Dragons: The New Chief

Chapter 39: Sickness and Big News

Hiccup sat on her side of the bed, still holding her hair, and grabbed a leather cord. He quickly tied Astrid's blonde locks high on top of her head so that he could capture her bangs with it with the leather cord he wrapped around it.

"I don't care Astrid." He said. "I need to make sure you're okay."

Astrid breathed heavily. "I'm fine, Hiccup, i'm sure..." She was cut off by her stomach churning again.

She leaned over the bucket and lost it again. Hiccup leaned over and rubbed her back, between her shoulder blades, as she continued to throw up. Toothless, now awake, began to pad over curiously. Hiccup caught eye of him a shook his head, silently telling him to go lay back down. The dragon obeyed, but not happily.

Astrid gasped for breath when every vile bit had made it's way into the bucket. "Okay," She panted. "Maybe i'm not okay."

Hiccup stopped his circular motion on his wife's back. "I thought as much."

"How's the weather outside?"

Hiccup sighed. "Still snow badly, i'll go see if my mom can help."

Astrid nodded weakly and began to slide onto her side, wrapping her arms around the bucket as she did so. She sprawled herself out in an odd, but quite comfortable way for the queasiness in her stomach.

"Don't you want to lie in bed?" Hiccup asked, bringing his head down to her ear.

She shook her head and clung to her bucket.

Hiccup sighed. "Will you be okay for two minutes?"

She nodded.

Hiccup stood and made his way downstairs, leaving the bedroom door open as he did so. There was no sign that his mother was already up since there was no water boiling over the hearth yet, as well as no fire in the hearth either. He followed the hall past the den and kitchen, making his way to his mothers room. When he arrived at the door he knocked twice. A few seconds later he heard his mother call for him to come in.

The door slowly inched open, allowing Hiccup to pop his head in. Valka was sitting up in bed, fully dressed and reading a book under the light of a few candles. Another gush of wind rattled the home, shaking the tiny flames of her candles. However heavy the storm, Hiccup's mother stay unfazed.

"Come in dear. What is it?" She asked, just now looking up from her book.

Hiccup went to tug at the end of his shirt, but realized it wasn't there. He didn't have time in his worry to throw on a shirt. Trying to play it off, he entered the room and scratched the back of his neck.

"Astrid is, uh, sick." He said.

Valka furrowed her brows, sitting up straight. "What do you mean? What's wrong?"

"She's vomiting... a lot."

"Hmm..." Valka thought. "Shouldn't you go to Goth-" Another terrible gust of wind shook the room. Valka nodded. "No you should not. Well, I'll see what I can do to help. But first we need to find out what it is."

The dark haired woman stood and wandered in the kitchen to grab their kit of medical supplies. Hiccup followed closely behind, like a little baby dragon to it's mother.

"What do you think it is? Nothing serious I hope..." He pondered.

Valka pursed her lips as she inspected the medical supplies, checking for various things she might need. "Well, numerous things, but most aren't serious. A few things are more likely."

"Like what?"

Valka turned to her son. "She could have a cold, or influenza, but nobody else has influenza right now and since we have been grounded for a while it is unlikely that she had encountered anybody with it. Only two things stick out in my mind."