Riders of B E R K

Part 16:Taking Control

I took him back to his room: he was exhausted mentally and physically. I doubted he could process anything at that point, let alone what Ozzie had said to him. But I felt my heart sink at the anger: it hadn't been Hiccup's fault but Dagur's. Surely Ozzie knew that! Yet he had gone for the easy option of blaming Hiccup, which seemed to be the default in this place.

He was limping badly on his crutches and he was silent. I could see he just wanted to be alone and I felt awkward walking him to his room but I was feeling really worried for him. He had been so desolate, so wounded that I really didn't want to leave him and I worried what he would do. I guessed all his good coping mechanisms-spending time with his dragon, flying with Toothless-had been taken from him. So I walked silently alongside, hoping he would say something to allay my anxieties for him. But he limped along in silence until we reached his room-and I found he was housed only about half a corridor from my room. I noted his room number carefully: I was going to have to keep an eye on him. He paused at the door and he wouldn't meet my eye.

"Thanks," was all he said before limping in and closing the door. I heard the lock turn and a couple of halting steps. And then the scream. Again and again he screamed and then there was crashes and thuds as he took out every emotion on the contents of his room. I had no idea what he as doing in there but I knew he didn't want me with him. So, reluctantly, I walked away.

I didn't sleep well. I had my written Finals to do in the morning and my revision schedule was shot to hell so I woke up early, went for a run, showered, snatched a quick breakfast and sat my first paper immediately after. I was invigilated carefully as I submitted my answers. I had half an hour break with a coffee and a muffin, then sat the second and final paper. By lunchtime, I was done. Which was a good thing because Gobber found me and looked worried.

"Where've yer been, lassie?" he asked in a whisper which people I the next corridor could hear. I sighed.

"Medical Degree Finals," I explained. He blinked.

"Er, well, good luck," he said hopelessly late. "We've bin looking for ye. The team is debriefing on the exercise in..." He checked his watch. "...NOW in the seminar room. D'ye remember where that was?"

"Er, Gobber, I was just an observer," I reminded him. He sighed.

"Yer a trained observer, lass, and you don't have an agenda," he sighed. "Also, though I don't think anyone has mentioned it, ye actually have the highest rank in the unit. Just thought I'd put I out there...just in case..." I rolled my eyes.

"Gobber, what is this all about?" I asked him. He sighed.

"Speak to the boy, will ye?" he asked in a concerned voice. "He looks like death warmed over." I could believe that so I trotted off, down the stairs and slid into the seminar room, which was already noisy and filled with the sounds of several arguments being conducted at the top of people's voices. I took a seat at the back and watched as Snotlout sat arrogantly at the front, with Hiccup reluctantly seated at his side, looking like a sacrificial lamb.

I could see what Gobber meant. He looked awful: pale, bruised, gaunt and with huge dark circles under his eyes. He was unshaven and his clothes-the same ones form last night-were rumpled. Snotlout preened himself and slammed his fist on the table.

"Shut up, you lot!" He sneered. "Time to debrief that Odin-damned disaster that happened yesterday." I sighed. He really didn't have a clue. "I'll go first. We were conducting the rescue scenario, Cami was doing really well when Dagur turned up, then Useless came in, confused the dragons and got Heather captured."

I blinked. Maybe Snotlout had missed everything because he was being lightly incinerated by his own dragon or he really was that stupid. But the other Riders were all shouting as well and there seemed to be collective amnesia that was starting to concern me. Hiccup seemed to curl in on himself at the words. And I knew what he would say before he opened his mouth.