(A/N) Another update for you guys and gals! This one was completely written by the writer Silver Sentinel, who may I say writes rather intriguing stories which I have read a few of myself. Without their help, this might've not been as long as it is now.
Story Idea-Hiccup is still getting used to having a prosthetic leg, but when said leg gets an infection, he fails to notice do to the work he is doing around the village. Hiccup is far too busy trying to keep up his status as the 'hero of Berk' to allow his pain to get the best of him. That is, until it is almost too late. Unfortunately, when Gothi and Stoick try to help, Toothless refuses to allow them close, scared they are just other villagers wanting to continue to overwork his sleep-deprived rider. Will Hiccup survive?
Story Idea Timeline-Takes place just a little while after Hiccup wakes up from the battle of the Red Death
Warnings/Details-Lots of Toothless/Hiccup friendship and Stoick/Hiccup father son bonding in this one. Rated K+ for slight descriptions of injury and mentions of blood. Pretty close to T I'd say.
"Hiccup!"
Said teen cringed upon hearing his name being called. He had spent some of his day walking about the village with his dragon, tending to his usual duties for the day. At a point he decided to head home for a little rest, only for someone to call his name. Now usually Hiccup would curse himself when this happens, mainly because when his name was called it was because he did something wrong, well it was wrong in the eyes of other Vikings. Yet, this time around it was completely different as the teen turned and saw one of the villagers running up to him.
"Thank Thor I found you Hiccup," the villager looked relieved.
"What's wrong?" Hiccup couldn't help but ask, fully knowing what was going on.
"It's the dragons we have, some of them are refusing to eat," the villager explained urgently. In Berk groups of villagers are in charge of feeding a specific group of dragons, dividing the duty up so it won't be as time consuming. Yet, today when said villagers went to feed them the dragons refused to do so. This confused and concerned them big time as they weren't sure what to do, that is until one of them suggested going to get the dragon expert.
"Huh, well what kind of food are you feeding them?" Hiccup asked as he started to follow the villager to where this group of dragons are, Toothless following behind with a small huff. "You do know that specific dragons only eat certain kinds of food right?"
It has been a month since Hiccup and Toothless killed the Red Death, and life for the teen was completely different, all for the best. Ever since waking up Hiccup was surprised to find that he was finally accepted by the village. Berk's most useless Viking finally welcomed into the fold and held as a hero. No more scowls of annoyance, no more cold glares or even hurtful comments. In its place are warm smiles, waves, and greetings. All of it was so sudden, It was overwhelming at first but he started to ease into it...and for once he is happy.
Unfortunately everything has its price, and Hiccup's acceptance into the village was a big one. His left leg is gone and now replaced with a metal one. The teen was disheartened upon seeing it, needing a moment to fully process it all. Now most people in his position would either get angry, cry, or even freak out… but Hiccup did none of it. Somehow he was able to accept this fact real easily. Many wondered how he did it, some suspected after being disappointed so many times in his life, it prepared him for it. Yet, in reality all Hiccup had to do is look at his dragon's missing tailfin, and realizes he's not alone. Toothless was his only real friend and knowing he is the reason why his dragon is crippled made him accept the fact that he is too. Call it Karma, or justice, the teen accepted his fate.
A while later Hiccup finished solving the current problem he was asked to help with. Apparently the dragons in question were Gronkles, and they were being fed fish. It was ok, but Hiccup had to inform them that Gronkles loved rocks better. It was an easy fix to grab some and feed them. It relieved the villagers in charge of them as it was nothing serious, and nearly made them smack themselves for not realizing this. Not that they would let the teen know this.
"Thank you Hiccup," the villager turned but frowned as he saw the boy rubbing at his stump, a small wince on his face. "Are you ok?"
"Huh? Oh yeah I'm good," Hiccup lied, pulling his hand away from his leg upon being caught. His stump suddenly started to burn for some reason, followed by a small dull ache. For some reason he felt the same thing upon waking up this morning, and the pain seemed to grow. But he didn't want to let them know about that, the last thing he would need for them to see is him getting weak. Not now, not ever. Thankfully his mind thought up something quick, "I'm still getting used to this leg."
Thankfully they seemed to have bought it, which is good. Yet now they held a look of pity...something that Hiccup mentally griminced at. Everyone knew about his metal leg and some still give him sympathy, mainly since they said that he's too young to be an amputee. This is something Hiccup hated, he just wanted to be treated like normal and not have his leg be an issue. Most likely these people are thinking of just that, "I'm sorry to hear that, it should get easier with time."
Hiccup nodded at that, now wanting to leave as the burn in his stump lingered, but grew. "Ok, if that's all i'll be going." With that he and Toothless turned and left, the villagers waved at him as he walked.
As he walked Hiccup yawned and fought hard not to limp. His body suddenly feels tired, unusual as he should have a lot more energy than normally. Combine that with the burning in his leg and that made it a lot worse. Right now all he wants to do is go home and take a nap. The teen wasn't sure what was going on with him, but ever since waking up he has felt drained of energy, plus his leg started to hurt more than it should. It surprised him a lot that he can still apply pressure to it and walk. It concerned Hiccup some but he decided to brush it off, chalking it up to working too long these last few days.
