Disclaimer: The Hobbit belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson and Company.
My Sister's Keeper
Chapter 7
"Mother?" Fili asked as he shuffled into the kitchen rubbing his eyes sleepily.
"She's in bed resting," Thorin told the little boy as he waited for the water to heat for his sister's tea. He turned in time to see Fili frown.
"Is she sick?" the child whimpered. "Mother never rests in bed. She is always up making breakfast."
Thorin knelt and Fili ran into his uncle's secure embrace. The dwarf king nuzzled the child's blonde hair for a moment before answering. "She's just very tired today, Fili. You can help me make her some toast and then we'll go fetch Mr. Oin. He may be able to help her feel better." He could feel his nephew nod his assent against him.
"Okay," the child sighed, his fingers gripping Thorin's tunic tightly. He wrapped an arm around Thorin's neck as his uncle stood, lifting him onto his hip as he moved to check the water.
Soon the tea was ready and so was the toast. Thorin allowed Fili to spread on a healthy layer of butter and jam before he placed it on a plate. Then he handed the boy the plate to carry while he lifted the tea himself. When they entered the bedroom, Dis was still curled beneath the blankets.
"Mother?" Fili murmured into the room's quiet. "We brought you breakfast."
Dis stirred and shifted into a sitting position with a yawn. "How wonderful," she smiled at her small son.
Thorin placed the cup of tea on the bedside table and arranged her pillows behind her so that she would be more comfortable. Then he lifted Fili up onto the bed and the boy handed his mother the plate containing the toast. "I helped Uncle, Mother," he announced proudly.
"That's my good boy," Dis praised, smiling despite the dark circles beneath her eyes and the paleness of her skin.
Fili studied his mother carefully as she sipped her tea and took a bite of her toast. "Are you sick, Mother?" he finally asked. "Uncle said you were tired, but you're never tired." His brow furrowed with worry and his blue eyes were haunted.
"I am very tired today, Fili," Dis admitted to her son. "Maybe I've been working too hard. I'm sure Mr. Oin will be able to give me something that will help me get my energy back." The worry in her son's eyes made her feel guilty that she couldn't hide her exhaustion any longer. Fili didn't need any more worries. He'd already lost his father and his sense of security. Dis refused to let him lose her, too.
"Come, lad," Thorin told the boy softly from his position in the chair by the window. "You and I will get our cloaks and go fetch Mr. Oin while your mother finishes her toast."
Fili nodded and rose on his knees to kiss Dis on the cheek before allowing Thorin to lift him off of the bed. They shrugged into their cloaks and then Thorin took Fili's hand and led him down the street toward the healer's house.
Fili was quiet as his little mind was busy with whirling thoughts. What if Mother was sick instead of tired? What if she was never able to get out of bed? What if she went away like Da? Who would take care of him? Where would he live? What would he do without Mother? He would miss her so. A tear rolled down his cheek followed quickly by another and then another. Then he sniffled.
At the sound, Thorin glanced down at the little boy by his side and was surprised to find him crying. "What is it, Fili?" he asked, stopping to kneel before his nephew.
"I don't want Mother to go away like Da did," the child wailed.
Thorin scooped the four-year-old into his arms and held him close as he continued his journey to Oin's home. "Fili, I will do all in my power to see that your mother stays here with you," he vowed.
"But what if she dies?" Fili asked shakily. "What will happen to me?"
Thorin thumbed a tear off of the boy's cheek. "Then you will live with me, and I will take care of you."
"Promise?" Fili murmured, his fingers tangling in Thorin's hair.
"I promise," the dwarf king answered solemnly, hoping that his sister would live to see her son grown and with children of his own.
Oin was outside puttering in his herb garden when Thorin and Fili arrived. "Hello, Oin!" Thorin called as he and Fili took the stone path to the garden.
"Ah, Thorin and young Fili, what brings you here today? How are you feeling?" His practiced eye examined his king with concern.
"Much better, Oin," Thorin assured him, "but my sister is feeling a bit tired and rundown. I was hoping you could come take a look at her." Fili pressed against his leg, and Thorin placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder.
The healer nodded. "Yes, yes, I'd be happy to. Could be from grief, you know. It does powerful things to a body."
"Aye, that it does," Thorin agreed.
"Let me get my things, and I'll walk back with you," Oin told the dwarf king. He disappeared into the house and soon came out again with his bag in one hand and ear trumpet in the other. "I'm ready. Let's hope this is nothing a simple herbal tea can't cure."
