Homecoming 4
(after Book 4)

Getting up out of bed was more difficult some days than others. Especially when woken up by hearing a fit of coughing or a dragon puking. Hiccup opened up his eyes groggily, already sighing.

''Black Plague Friday, yay…'' He mused out loud, his voice hoarse and his throat scratching.

He wanted to cough too, but at least he didn't have a throbbing headache as usual.

Black Plague Friday was one of the only drawbacks of the Hairy Hooligans' new home compared to the previous one. Every year, during their migration from the fortress island to the Hidden World, a pack of Tiny Terrors – some cousins of the Terrible Terrors – used to stop by the berkian isle, carrying with them a whole bunch of diseases. Colds, flus, fevers… Everyone was affected, dragons included.

Normal people would have called in a day-off and bedridded everyone, but not the vikings. Stubborness isssues as usual. Vikings decided to carry on with their life, just naming this day with a curse and insisting on shopping in order to keep themself busy. Hey, it was Snoggletog's holidays, nothing would stop them from celebrating. That day, despite everyone being sick, became the perfect day to purchase Snoggletog's presents.

Hiccup wondered if Joke and him should take the kids to a shopping stroll. That would be a good occasion to spend some quality family time together. With all his chiefing and Joke's healing, especially during the holidays, they hadn't spent much time all together.

Smiling at the thought, he turned around in the bed to face his husband, but found nothing but an empty space next to him. Looked like Joke had already started is overbusy day. Sighing, he sat up in the bed, observing the empty bedroom save from the big scaly dragon laying on the floor. Toothless was half doozing, sprawled on the wooden floor. The mighty Night Fury, the king of dragons, startled and lifted his head, eyes still half closed, before he let out a gargled warbble as a greeting, and plopped back down. Hiccup chuckled at that, but that was before spotting something suspicious on the floor, next to the dragon. That's when he started to smell that infectious fishy-puky smell.

''Ow ! Toothless ! What have you done ?''

The dragon grumbled in reply, already doozing off. Hiccup put on his peg leg and rose to his feet, making his way towards the infection. He tried to push his dragon who was dripping in his own puke and wasn't moving at all.

''Come on, bud, you gotta help me on this.''

Hiccup stopped as he heard a noise coming from under the bed. Slowly, he turned around and spotted Nightsky and Duskstorm laying there, both of them looking nauseous. They had thrown up too.

''Oh great…''

''Dad !''

Quick footsteps rushed to the door and Alwine popped into the room. She looked quite healthy but her face was scrunted in disgust, her nightdress marred with lumps and an horrid liquid that made Hiccup wince.

''Midnight puked on me and my bed !'' The girl wailed, flailing her arms in despair and utter disgust.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. That was just what he needed to begin with his day.

''Huh, Toothy too…'' Alwine added. ''They'll flood the house !''

''Okay okay, calm down, we're gonna clean this up. First we'll gather the dragons and bring them to the shed, okay ?''

Alwine kept her grimace but still nodded in agreement.

''Is your brother with Daddy ?''

''Yeah.''

''Get changed and bring Midnight downstairs, I'll join you there once I manage to move Toothless. Oh and do you happen to know where Lumiverse, Moonshine and Daylight are ?''

''I saw Moony going out but I don't know about the others.''

Hiccup hed back another sigh. This day was really goign to be long. He should have gotten used to it by now, but no. As if the vikings were forgetting each year how Black Plague Friday actually felt. The vikings being sick was a thing, but the dragons… it was another story.

Elska and Joke used to be stuck at the shed all day long, cooking medicine and trying to see as much patients as they could. But sometimes they were sick too. Three years prior, Elska had to take regular breaks so she could try and take a nap to sooth her headache, and making medicine while coughing was requiring a longer time due to coughing in their elbow and washing their hands constantly.

After meeting Alwine downstairs with four of their seven dragons, Hiccup brought them across the village. All of the vikings outside were sick. Some of them were just lightly coughing, other looked like they had hammers in their head, and even some were clearly not int the shape to be wandering about but were still doing so.

Hiccup and Alwine were clearly some of the healthier ones. Hiccup was only coughing a bit and speaking with a hoarse voice, and Alwine was completely fine. On their way to the shed, the chief and his daugther spotted a group of Tiny Terrors playing on a roof, but a Zippleback was trying to chase them away, snarling and hissing at them between fits of gaz coughing.

''The dragons have it bad, this year…'' Alwine mused out loud, her voice full of concern.

