Chapter 9 – Don't Leave Me Like This

Woo! Finally! This chapter is a bit…long, but it had to be!

Thanks to my awesome collaborator for all the help on this chapter. A lot happens and I got stuck quite a bit so her help was (and always is) so greatly appreciated.

The title of this chapter came from a line in a song (Wind & Anchor by The National Parks) and it really helped me get through writing the beginning of this chapter. Give it a listen if you'd like! :)

I hope you all enjoy!

Hiccup wasn't coming.

Astrid knew it the second she looked down at the time on her phone - her heart clenching at the photo staring back at her on the lock screen. It was a photo she'd taken of them during one of their evenings laying on a blanket in the quiet cove with nothing but their horses, the peaceful sounds of nature around them, and each other. It was taken at a time when things were a lot less hectic and when the future was a lot less nerve-wracking.

It was a photo that was evidence of the past. And the photo currently grasped in her hand was evidence of the future. The same future Astrid was waiting to tell her husband about. Her husband who was about to be late if he didn't show up within the next fifteen minutes.

Astrid was laid out on the window seat, a book opened in her lap but she never once looked down to read it.

Her mind was too busy thinking about how she was going to tell him - after she made him pay for breaking his promise, of course, because he wasn't about to get away with that one.

But did she just blurt it out? Did she show him the photo and then say it? Should she come up with some clever and cheesy sentence like those people who go viral on the internet do?

The knock on the door distracted her.

She stood up from her spot - stretching out her muscles that grew tight and sore from sitting in the same position for too long - and walked over to open the door.

Astrid was expecting it to be one of the twins telling her dinner was ready so she was surprised to see Gobber standing in front her without his usual bright and cheerful expression that she'd grown comfortable to. Instead, he looked...worried.

Realizing that the photo was still grasped in her hand, she quickly tucked it away into her blazer pocket before the older man saw it and asked her a question she wasn't sure how to dodge.

"Gobber? Is everything alright?" Astrid asked him when he still had yet to speak one word to her and let her know just why he was standing in front of her door with a pale face and wide eyes.

The way he hesitated and swallowed thickly made her heart speed up and her palms sweat.

Something was wrong.

"There's been an accident...at the orphanage..." Gobber finally spoke, his usual strong and loud voice was quiet and shaky.

She was beginning to expect him to say that, but her heart sank anyway.

"Did anyone get hurt?" She asked, praying that his answer wasn't going to be what she was thinking it would be, but the paleness of his face was already giving it away.

He just nodded slowly and looked down at the shiny wooden floor beneath their feet.

"What about Hiccup? Is he alright?"

Gobber looked back up at her then. Astrid realized she'd never seen him look so serious and it just added to the unnerving of the whole situation, "He's being rushed to the hospital right now. I don't know anything else other than he's in pretty bad shape. I came to take you and Stoick to the hospital."

The words 'pretty bad shape' made time stop around her because that could have meant anything.

It could've meant he was going to be just fine and they were just exaggerating the situation. Or it could've meant the exact opposite.

Astrid didn't even feel Gobber place his large hand on her back and guide her out the door and all the way into the car where she climbed in next to the King who was sitting there with the same pale and worried expression across his face. The car ride was filled with a heavy silence, but her thoughts were running wild.

Pretty bad shape.

She couldn't get those words out of her head because she didn't know what that meant.

Did it mean he had cuts and bruises and some broken bones but other than that he was going to live?

Had he lost another limb?

Did he hit his head so hard he wouldn't remember who he was or even who she was?

Or did it mean that he was hanging on for dear life?

She didn't know anything other than there had been an accident, her husband had been injured, and there was a possibility that she may never see him smile at her again.

She hadn't even realized she had started crying until suddenly there was a loud heartbreaking sob that broke out into the quietness of the car. And she realized that sob had come from her when she felt Stoick wrap his large arm around her shaking shoulders.

She was sobbing because she was scared. The most scared she's ever been.

More scared than when she rode on the back of her horse for the very first time and almost flew off backward because she didn't hold on tight enough.

More scared than when she watched her usual strong mother slipping away right in front of her and there was nothing she could do about it.

More scared than when she realized she truly loved the boy standing in front of her with those bright green eyes and a gap-toothed grin that made her heart speed up still to this day.

And even more scared than the moment she realized she was going to become a mother without feeling prepared for the task at all.

Astrid only didn't know that it was she who was the one that was sobbing because Astrid didn't break down. She didn't cry when things got scary.

But after years and years of putting on a brave face through the scariest of situations, this was the one that made her fall apart.

It made her fall apart because she could be losing not only her husband and the person that she vowed to spend the rest of her life with, but she could be losing her best friend and the person that knew her better than anyone else.

