Good Grief! Was that a long enough break guys? I just watched the Battle of the Five Armies again and couldn't wait to get back to writing!
Chapter 25-
Margaret closed the door behind her and began walking down the hall. She could see all of her dreams crumbling around her. He did not need her, didn't even want her near. Tears began to blurr her vision, but as she neared the end of the corridor she stopped. Anger was now beginning to take the place of grief. What had she ever done to him to be so casually thrown aside? She knew that her feelings were not unrequited, had known when Thorin had grabbed her hand as they ran towards the mine. As she felt her cheeks redden at the memory, she turned on her heel and began walking back down the hall and threw open the door.
Thorin stared from his position on the bed. Was he dreaming or had she really come back to him? But no, he had sent her away, dismissed her. This had to be a dream. However, he began to have second thoughts as a very angry Margaret advanced towards him. When she stood about a foot from him, she stopped and glared down.
"Why?" was all she said. "Why turn me away? Did I mean so little to you?" The words stung as much as if she had slapped him. How could she ever doubt her worth to him? Thorin tried to reach for her, but a sudden wave of pain shot through him, causing him to fall back on the bed. To his dismay, a small cry escaped his lips. At that cry, all anger left Margaret's face, to be replaced with concern. She hurried to his side and felt his forehead. Instead of the heat she was expecting, she was dismayed to feel cold. Reaching for his hand, she found that was cold too. Thorin had closed his eyes when she touched him, but opened them again when she began to unwrap the bandage around his hand and arm. Margaret had to bite back gasp at what she saw. Instead of a healing wound, she saw instead the black line of infection spreading up his arm. The cuts she had been forced to make were inflamed and weeping a yellow pus. After quickly unwrapping his hand, she found the same.
Thorin watched her face as she wrinkled her brow in concern. He wanted to ask her what was wrong but he couldn't seem to find the words. Ever since he had awoken from his nightmare he had begun to feel colder and colder. He felt his body begin to shake as another wave of pain washed over him. Margaret, for her part, was stunned. She had only seen these symptoms once before, but that had been in a group of children in a nearby village when she had been apprenticed. The malady had been called stone fever and while it was lethal in children, ravaging their bodies and eventually leaving them as cold as stone, she had never seen a case where an adult had contracted it. She would need Oin's expertise for this, but she couldn't leave Thorin alone. If she could only find his gaurds...
Just when she had come to the decision that she would have to leave, the door opened and Fili came in. He took one look at his uncle and his face grew pale.
"What happened?" he asked Margaret. "When I left last, he was sleeping."
"I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but your uncle has contracted stone fever." Fili grew even paler at this news. He had heard of the dreaded disease and the devasting impact it had on its victims. "I can't leave him alone", Margaret continued, "but I don't know how to treat him. I need Oin." Fili nodded, casting one last glance at his uncle, and ran down the hall as fast as he could. Margaret fortified with the knowledge that help was on its way, turned back to her patient.
I know, shorter than usual but I have a flight coming up soon where I can just write! I just wanted to get this out there and let you all know I haven't forgotten you. :)
Thorinsgirl900