Sam ran up the path to Bag End and slammed the door behind him, he was
dripping wet from the downpour outside. He removed his cloak and hung it on
the peg. The Hobbit had just returned from sending messages to Buckland and
Tuckborough about Merry's condition and the cancellation of the get
together. He strode down the main hall looking for someone to give him
updates on what had been happening when Frodo stepped out of a room with
baby Elanor asleep in his arms. He put a finger to his lips to keep Sam
quiet and motioned him closer so he could talk to him.
"I'll go put Elanor to bed, then I'll talk to you." He whispered. He disappeared into the room then quickly re-emerged, minus the child. He motioned for Sam to follow him as he walked towards Pippin's room. "He's been asleep ever since you left, I daresay he deserved it too." Sam nodded in acknowledgement as Frodo led him onto Merry's room. They peered in but the form of a sleeping Rosie obscured the bed. "It seems Elanor's taken her toll on Rosie as well." And there she was, her head resting on her chest and a book open on her lap. "I'm afraid Merry's not nearly so peaceful though." Said Frodo as they walked further into the room so that Merry was in view. He was groaning and whimpering in his sleep, trying to toss and turn but failing terribly. Sweat was running down his face, which was horribly pale.
Sam gazed worriedly down on Merry's face and wiped it dry with a spare handkerchief from his wife's hand.
"I'll watch over him while you get some rest of your own Mr. Frodo." Said Sam; Frodo was about to protest until a yawn overcame him. "Perhaps you're right Sam, but don't you hesitate to wake me the moment you need any help!" He said
"No need," said a voice behind them, making the two hobbits jump and turn towards the doorway where Pippin was standing, his hair messy and clothes crumpled from sleeping in them. Noticing this, he smoothed down his clothes while saying, "I'll help Sam watch Merry, you've done plenty enough."
Frodo nodded sleepily and retired to his room to get his own rest. Pippin stepped aside for him to leave and walked forward to check on Merry. He wiped the sweat off Merry's forehead with his hand and was taken aback by the heat of it.
"My dear Merry! You're hotter than ever!" he said with a worried voice. The pitiable sounds from Merry's mouth subsided a little at the sound of his friend's voice and he tried to snuggle into the soothing touch but Pippin pulled away, not wanting to risk making Merry any hotter than he already was. He rolled the covers back down to Merry's waist to try to cool him a little. The bedcovers were drenched with Merry's sweat but they couldn't change them now, there were more pressing matters.
Pippin rushed to get another cool cloth and on his way back into the room he nearly bowled over Sam, who was carrying his wife back to bed. Sam stepped aside and Pippin sat at the chair at Merry's side and began talking to him in a comforting way, something he had become good at ever since he found that it helped Merry calm down on nights such as this.
Sam left Pippin with Merry for a while, went to the master bedroom and placed Rosie carefully on the bed. She sighed beautifully in her sleep and Sam watched her peaceful face. She seemed to be having a dream as her face kept moving but Sam was pleased to see that the expression that crossed her face more often than not was a small, happy smile.
Sam shook his head and returned to see if Merry or Pippin needed anything and said so as he entered the room.
"Merry could do with a bit of water and I wouldn't mind a cup of tea." Answered Pippin. Sam nodded and turned back towards the door of the room, but was stopped, "And some bread and butter if that's alright with you." Sam nodded and continued towards the door but was stopped again, "Oh, and some of those crumpets, with that lovely blackcurrant jam that Rosie makes!" Sam grinned and turned towards Pippin,
"Certainly Mr. Pippin. Is there anything else I can get you?"
"Do you have any fresh strawberries?"
"It's the wrong time of year for strawberries, fresh ones anyhow."
"Then no, I'm fine."
Sam went to the kitchen and prepared the food, he fixed a little something up for himself as well. He was glad to see that Merry's condition hadn't affected Pippin's appetite in any way, nor had it affected his sunny disposition, Sam suspected that had something to do with the cheery outlook on life he knew Pippin to have.
