Chapter 3
Yule Eve
"Frodo! Time to get up, dear lad, or you're going to miss breakfast!"
Frodo moaned from his position underneath the covers. The door to his bedroom opened and suddenly: "Argh!" Merry leapt onto his bed. "Merry!" Frodo sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "There you are, Frodo! We were getting' worried 'bout you." Frodo rubbed his nose and swung his feet over the side of the bed. In all honesty, Frodo felt miserable. His nose was all clogged up and his throat felt like fire. He sneezed loudly as he opened his closet door to choose an outfit for the day. "Uh oh." Said Merry, immediately going into the little box on Frodo's desk for a fresh handkerchief. Bilbo came into the room and watched as Merry walked over to his nephew with the handkerchief. "Thanks." "Not catching a chill are you?" the old hobbit asked causing both tweenagers to turn. Bilbo felt Frodo's forehead and frowned. "You feel a little warm." Merry looked at Bilbo frantically. "He's not ill, is he?" Frodo sneezed again and Bilbo immediately ordered him to crawl right back into bed. "But Uncle.you need help cooking for the party tomorrow." Frodo protested as he clutched the handkerchief in his hand. Bilbo brushed the curls away from his eyes. "Frodo. We may not even have the party if you are ill tomorrow. It wouldn't be any fun without you." Merry grimaced as his cousin sneezed a third time and obeyed Bilbo's orders to get a wash rag and a bowl of cool water. Bilbo, meanwhile, took a seat beside Frodo on the bed. "I want to have the party so much, Uncle. Even if I just have a cold, can I go?" Bilbo laughed and kissed Frodo on the head. "We'll see." Merry returned to the room with the bowl of water and the rag and handed both items to Bilbo. "Thank you, Merry." Bilbo prepared a cool cloth and placed it over his nephew's forehead. "There you are, dear boy. Just relax." Bilbo kissed Frodo before leading Merry out of the room. When the two hobbits entered the kitchen, Merry sat down at the table and put his chin in his palm. "It's not fair," Merry began. "Frodo is never well during the Yule holiday." Bilbo ruffled Merry's curls. "He always does seem to catch cold around this time, doesn't he?" the old hobbit opened the pantry and grabbed a box of fresh chamomile tealeaves. Once he got those out, he got his old pot and set it on the stove to make a fresh batch of tea for the three of them. "What is that?" Merry asked as the scent of the tea filled his nose. "Chamomile. This may help Frodo's cold." Bilbo poured a cup for Frodo and took it into the lad's bedroom. "Here you are, Frodo. A nice mug of tea." Frodo smiled as his Uncle set it on the bedside table. "How are you feeling?" "All stuffy. And my throat hurts." "Mmm. Well.we'll wait and see how you feel in a few hours. If you get worse then I'll call Dr. Goodbody to make the diagnosis." Bilbo kissed Frodo once more before leaving the room.
"Frodo! Time to get up, dear lad, or you're going to miss breakfast!"
Frodo moaned from his position underneath the covers. The door to his bedroom opened and suddenly: "Argh!" Merry leapt onto his bed. "Merry!" Frodo sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "There you are, Frodo! We were getting' worried 'bout you." Frodo rubbed his nose and swung his feet over the side of the bed. In all honesty, Frodo felt miserable. His nose was all clogged up and his throat felt like fire. He sneezed loudly as he opened his closet door to choose an outfit for the day. "Uh oh." Said Merry, immediately going into the little box on Frodo's desk for a fresh handkerchief. Bilbo came into the room and watched as Merry walked over to his nephew with the handkerchief. "Thanks." "Not catching a chill are you?" the old hobbit asked causing both tweenagers to turn. Bilbo felt Frodo's forehead and frowned. "You feel a little warm." Merry looked at Bilbo frantically. "He's not ill, is he?" Frodo sneezed again and Bilbo immediately ordered him to crawl right back into bed. "But Uncle.you need help cooking for the party tomorrow." Frodo protested as he clutched the handkerchief in his hand. Bilbo brushed the curls away from his eyes. "Frodo. We may not even have the party if you are ill tomorrow. It wouldn't be any fun without you." Merry grimaced as his cousin sneezed a third time and obeyed Bilbo's orders to get a wash rag and a bowl of cool water. Bilbo, meanwhile, took a seat beside Frodo on the bed. "I want to have the party so much, Uncle. Even if I just have a cold, can I go?" Bilbo laughed and kissed Frodo on the head. "We'll see." Merry returned to the room with the bowl of water and the rag and handed both items to Bilbo. "Thank you, Merry." Bilbo prepared a cool cloth and placed it over his nephew's forehead. "There you are, dear boy. Just relax." Bilbo kissed Frodo before leading Merry out of the room. When the two hobbits entered the kitchen, Merry sat down at the table and put his chin in his palm. "It's not fair," Merry began. "Frodo is never well during the Yule holiday." Bilbo ruffled Merry's curls. "He always does seem to catch cold around this time, doesn't he?" the old hobbit opened the pantry and grabbed a box of fresh chamomile tealeaves. Once he got those out, he got his old pot and set it on the stove to make a fresh batch of tea for the three of them. "What is that?" Merry asked as the scent of the tea filled his nose. "Chamomile. This may help Frodo's cold." Bilbo poured a cup for Frodo and took it into the lad's bedroom. "Here you are, Frodo. A nice mug of tea." Frodo smiled as his Uncle set it on the bedside table. "How are you feeling?" "All stuffy. And my throat hurts." "Mmm. Well.we'll wait and see how you feel in a few hours. If you get worse then I'll call Dr. Goodbody to make the diagnosis." Bilbo kissed Frodo once more before leaving the room.