Moving On (Slow Updates...) [Book 3]

~8~

It happened all too fast. She thought that it was all going to get better. But it's life. Life is meant to challenge you. She thought that she already worked through all her challenges that life gave her.

That was what she thought until she got a call last night.

She got a sense of deja-vu

She tiredly attempts to grab her phone. Her ringtone goes off softly. She looks at the number. She recognizes it as Snotlout's.

She wasn't prepared for what he said.

It all came back to her.

The car crash last year.

The event that cost Hiccup his left leg. 

Astrid hoped that this was a dream about that night. As soon as Snotlout said that Hiccup was in another car accident and is now in surgery, she thought she was dreaming.

She doesn't remember getting shoes on or running out the door to her car. She doesn't remember driving to the hospital at 3 in the morning. She doesn't remember asking the lady at the desk to see Hiccup Haddock.

She does remember the sympathetic face she gave Astrid. She does remember her saying that he is in surgery.

She remembers Snotlout telling her that he had a collapsed lung and a fractured wrist. She remembers Ruffnut trying to comfort.

Astrid remembers feeling numb.

She remembers wanting nothing more than to see Hiccup. 

*0*0*

Sitting in the waiting room for 2 hours felt like a life time.

Finally, when the doctor came out, his face gave her a clue about what the results were.

*0*0*

Coma.

Again.

Not dead though.

Not yet.

Coma.

*0*0*

His heart stopped three times in an hour.

Astrid prayed that it won't stop again.

*0*0*

It didn't.

But he didn't wake up.

When will he wake up?

Its been two weeks.

*0*0*

They were allowed to go see him.

He had stitches on his forehead.

Cast on his wrist.

It was green.

He still had his other foot.

*0*0*

2 months.

Still asleep.

Astrid feels as if she was sleep those two months. 

She doesn't remember smiling.

Or laughing.

Or ever feeling relatively happy.

The others didn't look or remember feeling happy either.

It's hard to when you friend is on the brink of death.

*0*0*

6 months.

His heart stopped again.

His is still alive.

For now.

Astrid knew the doctor was holding that back when he said that he is still alive.

For now

*0*0*

8 months.

Astrid hasn't lost hope.

Snotlout is holding strong as he looks at his cousin laying on the hospital bed.

At first, when she went to see him after 8 months have past, the only source of believing he was still alive was the fact that his chest was still moving.

It was slow though.

It didn't reassure her that much.

*0*0*

Betrayal.

That is what she felt.

Going to the hospital after her classes, hoping for Hiccup to wake up.

But instead, she sees Snotlout at the front of the desk signing something.

Astrid went up and saw a DNR paper.

She slapped him.

She yelled at him.

Then she cried.

Snotlout tried to explain.

'I don't want him to suffer. He has been through too much. If he wants to leave, I don't want to force him to stay. He deserves to make his choice.'

Snotlout was the only one who could sign that document.

Why?

Snotlout is the only family Hiccup has left.

She still thought this was a dream.

She prayed for Hiccup to wake up.

Just so that the DNR document will stop haunting her.

Because if his heart stops beating just one more time, it won't start beating again.

***

This was the last chapter.

Yeah...

And for those of you who have continued reading this through my awful updates, thanks.

But I want to dedicate this chapter to Walking_Google_Girl.

Even though most of you have stopped reading this book, she kept reading it.

And even though she will probably be the only one reading this chapter, I want to say thank you to her.

She convinced me to continue this story.

(Even if this is the last chapter.)

If I get more reads for this book, I will consider making the sequel.

So yeah... thanks.

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