Happy New Year! Have an update! This was originally going to have more content, but I've been working on this chapter for 3 days now and I just wanted to get something posted. 2 Chapters left guys! JUST TWO! SO HERE YOU GO! ENJOY!

-Ash

White. There was a lot of white. Is this what Heaven looks like? It couldn't be though. I felt like shit. You're not supposed to feel like shit in Heaven. You're not supposed to hear heart monitors in Heaven either. Was I in a hospital?

I blinked again, forcing my eyes to open. Squinting at the brightness, I tried to focus my eyes. Everything was blurry. And white. It was still so white. I heard myself make an audible groan. After the sound left my throat, I heard a cluster of shuffling next to me.

"He's awake. Oh, my God. He's awake," a feminine voice said. It took a moment for my mind to process the vocals. I knew that voice. Whose voice is that?

I squeezed my eyes closed again with a grunt. My head was swirling. Trying to catch a grip on my consciousness was proving to be difficult.

"Son? Can you hear me?"

Dad?

I fisted the sheets, trying to get a hold on myself. When I finally forced my eyes open and allowed them to adjust, it was not my father hovering over me. It was an angel. An angel with blue eyes and blonde hair smiling down at me. She reached down and placed a hand on my cheek. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Astrid. It hit me so suddenly.

Gathering all the strength I had, I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and tugged her down to me. Her torso fell on top of me, and I couldn't find it in myself to care about the ache it caused. She snorted at my swift action before circling her arms under my neck. I buried my nose her hair and breathed. I had missed her. God, I was so afraid I'd never see her again.

At that thought, all of my confusion began to melt away. Memories of what happened came surging back. My mind went on overdrive. I could hear the heart monitor next to me picking up speed. Astrid pulled away from me. "Hiccup, you okay…?"

I gazed at her with frantic eyes. "T-Too-Toothless," I managed to get out. Trying to sit up and search the room, I hissed at the pain of my aching body.

Astrid gently, but forcefully (because, damn, she was strong), pushed me back down on the bed. "Hiccup, shh, he's okay. Calm down."

My breath was ragged as I stared at her. "W-What?" I huffed out.

"Toothless is fine. All of the dragons are fine. I promise. You wouldn't be here if it weren't for him. He saved your life," she explained.

I blinked at her. "Toothless did?"

She nodded. "Yes, he did."

"What happened," I tried to sit up slightly only to let out a hiss of pain. Astrid gave me a look as I finished my sentence. "W-What happened to the dragons?" I asked as I searched Astrid for answers until gazing up at my father, who had remained silent.

He then spoke up. "I was able to set all the dragons free before Alvin blew up the ODRR. Franklin and Astrid herded the dragons as you said to. We saw the building explode and didn't see you, so we went to search the remains of the building. We found Toothless at first and didn't see you anywhere. We thought you were dead until Toothless became conscious and showed us that he had wrapped you up in his wings. He saved your life."

I nodded in understanding before glancing around the room. "Where is he now?"

"At the ranch with the other dragons," my father answered.

Cocking a brow at him, I tilted my head. "Ranch? What ranch?"

Astrid beamed. "Your dad bought an old horse ranch just outside of town and turned it into a dragon ranch. The dragons have tons of acres to explore. We feed them and take care of them. I know it's going to be even better when you're there. They're all going to take to you so much easier."

I blinked at them. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, we're serious! We wouldn't make this up," Astrid retorted.

"Wow… okay. That's great! What about the ODRR? Did the explosion damage anything?"

Dad shook his head. "No, thankfully. I did have to fill out a report that something happened though, but I told them that this is high government business that I cannot discuss. So, all the news knows is that you were, uh, injured in an explosion. I told them that you ran in to try to help free exotic animals that were being trafficked for experimenting. You look like a pretty big hero right now."

I bobbed my head. "I understand. So, it'd be best if I just don't say anything, right?"

"Correct."

