"Get in here quick! Mr. Merry's stopped breathing!" Sam yelled at the top
of his lungs. Frodo and Rosie rushed in, closely followed by an extremely
tired-looking Pippin. Pippin pushed between Frodo and Rosie and saw Merry.
Gingerly, he climbed onto the bed and towards Merry's head. His chest was
no longer rising as Sam had said.
"No." he whispered and a tear broke away from his eye and made its way down his cheek. "You can't leave me Merry, not now." The tear fell from Pippin's face onto Merry's. "You still have children to have, and let's not forget, Estella to court." A small smile made its way onto Pippin lips somehow through all his misery. "And you promised me you'd make apple sauce again from the tree in the garden!"
Frodo looked on at the weeping, yet laughing Pippin as he came up with all the silly little promises Merry had made over the years, which he had plainly never forgot. Frodo found it hard to be so cheerful, Merry was gone and so, it seemed, was a part of him. He didn't feel whole without the reliable Merry there to do and remember things for him. He knew now that Pippin would never be the same without Merry. None of them would be.
Through the haze, Merry could make out Pippin's words. Pippin was right, he was in no place to die, he had ladies to love and apple sauce to make, he was in the prime of his life and wasn't going to give up on it.
He concentrated on breathing once more, it occurred to him how strange that was. He would never take breathing for granted again. Though on second thoughts he probably would, seeing as you have to breathe to stay alive. The sudden change in his mood had sparked his will to live and without thinking he drew in one shuddering breath. The rushing air hurt his throat but he didn't care because his burning lungs were cooled and put to rest as they resumed their usual jobs.
The mist in Merry's mind cleared and it began to work faster. The words around him became less slurred. Someone was lent over him, he couldn't see who as he had his eyes closed but he could feel their shirt on his hand. He grabbed at it and held on with all his strength, he wasn't going to let go until he knew the nightmare had ended and he could grieve his lost ones in peace.
The person tried to pull away from his grip but the shirt stayed firmly entangled in Merry's hand. Merry expected the person to pull away harder but instead they held him a hug. Merry dearly wanted to return it but his limbs were like lead and refused to move. He did feel more and more people pile on top of him though until one of them forced the rest off him.
He loosened his grip on the shirt and his concentration turned towards opening his eyes. Slowly, they raised until only a slit of light could get through. He shut his eyes quickly, the light was far too bright. He tried again but the light was too bright and he groaned and tried to lift his arm to cover his eyes but it was still too heavy. Someone in the room had obviously got the idea because the next time he tried to open his eyes it wasn't nearly as bright in the room.
He strained to keep his eyes open and they stuck on the first thing he saw.
"Sam!" he said quietly, the last time he had seen Sam, he was just a skeleton. "Don't die again, please."
"I ain't got no intention of dying Mr. Merry. I'm as fit as a fiddle! As far as I know anyway." Sam said half-jokingly.
Merry smiled at him. He was relieved that someone saw fit to lighten the mood. He then closed his eyes once more and he focussed on turning his head. Every move he made was a laborious task and needed all his energy. He managed to stop his head while he was looking strait up but he wasn't sure how longs his muscles could hold his head there. Once again he slowly opened his eyes and he found another unexpected surprise smiling back at him.
"Pippin!" he said slightly louder than he had previously and in his surprise he forgot how hard it was to move himself and as his mouth formed a smile, the muscles in his neck relaxed and his head fell to one side.
"Merry! Merry!" Said Pippin, he sounded quite panicked, and Merry felt a light slapping on his cheek.
"Pippin!" he said, but plainly not loud enough. "Pippin calm down! I'm just tired is all!" Pippin ceased his slapping and lifted Merry's head so he could look into his eyes.
"Oh I'm sorry Merry. I didn't want to lose you again." A tear welled in Merry's eye as he thought back to his nightmare.
"I don't want to lose you again either Pip."
"Again? You never lost me in the first place!" Said Pippin a little confused. But he pulled Merry up into a hug all the same. Merry peeped over Pippin's shoulder and to his delight, he saw Frodo and Rosie standing there.
"He never left your side you know." Said Frodo, coming forward and clasping his cousin's hand.
"Even when it didn't do him any good." Said Rosie as she took his other hand.