Toothless looked up at his human and warbled, concerned about his well being. The Dragon has been there for the teen and has been noticing things that not even the boy may have not been noticing. He could see that he was getting less sleep, working late, and putting the needs of the village over his own health. Yet, it was good in the dragon's opinion to see his human being needed after what he had been told, but there are times the Night Fury wished his human could be selfish and put himself first. At least now he seemed to be going back home to rest, he would make sure that no one disturbed him-
"Hiccup!" Another voice called the boy, causing him to stop and cringe as he was being called once more. This is the last thing he needed, all he wanted to do was go home and lie down, but he put on a neutral face and turned to see another villager coming up to him. "I'm sorry for bothering you but I need your help."
Mentally groaning Hiccup kept from showing annoyance, "What's wrong?"
"We're trying to show some of the young ones the dragons but they won't let any of us near them," the villager explained. He and the other adults were surprised to see the dragons backing away from them when they tried to approach. Usually they wouldn't do that and wasn't sure what was going on. Shamefully they needed help and went to the Dragon Trainer.
Hiccup mentally signed, fully knowing something like this would require his attention and keep him from going home. As much as it bothered him it was still his job and it needed to get done, "Alright, let's check it out and-Toothless!"
The teen stopped in his tracks as he felt a tug on his sleeve, he looked over and found his dragon holding his tunic sleeve. The Night Fury tugged the fabric and motioned towards the house, clearly trying to remind the boy of his original destination. Toothless didn't like the fact he was being bothered once more, and worse of all the human is actually agreeing to it. Maybe reminding him can get the point across.
"Toothless let go, I have to help them," Hiccup explained as he gently pried his sleeve out of his dragon's mouth, luckily no saliva is on there. With that Hiccup followed the villager, Toothless huffed in annoyance once more and followed right back, worrying a bit as he saw his human limp for a moment.
Now normally one would ask why is Hiccup agreeing to help someone when he is tired and wanting a nap? Well the answer is more complex than what one would assume. After recovering and getting used to walking on his prosthetic, Hiccup found himself getting some attention from the villagers. It wasn't the negative kind he always ganered when he did something wrong, but the opposite. Since dragons started to live among Berk the villagers needed to know how to get along with them, yet didn't know how. Since Hiccup was the first to ever ride one, they all flocked to him for advice on what to do.
It surprised and confused Hiccup as to why the people flocked to him for help with the dragons. He'll admit after studying Toothless he did know some things about dragons, but he was just as new to it as they were. Yet, he didn't let them know that, he wasn't sure why but he didn't. Instead he mustered up whatever courage he could and tried to address the problems that were given to him. Luckily the problems weren't that complicated and were easily solved with the current knowledge he had. That night he was able to go to bed relieved, only to be alone with his thoughts. After reflecting upon his day he then realized that he would have to do it all over again the next day, and the next, and so on. Worry started to flood him, as he tried to push his negative thoughts away, but they still lingered, making it hard for him to fall asleep that night.
Still, the next few days he faced the problems that were given to him the best he could. At times he didn't know what to do and found things to be overwhelming the more time passed. He needed some help and advice on what to do. He had thoughts of talking to his father about this, hoping he could provide a solution or advice. Ever since waking up from his small coma he was surprised to find his father a lot more open with his feelings and trying to be a dad, something that was completely the opposite of what Hiccup was used to.
Usually when waking up his father would be there to greet him, and at night when he came back, wishing him a goodnight. Hiccup couldn't help but give smiles, especially when the chief engaged him in conversation, actually trying to get to know his son more. Something that made Hiccup see the man in a new light, a good one. Seeing a change in his dad's attitude made Hiccup think he could go to him for advice. That thought was short lived, the moment his dad came home one night, Hiccup couldn't even get a word out as the chief practically said how proud he was of his son.
Stoick then explained how impressed he was to see that his son managed to shrug off his injury so fast and get to work helping the villagers with the dragons. Then he went on about how he was relieved to see his son contributing to the village without any complaint or incident. All thoughts of asking for advice flew out the window as Hiccup heard this, especially when he was brought into a warm embrace. There was no way he could tell his father his problems, so he decided to hold his tongue. There was no way he could tell his father his fears right now, as that would show his father that his praise was for nothing. Instead that would disappoint the man, like how it used to be. The last thing he wanted to do now is disappoint his father again, and get that same look on his face for when he did something wrong. He didn't want things to go back to the way they were before, not with him or the village.
So from that day forward Hiccup decided to do his best when it came to the villagers coming to him with dragon problems. He found himself waking up early, mainly since Toothless wanted to go for a flight. He would have such a good time flying with his dragon, the thrill would never leave him, and whenever he landed he would be bombarded with villagers who needed his advice. Hiccup did everything he could to help at any time. Even when he was eating at the Great Hall, he would drop what he was doing to help when asked. He would even stay out during night just in case he was needed before going home. Yet, even before he went to bed he would stay up longer, studying the Book of Dragons and trying to increase his own knowledge. He dreaded to think what would happen if there was a problem he had no clue to fix at all. He didn't even want to think about it as he tried to learn as much as possible. Hiccup was practically giving all he had to the village, and it was slowly wearing him down, yet he didn't know it yet, or was ignoring it.
Back to the present Hiccup sighed to himself in relief, as he pet a Monstrous Nightmare, glad that he had solved yet another problem. Looking back he saw the surprised villagers looking in awe. Just a moment ago none of those dragons would let any of them near them, but Hiccup did it so easily. They really believed the boy was special for accomplishing that and making it look like it was nothing. Stepping away Hiccup looked to them, "See? All you have to do is don't come near them with any weapons, they won't see you as a threat if you do so."