She could be losing the person that made her experience love and the person who made her laugh like she never has before. The one she trusted with her whole life.

She could be losing the father of her child. The same child she may have to raise on her own while telling them stories about their dorky dad who was also the strongest person she's ever met because they wouldn't get to see it for themselves.

Astrid hadn't wanted much in her life, but she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Hiccup.

She wanted to wake up each day and see him lying next to her.

She wanted to watch their child grow up together.

She wanted to lead Berk together.

She wanted to overcome each curveball and obstacle that life threw her way with him right there with her.

She wanted to grow old with him.

And now...now it was possible that all of those things would be taken away. And she'd probably still get to do all of that but just without him by her side.

The worst car ride she's ever had came to an end as they pulled up to the hospital - the place where she'd hopefully find the answers that would finally put an end to her thoughts that couldn't seem to stop drifting to the worst case scenario.

Astrid groaned when she saw the few people standing by the entrance with cameras in their hands and turned towards their car driving up. She wiped at the tears still making their way down her cheeks before Eret opened the door.

The continuous clicking and shouting began the second the King stepped out of the backseat and they all were asking the same questions that she was also asking herself, "Will Prince Henry be alright?"

And they weren't going to get an answer because no one knew.

It was her turn to slide out of the backseat, but before her feet could hit the ground, Eret handed her his sunglasses.

She must've looked more distraught than she thought.

Astrid thanked him and slid them on over her bloodshot teary eyes before following her father-in-law in through the glass doors that led into the lobby of Berk Medical Center where they were met by a nurse who had apparently been waiting for their arrival.

"How is he?" Stoick asked before she could even open her mouth to ask the same thing.

Astrid watched as the short woman bowed her head respectively before replying to the King, "He's having a CT scan done right this moment. The doctor will come to let you know more when he's finished."

"So he's alive?" Astrid asked before she could walk away.

"He's alive." She reassured and led them all to the private waiting area that closed them off from the many stares and curious whispers.

Astrid thought she'd be more relieved to hear those two words, but what happened and what was wrong was still unknown and she figured she was going to be on edge until those two questions were answered.

"Astrid!" A familiar voice called before she could walk in through the door to the room only filled with the people closest to the Prince.

She turned and saw Fishlegs waving at her from his spot by the water fountain. He was someone who knew the answer to at least one of those questions still filling her mind.

Astrid waved him over to follow her into the white-walled room with plastic chairs and a television showing the news on the wall, "Are you alright?" She asked him after the door shut behind them.

Fishlegs couldn't look her in the eye, "I didn't get hurt, no."

"What happened?" Astrid asked and then suddenly the room filled with quiet chattering stopped and it was silent because everyone else wanted to hear the answer to the question they were all thinking.

She felt Stoick step up behind her.

This was the question that made Fishlegs look up from picking at the dirt underneath his fingernails, "He just...fell through the floor." He shuddered like he was remembering some awful memory that he didn't want to be brought back up to the surface.

"What do you mean?" Stoick asked, his loud booming voice right in her ear making her jump slightly.

Fishlegs continued, "We were both on the second floor - which was still kind of unstable - talking about expanding one of the rooms. He left to take a phone call and the next thing I knew there was a loud crash, shouting, and then a bunch of us were frantically trying to uncover Hiccup from underneath a pile of wood and metal."

The words phone call made her feel a little sick to her stomach because it had been her on the other end.

And this really wasn't the time or the place to spend fifteen minutes hiding in a bathroom stall with her head in the toilet. So, she took a deep breath as she walked over to sit in one of the uncomfortable sticky plastic chairs to try and help calm all the stress that was beginning to give her a pounding headache.

"So, you've seen him?" Eret asked from his place by the door.

Fishlegs nodded slowly, his flushed face turning pale as he began to think about finding his friend underneath all the rubble with a bloody gash in his forehead and completely unconscious.

"How bad is he hurt?" Astrid asked before someone else could beat her to it.

Fishlegs shrugged, "I just know the medics were worried about his head the most. I saw a cut right above his eye and that's all I know."

None of that information lifted the stress that hung over the room like a dark cloud. If anything, it just made them all a little more impatient for news.

And the rest of Berk was apparently feeling the same because the news playing softly on the television was filled with people talking about the accident. Some were standing in front of the hospital they were currently inside of and some were standing outside the orphanage.

But then one of the reporters asked what would happen to Berk if something was to well...happen to Prince Henry.

And then she heard the word heir and that's when she'd had enough.

"Someone turn that off," Astrid ordered, pointing at the television on the wall.

Gobber, who was closest, did the honors and seemed eager to do it as he shoved the power button a little harder than necessary.

