The Son I Never Had
4 – A Turn For The Worst
It was hard to take Frodo and Sam away from the others, especially when they were being stopped from finding their friends, but it had to be done. We watched Legolas and Gimli go off; following the trail of orcs, then took one of the boats and made our way across the River Anduin.
We were now at the edge of the Emyn Muil. (A/N: I think that's how you spell it!) We could see the dark towers of Mordor off in the distance, casting smoke and fire into the sky.
'I'm glad you're with me, both of you.' Frodo said. I put a hand on the hobbit's shoulder, trying to be of some comfort. I can't even begin to think what's going through Frodo's mind as we begin to try and find a way through the Emyn Muil, and towards Mordor. Sam and I have a choice, we can turn back, but Frodo must carry on. He carries the whole future of Middle-earth around his neck.
I can almost sense his fear. He is eating little, and the nightmares are beginning to return. This time, however, they're not about Moria and the loss of Gandalf, but the future – Mordor and Mt. Doom. He seems to be finding everything a great effort, and he tires much more easily than Sam or me.
***
We carried on going through the Emyn Muil for several days. We are still trying to break free of this area, but we seem to keep going around in circles. I'm beginning to worry that Frodo is more than just scared, he is just plain ill.
He is finding walking and climbing up the hills more and more difficult. He seems breathless, and when I've sat with him at night, I've noticed how fast his heart is beating. If this carries on much longer, I will have to ask him if he has and medical problems, but I don't want to scare him. It could be just a case of the air being thinner in the higher parts of this hilly area.
***
We've been going for two more days, and Frodo can hardly walk any more. This isn't just the air – Sam is absolutely fine. 'Do you know what's wrong with you?' I asked him, when he fell to the ground that morning, gasping for breath.
He surprised me by slowly nodding. 'I… have something… wrong… with my… heart…' He panted.
I sat down at his side, concerned. Why hadn't he told me this earlier? 'Do you know what?' I asked.
'A hole… I've had it ever since I was born, but it was never a real problem. It was small, and I had no great need for lots of activity. I was told it would get worse as it got older, but hobbits aren't very technological. Everything medical is natural, we believe, and we can't cure anything.'
'Hole in the heart…' I muttered to myself. I had heard of this disease, and I knew that it couldn't be cured. All this hill climbing was killing Frodo, and I knew I had to do something.
'I'll carry you.' I said out loud. 'We're nearly out of these retched hills, and then the going should be easier.'
Frodo nodded, and allowed me to pick him up. We made slow but steady progress that day. We are, I think, going in the right direction, but I can't go very fast climbing these hills and carrying Frodo.
It was the next day I made the biggest mistake of my life…
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