"That's amazing," the villager that called for help stated. "I still can't believe how you do that."
"It's simple, just show that they can trust you and there won't be anything to fear," Hiccup explained.
"Thank you Hiccup," they all said to the teen.
"Of course," he nodded but jerked as he felt a tug on his sleeve. Turning he found Toothless trying to pull him away. "Alright, alright i'm coming." He waved back at the villagers, not wanting to be rude towards him.
With that he started to walk, gently tugging his sleeve away, but had to shake his head as he felt a dull ache, and haze. His hand went up to his head and just like that it passed, well for the moment. Stopping a moment Hiccup composed himself for a moment to make sure it passed. It did for the time being so he started to walk, heading towards his home once more.
Toothless walked alongside his human, cooing worryingly as he saw his rider yawning and holding his head. Something was wrong with him yet he had no idea what. Being a dragon he has no idea what humans felt and since he couldn't speak the same language there was no way he could help. The best the Night Fury could do is just try and make sure his human gets back home and into bed safely, and without any more incidents. Sleep was always good, it would do his rider good to get his rest as it'll make him feel better.
"A nap really does sound good bud," Hiccup spoke to his dragon, hissing as his hand went to his stump, feeling the burn from earlier return but much stronger. He didn't stop and kept walking, but now is limping as any pressure on his stump caused the burning to increase. "Stupid leg...almost home...just can't wait to get of my feet and-"
"Hiccup!"
Both human and dragon winced and groan as the name was called… again. Toothless growled, fully knowing it was someone else in need and is going to keep Hiccup from his rest. They both turned and found Hiccup's friends coming over, well mainly Snotlout and Astrid. It surprised Hiccup a lot that the teens his own age, the ones that used to ridicule him and want nothing to do with him were now suddenly his friends.
Hiccup held no ill will towards the teens for what they did to him in the past. He didn't hold any ill will at all of the villagers at all either. He himself had been graced with a second chance in being accepted into the village, so it was the least he could do in giving everyone in his tribe a second chance, especially his new friends. It amazed a lot of people to see that Hiccup is so forgiving towards everyone, and were glad for it. It just showed how special the kid was. The teens as well, especially since he taught them to ride dragons as well, something they couldn't thank him enough for. At least after teaching them, Hiccup realized another thing about his new friendship with them.
Whenever he wasn't helping the villagers he would share his knowledge with them. Since they flew on dragons alongside him, they were the perfect choices to share what he knew, that and the teens wanted to know more. This came as a relief to Hiccup as they could help him when it came to the dragon problems, decreasing the large workload. Some of the villagers went to them for help, mainly Fishlegs as he knew just about the same as Hiccup when it came to dragons. Yet, they still flocked to Hiccup when they themselves didn't know what to do themselves. Yet, when the villagers had a problem they considered important, they went to Hiccup.
"Hey there, is there something wrong?" Hiccup greeted causally, leaning on his right leg to alleviate the pressure on his stump. It hardly worked as he could still feel the burn, yet also his head felt a bit light for some reason. He didn't contemplate this as he nearly tripped as he felt another tug on his sleeve. Looking he found Toothless once again pulling on his tunic. The teen managed to catch himself before falling and pried the cloth out of the dragon's mouth. "Toothless stop."
"What's wrong with him?" Astrid couldn't help but ask in curiosity.
"It's nothing," Hiccup lied as he pulled his sleeve free, wincing as he applied more weight to his left leg, face wincing but only his dragon saw it. Toothless warbled at his human urgently, wanting him to head straight home now, but it went on deaf ears when he gave his attention to the other two humans. "What's going on?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from breaking due to the burning in his stump.
"It's not me, it's Snotlout," Astrid pointed out, not seeing anything wrong at all.
"Hookfang keeps setting me on fire when I order him around!" the buffer teen complained, not looking happy about it. He seemed to be ignorant of what is going on with Hiccup.
"I keep telling him to change his attitude but he doesn't believe me and wanted a second opinion," Astrid commented next, ignoring when Snotlout rolled his eyes. Yet Astrid's eyes rose up as she saw Hiccup breathing a bit heavily and rubbing at his stump. "Hiccup are you ok?"
"Y-Yeah...i'm...just fine," Hiccup said with a heavy breath, all of a sudden his leg started to burn more and it started getting a bit hard to stand. Trying to ignore it he tried to focus and solve the current problem before anything else happened.
"You don't look so hot cuz," Snotlout agreed, which is the last thing Hiccup needed. He liked it better when his cousin was ignorant of things. "You think you can walk it off?"
"Snotlout I think it's his leg that's the problem I don't think he can walk it off," Astrid argued, not believing his stupidity.
Toothless shook his head in annoyance as he heard the three humans talk. This is only taking up precious time his rider needed to rest, and Hiccup is allowing it to continue instead of taking care of himself. All day he had been trying to get home only to be interrupted by others who needed his help. His rider is running himself tired and is still worried about others, if Hiccup isn't going to take charge of his own health then Toothless is going to do it for him, whether he liked it or not. What happened next surprised everyone who could see. One moment Hiccup is standing the best he could, and the next Toothless. The Night Fury then reached up and clamped his mouth on the back of Hiccup's vest.
