In The Archipelago's Secret Service

Epilogue I: In the Archipelago's Service

Epilogue I: In the Archipelago's Service

The first sound he heard was the soft beep of the machine in the room, the regular bip-bip accelerating as he stirred. Impossibly heavy eyes slowly opened a crack to see it was day and he was in a room that seemed to be white and very clean. But he had extensive practice in unpleasant awakenings so he remained still while he waited for his vision to clear and assessed his surroundings.

His left leg was really painful.

...hadn't he been shot?

His right shoulder was also hurting hotly and felt very tight.

...it looked like it was bandaged...

There was something soft and warm by his left hand that moaned slightly and moved and he rocked his very painful and pounding head to glance down at a blonde head resting against his hand. Astrid was still in her Viking outfit, looking like a Norse Goddess and she had fallen asleep at his bedside.

He seemed to be in a white cotton hospital gown, an IV taped to his right hand and a sats monitor clipped onto his left index finger. There was a blanket and sheet neatly arranged over him and he was propped up on several pillows. The beeping was coming from a heart monitor and the sheet over his agonising left leg was lifted by an invisible frame. He groaned and his hand hovered, then stroked Astrid's silky hair. She mumbled and opened her eyes sleepily-to meet his bleary emerald gaze.

"Morning, Milady..." he managed in a hoarse whisper. "Have you been there all night?" She yawned and stretched, wiping her eyes and grasping his hand.

"You're awake!" she sighed in relief. "And it's been two days." He blinked and frowned, casting his mind back and finding...fog. "Do you remember what happened?"

"I got shot?" he hazarded. "Ow?" She nodded and rose to her feet for a second, leaning forward and pressing a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Yup," she said. He made to say something more but just managed a pained croak. Gently, she poured him a glass of water and helped him drink until he nodded. Then she sat by him once more. "Anything else, babe?" He frowned...and then his face cleared.

"Um... you went completely Valkyrie on the Red Queen's people and axed them to pieces?" he added, recalling the last few moments.

"Anything else?" she asked and he suddenly grasped her hand.

"I...I wanted to kill the President..." he murmured. "The Red Queen's Programming..."

"You overcame it," she told him reassuringly, perching on the edge of the bed. "And instead you threw yourself between President Larson and Dagur." Hiccup gave a wan smile.

"Yeah-for a guy with a perfect reputation, he's failed to kill me three times and he missed the President as well," he noted dryly.

"You mutton-head!" Astrid scolded him suddenly. "You could have been killed. And where did you learn to fight like that?" He ran a self conscious hand through his tousled auburn hair and then rubbed the back of his neck.

"You," he said simply. "I listened to everything you said. And I-I know I'm not very good but I did everything you told me to do..."

"Well-it was pretty awesome-and completely in keeping with an agent," she told him. He shook his head.

"No-you were seriously awesome," he said urgently. "An absolute Viking Warrior! And a worthy agent!" She gave a smug smile...and then she looked back at him and sighed, settling on the side of the bed. Her face fell and he felt a flutter of unease in his stomach. "How badly was I hurt, Astrid?" he asked quietly. She took his hand in hers, her thumb running over the back of his hand.