Chapter 10
Dark times
A/N: Hurrah! The Fellowship of the Ring is finally out on video/dvd! Having the movie on-hand will definitely help my inspiration for these stories. Alas it has inspired me to work on this chapter. I appreciate the kind reviews.it really means a lot. Keep 'em coming!
Eglatine, Esmerelda and Bilbo sat in chairs around Frodo's bed, watching the lad sleep. Saradoc had gone off to fetch Dr. Goodbody and had been gone for a good half-hour. Bilbo reached over and took Frodo's hand enclosing it tightly in his own. "Please come back to us, dear boy." He begged.
Bilbo's only reply was a soft moan from the tweenager. Esmerelda looked up from her needlepoint. Her hands shook so badly that she had a difficult time getting a good hold on the needle. "I'll go and check on Merry and Pippin." Bilbo broke the awkward silence that had taken over the room. He couldn't bear to see his little nephew suffering so. The old hobbit made his way into the parlor where he found Merry and Pippin, who were lying down on the couches by the fire.
"Hello boys." Bilbo greeted his tone sad.
Merry looked up. "How is Frodo?" he asked quietly.
Bilbo shook his head. "Still unconscious."
"Unconscious?" asked Pippin.
"It means he hasn't woken up yet." Merry explained.
Bilbo took a seat between them and pulled them close. "He's gonna get well, won't he?" asked Pippin, snuggling against Bilbo's side.
"We are praying. Now.would you two lads like a snack? Cookies perhaps? I have plenty of food in the pantry."
Pippin's gray eyes lit up with delight at the mention of "snacks" and he nodded. Merry rolled his eyes at his younger cousin as he slid off of the couch and preceeded to follow Bilbo into the kitchen. Pippin watched as Bilbo pulled the old cookie jar from the top shelf in the pantry. "What kind of cookies are in there?" asked Merry, his lips curling into a very pleased smile.
"Chocolate chip." Bilbo felt his heart melt. "Frodo's-Frodo's favorite." He blinked and handed the boys two each and poured them a glass of milk. He watched as the two little ones climbed up onto the chairs and ate their treats at the oak table.
Saradoc returned to Bag-End with Dr. Goodbody at his heels an hour later. "I'm sorry it took so long," he apologized panting as he thrust open the door. "It's dreadful walking around here.what with all that snow still left over!"
Bilbo smiled. "No worries, Saradoc. Thank you for coming, Dr. Goodbody."
The doctor nodded politely. "My pleasure. Now.what exactly happened?"
"Well.we attempted to give him an herbal steam bath and not even five minutes into it he fainted."
"Mmm hmm."
Bilbo led the doctor into Frodo's room and both of the women stood up. "I see you were having a little Yule celebration?" Dr. Goodbody asked as he pulled up a chair so that he was sitting directly across from Frodo's pillow. He set his black leather briefcase on the nighttable and opened it.
"Yes.a small family gathering. Frodo seemed well enough to join us. Then again.I should have been more careful."
Dr. Goodbody pulled the comforter down and unbuttoned Frodo's nightshirt so that he could place the metal end of the stethescope on the boys' bare chest. Normally Frodo would have cried out due to the fact that the metal end was usually freezing, but the lad still didn't stir. Dr. Goodbody listened to Frodo's heart and breathing and then shook his head with a frown.
"What is it?" gasped Eglatine, clutching Esmerelda's arm tightly.
"His cold is rapidly moving into his chest. I am afraid that if we do not find a way to treat this quickly it could turn into pneumonia."
Bilbo felt very faint. "Pneumonia."
"I'm not making any assumptions," Dr. Goodbody added as he touched Frodo's brow with his hand. "Your boy is made of sterner stuff than many of the hobbits around here. "I am just giving you the worst that could happen.
Bilbo smiled gently. "I do have a confession to make about his fainting, Doctor. While he was in the tub.a certain pair of mischief- makers came in on us and I'm afraid dear Frodo was rather embarassed."
Dr. Goodbody gave a hearty laugh. "I see, I see. Well! That gives a pleasant side to things, doesn't it?"
All of them heard a creak and turned to see Merry and Pippin standing in the doorway watching with wide eyes. "Meriadoc! Peregrin! What are you doing standing there with your mouths open?" asked Bilbo.
"What are you doing in here to begin with?" asked Eglatine.
"We-we wanted to see Frodo," Merry replied, his lower lip trembling.
"This is not the time, Merry." Esmerelda told her son. "Now both of you go and find something constructive to do."
"Go and bother your father," Eglatine added.
Merry and Pippin quickly scurried away to avoid punishment. Dr. Goodbody shook his head with a small smile.
"Is there anything we can do for Frodo in the meantime?" asked Bilbo.
"Keep administiring the medicine I gave you and make sure he gets plenty of fluids and rest. Try to give him a little bit of chicken broth.he needs some nutrients in his system. The lad is flat as a pancake."
Esmerelda sighed. "An unfortunate Brandybuck trait." She broke in. Frodo's mother, Primula, had been born a Brandybuck so Frodo was almost three-forths Brandybuck.
"He does eat regularly when he's well," said Bilbo. "He just never seems to gain any weight!"
Dr. Goodbody packed up his things. "Well.I'd best be off. With all of you here it will make recovery easier for Frodo. Knowing that he has a caring family will keep his spirits up. Good evening."
Bilbo led Dr. Goodbody to the front door and smiled when he saw Saradoc reading a story to Merry and Pippin and Paladin puffing on a pipe in another chair not far away.
