Chapter 49: Tragedy
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It's late on New Berk. Nine-month-old Ruby is asleep in her room, and Becky and I are almost asleep in our room.
She gently traces my branding scar with her finger. Someone caressing me, like that, is very comforting.
I see my wife's eyes flutter closed and feel her soft breathing against me.
She's fallen asleep.
Her hair has grown a lot in the past nine months and is past her shoulders.
I begin to caress her hair gently.
She begins to whimper in her sleep from what I'm guessing is a bad dream.
"Shhh. You're okay, love. You're okay. I'm here." I whisper to her.
She settles back down, and I rub her back to bring her comfort.
I eventually fall asleep myself.
~.~
(Becky's POV)
I wake up to a sleeping Eret beside me.
It's amazing how someone so large in stature could be so gentle.
I snuggle up against my husband, not knowing what else to do. It's still dark outside, so I eventually go back to sleep.
(Eret's POV)
I am awoken to wailing.
I see my wife fast asleep beside me.
I get out of bed, careful not to disturb my sleeping wife, and I head into Ruby's room.
I pick up my crying daughter and begin to rock her.
"You're okay, Rubes. You're alright, my little love. I'm here."
I'm startled by a knock on our front door.
I head downstairs with Ruby in my arms, Becky sleepily following behind me.
"Who is it?"
"It's…it's Hiccup."
I open the door for our chief and he stumbles in.
He's in tears.
I help him sit down.
"Hiccup, what's going on? What's wrong?"
"It's Astrid. She's…Gothi said that…she…that we…had a miscarriage."
"Oh, gods. Hiccup, I am so sorry. Is there anything we can do?" I ask.
"Actually, Becky, she requested I get you."
"Me?"
"You've been through this before. You may bring her some comfort."
My wife turns to me.
"Eret, watch Ruby. I'll be back soon."
"Okay. I love you, darling."
"Love you, too, Eret."
(Becky's POV)
I follow Hiccup to Gothi's where Astrid, Astrid's mother and Valka are. Astrid's mother is desperately trying to comfort her daughter, and I'm suddenly brought back to when I had a miscarriage.
I stumble back and Hiccup catches me.
"You know, you don't have to do this."
"Yes, I do, Hiccup."
I walk over to Astrid and kneel in front of her.
"Hey, Astrid. How are you doing?"
She grasps my hand, in tears.
"Not good. Becky?"
"Yes, Astrid?"
"Did you ever get over your miscarriage?"
"No. But I've moved on from it. And you can, too, when you're truly ready."
"When will that be?"
"I don't know, Astrid. I don't know."
"Did you feel guilty?"
"I sometimes still do, to be honest. But, Astrid, you've done absolutely nothing wrong. This miscarriage wasn't your fault. I know you blame yourself."
"I really do."
"You'll get through this. You've got your family, and your friends. We won't abandon you, Astrid. You need us."
"Thank you. Stay?"
"Where else would I go?"
"Eret…and…and Ruby…"
"They can get through the night without me for as long as you need me to stay. I promise."
"Thank you. And, Becky?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm so sorry I tried to kill you all those years ago."
"I forgave you for that a long time ago. But I still forgive you now."
"Thank you so much. You have no idea how much it means to me."
"You're welcome."
"Where's Hiccup?"
I turn and see Hiccup has left.
(Eret's POV)
I'm just getting Ruby back to sleep when there's another knock at the door.
I creep down the stairs, careful not to wake my sleeping daughter.
I open the door to reveal Hiccup.
"Hiccup? Shouldn't you be with Astrid?"
"I needed to talk to someone. Someone who felt as helpless as I feel right now."
"Come sit down."
Hiccup sits in a chair across from the couch where I sit.
"Talk to me, Chief. What's on your mind?"
"Forgive me for asking this, Eret, but, how did you feel when you found out about your and Becky's miscarriage?"
"Absolutely heartbroken. And, like you said, also helpless. Helpless as to what I could do to comfort my wife. Chief, you and Astrid don't have to tell anyone else about the miscarriage until you guys are ready."
"It's like Becky said after she had the miscarriage: you don't lie to family, and New Berk, well, New Berk is my family. I won't tell them until Astrid is back home and she agrees we need to tell our people. I don't think Astrid is weak, Eret. I never have. But…but she's grieving, you know? Grieving a person we never even truly met."
"That's what a miscarriage is like, Hiccup. Grieving someone you never truly met."
"How do you get over a loss like this?"
"You don't. But you move on. And I know for a fact that Astrid will be terrified to try again. Becky was. She was absolutely terrified to try for another baby, after losing two of them."
"So, how do I convince her we can try again? How do I tell her that maybe we'll succeed in having a baby?"
"With time. And patience. If Astrid and Becky are anything alike, neither one of them will ever give up on trying."
"You've got a pretty good point there, Eret."
"Thanks, Chief."
It's then he breaks down.
This isn't the first time I've seen my chief broken down, and I'm sure it won't be the last.
I wrap my arms around my chief in a hug and just let him sob.
Soon, he's calmed down again.
"Come on. I'll take you back to Astrid."
"What about Ruby? Eret, you can't leave your daughter. She's still so small."
"Good point. I'll drop her off at my in-laws'."
I soon return downstairs with my sleeping daughter in my arms.
"You know, I never expected Becky to ever have kids."
"You and me both. And, to think, her first child wasn't her choice, but she loved him all the same."
"That's our Becky. Selfless, always thinking of others."
"Mostly always, Chief."
"Good point."
I soon drop Ruby off at my in-laws' and we head to Gothi's hut.
Hiccup and I head inside and see both Astrid and Becky have fallen asleep.
We stare in wonder at our wives, knowing that we'll eventually get through these hard times.
Because we have each other.
And that will never, ever, change.
