My Merry My Saviour
Part 2.
Darkness had embodied Pippin. A pitch so black and frighteningly empty, that when Pippin opened his eyes, shadows of cold were all that he could see. Surely he was dead? No one could survive such a terrible thing and live to tell the tale. No one. He blinked a few times, frowned and began to sit up, slowly. He knew where he was. He was in the Shire House of healing. The smell of medicines and crisp-white cleaning apperators told him that. How was he here? He was dead, surely.
"Peregrin Took?" Pippin looked over.
A Hobbit-nurse came over, smiling gently.
"You must lie back and rest. Your body has been through an awful lot." She said, setting him back down.
"But-" Pippin began.
"Shh," she soothed, pulling the covers up tight.
There was a dim light coming from his bedside table. She snuffed out the candle and he was left again in darkness. How he'd lived, he could not tell, but how grateful he was from doing so. He allowed mind-aching sleep to elope him, too weak to fight back or stay awake, he gave into the darkness and let himself be carried away into a dreamless sleep.
-- "Merry, Merry! Look at this, Merry!" Pippin's shouts alerted Merry to get up from reading his book and wander over to see what his cousin was up to. Why he had to baby-sit the ten-year-old was beyond him, but still in order to keep the peace, he'd done so.
"What is it Pip?" He asked, kneeling down next to him on the wooden floor.
"A baby mouse Merry-a real one!" Pippin enthused.
Merry looked down and saw a small pink creature moving slowly and blindly around. I was only a week old-if that.
"Farmer Emery's cat must've caught it. It's lucky to be alive, Pip. Lucky you found it."
Merry gently scooped the mouse up and instructed Pippin to find a box. They then went out to the barn, filled the box with hay and settled the tiny creature inside, where it would be warm. Then both Pippin and Merry sunk down behind the bails and waited. They waited for what seemed like a very long time, but then, a brown flash alerted them both.
"The mother," Merry whispered explaining Pippin's worry.
Pippin nodded and remained watching ever so intently at the mother mouse climbing into the box, scurrying around and then plucking her baby out and back to the nest. Pippin had been delighted that it had gone back with its bother's sisters and mother. That had been the highlight of Pippin's day. --
Merry awoke. His eyes were still sore from all the crying he'd done. He's tried to sleep, but whenever he did, he just dreamt about himself and Pippin, and everytime he awoke, it got harder and harder to accept that there would be no more memories to remember.
"Merry lad, get your coat." Saradoc instructed.
Merry sat up.
"Why?" Saradoc pulled his son up, though his face remained grim.
"Pippin woke up. He's regain consciousness, but he's still critical. Apparently him waking up was a jolt in his mind. Son, he is still in danger, but there is more hope now than there has ever been." Saradoc explained.
Merry joined his mother and father in the cart and soon they were trundled along the stony ground. Hobbit holes remained blackened. In the pitch of night, nothing stirred save the breeze caught high in the leafless spindles of trees. Hobbits slept unaware that Merry's best friend remained close to death. They slept peacefully, only to awake and continue with their daily lives. Time didn't stop. Things continued on despite Merry wanting things to stop just so Pippin could catch up. He had to keep telling himself that there was chance Pippin would never catch up, but that thought remained far and deep at the back of his mind. As soon as they reached the house, Merry had practically dragged his father and mother along and had gone straight to the room Pippin was in. He stopped when he got to the doorway.
Paladin was sat by the bed. His shirt creased his hair all over the place, his face worn, thin and tired. He hadn't slept a wink.
"Uncle?" Merry said softly.
His uncle turned in surprise. He greeted Merry with a forced yet comforting smile and stood up.
"Meriadoc, you came!" He said.
Relief overcame the old Took's face and he embraced Merry strongly, before leaving him and seeing to Saradoc and Esmeralda.
Merry went straight to sit by Pippin. He was shocked, at first, at how pale Pippin looked. Pippin was hardly ever pale-not even when he was his sickest. His chestnut curls were limp and had no shine in them. Merry reached out and stroked Pippin's hair. It was not soft like always. Just dry and lifeless.
