The Journey Alone: Chapter 9

May 15, 3002 (T.A.) 1402 (S.R.)

Frodo's POV

"Pearl!" I screamed, suddenly very afraid for Pearl and the baby.

"Help!" Pearl pleaded desperately to me, before she turned as white as a sheet, her eyes rolling back in her head as she fainted. She fell to the floor before I could catch her. I stared at her, at a loss for what to do. I knelt beside her finally and took her hand in mine. Gandalf knelt on the other side of her and held her face in his hands, seeming to search her soul with the look he had on his face. He had a pained and concerned expression at first, but then he yelped and looked towards Pearl's legs.

I saw where he was looking and immediately saw red blood darken Pearl's skirts. I could feel the blood drain for my face as I realized what that probably meant. The next thing I knew, I, too was sprawled out on the floor, knocked out cold from the shock of watching as my wife and child suffered. I was only out for a few seconds before Gandalf was shaking me awake.

"Frodo! Run and fetch the midwife and the doctor!" he said when he saw I was conscious again. I glanced at Pearl, who was deathly white, her chest hardly moving to allow her to breathe.

"What about Pearl?" I asked, frantic.

"I will stay with her and care for her as much as I can. I daresay I am better able to care for her than you at this point. You're in too much of a shock," he said. I nodded before I dashed out the door.

It was already quite late at that point, and I nearly tripped on the front steps in the darkness that surrounded me. The dew was beginning to fall, and it was mostly silent except for a few nightly noises. I was sobbing as I ran; fearing that Pearl or the baby would die while I was gone.

Eventually, I reached the midwife's door. She was a kindly old Proudfoot, and had served Hobbiton's mothers and infants for decades, so the late hour would not be anything new to her. I knocked on the door frantically, and a moment later she came to the door.

"Is it Pearl?" she asked, seeing who it was with dripping candle in her hand.

"Yes. She was holding her stomach and then she turned white and fainted. Then she started bleeding," I explained quickly.

"And you left her alone on the floor?" she said, shocked.

"No! Gandalf is with her," I said. "I need to go fetch the doctor."

"Yes, you do that. I think we'll need him as well," she said. I didn't stop to talk anymore; I ran straight to the Grubbs. He was not unused to hobbits knocking on his door at all hours, and was quite concerned for Pearl.

"Only her seventh month isn't it?' he asked. I nodded, this realization hitting me as well. Healer Grubb's frown deepened as he went inside to gather his things. I didn't wait for him to come; I ran back to Bag End as fast as my legs would carry me. I met the midwife at Bag End just as she was climbing the steps to go in. Both of us hurried into the kitchen to find that Pearl was gone. A red bloodstain remained on the floor where Pearl had lain. The midwife's eyes widened in shock and then narrowed in concern. She turned to look for Pearl in our bedroom.

As soon as I saw the blood stain on the floor, I realized that Pearl had bled even more after I had left. In fact, there was a thin trail of blood all the way to our bedroom. I stared at the floor, in a sort of fascination, following the trail into the bedroom. Inside, Pearl was on the bed, awake again and holding her abdomen. Gandalf held one of her hands as she cried in agony. The midwife was trying to get Pearl cleaned up, and bloody cloths spilled onto the floor. I rushed to Pearl and seized her hand like my life depended on it.

Pearl felt my hand and turned to me. Her face was clenched in pain and tears spilled from her eyes. Her eyes communicated to me the fear and pain she felt without words. Her grip on my hand tightened as Pearl let out an agonized scream. Her already fast breathing quickened yet again, and I felt her pulse jump as well.

"Gandalf! More towels!" the midwife demanded. I turned to look at her and saw a spray of blood hit her and splatter all over her clothes. My eyes widened, and I almost fainted again. Just then, the doctor finally walked in and ordered Gandalf and I out of the room. Gandalf grimaced and quickly handed the towels from the table for the midwife. I kissed Pearl on her hand and went out with Gandalf. Just as we left the room, I heard the midwife say: "She's started labor." Immediately, the world went black and I knew no more.

o0o

When I woke, I was on the couch in the living room, and Sam was sitting near me. I started to sit up, but Sam pushed me back down.

"Begging your pardon, sir, but I don't think you should be sitting up just yet. You're still white as a sheet," Sam said. I did feel a little dizzy, so I did as Sam said and stayed flat on my back.

"When did you get here?" I asked.

"Oh, not too long ago. Gandalf came and fetched me and told me to look after you. He said he'd be back as soon as possible 'cuz he's gone down to Tookland to bring back Pearl's family.

"It's that bad?" I asked in a small voice.

"Mr. Frodo! Are you alright? You've gone even paler!" Sam said, standing up. Just then, an ominous scream that was obviously Pearl's rang out across the entire hole. I put my head over the side of the couch and threw up.

o0o

Pearl's POV

"She's started labor!" I heard the midwife say, as if from a great distance. I knew she was simply at the end of my bed, but in the amount of pain I was in; every sound was twisted and distorted. I was not aware of much else besides the pain. I knew when the doctor came in and when Frodo left and heard a sharp intake of breath from the midwife. The pain was growing steadily, and I tried not to cry out for Frodo's sake.