A/N: Hurrah! The Fellowship of the Ring is finally out on video/dvd! Having the movie on-hand will definitely help my inspiration for these stories. Alas it has inspired me to work on this chapter. I appreciate the kind reviews.it really means a lot. Keep 'em coming!
Eglatine, Esmerelda and Bilbo sat in chairs around Frodo's bed, watching the lad sleep. Saradoc had gone off to fetch Dr. Goodbody and had been gone for a good half-hour. Bilbo reached over and took Frodo's hand enclosing it tightly in his own. "Please come back to us, dear boy." He begged.
Bilbo's only reply was a soft moan from the tweenager. Esmerelda looked up from her needlepoint. Her hands shook so badly that she had a difficult time getting a good hold on the needle. "I'll go and check on Merry and Pippin." Bilbo broke the awkward silence that had taken over the room. He couldn't bear to see his little nephew suffering so. The old hobbit made his way into the parlor where he found Merry and Pippin, who were lying down on the couches by the fire.
"Hello boys." Bilbo greeted his tone sad.
Merry looked up. "How is Frodo?" he asked quietly.
Bilbo shook his head. "Still unconscious."
"Unconscious?" asked Pippin.
"It means he hasn't woken up yet." Merry explained.
Bilbo took a seat between them and pulled them close. "He's gonna get well, won't he?" asked Pippin, snuggling against Bilbo's side.
"We are praying. Now.would you two lads like a snack? Cookies perhaps? I have plenty of food in the pantry."
Pippin's gray eyes lit up with delight at the mention of "snacks" and he nodded. Merry rolled his eyes at his younger cousin as he slid off of the couch and preceeded to follow Bilbo into the kitchen. Pippin watched as Bilbo pulled the old cookie jar from the top shelf in the pantry. "What kind of cookies are in there?" asked Merry, his lips curling into a very pleased smile.
"Chocolate chip." Bilbo felt his heart melt. "Frodo's-Frodo's favorite." He blinked and handed the boys two each and poured them a glass of milk. He watched as the two little ones climbed up onto the chairs and ate their treats at the oak table.
Saradoc returned to Bag-End with Dr. Goodbody at his heels an hour later. "I'm sorry it took so long," he apologized panting as he thrust open the door. "It's dreadful walking around here.what with all that snow still left over!"
Bilbo smiled. "No worries, Saradoc. Thank you for coming, Dr. Goodbody."
The doctor nodded politely. "My pleasure. Now.what exactly happened?"
"Well.we attempted to give him an herbal steam bath and not even five minutes into it he fainted."
"Mmm hmm."
Bilbo led the doctor into Frodo's room and both of the women stood up. "I see you were having a little Yule celebration?" Dr. Goodbody asked as he pulled up a chair so that he was sitting directly across from Frodo's pillow. He set his black leather briefcase on the nighttable and opened it.
"Yes.a small family gathering. Frodo seemed well enough to join us. Then again.I should have been more careful."
Dr. Goodbody pulled the comforter down and unbuttoned Frodo's nightshirt so that he could place the metal end of the stethescope on the boys' bare chest. Normally Frodo would have cried out due to the fact that the metal end was usually freezing, but the lad still didn't stir. Dr. Goodbody listened to Frodo's heart and breathing and then shook his head with a frown.
"What is it?" gasped Eglatine, clutching Esmerelda's arm tightly.
"His cold is rapidly moving into his chest. I am afraid that if we do not find a way to treat this quickly it could turn into pneumonia."
Bilbo felt very faint. "Pneumonia."
"I'm not making any assumptions," Dr. Goodbody added as he touched Frodo's brow with his hand. "Your boy is made of sterner stuff than many of the hobbits around here. "I am just giving you the worst that could happen.
Bilbo smiled gently. "I do have a confession to make about his fainting, Doctor. While he was in the tub.a certain pair of mischief- makers came in on us and I'm afraid dear Frodo was rather embarassed."
Dr. Goodbody gave a hearty laugh. "I see, I see. Well! That gives a pleasant side to things, doesn't it?"
All of them heard a creak and turned to see Merry and Pippin standing in the doorway watching with wide eyes. "Meriadoc! Peregrin! What are you doing standing there with your mouths open?" asked Bilbo.
"What are you doing in here to begin with?" asked Eglatine.
"We-we wanted to see Frodo," Merry replied, his lower lip trembling.
"This is not the time, Merry." Esmerelda told her son. "Now both of you go and find something constructive to do."
"Go and bother your father," Eglatine added.
Merry and Pippin quickly scurried away to avoid punishment. Dr. Goodbody shook his head with a small smile.
"Is there anything we can do for Frodo in the meantime?" asked Bilbo.
"Keep administiring the medicine I gave you and make sure he gets plenty of fluids and rest. Try to give him a little bit of chicken broth.he needs some nutrients in his system. The lad is flat as a pancake."
Esmerelda sighed. "An unfortunate Brandybuck trait." She broke in. Frodo's mother, Primula, had been born a Brandybuck so Frodo was almost three-forths Brandybuck.
"He does eat regularly when he's well," said Bilbo. "He just never seems to gain any weight!"
Dr. Goodbody packed up his things. "Well.I'd best be off. With all of you here it will make recovery easier for Frodo. Knowing that he has a caring family will keep his spirits up. Good evening."
Bilbo led Dr. Goodbody to the front door and smiled when he saw Saradoc reading a story to Merry and Pippin and Paladin puffing on a pipe in another chair not far away.