Addiction: Chapter 3

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Camthalion awoke with a start. His neck and hips throbbed from sleeping in the chair and he stood up to try to rub the ache away. Thranduil was sitting at Legolas's bedside holding his hand as though he never moved in the night.

"What time is it, Adar?" he asked, his voice was raspy from sleep.

"It will be midday soon," Thranduil replied as he looked up at him.

"You should have woken me at dawn," Camthalion said as he stretched and yawned.

"You were exhausted and you did not fall asleep until it was nearly dawn. You needed the rest, Camthalion," Thranduil replied.

"Adar, I am afraid that I have pressing work that I must attend to," Camthalion said unhappily after looking at Legolas and seeing that he remained in the same state, "I will return in a couple of hours."

"Take as long as you need to. Amoniel and I will stay with Legolas," Thranduil said.

"Yes, Adar," Camthalion said as he reached over and gave Legolas's shoulder a gentle squeeze. He hoped that his face did not betray the disappointment and fear that he felt. He had thought that Legolas would have regained consciousness by morning.

"We need to give Legolas time to heal, Camthalion," Thranduil said, reading his son's thoughts and giving him a warm smile, "His body has suffered much trauma. It will need time to rest and heal before Legolas can awaken."

"I will remember that, Adar," Camthalion replied before exiting the room and grudgingly making his way to his office.


Camthalion returned to Legolas's chambers later that afternoon. He found Amoniel sitting with him, reading aloud from one of her favorite books of poetry. Thranduil was nowhere in sight.

"Where is Adar?" Camthalion asked after he kissed her cheek in greeting.

"I finally convinced him to rest for a while," she answered with a smile, "He was falling asleep in the chair. He is exhausted."

"I am surprised you even got him to admit to that," Camthalion said, "Is there any change with Legolas?"

"No, he is the same," Amoniel replied seriously as she carefully stroked Legolas's unfractured arm, "The healers just examined him a few minutes ago."

Camthalion sighed forcefully, airing his frustration with the situation.

"We must be patient," Amoniel said earnestly as she touched his arm with her slender, soft hand, "Legolas will awaken when he is ready."

Camthalion sighed again. He could try to be patient but patience was a quality that he did not really strive to perfect. He definitely was his father's son.


Two more days and nights passed much like the first. Legolas was never left alone. A family member was at his side at all times. On the third day Thranduil was standing in Legolas's doorway signing some paperwork for a clerk.

"My lord!" a healer called from inside Legolas's bedchamber, "He is stirring!"

Thranduil shoved the parchments without a sound back in the clerk's arms and scurried to Legolas's bedside.

"Legolas," he called as he grasped his hand. For a moment he thought that the healers must have been mistaken. But a few seconds later Legolas's eyes fluttered and he let out a soft moan.

"Legolas," Thranduil said again.

The healers crowded around the bed with hopeful expressions on their faces. Legolas opened his eyes halfway. His blue eyes were dull and he was disoriented. Then his eyes fixed on Thranduil.

"Adar," he whispered.

"I am right here, ion-nin," Thranduil said as he leaned closer to Legolas. Legolas's eyes slowly shifted to the healers standing around his bed. Confusion clouded his fair face.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You were ambushed by a spider and thrown from a tree," Thranduil replied frankly.

Legolas stared blankly at his father with half lowered lids and tried to process what was just said to him.

"What happened?" he asked again, obviously still confused.

Thranduil glanced at the healers.

"That is normal, my lord," one of them said, "With this severe of a concussion he will be drowsy and confused for a few days."

Thranduil looked back at Legolas who was struggling to keep his composure as the healers examined and probed at him. A whimper escaped from his lips as pain began to rack his body. A healer handed Thranduil a cup with a small amount of concoction in it.

"This will help him with the pain, my lord," she said, "But it will make him lethargic, which is not necessarily bad because he will be in a great deal of pain if he is awake and he should only move if it is absolutely necessary."

Another healer gently lifted Legolas's head and shoulders off the bed. He was unable to support his head and it lolled over to the side, making him even more dizzy.

"Give it to him slowly, my lord," he instructed, "he is disoriented and we need to keep his weight off of his waist so that his pelvis does not need reset."

Thranduil slowly poured a small amount of the liquid into Legolas's mouth until it was gone. The tonic acted quickly and Legolas was soon asleep.


Camthalion arrived at his brother's chambers an hour later and was disappointed to learn that he had missed Legolas regaining consciousness.

"I am not leaving this room until I see him conscious," he declared stubbornly as he threw himself into the nearest chair.

