Chapter 29: Her Worst Fear
This is a very difficult chapter for me to be writing, so why am I writing it? Because it needs to be written. It'll trigger me, as it's my worst fear, but I just need to do this. Takes place a few months after Hiccup and Astrid's wedding, so Ruby is about six months old at this point.
(Eret's POV)
I wake up to the sound of sobbing. My wife's sobbing.
"Baby? Becky, are you all right, darling?"
She shakes her head.
"Are you in pain?"
She nods.
"Where does it hurt?"
"My…my right side."
"Oh, gods…is it?"
She nods.
"Okay. Hang in there. I'm going to get you help." I gently pick my wife up and she clings to me, clutching me.
"I'm here, darling. I promise I'm right here."
I run out of the house after carefully going down the stairs.
"Someone help! My wife! She's in pain!"
Tuffnut approaches me.
"Is it?"
I nod.
"Get her to Gothi. Now. Ruff and I will watch Ruby."
"Get your mother to Gothi's. Thank you."
I run as fast as I can to Gothi's, my wife's breaths coming short and few in between.
"Hang in there, love. Hang in there."
We soon arrive at Gothi's. She knows what it is, and ushers us inside.
"You can't stay." I look up and it's Gothi that had spoken. She's a woman of few words, but when she does speak, she means business.
I gently put my wife in the bed.
"I'll be just outside, darling. I promise I'll be here when you wake up. Let Gothi do her job. I love you so much."
My wife nods at me, in too much pain to speak.
I head outside and start to pace.
"Eret!" I look at see my mother-in-law.
"Go. Gothi might need you. Becky will need you. I'll be fine."
"I'll let you know as soon as we have news."
~.~
An agonizing hour passes before Lily comes out of Gothi's hut. I've been picking my cuticles raw, and they've started bleeding.
"Eret?"
"Lily?" I ask, my heart in my throat, fearing the worst.
But Lily smiles at me.
"She's going to be just fine."
"Oh, thank the gods. Can I see her?"
"She's asleep but Gothi says you can stay. Have her take a look at your hands, too."
"Thank you, Lily."
"You're welcome. I was just there to keep her calm and make sure she stayed asleep."
"Did she? Stay asleep?"
"She did. She didn't wake up at all."
"Good." Without another word, I head into Gothi's hut.
"Gothi, thank you so much."
Gothi nods at me, then prepares a salve for my bleeding cuticles.
Soon, Becky begins to stir.
"Shhh. I'm here, my love. I'm here."
"Is it…is it over?"
"It's over, darling."
"And I'm alive?"
"You're alive. Alive and well."
Silent tears start falling down my wife's cheeks.
"Are you in pain?"
She shakes her head.
"I'm just so happy."
I smile softly at her and stroke her hair.
"I'm sure you are."
