Rude Awakening [closed]

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

The good thing was that the breathing tube was gone. He didn't need it anymore. He was hooked up to a myriad of tubes and devices, but at least that was one less.

Hiccup still hadn't woken up, however. His eyes had opened and closed a few times, but other than those fleeting moment of half consciousness, he hadn't woken up.

Now the doses of the painkillers had been lessened and he was stirring more.

It was sudden, and alarming, when it happened. His eyes flitted open, and he sat up, screaming in a hoarse voice.

"Aaaugh aaaugh! What--where--get it off get it off!"

He tugged blindly at all the strange tubes and things clinging to him, and patted frantically at his stomach, as if expecting something else to pop out of it.

Hiccup didn't want things touching him, there were things attached--he didn't want anything attached.

"Where'd it go?! Where'd it go?!"

The last thing he remembered was, well, dying, as far as he knew.

Comments

[stoickthevast.livejournal.com]

Stoick knew his son would awaken soon, especially with the few false attempts at wakening. Still, when his son jolted awake and began screaming, he was pretty sure he'd let out an un-viking-like yelp in surprise.

He surged to his feet, trying to grab Hiccup's arms before he could do any more damage to himself and the tubes hooked up to him. "Hiccup! Hiccup! Relax, calm down. You're okay. You're okay."

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"Where'd it go? Is it dead?" he exclaimed, voice cracking. "It's dead, right?"

That...thing? It was gone, wasn't it?

[stoickthevast.livejournal.com]

"Yes, Hiccup. It's dead. It's gone. Stacy took care of it." Stoick could feel the relief flood through him. And it brought a very slight bit of moisture to his eyes. He had his son back, what more could he want?

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

Hiccup sat there, breathing in and out, still slightly in shock and confused.

"How--how am I still alive?"

[stoickthevast.livejournal.com]

Stoick tugged gently at the meat-chair to bring it closer to the bed.

"You have the doctor to thank for that. He sprang into action almost immediately." Something akin to horror flitted across Stoick's expression then. His voice was thick when he added, "It was a good thing he did. How are you feeling?"

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"Confused," he said fuzzily. He started to calm down, finally.

"Oh, you mean, like--" He gestured to his stomach/chestal area. "It hurts a little."

But he was a manly Viking, and he would deal with the pain in a Vikingly way. "But a little pain never hurt anybody, right? Except for the part where pain generally hurts, but--well, you know what I mean."

Yes, his dad was getting the tough guy act. Even though it was frayed around the edges, and Hiccup looked close to bursting into tears.

It wasn't that he was hurting that much, it was that he was scared and confused about almost dying. Relieved he didn't die, but confused. He was also disturbed--very, very upset and disturbed by what happened.

Toothless knew. Toothless made a comforting crooning sound and came up to the other side of the bed, nudging his snout against Hiccup's hand, and Hiccup rubbed the dragon's nose affectionately.

"It's okay, Toothless. I'm okay. Guess I don't smell all weird now, huh? That's what freaked you out, wasn't it."

The dragon sat up which both forelegs on the bed and started nuzzling the boy, making more comforting sounds, as if to say 'It's okay now, Hiccup.'

"I'm okay. Really, I'm okay," said Hiccup, voice cracking, eyes getting glassy.

It was pretty much a lie, and it was a bad lie, because he made a choking sound and tears started to run down his face.

He wasn't even sure why he was crying--all he knew was that he was filled with competing feelings of disgust and relief, surging through him. He felt like he was going to throw up.

Weakly, his raised an arm to cover his face and hide it from his father. Showing this kind of weakness in front of him was utterly humiliating.

[stoickthevast.livejournal.com]

Hiccup was strong, but even the strongest Viking would have crumbled under such circumstances. Stoick wasn't sure he could have kept up the facade any longer than Hiccup had. And he was on the sidelines.

He didn't think, he only acted. Careful of the dragon and of Hiccup's injuries, he moved to sit on the side of Hiccup's bed. His burly arms moved to clasp his son close, holding him in perhaps what would be the first time since...well, ever.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup. I never meant for this to happen." But whether he meant the alien attack or their estranged relationship, he meant it. And then he added, as though to make things better, "I think you've outdone even Gobber."

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

Zuko isn't expecting Hiccup to be awake when he comes by, but low and behold, he is.

"Oh good, you're awake."

He says it like it's not good, and crosses his arms and leans in the doorway looking just as crabby as ever.

"I hope you're not planning to let a little thing like a gaping chest wound get in the way of training."

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

By then, Hiccup'd had time to calm down a bit, chase his father off to take a break, and so on.