"Whoa!" Hiccup shouted as the Night Fury took off in a sprint, dragging the one legged teen along. If anyone was looking all they could see is a black blur running at a fast speed, with Hiccup being dragged along, and struggling to get free. "Toothless, what are you doing!?"
He wasn't sure why he asked as the dragon couldn't respond back at all. All he did is struggle but found it was no use in getting free as the dragon is way stronger right now and could only endure being he winced and gasped as his burning leg was hurting the whole way as it was being dragged. Once at the house Toothless didn't even bother stopping he just burst right through the front door and headed up the stairs with Hiccup. The teen crying out as his body hit against the steps as he's dragged upstairs.
Once in the room the Night Fury dragged Hiccup to the far corner of the room and dropped him, curling up around him before lying down. Both wings then covered the teen protectively. Now that they are home Toothless is going to make sure his rider gets the rest he needed, no matter what.
"Toothless...get...off!" Hiccup struggled to get up, finding that his dragon was keeping him pinned down. The long back tail is wrapped up around him and the wings were covering him, as the dragon was adamant in keeping him down for some reason. Hiccup planted both feet, well one foot and one metal foot, on the ground and tried to push himself up but cried out as his stump burned heavily. Dropping down he then curled up and clutched it, eyes squeezed shut as he breathed in and out fast. He had no idea where that came from, the burning in his stump felt as if he stuck it inside the forge's fire itself. It hurt so much and continued to radiate throughout his body.
Toothless looked down at his human as more concerned swelled up within him. He had no idea what was going on with him and wished he did, all he could do is hope that his rider can rest and get through whatever is inflicting him. Rest always did that, right? Both of his ears twitch as footsteps could be heard, multiple ones. Looking back at the open door, a few seconds passed before Astrid and Snoutlout appeared, both of them rushed in and were concerned as they spotted their friend and the dragon.
"Toothless, what is going on-" Astrid began as she got close but stopped as the dragon bared his teeth and growled at her. Both she and Snotlout were startled and backed up, except for when they first met, Toothless has never growled at her. This brought up some confusion as well as curiosity, what was going on with the Night Fury? Once again she tried to move closer. "Toothless, what are you-"
He snapped at her, prompting Snotlout to pull her back, "Careful, I think he's actually trying to bite you."
"What in Odin's name is going on?" Astrid questioned as they remained next to the doorway, as they didn't dare get closer in risk of getting bit. Instead they looked and saw the barely noticeable form of Hiccup being covered up. Listening closely they could hear him breathing heavily, almost as if it was strained. "Hiccup, are you ok?!"
"I...I don't know," he responded back after a few seconds, not able to hide the pain in his voice. Yet his friends could very well hear it as well, it only made them more concerned. Before they could address the problem the front door opened as many voices were heard.
"What's going on?!"
"Is Hiccup Ok?!"
"That Dragon basically dragged him!" various villagers who saw Toothless dragging the teen came to check what was going on. They all came up the stairs and into Hiccup's room.
Astrid and Snotlout found them getting closer and went to stop them. "Stop, don't get-" Astrid tried to say but was too late as Toothless growled at them all, baring his teeth once more in a threatening manner. This was enough to silence and stop them in their tracks.
"What in Thor's name is wrong with that dragon?" one villager asked.
"We don't know, but he's not letting us near HIccup," Snotlout said, as they all watched the Night Fury, puzzled as to what is going on nor had any idea what to do.
Meanwhile Hiccup had no idea he was drawing a crowd, mainly as he kept holding onto what was left of his leg. The pain took up most of his attention as he waited for the pain to die down. The burning wasn't going down any further, and could feel that it was only getting worse. Reaching with trembling hands he started to untie his prosthetic, as the added pressure isn't helping. He nearly cried out in relief as some pressure was relieved once the leg fell off with a thud, but the burn was still there. He rolled up the sleeve of his pants, revealing the stump, but from his angle he couldn't properly see the condition.
If he could he would see that the stump was red, with a bit of yellow alongside it. Pieces of skin were slowly peeling, truly showing that something wasn't right. Yet the group of people in his room could see it easily as the pants leg wasn't covering it. All eyes rose in shock and concern as they saw this, almost immediately seeing the skin inflamed. They weren't exactly sure what was going on but they knew that Hiccup needed help right now.
"Someone needs to help him."
"How can we get closer?"
"He's going to get hurt!"
Many villagers voiced their concerns, which Astrid and Snotlout heard. Looking at one another before looking at Toothless, who seemed to be real defensive as he found more people in his rider's room. Little did they know that Toothless is trying to keep them from interrupting Hiccup's rest. Sadly if it came down to biting at them to get his point across he would do just that. Both of his ears twitched as he heard his rider's painful hisses. Looking down his eyes rose as he saw him clutch the spot where his leg once was. Confusion and worry shot through the dragon as he had no idea what was going on now. He didn't understand that the stump was infected and only thought that the boy needed rest. This only affirmed his stance on making sure he stayed in place.
His ears perked up again as he sharply turned back to the people, finding Astrid and Snotlout inches away. Quickly he growled again, causing them to back up, as they were trying to sneak up on him while distracted. This was a bad move as Toothless huddled himself closer to his human, securing him more. Sadly this is having the opposite effect on Hiccup. His panting growing more as the heat in his stump now could be felt all over his body as sweat started to fall from his forehead. Being pressed up against his dragon's warm scales weren't helping his situation.