Astrid beamed at me. "We'll see what everyone has to say about you now, Haddock."

I snorted at her choice of nickname. "Yeah, I guess we will."

My dad gasped and stood up in a hurry. "What am I doing? I need to go tell the nurses you're awake." He scurried out of the room.

Astrid watched him leave the room before turning her attention back to me. She punched me in the arm. Hard. I flinched and squeaked. "What was that for!?"

"That is for scaring me."

I scoffed at her. "I-Is it always going to be like this becau—" I was cut off by her lips on mine. I felt my body melt, and my eyes fluttered closed. She pulled away with a smirk on her face. "I could get used to it," I finished.

She smiled at me before leaning in again. Her lips danced with mine, and her fingers caressed my hair. I take it back. I was in Heaven. Astrid was going to be the death of me, and at that point, I honestly did not care.

A flick of the door handle caused her to shoot away from me. I was disappointed to say the least, but your dad and your doctor catching you making out with your girlfriend probably wasn't going to be the greatest situation to deal with after waking up from being in a coma.

"Hey there, Harold. I'm Dr. Bailey. I've been taking care of you for the past week or so," the large, blonde man said.

"Well, thank you," I replied as I shook the man's hand.

He pulled up a stool and sat next to my bed. The doctor fiddled with my IV for a moment before turning his attention back to me. "So, I told your loved ones here not to tell you the information I'm about to give you. I don't want you to be upset with them for not telling you as soon as you woke up. I feel this will be better coming from me."

I glanced up at Astrid and my dad who both had sympathetic looks on their faces. I was concerned. Especially when Astrid's eyes glassed over as if she were holding back tears. I turned my attention back to Dr. Bailey and nodded. "O-Okay."

"Your father said he can't give us many details about what happened, but we do know that you were in an explosion. He said he couldn't explain to us about how you even survived. We put you in a medically induced coma to give your body time to heal after your surgery."

"Surgery? What surgery?" I asked quickly, noticing Astrid turn her head away. Confused was an understatement.

The doctor reached down and placed a hand on my shoulder. "When you arrived here your left foot was burned and mangled. Your father said himself that he wasn't exactly sure what occurred to cause it. You had already lost a lot of blood, and there was no way we could save it."

My blood ran cold. What was he talking about? I could feel my foot. It was there.

"B-But I can feel it, and it hurts a lot," I retorted with a squeak.

Dr. Bailey shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not the case. You're experiencing something called Phantom Limb Syndrome. It's very common. 60 to 80% of amputee patients experience it."

Opening my mouth to speak, I couldn't get the words to come out. I was far too surprised. But, honestly, had I really thought I had survived an explosion without some sort of injury? Some sort of catch was always a part of my life.

"Phantom Limb can be very painful, so if it hurts too much, let us know. In my experience with patients the best treatments are heat application to the stump, messaging the stump, and physical therapy can help too. We will get you into physical therapy after the skin heals. From there, it's up to you if you'd like to be measured for a prosthetic. I know this is a lot of info at one time, but I feel it best that you be made aware of plans early."

I nodded, but he was right. It was hard soaking everything in. Sucking in a deep breath, I looked at him. "Can I… Can I see it?"

"Of course. We need to change your blankets anyway. I'll take these," he gently pulled the covers off of my body, forcing me to face my new reality. I stared at the stump of my leg. I could have sworn I could feel my toes wiggling, but I could see there was no foot. It was the most confusing feeling I'd ever experienced.

I couldn't help but glance over at Astrid. There were tears in her eyes, and I couldn't help but feel a guilt rising in my stomach. As Dr. Bailey left the room, my father followed after him, seeming to get the message. She sat down on the bed next to me and looked down at my stump. I'd never felt so vulnerable in front of someone. This was worse than what I felt when Alvin threatened to kill me.

"You don't hate me now, do you?" I asked her.