"Pippin-" Merry started.
His body looked so small. His arms lay limply at his sides and he lay very straight. His breathing was so soft it was almost as if he wasn't breathing at all. Pippin's sharp face was so colourless. So grey and drained, and yet he looked so peaceful.
"Is, uh, is he going to-" Merry stopped short.
A sobbing choking had infused him and he stopped himself before he could cry.
"Is he doing to die?" Merry asked.
Paladin walked back over and placed a strong arm around his nephew's shoulder.
"Let's hope not, eh? Lets just keep that hope." He replied gently.
***
Pippin felt strange. He knew he was safe, but he couldn't wake up. His body felt numb nothing he did made any difference. He was frightened-why couldn't he open his eyes? He wanted to wake up. He didn't want to die. He knew what he'd done was a mistake. He knew that so well. He wanted to be back with his family. He wanted to be back with his father and sisters, and cousins and distant relations and Merry.
He wanted to be back with Merry.
Merry had promised him that he'd stay there. Pippin had heard him. Pippin had felt Merry' hand gripping onto his so very tightly, but then, Merry had left. Merry promised that he wouldn't, but he had. Pippin had waited, hoping Merry would return, but he did not come back.
Suddenly, Pippin felt a warm hand take his cold one. He knew that grip. Merry was here! Merry did come back. He heard noises. Blurred sounds, but he recognised Merry's voice-alongside his father's. And someone else- Saradoc? Yes, Saradoc, which meant that of course his Aunt was here, too. He really had to try. He really had to open his eyes and show that he was all right. He couldn't open is eyes. Something was keeping him locked in darkness, but he didn't want to be locked here anymore.
He wanted to see golden sun penetrating through autumn leaves. He wanted to see the fields of green on the first day of spring where the dewdrops entangled with the sweet smell that meant summer was on its way. He wanted to hear the laughter of Hobbits as they drunk heatedly in the Green Dragon. He wanted to hear his own father's laughter as he often did, when joking with Saradoc. He wanted to see Merry's face when a strawberry-red blush formed upon the Brandybuck's face whenever Estella Bolger walked by. He wanted to see, hear, smell and do everything, but his own stupidity had disallowed any kind of function. He just couldn't do it. All his strength had been taken from him. Every last ounce was gone, but Pippin was determined to fight it. Pippin was going to get it back.
"Do you remember that, Pippin? When you pushed Frodo in the stream and he got in trouble? Do you?" Merry gently asked.
For the last two hours he'd been endlessly reminding Pippin of their little adventures. He was hoping desperately that it would help wake up Pippin, but so far, nothing had been gained.
"Keep talking-he's responding, I'm sure," Paladin said.
Paladin watched his son so intently, watching everything, never missing, and waiting, waiting in desperate hope that his only son would wake.
"And what about that time you threw mouldy fruit at Pervinca's new dress? You ran all the way to Buckland to hide from her, she was so angry," Merry continued.
Pippin remembered. Pippin found that funny. So funny, he felt himself smiling, just a bit.
""His lip twitched! Merry, don't stop!" Paladin shouted.
"What about when you had to catch all those apples when I shook the tree. Didn't want them bruised, did we?" Merry remained.
Pippin remembered that, too, felt himself reaching out.
"His hand! Merry! Look!" Paladin cried franticly.
Pippin's hand twitched, his fingers parted and he seemed to reach out.
Merry continued speaking, continued hoping Pippin still did not open his eyes, something was shielding him, holding him back, restricting his emotions and feeling and actions. He wanted to go back, he needed to. He wanted to open his eyes so much, he wanted his father to embrace him-so he could inhale that familiar smell of the harvest, but at the moment all Pippin could do was wait. Wait to see if it was his time to go or to stay.
~To be continued! The final and concluding part will be up by the end of this week (hopefully) please continue to R&R as any comments are most welcome. Thanks.