Weakly he tried to get up, and push the Night Fury away, "T-Toothless...you're too warm...it's...it's making me hot."
Hearing this everyone else needed to act but before they could they heard something that made them all stop in their tracts. "What's going on? Why are there so many people here?!" Stoick's voice boomed as he entered the home and went upstairs. The chief was utterly confused, mainly since moments ago he was helping herd some yaks when someone came up to him, talking about how they saw his son's dragon dragging him off. This of course worried him as ever since allowing the beasts to live with them the Night Fury hasn't shown any hostility towards his son. So he was in some disbelief, but now as he's home he's confused as to why it is filled, that is until he got upstairs.
"What in Thor's name is going on?" He asked as he pushed through the crowd, only to see the situation before him. Both eyes rose as he saw his son in Toothless' grasps, the Night Fury growling at his appearance. "Someone explain?!"
"Sir, we were asking Hiccup for help for one of the Dragons and Toothless just dragged him off and into here. We tried to get closer but he's not letting us," Astrid explained as the man seemed to understand, that is until she revealed the next piece of information. "But sir...Hiccup's stump...look."
Stoick did as he was told and looked carefully at his son, the view was obscured a bit both he still managed to get a good look. Which in turn caused both of his eyes to widen in both surprise and concern. "No...this isn't good."
"We know but we can't get any closer to Hiccup without angering Toothless," Snotlout responded back.
"I'll handle this," Stoick firmly said as he moved closer, all eyes on the chief and breaths are held as they watch on. If the chief couldn't do anything they weren't sure what else could be done. He stopped once Toothless saw the large man and growled like he did the others.
The Night Fury is now a bit worried right now. He knew who the man in front of him was, and there was no way he was going to hurt him. If he had then Hiccup would be upset, and that is the last thing the dragon wanted to do to his rider. If only the man knew that his son needed rest, and he's trying to do a good thing, but no, most likely he wanted his human to get back to work instead of resting up, and Toothless wasn't going to let that happen. Maybe his growls could keep him at bay.
"Hey there Toothless, know me right?" Stoick started to speak, showing he wasn't fazed by the grows. All in all it was a front as he mentally flinched at it, but he couldn't show it at all. Being in close proximity to the Night Fury made him nervous, mainly since after fighting dragons for so many years it's still unnerving being around them still. He still believed somewhat that the dragons could turn again but tried to push it out of his mind. If his son trusted them then he would. "You need to let Hiccup go."
As he got closer Toothless moved back further, taking Hiccup along with him. The boy seemed to be in a daze as his body heat grew, and it started to mess with his head. He could hear the voices yet didn't have the energy to speak, or do anything. The burning in his leg taking most of his focus. He still felt Toothless embracing him further, the dragon not sure what the chief is playing out, but still kept up his defensive front.
"Look down at Hiccup," Stoick spoke, hoping the dragon would listen to him. "You may not know it but Hiccup is sick, the spot where his leg once was looks infected, and needs to be treated. We can't do that if you hold onto him like you are doing."
Sick? Toothless stopped his offensive presence as he heard that. The dragon understood some of what the humans are saying, but this didn't really cross his mind. He had thought his human was just tired and the others were keeping him from resting. If he is sick, then it would mean he needs help...but what if this was a ruse? What if as soon as he moved away they would take his rider away for more work they need him to do. It was a risk, but could he risk doing that?
Everyone saw that the Night Fury was calming down but there is still some hesitation. Stoick talking him down is working some but not fully yet as it could go in either direction. The chief saw this and knew he needed one last push. Looking down at his son both eyes widen as he saw Hiccup's head hanging, sweat flowing down his face and breathing is turning heavy. He needed to work fast and get to him.
"Toothless you need to hand Hiccup over," Stoick got closer but that earned him another growl, which didn't deter him. "If Hiccup gets sicker he could die."
Die? Toothless gasped out upon hearing this. He didn't really think of that either, his sense of protectiveness must have clouded his mind from even thinking about this. Is Hiccup so sick that he could die? And he is the reason behind it? No, that couldn't be, the dragon would never forgive himself if it was true, yet was this another tactic? No, no it couldn't be, because the Night Fury has watched Hiccup and his father's interactions and the chief has never lied to him, meaning he wouldn't lie to the dragon, right?
Either way he took the chance to look down at his rider, both eyes widening as he saw the small boy's flushed, breathing heavily and looking to be on the point of passing out. He definitely looked a lot worse than he did earlier, there was no way his human's father would be lying about this. Some guilt swelled up within him as not only did he see his rider needed rest, but was blind to seeing that he was sick himself. Either way his friend needed help before anything bad could happen.
Everyone's eyes rose in surprise as they saw the dragon move his tail and wings out of the way, clearly opening Hiccup up for them all to see. Taking that as a positive sign Stoick dashed forward and knelt down to pick up his son.
"Hiccup?" he called out before he placed a hand on his forehead. "Great Odin's ghost you're burning up." He then lifted his son up to take him to his bed, not before looking over at the people gathered up, "Someone go get Gothi!"
…..
The next coherent thing Hiccup could register is him awakening from a surprising sleep, or was it sleep? Did he just black out for a moment or was his head in such a bad haze that he couldn't register anything? He has no idea right now as his vision started to clear up, only for him to cry out in pain as the burning in his leg increased, especially since it felt like someone was touching it, "Arrgh!"
