Tyr being sick and Valka being sick with worry, let alone whether he was drinking enough. She'd had her blood taken too, and Sven, just to be on the safe side, but right now they were looking at Hiccup as the most likely to have been exposed to whatever infection Tyr was battling.
Tyr was put on some heavy duty antibiotics, aimed largely at his pneumonia infection - they might help with his other issues, but there was likely to be a more specialised antibiotic or treatment for what was causing his meningitis. Until his spinal tap results came back though, they couldn't be certain what it was.
"These aren't going to be pleasant. He's likely to be quite sick and lethargic, and his cough won't totally abate until his lungs start to clear."
"He's been sick and lethargic for the last few weeks now. At least now we know what's going on. Sort of."
Hiccup's voice sounded a lot calmer than his mind did. Valka lowered her arm to check the small needle site at her elbow, then left it cotton-free and reached to toy idly with Hiccup's hair, something she often did absent-mindedly when they were watching TV or simply talking in bed. He liked the way her fingers felt sliding through his ridiculous mop of hair.
"He's asking for you, but you need to wait until you've had some preventative treatment first."
Feeling the sting in his throat begin to rise again and resisting his attempts to swallow it back, Hiccup had a feeling that 'preventative' was going to be a misnomer. Glancing at the door to Tyr's isolation room, Hiccup made a snap decision and headed in there, barely making it before he started coughing.
"Hiccup!"
Valka was looking at him through the glass, where Hiccup was now technically under quarantine.
"Mr Haddock, I will have to insist you leave-"
"Not until you clear me. Otherwise I'll be sat in the hallway possibly infecting Valka too. And anyone who passes when I cough. Besides, I'd rather get sick than leave Tyr by himself for hours."
Said boy was still sleeping, having barely woken up when they put the canula in for his IV antibiotics before going back to sleep. Well, sleep was better than coughing his lungs out or being violently sick, so Hiccup didn't think Tyr getting all the rest he could was a bad thing. Trying to stifle his next coughs so he didn't wake Tyr up, Hiccup was soon followed in by a doctor in full gown and mask.
"I need to listen to your chest."
"Knock yourself out."
Valka was watching him through the glass still, observing the doctor as Hiccup hissed with the cold metal of the stethoscope against his skin. Was it colder than he remembered, or was he warmer?
"Deep breath in" Hiccup did so "and out again."
The process was repeated on his back, and there was a thing stuck in his ear to read his temperature.
"Slightly high, and your chest sounds a little congested. How do you feel?"
"No worse than earlier, but I've been panicking about Tyr this entire time. I'm not gonna feel on top of the world until he's home and well again."
Hiccup was given oral antibiotics and told to wait while they got a portable chest X-ray, which then involved him having to wear a hospital gown and he envied Tyr's own-clothes, although since he was still running a fever he was probably sweating in them and would need something fresh.
"Yours is much milder, but you are displaying symptoms of an infection."
"So, I'm in here too?"
"Assuming you aren't willing to go home and rest."
Hiccup shook his head.
"Not going anywhere until Tyr can."
The isolation bay had another bed, seperated by heavy plastic-feeling curtains that were presumably easy to sterilise and prevented someone from spreading infectious bodily fluids around. Hiccup would only go there if they made him, instead sitting by Tyr's bed for a while before getting up to talk quietly to Valka through the glass seperating them.
"You're ridiculous, you know that?"
"Hey, now the little dragons not alone and if you aren't already sick, I can't infect you. Win-win."
"How is he?"
Valka's frantic eyes roved over to where her son was still out cold, and Hiccup sighed as he saw the sweat bead on his face.
"Still sleeping. Hang on."
Hiccup crossed over, getting the damp cloth from his bedside and dabbing the sweat from his little face, seeing a minute amount of tension ease though Tyr didn't wake.
"He's probably going to want fresh clothes if he wakes up. Or at least pyjamas. Because this feels hideous" Hiccup plucked his hospital gown "I doubt he'd be able to tolerate this for long, even less so when he's upset and sick."
She looked over at Tyr again, frowning.
"I can't just leave him."
