Unintentional Hero
Author: Nightstar Fury of Nightstar Productions
Rated: M for a variety of things that will happen
Pairing: Hiccup/Astrid
Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD
51; It's A Promise
One month into the fourth deployment and so far things had been alright, minor attacks that they could handle with little to no injuries: it helped that Hayden being part of the main set of officers now and commanding the Nightstrike Company meant that he got in on meetings of what was going down and when. Different than before when he just awaited orders from Anderson, this time he got to be in on the meetings and add his input if he had any but more often than not he just sat there staring at the map of locations, areas, forces, and more. Hayden was a thinker and they all knew that so ten to one he never said his piece until he heard everything else. It was now the beginning of December and only three weeks until Christmas, another one he would have to miss just like Thanksgiving, and surely his and his sister's birthdays. He'd missed every single one of them over the last five years, it actually bothered him deeply but he didn't show it to anyone. Turned out Anderson's office was only a five minute walk to Hayden's which made talking a lot easier.
Hayden was being kept up to date about things back in Berk, Avery and Camille were in school for another two weeks then they'd be given off from the 22nd to the 1st of the new year, they were doing good in school, and were happy which is all he could really ask for with him being where he was and knowing how much they missed him. Hayden and Avery talked often but never about what happened before he left with her wanting to have sex, and the fact Hayden knew now that she wanted it so she could get pregnant: Avery didn't understand his fear about her getting pregnant with him deployed, and something happening where he couldn't just take off and get to her this time. It was different when he was stationed in Berk, this time he was at least five hours away. Honestly, he didn't know how to start that conversation with her, how did you confront your girlfriend about the fact she was willing to lie to you to have another baby? He was at such a loss about it and even Anderson couldn't offer much advice since he'd never been in the situation.
He still refused to speak to his father unless it was a quick hello, I'm fine, and good bye. Hayden hadn't forgiven him for what he said that day Avery took the pregnancy test two weeks after their drunken night together, it was completely uncalled for and at the moment still unforgivable. His father knew how much it hurt him to lose Ritka, Matthews, Lennox, and Tarelto so why would he purposely bring it up just to make a point about Hayden and Avery not having sex again until they were ready? It infuriated him to no end on the subject so Hayden just didn't talk to him unless he really had too. He suffered it for Thanksgiving and he'd probably have to do the same for Christmas, New Years, and his and Camille's birthday. What could he do, he couldn't forgive it. His father knew how sensitive he was about his friend's dying and it was heartless of his father to use them as a lesson to be learned!
Thus far, all missions had been going great. Even in fire fights on patrols, no one was killed and there were no injuries that were severe-that was fine with Hayden. They'd just come off a ten hour guard shift, all of them pretty tired but Hayden had work to do while they rested up: he always had to report to Anderson, Boggs, Greenhalgh, and Evans after missions like this to make sure everything went well also anything they had seen. Standard protocol before he could turn in for the night given it was now about 1am so he was whooped. Reaching Anderson's office with a yawn, he knocked on the wood by the flap. "That you, Haddock?" Anderson asked.
"Yep..." Hayden walked in tiredly.
"How'd it go?" came Bogg's voice.
"Well you didn't send for extraction or medevac so it had to of gone good. Any soldier sightings?" Hayden shook his head.
"No. All sectors cleared, area locked down with movement trackers, weaponry gathered and taken to inventory for inspection...Alpha Fire is in the barrack winding down and relaxing..." Hayden replied now.
"Well done. Tired?" Anderson asked.
"Ten hours up...What do you think?" Hayden remarked.
"You look like you've been up way longer than ten hours, Major." Evans stated now.
"I'm fi-," He stopped falling into a coughing fit, using his elbow to cover his mouth.
"Not convinced. Sounds like you're getting a cold." Anderson suggested.
"I'll be fine...Just a headache, Anderson." Hayden said tiredly.
"Go get some rest, Hayden. Stop by medical to get that cough checked out too, sounding raspy." Harry chuckled a bit.
"Yes sir," Hayden turned to walk out but after the first step he just passed out-which rose concern to the four other officers in the tent.
"Haddock!" Boggs called to him, no answer. Anderson checked Hayden by rolling him over, he put a hand to his forehead and throat.
"He's having trouble breathing...I can hear him wheezing," Anderson said worried for Hayden now as he and Greenhalgh picked him up to take him to the medical tent. "Boggs, drop by E barrack and ask the squad how Hayden's been feeling the last few days?" Anderson asked, Boggs nodded and headed out with Evans towards E barrack while Anderson and Greenhalgh took Hayden to the medic's tents.
(E Barrack)
"Any of you still awake in here?" Boggs asked entering the barrack.
"All of us are, we don't go to sleep until the Major gets back clearing us to be able to sleep. Where is he?" Theo asked as he came out of the bathroom wiping his hands with a paper towel then tossing it in the garbage.
"How's Haddock been the last few days?" Evans asked.
"Besides falling into random coughing fits the last two days, just fine. Although last night while on patrol he was shaking a lot, said he was cold but would be fine." Jasmine stated.
