Aragorn
Aragorn felt as though his heart was breaking for his friend, his brother in all but blood. They got the broth into Legolas, but the elf no longer seemed interested in getting out of bed, which in itself was concerning. Aragorn had never seen his friend looking so defeated.
Legolas rolled over onto his side and pulled the blanket up to his chin. His breathing slowed and his eyes glazed over as he fell into a light sleep.
Aragorn wanted to stay by his side, but he felt wretched watching his friend suffer like this and was in desperate need of reassurance himself. He turned to his father, who understood at once and led Aragorn a little distance away so that they soft words wouldn't wake the prince.
"Ada, I don't know what to do. How do we help him?"
At the desperation in his son's voice, Elrond pulled him into a tight hug. Aragorn clung to him like he had when he was younger and had just had a nightmare. "You are doing everything you can, ion nin. This is a journey that Legolas must undergo himself if he is to survive. All we can do is support him."
"He can't even eat. He still blames himself for Haldir's death. How can we convince him otherwise when he refuses to listen to us?"
"We cannot. It is something he will have to come to believe himself, and forgive himself for."
Aragorn was ashamed to feel tears pricking at his eyes. Elrond looked at his son with kindness and understanding. "Do not despair, ion nin. Legolas is strong. He can yet make it through this."
Aragorn nodded into his father's shoulder, taking deep breaths, trying to get his emotions under control. Legolas needed him to be strong, not to be an emotional wreck. "I should go sit with him. He shouldn't be left alone."
"Indeed. When you get tired, call for me or your brothers and we will watch over him. You need your sleep too, Estel. Legolas will need you more than any of the rest of us in the coming weeks, and it won't do to have you collapsing from exhaustion."
Aragorn knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, but he nodded anyway. Elrond would probably force some sleeping potion on him before long. For now, he hurried to sit by Legolas' side. He must have been more drained than he'd realized, because before long, he found his head sinking forward to rest on the prince's bed.
He woke when Legolas did. The prince froze when he realized Aragorn was awake, and the man realized he had caught his friend in the act of trying to sneak away. "Legolas?"
Legolas squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. "I just need a few minutes alone, Estel. Please."
His suspicion was instantly aroused, and not without good reason. "Why? What will you do if I leave you?"
Legolas didn't speak, but his eyes answered for him when they flicked to the cupboard where Elrond kept surgical instruments used for cutting through flesh.
"No, mellon nin, I'm not leaving you alone so you can hurt yourself."
"Please." Legolas' eyes brimmed with unwilling tears. "Just a few cuts, Estel. I can't… I need it."
"Not a chance." Fearing the prince would lunge for the cupboard, Aragorn pulled him fully onto bed, holding the prince against his chest.
Legolas struggled feebly, but he was too weak to do much. "You take everything, Estel!" His voice was suddenly filled with anger. "You tell me I may not die, and then take the one thing that gives me some relief! Why are you so intent on my suffering?" The rest of his words were lost as violent sobs overtook his body.
Aragorn held his friend tightly as the elf cried, trying to stop his own tears. "It's ok, mellon nin, I'm here, you're not alone. You'll get through this, I promise."
A slightly hysterical laugh made its way through the tears. "That's hardly reassuring. If you want to make me feel better, tell me that I'm going to die."
Aragorn made no response but to squeeze his friend tighter. He knew this couldn't go on. He'd promised Legolas he would find some other way to make him feel better. Once the elf had drifted again into an exhausted sleep, Aragorn carefully disentangled himself and got out of the bed. He didn't need to go far before he ran into his brothers.
"Elladan, Elohir, watch Legolas for a while, would you? He's asleep, but he may wake up at any moment. I need to talk to Ada."
"Of course." They gave him sympathetic looks. "He will be safe with us."
"I know." He tried to smile, but feared it came out more like a grimace. Knowing where his father would be, Aragorn hurried to Elrond's study.
Elrond seemed to have been expecting him. "Estel, come in. How are you feeling?"
"Fine," he lied. "I need to talk to you about Legolas. He says that only cutting makes him feel any better, but I can't watch him hurt himself. I promised him I'd find another way. There is another way, right? You can mix him up a potion or something?"
Elrond sighed. "I can and will try out a few different potions on him, but these kinds of maladies aren't so easily cured. The best I can recommend is think of things that have always made Legolas happy, and see if any of those can distract him from his misery."
It was hardly the answer he wanted; he just hoped it would be enough. Elrond must have read some of his fears off his face, because he offered a few more words of reassurance. "It might take time to find out what works, but we'll figure out a solution for Legolas eventually. Right now, we just need to support him as best we can until that time comes."
Aragorn took a deep breath. Elrond was right. They were doing everything they could for Legolas. "Thanks, Ada. I'd best get back. Will you be along with those potions?"
Elrond gestured at the papers spread out over his desk. "What do you think I've been doing for the past few days? I'm researching different types of potions tried in these circumstances, trying to figure out which ones might work best on Legolas. I'm also writing to Thranduil, telling him to come to Imladris. Legolas needs his father's support through this, and I think it is better he stay here than go back to Greenwood."
"I agree." As much as Legolas loved his home, it had never been the place of peace and tranquility that Imladris was.
"Ada… is Legolas going to be ok?"
Elrond gave him a sympathetic smile. "I will not stop fighting for him until it is so. You know that the twins feel the same, and I know you would never give up on him." At his father's gentle smile, Aragorn felt a small measure of relief, and he left the study feeling just a little more hopeful than he had before.
