Ch. 11- A Scar

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I woke up in my bed, my throat feeling like it had been set on fire.

Slowly, I stood up, feeling like I haven't walked in a week. Even slower, I made my way downstairs.

"Starfire!" mom gasped, jumping from her chair at the table and ran over to give me a hug. "Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't know! Oh I'm so glad your okay!"

"W- what are you talking about?" I asked, my voice rough.

"Don't speak," dad demanded, slowly walking over to me. "Let your throat heal."

"What? Throat?" Then the memories hit me like a stampede of dragons. "Oh."

"Just remembered, huh?" asked Bard, standing next to Blade and dad.

I nodded, after dad told me once again not to speak.

A sudden cry made me realize something was different.

Everyone turned their attention to the cry, mom walking over to take care of it.

"Starfire," dad said, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder, "Come meet your new baby brother." He lead me over to mom, who was sitting in her chair rocking a bundle of blankets. Dad lifted me in his arms then shifted me on to his side, giving me a good look at my new baby brother.

"N-" I started.

"Don't speak," dad repeated, harshly. He gave me my answer much softly, "His name is Stoick Haddock II, after my dad. Do you like it? I named him." 

"Y-" I started, with a nod.

"Don't speak!" dad commanded, somewhat angrily. "How many times must I repeated myself?"

I cringed a bit, making him mad was a bad idea, a very bad idea. I was about to apologize before I remembered that it would only make it worse.

"Sorry, Star," he sighed. "I'm just very stressed. Here," he got something off the table and handed it to me. Another journal, ink, and pencil. "You write what you want to say and hold it up, so we can read it. You are not to talk for three weeks, got it?"

I started at him, shocked, just realizing how hard not talking would be, but still nodded.

He knelt down, "It may be longer if your throat isn't healed," he said as he lifted my chin to get a better view of my throat.

I yelped in pain and took an involuntary step back, chin back in its normal position. Bard, Blade, and mom, who had went back to eating somewhere in our conversation, all stared at me.

"Sorry, baby girl. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Hiccup, Star, please eat now. Especially you, Star," mom said, leaving no room for argument, gently pulling me towards the table.

I sat down, across from mom, dad, and the new baby, next to Blade. Bard sat on the other side of Blade.

I took a bite, carefully chewing before swallowing. I winced in pain as I swallowed, the movement hurting my sore throat. Everyone stared at me again, and while I wanted nothing more than to disappear, I opened my new journal and wrote my words before showing it to everyone.

"Starfire," dad warned. "It may hurt, but you have to eat. You can't just tell us you're not hungry and expect us to believe you since you've hadn't gotten real food in two weeks."

I was shocked at how much time had passed. 'Two weeks?!' I wrote.

"Yes. By the way, happy birthday. I know it's late but you were still asleep a week ago." I had slept the week before, the day of, and a week after my tenth birthday.

At that thought tears sprinted from my eyes and down my cheeks. I was looking forward to spending my birthday with my family and Emerald. Now that special day is gone. Forever.

Emerald! I quickly wrote that down then handed it to dad before racing out of the house.

"Wait! Starfire! Starfire you get back here this instant!" dad yelled, at the doorway. I had just made it out of the house and started to enter the village. I planned to run around some houses and make my way to Emerald as dad chased me searched the village for me. There went my luck.

Knowing I would be in big trouble if I didn't listen, I slowly trudged back to the house.

He grabbed my arm and basically dragged me to my chair. Everyone but mom had finished and weren't in the room. "Eat." He stood next to me, waiting. I stared at the food, wanting almost nothing more than to eat it, but knew it would be painful. "Eat at least half, then you can go." I looked up at him with my puppy dog eyes. He looked at them for a split second before closing his eyes, keeping a hand on my shoulder to make sure I was there. "Don't give me that look. Eat. Eat it now."

I grabbed my journal and wrote, but it hurts daddy. It hurts me.

I held it up for when he opened his eyes a few moments later.

He took it from me and set it on the table as he picked me up, sat down, and put me on his lap. "I know it does, Star," he said, softly in my ear, arms around my waist. "And I'm so sorry about that, but you got to eat. If you eat it will heal faster and the pain will go away. Now, please eat, baby girl."

"Starfire, please, listen to your father," mom begged.

I frowned at picked up my fork and poked my food with it. I played with it for a minute before dad sighed, taking it out of my hand and stood up, me in his arms.

"Ready, Astrid?"

She gave him a sad nod and moved my plate.

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but Gobber did say it would help you. Sorry, Star." He laid me down on the table so my knees down hung off the edge of the table. "But this is for your own good."

I started to get scared, un shredded tears filled my eyes, making everything blurry. As dad leaned over me, keeping my arms pinned to my side's, mom forced my mouth open and dumped food into it, the held my nose close so I couldn't breath unless I swallowed.

I spit the delicious food out, feeling it slide down my cheeks.

"Darn it, Starfire!" dad yelled. "Please, just eat!" I could swear I saw tears come out of his eyes to, but that could have been my own.

Mom forced my mouth open again, this time holding my mouth shut with some cloth. She let me take a few breaths before holding my nose closed again.

I cried as I quickly chewed and slowly swallowed, it hurting from my throat and not being able to breath. Once I swallowed I was gasping for breath as I cried, my throat also hurting at my struggle to breath.

"S- stop," I begged. "Hurts. Worse," I gasped.

"We'll stop if you eat," mom said. I could tell she was also crying. They hated seeing me in pain, but even I knew I had to eat.

I nodded quickly. I was still being held down, and mom still feed me, but I was able to breath and take my time, swallowing tiny bites at a time.

I finished my plate, loving the feeling of food in my stomach, before getting cleaned up and allowed outside, being told to be back before dark. Dad, with tears in his eyes, hugged me tightly before apologizing for having to do something that cause me so much pain, but I understood why they did it and though I was mad at them, I was also thankful and glad to know they cared that much.

Blade was there with Emerald, running around with her. "Star, you're awake!" he exclaimed when he noticed me. Emerald came bouncing to me, knocking me down and licking me. Blade laughed, "Em missed you a lot." I nodded, finally getting her off me. Blade told me that he had been taking care of Emerald, taking her on small flights to entertain her for the few hours he was here.

He told me that after a week of me being asleep, Emerald started starving herself, which worried me. Blade had to sneak her into the house late at night so she could see me. When she sniffed and nudged me, Blade told her that I was sleeping, and finally got her to eat. I was extremely grateful that he had risked all that just to get my silly beloved dragon to eat.

I thanked him for all his hard work and we took and awesome flight to a nearby island and back.

Soon we had to head home, so Blade said goodbye to Emerald while I gave her a hug and waved before heading home.

The following three weeks were painful, every day for the first two weeks I refused to eat at first so they waited until Bard and Blade left before forcing me to eat. Each time, only making eat one or two bite before I gave in. It was hard not being able to talk and having to sit still while mom put the burning medicine on my injury every day, after eating dinner as well. At first, my scab reopened from the slightest movement, including eating. They had to pin me down a couple times for that as well. But, gladly, my throat finally healed and soon was nothing but a scar and painful memory.

"Oh my gods, Star," mom said, every time they had to pin me down to do something. "Your as stubborn as your father. That's not a good thing," she always added when I grinned at one of them.

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