"If you need to go to your office to get your work done, Camthalion, then that is what you should do," Thranduil replied as he looked up from the large stack of proposals he was reading.

"Adar, I literally have not spoken with my brother in over seven months and a few days ago we were not sure when or if he was going to regain consciousness. I want to be here when he does," Camthalion said earnestly, but his jaw was jutted out with determination and defiance.

"Fine," Thranduil relented and returned his attention to the large stack of parchments in his hand. He did not have the energy to argue with him.

The afternoon slowly came and went. Some time after dusk Legolas began to stir again while Thranduil and Amoniel were having thier evening meal and Camthalion was sitting with Legolas.

"Legolas!" Camthalion cried as he jumped to Legolas's bedside and grabbed his hand. It was one of the happiest moments in Camthalion's life when his brother looked up at him, much like he did the day he was born some fifty years before.

"You have really done it this time, Legolas," Camthalion said, "You gave us quite a scare."

"What happened?" Legolas managed to croak with a confused look on his face.

"Did Adar not tell you?" Camthalion asked, "You fell from a tree a few days ago."

Legolas's brain slowly processed this information. Then he seemed to recognize the figure standing over him because his eyes lit up and he reached up with his good arm to his brother in an attempt to pull him into a hug. Camthalion leaned down and hugged Legolas as gently as he could before giving him an affectionate kiss on the forehead.

"I have missed you, little brother," he said.

"I missed you," Legolas replied slowly, "You were gone too long."

Camthalion laughed, the first he had in days.

"Sorry," Camthalion said, still smiling, "I came back as soon as I could."

Legolas's eyes closed and he softly whimpered despite obvious attempts to conceal it.

"You are in pain," Camthalion stated as he grabbed Legolas's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "I will get a healer."

"No," Legolas said suddenly, "Do not go."

"I will be back in a moment," Camthalion promised, "You are trembling!"

Legolas looked down and noticed that his right arm was shaking uncontrollably. The pain was making him sick and dizzy. He had not known it was possible to feel such agonizing pain. He released his brother's hand and watched Camthalion hurry to the door and call down the corridor for a healer. Moments later Thranduil hurried in the room with Camthalion and several healers behind him.

"We will get you something for the pain, my lord," the healer said cheerfully as she mixed a pain tonic, "It will be ready momentarily."

Legolas gasped as the other healers evaluated his injuries. The slightest touch sent waves of agony ripping through his slender body.

"What happened to me, Adar?" he asked, "Why does it hurt so badly?"

"Do you remember being on patrol?" Thranduil asked him.

"No," Legolas replied as he frowned in concentration of trying to recollect the patrol, "I remember sitting in court and you were angry at me, Adar."

"You were ambushed, ion-nin, by a spider and you fell a great distance from the tree. You have several broken bones and a bad head injury," Thranduil reminded him.

It scared him that he had already told Legolas a few times what had happened and he still did not seem to realize what was going on. Legolas then noticed that his legs and right arm were immobile due to splints. The left side of his face was sore and his eye has nearly swollen shut. The healer appeared with a small vile in her hand. Another healer gently supported his shoulders so that he could drink the tonic. After a few moments Legolas still felt light headed and dizzy but the pain had disappeared. The feeling was phenomenal. Fighting the pain exhausted him and now that it was gone Legolas could have sobbed with relief.

"This is the best pain tonic I have, my lord," the healer told Thranduil, "It is made from the seed pods of a flower and seems to work quite well. Lord Legolas will be much more comfortable now."

"Good," Thranduil said, smiling at the fact that Legolas's face was no longer twisted in pain, "He has been through enough already and I want him as comfortable as possible."

The healer bowed then quietly exited the room. Legolas relaxed into the soft down pillows and tried to listen while Camthalion told him what had happened during the ill-fated patrol. Legolas looked a bit taken back.

"I wanted to see some action," he said thoughtfully, "But this is not what I had in mind. How ungraceful of me! How unelflike! How absurd to fall from a tree!"

"Legolas!" Thranduil interrupted while sharing a surprised glance with Camthalion, "You did not fall. You were thrown out of the tree. It was really beyond your and Valen's control."

"I feel stupid," Legolas spat, "What kind of warrior am I to get ambushed by a big, black spider? I should have been more alert. This is all my fault.

"It is not your fault," Camthalion persisted, "The sooner you realize that the better off you will be."

Legolas bit his lip and said nothing. There was nothing they could say to change his mind or take away the sting of the shame the entire situation caused him.


I am really enjoying this story! I can not believe how quickly the chapters are written. Even though I just posted the last chapter yesterday, I could not wait to get this one up! The next chapter will be ready soon!