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Chapter 4: Hold Me
The hours stretched by in a slow blur filled with tears and Merry's soft murmurs of comfort to Pippin' still, unconscious form. His skin was still pale and the bright red wounds and dark bruises seemed to stand out even more. His breathing was so shallow, it was barely there. Just by looking at his pale little face, Merry could tell Pippin was in pain. As Merry sat there, holding Pippin's hand, he was suddenly broken out of his thoughts by a very loud clap of thunder. Just a split second after the thunder, torrential rain began to pour down outside. Merry knew the heavy rain would no doubt slow Aragorn's journey to the guard house. He had had experience with traveling in extreme weather; if the weather was bad enough, a one-day journey could be turned into a three- or four-day journey or, in very extreme cases, a week-long journey.
Merry was suddenly broken out of his thoughts of the weather when he heard a weak moan. His eyes darted to Pippin and he saw the small Hobbit stirring slightly.
"Pip?" Merry asked softly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.
Pippin's face scrunched up a bit and he moaned. Slowly his eyes peeped open and they were filled with pain and fear.
"Hey." Merry said softly, smiling to reassure Pip.
"Merry?" Pippin asked in a small, scared voice.
"Yes, Pip, it's me. I'm here now." Merry said, "It's okay; the Orcs are gone."
"Merry." Pippin said, this time in a pleading voice as if he were begging for comfort in one single word.
"How do you feel?" Merry asked.
"It hurts." Pippin whimpered, "H-help me, please."
"I know it hurts, Pip. But everything's going to be okay. Aragorn is on his way. He'll fix you right up." Merry reassured him, "Can I do anything for you?"
Pippin weakly nodded. He opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't seem to muster the strength to form words.
"What is it, Pip?" Merry asked leaning closer to hear anything Pippin tried to say.
"W-water." Pippin managed to say.
"Water. You're thirsty?" Merry said, making sure he heard right.
Pippin nodded. Merry nodded in return and stood from his chair. He walked into the living area and retrieved a wooden cup from the other cabinet below the table. He dipped it in the water barrel, filling it. He returned to the bunk room and sat down beside Pippin, lifting his head slightly.
"Here. Little sips, Pippin." Merry said, coaxing the water past Pippin's bruised lips.
When the cool water hit Pippin's throat he coughed a little, but allowed the soothing liquid to slide down his parched throat. When Pippin had quenched his thirst, he turned his head away slightly, a few drops of water spilling down his cheek. Merry set the cup aside and wiped the water away.
"There. Is that better?" Merry asked.
Pippin nodded. Merry could tell by the look in Pippin's eyes that he was saying 'thank you'.
"Is there anything else I can do?" Merry asked, "Are you hungry?"
Pippin shook his head, "Just stay here with me."
"Of course." Merry nodded, giving Pippin a reassuring look.
"W-will you lie down with me?" Pippin asked.
"Sure." Merry said.
He stood and very carefully moved Pippin over so he had enough room. He moved the blanket aside and lay down beside Pippin, pulling the blanket back over them both. He gently wrapped his arms around Pippin and held him in his warm embrace. They lay there, the only sounds were the heavy rain outside and Pippin's occasional whimper or moan of pain. Merry found the sound of the rain to be hypnotic and he soon found himself drifting off into a dreamless sleep, Pippin still held in his arms.
Merry didn't know how long he'd lain there; it must've been several hours because he awoke to the sound of his falcon fluttering wildly around the room and tweeting frantically. It was still raining heavily outside and a loud clap of thunder brought him to full wakefulness. He looked over and saw Pippin either asleep or unconscious; he hoped it was the first one. Moving slowly so as not to wake him, Merry climbed out of bed and motioned for the falcon to land on his shoulder. The little bird obeyed and shook its feathers dry. Merry sat down on the edge of the other bunk and took the small bundle from the falcon's leg. The bundle consisted of a small brown leather, drawstring bag and a folded piece of parchment. He unfolded the parchment and began to read.
Merry,
Do not worry; I am on my way. I will be there as soon as I possibly can. If you are with Pippin, there is no reason to worry. I know he is in the best of care with you. Use this bag of Athelas on his wounds and make a tea from it just like I taught you. The tea should help with any internal injuries he may have. Just try not to panic; you have a good head on your shoulders and you're smarter than you give yourself credit for. I know you'll do everything in your power to care for Pippin.