"He's sleeping. I can't leave. If he wakes up I promise I'll tell him you just went to get some more clothes for him. Go. Eat something. Take a shower. I'll be right here. If anything changes, I will make them call you. Promise."
Valka had been up for what Hiccup realised was the whole day and half the night now, and he sort of hoped she'd take a nap too but doubted his stubborn girlfriend would. Sven had fallen asleep in his chair in the hallway, but if nothing had changed by morning he'd probably need to leave for a shower and a change of clothes himself, as Hiccup knew Sven was somewhat obsessive-compulsive when it came to neatness.
"Alright."
"And while I have no problem with you using my car, don't drive. You're too tired. Take a taxi. My wallets in my bag if you need it."
After a few stubborn flickering expressions, Valka eventually softened.
"Thank you."
Their hands splayed either side of the glass, as close as they could get while Hiccup was an infection risk and Valka's status unknown. She took another look at her son, offered Hiccup a tired but loving glance before moving away, the effort it was costing her clear. Now safely alone, Hiccup let the grimace on his face come back, the prolonged time wearing his prosthetic beginning to wear on him but if he took it off, he probably wouldn't get it back on without rest and there was no wheelchair in the room to use should he need to get to Tyr quickly from his bed.
He made a mental note to ask next time a nurse came in, limping over to the chair next to Tyr's bed and lowering himself into it with gritted teeth, cursing his leg silently the entire time. Tyr slept on, chest still unhealthy-sounding but it would take time for the antibiotics to kick in, Hiccup reasoned.
"Has he woken up?"
"Nope."
The nurse came back in to check on Ty, and since he'd settled sitting down Hiccup almost forgot to ask before she left.
"Hey, can I uh, get a wheelchair in here? I'm not meant to wear my prosthetic for so long but if I take it off I can't get around."
"Oh, gods of course! I can't believe nobody even thought- I'll go sort that right away."
With her surgical mask on to protect from contagious things within isolation, Hiccup was amazed how clearly he could see surprise and concern on her expression. Still, he was fairly used to people forgetting about his having a disability - even Valka confessed she forgot sometimes, and she watched him take it off for bed most nights. Now he knew he'd be mobile, Hiccup reached down and released himself from his leg, biting back an audible groan of relief as the pressure eased. Knowing he'd be tender, Hiccup still needed to massage the area, biting his lip as he rubbed his residual limb.
"Mom?"
Tyr finally stirred again, first word on his lips calling out for his mother. Hiccup reached his hand over to the boy, prompting Tyr to look toward him.
"Hiccup?"
"Hey little dragon. Your mom just popped home to eat and get you some pyjamas."
Eyes forcing themselves open properly, still heavy and hazy with sleep, Tyr rubbed his face and looked at Hiccup's gown, squinting without his glasses on.
"How come you have that?"
"They found out I have a bad chest too. And I'm not as cute and charming as you, so I don't get my own clothes."
"I made you sick?"
His voice, already weak, sounded guilty as could be and Hiccup's heart broke for Tyr.
"Hey, don't you think like that. Tyr, I'd give anything to be the one in that bed instead of you, and I would still jump to take care of you if I'd known I would get sick. I love you little guy, and now I get to be in here with you."
A small smile flashed across his face, frowning at the canula in his arm before glancing up at the IV bag, only to begin searching around him.
"Where are my glasses?"
"In here" Hiccup pulled open the drawer of Tyr's bedside table "they wanted to make sure nobody knocked them off while you slept."
Tyr pushed them on to his face, blinking owlishly and shuffling on his bed.
"I feel sick."
"That's the medicine. I don't feel too hot either. That's why they gave us these" Hiccup held up the little disposable bowl-things, effectively waiting to be puked in to "just in case."
The nurse returned with a wheelchair in hand, looking pleasantly surprised by the fact Tyr was awake too.
"Thank you."
"Is your leg ok Hiccup?"
"Fine little dragon, just can't wear my prosthetic all the time so I asked for a set of wheels."
"Oh. Ok then."
