So does this make him a Half-metal Viking? [closed]

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"Winry?"

Hiccup went and poked around where she worked, as he had more than once before.

He'd seen the plans, and ultimately opted for a very plain design, something easy to repair. Simple or not, though, the automail mechanic was making sure every meticulous detail was right. Day after day, he'd popped his head in, and day after day, she'd still been working. At times, he even got to learn a few things as she worked. Sometimes he just watched silently, maybe asking a question or two to break the silence.

Today, though...

"It is done yet?"

Is it? Is it?

Comments

[wanna-tke-apart.livejournal.com]

Unlike when Ed had walked in on her, Winry was awake!

And, at the moment, twisting in a final screw.

"There we are!"

Grinning proudly at her work, Winry pushed her desk chair back and turned around, holding up the automail leg for Hiccup to see.

(And naturally she'd had to make some adjustments to the usual design -- not quite completely like the automail Ed had, because the surgery to attach the nerves to a docking port would be too hard here; still as detailed though, still functioning.)

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"Wait, so it's ready? Really?"

Boy, that was one happy Viking.

[wanna-tke-apart.livejournal.com]

"I'm not just holding it up for show."

She stood up, trying to keep her amusement off her face.

"Now... You realize next comes the hard part, right? Whenever you're ready, we can get you to surgery to connect your nerves, but it's going to be really painful."

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

Deep breath.

"I'm a Viking. We love pain."

A pause.

"Then again, I'm a horrible Viking, so I hate pain, but I'll just have to...deal. I'm ready. I'm ready right now if you have the time."

[wanna-tke-apart.livejournal.com]

She hadn't been expecting that. "I have time but I may need an assistant." She hadn't done this in awhile.

[short-changed.livejournal.com]

"Hey," called out Ed at the door. "You know there's that EMH guy. Snarky fellow but he probably could help ease the pain a little."

He grinned, clapping Hiccup on the shoulder. "It hurts like a bitch, but the results are worth it, I can attest to that. So that's his automail huh?"

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

He practically bounced. "Isn't it great? And I think I know enough to repair it if I ever need to."

Shortly after...

[astridhofferson.livejournal.com]

(http://photobucket.com)

"...Automail?"

There was a brief pause as they stood in the hallway.

She folded her arms and there may be a weird look mixed in with her flat stare. "...Don't tell me you're attaching a wheel on your leg."

Because that's the sort of crazy thing he would do, isn't it.

Re: Shortly after...

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"No, that's--well, actually--but, no, it's just a leg, made of metal, that'll move like a real leg, but they have to do surgery to attach it up to these things called nerves and--it's very minor."

"Minor" surgery, of course, didn't exist back home for them.

"Anyway, I'll be in and out, and I'll let you know when I'm out..."

Re: Shortly after...

[astridhofferson.livejournal.com]

(http://photobucket.com)

Her hand sharply projected out, palm dangerously stopping in front of his face to cease him from speaking before she had her say.

"Hold it!"

And you better believe she will have her say.

"First of all, how long have you been planning this? You have a bad habit of keeping these things from me until the last minute. You should correct that," she rebuked rather hotly, eyes narrowing.

She retracted the hand and returned to folding her arms, a finger tapping her arm. "Secondly, this does not sound as simple as you make it out to be." Really. She read it all over his dumb nervous expression he was making. "Surgery is risky. I'm not stupid. I know what you've been through back home."

Now, more importantly...

"And... who are they?"

Re: Shortly after...

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"I've been planning this since I met Ed, who has automail, and his friend, who designs it. And okay, so, it's supposed to be a little painful, but I can take a little pain. The recovery also will take up to three months, but I think I can push it sooner than that."

Oog, how to explain 'they'?

"'They' would be one of the doctors and the aforementioned automail mechanic that helped design the leg."

No mention of gender there.

Re: Shortly after...

[astridhofferson.livejournal.com]

(http://photobucket.com)

Well, it's great he is being honest, at the very least, and it cooled her minor temper flare to some degree.

....

Another momentary silence until...

"You're absolutely positive this is what you want...?" His eyes seemed so eager, it was hard to refuse him.

