Chapter 17 – Love turns every knife
Frodo scrambled up from where he had fell but seeing the unconscious, bloody form of his lover he sank to his knees moaning into his hands.
Sam though had kept his head clear, and after sending Hobbits to raise the alarm with the Sheriffs, came straight to Robin's side. After surveying the wound he shouted to a Hobbit nearby,
"Quick, run to Doctor Chubb's house and bring him here. Tell him it's an emergency"
Then he turned to his friend "Frodo." There was no reply. "FRODO" he said louder. Sam's voice shook Frodo out of the reverie he had slipped into on seeing Robin.
"Frodo I need you to help me" said Sam slowly "If we are to save Robins life I need you to do what I say" Frodo nodded his head unable to speak.
Sam called the Landlord for towels which he then handed to Frodo. "Frodo I need you to press these towels onto the wound, it will stop the bleeding ok?"
Frodo did as he was told the tears streaming down his cheeks.
It was 20 minutes before Dr. Chubb arrived. Robin had not regained consciousness and the blood was still seeping through the towels that Frodo held to her stomach. The Doctor quickly observed the situation then gently taking the towels from Frodo he examined the injury.
"We need to get her to a bed" he said, gesturing to Sam to help carry her. Frodo stood back his mind was screaming to them not to hurt her but the words wouldn't form. His whole world was crashing down around him. 'If she died…' but no he couldn't think about that.
The doctor decided to operate immediately and asked Sam to help. Frodo couldn't bear to stay and instead slumped to the floor outside the room. The shut door was like a physical barrier separating him from happiness.
What seemed like an age later, Sam came out. Sighing heavily he sat down next to Frodo. "She's going to be ok" he said turning to look at his friend. Frodo's face was drained of all colour and the haunted look in his eyes reminded Sam sharply of another time, in another place.
"She will be ok?" There was a pleading in Frodo's voice begging Sam to tell him that it was true.
"The Doctors done what he can" Sam replied slowly, the tears evident in his eyes "But Miss Robin is real strong, I'm sure she will pull through" He squeezed Frodo's hand "Go in and see her Mister Frodo, she may waken at any moment"
Frodo hesitantly stepped into the room. The doctor was washing his hands in a bowl of water, the towels beside him were stained scarlet. Robin led on the bed, the sheets were pulled up to her neck and her eyes were closed. Frodo turned to the doctor.
"I have sewn the wound" he said answering Frodo's unasked question. "But she has lost a lot of blood and she is very weak" Frodo looked back to Robin feeling like his heart would break.
"Keep her rested" the doctor continued "I shall return tomorrow."
When the Doctor had left, Frodo sat in the chair next to the bed. He took her hand in his own but the skin was cold. He put it to his mouth trying vainly to breathe some warmth into it, then laying his head on the bed he begged for her life.
He did not know how long he had been asleep. The room was still in darkness, the only candle having burned away. Frodo raised his head gazing sadly at the still form of Robin. Suddenly the sound of the door opening disturbed his thoughts. He looked round to see Sam peeping in light flooding in from the corridor outside
"How is she?" he asked, quietly stepping into the room.
"No change" replied Frodo "why did this happen Sam? Does fate hate me so much to rip away any chance of happiness that I may have?"
"You will" said Sam strongly "Miss Robin will be fine and you will live a long and happy life together"
"I am glad you have a strength that I do not Sam" said Frodo woefully "Though you always had. I just wish she would wake so I could look into her eyes again."
Almost as though she had heard Frodo's voice, Robin stirred and squeezed his hand. He turned and as his gaze met hers the realisation hit him and he knew that she would not live.
"Frodo" her voice was quiet and he had to stoop to hear her. "What happened?"
"My love" he started almost choking. He paused composing himself for he did not want to worry her. "My love, you have been hurt, quite badly. But you are going to be alright, you just need to get a lot of rest"
Robin started coughing hard and both Frodo and Sam noticed the red that stained the white cloth at her mouth. After the fit had passed she smiled weakly at Frodo "I remember a knife, was that what hurt me?"
Frodo nodded "Though it is by mischance that you lie here now, you saved my life Robin"
"I did not want to see you hurt my darling" she replied. She coughed again then holding her stomach she moaned in pain.
Frodo felt a hand on his shoulder and standing Sam lead him away out of earshot of Robin
"I shall go" whispered Sam "Her mother and Mister Peregrin shall want to be here, I shall send for them"
"Yes" replied Frodo "But do not worry them"
He looked up and Sam could see the tears starting in his eyes.
"Now don't you go fretting Mister Frodo, you have to trust your Sam like you used too. I'm not going to let Miss Robin go and neither should you. Anyway there's a wedding to look forward too, we ain't going to miss that"
He smiled at his friend, trying hard to sound sincere. Frodo managed a weak smile back
"You are right I shall not give up hope"
Frodo scrambled up from where he had fell but seeing the unconscious, bloody form of his lover he sank to his knees moaning into his hands.
