A World Without You - httyd

Battle Two

Astrid rushed Hiccup to his hut as soon as Fishlegs left. Toothless joyfully helped Hiccup up the stairs and into the bed. Hiccup protested the entire way. 

"You need me and Toothless in that battle!" He shouted and groaned in pain after. 

"Hiccup look at the state of you!" Astrid shouted, checking on his bandages. The one around his wound was already soaked. And Astrid didn't know what to do about his broken rib. 

Hiccup heaved a sigh. Astrid saw that he was still pale as paper. It worried her as he could barely suck in any air. His breath was ragged and short. Pain reflected in his face and occasionally, a tear or two would escape his tightly closed eyes. Hiccup would wipe them away quickly, as if hiding them. It broke Astrid's heart to see him in so much pain.

"I just feel so useless," Hiccup practically whispered to Astrid. Hiccup burst into a coughing fit and his hands flew to his throat and rib. He tried to stop himself from coughing because it caused obvious pain.

Astrid shook her head. "You are hurt, not useless," She comforted and ran her figures through his auburn hair. His forest green eyes looked at her. "Just because you can't fight in a battle doesn't mean you are useless."

Hiccup sighed but said no more. Astrid sighed too. "I need to go help the others, I'll come back when the battle is done." She ran out of the hut to join her friends in the sky waiting for someone to give the orders of attack. Astrid looked at the incoming ships. There were dozens of them. The only thing that Astrid couldn't help but think, was, We are in trouble. 

.....

Hiccup did stay in bed. He hated bed rest and not being able to help in the battle, but his body protested at every move he made. Toothless stayed close by Hiccup's side and he was happy that his best friend was there with him. Hiccup tried to tell himself that his friends would be able to take down the hunters, but there was something nagging at the back of his mind that said they needed him.

He laid there for what seemed like an hour. It didn't become any easier to breathe. The blood soaked bandage was too soaked with blood and it dripped down Hiccup's side. Toothless, who Hiccup didn't doubt smelled the blood, went to get more bandages from the cabinet by the stairs. 

"Thanks, bud," Hiccup whispered and stroked his dragons nose as he purred, dropping the bandages out of his mouth and on the bed. 

Toothless helped Hiccup sit up to undo the old bandages and wrap some new ones on. It stung like fire and Hiccup suddenly thought that there could be an infection that was growing in the wound. He decided to write to Golthi later. There was a bang outside that rattled Hiccup's hut. Toothless perked up and growled. 

"Help me downstairs, Toothless," Hiccup said quickly and Toothless did as told. They eventually made it to the door and to Hiccup's horror, the dragon hunters were getting closer and closer to the Edge. They were shooting giant boulders at their huts. Hiccup looked for any sign of his friends fighting off the hunters to see that there were no dragons in the sky. He scanned the ships to see any sign of them. Astrid was tied to the ship's mast next to Tuff and Ruff. On another ship, Fishlegs and Snotlout were tied together. Their dragons were nowhere in sight. Hiccup assumed they were below deck. 

Then he saw Viggo. On a separate ship from any of his friends. He was grinning. Pleased with his work. Viggo looked to someone on a ship where Astrid and the twins were being held. He was looking at his brother Ryker. Viggo nodded to him and Ryker pulled out his oddly shaped sword and pointed it at Astrid. Aiming it closely to her chest. Rage boiled in Hiccup and he knew what Viggo was doing. Hiccup needed to give something for his friend's freedom. Most likely the dragon eye. Or himself.