An Unknown Sickness - httyd

Last Goodbyes

Could it be??? A new chapter!!!?????? YES! I've been motivated! Thanks for staying with me for all who have made it this far, despite my not very frequent updates. This is the second to last chapter! Sadly....

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By the nervous looks the other Riders were giving her, it was obvious that they could hear her heartbeat. Or at least see the fearful look in her eye or maybe they could see the cold beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. They were pretty worried for her when she woke up screaming, darting her eyes around frantic until they finally spotted the Edge coming into view. Her breath caught in her throat as she started feeling her heart quicken. The other's concerned voices blurred into one. 

"I'm fine," She had told them, possibly too loudly. But they didn't press on, but instead exchanged worried glances with each other that aggravated her. They did know she could see them, right?

But now here they were. Landing at the Clubhouse of the Edge. Where good or bad news waited for them. Astrid made sure the others were still behind her. She didn't want to go see Hiccup alone, not like in her nightmare. 

Stoick wasn't seen at first, but then they spotted him coming down from Hiccup's hut to greet them. Gothi was outside Hiccup's door, gazing down at them. But Astrid couldn't see from that far away what her eyes were telling. Sadness? Anger? Happiness? Astrid turned her attention to the chief.

"Chief," Fishlegs said breathlessly as the Riders stepped forward quickly to meet Stoick half way. "We came back with the antidote, we are sorry for not coming as quickly as possible. We couldn't give up on Hiccup or our mission." His words were coming out in gasps. 

Stoick nodded, his expression stoic. "I'm glad you're here," He said. Astrid noticed his tone sounded quiet. Not the usual "chief" voice they were always used to. Then he suddenly frowned. "But...I'm afraid it might be all too late..." 

They all stood there silently, small gasps escaped their lips as tears prickled the corners of Astrid's eyes.

"He's...dead?" Snotlout asked. It scared Astrid to hear his voice with such defeat and guilt.

Stoick looked at them with honest eyes. "Not quite, but he's fading. His heart is slowing, breathing is becoming painful for him. Barely conscious. His body is almost completely paralyzed. Gothi said there's nothing we can do to help." Stoick looked at Astrid directly in the eye, tears making them shine in the sun. "He's...in a lot of pain..." Stoick said grimly. "H-Hiccup was..." He hesitated. 

"What Chief?" Astrid asked. 

"We will go to Hiccup's hut," Stoick said. "Say your goodbyes."

One of the twins burst into tears. Or was that Fishlegs. Astrid was in front of all of them, she couldn't see.

"Can we at least try the antidote?" Astrid asked, her voice cracking from tears.

Stoick nodded. "You may," He said with a sigh. "But...just don't get your hopes up."

Then they set off to Hiccup's hut. Astrid was trying her hardest not to break down. All of this was for...nothing? She felt numb on the inside. Like her heart was slowly turning to stone. Was this really happening? She had to wake up. This was a nightmare. 

Astrid slowly fell behind the group and she hugged her arms to her chest. The others looked heartbroken. Snotlout trailed with his head down and there was soft crying coming from Fishlegs. Hiccup wasn't going to make it past the day, this would be the last time she would see him. That thought almost made her slip as she continued climbing the ramp to Hiccup's hut. The boy she loved, the one who had introduced the vikings to dragons, who had given her Stormfly, and had fought for peace between dragons and vikings, was going to die. And there was nothing they could do to stop it. 

As Astrid looked at the ground. She hadn't even realized they had reached their destination, where Hiccup Haddock was laying on his death bed. 

Her friends waited for her at the door to his hut, Gothi still waited at the door. She was probably going in with them. Astrid looked at them with glassy eyes. 

"I..." She couldn't find the words. 

"I'll stay with the lass," Stoick said and rested a hand on Snotlout's shoulder before stepping to Astrid. "You go in first." The others nodded, and headed inside, disappearing when the door closed. Astrid and Stoick stayed silent. 

"I don't know if I have it in me," Astrid said quietly and turned away from Hiccup's hut. She looked at the view of the Edge. How many times has she looked at this island with Hiccup? How many more times would she without him?

Stoick just nodded. "I know what you feel," He said quietly, following Astrid and looking beyond the horizon line. "Seeing my son, my only son, knocking on death's door, it's hard for a father to see."

Astrid glanced at him and felt tears leaking out of his eyes. They just flowed, she didn't try to stop them. 

"I know you told me not to blame myself, but how c-can I not when we were literally days late to save him," Astrid asked. Trying her best to keep her voice even. 

Stoick sighed. "I don't blame you, I never will. Because this will never be your fault. I know Hiccup loves you. He'd never want you to blame yourself." 

More tears leaked out of her eyes. "I-I can't believe that after all of this," She gestured to the island. "Will go to waste?" 

"Don't think of it that way," Stoick said quickly. "Think that all of this, as what he was able with his friends, with his family." Stoick smiled brightly. "I would be pretty happy with what my life turned out to be." He was crying too. "And I can tell," He continued as Astrid cried harder, moments with Hiccup and the others flashing in her eyes. "That Hiccup, is as happy as a viking could be with how he's going out. With his family around him, knowing that they care about him. Knowing that these people are who helped him create all of this."

Astrid looked at the island they called home for so long. It was Hiccup's curiosity of the archipelago and dragons that he loved that drew him into the Great Beyond. 

The door opened behind her. She looked to see the Riders coming out. All of them looking heartbroken and all with tear stained faces. 

"You go in," Stoick said quietly. "Say your goodbye." 

Astrid looked at him. There was a smile on his face. The first one she'd seen in a long while. She nodded and passed the others on her way. They all tried to smile, but their faces betrayed their true feelings. 

She took a breath and went in. 

It wasn't as dark as in her nightmare, which eased her nerves slightly. Toothless was by the stairs, waiting for her and Gothi was just coming down. The jar of the antivenom in her hand, or what used to be the antivenom. Astrid barely saw it was empty.  So she had used it on him. Gothi gave her a small nod and moved out of the hut. Astrid looked up the stairs and saw Hiccup's bed at the top. 

She could do this. For him.

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Sorry for the cliffhanger, lol. But there will hopefully be the last and final chapter tomorrow. It'll be called "Astrid's Goodbye." Hope you guys like this!