Something that Fishlegs had said began to eat at Astrid, and it wasn't the fact that she was the last person he talked to before he fell. It was the word unstable, "Why were you even on the second floor if it was unstable in the first place?" She asked, her tone coming out a little harsher than she'd intended.

Fishlegs sighed, "Hiccup wanted to see if his new idea had any hopes of being possible and neither of us thought we'd be up there long enough for it to be dangerous." He explained, "I'm really sorry."

"I don't blame you, Fishlegs. We both know how accident prone Hiccup is." She replied lightly, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips that only stayed for a short moment before returning back to a worried frown.

Fishlegs' shoulders shook with a light chuckle, "He has been ever since we were kids."

And then Astrid gasped because his reply reminded her of something that shouldn't have taken her this long to realize, "Someone needs to call Valka."

Gobber - with his cell phone already out - volunteered, but the King stopped him before he could walk out the door and dial her number, "I'll do this, Gobber."

The assistant handed over the cell phone and Stoick walked out of the door with Eret following close behind.

The two men walked to an empty hallway by a large window that overlooked the parking lot of the medical center.

Stoick dialed her number, his heart beating faster with each new ring.

"Hello?" She picked up on ring number six.

"Valka…"

"Stoick?" She asked, a bit shocked that it was him to be the one to call her. Usually, it was Gobber who'd announce that Stoick wanted to speak to her and then she'd have to wait for five minutes or so before he'd even be handed the phone.

He opened his mouth to reply or to greet her or say something...but he didn't know what. What did you say to the mother of your only child before you told her he was in a hospital with injuries that were still unknown?

You didn't ask how she was because as soon as you told her the reason for the call that would suddenly be a lie.

The silence must've given him away, "Something happened, didn't it? Is it Astrid? Is the-" Valka began, sounding frantic.

"Astrid?" Stoick asked, confused, "No, it's not Astrid. She's fine."

"Then-"

"It's Henry."

"What happened?"

Stoick hesitated before continuing, "There was an accident at the orphanage."

"Is he alright? Please tell me that he's okay, Stoick." She pleaded.

"He's alive," he replied as calmly as his shaky voice would allow, "But we don't know much else."

Suddenly there was a bunch of shuffling and banging on the other end, "I'm coming to Berk."

Stoick expected nothing else from the woman who loved their son more than anything else in the world, "I'll have Gobber work on getting you over here as quick as possible."

The banging ceased for a moment, "The first flight over there, Stoick, I mean it."

And her stern tone told him that she meant it. He didn't need to see her narrowed eyes or the glare he knew she was giving him from across the ocean to know just how serious she was. "I know."

Suddenly, it was silent again.

"Stoick…" Valka spoke, her voice cracking before she could continue.

The two may have not been together for twenty years, but Stoick knew his ex-wife well enough to know she was trying to put on the bravest face she could manage before she spoke again. She was never one to get upset often and if she did, it was always for a good reason.

Valka continued, "Stoick, if something happens to him before I can-"

And he didn't want to hear the rest so he cut her off before she could finish that sentence, "Nothing is going to happen. I'll make sure of it."

"How?"

"I don't know, but I'll do whatever I have to do, Valka," Stoick spoke as serious as ever.

"It's nice to hear you say that."

He knew he hadn't been much of a father, but Henry was still his son. His son that he'd been trying so hard to reconnect with after his selfish decision last summer.

Stoick wanted to see his son live a long life, become a great leader, and start a family of his own. And he ruined a lot of things for himself, but he was going to make sure none of that was going be his sons future from here on out.

Valka interrupted his deep and emotional thoughts, "Please keep me updated."

"I will. I promise as soon as I hear something, you'll be the first to know."

"And...look after Astrid, too. Alright?"

Valka seemed extremely worried about the one girl who was the most independent person he'd ever met, but he still promised to look after her. She was family now too, even if that was still hard to wrap his head around at times.

After the two said their goodbyes, Stoick stood there by the window for a moment longer wondering if it was right to feel so excited about the woman who once meant the world him coming back to Berk. He felt like it was the one good thing out of this whole horrible situation.

He figured it was part of the reason he walked back into the quiet room with more hope than he'd had when he left.

Stoick squeezed into one of the tiny empty chairs across the room from his daughter-in-law, whose youthful face was still red and scrunched up with worry. Remembering what Valka told him before the two had hung up, he stood from his seat and sat down in the chair right next to hers.

Their relationship had so far only been filled with short meaningless conversations. It had taken him a long time to not look at her as Lady Astrid Hofferson anymore and to start seeing her as Astrid Haddock, his daughter-in-law.

She was an important part of Henry's life - probably the most important - and the two of them growing closer would also be one more step in the right direction for him and his son.

Stoick hesitated at first, but he eventually gathered the courage to place his large hand on top of her tiny one that was resting on the armrest between them.

