Sacrifices

Recovery

Heather gasped and raced over to the scene. Oakley's arms fell to the ground beside her as Astrid, pushed herself up to sit by her side.

"Oak?!" She panted heavily. The brunette's eyes fluttered open as she let out a pained groan.

"Are you...okay?" Oakley rasped. Her voice was barely audible and sounded like it grated through her throat.

"You're asking if I'm okay?" Astrid rolled her eyes. Oakley nodded. "Just a few scrapes, and... my head's spinning a little but I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about. Can you move?"

"Yeah." Oakley pushed herself up on her elbows and shuffled back against the tree, giving her something to lean on. "I just-" She hissed as her hand flew across her chest.

"Oak?!" Astrid worried.

"I'm fine. Just a little sore."

"No, you're not fine. You probably have a broken rib." The blonde scowled. "We have to get you to the hospital."

"Astrid, I can't. If they think I can't take care of myself I get placed with foster parents." Oakley coughed. Astrid sighed, knowing that Oakley would do anything to avoid that.

"Okay, Heather, a word." Astrid gestured. Oakley watched for a moment as the girls whispered amongst themselves for a moment or two. Astrid soon made her way back to Oakley as Heather wandered off. "Here." Astrid handed Oakley a bottle of water.

"Thanks." The brunette smiled gratefully as she took a sip.

"I still can't believe you did that."

"It got you down safely, didn't it?" Astrid almost cried, but simply settle for a grateful smile instead.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Astrid almost whimpered.

"I've had worse." She admitted.

"That's not what I asked." Astrid frowned. "What hurts the most?"

"My head." She blurted. Astrid rolled her eyes before shuffling to check for any bruises, what she found instead was a large gash across the back of her head. Astrid quickly covered it up to slow the bleeding as Heather reappeared with an older blonde by her side.

"Mrs. Hofferson?" Oakley noticed.

"Lotus please." The woman corrected.

"My mom's a doctor."

"Nurse..." Her Mom corrected. "Almost a doctor."

"If you won't go to the hospital can you at least let her help you?" Astrid pleaded. Oakley looked towards Astrid and then back to Lotus.

"No hospitals?" She checked.

"No hospitals." The older woman agreed. "Just me." Oakley nodded, permitting Lotus to approach.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Lotus wondered, noticing her daughter's scratched-up face.

"I'm fine, Mom."

Lotus took over from her daughter and started checking the wound on Oakley's head before covering it with some cloth.

"Heather, could you come and keep pressure for me?" Heather did as told, allowing Lotus to continue examining her. "Someone care to explain what happened?"

"Tree race," Astrid stated. "My branch snapped and she jumped to break my fall. I landed on top of her."

"How did she land?"

"Flat on her back," Heather noted.

"My back's fine." Oakley quickly added. "A little sore but I still have all my motion."

"She did say her side was hurting." Astrid brought up.

"Where?" Lotus wondered. Oakley pointed to an area on her left ribcage and hissed when Lotus apply some light pressure. "Looks like it's just a sprain, but I can't be sure without an x-ray."

"I'm not going to the hospital." Oakley attempted to push herself off the ground only to fall against Astrid as she fought against the traitorous muscles in her legs.

"Woah, it's okay. I got you." Astrid assured.

"Look..." Lotus sighed. "You're going to need a few stitches. So, let's get you home and we can go from there."

Oakley turned to Astrid with a worried glare.

"Oak, it's okay. She knows." Astrid told her. "I told her you live at the school."

***

They made it back to Oakley's. She had taken over from Heather, holding the cloth over her head wound. She tossed Astrid her key, she unlocked the door and helped Oakley inside only for the girls to halt and burst into a fit of giggles as they realized they had forgotten to clean up after their pillow fight the night before and the living room floor was completed coated.

"Ow!" Oakley shrieked. "Okay, laughing hurts. Dually noted."

"Wow." Heather thought. "When you said pillow fight, you weren't kidding." She chuckled, kicking the feathers up like autumn leaves.

***

Monday at school

***

"Woah, what happened to her?" Snotlout wondered as Oakley walked into the gym.

"She saved Astrid's life. That's what happened." Heather explained.

"Wait what?" Hiccup furrowed his brow. Astrid quickly summed up the events of Saturday. "So, what's she doing at school?"

"Good question." Astrid thought as she tore away from the group and followed Oakley into the girls changing room to interrogate her. "Shouldn't you be resting?" Oakley spun around to see Astrid leaning against the wall with her arms folded across her chest and her piercing glare heading straight for her.

"I was... yesterday," Oakley admitted.

"You're supposed to be taking it easy."

"Astrid, I promise you. I'm okay. It really doesn't hurt that bad." Oakley explained as she changed into her gym clothes. "If it gets bad, I'll rest."

"You better." Astrid approached, wrapping her arms around Oakley's abdomen tracing a circle over her bruised ribs.

"Astrid..." Oakley chuckled. "I'm trying to get ready for class."

"I know." She let her go and her fist collided with the brunette's bicep. "That's for scaring me." She hissed.

"Ah- Should've seen that one coming." Oakley rubbed her newly bruised upper arm but remained facing the opposite direction as she threw on her shirt. Astrid smiled and draped her arms over Oakley's shoulder, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. Oakley giggled and spun around in her arms.

"And what was that for?" She smirked.

"Everything else." Astrid smiled. "I realized I never thanked you for saving my life."

"Good." Oakley shook her head. "Don't."

"What?" Astrid wondered.

"That's not why I did it, Astrid." She explained. "I don't need gratitude or praise. You're okay. That's all I care about." Astrid instinctively leaped into her arms, crashing their lips together.

"Just when I think you can't get any more amazing." She whispered.

"Oh, Astrid..." Oakley whispered in response, getting lost in Astrid's ocean blue eyes as she stroked a gentle thumb across her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'm just getting started."

***