This is my SECOND update today. This is a short chapter, I know, and I apologize. I had a slightly hard time writing it, for what reason, I don't know. It was rather hard for me, maybe because my brain decided it didn't want to work. :D But here it is, and I am happy to say I will probably be doing a few more updates today if I really try. I am really loving this story so far. I have so much planned for it, though. It could take me a little while to get it all out there, but hey, hopefully you will all like how it turns out. :) There are quite a few things coming that you would never have expected, most of them being rather...oh wait, right, I can't tell you, or else it would spoil everything. :) And also, this is my longest story so far, and I'm really not very close to being done with it after all. :) I LOVE THIS STORY AND I LOVE ALL WHO READ IT. YOU ARE ALL AWESOME, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING AWESOME. SO...A MILLION THANKS TO ALL THOSE WONDERFUL READERS! :D Enjoy chapter 35!

Stoick hadn't expected to see Hiccup using a crutch.

Of course, after he had lost his leg, he had used it quite often. But now...?

He figured something was wrong. For one, Hiccup was riding behind Astrid on Stormfly instead of riding Toothless. For another thing, Toothless was following from the ground, running as fast as he could to keep up with the Deadly Nadder. Both unusual things.

Stormfly landed in front of Stoick, Toothless halting right beside her. Astrid and Hiccup dismounted, although Stoick realized he wasn't putting any weight on his left leg (or, what was left of it, anyways).

"What's up, you two?" Stoick asked.

"Well...something...happened," Hiccup said, hesitating on each word. "And...it's really not to...good, so to speak, but Gothi thinks she can fix it...soooo..."

"You're not making any sense," said Stoick. "What's with the crutch?"

"Um..." Hiccup looked at Astrid, his eyes pleading. She did nothing to help him, which really made Hiccup slightly irritated. She could at least help him explain. He didn't know how his father would react when he learned what had was wrong.

"I have partial paralysis," said Hiccup. "In my left leg...and...yeah."

"Paralysis!?" Stoick exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout and Fishlegs ran up behind Astrid and Hiccup. "You heard right," said Fishlegs.

"But there's something else," said Hiccup. "Gothi...she knows this surgery...she said it might cut the paralysis. But she...she has to do it...like...now, or else it'll be too late."

Stoick stared at them all in confusion. It was pretty clear that Hiccup didn't want to lose his entire leg for eternity. The surgery was really the only hope he had. And maybe that hope was worth it. It would be. If it worked, that is. It was still a fifty to fifty chance either way.

"Okay," said Stoick after what seemed like an eternity. "Are you sure, son?"

Hiccup nodded, rather dolefully and uncertainty. "I don't have much of a choice either way," he said. "It'll work, I know it will. Gothi's the best we got."

"You bet she's the best we got," said Astrid. "She'll succeed." She was trying to hold onto the positive, since in all honesty, she was scared out of her mind. Something could go wrong. You never knew.

"We should hurry," said Astrid. "The sooner we start, the sooner it can be over with."

Stoick, Hiccup and the rest of the dragon riders mounted their assigned dragons (besides Hiccup, who still rode with Astrid on Stormfly, Toothless following them from below) and then headed off to Gothi's.

Stormfly landed on the platform. The riders and Stoick jumped off their dragons and then commanded them to go back to the level ground. Really, there couldn't be too many dragons on the platform at once.

Astrid dismounted, Hiccup sliding off with her. Stormfly then went to join the rest of the dragons while Astrid knocked on the front door. Gothi opened the door almost immediately, and then nodded to Hiccup.

Hiccup sucked in a breath, studied each of his friends' faces, and then walked inside.

Gothi shut it behind him, and then motioned to one of the sick beds in the abode. Hiccup hesitated. He really hated all of this. But there was nothing he could do about it. Besides, he trusted Gothi. What did he have to worry about?

He was still hesitant, though. He didn't know what would come with this. He didn't even know if it would work or not. No one did, really. They could guess, but they couldn't be certain. And they wouldn't ever be certain, until it was over with.

Deciding it was no use stalling, Hiccup walked/hobbled over to the bed motioned to by Gothi and then sat on it before laying down. He felt something placed over his nose, and then he was out like a light.