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"I can't get my leg back and I can't get back something like my leg that'd be so advanced I'd never be able to repair it if we ever managed to bring Berk back, but this--"

He shook his head.

"This is the closest I'll get, that I can still repair. I'll be able to--once I adjust--I'll be able to run again. It'll be lighter and I won't trip all the time, I won't be--"

How did he say this?

"I don't want to be a burden. I don't want to be that person that can't run, that can't fight, that has to be rescued..."

Medbay

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"Did you find a doctor to help?" he asked as he came into the Medbay, Astrid in tow.

She had kind of refused to not come along.

Re: Medbay

[wanna-tke-apart.livejournal.com]

Winry was setting up all she needed to. A lot of instruments -- and the kinds of medicines they had on this ship were amazing. A lot more pain killers than in Amestris.

"Yep, found one," she replied, turning her head slightly. "I already explained the procedure."

Re: Medbay

[modelscientist.livejournal.com]

Mordin was standing near by, reviewing some scans he'd taken of the automail. He turned towards Hiccup and quickly initiated a similar scan in order to get an idea of what was to happen.

"Ah, yes. Happy to be of help. Shouldn't be too difficult. Have similar prosthetics at home. Not quite as crude though." He didn't mean to be rude, he was just telling the truth (in his eyes).

Re: Medbay

[wanna-tke-apart.livejournal.com]

And Winry's head turned to Mordin now. "Crude?"

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"Oh, here we go. With something we really don't need right now."

[modelscientist.livejournal.com]

"No offense is intended. Would be easier to integrate with nerves, have synthetic skin, excellent tactile response." Mordin tilted his head.

"An excellent prosthetic, however, considering the materials available."

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

Pain. Blinding pain.

The procedure was agonizing to most. With Stacy's medical technology, it was a lot less bad, but Hiccup could only have local sedation to a degree, since he had to be able to feel the nerves being linked up so that they knew they were doing it right.

He didn't cry.

That was the one thing he was proud of himself for. How shameful would that have been? A Viking crying over getting a limb back?

It was still the worst pain he'd ever felt, though, and it took everything he had to not squirm. During the worst part of the procedure, he tucked part of the sheet into his mouth, bit down, and screamed into it, his hand casting about for something to hold on to.

[astridhofferson.livejournal.com]

(http://photobucket.com)

It was more excruciating than she imagined... and at peaks even dreadful to watch.

In spite of it all, she continued to watch on, and as the procedure progressed her disposition paled considerably. It became harder to keep appearances. There were points where her body flinched with every scream. With alignment of flesh and nerve, her fingers clenched tighter upon her arm while her arms remained folded against her chest.

Though the girl stilled herself, withholding from raising her voice and stopping the whole thing entirely. It had to be done. She reminded herself of this--even when his agony and his yells raised in volume through the pain. It had to be done.

And as it progressed, her space from the wall changed, and when she conspicuously moved closer to his side she felt the trembling hand of the boy's meet her own.

Oh how it trembled... but Astrid was there and she allowed him to grip as hard as he must.

Come on... bear with it a little longer...

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

One last scream and then he fell back, an iron grip on Astrid's hand, spitting out the sheet, gasping and sweating.

There was a lull in the pain.

"Please please tell me it's over."

CONGRATS, HICCUP! IT'S A BOY!

[wanna-tke-apart.livejournal.com]

The tools were away and a rag was moping sweat off Hiccup's forehead. Another was soaked in blood, for it had been keeping it from getting in the way of the procedure.

"Yeah. It's over. Don't worry, everything's attached."

Except for the leg, of course. The pain of linking the leg up with his nerves right now would probably make him pass out.

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"Okay, good, good," said Hiccup. "Welp, I managed to sit through it and stay conscious. Viking mettle here and accounted for. So I'm going to pass out now."

Thud.

He passed out cold, exhausted.

[astridhofferson.livejournal.com]

(http://photobucket.com)

Astrid let out the anxious breath she'd been holding during the last moments, gently slipping her hand from his and flexed her fingers. Geez. Really... Hiccup amazingly had strength at the most inopportune times.

So it was finally done. Might as well allow him rest. He surely needed it.

She smiled. "Heh... and he didn't shed a single tear. The big baby..."