He was about to thrash about and pull his leg away only for strong hands to hold him down, "Easy Hiccup, don't move."
"D-Dad?" he panted out in confusion, vision finally cleared enough for the teen to see his father's worried face. "W-What happened?!"
"Your dragon was keeping us from you, we just got him to back down but you have a fever and Gothi is checking you over," Stoick explained carefully yet with concern. Before Hiccup could say something else, a soft coo is heard.
Hiccup turned his head and found Toothless nearby, head bowed and looking a bit ashamed. "T-Toothless…" He said as he reached out and petted the dragon on the snout. The action making him feel a bit better.
"He wouldn't leave your side, besides I don't think anyone could have made him leave," Stoick explained softly, looking at the dragon, but holding no ill will. Like himself the dragon is very protective of Hiccup, and besides it's not like anyone would dare to try and get him out of the room.
"A-Anyone?" Hiccup questioned in confusion before looking around, eyes widening as he saw people inside his room, all of them with concerned expressions. He also found Snotlout and Astrid by his side, they too were concerned as well. "W-What is-Urgh!" he cried out as he felt a sharp pain in his stump, causing his eyes to squeeze shut and and thrash about. Stoick saw this and held his son down.
"Easy there, I know it hurts but you need to keep still," Stoick said as he looked over at Gothi, the old viking is dragging her frail fingers through the irritated skin, flaring up the pain that is already in there. "Well Gothi?"
The old woman shook her head and stood up, throwing some dirt onto the floor and started to write in it. Stoick looked over the symbols being written, eyes widening as he translated the words mentally. Astrid frowned as she saw this, fully knowing that what was being written isn't good, "Sir, what's she saying?"
"Just do it," Stoick said, voice filled with some worry as he ignored the question and looked back at his son, Gothi nodding and getting some stuff together.
Hiccup was confused as to what was going on and looked back up at his father's face, "D-Dad, what did she say?"
"Hiccup...your stump is really infected...Gothi needs to drain it," he said.
Hiccup visually paled upon hearing that, well pallier than what he looked like right now. His body tighten and heart raced with fear; knowing what was going to happen. He had seen his share of infections and knew what was to come when it had to be drained, and to be honest it terrified him. Yet as he saw the others in the room the feeling only grew. "N-No...D-Dad I-"
Stoick cut him off, knowing the look on his face as the news would scare anyone. "Son, I'm sorry but it has to be done."
"B-But...dad...I...I can't...not...not," Hiccup had trouble trying to say as his breathing is uneasy. Yet his eyes moved back and forth from his father and to the crowd. Stoick was curious as to what was going on, but picked up on this and looked in the direction his son looked in. Slowly it started to make sense as he realized what he was hinting to, and to be honest he couldn't blame the child. The procedure that was to be done would hurt a lot, Hiccup being Hiccup, wouldn't have a high pain tolerance and would break down quickly, right in front of everyone. His son has worked so hard to earn the respect of the village that he feared that would go if they saw him crying out in pain.
"I see," he patted the boy's head before getting back up to his feet and facing the crowd. "Alright everyone out!"
Everyone were caught off guard at hearing their chief, why were they being ushered out? Most wanted to stay and support the boy but that hope is being dashed out. "But sir...why?" one villager asked.
"Don't question it, out!" he commanded once more, but with more seriousness in it. This was picked up on by some people, now realizing there was a purpose to this. Still, they didn't know what it was but they didn't disobey an order. One by one they all filed out of the room, down the stairs and out of the house. Astrid and Snotlout were the only ones left, and thought they could stay, yet one look at the chief told them otherwise. Looking at Hiccup they gave him supportive nods before leaving, the door closing as they were alone.
Stoick went to his son's side, looking across and seeing Toothless. He fully knew the dragon was staying, like before there is no changing the dragon's mind as he's devoted to being by his son's side. He looked over at Gothi, "Go ahead," the elder nodded as she started cleaning the area on the stump.
Hiccup hissed loudly as this happened, twisting a bit as the pain was already too much. It felt better having the crowd gone, and having Toothless nearby, but his dad is still here, still bad in his opinion. "D-Dad...I...I don't want you to...to…" he struggled to say, as the words wouldn't come out of his mouth, but thankfully this was picked up on.
"Son, I know this will be really painful...so scream, and cry as much as you want. Believe me when I say that it won't change how I view you. You've earned that much already."
Hiccup wanted to open his mouth and protest but stopped as he looked upon his father's face. The man had a warm expression, and one that basically radiated honesty. From what Hiccup knew, his father was always truthful when his face mirrored this expression. Plus, the man would never lie to him, not anymore, as there was any reason for it. Besides it wasn't like he was going anywhere, he knew his father would root himself right there for the whole thing despite protest.
He just nodded and looked back at Gothi, the elder finally ready as she held a small, yet sharp, knife. She then motioned to the chief, and then Hiccup felt his father's hands press down against his leg, holding him still. Looking up at Toothless Stoick spoke, "Can you help hold him down?"
The Night Fury nodded in understanding, raising a heavy paw and placing it on Hiccup's chest. Applying weight, yet not enough to cause discomfort. The teen understood why this was being done and tried to brace himself for what was about to come. Gothi nodded, then inched the knife closer, the tip making contact with the infected stump.
Once Hiccup felt the blade cut in both eyes closed tightly, but unfortunately his pain tolerance was low enough as it was. He reared his head back, gritting his teeth, but unfortunately he couldn't hold it in anymore, "Aaaarrrrgghhhhhhhh!"