Sam though had kept his head clear, and after sending Hobbits to raise the alarm with the Sheriffs, came straight to Robin's side. After surveying the wound he shouted to a Hobbit nearby,
"Quick, run to Doctor Chubb's house and bring him here. Tell him it's an emergency"
Then he turned to his friend "Frodo." There was no reply. "FRODO" he said louder. Sam's voice shook Frodo out of the reverie he had slipped into on seeing Robin.
"Frodo I need you to help me" said Sam slowly "If we are to save Robins life I need you to do what I say" Frodo nodded his head unable to speak.
Sam called the Landlord for towels which he then handed to Frodo. "Frodo I need you to press these towels onto the wound, it will stop the bleeding ok?"
Frodo did as he was told the tears streaming down his cheeks.
It was 20 minutes before Dr. Chubb arrived. Robin had not regained consciousness and the blood was still seeping through the towels that Frodo held to her stomach. The Doctor quickly observed the situation then gently taking the towels from Frodo he examined the injury.
"We need to get her to a bed" he said, gesturing to Sam to help carry her. Frodo stood back his mind was screaming to them not to hurt her but the words wouldn't form. His whole world was crashing down around him. 'If she died…' but no he couldn't think about that.
The doctor decided to operate immediately and asked Sam to help. Frodo couldn't bear to stay and instead slumped to the floor outside the room. The shut door was like a physical barrier separating him from happiness.
What seemed like an age later, Sam came out. Sighing heavily he sat down next to Frodo. "She's going to be ok" he said turning to look at his friend. Frodo's face was drained of all colour and the haunted look in his eyes reminded Sam sharply of another time, in another place.
"She will be ok?" There was a pleading in Frodo's voice begging Sam to tell him that it was true.
"The Doctors done what he can" Sam replied slowly, the tears evident in his eyes "But Miss Robin is real strong, I'm sure she will pull through" He squeezed Frodo's hand "Go in and see her Mister Frodo, she may waken at any moment"
Frodo hesitantly stepped into the room. The doctor was washing his hands in a bowl of water, the towels beside him were stained scarlet. Robin led on the bed, the sheets were pulled up to her neck and her eyes were closed. Frodo turned to the doctor.
"I have sewn the wound" he said answering Frodo's unasked question. "But she has lost a lot of blood and she is very weak" Frodo looked back to Robin feeling like his heart would break.
"Keep her rested" the doctor continued "I shall return tomorrow."
When the Doctor had left, Frodo sat in the chair next to the bed. He took her hand in his own but the skin was cold. He put it to his mouth trying vainly to breathe some warmth into it, then laying his head on the bed he begged for her life.
He did not know how long he had been asleep. The room was still in darkness, the only candle having burned away. Frodo raised his head gazing sadly at the still form of Robin. Suddenly the sound of the door opening disturbed his thoughts. He looked round to see Sam peeping in light flooding in from the corridor outside
"How is she?" he asked, quietly stepping into the room.
"No change" replied Frodo "why did this happen Sam? Does fate hate me so much to rip away any chance of happiness that I may have?"
"You will" said Sam strongly "Miss Robin will be fine and you will live a long and happy life together"
"I am glad you have a strength that I do not Sam" said Frodo woefully "Though you always had. I just wish she would wake so I could look into her eyes again."
Almost as though she had heard Frodo's voice, Robin stirred and squeezed his hand. He turned and as his gaze met hers the realisation hit him and he knew that she would not live.
"Frodo" her voice was quiet and he had to stoop to hear her. "What happened?"
"My love" he started almost choking. He paused composing himself for he did not want to worry her. "My love, you have been hurt, quite badly. But you are going to be alright, you just need to get a lot of rest"
Robin started coughing hard and both Frodo and Sam noticed the red that stained the white cloth at her mouth. After the fit had passed she smiled weakly at Frodo "I remember a knife, was that what hurt me?"
Frodo nodded "Though it is by mischance that you lie here now, you saved my life Robin"
"I did not want to see you hurt my darling" she replied. She coughed again then holding her stomach she moaned in pain.
Frodo felt a hand on his shoulder and standing Sam lead him away out of earshot of Robin
"I shall go" whispered Sam "Her mother and Mister Peregrin shall want to be here, I shall send for them"
"Yes" replied Frodo "But do not worry them"
He looked up and Sam could see the tears starting in his eyes.
"Now don't you go fretting Mister Frodo, you have to trust your Sam like you used too. I'm not going to let Miss Robin go and neither should you. Anyway there's a wedding to look forward too, we ain't going to miss that"
He smiled at his friend, trying hard to sound sincere. Frodo managed a weak smile back
"You are right I shall not give up hope"
