Fevers were funny things. A sharp rise in body temperature with no other explanation other than the body wanting to complain over something or other such as an injury that was an accident. A stubborn reaction that was a disaster by itself, attacking nearly every part of the body but taking special pleasure in what it could do to the brain. Delirium was its passion and it meant passion in its own solid sense of the word. One minute Hiccup was admittedly feeling a bit feverish and the next he occasionally and briefly conscious of weird and fuzzy shapes and noises and strange ramblings in stranger tongues coming from what very well could be his own mouth.

There was even a point where Hiccup was certain Ruffnut was in the room, her head thrown back while she cackled evilly over what she had done to him. If he could have sprung from that bed he would have been after her like he had never been raised to not hit girls. Perhaps it was just as well, as she was perched far across a gulf that inexplicably had formed in the center of the room without so much as even splitting the house.

A more sensible part of him insisted it was a dream and Ruff had never bothered to enter the house. Yet every now and then he thought he heard himself complaining to her in dismay about how she had made everything was worse.

At least Ruff was a reasonable object of focus. The rest of the world was a blur of red and black and colors never before seen. Fire engulfed his body without having the decency of putting him out of his misery. Some of the fire was breathed by Toothless, which Hiccup supposed he didn't mind though he still wished he had trained the dragon better than that.

Then his eyes sprang open, the same result as being jolted from sleep, and saw Astrid sitting next to him on the bed, her face wearing a dismal frown and her right hand preoccupied in wiping some warm and wet rag on his face.

Astrid, he tried to say, though his vocal chords did not seem inclined to work so hard. Ah, so it had worked. He wasn't too sure of the details, but he was vaguely aware of some scheme he had created to get Astrid back. He was certain he had come up with it while Toothless had been breathing all that fire on him. Apparently it had worked. The dragon was good for so many things. His own personal muse.

That may have been the craziest thing he had ever thought.

"You're awake," Astrid said stiffly as she dipped the rag into a shallow bowl before resuming wiping. "I guess that fever had to break at some time."

A fever. That explained everything. Didn't excuse the stupidity of his thoughts. He tried to speak again. "Astrid?"

"Oh, so you're saying my name, now."

"Your name?" His throat hurt. Two-word sentences were clearly beyond his current ability. Why would he not be saying her name, beyond the obvious physical limits? He had wanted her to come back and see him and here she was. Was that not proof he had once said her name or was that just ridiculous fever dreams coming back to haunt him?

"Yes, my name." Astrid let the rag fall to the bed beside them where a wet stain slowly began to spread. "Astrid Hofferson. The girl you supposedly liked."

"Astrid, I don't…" They had been in a fight. A stupid fight, probably his fault. Definitely his fault. She had thrown a rabbit meat pie at him and he had yelled at her. The incident seemed a distant memory. "Are you still mad about the pie?"

She rolled her eyes and drew a deep breath and for a horrible moment Hiccup thought she was going to scare him by holding her breath for too long. "Yes, I'm still mad about that! Among other things."

He hated not being able to remember. "What other things?"

"I get it. You break both legs. Sad misfortune. I'm sorry. But tough it up for once. You yell at me and you act like a baby. I try to forgive you and let it go because you aren't feeling well and then when your dad says you've developed a fever I feel sorry for you. I come over to help and hear you saying Ruff's name instead."

Hiccup stared at her. "What?"

Her teeth were clenched and she wasn't bothering to look at him. This wasn't Astrid the pretty girl. This was Astrid the Warrior in a place that he didn't think called for Astrid the Warrior. "I know you don't like her that way but I kind of wished I had heard my name."

He wanted to sit up, perhaps exude a little more confidence, but his body refused to cooperate. "I dreamt she was trying to kill me."

Astrid's cheeks went pink, but she didn't smile. "What?"

"She made it worse, didn't she? When she fixed my leg? She made it worse and caused the fever and I guess I dreamt she was trying to kill me."

She looked as if she wanted to think about laughing. "Actually, Gothi said Ruff did a very good job."

So now everyone assumed he was picking on Ruff? "If she did such a good job I wouldn't have had a fever. Isn't that how it works?"

