This is my SIXTH update today, and I'm sorry 'bout that last cliffy thing I did. It wasn't very nice of me, was it? Well, here's some shout-outs:
IWriteSinsOrTragedies: For some reason, I really like intense scenes. Thanks for reviewing! :D Reviews mean a lot to me. :)
ArabianDragon: Yes, I like cliffhangers. Can you tell? Haha. Just kidding. I'm sure you can tell. Everyone can tell. And that's why try to update a lot each day. :) Yes, I will do a one-shot for it. That much is decided. :) I just don't know when I'm going to post it.
silverwolvesarecool: You'll have to see! :) And yes, Astrid does care about him. :)
xFaerieValkyriex: Yes, she is very good, and very stoic about it. It's funny. I have some other friends, and whenever we play video games, we always end up going absolutely crazy. :) I think I'm going to do Ruffnut's POV for that one-shot. I think that's the best option. :)
AnimeAngel: Don't die, don't die...and yeah, i think Sparkglider already took the second place, and she's NOT going to give it up *Sparkglider growls* And...yeah. I'll take place three, though, and then you can take four, or you can take three, and I'll take four, or whatever. And yeah, it'll be a one-shot, and probably be posted seperatly as well, unless I write it as an epilogue. I don't know. What do you think?
One Bright Light: NO ONE denies Astrid Hofferson...and lives. :)
Astrid was crushed. Absolutely crushed.
She followed Ruffnut out of the hospital with a heavy heart, leaving her head bowed, trying to take it all in. Okay; okay, not okay. She wasn't okay. She wasn't okay.
"I'm sorry, Astrid," said Ruffnut.
"What?" said Astrid. "You didn't do anything."
"Well, it makes me happy to hear that, because you're really making me feel guilty with your crying," said Ruffnut.
Astrid reached up and touched her cheek, finding it soaked with salty tears. Funny, she didn't remember letting those tears fall.
"Sorry," she said. "I can't help it. If he dies-"
"He won't die," said Ruffnut. "Or...at least I hope he won't."
For some strange reason, that didn't make Astrid feel any better.
...
One week passed before Astrid saw even a sign of Valka. Astrid had been trying to get a hold of either Valka or her son every single day and nearly every single moment she spent awake through that week, only to fail each go around, leaving herself more miserable and worried than the time before that.
Throughout that week, Astrid had taken care of Toothless; fed him, made sure he had water, taken care of the litter box, and everything else. But Toothless still moped around the house sadly, pawing at the door, obviously trying to look for Hiccup. She also took care of Sharpshot, but he was easier to care for than a cat.
And then she saw Valka. It was one of those days when she was taking care of Toothless that Valka entered the household, jumping when she saw Astrid. Astrid jumped just as well as the other woman, and then they both started talking at once.
"What are you doing here?" they asked in unison. "What?" they said, once again in sync.
"I'm getting a few things," said Valka.
"I'm taking care of Toothless and Sharpshot," said Astrid.
"Thank you, Astrid," said Valka, but she said it as if she were hardly thinking about it. "Hiccup would be crushed if he came back to see his pets dead."
"How is he, speaking of which?" said Astrid. "I haven't seen either one of you in a week. I've been worried."
Valka sighed. "Not good, Astrid," she said. "He hasn't woken up yet...he's in a coma."
Astrid felt her heart stop just for a split second. "A coma?" she asked. "For a week?"
Valka nodded. "They...they had to take his leg," she said.
Astrid gasped and stumbled backwards. "They...they had to..." she gulped.
"They didn't have a choice," said Valka. "There was no saving it. And they couldn't have kept it on, because it would easily get infected, and then it would eventually kill him. It was either his leg or his life, and which one is the obvious choice?"
"His life, of course," said Astrid. "But his leg..."
"They're making a prosthetic," said Valka. "For if he wakes up...no, no, I didn't mean to say 'if.' I meant...I meant 'when.' But Astrid...the doctors don't even know if he would wake up. Most of them...most of them are...well, I overheard some of them, and they don't think he ever will-"
"Don't listen to them," said Astrid. "He will. I know he will." Correction: I hope he will. That's what Astrid was really saying, and the young Hofferson girl knew it. But there was no way she was telling that to Valka, especially when she was already that scared...
"I hope you're right, Astrid," said Valka. "I just allowed visitations, not to everyone, but just a few close people. You're one of those people, Astrid."
"Thank you," said Astrid.
"Would...do you think you would like to..." Valka started, hesitating slightly, trying to find the words, "I don't know...visit him?"
Astrid almost couldn't contain herself. Did Valka even really need to ask that question?
"Yes, I do," said Astrid, trying to keep excitement out of her voice.
"Thank you," said Valka. "Then you can. I need to get him some new glasses. His other ones are smashed. It shouldn't take me too long, and I really don't want to leave him alone longer than I have to."
"Yeah, I could go over," said Astrid. "I would...I would really like to go over. If it's not too hard..."
"It's not," said Valka. "Just tell them your name and who you're there to see."
"I will," said Astrid. "Thank you, Valka."
"Thank you, too," said Valka.
They turned and went their separate ways, Astrid running to the Thorston residence.
"Ruff!" she shouted to Ruffnut as she walked out her front door and started beating a rug against the side of the house.
"Hey, Astrid," said Ruffnut. "I haven't heard anything from you in ages now! What do you need?"
"I need to borrow your bike," said Astrid.
Ruffnut groaned. "Oh no, not again," she said. "You can borrow Tuff's, but NOT mine. I don't want to enjoy my bike if it's broken."
"Thank you," said Astrid. the garage door was already open, so she just simply ran inside it, grabbed Tuffnut's bike, and started off to the hospital once again.
When she got there, she threw the bike against the tree and called it good, and then proceeded to run across the street after making sure it was safe to cross, and then burst through the doors once more.
There was a different desk clerk, but maybe that was just as well.
Astrid ran straight up to the front desk and hesitated suddenly. Did she really want to know what injuries Hiccup underwent? Well, of course she did. There was always a slight curiosity that constantly engulfed her being. But would she be able to take it?
"Hello," said the clerk, breaking Astrid from her thoughts. "Can I help you, miss?"
"Um, yes," said Astrid. "My name is Astrid Hofferson, and I'm here to see Hadley Haddock."
The clerk nodded and then shifted through some papers. "Yes, your name is on the visitation list," she said. "Hadley Haddock is in room 701, wing E."
"Thank you," she said quickly, and then headed in that direction. She hesitated when she found Hiccup's door, not exactly knowing what she would see, none too eager to find out, either.
So, she took a deep breath, and pushed the door open.