That seemed to settle Tyr, who sank back to his pillows, wiping his clammy face down and not really wanting to answer the nurses questions - her mask hiding her face unsettled him, but Hiccup quickly explained it was part of his quarantine - and the nurse got a little info on Tyr's symptoms before he was yawning again.
"When's mom coming back?"
"Soon. It's late and I told her she's too tired to drive, so she might have to wait for her taxi but we both know she's not going to be away from you any longer than absolutely necessary."
That brought a new smile to Tyr's face, a soft glow of happiness as he pondered how much Valka adored him. Hiccup watched him take his glasses off, wriggling around to get comfortable again. Well, as comfortable as possible when restricted by his IV.
"Wake me when mom comes back? I want to get changed."
"Sure."
Within a minute, the lethargic boy was asleep again. Hiccup resumed rubbing his sore leg, hoping Valka took the time to have a proper shower and eat something substantial before she came back to fret some more. Time ticked by rather slowly, only the machines monitoring Tyr and the rattle of the little boys chest for company. Sven slept on too, still in the exact same position when Hiccup wheeled himself over to the window and peered through.
It was over an hour later when Valka came back, wearing her yellow jumper still but fresh bottoms and Hiccup's backpack on her shoulder. Her first port of call was to check on Tyr, and Hiccup swelled with love when he saw that she barely missed a beat over her boyfriend being considerably shorter than when she left, towering above him but not making him feel like she was looking down on him.
"Has he woken?"
"Once, but just for a few minutes. He asked me to wake him when you got back so he could change."
Valka nodded, smiling softly at Hiccup for a second before looking for a nurse - she technically wasn't allowed to break the isolation, and so needed a medical person to deliver Hiccup's bag to him.
"Did you eat?"
"I did. There was leftover pasta bake in the fridge."
Hiccup was relieved; he'd loaded that thing with vegetables, so he knew Valka had eaten something hearty and healthy. She located a nurse, explained, and Hiccup was handed his bag a moment later. There were three pairs of Tyr's pyjamas squeezed in, but she'd also brought Hiccup's muscle balm for his leg, a fresh liner sock and his sketchpad too. Clearly, she knew he'd probably be bored.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. And thank you for convincing me to go, I felt much more human after a shower and a meal."
Nodding to her, Hiccup wheeled himself over to Tyr's bedside, seeing his face was sweaty again and sighing inwardly.
"Tyr?"
He half-hoped for no response so Tyr would continue resting, but big green eyes fluttered open sleepily.
"Moms back?"
"Yep. With pyjamas. The nurse will have to help you change your shirt because of the tubing though. I can't stand up, and I wouldn't want to pull on your needle."
That was less-than-happy news to Tyr, but the prospect of peeling off his sweaty clothes was too appealing.
"We'll just give you a wipe down while your shirt is off, alright Tyr?"
"Do you have to?"
Hiccup gave the nurse a look, letting them know to let Hiccup talk Tyr round.
"You can't take a bath right now. This way, you won't be all sweaty."
He wasn't happy, but Tyr let them change his top over his IV, and give him a quick bed-bath in between but began to wriggle and grumble by the time they were done. Still, he was much happier to be a little cleaner, and to be in different clothes not damp with sweat, running a hand over the familiar fabric of his pyjamas.
"Better now?"
"A little. Why'm I so tired?"
"Your body is working hard to fight off your infections. You need rest. If you wanna sleep, sleep."
"M'kay."
He needed little convincing, and Hiccup smiled as Tyr settled again, offering his mother a sleepy wave before he was out again. Hiccup waited to be sure he was asleep before rolling himself over to the window again, looking up to see the doctor from a couple of hours ago, who was looking for Valka rather urgently if the quick of his step and the concern in his eyes was anything to go by.
"Do you have Tyr's results yet?"
"Not yet, cultures take time to grow. However, your blood was checked under a microscope and there is no significant white cell response, so it doesn't appear you're fighting an infection although the full tests will still be run. Of course, it would have been helpful to know you were pregnant earlier, since-"
"Excuse me?"
"She's what?"
-HTTYD-
My brain is made of some form of incredibly useless jelly and I'm really struggling to produce anything and I'm sorry and I appreciate all your patience and ongoing support.