He was still very pale, and looked very sick, even if it was awake and sitting somewhat upright, propped up on meaty meatship pillows.

There was a dragon in the room, curled up on the floor near the foot of Hiccup's bed, and he raised his head as Zuko walked in, sniffing curiously. Toothless could smell fire-like smells that were pleasing and familiar, and let out a snorting noise of approval.

"It's more an upper abdomen kinda thing," Hiccup said, gesturing to the impressive scarring there, covered in its weird green gel. "And it's not really gaping anymore. More just...hurting. A lot."

He winced and shifted, futilely, trying to get comfortable. And failing.

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

Woah. Zuko is distracted by the dragon.

"That . . . wasn't here last time I visited."

Hey, Hiccup, your Sifu just admitted to visiting you in your infirmity! That's curiously sentimental, for Zuko.

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"Toothless was probably off getting something to eat," Hiccup said.

"Hey, so you visited? Wow. I'm guessing you were disappointed that I wasn't awake to do hot squats. You are persistent about this training thing, aren't you," Hiccup jibed gently, looking...well, touched, actually, that Zuko had come to see him while he was out.

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

"I didn't have anything better to do."

Which . . . may or may not be a compliment? Who knows.

"How are you feeling?"

It's a polite question to ask someone who's ailing. Give them the chance to deny their pain and look strong, or bitch about their pain and feel relieved.

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

Hiccup went for both.

"Like I got run over by a cart and dropped off a cliff." He sniffed manfully. "But it's nothing I can't handle."

[astridhofferson.livejournal.com]

There was an attentive rapping knock at the entrance.

Not before long, fingers curl around the door frame and Astrid tilts to look in, half-shielding herself behind the entrance wall, clearly hesitant to move. Pacing somewhere outside the hallways, she finally got up the nerve to check in on him when she was notified he had awaken.

Her lips part then close, the words "I'm coming in" never leave her mouth. From this distance, she can see how terrible he is and she couldn't fake a smile even when he is functioning and alive.

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"I look that bad, huh?" he said, blinking eyelids as pale as the rest of him.

[astridhofferson.livejournal.com]

(http://photobucket.com)

Of course she knows what he really meant. He wasn't just talking about his appearance.

Lowering her eyes and glancing off to the side briefly, she eventually steps in, arms coming in front of her, now revealing his fur vest bundled neatly and carried in her arms as she moved to the open seat beside his bed. The vest is settled on her lap and with it both her hands.

Conversation seems to be lost at that moment as she struggled for something to say, trying not to stare at his infliction. It's stupid to ask "How are you?" when the answer is glaringly apparent.

"It looks better," she replies softly but so he can hear her.

She inwardly winced, burying her fingers in the vest's fur, wanting to bite her tongue and start over. Why does she do that. Need he be reminded that his insides where hanging out the last time he was conscious? Maybe she should stick to those 'How are you's

"I wasn't sure if you wanted visitors, but I came as soon as I heard you were awake."

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"...How in the world did you get that thing clean?"

Seriously, he thought he was going to have to throw that vest out.

[astridhofferson.livejournal.com]

She shrugged, eyeing down at her lap. "Don't ask. Luckily this ship is prepared to handle any wardrobe crisis. I wouldn't have gotten it clean otherwise. They were gonna throw it out, but I fended them off. Figured you wanted to keep one of the few possessions from home."

Look at that, Hiccup, your vest is disinfected and like new--but she won't be giving it back to you just yet. He's still missing one valuable possession.

...And oh no, he noticed the vest. This is where she begins to fidget a little in her seat, playing with her fingers and looking, well, suspicious. "As for one other thiiiing..."

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"Thanks, Astrid. I really didn't want to lose it," he said smiling at her, and shifting against his pillows again. "And one other thing, what?"

[governorkang]

What with how heated his last conversation had initially been with Stoick, and despite the fact that it hadn't ended that way, Kang was still a little surprised when he was contacted by the man and told that Hiccup had woken up.

Of course, he had to go see for himself.

He knocked on the door frame, smiling, "Feeling alright?"

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"As alright as I can be," said Hiccup. His lips were pale, but he was smiling slightly.

[governorkang]

"I'm surprised your father isn't here," Kang remarked, entering the room and moving over to the boy. "He refused to leave your side."

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"I told him to," said Hiccup. "He needed a break."

Heck, Hiccup had needed a break after that talk.

[governorkang]

Kang nodded, and sat down in the chair. "Sleep in a real bed, not a chair. They aren't exactly the most comfortable things."

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"...he really stayed with me all that time?" Hiccup asked, almost sounding surprised.