Little Miracles

Healing Process

Chapter Seventeen: Healing Process

Warm. Safe. Comfortable.

Adrianna's eyes fluttered open after the best night's sleep she'd ever had. She could feel an arm around her waist, the hand resting on her lower back... but there was no hand on her stomach. She sleepily turned her head to find out why her daddy had stopped hugging her and her heart dropped. The side of the bed upon which he had slept was empty. Her eyes widened.

"Daddy?" she whispered.

Nothing.

"Daddy?"

Complete silence. She sat up and stared around the room, feeling her heart begin to pound in her eardrums when she realized that her daddy really wasn't there. Astrid stirred slightly, awakened by her daughter's frantic voice. The moment her eyes were clear, she saw her little girl shaking, her breathing labored, and her eyes wide with fear.

"Where's daddy?" she asked, tears welling up in her eyes. "Why did daddy leave?"

"He just stepped out for a minute. He'll be back." Astrid assured her.

This didn't seem to reassure her. Her lower lip quivered and several tears began to trickle down her face. Astrid sat up and put her arms around the trembling child, praying that Hiccup would return soon. Adrianna was going to have her very first panic attack if he didn't.

A few seconds later, the girl's father returned, a tray of food in his hands. At the sight of his daughter's distress, he immediately put down the tray and rushed over to the bed, scooping her up in his arms and lifting her off her feet. She immediately hugged his neck. He could feel her heart pounding through her nightshirt.

"Addie, it's okay. Hey, I was only gone for a minute." Hiccup whispered. "I just wanted to make sure you'd get breakfast. Doesn't that sound good?"

"Don't go away!" the girl wailed.

"I will always come back for you. Always." Hiccup promised her, now sitting against the headboard of the bed. "You want some breakfast?"

Adrianna stared at the food for a few seconds before timidly nodding. Hiccup smiled and wiped her tears away with his sleeve before placing her back on the bed and crossing the room to pick up the food. The moment the tray was balanced on his lap, the three of them began to eat in what was probably the most impolite way imaginable. None of them had eaten much over the last few days and they were suddenly ravenous. It was quiet for a few minutes as the food diminished into nothing but a few bones and crumbs.

Just as they were putting the tray aside, the healer bustled in, took one look at the family, and smiled. "Now that's more like it!" she exclaimed. "Feeling better, Anna?"

Adrianna nodded, not smiling but not looking fearful anymore. The healer walked over to the child, who recoiled slightly, her eyes wide.

"I'm not going to put any medicine on your back, honey. I just want to see how it's healing, okay?" the healer knelt next to the bed. "You want to get better, don't you?"

Adrianna slowly nodded but made no move to lift the back of her shirt up. Hiccup took her hand and squeezed it.

"You're okay, Addie." he assured her.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide. He gave her a reassuring smile and patted her back. She winced slightly, making Hiccup feel incredibly guilty for irritating her sensitive skin, but lifted her shirt to reveal her back to the healer.

"Your cuts look much better, Anna. Do you want to go home today?" the healer asked, gently lowering the shirt so that it didn't irritate her back any more.