Not Supposed to End Like This
AU story with a tiny hint of Dwalin/Nori, but mostly about the Ur family.
I still own nothing.
That still stinks!
Chapter 2
"King to blame," Bifur signed angrily, "Hopped up on gold sickness. Pulled us into war. Not fault orcs and goblins attack, but should have thought better. Fili deal with bad shoulder forever. Kili take long to walk properly again. Nori still weak from his injuries. Our Bofur sleep, not wake. I very mad. Not sugarcoat because is king."
"I thank you for that," Thorin agreed, "You two have every right to be angry at me. I shouldn't have allowed myself to weaken like that, but I did and the things you say, Bifur, are correct. Bofur tried to point that out to me. He defended Bilbo with everything he had. I owe him and the rest of the company a lot of apologies. I refuse to go through the coronation ceremony until my nephew can walk at my side, Fili can lift his arm again, Nori is back to his usual self, and Bofur wakes. My whole company will be at my side for the coronation or I rule without a crown."
Bifur and Bombur blinked at one another in astonishment before bowing as Thorin took his leave.
"You've got to get better now, Brother," Bombur instructed as he smoothed Bofur's nightshirt and pulled the covers higher over his chest, "We can't have a king under the mountain without a crown. Thorin and the rest of us are waiting on you to return to us."
Bofur didn't return. He remained sleeping deeply without stirring or showing any signs of life except for the steady rise and fall of his chest for breathing. Bombur and Bifur hoped at every moment of the day that Bofur would twitch or show some sign of coming back to them, but he never did. What should have looked like a natural sleep looked all wrong on Bofur. Even in normal state of rest, the hatted-dwarf always shifted and moved about prior to his injuries, but now he was still as still could be and that wasn't anything like the Bofur of past.
"Be patient," Oin advised the two cousins as they admitted their anxieties, "Bofur's system is trying to overcome a lot of trauma. Let the healing continue so that your kin can try to wake again. It took a long time for Bifur to wake after his injury from that axe. Give it time. Bofur will only wake when he can."
Patience was a hard thing to try to do when you were so very worried for one you loved, but time marched on and Bofur did not wake so patience was running thin. Oin set up a schedule for Bofur to be supported by pillows to lean up so not to develop bed sores by lying in the same position all the time. Bifur hated these times the most. He loathed to see his cousin unable to hold his own head up and need pillows to prop him in place. It was then that it really hit home that Bofur was in a deep coma. Bifur knew the word. His cousin wasn't asleep at all. Bofur had slipped into a coma where he was trapped within himself.
"What do?" Bifur thought to himself as Bombur slept next to his brother, "Need reach, Bofur. May come back to us if he hears me. Something that calls to cousin. Let's see. Something that calls and will bring him back? What? What calls?"
Bifur startled as it hit him and he quickly grabbed Bofur's old pack that had been returned to them by the Mirkwood elves with their own belongings. Searching frantically, Bifur found his cousin's flute. The very flute that Bifur had carved for Bofur and the younger claimed to be his most valuable possession. None in the company, with the exception of Bombur, knew that the older dwarf had been the very one to teach Bofur to play a flute to begin with.
"Please hear me," Bifur begged Bofur silently as he cleaned and oiled the instrument to prepare to play for his cousin, "Hear me and come back to us, Bofur. You are needed here. There are so many who mourn your absence and need you awake again. Listen and wake soon. Please."
Bifur placed the instrument to his lips and began a soft, mournful tune. He placed all of his despair into the melody to try and get his cousin to feel how sad he was and how much he yearned for Bofur to wake. He began softly and then built in pitch to entice Bofur with the melody. How much he wanted this to work…there were not enough words in the world to describe. Bombur was the one that stirred finally as Bifur continued his playing.
"Hmm?" Bombur hummed as he sat up and gaped as Bifur continued his tune, "I see. Good idea, Bifur. Bofur, do you hear our cousin? Do you hear his song? Bifur's sad, Brother. I'm sad too. We need you to come back to us. It's been a month since you left us here alone. We need you. Listen and come back to us."
Bifur continued his playing as he watched Bofur for any signs that the lad heard. The flute song spun, beckoning Bofur to wake. Bombur cajoled, begged, and pleaded for his brother to respond. Bofur did not. Finally, the ginger-haired dwarf sighed and grabbed a brush to comb out his brother's dark locks. Things were not looking good at all. Bofur was getting thinner and Bombur's despair was growing by the days that his brother remained still and quiet.
"What am I going to do, Bif?" Bombur sighed once his cousin placed the flute back down again as the resounding silence roared within their ears, "I need to go and get my wife and children, but I can't leave Bofur. What if he wakes and I'm not here? What if he…Mahal! Bifur, what if he leaves and I'm not here to say goodbye?"
