Hidden Scars

Chapter 75

Chapter 75...
Hiccup arrived at the door to Astrid's room and took a deep breath before raising his hand and knocking his knuckles against it.
The sound of his hand knocking against the wood was delicate yet loud enough ti be heard.
He heard a nurse mumble for him to come in the room. Opening the door, Hiccup poked his head around to see Astrid sat up in bed with the nurse practicing her movements. Over the last few days, her communication through limbs were beginning to improve meaning the nerves within her body were connecting with her brain and the signals were passing through again. Also her arms was now plastered in a cast properly so she could use her hand practically normally now. She was sat moving her arms and stretching and compressing her hands, being able to take and hold things in her hand again.
He smiled seeing her finally make progress and watching her every movement feeling his heart feel warm. The nurse saw Hiccup and smiled, nodding her head as she stood up and collected her things.
"Well done Astrid, you're making really good progress. Soon we will be able to work on your speech and walking again."
Astrid smiled and slowly nodded. She watched the nurse with her things who walked over to the figure in the doorway and exchanged a smile.
Astrid sat back in her bed and closed her eyes, feeling the presence of the figure in the room and his eyes on her. Turning her head slightly, she could hear the sound of a light footstep and metal clanking sound hitting the floor which got louder and louder indicating the presence getting closer.
She could smell the smell of pine when the steps had stopped and was now stood by the side of her. The smell kinda seemed... familiar? But she couldn't tell where she remembered it from.
The bed sheets strained as a weight was added into it, hearing a loud sigh in the voice if a dorky voice.
"Astrid?"
Opening her vision to the room, Astrid's eyes once again met with the forest green eyes of a stranger. They had a lop sided smile hiding the slight fear and worry behind it. They were hiding something to the side of them out of her sight and reach.
She gave the person a confused but interested look. Closing their eyes, the person looked away and took a breath before speaking.
"Astrid... You may not know who I am... or what I am to you... or even know who you are..."
Hiccup turned his face towards Astrid who still had a confused look and smiled gently, taking her delicate hand in his free one.
"...But I do..."
Turning his body towards her, he revealed his other hand which held the gift he made. Astrid opened her hands up infront of her as Hiccup placed a book in her palms.
It was a like a scrapbook. It had a rough hard back covering and the book was thick and the beginning and thin from the middle on towards the end of the book. On the front it had an engraved and written message on it that read 'Our Story'.
Slowly opening the book, there was writing on the first page.
'This is the story of us... my name is Hiccup Haddock... your childhood best friend and your current boyfriend... this is your life and moments you deserve to remember...'
The next page began the story of the book, reading 'Our past', decorated to make it look old and like it was the past. As she turned the pages, there were many photographs of her when she was younger along with some drawings Hiccup had found of hers and old tickets from going to the theatre and day trips. Writing was also found all around the page under pieces from the past, explaining what happened that day or what they were from the memory of what Astrid had told Hiccup before. There were photos of her riding a bike and eating ice creams and smiling whilst infront of a view of a beach on holiday and cuddling toys and some taken from time at school. There were also photos of her family which she just stared at, unable to recognise the faces of her mother or father. Along with those, the photos turned to ones of both Hiccup and Astrid together all smiley and cuddley and both plastered with the face of happiness and childhood dreams.
Hiccup watched Astrid delicately turning the pages, staring at the photos but there was no recognition or realisation appearing on her face whilst looking.
She reached the next section of the book titled 'Our Present'.
This was the section that Hiccup felt was most important to him as this was the part based on their loving relationship. It was full of collages of pictures together cuddling, kissing, smiling, laughing, on adventures together, messing around, wrapped up warm in bed, Astrid wearing Hiccup's hoodie and clothes and sneaky photos of Astrid sleeping which Hiccup took without her knowing; there were polaroid pictures and tickets from going to the fairgrounds together and the cinema and other places along with flowers and stickers and stuff cut out along with lots of writing again. The thing that stood out most was the many drawings that Hiccup had produced inside the book, two of his favourites that took up two whole pages was one of Astrid sat on a seat looking out the window and the world outside and the other was a portrait drawing he done, copied from a photograph he found on her phone a while ago that he wanted to treasure always.
Carefully tracing over the pencil lines of the drawings and photographs, Astrid smiled a little seeing how beautiful everything was in the book and how much time and care was put into it. Hiccuo noticed the small curve on her lips making his heart skip a beat with a slight gleam of hope.
"And this... this belongs to you..."
Hiccup took her hand again in his so her palm was facing up and open. He lifted her locket necklace and gently let it fall into her hand, removing his from hers.
"This is your locket... you were given this when you were younger and inside... you keep the memory of your parents."
Astrid opened the locket to see the photo of her and her parents inside... she could feel something inside but she couldn't tell what the feeling was.
"Astrid..." She looked up to see the guy in the book staring at her with plea in his eyes. Their eyes connected and he shuffled closer. "I am your boyfriend... I love you so much it hurts me so much that you can't remember us... this is your book of memories, this is your locket that you never take off, carrying the memory of your parents that tragically died in a car crash that was caused by your fucked up ex Leo... there was a fire and you saved my life and I lost my leg after Leo shot me."
He leant forward and tucked a loose strand if hair behind her ear before cuddling her close to him.
"Please... please remember me..."
She could hear the begging in his voice.
Hiccup leant back but his heart broke into a million pieces when he looked back into Astrid's eyes and saw nothing but sorrow and confusion still.
He started to cry and stood up from the bed, letting his hands pull away from her and limped away towards the door. Astrid watched the auburn haired guy limp away... she could feel the sense inside her getting stronger.
What could he do now?
She cant remember him!
Was there anything else he could do?
He lost her...
He lost his girlfriend...
He lost his heart...
He lost his world...
He lost everythi-
"H...Hiccup?"