He brought the food in on a tray and set it down on a table, Pippin immediately grabbed a crumpet and ate it greedily, slurping at his tea between gulps. Sam was a little taken aback by Pippin's lack of table manners but decided to ignore it and took a slice of cake he had cut for himself.
"I didn't know you had cake!" said Pippin, noticing what Sam had in his hand.
"If it's a piece of cake you're looking for this is the last one." Sam said.
"Oh it's fine, you have it then." Said Pippin. He didn't want to deprive Sam of any food he wanted. They ate in silence for a while until Pippin finished all his food and only had half a cup of tea left. Sam was still waiting for the tea to cool and had half his cake left.
"Just how hungry were you?" He asked, flabbergasted by his fellow hobbit's ability to eat food so fast it didn't stay in his mouth for more than a second.
"Very, I haven't eaten since we first arrived." Answered Pippin.
"You haven't eaten for three days? You should have said something sooner!"
"I'm quite used to it though, when Merry's going through a bad period he sometimes needs care for days on end and there's no time for food other than a quick biscuit now and then." Said Pippin, quite cheerfully. Sam stared at the younger hobbit; he hadn't realised quite how much Pippin had given up for Merry. It had never occurred to Sam how deep the love between these two hobbits went, nor how similar their relationship was to his and Frodo's.
"Are you eating that cake or are you just going to sit there holding it?" said Pippin, interrupting his thoughts. Sam opened his mouth to reply when Merry coughed. Pippin turned towards him immediately, Merry's eyes were wide with fear and his eyebrows were knotted in confusion. His eyes swivelled wildly around the room and he cried out. He tried to sit up but Pippin held him down with the help of Sam, both were trying to be as gentle as possible. Pippin tried calming Merry down with the sound of his voice but it wasn't working.
"Pippin!" He said looking strait at Pippin, "It's all too big! Tell them to go away!" Neither Pippin nor Sam had the slightest idea what Merry was talking about but Pippin tried to console him anyway.
"Everything's the right size Merry!"
"And there's no one else here 'cept from us." Joined Sam. Merry looked from one to the other in utmost confusion. The fear had disappeared from his eyes but tears were now replacing it. Pippin was the first to notice this and he pulled Merry up into a sitting position and held him tight. Merry put his arms around Pippin; all of his previous energy had vanished along with his fear. He broke down into tears and through his sobs Sam could hear him talk.
"I heard them bargaining! They wanted something bigger but it was already too big!"
"Who was bargaining?" Asked Sam, "What was too big?"
"Everything was! And they were trying to make it bigger!" Answered Merry, though it wasn't much of an answer. Pippin rubbed Merry's back, he was used to Merry being like this.
"It was only a dream Merry! All right? Just a dream." Pippin looked at Merry, who nodded, so Pippin lay him back down. "Have a drink of water while you're awake." He said as Sam passed him the glass from the table. Merry nodded once again and Pippin helped him to sip some down. Shortly, Merry stopped drinking, Pippin looked at the amount still in the glass.
"You should really drink some more." He said offering the drink once more, but Merry shook his head this time.
"I won't hold it down if I have any more." Merry said quietly and he managed a small smile before he was cut short by a yawn. In no time at all he was asleep again, it looked like a better sleep this time, more restful.
"What was that all about?" questioned Sam "I don't think I've seen Mr. Merry so scared ever since I met him! And I'm sure I don't know what he was talking about."
"No, I don't either. I do know that it's the fever that makes him like this though. I don't dare leave him when it's just us two in the house, not after I saw what he did when I did leave him the first time."
"What did he do?"
"He got up and tried to find me, but he found his way outside instead. I don't know why he'd think I was outside but that was where he went. It was a horrible night, not unlike tonight, but it was hailstones, not rain. Luckily I wasn't gone for long and found the front door open; I got him back inside and warmed him up quick as I could. And speaking of warmth, the fire's dying down. I've already used up all the wood from this room and my own." Said Pippin, being strangely practical. Sam saw that Pippin was right about the wood and rushed out to get some from the dining room, he'd fill up all the baskets with wood from the woodshed in the morning.
He piled up the fire at bit more, but not so much that it would get too hot, the last thing Merry needed was to get too hot.