Bifur cursed and pointed at Bofur angrily.
"Never say that near him," Bifur signed savagely, "Never suggest that Bofur leave us. He can't. Bofur needed here. Don't suggest something like that. Is wrong! Bofur not leave us. He won't. Shame on you. Have faith in brother."
"I do have faith in Bofur," Bombur insisted angrily, "I have not given up on my brother, but look at him, Bif. Broths are not keeping him fed properly. He's getting thin and too pale. I've never seen Bofur look like this before. We're losing him, Bifur. Bofur is leaving us and I don't know how to stop that. I heard Oin. I heard him and I hate what he is saying."
"What Oin say?" Bifur demanded through his Iglishmek.
"He said…he said that Bofur's system is not getting stronger. Oin said that his system can only support itself for so long before Brother's organs shut down," Bombur whispered, "I know what that means, Bifur. I am not a stupid dwarf. I know that if f Bofur doesn't wake soon, he'll fade and eventually die."
Bifur heart stuttered as he glanced sharply at Bofur's still form. He cousin was truly thinner and each breath was so soft. He took the still dwarf's hand in his realizing that Bofur's hand was certainly thinner and colder to the touch. A life without Bofur? No. That wasn't right. There couldn't be a life without Bofur. There just couldn't be.
"Bifur?" Bombur called looking upset as the elder looked up at him again before Bifur firmly shook his head in denial.
"Not leave," Bifur denied in their native tongue rubbing both of Bofur's hands in his to warm them up, "Not leave. Bofur, not leave us. He can't. Oin wrong. Bofur not leave us ever. Oin needs to shut up. He not know our kin like we do."
"He knows healing better than us," Bombur argued, "Oin knows what he is talking about. I'm worried, Bif."
"He knows healing, but we know Bofur," Bifur argued back, "Bofur always fights to remain at our side. I won't believe Oin. I will believe in Bofur not leaving. Don't, Bofur. Don't go where we can't follow. Need here. Stay. Please stay. We can't lose you. Too much loss within this lifetime. Not lose you too. Not. Stay."
Bofur stayed. He held on in his deep sleep and Bifur and Bombur thanked Mahal every single day for that. The company did what they could to help as much as possible. Dori knitted Bofur warm jumpers to keep the chill away during the winter months and was usually the one that brought the family food throughout the day. Ori and Balin would sit and read Bofur stories in hope of drawing him out of his coma. Dwalin came, but didn't know what to do with himself for the first two visits. The warrior finally choose to play his viola for Bofur since the two had bonded on the quest to Erebor over the love of music. Oin tended the still dwarf as Gloin huffed and tried to order Bofur to wake up. Bifur and Gloin argued a lot over that and then Oin would step in.
"You can't just order a person up and awake, Gloin," Oin snapped as his younger brother looked mutinous, "Bofur is still healing and is too deep within his mind to listen to your big mouth. Tone down on your threats, Idiot."
"Every dwarf knows how to follow directions," Gloin would snark back, "Bofur might hear me and wake again as he should. He's been sleeping long enough and who do you think you are calling me names, huh?"
"That is not your call to make and as the older brother, I call things as I see them, Idiot," Oin would growl before a full blown argument would start and Bifur would have to throw the two out of Bofur's room.
"Glad you and Bofur not like that," Bifur grumbled in Khuzdul one day after pitching the healer and his brother out the door once again, "You two much calmer siblings. Thank Mahal. Not be able to handled two rabid dogs going at one another all the time. Honestly!"
Bilbo had stayed in Erebor for the winter months since he too wanted to see Bofur healed and awake again. The small being would sit and talk to Bofur for hours on end. Bifur and Bombur enjoyed the hobbit's visits very much. Bilbo was such a gentle soul and his quiet murmuring was also a balm upon the souls of the two Ur's that were left behind. The royal family visited whenever their duties allowed. Fili and Kili were especially upset over Bofur's silence and chattered to him about all the news within Erebor. Last, Nori teased. The thief told every embarrassing story of Bofur's childhood that he could remember in hopes of getting his friend to wake. Other times, Nori just sat quietly and held Bofur's hand in his looking lost.
"Bofur, you can't do this to me," Nori would sometimes say, "Who am I going to get comfort from when Dori is driving me up the wall? You're the only one that can remind me that my brother is just being overly concerned and not trying to kill me with smothering. I miss you, Friend. I miss you so much."
"Miss bad too," Bifur gestured as Nori looked over at him and nodded in understanding, "How is leg?"
"Getting better," Nori huffed having to still use crutches like the youngest Prince much to the former thief's disgust, "I will have full use of my leg without complications by springtime as long as I listen to Oin and the other healers. Muscle was more damaged than the healers thought at first, but still healable with proper care. Has…has Bofur so much as twitched?"
