Merry was ill again. It seemed to creep up on him every time the weather
took a turn for the worse. He had been ill on and off all winter and he
certainly looked as though he had. It was now late spring and Merry had
avoided illness for a few months running and was looking all the better for
it. He had once again become fit enough to wander the Shire unaided.
Pippin, who had been very worried by his cousin's uncharacteristic
illnesses, had been overjoyed when Merry could finally leave their house in
Crickhollow and journey with him to meet Frodo and Sam in Bag End.
Frodo and Sam had been equally worried by Merry's deteriorating state over the Winter and had visited regularly, helping Pippin look after him when they could and giving moral support whenever it looked like Pippin could no longer cope. They were by no means the only ones who had helped during that tough period though. Members of Merry's family had often wandered down from Brandy hall and Pippin's own sisters had occasionally popped in when no one else could.
All in all, Merry had had plenty of nursing from everyone and he was truly sick of it. He also wanted to thank them all, so he and Pippin had arranged with Frodo and Sam, a little get together for everyone who had helped. Merry didn't want to drag Sam away from his family once again, he also wanted to see this new-born daughter of Sam's and so they had decided to meet in Bag End.
Early in the morning, Pippin and Merry had packed up all the clothes and possessions they would need for a considerable length of time (they hadn't decided how long they were staying for yet) and then embarked on the day-or- so's journey from Crickhollow to Bag End by cart. Pippin at the reins, Merry was given time to sit back and bask in the warmth of the sun, occasionally interrupted from his thoughts by passers by wishing him well and expressing how glad they were to see him up and about again. Merry had waved to them, thanked them and wished them well back and got back to his day dreaming. He and Pippin had spoken little; there was no need to. Merry was leaning against Pippin and Pippin was only glad that he was well enough to be out here to do such a thing, though he noted that despite the months of recuperating Merry was still not his proper weight, but he was getting there.
Merry and Pippin had arrived at Bag End late that night, Pippin had dropped off to sleep and Merry was now in charge of the horse. Merry had shook Pippin awake and he had yawned and stretched. "So soon?" he had inquired as his sleepy brain slowly took into account that the sun was now down and there was a distinctly chill breeze in the air. Sam was soon out to greet them and help unload their luggage, while Frodo waited inside setting a meal out on the table and Rosie saw to a disgruntled young Elanor.
But that was three days ago now, outside the rain poured and the grey sky rumbled every so often, sometimes quietly, sometimes loud enough to rattle the crockery hanging from the dresser in the kitchen. Merry groaned as he turned onto his side and began heaving over the basin that had been left by his bed in case he was sick again. They need not have bothered though; Merry's stomach was pathetically empty. He felt only the horrible burning sensation of acid creeping up his already sore throat. A tiny amount made it into his mouth and he spat that out quickly into the basin and wiped his mouth on the sheets. He rolled back over and replaced the cool cloth on his forehead.
Frodo walked into the room carrying another cloth, he took the one off Merry's head and placed the new one there instead and sat down on the chair next to the bed.
"I'm sorry for being such trouble." Croaked Merry, his voice grated against his throat and it hurt to talk.
"Don't worry about it Merry, you're giving me something to do and Pippin's finally getting a well-deserved rest."
"Yes, Pippin's done so well looking after me. All winter too!"
"He loves you Merry, and you'd do the same for him in the drop of a hat."
Merry nodded his head, he knew that he wouldn't hesitate to help his cousin out if he were in a similar situation. Frodo glanced down at the basin and saw the foul-smelling liquid there.
"Do you want a drink?" He said. Merry nodded and Frodo left, returning shortly afterwards with a glass of cool water.
Merry sat up and took the drink in his shaky hand, gulping the contents down before he felt sick again.
"Where is Pip?" he asked.
"Asleep, in his room," Replied Frodo, "We were going to leave him where he fell asleep on the chair but it was difficult to get around him to you, so we moved him."
"He needs a good rest in a bed, all those nights of sleeping on my bedroom floor can't have been the most enjoyable." Said Merry, his throat felt a little better but it was still unbelievably dry, despite the drink he'd just had.
Another low rumble thundered through the air. It seemed to Frodo to vibrate his very bones. Once the noise had died down, the house was dominated by the new noise of a child wailing. Frodo walked out of the room and accosted Rosie on her way to comfort Elanor.
"I'll take care of Elanor, I think it's about time you looked after the less demanding of the two." He said. Rosie smiled to him in thanks and changed her course towards Merry's room. She found Merry once again heaving into the basin, bringing up the much-needed water out of his stomach. Rosie sat next to him and rubbed his back until he was finished.
"Could you get me another drink please?" Merry asked in a barely audible whisper. He was determined to drink something and keep it down. Rosie left and returned a little while later with a hot mug of lemon and honey.
"Something my mum used to give me when I had a sore throat. Here." She said handing the drink to Merry. Merry took it and drank it; it slipped easily down his throat and took the edge off the pain.