Seemingly hours later, the pain had grown to a monstrous amount and was unbearable. I screamed until my lungs were on fire. Then I felt something leave me. The midwife gasped. The pain diminished slightly, and I looked down to the end of my bed. In the midwife's arms was a perfect baby, if slightly small covered in blood. The baby was completely silent. I knew that this could not be good; I knew babies were supposed to scream and cry when they were born.

"Is something wrong with his lungs?" I asked, noticing that it was a boy.

"No. Pearl, I'm afraid that he's dead. He was already dead in the womb," the midwife said gently. Her wrinkled face looked down sadly at the dead baby in her arms. She wiped off the remaining blood and handed him to me. "No harm in holding him though," she said, her eyes starting to fill with tears. I started crying as well, holding the dead baby gently. The cries turned to sobs, and the doctor left the room and returned with a pale Frodo leaning on Sam's arm.

He saw the seemingly perfect baby in my arms, and un-looked for hope sprang onto his features. Moving closer, he saw that the baby wasn't moving or making any noise, and looked confusedly at me.

"What…?" he started to ask.

"He's dead," I said, my sobs turning into gulps for air. I could barely breathe I was crying so much. Frodo looked grave, and kissed the baby on its cheek and me on my forehead. He held the baby's head and looked into his face. Frodo's blue eyes filled with tears. I looked down at the baby's face and saw what had made Frodo cry.

The baby had bright blue eyes.

"I think we should name him Vanima-hin," Frodo said, softly, not looking up from the child's face.

"What does that mean?" I asked, calming down slightly and recognizing the Elvish words but not their meaning.

"Beautiful Child," Frodo said.

"It's a beautiful name," I said. Frodo nodded.

"May I hold him?" Frodo asked. I didn't answer, I just held the baby out to him. Frodo took the baby and stood up, gazing into his child's blue eyes. I could not help but start crying again, watching the sadness on Frodo's face as he held his dead child. I noticed that all in the room were crying, not even trying to hide their tears.

o0o

Frodo's POV

Pearl's family arrived in the early hours of the morning with Gandalf. Much crying ensued upon the announcement that the baby was dead. We held a small funeral for Vanima-hin the next day. He was buried next to my parents in the Hobbiton cemetery. Pearl and I sobbed our hearts out as the smallest coffin I have ever seen was lowered into the ground.

Amazingly, Pearl was fully recovered after a day of rest. I was grateful that I didn't have to lose both my child and my wife. Pearl was extremely sad over the death of Vanima-hin. She never forgot the death of her first born.

o0o

Two days after the funeral of Vanima-hin, and Pearl's family had left, Gandalf brought Pearl and I into my study and shut the door. He finished explaining the Ring and its history to us.

"So, Gandalf, did touching the ring cause Vanima-hin's death?" I asked, understanding.

"I strongly suspect so, Frodo. You saw Pearl's reaction. That is why it worried me when I came and saw that Pearl was with child. The Ring is so evil: Vanima-hin did not stand a chance against its vileness," Gandalf said. I sighed. Pearl looked stiricken.

"Cusre my Took curiousness," Pearl said. Gandalf looked sympathetically at Pearl. After a pause, Gandalf proceeded to tell me about the Rig wraiths.

"But I cannot stay here!" I exclaimed.

"No, you cannot," he said.

"Alright, we'll hide the Ring," I said, looking for possible hiding places around the study.

"No Frodo. The Ring wraiths would find it and kill you and your wife," he said.

"Then you take it!" I said, frustrated and scared.

"No! Through me, the Ring would wield a power too great and terrible. I would wish to use it for good, but It would corrupt me!" Gandalf said.

"What must I do?" I asked, resigned.

"You and Pearl must leave the Shire. Meet me in Bree, and we will go to Rivendell and seek Elrond's counsel. I must go speak to Saruman, who is one of my Order," Gandalf said. I looked at Pearl, a question in my eyes.

"Frodo, we have to do this," Pearl said, resigned but determined. Pearl and I started packing food and clothes immediately.

"Go to the Prancing Pony in Bree. Barliman Butterbur is a friend of mine; he will take care of you," Gandalf said, handing a folded shirt to me. I grabbed it, and unwittingly unfolded it. I balled it up and stuffed it in my sack. Pearl threw on her cloak and handed me mine. I picked up my walking stick and stood ready to go. We had packed for a journey that we didn't know how long it would take in less than twenty minutes. Gandalf looked down at us and smiled.

"Frodo and Pearl Baggins: hobbits truly are amazing creatures. You can learn all that you need to about them in less than a month and after a hundred years they can still surprise you at a pinch." Pearl and I smiled at the compliment, but then we heard something from outside. "Get down!" Gandalf hissed at us. Both of us dropped to the floor and Gandalf approached the window. He jabbed his staff out the window at something. Then he reached down and picked up none other than Samwise Gamgee!

o0o

TBC

Wow, I almost cried writing the baby's death. It had to be done, though. I have been planning that since I thought of this story. Stupid Ring! Please don't kill me though: at least Pearl isn't dead. (yet!)