"No," Bombur sighed leaning forward, "Bofur's not moved a muscle. Not a single twitch or flinch or anything. I am concerned that Bofur is no longer really with us anymore and we are only caring for the shell that is left. Nori, I'm not sure if Bofur will ever wake again and I think Oin feels the same way even if he is not coming right out and saying the words."
Bifur hissed angrily at Bombur as Nori blinked.
"I won't believe that," Nori blurted looking angry, stressed, and afraid all in one, "Bofur is too strong to allow himself to stay like this forever. He's been a fighter from the moment we met another. I won't give up on him!"
The last statement sent the middle Ri brother into a coughing fit that had him hunched over in his chair as Bombur and Bifur sprang up to try and help. The chamber door banged open as Dori hurried inside calling for Nori. The elder brother poured a cup of water and darted to his brother.
"Move," Dori barked out as Bombur and Bifur backed away while the eldest Ri helped his brother sip from the cup while he rubbed the younger's back soothingly, "Keep drinking, Nori. That's it. Small sips and try to breathe deeply. Deep breath. That's it. Little more water now. Good, Lad. Here we go. Try to relax."
Dori breathed in relief as Nori's coughs finally began to taper before he leveled a look on Bombur and Bifur with a raised eyebrow.
"I could hear the coughing from clear down the hallway. I'm glad I came to check on my brother," Dori began, "Nori's lungs took some damage in the battle. He's healing, but too much physical activity or getting upset makes him cough like this. Stubbornness won't stay in bed to strengthen properly. Tell me what happened to cause this? He's obviously been upset because Nori's not been doing anything physical in here. What has upset my brother?"
"Dori… stop," Nori whispered around a couple of coughs.
"Do not try to speak," Dori ordered or his younger brother sighed looking worn and exhausted, "Keep sipping some water, Nori. Bombur, what happened?"
The ginger-haired dwarf explained the conversation sadly. Nori had leaned against his brother's hip and closed his eyes during the tale.
"Oh," Dori breathed, "I see. Nori, there is still a chance that…Nori?"
Nori didn't so much as stir.
"Sleeping," Bifur gestured as Dori rolled his eyes, "Needs bed."
"Stubborn," Dori huffed raking his fingers gently through his brother's hair, "Bombur, Nori can't handle your fears. I don't mean to be blunt, but Nori's lingering issues from the battle has given my brother a very brittle health at the moment and he can't handle your fears and emotions. Nori needs to believe that Bofur will wake. I pray his hopes will happen. We all miss your kin, but don't say what you did to Nori again. He's not well. I am so sorry for the pain you and Bifur are going through seeing Bofur like this, but my brother is not well and cannot handle any more stress. I am so sorry for your House's pain."
"Thank you," Bombur offered, "I am sorry. I didn't know about Nori's health. Bif and I rarely leave this room."
"You need to," Dori insisted as he looked up when Ori peeked his head in looking concerned, "Ori, Nori's just sleeping so don't start worrying. Get our brother's crutches. Bombur, your brother would be mighty upset to wake seeing you and Bifur so pale. Take turns. Get some air. You can't help Bofur without caring for yourselves as well. I need to get Nori into bed now. Take a break, Bombur, before you crack under your stress. I'll see you guys tomorrow. Good night."
Bifur watched as Dori eased his brother into his arms and left with Ori following. The eldest Ri had been right. His cousin and he needed to stay strong for Bofur or his eldest cousin would be terribly upset when he woke and saw their states.
"You go take break," Bifur urged Bombur the next day once Bofur was cleansed and fed, "Take bath. Get fresh air. I'll do same in afternoon."
"What if Brother wakes while I'm gone?" Bombur fretted holding Bofur's hand, "I would never forgive myself if I miss being here when Bofur wakes. I don't want to miss Bofur's eyes opening. I need to be here at his side for that."
Bifur grimaced and looked at his still cousin. He too, wanted to be here when Bofur woke again. The elder understood Bombur's fears.
"Not wake anytime soon," Bifur gestured sadly knowing his words were true, "Body still not healed enough. Head wound not knitted closed yet. Bofur only come back to us when head wound healed. Go."
Bombur choked at the words, but nodded holding back tears. Bifur watched his cousin leave and held Bofur's hand. He looked upon his Bofur's lax features and blinked back tears of his own. This wasn't right. This wasn't supposed to be how things turned out. It wasn't.
"Bofur, you're brother suffers," Bifur admitted in their native tongue stroking hair from his cousin's face, "Bombur needs you to wake when you can. Your promise to be at his side is very important to your brother. I need you. I get lost. I get lost and need your voice to find my way back. Winning back Erebor was supposed to be a time of happiness. We are not happy, Cousin. Open your eyes and come back to us."
To be continued…