Merry slept soundly after that, unfortunately the same couldn't be said for Elanor. She woke up five times during the night and into the early morning and another four times after Rosie had woken up and sternly sent Sam to bed, though he'd protested to the very end.
"I'll go put Elanor to bed, then I'll talk to you." He whispered. He disappeared into the room then quickly re-emerged, minus the child. He motioned for Sam to follow him as he walked towards Pippin's room. "He's been asleep ever since you left, I daresay he deserved it too." Sam nodded in acknowledgement as Frodo led him onto Merry's room. They peered in but the form of a sleeping Rosie obscured the bed. "It seems Elanor's taken her toll on Rosie as well." And there she was, her head resting on her chest and a book open on her lap. "I'm afraid Merry's not nearly so peaceful though." Said Frodo as they walked further into the room so that Merry was in view. He was groaning and whimpering in his sleep, trying to toss and turn but failing terribly. Sweat was running down his face, which was horribly pale.
Sam gazed worriedly down on Merry's face and wiped it dry with a spare handkerchief from his wife's hand.
"I'll watch over him while you get some rest of your own Mr. Frodo." Said Sam; Frodo was about to protest until a yawn overcame him. "Perhaps you're right Sam, but don't you hesitate to wake me the moment you need any help!" He said
"No need," said a voice behind them, making the two hobbits jump and turn towards the doorway where Pippin was standing, his hair messy and clothes crumpled from sleeping in them. Noticing this, he smoothed down his clothes while saying, "I'll help Sam watch Merry, you've done plenty enough."
Frodo nodded sleepily and retired to his room to get his own rest. Pippin stepped aside for him to leave and walked forward to check on Merry. He wiped the sweat off Merry's forehead with his hand and was taken aback by the heat of it.
"My dear Merry! You're hotter than ever!" he said with a worried voice. The pitiable sounds from Merry's mouth subsided a little at the sound of his friend's voice and he tried to snuggle into the soothing touch but Pippin pulled away, not wanting to risk making Merry any hotter than he already was. He rolled the covers back down to Merry's waist to try to cool him a little. The bedcovers were drenched with Merry's sweat but they couldn't change them now, there were more pressing matters.
Pippin rushed to get another cool cloth and on his way back into the room he nearly bowled over Sam, who was carrying his wife back to bed. Sam stepped aside and Pippin sat at the chair at Merry's side and began talking to him in a comforting way, something he had become good at ever since he found that it helped Merry calm down on nights such as this.
Sam left Pippin with Merry for a while, went to the master bedroom and placed Rosie carefully on the bed. She sighed beautifully in her sleep and Sam watched her peaceful face. She seemed to be having a dream as her face kept moving but Sam was pleased to see that the expression that crossed her face more often than not was a small, happy smile.
Sam shook his head and returned to see if Merry or Pippin needed anything and said so as he entered the room.
"Merry could do with a bit of water and I wouldn't mind a cup of tea." Answered Pippin. Sam nodded and turned back towards the door of the room, but was stopped, "And some bread and butter if that's alright with you." Sam nodded and continued towards the door but was stopped again, "Oh, and some of those crumpets, with that lovely blackcurrant jam that Rosie makes!" Sam grinned and turned towards Pippin,
"Certainly Mr. Pippin. Is there anything else I can get you?"
"Do you have any fresh strawberries?"
"It's the wrong time of year for strawberries, fresh ones anyhow."
"Then no, I'm fine."
Sam went to the kitchen and prepared the food, he fixed a little something up for himself as well. He was glad to see that Merry's condition hadn't affected Pippin's appetite in any way, nor had it affected his sunny disposition, Sam suspected that had something to do with the cheery outlook on life he knew Pippin to have.
He brought the food in on a tray and set it down on a table, Pippin immediately grabbed a crumpet and ate it greedily, slurping at his tea between gulps. Sam was a little taken aback by Pippin's lack of table manners but decided to ignore it and took a slice of cake he had cut for himself.
"I didn't know you had cake!" said Pippin, noticing what Sam had in his hand.
