Chapter 5! Hello! Sorry I didn't update yesterday. We were busy...with...lots of things.
Did any of you guys see fireworks on the forth? :)
Anyways, enjoy chapter 5! :D
Needless to say, Astrid was absolutely frenzied. She paced back in forth in front of a healer's house, waiting, and waiting, just as she had the night before while awaiting Hiccup and Avril's return. Toothless waited right along side of her, growling sadly at the door more fervently each minute.
Astrid found herself wondering what had happened. Avril had gone missing, Hiccup had gone out to look for her...but there was a piece of the puzzle that simply wasn't there for Astrid to grab. Astrid had seen the absolutely horrendous gash Hiccup had received; now how had that happened?
Her first thought was; maybe Toothless had crashed. But that didn't make sense. Hiccup was the best dragon rider. He didn't just crash, not unless there had been a malfunction with the tailfin, which Astrid had also considered. But after getting a good look at Toothless' tailfin, that idea was denied. There was nothing wrong with it whatsoever. Besides, if they had crashed, Toothless and Avril would have probably been hurt as well as Hiccup, and the healer had told Astrid that the only thing wrong with Avril was the fact that she was unconscious.
So what then?
She was just about to make a turn around to continue pacing in the opposite direction, when the door to the hut swung open. Astrid and Toothless both turned to face it before rushing forward as a pale-faced healer stepped outside.
"How are they?" Astrid asked.
"Avril's awake," said the healer, "but she's in shock."
"And Hiccup?" said Astrid, her mind racing and heart aching greatly at the thought of her little, baby sister being in shock.
"He's in a coma," said the healer.
Astrid felt her breath quicken as soon as the words left the healer's mouth. Without another word otherwise, Astrid pushed past her and stomped inside. She heard the door shut, Toothless being left outside since the place was too small for the dragon.
Avril was sitting up on her bed, looking straight at the opposite wall, her mouth slightly ajar. Ruffnut was sitting next to the girl, looking up when she saw Astrid enter and cross the room. Avril blinked twice, seeming not able to see what was directly in front of her.
Astrid sat down next to her sister and placed a hand on her shoulder. Avril jumped and turned her head, but stared at Astrid as she had stared at the wall. It made Astrid's heart hurt to see her little sister in such a state.
"Avril," said Astrid as gently as she could have mustered, "can you hear me?"
Avril only continued to stare.
"Avril," said Astrid. "A...Avril?"
The three-year-old made no move whatsoever.
Astrid felt tears prick her eyes, and then stood. She didn't want to leave Avril's side by a long shot, but she was also worried about Hiccup. She wanted to see how he was doing, even though the healer had practically told her already. She needed to see for herself. So, she turned around, and saw the eighteen-year-old dragon rider in one of the sick beds.
Astrid had never seen Hiccup look more terrible. He was lying, pale, and unconscious, the blanket pulled up to his chest so that his shoulders and lanky arms were exposed. His hair was matted down with sweat, and he was whimpering in his sleep.
...No, not sleep. He was in a coma.
"Oh, Hiccup," Astrid whispered. "I'm so sorry this happened to you." Hiccup didn't respond, and Astrid didn't blame him; not even faintly. He was injured, too. He needed his rest. Maybe the coma was just Hiccup's body's way of getting itself back to normal.
Even though that didn't exactly appear to be the case, it was a hope that Astrid latched onto. She knew that she didn't have anything else to do.
And so, she patted Hiccup's hand softly before leaving his side, approaching Ruffnut and Avril slowly as if Avril was a startled dragon. Astrid nodded to Ruffnut, and the Thorston quickly left the abode, after laying a hand on Astrid's shoulder in her way of showing her sympathy.
The healer walked in again as Astrid sat down beside her beloved sister, hugging her with one arm wrapped around the three-year-old's shoulders. The healer nodded to Astrid and Avril before speaking.
"You can take her home, if you want," said the healer; a middle-aged woman named Valarie. "The familiar surroundings could help. Just...be gentle and soft with her, Astrid. Don't use any loud voices, don't shout, or scream, or scare her. It could actually make it worse."
Astrid nodded, feeling heartbroken as she gently tugged on her sister's hand. Avril's head whirled in her direction, and the little girl stared into the eyes of the older girl's, seeing, but not registering.
"Avril, sweetie, we're going home," said Astrid. "Do you want to do home, Avril?"
Avril only stared at Astrid, still looking scared and terrified yet at the same time, her eyes blank, carrying no expression. Astrid glanced up at Valarie, and the woman nodded sadly. Astrid then took to the task of lifting her sister into her arms, choking down the urge to cry at the way her sister didn't protest, even a little bit.
Just before Astrid left, she turned around to face the healer.
"And what of Hiccup?" said Astrid.
"Stoick is going to come take him home after I examine the gash once more," said Valarie. "I'm going to try and identify what kind of thing made it, be it a dagger, or a sword, or a claw-"
"No, I mean," said Astrid, stepping towards the healer, "he's in a coma. He looks sick, Valarie. When will he wake up?"
Valarie lowered her gaze, not meeting Astrid's eyes. Astrid tried to find out what was going on, until it hit her.
"Valarie…?" said Astrid hesitantly. Valarie still didn't look up. "Valarie, when will he wake up?"
"I don't...I don't know, Astrid," said Valarie in response, finally meeting the girl's gaze. Astrid gasped in alarm, and although she had slightly been expecting the answer, it still shocked her and terrified her.
"You don't know when he will wake up?" said Astrid. "How can you not know when he will wake up-"
"Astrid," said Valarie, "a-at this point...I'm not even so sure...that he will wake up."