Loving Care


Ioreth and her fellow assistants were attending to Frodo and Sam, carefully removing their soiled clothing and gently washing them. Ioreth noticed something and grew concerned. She left the bedside and approached Aragorn and Gandalf at the back of the room where they were watching silently.


"Pardon me my lord" Ioreth said to Aragorn "but the Pheriannath appear to have been burned. I think you should come and check it out." With a questioning look at Gandalf, Aragorn followed Ioreth to Samsí side.


Aragorn checked Samsí arms and legs. He gently lifted one of his arms off the bed. Sam let out a yelp that startled everyone in the room. Aragorn leaned close to Samsí ear. "Sam, Can you hear me?" asked Aragorn. "Gaffer?" Sam whispered weakly. "No Sam, its Strider. Can you tell me where it hurts?" "Its hot" replied Sam "so hot...canít breath...." And Sam slipped back into darkness.


Aragorn turned to Frodo carefully checking his arms and legs. It was true. Both hobbits had been burned. The skin was red and blistered in spots. It appeared to be only on the skin that was exposed. The skin that was protected by their clothing was OK. It was only then that Aragorn noticed the finger missing from Frodoís hand. "By Elbereth!!" Aragorn exclaimed, "What happened?" Aragorn instructed Ioreth to thourly clean and dress the wounded hand.


Aragorn looked up at Gandalf. "Where did you find them?" Aragorn asked the Wizard.


"At the foot of Mt. Doom. The mountain had exploded and they were on a small rock surrounded by fire." Gandalf told Aragorn.


"Elbereth help them." Aragorn prayed. "their injuries may be more than on the surface. If the air was hot enough to blister their skin then Iím afraid it may also have burned their throats and lungs.


Turning to Ioreth Aragorn said, " place both hobbits into one bed and make a tent of linen over it then bring me two large pots of boiling water. "yes my lord, right away." Ioreth replied and she and the other assistants got busy.


Walking to the table which contained the plants and herbs he had gathered, Aragorn chose Athelas and Aloe Plants. "What do you intend to do Aragorn?" Gandalf asked from behind him. Aragorn turned "The aloe will soothe the burned and protect the skin. the boiling water will produce steam to keep their throats moist and the athelas, I hope, will ease their breathing." Raytheon spoke up, "Pardon me my lord, but, wouldnít Eucalyptus oil be better for that purpose?" "We may still need to use that" Aragorn replied "but I fear that it may be too harsh on their burned throats and only make breathing more difficult." Raytheon simply nodded in agreement.


As Aragorn Looked at his two friends lying on the beds he said a silent prayer that he would be able to help them. He knew he would have to draw on all he knew about burns if Frodo and Sam were to survive.