For permission to reproduce, please contact frodobaggins@frodo.com
DISCLAIMER: The characters, places, and story of The Lord of the Rings are the property of J.R.R. Tolkien and consequently of the Tolkien Estate, with select rights by Tolkien Enterprises. This piece appears purely as fanfiction and is not intended to claim ownership of Tolkien's work in any way. Please e-mail me if you have concerns.
Author's Note: My apologies for a slight delay in posting this chapter. . .I hope you'll enjoy even though it's shorter than the last one. :)
SHADOWS IN THE DARKNESS
Chapter Six: The Man in the Moon and Other Peculiarities
"No. . .no, he's been asleep the whole time, ever since you settled him down. Hasn't thrown up since. It's been half a day already."
"Good, good! Do you want me to take another turn with him while you sleep?"
"No, no, no. . .I had rather a lovely nap while you sat with him today. I'll be fine for a while longer at least. He's been sleeping quietly, so I've been able to work on my book."
Slowly Frodo began to wake, hearing the pair of voices as if from a long distance. From the feel of cool pillows and warm quilts and hot-water bottles, he realised he had been put to bed once more. Someone took the compress from his brow, replacing it with a fresh one. He recognised the familiar scent of Bilbo - pipeweed and freshly baked muffins. A hand touched his face. . .Bilbo's palm against his cheekbone, the touch of the worn nimble fingers soothing.
"Well, I don't mind, when you need me. I'd planned to stay for as long as a fortnight, perhaps, so there's plenty of time."
"Yes, yes, of course. . . ." Bilbo's hand left his face, moving to tuck the blankets around him a bit more closely.
It hurt. . .moving, that was, and as soon as Frodo attempted to shift position a little he regretted it. But he was pleased to discover that he didn't feel in imminent danger of vomiting again, though the eerie combination of chill and heat that troubled him had not abated. Slowly he opened his eyes, looking up at his surroundings. Bilbo came into focus first, bending over his bed, fussing with the covers and hot-water bottles. . .Gandalf sat close by, polishing his pipe. It took less than half a second for Bilbo to notice, and at once he put a hand to Frodo's face once more, smiling warmly.
"There now! How are you feeling, my lad?"
"A little better. . . ." Frodo managed the words through a mouth that felt as if it were full of cotton-wool. Grimacing a little, he tried to push himself up in bed, but promptly sank back onto the pillows, feeling dizzy again. "Not very well still. . . ."
Bilbo put a spoonful of liquid to his lips, and he swallowed eagerly. . .peppermint tea, not too sweet, and just barely warm. "You've been managing so bravely, Frodo. . .I'm very proud of you. Think you could take a little more of this? Just a few spoonfuls. . . ." Frodo nodded, and Bilbo pulled up a chair, continuing to administer small sips of liquid.
Swallowing eagerly (for he felt very thirsty), Frodo looked around. The curtains were still drawn, of course, but no sunlight danced around their edges, and the room seemed quite dark, lit only by his bedside lamp and an extra taper or two about the room. The firelight played shadow-games upon the walls. "What time is it?"
"Half-past two in the morning. You've slept all afternoon and evening, except for our waking you just enough for your medicine and a little tea now and again." Gently Bilbo wiped Frodo's face with a damp cloth, offering a little more tea afterward. "I'm glad you're feeling a little better, my boy; we've been worried silly about you. If you keep improving, perhaps tomorrow night we can try a little broth. . .how does that sound?"
"All right, I suppose. . . . I'm not really hungry." Frodo wasn't; he still felt sick, only taking the tea because it helped ease his thirst and didn't seem to set his stomach back into fits. At once Bilbo's expression tightened with worry, though he forced a smile. . .but Frodo had already noticed. "I'll try. . .maybe by then I'll feel more like a little something."
Looking relieved, Bilbo nodded, setting the cup aside to stroke Frodo's curls, pushing the heavy locks back from the tweenager's flushed features. "You're still running rather a high temperature. . .it'll be good to get a little something more into you; broth's one of the best things for fevers."
Weakly Frodo nodded, feeling exhausted.
"Is there anything I can do for you, Frodo. . .anything you'd like?"
Bilbo's voice was kind, but anxious with worry. Frodo only shook his head.
"No, thank you. . .I'm just. . .tired."
"Try and sleep a little more if you can."
Bilbo replaced the compress once more, sitting carefully on the oversized feather-bed. Stroking Frodo's dark curls gently, he waited while the young hobbit shifted fretfully, trying to get comfortable. As struck by a sudden inspiration, however, the elder Baggins removed the counterpane, adding a lighter quilt to keep his small charge warm. Softly he began to sing. . . .
"The Man in the Moon had silver shoon,
and his beard was of silver thread;
With opals crowned and pearls all bound
about his girdlestead,
In his mantle grey he walked one day
across a shining floor,
And with crystal key in secrecy
he opened an ivory door. . . ."
*Author's Note: Bilbo's song is, of course, the opening of JRR Tolkien's own "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon," as published in The Tolkien Reader. Of course, we must assume that Bilbo continued the song until his ailing heir fell back into a comfortable sleep. To the perceptive reader who noted the attribution of Gandalf's Earendil song to Bilbo's performance in Rivendell some thirty years later, that is indeed correct. . .but Bilbo often had more help in composing his verses than admitted, and it is entirely possible that his composition, assisted by Aragorn, was based upon previous hearings and merely a more extended version of a song long known to those who frequented Elrond's home. :)
DISCLAIMER: The characters, places, and story of The Lord of the Rings are the property of J.R.R. Tolkien and consequently of the Tolkien Estate, with select rights by Tolkien Enterprises. This piece appears purely as fanfiction and is not intended to claim ownership of Tolkien's work in any way. Please e-mail me if you have concerns.
