Damn everything hurt. If this was going to be a reoccurring thing Iris decided she wouldn't leave Berserk for anything. She'd lock herself in the Great Hall and stay there. This whole getting beat up and attacked nonsense was enough.
As much as she didn't want to open her eyes, she wanted to know where she was. It was oddly quiet. Not even birds were singing. She knew she wasn't on Berserk. Shadow would be purring as she tended her eggs. The little dragon always purred while she was awake and on her eggs.
One hand she could move. The other, not so much. Something was holding onto it. She wiggled her hand slightly only to feel it tighten. It was a hand that was not her own.
Her throat felt like it had been replaced with sandpaper. She tried to swallow only to wince at the scraping pain. Coughing was going to suck. So was talking.
Slowly she opened her eyes. Surprisingly there weren't any eye crusts falling into her eyes. Someone had kept her face clean at least. Everything was blurry so she just laid there and let her eyes focus.
Once she could see she stared at a wooden ceiling. It was pretty bare. There wasn't even a cobweb on it. Someone was a neat freak.
She had to know who was holding onto her hand. It didn't surprise her to see Dagur sitting next to her, his hand gripping hers tightly. His sleeping face was resting on the cot she was laying on. He looked rough.
Her other arm protested but she forced it to move across her to touch his face. The feel of his skin against her finger tips made her heart ache. She moved her hand down to brush his cheek and feel his beard scratch her skin. This was her Dagur. He was real. It wasn't a dream.
"Hey," she rasped. That hurt. A lot. "Dagur. Hey."
"A few more minutes," he mumbled. "I don't wanna leave yet."
"Wakey. Wakey." He grunted. "Love."
"When did you," his voice trailed off as he lifted his head and saw her looking at him. She smiled softly. "Iris?"
"Hey."
He grabbed her and drug her into his arms, pulling her tight against him. She coughed, trying to keep from laughing but didn't succeed. She chuckled hoarsely in his grip. The feel of his arms tight around her soon changed her chuckles into sniffs and whimpers.
The feelings she had locked away while in Krogan's grasp finally broke free. Iris gripped Dagur as tight as she could and sobbed. The fear she had bottled up escaped her in full force. All the terror she refused to show them flooded out now.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry."
"D-d-don't. G-g-go," Iris sobbed. "N-n-n-no more."
"I won't. I'm staying with you."
"What is-Iris!" That voice was way too familiar.
"Mama?" she asked. Through her tears she looked up to see a face she never thought she'd see again. "Mama!"
Unwillingly Dagur let Iris go so Vivian could hug her. She clung to her mom, crying even harder. She didn't know why Vivian was here but she wasn't about to complain. She was able to see her mom again. She was real.
"Let me look at you," Vivian said as she pulled back. "How are you feeling? Any pain? Numbness?"
"Throat," Iris whispered.
"Here," Dagur said. He handed her a cup of water.
She eagerly took it and drank it down. The water felt amazing. It was as if it was washing away the grit and pain that lingered in her throat. Once she finished the cup Dagur handed her another one while taking the empty cup.
"Take it easy," Vivian warned. "You've been on an IV for the last two days."
"Doesn't help my throat," Iris whispered. "Thank you Dagur." He handed her another cup but this time stayed near her.
"That was the least of my worries," Vivian sighed. "Iris. You were poisoned. Beaten. Almost drowned. Unconcious for six days. That is quite the list young lady."
"Tell me about it," she said. Her throat didn't hurt as much anymore.
"Stay still," Vivian said. "I need to take the IV out and bandage your arm. Don't let the healers touch it. Don't let them see it. I don't need to deal with their questions."
Obediently Iris sat still and let her mom work. As Vivian patched her up she gave a brief explanation about what happened. Hiccup had came to their world at Dagur's request and got her and Jon. Of course Vivian wasn't going to let her die so she packed up her medical tools and headed over. However everything medical Vivian used needed to be kept under wraps. For the past two days only she and Dagur entered the building Iris was currently in to keep her treatment a secret.
"Hiccup is already willing to hide this stuff for me," Vivian said with a gesture to the used IV bags and supplies piling up. "Something about a Gronkle eating it."
"Good idea," Iris commented. "No one can find it in their bellies."
"Don't let her out of bed," Vivian warned Dagur. "No picking her up. No carrying her around. She stays in that bed until I come back."
"Yes ma'am," Dagur said.
She eyed both of them, frowning, but tucked the used supplies into a bag to take out with her. Once more she gave them both a suspicious look at the door before leaving. It was obvious she didn't trust either of them to listen to her.
The second the door closed Dagur wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face against her stomach. Slowly she ran her hands through his hair. She could feel him trembling as he held onto her. The movement made her want to start crying again but she held back.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked suddenly.
"Tell you what?" she asked back.
"Astrid told me. That you're pregnant." Oh.
"I wanted to wait until you had things with your dad settled," she said quietly. "And I was scared to tell you. Not because I thought you'd be mad. Because, well, I don't know what would happen. I still don't. Not after." Her voice choked as her fears trampled her rational thought. "I don't know if they're okay now. After everything."
"They're fine," Dagur said softly. "I can feel it. They have a tough mom."
"I'm scared," Iris whispered.
She was. Living off grid, Iris learned a lot most kids didn't. She'd helped her mom assist a neighbor with childbirth. She knew some of the horrors that happened during early pregnancy. Hell she knew there was always a chance of something turning south during a pregnancy. At first that was why she didn't want to tell Dagur. How could she face him if she lost their first child? She wanted to wait until she was further along and the chances were lower. Now though, now she didn't know what to expect after going through all that.
Dagur didn't say anything. He let go of her waist to wrap his arms around her and pull her close to him. She buried her face into his shoulder to just soak in the silent comfort. There was nothing to be said that they didn't already say. All she wanted now was the physical comfort of knowing he was there.