Darkness had embodied Pippin. A pitch so black and frighteningly empty, that when Pippin opened his eyes, shadows of cold were all that he could see. Surely he was dead? No one could survive such a terrible thing and live to tell the tale. No one. He blinked a few times, frowned and began to sit up, slowly. He knew where he was. He was in the Shire House of healing. The smell of medicines and crisp-white cleaning apperators told him that. How was he here? He was dead, surely.
"Peregrin Took?" Pippin looked over.
A Hobbit-nurse came over, smiling gently.
"You must lie back and rest. Your body has been through an awful lot." She said, setting him back down.
"But-" Pippin began.
"Shh," she soothed, pulling the covers up tight.
There was a dim light coming from his bedside table. She snuffed out the candle and he was left again in darkness. How he'd lived, he could not tell, but how grateful he was from doing so. He allowed mind-aching sleep to elope him, too weak to fight back or stay awake, he gave into the darkness and let himself be carried away into a dreamless sleep.
-- "Merry, Merry! Look at this, Merry!" Pippin's shouts alerted Merry to get up from reading his book and wander over to see what his cousin was up to. Why he had to baby-sit the ten-year-old was beyond him, but still in order to keep the peace, he'd done so.
"What is it Pip?" He asked, kneeling down next to him on the wooden floor.
"A baby mouse Merry-a real one!" Pippin enthused.
Merry looked down and saw a small pink creature moving slowly and blindly around. I was only a week old-if that.
"Farmer Emery's cat must've caught it. It's lucky to be alive, Pip. Lucky you found it."
Merry gently scooped the mouse up and instructed Pippin to find a box. They then went out to the barn, filled the box with hay and settled the tiny creature inside, where it would be warm. Then both Pippin and Merry sunk down behind the bails and waited. They waited for what seemed like a very long time, but then, a brown flash alerted them both.
"The mother," Merry whispered explaining Pippin's worry.
Pippin nodded and remained watching ever so intently at the mother mouse climbing into the box, scurrying around and then plucking her baby out and back to the nest. Pippin had been delighted that it had gone back with its bother's sisters and mother. That had been the highlight of Pippin's day. --
Merry awoke. His eyes were still sore from all the crying he'd done. He's tried to sleep, but whenever he did, he just dreamt about himself and Pippin, and everytime he awoke, it got harder and harder to accept that there would be no more memories to remember.
"Merry lad, get your coat." Saradoc instructed.
Merry sat up.
"Why?" Saradoc pulled his son up, though his face remained grim.
"Pippin woke up. He's regain consciousness, but he's still critical. Apparently him waking up was a jolt in his mind. Son, he is still in danger, but there is more hope now than there has ever been." Saradoc explained.
Merry joined his mother and father in the cart and soon they were trundled along the stony ground. Hobbit holes remained blackened. In the pitch of night, nothing stirred save the breeze caught high in the leafless spindles of trees. Hobbits slept unaware that Merry's best friend remained close to death. They slept peacefully, only to awake and continue with their daily lives. Time didn't stop. Things continued on despite Merry wanting things to stop just so Pippin could catch up. He had to keep telling himself that there was chance Pippin would never catch up, but that thought remained far and deep at the back of his mind. As soon as they reached the house, Merry had practically dragged his father and mother along and had gone straight to the room Pippin was in. He stopped when he got to the doorway.
Paladin was sat by the bed. His shirt creased his hair all over the place, his face worn, thin and tired. He hadn't slept a wink.
"Uncle?" Merry said softly.
His uncle turned in surprise. He greeted Merry with a forced yet comforting smile and stood up.
"Meriadoc, you came!" He said.
Relief overcame the old Took's face and he embraced Merry strongly, before leaving him and seeing to Saradoc and Esmeralda.
Merry went straight to sit by Pippin. He was shocked, at first, at how pale Pippin looked. Pippin was hardly ever pale-not even when he was his sickest. His chestnut curls were limp and had no shine in them. Merry reached out and stroked Pippin's hair. It was not soft like always. Just dry and lifeless.