"If it's a piece of cake you're looking for this is the last one." Sam said.
"Oh it's fine, you have it then." Said Pippin. He didn't want to deprive Sam of any food he wanted. They ate in silence for a while until Pippin finished all his food and only had half a cup of tea left. Sam was still waiting for the tea to cool and had half his cake left.
"Just how hungry were you?" He asked, flabbergasted by his fellow hobbit's ability to eat food so fast it didn't stay in his mouth for more than a second.
"Very, I haven't eaten since we first arrived." Answered Pippin.
"You haven't eaten for three days? You should have said something sooner!"
"I'm quite used to it though, when Merry's going through a bad period he sometimes needs care for days on end and there's no time for food other than a quick biscuit now and then." Said Pippin, quite cheerfully. Sam stared at the younger hobbit; he hadn't realised quite how much Pippin had given up for Merry. It had never occurred to Sam how deep the love between these two hobbits went, nor how similar their relationship was to his and Frodo's.
"Are you eating that cake or are you just going to sit there holding it?" said Pippin, interrupting his thoughts. Sam opened his mouth to reply when Merry coughed. Pippin turned towards him immediately, Merry's eyes were wide with fear and his eyebrows were knotted in confusion. His eyes swivelled wildly around the room and he cried out. He tried to sit up but Pippin held him down with the help of Sam, both were trying to be as gentle as possible. Pippin tried calming Merry down with the sound of his voice but it wasn't working.
"Pippin!" He said looking strait at Pippin, "It's all too big! Tell them to go away!" Neither Pippin nor Sam had the slightest idea what Merry was talking about but Pippin tried to console him anyway.
"Everything's the right size Merry!"
"And there's no one else here 'cept from us." Joined Sam. Merry looked from one to the other in utmost confusion. The fear had disappeared from his eyes but tears were now replacing it. Pippin was the first to notice this and he pulled Merry up into a sitting position and held him tight. Merry put his arms around Pippin; all of his previous energy had vanished along with his fear. He broke down into tears and through his sobs Sam could hear him talk.
"I heard them bargaining! They wanted something bigger but it was already too big!"
"Who was bargaining?" Asked Sam, "What was too big?"
"Everything was! And they were trying to make it bigger!" Answered Merry, though it wasn't much of an answer. Pippin rubbed Merry's back, he was used to Merry being like this.
"It was only a dream Merry! All right? Just a dream." Pippin looked at Merry, who nodded, so Pippin lay him back down. "Have a drink of water while you're awake." He said as Sam passed him the glass from the table. Merry nodded once again and Pippin helped him to sip some down. Shortly, Merry stopped drinking, Pippin looked at the amount still in the glass.
"You should really drink some more." He said offering the drink once more, but Merry shook his head this time.
"I won't hold it down if I have any more." Merry said quietly and he managed a small smile before he was cut short by a yawn. In no time at all he was asleep again, it looked like a better sleep this time, more restful.
"What was that all about?" questioned Sam "I don't think I've seen Mr. Merry so scared ever since I met him! And I'm sure I don't know what he was talking about."
"No, I don't either. I do know that it's the fever that makes him like this though. I don't dare leave him when it's just us two in the house, not after I saw what he did when I did leave him the first time."
"What did he do?"
"He got up and tried to find me, but he found his way outside instead. I don't know why he'd think I was outside but that was where he went. It was a horrible night, not unlike tonight, but it was hailstones, not rain. Luckily I wasn't gone for long and found the front door open; I got him back inside and warmed him up quick as I could. And speaking of warmth, the fire's dying down. I've already used up all the wood from this room and my own." Said Pippin, being strangely practical. Sam saw that Pippin was right about the wood and rushed out to get some from the dining room, he'd fill up all the baskets with wood from the woodshed in the morning.
He piled up the fire at bit more, but not so much that it would get too hot, the last thing Merry needed was to get too hot.
Merry slept soundly after that, unfortunately the same couldn't be said for Elanor. She woke up five times during the night and into the early morning and another four times after Rosie had woken up and sternly sent Sam to bed, though he'd protested to the very end.