Aragorn
Re-folding the parchment, Merry set it aside and opened the small pouch. Inside was a nice amount of Athelas; it should be plenty for Pip's wounds. He stood and entered the living space, letting his falcon perch on the back of one of the chairs. He retrieved a mortar and pestle from the medical supply cabinet and set it on the table next to the bag of Athelas. He filled a small wooden cup with water and opened the bag. He took a small handful of the fresh-smelling Athelas and placed it in the mortar. He used the pestle to grind it into small pieces, adding a little water every now and then to make a thick paste.
Once that was done, he got a fresh roll of bandages, some clean rags, and re-filled the wooden cup. He took everything into the bunk room and set them neatly on the table. He loathed to wake Pippin from his peaceful slumber, but he had to change his bandages and apply the Athelas paste. He sat down in his chair and gently shook him.
"Pip. Pippin, it's time to wake up." he said softly.
Pippin reluctantly opened his eyes, whincing in pain. He gave Merry a questioning look as to why he woke him.
"I have to change you're bandages, okay, Pip?" Merry said.
Pippin nodded. Merry carefully cut the bandages and slowly unwound them from Pippin's torso. Pippin whimpered in pain as the bandages were removed from his wound; they had become stuck to it a little and it hurt for them to be pulled away. Merry folded them and lay them on the floor. He carefully looked over the stab wound and saw that it had bleeding a bit and the skin around it looked a bit discolored; it was probably just bruising. He took a rag and soaked it, squeezing out the excess water. He gently wiped away the excess blood, making sure the wound was as clean as possible. He then took the bowl of Athelas and got a little on his fingers.
"This may sting a bit." Merry said.
He carefully applied the green paste. Pippin cried out and gripped the blanket beneath him when the paste came into contact with his wound.
"Sorry about this, Pip." Merry said sympathetically.
Pippin whimpered as Merry gently spread the Athelas around the wound, applying it thoroughly. Once that was done, he took the roll of bandages and wound them around Pippin's abdomen again, providing a thick layer so the Athelas wouldn't seep through.
"There now, isn't that better?" Merry said, securing the bandages at Pippin's side.
Pippin nodded slightly and Merry gave him a reassuring smile. Merry took the soiled bandages and entered the living area and disposed of them in the waste basket in the corner beside the table. He walked back to the bunk room and gathered the other supplies and took them back to the living area, putting them away. He then took a small cauldron and its stand out of the cabinet and set them on the table. He then took some more Athelas out of the bag and placed it in the cauldron and poured some water in with it. He got a few other herbs out of the cabinet and crumbled them up in the cauldron. Stirring all of it together, he lit a small fire under it in the specially-made stand. Satisfied that it was prepared right, Merry stepped back into the bunk room. He saw Pippin whimpering and trembling, gripping onto his blanket.
"Pip, what's wrong?" Merry asked, rushing over.
"Th-thunder." Pippin said.
Ever since Merry could remember, Pippin had always been scared of thunder. He couldn't count the number of times when they were little, Pippin would come running into his room during a thunderstorm and jump into bed with him, staying there all night. And for him to be comforted, Merry had to hold him and stroke his hair.
"Would you like me to lay down with you?" Merry asked.
"Yes, please." Pippin said.
Merry nodded and carefully moved Pippin over again and lay down next to him, bringing the covers up over them. Pippin snuggled up to Merry and lay his head on his chest. Merry gently enveloped him in his arms.
"There. Is that better?" Merry asked.
Pippin nodded, "It doesn't seem to hurt as much when you hold me."
"Well then, in that case, I'll hold you forever." Merry said.
Pippin smiled slightly and let his eyes drift closed. Once again, Merry felt himself lulled by the sound of the rain pounding outside and he drifted off into sleep along with Pippin. The hours slowly stretched by in a hypnotic blur. Merry could still hear the rain, but it sounded very distant, as if in a dream. He let the exhaustion of the day's events overtake him and he was content to feel Pippin's warmth beside him. Sometime in the early hours of the morning, Merry slowly came back to the world of wakefulness. Slowly opening his eyes, he felt something rather hot next to him. Then, he suddenly realized: it was Pippin! His eyes shot open and he leaned up on his elbow to look at Pip.
He was even paler than before, if that was possible. His lips were tinged with blue and they were parted slightly, Pippin struggling to breathe. Merry lay a hand to Pippin's forehead and was surprised to feel a very high fever burning beneath his hand. This definitely was not good. Merry jumped up and rushed into the living area. He got a clean rag and a wooden bowl from the cabinet and filled the bowl with water from the barrel. Taking it back to the bunk room, he sat down and set the bowl on the table. He moved Pippin's blanket down to his waist and soaked the rag in the water. He lightly wiped the cool, wet rag across Pippin's forehead and neck, trying to cool him down. He also wiped it across Pip's chest and shoulders. Feeling the coolness of the rag, Pippin awakened, weak and in terrible pain. Pippin's eyes were filled with pain and they seemed to cry out for help.