Her head snapped back towards me, her braid whipping around as she did. "Do you think I'm that shallow, Harold Haddock?"

My eyes widened with panic. "No, I don't."

"I'm just glad you're alive. I don't give a shit if you're missing a foot," she insisted.

"B-But that means you'll have to, ya know, take care of me. I'll be a burden."

She scoffed. "Please, it's not like I wasn't already taking care of your scrawny butt," she reached out a placed a hand on my cheek. "I will never see you as a burden. Ever. I promise."

I chewed my lip. "Promise?"

"Of course, you goof," she said with a smile.

Two Weeks Later…

Astrid wheeled me through the hospital hallways in order to get some "fresh air." Not really. Just more hospital air. But at least I was able to get out of that stuffy room for a bit. I also got some, sort of, alone time with Astrid.

As she strolled me around the halls, we simply just chatted. Enjoyed each other's presence. She reached a small ramp that sloped down to another section of the hall. She smirked. "I should just let you go and see where you end up."

I whipped around. "Don't do that to me!"

She let out a snort. "I won't let you go. But I will go really fast down this little hill."

"Astrid…" I replied in a warning tone.

Lining up my wheel chair, she angled me down the hill. "Three, two, one," she counted down before sprinting down the empty hallway. She jumped on the metal on the back of the chair and rode.

"Astrid, really!?" I cried as the speed caused my hair to whip lightly. I was suddenly reminded of Toothless when I took him out for rides. God, how I missed him. My dad gave me constant updates on my dragon, but it was still rough not seeing my best friend in such a long time.

She sprung off the back as we approached a dead end and skidded us to a stop. I put a hand over my heart to make sure it was still beating. It was, but at ten speed. Swinging my head to face her, I glared. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"That was fun. Don't be a sourpuss."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Yeah, okay."

Astrid cackled at me before her phone pinged in her skirt pocket. She cocked a brow and dug out her cell before swiping the screen. After reading the message she had received, she turned her attention back to me. She grabbed the handles and pulled me away from the wall we had almost crashed into. "C'mon, let's head back to the room."

I blinked in slight confusion, but nodded nonetheless. "Okay."

The trip back had been quiet. It was as if Astrid had been contemplating something. Her brows were furrowed in thought as we traveled. Deciding it was best not to say anything, I stayed silent.

We made it to the room, and Astrid clicked open the door. My dad stood near the window and seemed to be pretending like he didn't notice me. But at the time I was too distracted to care as there was an abundance of art supplies sitting on the nightstand. An easel with one of my unfinished paintings from school sat right next to my bed. My eyes lit up. "Woah, what's going on?" I asked in my father's direction as Astrid began to roll me into the room.

"Well, it'd seem that one of my favorite students has been hospitalized for a while, so I decided to pay him a visit and bring some gifts," a voice chimed from the corner chair.

I flinched and shot my head to look at the corner where the voice had sounded. There sat Ms. Abby with a magazine in her hands. Gaping at her, I took control of the wheel chair and rolled myself to her. "Ms. Abby? What are you doing here?"

She beamed at me. "I just told you. You have some work to finish. I've given you two an extended deadline, but I can't hold it off too long. So, I brought all of your projects here. I figured that the accident didn't affect your painting abilities, Harold?"

Shaking my head, I gathered words through my surprise. "No, no. I'm sure it hasn't."

Ms. Abby stood and ruffled my hair. "I know you're not supposed to talk about the case," she murmured in a low voice. "But if anyone would do anything for the sake of animals, it would always be you."

I laughed nervously. "Yeah… you're right. I can't help it."

She bent down in front of my chair and placed her hands on my shoulders. "I'm so proud of you, Harold. You've got such a good heart." She clicked her tongue as if she had just thought of something. "Oh, yeah. There's something else I needed to mention."

Tilting my head, I cocked at brow at her. "What?"

Her hands squeezed my shoulders as she grinned. "You, Harold Haddock, have been chosen to be a recipient of a Scholastic Art Award."

