Work Text:
Snotlout's helmet went flying off as an arrow pinged against it.
"Shit!" He had Hookfang dive for it. He couldn't lose his precious helmet.
But, Snotlout hadn't been paying attention while making the maneuver. Another arrow flew towards him, and he didn't see it in time to dodge.
It sliced through the right side of his head, just above his ear. He screamed, losing his grip on Hookfang as pain seared through him. He landed on the deck of the ship, had at least enough of his senses about him to roll so that the momentum wouldn't hurt him as much. His arms were grazed by the wood of the deck, skin tearing open.
Snotlout lay there panting, blood pouring down the right side of his head, into his ear, his eye. There was a loud thud as Hookfang landed, and a shadow fell over him as he spread out his wings to protect him.
He tried his best to get up, to pull his axe from his back, to do something useful, but all he succeeded in was useless flailing. Snotlout yelled at the pain in his head, put a hand to it. His shaky fingers came away with blood. Oh. He was hurt. He was hurt bad.
Hookfang blasted at Hunters that came too close, but then he was out of shots. Not seeming to know what to do, he backed up towards Snotlout. Snotlout had the fear that he was going to step on him, but couldn't yell for him not to.
Suddenly, Hookfang's talons were wrapping around Snotlout, and he screamed as he was picked up off the deck of the ship and taken into the air. He'd never been carried like this by him before. He hadn't been able to get back on Hookfang's back though, so this was the only solution to getting him off that ship.
It hurt, it hurt, it hurt! It all hurt! He was banged up and bleeding from landing on the ship, and then there was the dripping wound to his head. His hair was becoming covered in blood.
"Snotlout!" That voice belonged to Fishlegs, but Snotlout found that when he lifted his head, everything was blurry. He could slightly see him atop Meatlug, coming closer, but not very well. He was scared. He'd never been hurt like this before.
" Ughn? " Snotlout couldn't get out actual words. He lowered his head, hung limply in Hookfang's arms. He didn't really have the energy to do much else.
"Hookfang, get him back to the Edge!" Hiccup called out. "We'll be right behind you!"
"Wha- about...?" The mission , Snotlout thought. He couldn't get the rest of his words out.
No one answered him, as they probably couldn't guess what his question was anyway, and Hookfang began heading away from the battle, back towards Dragon's Edge.
Snotlout didn't know if he remained conscious throughout the flight. He just remembered the beat of wings, blood drying in his ear, the white-capped ocean beneath them.
Then he was being gently set down at what he thought was the clubhouse. He laid there on one side, groaning, and Hookfang nuzzled his nose against his. He laid himself down beside him, wrapped his tail around him.
For a few minutes, that was the only comfort that Snotlout got.
After a while, the rest of the Dragon Riders were landing at the clubhouse, and Hookfang growled when anyone came close.
"Hooky," Snotlout gasped out, "Gotta let them get to me. They can help."
The dragon seemed reluctant, but he unwrapped himself from Snotlout, and then his friends approached. He was being picked up by someone - Fishlegs - and being taken into the clubhouse. Discarded plates and maps were shoved off of the table, and Snotlout was laid down on his back on top of it. He groaned again, tilted his head to the side. The Riders winced and made other sounds of distress at seeing his wound.
"That bad?" Snotlout got out.
"Yeah," Fishlegs squeaked. "We have to clean around it first. Head wounds bleed a lot. This one was no exception."
Snotlout could feel that he'd bled a lot. He was dizzy, felt like the world was spinning though he was unmoving on a sturdy table. He grabbed at the edge of it with one hand.
"What about his other wounds?" Ruffnut asked.
"We'll take care of those too," Astrid said. "The head wound is more important though."
"Okay, you guys know what we need," Fishlegs said. "Hurry!" He didn't usually yell, and especially not an order, but he was the healer on Dragon's Edge, so everyone had to listen to him right now.
There was bustling around as the Riders went to get the supplies. Fishlegs took Snotlout's hand, squeezed gently.
"Snotlout, how are you feeling?"
"Bleh," was his answer. He didn't feel like he could easily form coherent sentences. "Hurts."
Fishlegs squeezed his hand again. "We're gonna help you, okay?"
"Ughn..."
Snotlout didn't pay much attention to what was going on after that. There was just the pain radiating from the wound in his head, absolutely burning. He knew he was lucky that the arrow had grazed him instead of going straight through his skull, but gods, could it have not hit him at all?! That was the reason he'd wanted to not lose his damned helmet in the first place. Now it was gone, probably lost to the ocean, or a trophy for some Dragon Hunter.
Snotlout let out a shocked yell as a wet cloth was pressed to his head. That just made the burning increase, and he tried shoving whoever it was away from him, but his wrists were instantly held down.
"Sorry, sorry!" Fishlegs cried. "Hiccup, hand me those scissors."
Oh no. My hair.
Snotlout didn't know how to tell them not to cut his hair. But, he guessed it was probably already ruined from the gash. Maybe they should just do it.
The cloth came free and there were snipping sounds as Fishlegs began to carefully cut away his blood-matted hair. Then the cloth was back, wiping away blood. Snotlout couldn't help sobbing at the pain. His head felt cold without his hair... or maybe that was the blood loss.
"We have to stitch it closed," Fishlegs said. "Hiccup, you have the best hands. Can you do it?"
There must have been a silent nod, because there was shuffling around, movement. Then, Hiccup patted Snotlout on the shoulder. "You're doing good, Snotlout. It'll be over soon."
"Th-thank the gods." Tears wet his face. His right eyebrow was crusted with blood. He felt like it needed to be cleaned out of the inside of his ear.
The stitching was awful. So. Fucking. Awful. Snotlout could handle bruises - Hel, even broken bones - but something about a gash and having his own blood come out was worse, so much worse.
He shouted and cried while Hiccup stitched up the wound in his head, and the other Riders had to hold him down. But, finally, it was being cleaned again, then wrapped in bandages. Snotlout lost track of who was doing what.
Cleaning up the wounds on his arms was hardly as bad, and those were bandaged too. They helped Snotlout sit up so that he could have some willow bark tea for the pain.
With Fishlegs' hand still supporting him, Snotlout tried getting off the table.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Tuffnut shouted. "Snotlout, you're still hurt! Badly!"
"I want my bed." His words came out slurred: he was exhausted.
"Okay, well, then we'll carry you there," Fishlegs said. "Or, I will."
"Okay." Snotlout almost nodded, but then realized that that would be a terribly bad idea. "And I want Hooky."
"Hookfang can be with you," Hiccup said, laying a hand over Snotlout's. "It's alright. You're home."
Fishlegs took Snotlout into his arms, and Snotlout closed his eyes. "Want my damn helmet," he mumbled.
"We'll make you a new one," Astrid assured him. "Just rest."
"Mm, okay."
Snotlout faded into darkness before Fishlegs even got him to his hut.