Astrid awoke to the TV buzzing in the background and Alex sitting at the end of the couch-bed staring at the screen intently. It took her a moment to realize he was playing a video game.
Astrid rubbed her eyes and sat upright, just watching Alex play for a while. She didn't understand much of what was happening but found it relaxing. If only this was her actual reality. She was still waiting for the daydream to burst and end up back on the streets again.
She could feel her hunger rising and out of habit hugged her knees tightly against her chest. It wasn't as if she could make any demands. She only took what was given to her and for as long as Henry granted it. Whether he knew it or not, he had her all but wrapped around his finger.
Alex suddenly became alert of having pulled her out of her slumber. "I'm sorry. Please don't tell dad I woke you up," he apologized. "I will try to be more quiet."
Astrid shook her head and smiled at him. "It's fine," she mumbled, and then paused, hesitating to converse with him. "What game are you playing?" she whispered. Was she crossing a line?
The eight year old boy answered her question enthusiastically, even going into more detail than she could comprehend. She just kept nodding along in amusement.
"Do you want to try?" he said suddenly, offering her his console. "C'mon, I'll show you how to play!"
Henry strolled towards the living room, suppressing a yawn and squinting at the bright light almost blinding him. He was soon met by the sight of his son doing exactly what he would usually do on a Saturday morning except this time he wasn't alone.
It was not that Henry had forgotten about Astrid but neither did he expect to see her playing video games with his son. Upon sensing his presence, the girl in question stood up abruptly and immediately handed the gaming console back to Alex.
She didn't speak but instead stared at Henry anxiously, wrapping her arms around herself in a protective manner. Henry realized he must have been looking quite intimidating, standing there and seizing her up.
He smiled a little in an attempt to ease up the tension. "I see you guys are already up," he noted. Alex didn't care to reply but Astrid acknowledged his words with a nod.
"Why don't you come and help me out in the kitchen, Astrid? That way we can have our.. talk as well," he suggested.
Astrid hesitated slightly before taking follow.
"Hurry up! I need to show Astrid something really cool," Alex called out after them.
Henry began filling up a pot with water and placed it on the stove to boil.
"Maybe you could start by emptying the dishwasher," he proposed, opening the machine by the handle and drawing out two baskets filled with cleaned tableware. Astrid complied right away.
"I'm going to ask you a few questions and you are going to answer them truthfully," he stated, getting straight to the point. There was no need to waste time beating around the bush.
He could hear her inhale sharply.
"How old are you?" he asked.
"Fifteen."
Judging by her youthful appearance, this seemed to ring true and that was rather unfortunate. She was still practically a child and needed someone who could take responsibility for her.
"Any history with drugs or alcohol?"
She shook her head.
"Where are your parents?"
Astrid looked conflicted, wringing her hands together and frowning down at the floor.
"I ran away from home when I was thirteen," she confessed, her voice low and hollow. "I doubt my mom knows I'm alive. Or even cares."
Henry was surprised by this revelation but kept his expression unreadable. "What about your father?"
Her face hardened. "I don't have a father," she said flatly. "My father is dead."
"Oh. I'm sorry." Henry could sympathize, having lost his own father at a young age. Astrid didn't reply to his words, simply going back to completing the task he had laid out for her. Her movements almost robotic.
There was a moment of stillness and Alex's excited shrill from the living room echoed into the kitchen.
"Obviously you are not ready to talk about this yet and I don't want to hold that against you," Henry broke the silence. "You can stay here for now. Nothing permanent but.. at least until we find another solution."
Astrid's head snapped up in shock, her as eyes almost bulging as she gaped at him. "Why?" she asked incredulously. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful but I.."
Henry frowned before gesturing at her to finish her sentence. "Go on."
"Why are you helping me?" Her voice cracked slightly, eyes glimmering with unshed tears. "I have nothing to give back to you. Nothing."
Henry stepped closer, placing a calming hand on her shoulder.
He was about to speak up when his son came bursting into room. "Is Astrid done yet? I really wanted to show her something," he interrupted, holding the gaming console up in the air.
Henry opened and closed his mouth a few times, gaze flickering back and forth between both of the kids until he ended up sighing in defeat.
"Yeah.. All done."
Astrid spared Henry an unsure glance before making her return to the living room.
Henry rubbed a hand over his tired features, still not quite able to comprehend how he had managed to end up in a dire situation as this. All he knew for sure was that he should tread onwards carefully.
It was at the peak of sunrise when Henry woke up to loud, raspy coughing. He chose to ignore it at first but it soon grew more severe and worrisome.
He tiredly sauntered to the living room area and turned on the lights to find Astrid shivering and coughing uncontrollably. Placing a hand on her clammy forehead, he quickly discovered she was burning up with high fever.
Henry felt panic bubble up inside him at the unexpected turn of events. She had seemed perfectly well yesterday, not showing any signs of sickness up until this point.
"We should get you checked up," he decided, pulling out his phone to dial for help.
He initially considered taking her to the hospital, it seemed like a logical move until he remembered just how long the waiting lines were. So he ended up calling his best friend instead.
