A/N: This is a little shorter than the previous but the next one's really
long and. strange.
Frodo woke up to the smell of frying bacon and the sound of a sizzling breakfast. He got up quickly and washed and dressed himself, he was looking forward to a good meal. He walked into the kitchen and the sight that met his eyes certainly did not disappoint. Sam turned away from the stove upon hearing Frodo enter the room and grinned at him, holding a plate full of food.
Frodo grinned back and relieved Sam of his burden (there was a lot of food on the plate). He sat down at the table and Sam recounted all that had happened while Frodo was asleep.
"He's not eaten for three days?" He exclaimed upon hearing this particular piece of information.
"That's just what I said but he says he's used to it, not that I would believe Mr. Pippin could ever be used to not having food." Frodo laughed at the last comment.
"I agree! Which is why I think you should fix up a plate for him." Sam did as he was asked and handed the plate to Frodo, who took it through to Merry's room, his own half-eaten breakfast in the other hand.
Merry was the most peaceful that Frodo had seen him since he had first arrived and Pippin was lying over him, breathing gently. Frodo sat down on the bed next to Pippin and smiled upon their sleeping forms until he noticed that Pippin's breathing wasn't the calm breathing of someone who is asleep, it looked more like he was crying.
Frodo balanced the plates on the far side of the bed and touched Pippin on the shoulder.
"Pippin?" He said tentatively, "What's wrong?" Pippin looked up at him, the patch on the bed where his face had been was wet and tears were coursing down his cheeks. He began to sob harder as he tried to get his words out and Frodo waited patiently.
"It's Merry!" He finally managed before his breathing made it near impossible for him to speak.
"What's the matter with him? He looks fine to me." Said Frodo. Perhaps 'fine' was not the best choice of words, Merry looked far from fine, his face was colourless and thin and his body was weak after only three days of illness.
Pippin tried to gather himself together again and after a little while he got his breathing under control enough to speak.
"I can't wake him!"
After a small silence, the full impact of these words hit Frodo and he drew his younger cousin in and held him. He could feel the larger body shaking with uncontrollable sadness. He began to rock Pippin like a mother would a child; tears were running silently down his own cheeks, of all the ways to die, this is not the way Merry should have to go.
Sam walked into the room and took in the sight of the two crying hobbits. His hopes of having a quiet breakfast while they waited for Merry to wake up were shattered. He moved towards the pair and touched Frodo's shoulder. Frodo looked up at him, the sadness in his eyes was so deep and so loving, and it touched Sam's very soul.
"Is Mr. Merry." Started Sam but he didn't have the will to finish. Pippin's sobs came harder, answering any questions Sam may have had.
"No, not yet." Said Frodo, now resigned to Merry's fate. Pippin pulled back from Frodo's hold and he wiped his tears away. He looked at both Sam and Frodo, whom he knew to have a great love for each other, perhaps even greater than his love for Merry and he thought about all that they had sacrificed for each other, their love had never failed. He hardened in his resolve; he was not going to give up on Merry until after he had breathed his last breath.
"We mustn't think like that Frodo." He said sternly, "Merry will wake again."
Frodo woke up to the smell of frying bacon and the sound of a sizzling breakfast. He got up quickly and washed and dressed himself, he was looking forward to a good meal. He walked into the kitchen and the sight that met his eyes certainly did not disappoint. Sam turned away from the stove upon hearing Frodo enter the room and grinned at him, holding a plate full of food.
Frodo grinned back and relieved Sam of his burden (there was a lot of food on the plate). He sat down at the table and Sam recounted all that had happened while Frodo was asleep.
"He's not eaten for three days?" He exclaimed upon hearing this particular piece of information.
"That's just what I said but he says he's used to it, not that I would believe Mr. Pippin could ever be used to not having food." Frodo laughed at the last comment.
"I agree! Which is why I think you should fix up a plate for him." Sam did as he was asked and handed the plate to Frodo, who took it through to Merry's room, his own half-eaten breakfast in the other hand.
Merry was the most peaceful that Frodo had seen him since he had first arrived and Pippin was lying over him, breathing gently. Frodo sat down on the bed next to Pippin and smiled upon their sleeping forms until he noticed that Pippin's breathing wasn't the calm breathing of someone who is asleep, it looked more like he was crying.
Frodo balanced the plates on the far side of the bed and touched Pippin on the shoulder.
"Pippin?" He said tentatively, "What's wrong?" Pippin looked up at him, the patch on the bed where his face had been was wet and tears were coursing down his cheeks. He began to sob harder as he tried to get his words out and Frodo waited patiently.
"It's Merry!" He finally managed before his breathing made it near impossible for him to speak.
"What's the matter with him? He looks fine to me." Said Frodo. Perhaps 'fine' was not the best choice of words, Merry looked far from fine, his face was colourless and thin and his body was weak after only three days of illness.
Pippin tried to gather himself together again and after a little while he got his breathing under control enough to speak.
"I can't wake him!"
After a small silence, the full impact of these words hit Frodo and he drew his younger cousin in and held him. He could feel the larger body shaking with uncontrollable sadness. He began to rock Pippin like a mother would a child; tears were running silently down his own cheeks, of all the ways to die, this is not the way Merry should have to go.
Sam walked into the room and took in the sight of the two crying hobbits. His hopes of having a quiet breakfast while they waited for Merry to wake up were shattered. He moved towards the pair and touched Frodo's shoulder. Frodo looked up at him, the sadness in his eyes was so deep and so loving, and it touched Sam's very soul.
"Is Mr. Merry." Started Sam but he didn't have the will to finish. Pippin's sobs came harder, answering any questions Sam may have had.
"No, not yet." Said Frodo, now resigned to Merry's fate. Pippin pulled back from Frodo's hold and he wiped his tears away. He looked at both Sam and Frodo, whom he knew to have a great love for each other, perhaps even greater than his love for Merry and he thought about all that they had sacrificed for each other, their love had never failed. He hardened in his resolve; he was not going to give up on Merry until after he had breathed his last breath.
"We mustn't think like that Frodo." He said sternly, "Merry will wake again."