"Please. You were well onto having a fever before you decided to crawl out of bed and mess up the leg again."

"I was?" Hiccup wasn't sure he believed her.

Astrid must have sensed the distrust in his voice because she was still nowhere near smiling. And to think he had thought she had such a cute smile. Her scowl was more terrifying than her smile was adorable. "Yes, Hiccup, you were already feverish when I first saw you the other day. Maybe I should invite Ruffnut over and you can personally thank her for fixing your leg."

"Is that sarcasm?"

"You're good at it, what do you think?"

He closed his eyes for a moment. "Got it. Sarcasm. All right."

"Though it might really do you some good to thank her."

"Okay, okay, I'll thank her." He tried again to move. "Do you want me to waltz over to her place?"

"You sure are crabby when you wake up." Astrid picked up the rag and placed it back on the bowl which she then placed on a nearby chair.

That wasn't fair. "I woke up to you in a bad mood. You could have been at least a little nice to me."

"After you yelled at me? Maybe I don't want to be nice to you."

Apologies. Right. He remembered discussing that with Stoick. "I really am sorry about that." He scrutinized his tone, wondering if it sounded sincere enough. Or was it too sincere and therefore sounding forced?

Astrid's cheeks went pink again as she shot him a glance. "I'm sorry, too."

"I had no right to yell at you."

"I thought about it. Fishlegs said you probably wanted me more than a pie. He's probably right."

Hiccup tried to smile. Even that was painful. "I think that was it."

She gave a little smile, than bent over to kiss his cheek. She made a face. "Sorry. You're still really sweaty."

"Or you were wiping that stuff on me." Hiccup's nose was returning to its function and the aroma was almost overwhelming. "What is that?"

"I don't know," Astrid said with a shrug. "Your dad got it from Gothi but then your dad had to leave so I offered to do it and apparently it worked because the fever finally broke. Stinks to Valhalla, though."

That was an understatement. Hiccup twisted again but failed to sit up.

"You can stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Moving." Astrid hopped from the bed. "Your dad had to tie you down."

Hiccup's gaze moved down his body. Sure enough, three ropes had him tied down to the bed. Panic burst in his mind and he began wriggling more than ever.

"Stop it, Hiccup, it's there for a reason. You kept thrashing around in bed so your dad got the great idea to tie you down."

"Sounds like something my dad would do."

Astrid laughed. A perfect laugh, an actual happy laugh. "I thought he was nuts but he is the chief and your father so I figured I wouldn't say anything. He thinks he knows best, doesn't he?"

Hiccup laughed as well. "I thought you idolized him."

"Yeah, he's a great warrior. But he's not as smart as you."

"I'm glad you've gone from insulting me to complimenting me." He wriggled again. "Erm, can these be removed yet?"

"If you don't promise to move around, sure." She pulled a knife from her belt and slashed the ropes. The cut quick and fell to the floor with audible slaps.

"Thanks." He rubbed his arms. It was good get blood flowing again. "I feel like a baby, having to be tied down to a bed."

"Well, you sure were whining like one."

"Yeah." He didn't want to get back into that conversation, yet his mind was already there. "My dad said I am a complainer."

"Hiccup."

"Am I?"

"Hiccup, you're not going to be one of those people that nearly dies and goes all sentimental on everyone because you should have done it earlier at a better situation than breaking your leg."

Maybe it was a little late for it.

"So don't start complaining about how you're being treated like a baby. You're injured. Accept it."

"Well, I suppose winter's the best time as any to be stuck in a bed." He tried to force a grin. "What do you think?"

"I guess you're right. No dragons, no point."

Astrid sighed. "About that."

"About what?"

"The dragons." She shook her head.

And the panic returned. "What?"

"Look, it's not all been your fault. I know I've been in a bad mood, too. I get it. I miss the dragons, it's all so new, and then…"

Something was wrong.

"How long have I been out of it?" Hiccup asked.

"Almost three days."

He nodded. He had hoped to get more out of her. "And my dad's out somewhere?"

"Yeah. Hiccup, there was a storm, and one of the dragons froze to death."