Thorin took Fili's hand and together they set off for home. Oin prattled on about his herb garden and his brother Gloin's new wife, but Thorin remained silent, worry making him feel sick to his stomach. Fili's fingers clutched his hand tightly and the boy's fear was palpable.
When they arrived at their home, they found that Dis had finished her toast and was drinking the remains of her tea. "Hello, Lady Dis," Oin smiled. "Thorin tells me you aren't feeling your best these days."
She shot a glance toward her brother and then at Fili. Thorin took the hint.
"Fili, lad, come help me wash up your mother's dishes while she talks with Oin." He gathered the plate and the cup from the bedside table, handing the plate to Fili. The boy followed his uncle out of the room leaving Dis with the healer.
When they were gone, Oin closed the door. "What is it, Dis? What's troubling you?" Oin asked as he positioned his ear trumpet so that he could hear his patient.
She sighed. "I've been so tired lately," Dis admitted. "It's not a regular tired feeling from a hard day's work. I'm so tired that I almost feel sick, and I have been sick to my stomach a few times," she admitted. "I thought that perhaps it was my grief over Ehren and that it would pass, but instead it seems to be getting worse. Thorin is able to care for himself now, so it's not that either." She stopped and looked at Oin with fear written all over her face. "I can't leave Fili, Oin. Please, you must help me."
Oin patted her shoulder gently. "We'll figure this out. Now, I need to conduct an exam. It won't take long, but it will help me determine what's wrong. I'll also need to ask you some questions."
Fili helped his uncle wash and dry the few dishes after they shared some toast together. Neither of them felt much like eating, but it gave them something to do to pass the time. Now Fili swept the floor while Thorin wiped down the table.
"It's taking Mr. Oin a long time, Uncle," Fili told Thorin as he propped the broom back in the corner. "Do you suppose something awful is wrong with Mother?"
Thorin hung the rag up to dry. "Well, he needs to examine your mother and I'm sure he wants to ask her some questions." The dwarf king was getting a bit anxious himself, however. "Come, Fili, let's wash up some of the berries your mother picked yesterday. Perhaps we can have them for dessert after lunch."
The boy nodded and helped Thorin sort through the berries and pick out any that weren't fit to eat before they washed them. Hopefully, Mr. Oin would open the bedroom door soon and tell them what was wrong with his mother.
Dis settled back against her pillows thankful that her exam was over. "What is it, Oin? What's wrong with me? Am I truly ill?" Her palms felt sweaty with nerves and she clasped them tightly in her lap beneath the blankets.
"Well, I think I know why you've been feeling this way," Oin admitted as he rifled through the contents of his bag looking for something.
Dis shifted impatiently. "What's wrong with me? Why am I so tired?" Her mouth felt as dry as cotton and her stomach suddenly churned. She wished she hadn't eaten the toast.
"Nothing at all is wrong with you, Dis. You're pregnant." Oin's eyes sparkled with glee.
"I'm pregnant," she echoed, her mouth falling open. "Oin, are you sure?" It was too good to be true. One last little piece of Ehren to keep with her, one last way to remember her husband.
"Yes, I'm sure," he grinned. "Congratulations."
Dis' hand drifted down to cover her abdomen where her baby was growing inside of her. She couldn't believe it. She was going to have another child. Joy filled her and then her cheeks warmed as she remembered the last night she had lain with Ehren, the night before he left with Thorin to face the orcs. It had been such a sweet and special night for both of them, and now she knew that she had conceived a child.
"Thank you, Oin," she managed as she gave him a watery smile.
The healer nodded and handed her a packet. "This should help with the nausea. Just brew it in a tea. The tiredness should improve in time." He snapped his bag closed. "I'm going to call for Thorin now. I'm surprised he hasn't busted the door down."
Dis wiped away a few stray tears; she suddenly found herself missing her husband. "He will be relieved that I'm not ill," she said with a small smile, anticipating her brother's excitement at the news of another child in their family. "Please call him, Oin."
The healer hurried to the door and tugged it open. "Thorin, Dis is ready to see you now," he called down the hallway.
To Be Continued…
Author's Note: I just posted a short one shot at the end of "At First Sight," and now I have an idea in mind for a Fili/Sigrid fic if there's interest. "My Sister's Keeper" still has several chapters to go. Thanks so much for reading!
