First of all, thank you so much for all the nice reviews and faves and follows! *makes frantical waving motions at face* You're just too kind! :D
But let's get back to SE STORY! Here's a (depressing) chapter two! (And it's gonna get even worse ...)
Chapter 2 - Prayers
He was scared to look at her face.
A stinging pain shot through his body when he saw her bruised skin and the drip she was connected to. Slowly, he sank down beside her. The floor was cold. And everything had that awful, antiseptic smell.
"Hey", he whispered and slowly, carefully closed his fingers around her cold, bandaged hand. He didn't even notice the tears that welled up in his eyes. "It's me." She didn't react.
Hiccup knew she couldn't hear him. The doctors had told him she had fallen into a light coma short after she had been delievered by the emergency.
The young man rested his head on the bed and tried to take deep breaths. Everything he smelled was the disinfectant. Her scent, the smell he had longed for to be wrapped into earlier this evening, was gone, as was her warmth. All he had wanted was to hold her in his arms tonight, after a long day for both of them and simply enjoy her company, get lost in her eyes and fall for her over and over again.
"Please, Astrid", he breathed and scrambled closer, bringing his face to hers, careful not to touch her bruises, leaning his forehead gently on hers, "come back to me. Please. I need you."
A hesitant knock at the door made him jump and he shot up, leaning away from his wife. His father was standing in the door.
"D-Dad ..."
Quickly, Hiccup wiped the tears from his face. Stoick stepped closer, his jacket firmly in his hands. "How is she?"
Hiccup tried to brace himself and got to his feet, releasing Astrid's hand. "The doctors said she's in a coma." Breathe., he reminded himself, just breathe. "Chances are good, b-but they don't kn-know h-how long she'll ... she ...", his voice broke and he collapsed on the chair beside her bed, running his hand through his shaky, auburn hair. "But that's something, isn't it?", Stoick said and sounded confident now, and Hiccup felt some hope prickling up inside his chest.
He swallowed and nodded, not able to say a word. His hand found Astrid's again.
"You're staying here?", Stoick asked, quietly. Again, his son nodded, his face firm now. "Yes. I'm not going anywhere." Quickly, Stoick threw a glance at his unconscious daughter-in-law and her pale hand enclosed by his son's freckled fingers.
He nodded, facing Hiccup's green eyes again. "Alright", he simply said and took a step back. "Let me know if you need anything, I ... I'll be there."
Hiccup looked up at his father and knew how difficult it had been for him to say that. He bowed his head and smiled weakly. "Thanks, Dad." With that, his father slowly turned around, threw one last glance at Astrid, then he left the room.
Once he was gone, Hiccup rested his head on the bed again. His thumb stroked gentle circles over the back of her hand.
And that was the first time in his life, Hiccup found himself praying. God, please. Lord, let her wake up. Let everything be fine. Let her be alright. She has to be alright.
"I'm not letting you go", he whispered into her ear, both of his hands clasped around her cold, frail fingers now, his forehead on hers, "I won't let you leave me just like that. I will stay right here. Beside you. Just how it should be. And when you ... when you wake up, I'll be here. Just ... just how it sh-should be ..."
Someone gave a soft cough from the door. Hiccup shot up, but his hands would not leave his wife's. He found himself staring at a nurse who stood in the door, looking at him apologetically. "Excuse me", she whispered and rushed into the room, her eyes avoiding his when she passed him. "I'll just check her VF." Her voice sounded thick and Hiccup had the slight feeling she had been standing in the door for more than just a moment. He sighed and wiped his heavy, burning eyes.
"Her vital functions are good", the nurse suddenly said and shifted awkwardly on her feet. She had long, black hair that flowed down her back in waves and bright, green eyes. "Chances really are good, you know."
Hiccup only nodded, feeling numb. "I just ... I'm scared", he suddenly admitted and had almost jumped at the sound of his own, rasp voice. She smiled. "Of course. Anyone would be." Gently, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "If you need anything, just let me know."
Again, Hiccup nodded and dropped his eyes on his unconscious wife again. Silently, the nurse left the room again.
The young man sighed and leant his heavy head against the wall. "I'll be here, Strid. Don't worry.", he whispered into the silence.