Author's Note: My apologies for a slight delay in posting this chapter. . .I hope you'll enjoy even though it's shorter than the last one. :)
SHADOWS IN THE DARKNESS
Chapter Six: The Man in the Moon and Other Peculiarities
"No. . .no, he's been asleep the whole time, ever since you settled him down. Hasn't thrown up since. It's been half a day already."
"Good, good! Do you want me to take another turn with him while you sleep?"
"No, no, no. . .I had rather a lovely nap while you sat with him today. I'll be fine for a while longer at least. He's been sleeping quietly, so I've been able to work on my book."
Slowly Frodo began to wake, hearing the pair of voices as if from a long distance. From the feel of cool pillows and warm quilts and hot-water bottles, he realised he had been put to bed once more. Someone took the compress from his brow, replacing it with a fresh one. He recognised the familiar scent of Bilbo - pipeweed and freshly baked muffins. A hand touched his face. . .Bilbo's palm against his cheekbone, the touch of the worn nimble fingers soothing.
"Well, I don't mind, when you need me. I'd planned to stay for as long as a fortnight, perhaps, so there's plenty of time."
"Yes, yes, of course. . . ." Bilbo's hand left his face, moving to tuck the blankets around him a bit more closely.
It hurt. . .moving, that was, and as soon as Frodo attempted to shift position a little he regretted it. But he was pleased to discover that he didn't feel in imminent danger of vomiting again, though the eerie combination of chill and heat that troubled him had not abated. Slowly he opened his eyes, looking up at his surroundings. Bilbo came into focus first, bending over his bed, fussing with the covers and hot-water bottles. . .Gandalf sat close by, polishing his pipe. It took less than half a second for Bilbo to notice, and at once he put a hand to Frodo's face once more, smiling warmly.
"There now! How are you feeling, my lad?"
"A little better. . . ." Frodo managed the words through a mouth that felt as if it were full of cotton-wool. Grimacing a little, he tried to push himself up in bed, but promptly sank back onto the pillows, feeling dizzy again. "Not very well still. . . ."
Bilbo put a spoonful of liquid to his lips, and he swallowed eagerly. . .peppermint tea, not too sweet, and just barely warm. "You've been managing so bravely, Frodo. . .I'm very proud of you. Think you could take a little more of this? Just a few spoonfuls. . . ." Frodo nodded, and Bilbo pulled up a chair, continuing to administer small sips of liquid.
Swallowing eagerly (for he felt very thirsty), Frodo looked around. The curtains were still drawn, of course, but no sunlight danced around their edges, and the room seemed quite dark, lit only by his bedside lamp and an extra taper or two about the room. The firelight played shadow-games upon the walls. "What time is it?"
"Half-past two in the morning. You've slept all afternoon and evening, except for our waking you just enough for your medicine and a little tea now and again." Gently Bilbo wiped Frodo's face with a damp cloth, offering a little more tea afterward. "I'm glad you're feeling a little better, my boy; we've been worried silly about you. If you keep improving, perhaps tomorrow night we can try a little broth. . .how does that sound?"
"All right, I suppose. . . . I'm not really hungry." Frodo wasn't; he still felt sick, only taking the tea because it helped ease his thirst and didn't seem to set his stomach back into fits. At once Bilbo's expression tightened with worry, though he forced a smile. . .but Frodo had already noticed. "I'll try. . .maybe by then I'll feel more like a little something."
Looking relieved, Bilbo nodded, setting the cup aside to stroke Frodo's curls, pushing the heavy locks back from the tweenager's flushed features. "You're still running rather a high temperature. . .it'll be good to get a little something more into you; broth's one of the best things for fevers."
Weakly Frodo nodded, feeling exhausted.
"Is there anything I can do for you, Frodo. . .anything you'd like?"
Bilbo's voice was kind, but anxious with worry. Frodo only shook his head.
"No, thank you. . .I'm just. . .tired."
"Try and sleep a little more if you can."
Bilbo replaced the compress once more, sitting carefully on the oversized feather-bed. Stroking Frodo's dark curls gently, he waited while the young hobbit shifted fretfully, trying to get comfortable. As struck by a sudden inspiration, however, the elder Baggins removed the counterpane, adding a lighter quilt to keep his small charge warm. Softly he began to sing. . . .
"The Man in the Moon had silver shoon,
and his beard was of silver thread;
With opals crowned and pearls all bound
about his girdlestead,
In his mantle grey he walked one day
across a shining floor,
And with crystal key in secrecy
he opened an ivory door. . . ."
*Author's Note: Bilbo's song is, of course, the opening of JRR Tolkien's own "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon," as published in The Tolkien Reader. Of course, we must assume that Bilbo continued the song until his ailing heir fell back into a comfortable sleep. To the perceptive reader who noted the attribution of Gandalf's Earendil song to Bilbo's performance in Rivendell some thirty years later, that is indeed correct. . .but Bilbo often had more help in composing his verses than admitted, and it is entirely possible that his composition, assisted by Aragorn, was based upon previous hearings and merely a more extended version of a song long known to those who frequented Elrond's home. :)