"Thankyou." He whispered as he lay back down in the bed and handed the mug back to Rosie. Soon the utter exhaustion of constantly bringing food up combined with the lack of food going the right way through his system; Merry dropped off into a fitful sleep.
Frodo and Sam had been equally worried by Merry's deteriorating state over the Winter and had visited regularly, helping Pippin look after him when they could and giving moral support whenever it looked like Pippin could no longer cope. They were by no means the only ones who had helped during that tough period though. Members of Merry's family had often wandered down from Brandy hall and Pippin's own sisters had occasionally popped in when no one else could.
All in all, Merry had had plenty of nursing from everyone and he was truly sick of it. He also wanted to thank them all, so he and Pippin had arranged with Frodo and Sam, a little get together for everyone who had helped. Merry didn't want to drag Sam away from his family once again, he also wanted to see this new-born daughter of Sam's and so they had decided to meet in Bag End.
Early in the morning, Pippin and Merry had packed up all the clothes and possessions they would need for a considerable length of time (they hadn't decided how long they were staying for yet) and then embarked on the day-or- so's journey from Crickhollow to Bag End by cart. Pippin at the reins, Merry was given time to sit back and bask in the warmth of the sun, occasionally interrupted from his thoughts by passers by wishing him well and expressing how glad they were to see him up and about again. Merry had waved to them, thanked them and wished them well back and got back to his day dreaming. He and Pippin had spoken little; there was no need to. Merry was leaning against Pippin and Pippin was only glad that he was well enough to be out here to do such a thing, though he noted that despite the months of recuperating Merry was still not his proper weight, but he was getting there.
Merry and Pippin had arrived at Bag End late that night, Pippin had dropped off to sleep and Merry was now in charge of the horse. Merry had shook Pippin awake and he had yawned and stretched. "So soon?" he had inquired as his sleepy brain slowly took into account that the sun was now down and there was a distinctly chill breeze in the air. Sam was soon out to greet them and help unload their luggage, while Frodo waited inside setting a meal out on the table and Rosie saw to a disgruntled young Elanor.
But that was three days ago now, outside the rain poured and the grey sky rumbled every so often, sometimes quietly, sometimes loud enough to rattle the crockery hanging from the dresser in the kitchen. Merry groaned as he turned onto his side and began heaving over the basin that had been left by his bed in case he was sick again. They need not have bothered though; Merry's stomach was pathetically empty. He felt only the horrible burning sensation of acid creeping up his already sore throat. A tiny amount made it into his mouth and he spat that out quickly into the basin and wiped his mouth on the sheets. He rolled back over and replaced the cool cloth on his forehead.
Frodo walked into the room carrying another cloth, he took the one off Merry's head and placed the new one there instead and sat down on the chair next to the bed.
"I'm sorry for being such trouble." Croaked Merry, his voice grated against his throat and it hurt to talk.
"Don't worry about it Merry, you're giving me something to do and Pippin's finally getting a well-deserved rest."
"Yes, Pippin's done so well looking after me. All winter too!"
"He loves you Merry, and you'd do the same for him in the drop of a hat."
Merry nodded his head, he knew that he wouldn't hesitate to help his cousin out if he were in a similar situation. Frodo glanced down at the basin and saw the foul-smelling liquid there.
"Do you want a drink?" He said. Merry nodded and Frodo left, returning shortly afterwards with a glass of cool water.
Merry sat up and took the drink in his shaky hand, gulping the contents down before he felt sick again.
"Where is Pip?" he asked.
"Asleep, in his room," Replied Frodo, "We were going to leave him where he fell asleep on the chair but it was difficult to get around him to you, so we moved him."
"He needs a good rest in a bed, all those nights of sleeping on my bedroom floor can't have been the most enjoyable." Said Merry, his throat felt a little better but it was still unbelievably dry, despite the drink he'd just had.
Another low rumble thundered through the air. It seemed to Frodo to vibrate his very bones. Once the noise had died down, the house was dominated by the new noise of a child wailing. Frodo walked out of the room and accosted Rosie on her way to comfort Elanor.
"I'll take care of Elanor, I think it's about time you looked after the less demanding of the two." He said. Rosie smiled to him in thanks and changed her course towards Merry's room. She found Merry once again heaving into the basin, bringing up the much-needed water out of his stomach. Rosie sat next to him and rubbed his back until he was finished.
"Could you get me another drink please?" Merry asked in a barely audible whisper. He was determined to drink something and keep it down. Rosie left and returned a little while later with a hot mug of lemon and honey.
"Something my mum used to give me when I had a sore throat. Here." She said handing the drink to Merry. Merry took it and drank it; it slipped easily down his throat and took the edge off the pain.
"Thankyou." He whispered as he lay back down in the bed and handed the mug back to Rosie. Soon the utter exhaustion of constantly bringing food up combined with the lack of food going the right way through his system; Merry dropped off into a fitful sleep.