Hiccup was woken up by a sharp, beeping, piercing sound. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was white. The white coat of one of the doctors who were huddled together around Astrid's bed. He jumped to his feet. "What-"
Beeep ...
"One, two, three - and push."
Beeep ...
"It's not working!"
He staggered to the bed, his heart racing, beating painfully against his chest. It felt like he fell into ice-cold water when he realized where that constant beeping-sound was coming from: the heart-monitor beside Astrid's bed showed a straight, green, flat line.
No.
For a second's fracture, Hiccup stumbled backwards when it hit him. The black-haired nurse from earlier catched his gaze. "Mr Haddock", she breathed, "your wife, she ..."
Hiccup lost his senses. Sobbing, he rushed to her bed and collapsed beside her. "No ... no ... no, not ... you're not ... leaving me, not y-you ... not you ..."
Hands tried to drag him away from her but he clung himself to her cold, lifeless hands, tears streaming down his face, his whole chest was on fire, his lungs were burning, but he could only scream and hold on to her dead body. "NO!"
"You have to let her go ..."
"NO! I WON'T! I'm not READY to let her go!"
"She's gone, Hiccup, your wife is dead!"
"N-not ... let you ... no ..."
With a scream, Hiccup leapt up. He was freezing, shaking all over his body. For a moment, he thought he was at home, but then he smelled the disinfectant and realized he was at the hospital. The events of the past night then washed over him like a giant, heavy wave of darkness. Panting, he threw himself from his chair and kneeled down in front of the bed, his eyes frantcially searching for what he hoped for - there. The monitor by the window gave rythmic beeping rounds, and the green line rose and sank.
Feeling so much relief like never before, the young man let out a heavy breath and slowly relaxed again. His whole body felt stiff and sore. Groaning, he streched his back and returned to the chair beside Astrid's bed. He slumped down and rubbed his calloused hands over his aching face. So it had been just a dream. It's okay, he thought, it was just a dream. She'll make it. Dreams say nothing. You're just worried. That's all.
There was a knock.
"Yes?"
Quickly, he straightened his back and saw the black-haired nurse stepping in, smiling carefully. "Good morning", she greeted him. "How was your night?"
How should it have been? My wife is in coma, remember?
"Cold", he replied then, streching his bed again. She gave a soft chuckle. "Oh, you can turn up the heat a little bit, if you want to. Did you spent the whole night on that chair?", she asked, pointing to the chair. He nodded.
"Here", she handed him a steaming mug of tea. "Sorry for the lack of coffee, we only had camillia-tea left ..."
Hiccup smiled. "It's no problem. Thank you."
"I thought you could need something hot to drink.", she called from over the drip, checking for the infusion on Astrid's hand and nose, then nodded and turned around again, facing Hiccup, smiling at him. She streched out her hand. "By the way, I'm Freya." Hesitatingly, he shook her hand and smiled a weary smile. "Hi- Henry." Quickly, he corrected himself, remembering how used he had gotten to his nickname. Both of them watched Astrid for a while, drenched in silence.
"She looks just like she's sleeping, doesn't she?", he mumbled, his voice low and rasp again.
Freya didn't reply, she just let her bright eyes flicker over the young man's face, watching his emotions change so fast. She watched his emerald eyes turn soft, his expression sad and weary, but his hands were so gentle when he softly stroked his wife's bruised cheek. Freya felt her heart grow heavy at the scene. She still felt like she had invaded the couple's privacy when she'd overheard his words yesterday. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but somehow it had made her so sad to see how desperate and lonely he was, how scared he was to lose his wife and how broken he would be without her.
"The doctor will drop by around noon, if you have any questions, I'm sure they'll have some answers for you", she intoned carefully.
The young auburn-haired man didn't reply. All he could do was nod. Slowly, Freya turned around and left the room.
When the young nurse was gone, Hiccup breathed out and fumbled the ring around his finger loose and gently slipped it over his wife's hand, pressing a kiss on her cold knuckles.
"You promised. You can't break it. Okay?"
He winced when he realized he had been expecting a reply. But Astrid didn't move, she just lay there in utter motionlessness, her beautiful, soft features unmoved.
*IhatemyselfforwritingthisstorybutIkindalikewritingit*
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