Astrid glanced up at him. He wondered if all the worry evident in her blue eyes matched the same worry that he knew was in his as well. But even through all of that, he was determined to be a person that would reassure her all would be alright, "He's going to be okay."

Stoick watched a small smile tug at the corner of her lips. It was one of the first father-like things that he'd said to her in the year that she'd been a Haddock.

Astrid never got the chance to reply to the King because the door opened and in walked a bald man with a long white coat with a manilla folder gathered in his hands and glasses sitting on the tip of his nose.

Everyone that was once sitting down was now standing when they realized who it was. The doctor.

He was polite and professional and explained everything in English...well after Astrid had not-so-politely asked him to because she was real tired of the long words that made no sense.

Hiccup had broken four of his ribs on his left side.

But that was supposedly least of his worries because the bruising that lined his spine was concerning. The scan showed no permanent damage, but the worried crease in the doctors large forehead and the fact he wanted to keep a close eye on it didn't relieve any of the stress.

His spine, along with the really bad concussion, was the reason that the doctor was wanting to keep him not only overnight but maybe even for a couple of days.

But other than that, he was fine. And supposedly lucky to not have worse injuries.

Although, to Astrid, lucky only meant a few bruises and some pain meds and being sent home the same day.

The doctor looked directly at her, "Do you happen to know the physician who is in charge of his prosthetic?"

And this one stumped her. She had no idea. Astrid didn't really know anything other than the usual stuff - like how many hours he could go before he had to sit down and the exact points that needed pressure when it began to ache.

"No, I don't." She replied, a bit disappointed that she didn't know how to answer some of the most basic questions about her husband's health.

"I do," Stoick spoke up, taking most of the room by surprise, "He's based in Atlanta."

The doctor nodded once, "I only ask because his prosthetic was destroyed in the fall. I didn't know if he had another, but I'd like to call his doctor and inform him either way."

Astrid did know one thing, "He does have an extra, but it's not as comfortable." She'd found it stuffed in the back of the closet one day and asked him about it. That's the only reason she knew. If she hadn't found it she may have not even known that.

"It'd be good if he could use that in the meantime." He told her, looking at her over the rims of his glasses.

"I can give you the information for the doctor in the States," Stoick said.

The doctor thanked him and before he turned and left the room, he spoke the words she'd been waiting to hear all evening, "You can go and see him. I'll have the nurse take you to him." He looked around at all the people crowding the room, "But only two at a time, if you don't mind." He added before he turned and the door shut behind him.

Astrid wasn't sure what she was expecting when she walked into the chilly hospital room where her husband laid on the bed with the itchy white sheets and the beeping that wouldn't stop, but she definitely wasn't expecting all the purple bruises and freshly bandaged and stitched cuts that lined his bare arms and covered the left side of his face.

Stoick walked in behind her, but he wasn't as taken back as her because he'd seen his son this way before.

He was only fifteen then and it was a lot scarier because there had been more injuries and more wires and more uncertainties if he'd make it through the night.

Stoick hadn't truly known his son back then. It was the reason why he left before he got the chance to wake up and see him standing in the room because things were going to be hard enough, and the last thing he needed was to see the father he thought cared nothing about him.

But Henry had made it through that.

He knew his son a lot better now and that's why he was certain he'd make it through this too.

Astrid, however, had never seen her husband so...weak. She hated it. She already missed his bright green eyes and his goofy smile. She missed the way his eyes would light up when she'd walk into a room. She missed the way his hands moved around in the air as he talked.

She walked up to the edge of the bed and grabbed the hand that wasn't stuck with the IV. She didn't know if he could feel the gentle squeeze she gave it or even hear the words she spoke, but she did both anyway, "Oh, Hiccup, you muttonhead..." she gently brushed her fingers through his hair, "What'd you get yourself into this time, huh?"

Astrid stood there for a moment longer, grateful that she was able to stand there and watch the slow rise and fall of his chest.

"Don't you dare go leaving me," she squeezed his hand again as she took a seat in the large chair by the bed, "because I need you to be okay, Hiccup...we need you to be okay."

And the we that she was talking about wasn't just her and her father-in-law standing by the foot of his bed, but also their child that she wanted to tell him about just as bad as she wanted his eyes to open.

Yay! Hiccup's alive and he's gonna be fine. ;)

A lot happened with our dear ol' Astrid and we even got a look at some Stoick who has grown quite a bit since Moira! :D We really also got to see a part/side of Astrid that doesn't happen often, but only does when someone she really cares about is in danger/trouble and so on. It was a great challenge writing this side of her coming to the surface!

No reveal yet…don't hurt me. LOL

Hope you all enjoyed! Is the next chapter gonna be the one you all have been waiting for? Stay tuned! ;)