Stoick heard his son's painful scream and closed his eyes, trying his best to block out that painful sound. He wanted to cover his ears and not hear it at all, only because he couldn't stand hearing his son in pain. Yet, he had to refrain as he Hiccup's body started to thrash about on the bed, and if it wasn't for the chief and dragon holding him down, his leg would be thrashing about as well, messing up Gothi's work and making things worse. "Just hang in there Hiccup, I know it hurts."
Hiccup couldn't hear it as he kept thrashing about, screaming in agony. Tears started pouring down his face, making his vision go blurry. His screams died down, turning into choked sobs, as a result of saliva running down his throat. The screaming resumed as another incision was made, this one more painful than the first. What he didn't see is that after cutting the skin Gohi is squeezing the stump, yellow pus and blood dripping out from the wound and falls down into a bucket. His face is flushed, wet with tears, as his movements started to slow down. The screaming quieting down as the boy eventually reached his limit, his body slowly down as both eyes rolled into the back of his head.
Hiccup passed out from the pain.
…..
Hiccup's mind was all jumbled up as he started to come to, all his senses waking up as both eyes opened. Blinking a few times for clarity the first thing he saw is his room's ceiling. Both of his eyes closed again, his sense finally awake, as he could feel pain in his left leg. It felt raw and like many daggers were stabbing right into it, but he managed not to cry or scream.
A small coo made his eyes snap open. Looking down he saw his dragon's head rising, obviously the Night Fury was resting his head on his belly. Smiling his hand reached out, "Hey Toothless."
"Hiccup," a relieved voice sounded after he spoke, prompting the boy to look to the other side.
"Dad," he smiled seeing him, relief plastered all over his face.
"How are you feeling son?" he asked, placing his hand on his son's forehead.
"My leg still hurts," Hiccup groaned out as he shifted in his bed.
"Well your fever wet down, that's good," Stoick sighed as he pulled his hand away. "I got worried when you passed out."
"Um...how long was I out?" Hiccup asked, now curious.
"A while, the sun started to set."
"Oh, ok," the teen responded, glad that he wasn't out for that long. Last time he passed out, or was knocked out, he woke up days later. That was a big surprise but rather it did not happen again. Curiosity got to him as he looked down at his leg, which was blocked by his blanket. The pain is still there, and it was obvious that his prosthetic wasn't attached. He looked to his father, "C-Can I see it?"
"Sure," Stoick nodded as he got up and leaned over, hand grabbing part of the blanket and pulling it up, enabling Hiccup to look down at his stump. He found his pants leg was rolled up, and the stump was bandaged. There was some red on it as blood soaked in, but not as much which was good as it must have stopped. "It took Gothi over half an hour to clean it, it went a lot easier after you passed out."
"Guess it was good I wasn't awake for it, I don't think I would have been able to stand that much pain," Hiccup said as he leaned his head back on his pillow. He heard Toothless coo, and couldn't help but smile at the dragon, reaching over to pet him.
"That or you didn't have to endure it in the first place," Stoick responded in a accusing tone as he put the blanket back down. Hiccup stopped petting his dragon as both of them looked back up upon hearing him, instantly knowing that tone. Nothing else was said until the chief went back to the chair next to the bed, sitting down and looking at the teen. "Hiccup...why was your leg infected?"
The teen was silent after that question, looking away from his father and back to his dragon. Toothless stared back at his rider, cooing softly, almost asking the very same thing. He wasn't sure himself as to the answer of the question as he didn't even know himself until it was too late. "I...I didn't even know."
"Didn't know? Hiccup you could have died if this went on unnoticed, how in Thor's name do you not know that your own leg is infected?" Stoick responded back in disbelief. For his son being so smart it was a huge surprise that his own leg was overlooked.
"I...just didn't know...I've been...busy," Hiccup responded back, voice seeming low as he didn't want to look at his father. Obviously his gaze held disappointment, and couldn't bear to look at that face once more. This was the one thing he wanted to avoid most of all, yet here he was; screwing up like he had before.
"Busy?" Stoick questioned, surprised big time at this and not sure what he meant by this. What could be so important for him to ignore his own health? "What could have you so busy that you would overlook your own leg?"
"Everything dad, Everything!" Hiccup couldn't help but shout, snapping his head to his own father. Instead of disappointment he saw a look of surprise on his father's face. The teen then recoiled, not wanting to do that at all. He wasn't even sure why he snapped at his father like that, it wasn't like he was going to say anything at all… It just came out.
"What do you mean?" Stoick responded, his chastisement tone replaced with confusion.
"It's nothing dad, just forget it," Hiccup tried to dismiss, not wanting to get into this at all. Just like before he didn't want to air out his problems to his father, not wanting to disappoint him again and complain about the stress he has been under.
"Hiccup," Stoick said, this time with a bit of firmness. The chief knew his son is being stubborn in admitting the truth, and now he wanted to be clear that he wanted none of that. "Tell me, what's wrong? What did you mean by everything?"
Hiccup was silent once more, still unsure of whether or not he should say anything or not.
"Son, like before, nothing you will say will change how I see you. I need to know what's wrong so I can help, please son, trust me," Stoick said, voice urging his son on and sounding sincere.
