When Martin was let into the cubicle, Hiccup was lying propped up on a few pillows, his scraped and bruised face as white as the linen and dressed in a hospital grown. There was a name band on his wrist and an IV taped to his hand...and he looked tired and in pain.

"How are you feeling?" he asked the boy and Hiccup managed the faintest of smiles.

"Never better," he groaned. "Should get run over every day..." Martin sat by the boy and sighed.

"Um...the doctor wanted to speak to me...about your scars..."

Hiccup went still and he closed his eyes.

"Oh."

"How bad was it at home?" he asked quietly. The boy remained still and finally he took a shuddering breath.

"Could you call Gobber please?" he said painfully. "He knows. And he's my godfather...he knew how I was before Al moved in." He sighed heavily. "This is where you tell me you don't want me," he added baldly. "Where you realise I'm too damaged to be worth helping..." Martin stared at the boy and his eyes drifted to the twisted limb, waiting for repair once the OR was free.

"My daughter thinks you are," he said.

"I'll distract her," Hiccup said tonelessly. "Can't help it. I just attract trouble."

"Astrid will do her best," he said. "I have faith she will meet my expectations..." He paused. "When you moved in, I accepted responsibility for you. Not willingly at first...but you did protect my daughter. Your home is with us as long as you need it." The boy blinked and rocked his head to meet the man's face, offering his hand. Martin clasped it tightly.

"Thank you," he mouthed as the cops entered the cubicle, followed by Dr Hammerstrom.

"The police need to speak to you before surgery, Hiccup," the doctor said. "They need to catch whoever ran you over." There was a pause and he finally nodded.

"Dagur and Oswald Oswadson," he said reluctantly. "I saw them as the car slammed into us. Black SUV BSK-101." The cop stared at him and his eyes widened.

"Why would they want to kill you?" he asked.

"They wanted to kill my dog," Hiccup reluctantly revealed. "I was just a bonus..." Martin stared at him in utter shock as the boy began to explain the reasons why they wanted Toothless dead...and how he ended up being caught by the cops. The boy's pain-filed green eyes drifted to Martin's shocked face and then he looked away, guessing he had lost his home with the Hoffersons now the truth had come out. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Martin stared at him and he looked at the little scar just under his lip, trying to imagine how a boy who had been thrown from his home could possibly hope to stop Ozzie and Dagur...when he had no one he could talk to. He had warned Gobber but the step-father and Principal he should have been able to approach when he was in trouble had failed him.

"I knew you had troubled past," he murmured, recalling the boy had been sleeping in the garage when Ozzie tried to break in: he couldn't imagine his own beloved daughter in such a terrible situation. "It's okay, Hiccup. Your home is with us." The boy blinked and his eyes shone in gratitude and relief.

"Thank you..." he whispered as the cops nodded and finished noting down his words...as an orderly came in. Hammerstrom nodded.

"It's time," he said, grasping the side of the trolley.

"Th-thank Astrid for me," Hiccup rasped. "Please..."

"You can thank her yourself," Martin assured him, still holding his hand. Terrified green eyes swung to meet his own blue eyes.

"Please! Just-just in case..." he begged.

oOo

He awoke slowly, a host of pains assaulting him as he opened his eyes. There was a soft beep sounding and his hand ached. His leg was excruciating.

He rocked his head sideways and saw a blonde shape curled in the chair by him, a hand trailing over to almost touch his own. Gritting his teeth, he moved his hand and gently curled his fingers round hers, feeling them curl back...and then the sleeping girl stirred and azure eyes opened.

"You're awake," she smiled, yawning and stretching.

"Hmmm...I watched you wake up," he croaked. "I ought be saying that!" She took his hand, feeling his grasp tighten instinctively around hers.

"I only fell asleep 'coz I had been waiting so long for you to wake up, Mister Lazy!" she teased him and he managed a lopsided grin.

"Not even allowed a lie-in the I get run over..." he protested and then his eyes focussed on her. "Toothless?"

Her face fell and he felt cold fear grip his heart. "Oh Hiccup, I'm so sorry..." she began but he closed his eyes and shook hushed.

"No..." he breathed. "No!" The grip on his hand tightened.

"He's alive!" she blurted out. "They-they couldn't save his leg. They had to amputate. I'm sorry..." He took a shuddering breath.

"I-I thought..." he gasped and stared at her. "Odin! Couldn't you have said 'he's alive but...' rather than taking years off my life?" She scowled at him.

"Hey! I made sure he got treated! The Vet was worried but when we left the surgery, he had woken and was whining for his dinner!" she reminded him as he sagged.

"Sorry," he sighed, swallowing. She frowned, then poured him some water and gently helped him drink. "Thanks," he murmured, his voice a little less raspy. She stroked his hair off his face gently and smiled...then leaned forward and kissed his forehead. His eyes widened in shock. "Um...that's it...I died and this is a dream..." She pulled away, swatting at his shoulder. He yelped. "And no, I'm alive..." he added with a wince. "Why did you kiss me? Why did you hit me?" She suddenly blushed and swiped the bangs out of her eyes.

"I-I'm glad you're alive and okay..." she admitted, "but I hit you for being a smartass..." He sighed.

"Better get used to more bruises," he said softly, "coz not gonna stop being one any time soon..."

"I was so scared when I saw the car hit you," she admitted in a small voice, her eyes inspecting the floor. "I-I saw you land like a rag doll and for a moment you looked dead..." He sighed and beckoned her closer, digging his elbow into the mattress and hefting his aching body up as he pulled his oxygen mask down and pressed his lips onto hers. She stiffened but didn't move for a second...and then he collapsed back.

"I'm alive," he told her firmly. "Don't give up on me, Milady!"

"You kissed me!" she murmured.

"Though you may kill me for that..." he conceded, staring at her as she stared at him in shock...and then lunged forward, kissing him firmly back. His eyes popped wide and he hesitantly lifted a hand to rest on her soft cheek, kissing her back. She was smiling as she pulled away, seeing the astonished and goofy expression on his face."Or not..." he mumbled.

"I think I must've hit my head," she teased him and he smiled back...then winced. She frowned. "Hiccup?"

"My...foot...it really hurts," he groaned. "Gods...don't they give you any painkillers here?" Astrid stared as he hit the nurse call button with a shaking hand, his face beaded with a cold sweat. The nurse immediately entered, her kind face concerned. "My foot..." he told her raggedly and she swiftly stripped the sheet up, exposing his feet. Astrid looked away from the bandages and metal fixators around his left leg as the nurse gently felt each foot and then pressed her fingers on the top of the left foot. She frowned.

"Is there a problem?" Astrid asked. The nurse nodded.

"The foot's cold," she said in a worried voice. "I'll get the doctor."

"What does that mean?" Astrid asked urgently as she ran from the room.

The doctor ran in with the nurse, grasping the foot and checking the pulse with a machine. His brows dipped and he shook his head. He looked at the leg, scowling.

"We've lost the pulse!" he announced. "Prep theatre!"

"What's going on?"Hiccup asked worriedly. "Please..."

"There's a complication...the blood flow to the foot has been interrupted and we need to operate now!" the doctor told him urgently.

"And if you don't...?" Hiccup asked faintly.

"We lose the foot!"