Hiccup looked down at her and noticed how she tightened her grip around Midnight. The Night Light was getting too big to be carried around but the young girl still insisted on it, it was obvious she really cared about her friend and wanted to take care of her. Hiccup smiled at that. New Berk realy was a perfect home for dragons. The kids having grown up among them made them really carrign and understanding of the winged creatures. Sometimes, he couldn't wait to see how fine of dragon riders this generation would become.

Finally reaching the shed, they wondered at how crouded it was. There was a waiting line at the front of the building, countless vikings waiting with their dragons. Hiccup glanced at his daughter and they lined too, waiting for their turn. Toothless plopped down on the ground, sighing in relief and already falling asleep. Alwine kept Midnight in her arms no matter how she was tiring of carrying her, and Hiccup deposited Duskstorm and Nightsky between their father's paw. Unlike his daughter, he wasn't brave enough to keep on carrying them, especially two of them at the same time.

They waited in silence. They waited longer than they expected to. Hiccup had hoped to just drop the dragons at the shed and go find the others, then checking on the inhabitants for aggravated cases and run a team to chase away the remaining Tiny Terrors. It didn't seem to be more sick dragons than usual, but it surely was taking more time than usual for the healers to treat them. Frowning suspiciously, Hiccup decided to go check inside.

''Wait for me here with the dragons, Awie. I'll be right back.''

Since he was the chief, nobody said anything as he passed them to the front. At the counter, he was taken aback to find Astrid. Her face was pale and her brow sweating in fever, still she was there, working and helping by taking in the patients and sort them out from light fever to uncontrollable fit of coughing and puking.

''Astrid ? What are you doing here ?'' Hiccup asked.

''Helping out, isn't it obvious ?'' She retorted, looking tired and a bit out of patience.

''But…'' He didn't managed to finish his sentence, too astonished. Never before did Astrid used to help out at the shed. She was a warrior, not a healer. And Elska and Joke was efficiant enough.

''They needed some help so Dad and I volounteered.''

She paused in her explanations as she turned around to yell at her father, giving him the Hopgobbler that was just entrusted to her. The poor thing was shivering and coughing. Reekfrid dropped the paper he was writing and came to take the purple dragon, stroking its back and carrying it inside. When he came back he went back to the paper and kept on writing before taking giving it to a viking on the other side of the counter, which viking ran away as if his life depended on it.

''Don't forget the firefern and the firwood !'' Reekfrid called out to him.

''You already sent someone else to fetch ingredients ?'' Astrid asked, incredulous.

''The stocks are emptying really fast.'' The tall blond retorted.

''How come ?'' Hiccup wondered, confused. ''Running out of ingredients and helping hands ? How come the shed is exceeded when there aren't more sick dragons and people than usual ?''

''There may aren't more than usual, but we have more severe cases and one less healer.''

''One less healer ?''

Astrid sighed and ran a hand on her face.

''Elska is bedridden, so Joke is alone today. That's why we help him. He's also a bit distracted by Haldrik.''

''What about Haldrik ?''

Astrid gringed at that.

''Sorry, I thought you knew. He has it pretty bad, this year. I mean, he was fine when Joke and him arrived but quickly he got worst and Joke put him to bed too.''

Hiccup nodded in understanding, trying to sooth down these cold claws of worry that crept to him each time it came to his family.

''How are Eret and Zephyr ?''

''Zepp is pretty much fine save from being tired and cramped. Eret complains about his head and stomach, he had thrown up two times this morning. I left them both home, I can just hope Zeppy has it easy on her poor daddy. Being sick is bad enough as it is, especially with a little girl making fun of you while you recover.''

Hiccup winced at that.

''And Joke ? Can I see him ?''

''Of course but try not to hold him up for too long, we're already overbooked.''

Before entering, Hiccup made sure his daughter and the dragons didn't stay in the line. The Furies got borned while Alwine decided to stay and help her aunt.

In the middle of nauseous and coughing dragons, Hiccup spotted his husband. He barely had the time to be spotted the healer almost barked at him.

''Hic, there you are !''

''Huh… Not quite the 'good morning sunshine' I was expecting. I know you're busy but still…''

''Sorry babe, 'busy' is an understatment. I hope Alwine and the dragons are fine because Haldrik needs attention today.''

''Astrid told me. Well, actually the dragons aren't that good, at least four of them are sick, you'll have to deal with them later on.''

''Great…'' Joke sighed and quickly turned his head so he could cough in his elbow.

Hiccup looked around them and spotted Lumiverse on the upper floor. The way she was cirling and nuzzling in other dragons proved she was fine and giving them support to help them recover.

''Well, that makes one less fugitive.''

''Huh ?''

''Lumiverse's here, have you seen Moonshine and Daylight ?''

Joke pointed to the front of the building.