Hiccup sat there, listening to his father's words yet not saying anything. His mind thinking over his options as he was hesitant. He still didn't want to risk disappointment, yet his father is sounding really honest. Plus, the man has been doing his best to change, and re-establish trust between the two. Besides keeping it all in is taking a lot out of the teen, and he just needed to vent out his concerns. Apparently it was enough to cloud his mind from noticing his leg getting infected, and now it made him worried. If he kept on going without letting anything out, what could happen to him next? Looking over at Toothless he saw his dragon looking back, then he nudged his rider, almost as if saying to talk to the man. Mustering up whatever courage he could he opened up.
"I'm overwhelmed dad," Hiccup responded back in a small voice, yet it was loud enough for his father to hear. Both of the chief's eyes widened in surprise but before he could speak Hiccup continued. "Ever since beating that large dragon...The villagers have been coming to me for dragon related problems. In all honesty I don't mind doing it, but it's becoming overwhelming for me. The whole village sees me as a dragon expert, but dad I'm far from that. I'll admit I know some things about dragons but I'm not an expert, I'm still learning like everyone else."
Stoick sat there, unmoving and silent as he heard his son. Truly he is astonished at what he's hearing, mainly since he had no idea. If his son was feeling like this, then it only made him wonder what else he was hiding. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because...dad before the war ended I was useless...that was practically my nickname. Anything I did wrong would get anger and annoyance from the villagers, no one wanted to associate with me at all. Aside from Gobber I was alone, I had no friends or anyone to talk to about any of it. Until Toothless came along. Because of him the war ended and...I was finally accepted, no longer an outcast in his own tribe. I was finally needed and no longer looked down upon. I craved this, I wanted this so bad that I was worried that I could easily lose it all. Especially if I was tasked with a dragon problem I couldn't solve...I stressed so much about encountering a problem I couldn't solve. I wished that wouldn't come. I feared what would happen if I encountered a problem I couldn't solve...I feared that I would become useless again."
"But...why didn't you tell me at least?" Stoick spoke, voice held disbelief. Never in his life has he heard such negative words from his son's mouth. He knew Hiccup had a reputation for causing trouble, but he never actually knew his trouble ran so deep. Some guilt started to swell up within him, mainly since as his father he should have picked up on this, but he hadn't. Was he that out of touch with his son that he would ignore his internal struggles?
"Because...before...you've always been busy, trying to hunt down the dragons nest, and doing your duties as chief. Plus everytime I did something wrong you would always have that same...disappointed scowl on your face. When I woke up afterward that fight...The look of pride you had...It made me feel so much accepted, not just by the village… But by you. I didn't want to disappoint you again by saying I couldn't handle being so overwhelmed. So, I held my tongue, I decided to do what I could to continue to help the village. I stayed out longer than usual in case someone needed me, even skipped meals to do so. And even at night I stayed up studying the book of dragons so I could hopefully expand my knowledge. I even taught my friends what I knew so they could help out lighten my workload, but everyone comes to me primarily. I guess because of this I overlooked my own leg, and didn't know it was getting infected. I almost killed myself… all because I didn't want to become an Outcast of the village again."
Now the guilt within Stoick only increased tenfold as he heard his son further. True, he hasn't been a great father for a long while, mainly putting his duties as chief first. Plus, the fact that despite living together the two hadn't spent much time with one another. Still it was heartbreaking to hear all these concerns and fears, and it was bad enough that his own son couldn't confined with him. Still, to think that Hiccup felt so alone and like an actual Outcast within his own tribe… and he had no idea. It just showed how far apart the two were, and Stoick didn't like it at all. In the end he was disappointed, but with himself.
"I'm so sorry Hiccup," Stoick said in a low voice, bowing his head and earning a surprised look from his son. "I know I've done a terrible job as a father, but what ignoring you is almost unforgivable. Almost losing you in that fiery blaze made me realize how important you are to me, and it shouldn't have ever come down to that. I love you so much son and I don't know what I'd do without you. If I am disappointed it's only with myself. You should have never felt ashamed or worried to come to me if you were having problems or were being overworked."
Hiccup listened on as his father spoke, nothing but sincerity in his voice. The boy couldn't help but shed a small tear upon hearing his father continue.
" I know we were never on the best of terms before, but I'm trying to fix that. I want to med the rift that is between us, as I don't want you to feel alone again...especially when you finally feel accepted. I'm so sorry I've made it seem like you couldn't come to me with your problems...It just shows how terrible of a parent I have been, especially since I never noticed your infected leg either...I sorry for being such a terrible father to you, previous and even now… Can you ever forgive me?"
Silence filled the room as more tears fell down Hiccup's face. Never in his life has he heard his father apologize like this, every word true upon hearing them, which made Hiccup realize the man wasn't lying. For the longest time he wanted his father's acceptance and praise, in more than one way. He now started to feel foolish for thinking his father would judge him for venting his problems.
Looking over at his father, eyes still tearing up, as he no longer cared if he cried or not. "Of course dad...why wouldn't I."
"Son," Stoick said as he hugged his son, Hiccup returning the embrace. "Thank you."
The two then felt Toothless nuzzle the two, his wings wrapping around the two as he joined in the embrace as well. Father and son welcomed it as more silence filled the room. A massive weight feeling like it was lifted off of Hiccup's shoulders as despite being fully accepted by his village, he still felt alone as he could never voice his problems and concerns. But now, he didn't have to worry about that anymore.
He no longer felt alone.