Fred was a doctor and his family even ran their own medical practise. Since Astrid most likely had no identification or any other paperwork available, it would be best to play it safe. Fred quickly agreed to stop by, falling under the false assumption that it was Alex who was in need of emergency care, and arrived within fifteen minutes.
Henry let out a small sigh of relief as he opened the door, revealing his friend clutching to a brief case which was most likely filled with medical equipment.
"You are lucky I am your best friend, Hiccup," Fred said as he stepped over the threshold.
"So where is he?"
Henry scratched the back of his head warily. "Um, the living room."
He quietly followed after Fred and braced himself for the response he was likely to receive. "Hiccup.." Fred gasped, looking frantically between Henry and the shivering young girl on the couch. This was certainly not his godson.
Henry chuckled dryly, drawing a hand over his face. "It's a long story, Fred. Could you please check what's wrong with her? I promise I will tell you everything afterwards."
Fred shot him a hard long look before turning to attend to his new and unexpected patient.
Astrid wound the blankets tighter around herself, her eyes creaking open slightly and then closing shut again, still sensitive to the brightness of the room. The voices around her were loud but muffled.
It almost reminded her all those times she laid unconscious on the sidewalk, invisible to everyone that walked past her.
"Pneumonia. But it's one of the milder kinds that can be treated at home with antibiotics. I will write her a prescription under your name."
Astrid didn't recognize the second voice but felt a hand touch her face again.
"Just make sure she gets a lot of rest and drinks plenty of fluids."
She eventually managed to open her eyes fully and saw a husky blond man kneeling in front of her. Noticing she was conscious, he shot her a warm smile before standing up to face Henry behind him.
"Thank you, Fred. I really appreciate it."
Astrid spent the rest of the evening drifting in and out of a delirious slumber with Henry or Alex occasionally stirring her awake to ensure she was properly fed and stayed hydrated. The last couple of times she had gotten ill, she had been all alone and almost starved herself. It felt strange to be taken care of now. She had nearly forgotten what that could be like.
For first time in a long time it felt as if her life had some worth after all.
"I guess I still owe you that explanation."
Fred was currently seated across from Henry at the table in the dining room, sipping on a beverage that been provided for him. It was nearly a week past his previous visit. Due to an emergency at work he had to leave early last time and didn't get an opportunity to really talk things out with his best friend.
Henry took a deep breath as he spilled out everything, starting with the night he had first found Astrid.
Fred's face stayed stoic and serious while Henry talked. He listened with intent and interest. The slight tint of nervousness laced in the lanky man's voice didn't go unbeknownst to him.
"You did the right thing, Hiccup," he assured Henry once he finished up summarizing the events.
"Yeah?" Henry scratched the back of his head uncertainly.
"Without doubt," Fred said firmly. "Have you tried to get in touch with the parents?"
Henry shook his head. "The father has passed away and she lost all contact with her mother years ago."
"Any other relatives?"
"I don't know. I haven't had the chance to ask her yet. Sounds doubtful considering the condition I found her in," Henry replied with a shrug. "At least she is safe here and Alex seems to like her."
Fred gave him another solemn nod. "I will have Heather reach out to an adoption lawyer if you don't mind. This girl is a minor and we don't want you getting into any trouble for doing a good deed. It would be easy for someone with an agenda to spin this situation into something else."
Henry snorted at the jab on his estranged ex-wife. "Yeah. Leah will not be happy until she has me buried six feet under."
Fred shot him a sympathetic smile. "I still can't believe she has the audacity to be bitter against you," he chuckled humorlessly.
"According to her it was my own fault that she cheated," Henry muttered, feeling a fresh wave of anger well up inside him. "It's a wonder she even lets me have Alex over."
Fred hummed, not really wanting to dwell further into the matter. Henry had already wasted too much time in despair over this. It was the opportune moment for a change of topic.
"Heather is expecting," he blurted out excitedly. "We haven't told anyone yet though."
Henry looked momentarily stunned before his face broke into a genuine smile. "Congrats. I'm really happy for you guys."
They spent the remaining time in discourse about work, Heather's new cookbook and Alex's newfound and dangerous enthusiasm for skateboarding.
It was almost afternoon when Fred finally decided to make his leave. He checked up on Astrid one last time before heading for the door. She appeared to be doing significantly better, now fully awake and playing some sort of videogame with Alex.
Fred patted Henry on the back as he passed him by. "Bring her to my office to get some blood work done next week."
"I will," Henry responded with a nod. "Thanks again, Fred. For everything."
AN: Thanks for all the reviews! I really appreciate them.
TheWatchingEye: The reason why I made her underaged is because I can't imagine an adult version of Astrid winding up in such a hopeless, doomed situation. But worry not, Astrid will not stay a teenager forever. Without giving too much away, I have planned this story to be a two-parter. This is Part 1, in Part 2 she is an adult.
Sonochu: I have no intention of making this creepy. Hiccstrid will happen in a good and healthy way. :)
Question for all my readers: Do you guys want me to continue this fic despite the slow updates? I love writing this story but I also have so many other fanfics I need to finish.. and I don't know when the next update will be. Chapter 5 is half-written though.