"Well he just passed out in Anderson's office after one of those fits. We wanted to know if it had happened before and he just didn't report it." Boggs stated.
"Anderson with him at medical?" Theo asked.
"Of course." Evans said as he pulled his radio out and pressed the button, "Anderson this is Evans, do you read me? Over."
"Loud and clear, you talk to Alpha Fire about, Haddock?" Anderson replied.
"They said he's been falling into random coughing fits like tonight for about two days prior to today. And that he was cold and shaking last during the mission." Evans remarked.
"Well the medic is checking over him now, says it sounds like just a bad cold but no idea where he would of gotten it from since no one else on base has reported a cold. And all soldiers have been being checked since the newer ones have come in last month as per protocol when coming in from civilian islands." Anderson stated now.
"Keep Haddock there over night so the medic can watch him. I don't like that just passed out after coughing and saying he had a headache. You tell him it's an order if he tries to insist he is fine." Evans said firmly.
"Got it. Greenhalgh and I will take shifts watching him since the medic is busy tonight with the soldiers recovering from the bomb ambush a few days ago over in the Mirage Company on the Northern side of the base." Anderson informed.
"Good man. Keep us posted." Evans put the radio away as he faced the squadron who was worried for their commanding officer. "He'll be fine, get some rest. Haddock will be in medical and you can visit him tomorrow." Lt. Gen. Evans smiled softly.
"Yes sir. Should we...tell his family? They've been calling for about twenty minutes, Haddock messaged his girl when we we cleared the area that he'd call her after reporting you and the others." Dylan asked.
"Let them know he's sick and resting, but not that he passed out and is in medical for a reason we don't understand. We clear, no need to alarm them until we know what is going on." Boggs said now.
"Crystal clear sirs." Theo nodded to them as they left. "So who wants to call Camille or Avery and tell them?"
"One, two, three, NOT IT!" shouted Ethan, Jasmine, Dylan, and Heather.
"Fine...I'll tell them..." Theo mumbled as he pulled his phone and called Avery, after two rings it connected. "Hey, Avery...It's Theo."
"Hi Theo, where's Hayden?" Avery asked gently.
"He's sleeping right now, he got back from reporting to Anderson and the others and just knocked out on his bed right away. He said though he'll call you tomorrow. It was...a long mission and he stayed up most of it. Also, he's...a little sick. Nothing major, just a cold. He said if he didn't feel better tomorrow he'd go see the medic." Theo said calmly. He knew Avery would pick up on his tone that something was wrong if he wasn't careful with his words.
"Awe, I was hoping to talk to him tonight too...Alright, have him call me when he can and tell him I said I love him and hopes he feels better soon." Avery replied.
"I'll let him know. We're all about to hit they sack anyway, night Avery." Theo said as he hung up and sighed. "I hate lying to her...but I understand too. She'll freak out and demand to know what happened to him and those are answers that none of us have right now. I just hope he's okay, he has a habit of not telling people when something is wrong."
"I'm sure he's fine. Haddock is pretty tough from what we can tell." Ethan shrugged. After a few more minutes they all just laid down and went to sleep given it was almost 1:45am and they were beat.
(The Next Afternoon)
He felt like someone used his head as a soccer ball only instead of a foot, it felt like a sledge hammer had been used, he groaned slowly putting a hand to his aching head and slowly sat up trying to looking around. "There ya are, had us worried." Hayden heard Anderson say. His eyes focused on his friend and saw him sitting beside him, that's when he noticed he was in the medical tent.
"What the...how did I get here?" Hayden asked now.
"You don't remember?" Boggs said now as Hayden shook his head which effectively made it hurt more, "You passed out in Anderson's office last night after getting back from the mission, you been out about twelve hours." Hayden covered his mouth, coughing hard again.
"Your squadron said these coughing fits have been going on for two days now, why didn't you report being sick?" Evans asked walking in shortly afterwards.
"Because I'm not...sick. It's just a cough..." Hayden shivered as he flopped back on the bed now holding his head.
"You keep coughing and wheezing, and I'm assuming your heard hurts. It's not nothing, Hayden..." Anderson sighed heavily as his friend's stubbornness.
"Really, I'm good...Just have a headache that I can't get rid of." Hayden mumbled. Theo rushed in holding his phone up now.
"Sorry sirs, she didn't give me a choice..." Theo panted.
"Who didn't?" Boggs asked blinking.
"HAYDEN HICCUP HADDOCK!" Hayden cringed at the noise but he knew who the voice belonged to, his sister.
"Cami, shut up...swear to God I'll hang up...What is the matter? Shouldn't you be in class right now?" Hayden said sighing.
"You dummy, you forgot your inhaler here! You know its bad asthma season for you, Dad found it on the counter. Are you okay, you haven't had any attacks have you?" Camille asked.
"I know I forgot it, I was kind of called back in a rush. It took you a month to realize this?" Hayden questioned, "And no, I'm fine..." he added coughing again, almost choking on it.
"Stupid! You are not, I know that cough anywhere...You have a headache, don't you. I can hear it in your voice, I figured it out as soon as Theo told Avery that you were sick and resting." Cami said softly.
