Nothing to Fear

Chapter Six: Epidemic

Darkness. Warmth. Ultimate comfort. Deep sleep doesn't come often but when it does, it's the most satisfying thing a person can experience. Nothing in the world is better than being burrowed under the covers, snuggled up beside your loved one-

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Hiccup jerked violently, half sitting up on his arms to locate the disruptive sound. Toothless jerked from his rock bed and growled toward the downstairs. Astrid sharply inhaled at Hiccup's jerked movements and tried to sit up when the banging continued.

"What..." Astrid asked groggily.

That's when the shouting registered: "CHIEF! CHIEF HICCUP, HELP WE NEED YOU! CHIEF!"

Hiccup tore off the covers and scrambled for his prosthetic and some clothes. Something was happening, something huge; nobody came screaming for their chief in the wee hours of the morning for nothing. Within seconds Hiccup had thrown the door open and pounded down the stairs, the sound of his prosthetic slamming against the wood echoing through the quiet house. He charged to the front door and threw it open to reveal...

"Erick?"

Erick sighed in relief, but fear was etched deeply into his face. "Chief..." He began breathlessly, choking on air. Hiccup realized Charger was with Signa for an early morning flight, so the boy had had to run all the way here from his house. "W-we need help, the healer and the Goethi, somebody who can help, anyone-"

"Erick, Erick!"Hiccup rested his hands on the boy's shoulders and looked at him firmly. "Slow down. What's wrong?"

Erick rubbed his forehead to try to calm down. Finally he looked back up at the chief and rasped, "It's my dad. H-he didn't feel well when they went home last night so he went to bed early, but..." Erick swallowed thickly. "H-he's had a fever all night and m-my mom said he'd be fine by morning and then he started coughing and... S-she sent me to get help b-but I didn't know who to-"

"Hey hey, it's okay," Hiccup interrupted the distressed young man. "You were right to come to me. Is he still home?" Erick nodded and Hiccup pulled him inside. "All right, give me thirty seconds to change." Erick nodded and Hiccup turned to sprint up the stairs, blowing past Finn and Adrianna standing in the middle of the stairs in confusion. To Astrid, who'd already quickly dressed, he commanded, "Go get Mara to the Larson's house. Right now."

Astrid nodded and tromped back down the stairs, snatched her coat off its hook and ran outside to the barn. Erick watched through the open door as she flew away on Stormfly, his heart pounding and throat tightly constricted.

"Erick?" Erick jumped and turned to see Adrianna standing at the bottom of the stairs. He vaguely noticed she was only wearing a nightdress, but worry caused him to ignore that fact. Adrianna carefully stepped up to him as if he was a dangerous dragon. Wondering if he looked that freaked out, he cleared his throat and looked at his snow-covered boots. "What's wrong?"

Erick swallowed thickly again. "My dad's sick..." He sighed heavily, looking back out the door as Toothless ran down the stairs and began pawing at the snow outside irritably. "I-I don't know what's wrong..."

"I'm sure everything's okay..." Adrianna moved to wrap her arms around him but Erick jerked back and stepped away from her.

"No no, don't touch me!" Erick's teal eyes widened suddenly and he stepped away from Finn on his other side. "What if whatever he has is contagious? Gods, what if I get you s-"

"Let's not go assuming things, buddy." Hiccup said as he tromped noisily back down the stairs. "It's probably just a common sickness. Come on, we'll go talk to Mara. You two stay here-"