"Pippin-" Merry started.
His body looked so small. His arms lay limply at his sides and he lay very straight. His breathing was so soft it was almost as if he wasn't breathing at all. Pippin's sharp face was so colourless. So grey and drained, and yet he looked so peaceful.
"Is, uh, is he going to-" Merry stopped short.
A sobbing choking had infused him and he stopped himself before he could cry.
"Is he doing to die?" Merry asked.
Paladin walked back over and placed a strong arm around his nephew's shoulder.
"Let's hope not, eh? Lets just keep that hope." He replied gently.
***
Pippin felt strange. He knew he was safe, but he couldn't wake up. His body felt numb nothing he did made any difference. He was frightened-why couldn't he open his eyes? He wanted to wake up. He didn't want to die. He knew what he'd done was a mistake. He knew that so well. He wanted to be back with his family. He wanted to be back with his father and sisters, and cousins and distant relations and Merry.
He wanted to be back with Merry.
Merry had promised him that he'd stay there. Pippin had heard him. Pippin had felt Merry' hand gripping onto his so very tightly, but then, Merry had left. Merry promised that he wouldn't, but he had. Pippin had waited, hoping Merry would return, but he did not come back.
Suddenly, Pippin felt a warm hand take his cold one. He knew that grip. Merry was here! Merry did come back. He heard noises. Blurred sounds, but he recognised Merry's voice-alongside his father's. And someone else- Saradoc? Yes, Saradoc, which meant that of course his Aunt was here, too. He really had to try. He really had to open his eyes and show that he was all right. He couldn't open is eyes. Something was keeping him locked in darkness, but he didn't want to be locked here anymore.
He wanted to see golden sun penetrating through autumn leaves. He wanted to see the fields of green on the first day of spring where the dewdrops entangled with the sweet smell that meant summer was on its way. He wanted to hear the laughter of Hobbits as they drunk heatedly in the Green Dragon. He wanted to hear his own father's laughter as he often did, when joking with Saradoc. He wanted to see Merry's face when a strawberry-red blush formed upon the Brandybuck's face whenever Estella Bolger walked by. He wanted to see, hear, smell and do everything, but his own stupidity had disallowed any kind of function. He just couldn't do it. All his strength had been taken from him. Every last ounce was gone, but Pippin was determined to fight it. Pippin was going to get it back.
"Do you remember that, Pippin? When you pushed Frodo in the stream and he got in trouble? Do you?" Merry gently asked.
For the last two hours he'd been endlessly reminding Pippin of their little adventures. He was hoping desperately that it would help wake up Pippin, but so far, nothing had been gained.
"Keep talking-he's responding, I'm sure," Paladin said.
Paladin watched his son so intently, watching everything, never missing, and waiting, waiting in desperate hope that his only son would wake.
"And what about that time you threw mouldy fruit at Pervinca's new dress? You ran all the way to Buckland to hide from her, she was so angry," Merry continued.
Pippin remembered. Pippin found that funny. So funny, he felt himself smiling, just a bit.
""His lip twitched! Merry, don't stop!" Paladin shouted.
"What about when you had to catch all those apples when I shook the tree. Didn't want them bruised, did we?" Merry remained.
Pippin remembered that, too, felt himself reaching out.
"His hand! Merry! Look!" Paladin cried franticly.
Pippin's hand twitched, his fingers parted and he seemed to reach out.
Merry continued speaking, continued hoping Pippin still did not open his eyes, something was shielding him, holding him back, restricting his emotions and feeling and actions. He wanted to go back, he needed to. He wanted to open his eyes so much, he wanted his father to embrace him-so he could inhale that familiar smell of the harvest, but at the moment all Pippin could do was wait. Wait to see if it was his time to go or to stay.
~To be continued! The final and concluding part will be up by the end of this week (hopefully) please continue to R&R as any comments are most welcome. Thanks.