"I didn't know you had asthma, Hayden..." Anderson blinked.
"It's really...not that big a deal...I can handle it." Hayden waved it off.
"Don't listen to him, Harry. Hayden always says it's nothing until he passes out because he can't breathe right. He was hospitalized for it all the time as a kid. It doesn't get that bad unless something triggered it..." Camille stated with a huff.
"Camille, shut it. I'm fine." Hayden grumbled.
"Let me fly it out to you." Camille stated.
"Have you lost your god damn mind?! No. Hell no. FUCK NO! You are not pulling a stunt like Avery did! Don't you dare go behind my back either, Camille. You are NOT flying out to Iraq to bring me my inhaler, just mail it to me for Thor's sake." Hayden stated quickly.
"It will take a week to get to you! I swear I'll just bring it to you and leave right away, please! I'm worried about you!" Camille cried.
"No, Camille. Absolutely not, I'm not going to let you fly here to bring me that thing. I'll be fine." Hayden stated firmly.
"Stop being so damn stubborn! I swear to God you're just like Mom!" Camille scolded.
"Enough already. You are not coming here, I'm sure the medic has one and if not I can get one shipped to me from the hospital close by."
"It's never been on your record of you having asthma..." Evans stated curiously now.
"I hide it really well. Camille, go back to class and stop worrying about me okay? I'm fine. My asthma isn't as bad as it used to be...It only gets triggered with a lot of smoke inhalation...I don't need the inhaler and don't you dare come here because I swear to Thor I'll kick your ass myself for doing it." Hayden remarked
"Hayden, we did have that smoke problem on patrol last night and you...were in it the longest." Theo stated as Hayden glared at him.
"You didn't report that, what smoke problem?" Boggs asked now.
"It was nothing, one of the privates hit a smoke screen bomb and I hustled everyone out of the building before myself. I was only in it for ten minutes at best, everyone got out safely then we finished the mission and came back. Seriously, I'm okay. I was told not to report anything as long as everyone was okay and every was and is." Hayden stated now.
"True but it could have been an issue to your health, Major. Is the inhaler necessary? I don't believe the medic keeps one because so far we don't have any soldiers who have asthma." Evans asked.
"I don't need it." Hayden said.
"Yes he does. He's needed them since he was five years old..." Camille remarked.
"Camille, shut the hell up. I've been fine without it for five years..." Hayden sighed now with a groan.
"I'm going to have her brin-," Hayden glared darkly as he forced himself out of bed.
"You endanger my little sister's life over that stupid inhaler and you and I will have a serious problem. That is the only warning I will give you," he said firmly.
"Are you threatening me, Major Haddock?" Lt. Gen. Evans asked a little surprised, all of them were. Hayden never disrespected his commanding officer, he never talked back or sounded so cold.
"No, I'm not. I would never threaten my commanding officer. I don't need the fuckin thing, alright. Civilians do not belong on the battle field, and I'm appalled you would even consider allowing one to come here over such a thing. Do I need to remind you what I did in my rage when Avery, my girlfriend got hurt for coming to Afghanistan? As much as I hate remembering it...Avery flew into Afghanistan and was nearly killed not once, but three times and I killed thirty-five people over it in a complete rage. Not proud of it-but that's what happens when people I love get hurt. I will not have you putting her life in danger over something I haven't used in five years. I can beat an asthma attack without it. I don't care what you command the other soldiers to do, I don't care what you order me to do but that's my sister and my family you are risking and fucking with and I won't allow it. I will straight up refuse orders, if you're that worried about it then I'll fly back and get it myself. However, if you let her come here and she gets hurt at all...it will take a bullet to get me to stop this time. By the way, back the the threat remark...It's not a threat. It's a god damn promise. Are we clear, Lieutenant General Evans?" Hayden said coldly, the man nodded his head as Hayden left the tent without another word.
"Hayden?" Camille asked.
"Nope, he left." Theo stated as Ethan, Dylan, Heather, and Jasmine walked in now after having heard what happened inside the tent. "Where'd he go?"
"Had to take a guess, he went to sit with Toothless..." Heather shrugged.
"Bit of a temper on him, doesn't he?" Boggs asked.
"A bit?" Anderson arched a brow then sighed, "I'll go talk to him."
"No, leave him be a while. If Haddock says he'll be fine without it then he will. I won't discipline him for his actions, in his boots, I probably would of snapped too. Thank you for offering, Camille but he will be alright." Lt. Gen. Evans said as he then left the tent as well. Camille sighed as she just hung up the call after a minute. The rest just sighed together before dispersing from the medical tent. Returning to the barrack they saw Hayden in his office with Toothless. They knew he had a temper but to threaten his CO, it wasn't like him. But who could blame him after what happened to Avery in Afghanistan. That was his girlfriend who got hurt and nearly died, endangering his sister on purpose would set anyone off to levels they'd never seen before. Hayden was very protective over his sister and now they all knew it. As the Lt. Gen stated, they all just left him alone. After so long with Hayden in their lives, you knew when to stay back and give him space.