''Astrid spotted Moonshine with Meatlug and her hatchlings, and Daylight followed Zephyr home.''

''Why am I not surprised ?''

Silence followed as Joke left the dragon he was treating to take care of the following one. He was giving them medicine but the cauldron he was dragging was quickly emptying.

''Where's Haldrik ? Can I see him ?''

''Thought you'd never ask ! I had to lock him in the rest room. Can you try and put some reason into the stubborn muttonhead, please ? It won't do any good to anyone if he keeps on helping instead of resting.''

''Doesn't really change from usual…'' Hiccup mused, he knew how stubborn his son could get sometimes. Of all the personality he had inherited from his fathers, that Haddock trait was certainly not the best one the boy could have taken on.

Joke resumed his work and Hiccup noticed how tired he was, and how he had to stop to catch his breath. No wonder it was taking so long to treat the dragons. Hiccup tried to tell him to take a break but his husband wanted to empty the cauldron beforehand. He would have nothing to do but wait for Hoark to come back with the ingredients, anyway.

When the chief finally reached the room where they had settled Haldrik, he found his son sprawled against the wall, weakily trying to push open the window. Dark circles marred his blemish face, dull eyes half closed, and he coudl barely stand on woobly legs.

''Hik, you're impossible.'' Hiccup scolded.

He crossed the room and took his son's hand, almost ripping it from the window, before lifting the boy and putting him back to bed.

''Hav' t'help d'dy…'' The boy slurred.

''No, you have to rest.''

Hiccup forcefully pushed his son to lay him on his back and placed a hand on his forehead, frowning at how hot it was.

''Gods, you're burning up.

Haldrik only wimpered in reply, trashing weakily as if it was vital for him to get up. Hiccup sighed and picked him up, warily resting the boy's head on his shoulder. Joke eyed them worriedly when he saw them on their way back to the front.

''I'll bring him home. Alwine is staying to help Astrid. Don't worry, she's fine enough for that. Barely a coughing.''

''Good.''

Joke got up from his crouching position and walked to them. Hiccup stared at him as he stroked their son's head and kissed his forehead.

''Listen to your Dad, okay ? Make it easy on him and take your rest. We'll be okay here.''

''Pwomise ?''

''Promise.''

Hiccup smiled at that, and even more when he was granted with a kiss too. Joke's pale lips barely had the time to leave his cheek the chief claimed them. Joke chuckled and pushed him towards the exit.

''Go home, I still have a lot of work to do.''

The chief chuckled too and finally left. He explained to Alwine he was bringing her brother home and she worried about his fever, but the boy pretended he was fine.

Going back to the Haddock-Storm hutt proved to be silent. Without the dragons and even Joke and Alwine, their home seemed empty. Hiccup carried his son to his bedroom, the only one that escaped dragon puke, and put him to bed. They had not seen Moonshine on their way but the chief was sure the Night Light would come straight to Haldrik when hearing he was sick.

While Hiccup adjusted the furs on his son, the boy yawned and rubbed his eye.

''I hate Black Plague Friday.'' Haldrik pouted.

''Yeah, I know. Being sick is never fun.''

''Why do the dragons have to be sick too ? Why do the Tiny Terrors make us sick ?''

''They don't do it on purpose, you know.''

''So why do they stop here every year ?''

''Huh… Because they're used to ? I don't know, son. There's still mysteries about dragons we haven't found out yet.''

''Okay… Still hate to be sick.''

He whined as a new fit of coughing started. Hiccup helped him sit up and rubbed his back like Joke taught him to. Soon, the boy breathed again and could lie back down. Hiccup placed a wet towel on his forehead to soothe the fever. Joke had already given him medicine but he would need som again during the day, the chief would have to go fetch some at the shed at one point.

In the meanwhile, he would stay with his son, making sure he was resting and keeping him company. The boy seemed so down and miserable it was heartbreaking. Like his father Joke, he was energetic and full of life, he couldn't bare stay put and even less bedridden. For him, it was a prison. Hiccup chuckled at the memory of a peculiar tantrum the boy had put on them when eh didn't want to sleep.

''That's it,'' he said. ''Next year, there will be no Black Plague Friday. The dragon riders will intercept the Tiny Terrors and make sure they don't stop by our isle.''

Haldrik smiled at that, his eyes dropping close from exhaustion. Hiccup smiled softly and kissed his mop of unruly white hair. Getting rid of Black Plague Friday would surely put upside down this new tradition the vikings came up with, but the chief didn't mind. There was nothing he woudln't do for his family. Vikings would just go along, and not being sick wouldn't mean they couldn't keep the day-off.