The Treasure of Eyja Nott

Waiting Room Blues

Twenty-Seven: Waiting Room Blues

"Any news?"

Astrid was on her feet in a second as the nurse walked into the relatives' room, her blue eyes wide with anxiety at the vacuum they found themselves in. Zephyr was withdrawn, sitting with her legs draw up to her chest and arms wrapped around them while the billionaire had been quietly sitting in his corner, scanning his phone and not intruding. Astrid had been restless, pacing back and forth, sitting down then leaping up again, peering out of the window and looking down over the carpark and the slope towards the shoreline, her anxious gaze sweeping across the vista.

Dragonia, the city on Dragon Island and the Capitol of the United Archipelago, was a densely populated conurbation that was still carefully managed to allow the parks and trees to soften the hard edges of the lines of terraced granite houses and the more impressive Government Buildings that were all built in Neo-Classical style. Through the centre of the settlement, the Legislative and Financial Buildings were proudly sited alongside wide boulevards lined with hardy oak and ash trees that gave the area the feel of a great European City. Green coloured trams bustled along the streets and a few cars dodged between them, though most people used the excellent public transport. Behind the hospital-which was placed on a promontory to allow clear access for the air ambulance-the University Campus was compact with glass and steel buildings linked by covered connecting walkways to ensure the students were able to get around easily even in the worst of the weather. Running the full range of programmes, Archipelago University was an excellent school and had a large and hardworking student population. Wrapped around the campus and hospital, a myriad of shops, bars, coffee houses, eateries and clubs, pubs, theatres and cinemas ensured there was plenty to occupy the inhabitants of the city.

Further up, the Presidential Residence with the fabled Granite Office sat on the flanks of the extinct volcano that loomed over the town. Asgard Park wrapped around the residence and stretched down to the police and army barracks that sat alongside the student residence blocks. Dotted through the town, the various Guilds were emblazoned with the shields of their crafts. To the east, the huge shopping centre abutted Thor's Market, the main trading point for commercial and private sellers, with the Fish Market renowned across the entire region. At the edges of the city and mingled in small neighbourhoods between the main structures, uniform granite stone houses were neatly lined up. A few four and five storey apartment blocks were also mingled in, carefully placed to not obscure the view of the town. Over to the west, the Yacht Club had a magnificent harbour abutting the commercial port and several luxurious apartment blocks were built for the rich and socially ambitious, including the magnificent Duplex that Hiccup owned as his base on the island. Utilities companies were sited the far side of the Port and the main airport was further west still, though there was a private heliport half a mile from the hospital where Hiccup's helicopter had been parked.

"Director Thorkild is on his way," the nurse said, her crisp blue uniform rustling as she moved.

"Is Fink...?" Zephyr asked, scrambling up to stand by her mother. The nurse gave a reassuring smile.

"The doctor will explain everything," she said and left. Astrid grasped her daughter's hand.

"It will all be fine," she assured her daughter. "Finky is a fighter." Zephyr stilled and her head bowed.

"I don't know what I would do if anything happened to him," she murmured softly as her mother wrapped her arms around her.

"Me neither," she admitted, hugging her daughter for mutual comfort. Sighing, Zephyr closed her eyes and curled into her mother's strong body. Astrid rested her cheek on her daughter's head. "Look, Zeph-Mr Fury brought us here because he's right-this is the finest medical facility in the Archipelago and he will get absolutely the best possible care. So he is going to be fine because if they don't do their absolute best...I will find an axe and chop them to bits!" Zephyr looked up.