My eyes blew wide and I gaped at her. "Are you—are you serious?" Ms. Abby beamed at me and nodded swiftly. I glanced over at my dad who was actually smiling proudly at me. I opened my mouth to speak, and my eyes shifted as I gathered my thoughts. Gazing up at her, I couldn't help the squeak that left my throat before I finally found words. "That's the most prestigious award that anyone can get. That can get me so many scholarships to art schools," I reached up and ran a hand through my hair in disbelief. "I-I can't believe this. Are you sure?"

Ms. Abby chuckled at me. "Yes, I'm positive. You're the only Harold Haddock I have in the school."

"Wow…" I sighed. "I can't believe it."

"The school has a big ceremony planned for you when you get back. You get to be honored, and it's going to be really exciting," she told me.

Beaming, I glanced back at Astrid who had remained silent. She rubbed her arm uncomfortably before mustering a smile at me. I clicked my tongue. "Astrid, I think you may have something to talk about."

Her eyes hardened and she glared. "No. I don't."

"Astrid," my stern tone seemed to surprise her. She chewed her lip as if trying to stay defiant, but she gave in with a sigh.

"Abby, can I talk to you? Alone? In the hall?" she asked. Ms. Abby stood up with a nod and moved out into the hallway with Astrid just outside the door.

When the pair left the room, I glanced over at my dad who just gave me a nod. I rolled my chair over to the easel and examined the work I had begun. It was a portrait I had started of Toothless. No details yet, but just a black blob that sported the outline of him. Contemplating what to with the art, I picked up a dry paintbrush and ran it across the canvas. It was simply to get the muscle memory of painting back in my system.

I jolted from my trance when Dr. Bailey came traipsing in the door. Behind him, I could see Astrid and Ms. Abby. The ladder had my girlfriend scooped up in a hug as Astrid sobbed into her shoulder. While it hurt me to see Astrid so upset, I knew that she needed this. Closure with Ms. Abby was something that she had been putting off for a very long time. I didn't mean to intrude or pry, but I knew my convincing Astrid to do this was necessary.

I couldn't help but snort at Dr. Bailey's face as he grimaced while walking in the room. Knowing this reaction was because of Astrid's sobbing, I couldn't help but be slightly amused at his antics. The doctor motioned for me to hop back on my bed, and my father came over to help. Dr. Bailey gave a grin as he patted me on the shoulder. "So, your nurses have been checking on your stump each day, and they told me that it was healing very nicely. We got results back from the X-Ray and there doesn't seem to be any permanent damage to the bone, which is very good, obviously. I'd say in about 6 more weeks we'll get your prosthetic ready, and you'll start physical therapy. They already took your measurements, right?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

He bobbed his head. "Good, good. I'll get those from your nurse. You also picked out what type of prosthetic you wanted. You want one that looks like a foot, correct?"

"Yes, sir," I said again with another nod.

"Alright, we always want to double check. Never want you to be dissatisfied. If you get this prosthetic and don't like it then we can always try a different one. You've been such a great patient, and we definitely want you to head back home feeling the best you can and walking. Sound good?"

Not able to stop it, a grin spread across my face. "Sounds great."

The doctor gave a nod and patted me on the shoulder. "Good deal. I'll be back in a little while. You need to stay out of the chair and rest of a bit, alright?"

"Yes, sir."

"Great. I'll be back."

When he exited the room, I got one more peak at Astrid and Ms. Abby. Ms. Abby held Astrid's hands in her own and spoke with a smile as Astrid nodded in agreement. I felt my heart swell. Something good came out of this after all.

Originally, I was going to have everything that had to do with the hospital be in this chapter. But I had intended on getting this chapter out yesterday, and that just didn't happen. So, in order to get this out to you guys, I decided to cut the content down. There will be one more hospital chapter, then an "epilogue" of sorts. It's almost over guys!