"Hey, Pip." Merry said softly, "How do you feel?"
"M-Merry......I think I'm going to be sick." Pippin moaned.
Acting quickly, Merry ran into the living area and got another wooden bowl. He reached Pippin just in time. Pippin leaned over the edge of the bed and threw up violently into the bowl. He coughed and gasped, pain shooting through his chest as his six broken ribs shifted. Merry gently brushed Pippin's curls away from his face, whispering gentle comforts to him. Suddenly, Pippin threw up again, coughing and choking. Merry gently rubbed his hot back to the try and relax him.
"It's okay, Pip. Just let it all out. That's good." Merry gently comforted.
Pippin moaned and collapsed, gasping, what little energy had was spent. Merry set the bowl on the floor and helped Pippin turn back over onto his back and brought the blanket back over him.
"I'll be right back." Merry said.
He picked up the bowl and took it out onto the balcony, pouring the contents over the edge. He stepped back into the living area and quickly washed the bowl out, setting it aside to dry. He then knelt in front of the table and got the roll of bandages and some rags. He took them and the rest of the Athelas paste into the bunk room and set them on the table.
"I need to check your wound, Pip." Merry said, moving the blanket down.
Pippin was too weak to say anything, so he just nodded weakly. Merry removed the bandages, Pippin whimpering as the bandages stuck to the wound again. Merry set the bandages aside and was shocked to see the condition of the wound. The wound was black and there were black veins of poison running from it. Merry's worst fear had just been confirmed: the blade that stabbed Pippin had been poisoned. Merry felt that 'sinking feeling' in the pit of his stomach and fear grew inside him. He reached over and soaked a rag in the cool water and gently wiped away the excess Athelas paste from the wound. Pippin moaned in pain. Merry took some more Athelas paste and spread it generously around the wound. Since the wounds on Pippin's back weren't as serious as the stab wound, Merry saved the Athelas for the stab wound only. Merry carefully re-bandaged the wound and brought the blankets back over Pippin, allowing him to settle back against his pillow to get some rest.
Merry stood and gathered all of the supplies and took them back to the living area, disposing of the soiled bandages. He put away the rest and decided to take a look at the Athelas mixture brewing in the cauldron. He peeked inside the cauldron and stirred the mixture, observing it carefully. He thought it was done, so he blew out the fire beneath it and used a ladle to fill a small cup with some of the mixture. The brew took fourteen hours to complete, so he made sure he made plenty of it. He walked back into the bunk room and sat down next to Pippin, who was almost asleep all ready.
"Pip, I'm sorry to keep bothering you, but you need to drink some of this; it will help you get better." Merry said softly.
Pippin nodded and opened his eyes. Merry slipped his hand underneath Pippin's neck and lifted his head gently. Placing the rim of the cup to Pippin's lips, he tipped the cup slightly, allowing Pippin enough time to swallow. Surprisingly, the mixture tasted rather sweet and had a smooth consistency, and the smell filled his lungs, allowing him to breathe a bit easier. Inhaling the fresh, semi-sweet aroma of the mixture, Pippin's mind cleared and his body relaxed and he felt a little sleepy. Once Pippin had drunk about half the mixture, Merry removed the cup and gently lay Pippin's head back on the pillow.
"Now you can rest." Merry said.
Weak and weary from pain, Pippin nodded slightly and shifted to get comfortable. Less than a few minutes later, he found himself claimed by sleep. As he drifted off, Merry watched him, not daring to tear his eyes away from Pippin's innocent face for even a second. The only sound that filled the room was Pippin's strained breathing and the still-pounding rain outside. Every now and then, a clap of thunder would rack the air. The seconds slowly turned into minutes, and the minutes into hours that stretched on for what seemed like forever to Merry. Each second that passed by, he wished more and more that he could take Pippin's place, bear the pain for him, so he wouldn't have to endure this terrible suffering. Every now and then, Pippin's face would twitch or he would moan softly in pain as the poison coursed through his tiny form. Merry didn't know what kind of poison it was and he had no idea what kind of damage it could inflict upon Pippin's body. For all he knew, Pippin could be slowly bleeding out inside and he couldn't do a thing about it. He felt so helpless, so scared, but he knew he had to stay strong for Pippin. He wouldn't let this poison overcome him. He was going to save him if it was the last thing he ever did.
A/N: Well, there it is. Hope you like it. PLEASE R&R! Hope it didn't sound repetitive with Merry walking back and forth, changing Pippin's bandages, and gathering the supplies and everything. :)