Merry cried with joy, it had finally ended and he was back among friends. Friends that weren't going to die, walk away or harm him. He longed to tell them all how much he loved them and to thank them for everything they had done but he was choked with tears and he had not the words to express such feelings 'I love you' did just not suffice.
"No." he whispered and a tear broke away from his eye and made its way down his cheek. "You can't leave me Merry, not now." The tear fell from Pippin's face onto Merry's. "You still have children to have, and let's not forget, Estella to court." A small smile made its way onto Pippin lips somehow through all his misery. "And you promised me you'd make apple sauce again from the tree in the garden!"
Frodo looked on at the weeping, yet laughing Pippin as he came up with all the silly little promises Merry had made over the years, which he had plainly never forgot. Frodo found it hard to be so cheerful, Merry was gone and so, it seemed, was a part of him. He didn't feel whole without the reliable Merry there to do and remember things for him. He knew now that Pippin would never be the same without Merry. None of them would be.
Through the haze, Merry could make out Pippin's words. Pippin was right, he was in no place to die, he had ladies to love and apple sauce to make, he was in the prime of his life and wasn't going to give up on it.
He concentrated on breathing once more, it occurred to him how strange that was. He would never take breathing for granted again. Though on second thoughts he probably would, seeing as you have to breathe to stay alive. The sudden change in his mood had sparked his will to live and without thinking he drew in one shuddering breath. The rushing air hurt his throat but he didn't care because his burning lungs were cooled and put to rest as they resumed their usual jobs.
The mist in Merry's mind cleared and it began to work faster. The words around him became less slurred. Someone was lent over him, he couldn't see who as he had his eyes closed but he could feel their shirt on his hand. He grabbed at it and held on with all his strength, he wasn't going to let go until he knew the nightmare had ended and he could grieve his lost ones in peace.
The person tried to pull away from his grip but the shirt stayed firmly entangled in Merry's hand. Merry expected the person to pull away harder but instead they held him a hug. Merry dearly wanted to return it but his limbs were like lead and refused to move. He did feel more and more people pile on top of him though until one of them forced the rest off him.
He loosened his grip on the shirt and his concentration turned towards opening his eyes. Slowly, they raised until only a slit of light could get through. He shut his eyes quickly, the light was far too bright. He tried again but the light was too bright and he groaned and tried to lift his arm to cover his eyes but it was still too heavy. Someone in the room had obviously got the idea because the next time he tried to open his eyes it wasn't nearly as bright in the room.
He strained to keep his eyes open and they stuck on the first thing he saw.
"Sam!" he said quietly, the last time he had seen Sam, he was just a skeleton. "Don't die again, please."
"I ain't got no intention of dying Mr. Merry. I'm as fit as a fiddle! As far as I know anyway." Sam said half-jokingly.
Merry smiled at him. He was relieved that someone saw fit to lighten the mood. He then closed his eyes once more and he focussed on turning his head. Every move he made was a laborious task and needed all his energy. He managed to stop his head while he was looking strait up but he wasn't sure how longs his muscles could hold his head there. Once again he slowly opened his eyes and he found another unexpected surprise smiling back at him.
"Pippin!" he said slightly louder than he had previously and in his surprise he forgot how hard it was to move himself and as his mouth formed a smile, the muscles in his neck relaxed and his head fell to one side.
"Merry! Merry!" Said Pippin, he sounded quite panicked, and Merry felt a light slapping on his cheek.
"Pippin!" he said, but plainly not loud enough. "Pippin calm down! I'm just tired is all!" Pippin ceased his slapping and lifted Merry's head so he could look into his eyes.
"Oh I'm sorry Merry. I didn't want to lose you again." A tear welled in Merry's eye as he thought back to his nightmare.
"I don't want to lose you again either Pip."
"Again? You never lost me in the first place!" Said Pippin a little confused. But he pulled Merry up into a hug all the same. Merry peeped over Pippin's shoulder and to his delight, he saw Frodo and Rosie standing there.
"He never left your side you know." Said Frodo, coming forward and clasping his cousin's hand.
"Even when it didn't do him any good." Said Rosie as she took his other hand.
Merry cried with joy, it had finally ended and he was back among friends. Friends that weren't going to die, walk away or harm him. He longed to tell them all how much he loved them and to thank them for everything they had done but he was choked with tears and he had not the words to express such feelings 'I love you' did just not suffice.