Author's note : *sniffle* You guys make me feel so appreciated!
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CHAPTER TWO ---- Signs
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It was some time later that I managed to wrench my eyes open. Despite the nap...I didn't feel at all rested. Everything ached. Aragorn was standing at the edge of the cave, watching the rain and listening carefully, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. The fire was meager, but I did feel warmer than I had before. We were drying off, slowly but surely. What I wouldn't have given for my soft fluffy towels at Bag End. I sighed, no use thinking about what I couldn't have. I noticed that Pip had not moved, though he was awake, and breathing steadily. It seemed strange to me that he had not said anything yet, then as I shifted he whimpered, and I cringed in pain when he clutched my side for my ribs hurt terribly. There was a dry, scratchy feeling in the back of my throat, and my nose felt a bit itchy. All Pippin did was cling to me, and it was an odd feeling, I knew he was used to comfort for he was the only son of the Thain, and had three sisters besides. Still, I was not used to it. I didn't really have a choice though, he needed me, and since Merry wasn't here, I'd have to take care of him. I didn't really mind...honestly. I only hoped I was strong enough to help him.
"Pippin…" I called his name carefully. Aragorn glanced back as I spoke. Pippin didn't even move. The ranger made his way over to us and crouched down.
"Frodo, did he speak?"
"Not yet," I shook my head, trying desperately not to cough. I winced though, and -that- he noticed. I frowned slightly.
"All right, Frodo. What's going on with you. Let me take a look." Aragorn laid his hand against my forehead…it wasn't hot…but a little clammy. He pulled the blanket away a little, ignoring my protests, and was rather appalled to see the nasty bruise on the right side of my stomach. He eyed me and shook his head. "You should have said something." he gave me a reproachful look and I sighed looking at my cousin, who did not open his eyes. "I understand." the ranger nodded. "But I must see to that immediately, you'll have to move a little so I can get access to it."
Pippin however, did not seem to want to let me move away, or change position. When I tried to sit up, he clung faster, whimpering. "Pip, its alright." I reassured him, patting his back gently. I glanced back at Aragorn and gave a helpless shrug.
Pippin managed a small murmur just then, "It hurts" he complained against my chest. "My head" he didn't open his eyes though. "Cold..."
I tried to soothe him...stroking the back of his neck gently, he seemed to like that and began to settle down. But then I coughed, I couldn't stop it. Aragorn sighed and proceeded to work with what he had to work with. I was glad of that, but ven the mere touch of his fingers caused me to wince and I had to fight to avoid tears of pain. "Ahhhh.." I couldn't help the cry of pain as he applied a tiny bit of pressure.
"You've broken a rib, Frodo." The ranger shook his head after studying me for some time. "I'm going to have to bind it. I have something I can use in my pack. I put on something that will reduce the pain after a while, but we'll have to continue to apply it. I've been brewing another pot of tea...it's a special blend of healing herbs; Burdock root, Sheep Sorrel, Slippery Elm bark and dried rhubarb. I put a bit of ginger in it so it won't taste nasty, but I know It doesn't sound very good. Trust me though. I made it for Pippin, but I think it'll help you as well. I also mashed some of the rhubarb and burdock together and applied it to Pippin's head under the bandage, and will put it to your ribs here as well. They're healing agents, Frodo, they speed up wound healing. I'm sure you have similar roots in the Shire."
Pippin shivered, and I tried to tuck the covers more around him than myself, though I was cold as well, and I was feeling something worse just around the corner. Aragorn carefully lifted me up while Pippin clutched me and proceeded to work the herbs onto my body and then wrap a bandage tightly around my stomach. I winced…but knew that it had to be bound so that the ribs would set back and heal.
I closed my eyes, and that's when Aragorn had me drink some of the tea. It tasted rather nasty…but the ginger did a lot to improve it…and it was soft against my throat. I smiled, and helped him to steady Pippin, "Pip…Pip if you can hear me open your mouth now, some nice tea here… Be a good lad." I tried to remember what people always used to tell me when I was ill…though those were times I'd rather forget.
Pippin's eyes fluttered open just then, though they were glazed and unsure. He blinked at me, confused. "Merry…" he called out his cousin's name. "Where's Merry?" he tried to quickly look around in concern, but fell back against me…it had hurt him to even move a couple of times. He whimpered. "Frodo…what happened?" he had no energy to drink yet and would not comply.
At least he knew who I was. I smiled and Aragorn nodded thoughtfully, it was a good sign. "You're with me and Aragorn, Pip. We fell…but everyone else is alright. You have a wound. Try and relax."
"I'm hungry…." Pippin then whimpered again…"I don't want tea…Juice…orange…and some taters…and sausage…" he shivered against me. "Hot cider…" I think he was beginning to forget again where he was. "Frodo…my throat hurts.."
The tea was calming the burning sensation that had developed earlier in my throat and I breathed a sign of relief. Though…it was doing nothing for my nose. I was coming down with a cold…I was fairly sure of that. I lifted my hand to rub away my running nose and gazed back at the ranger. "He won't drink it….How do I get him to drink it?" I was next to useless when it came to taking care of others. I had no practice.
"At least he's asking for food." Aragorn smiled then, "it's a good sign, Frodo. Here now…let me help you.
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CHAPTER TWO ---- Signs
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It was some time later that I managed to wrench my eyes open. Despite the nap...I didn't feel at all rested. Everything ached. Aragorn was standing at the edge of the cave, watching the rain and listening carefully, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. The fire was meager, but I did feel warmer than I had before. We were drying off, slowly but surely. What I wouldn't have given for my soft fluffy towels at Bag End. I sighed, no use thinking about what I couldn't have. I noticed that Pip had not moved, though he was awake, and breathing steadily. It seemed strange to me that he had not said anything yet, then as I shifted he whimpered, and I cringed in pain when he clutched my side for my ribs hurt terribly. There was a dry, scratchy feeling in the back of my throat, and my nose felt a bit itchy. All Pippin did was cling to me, and it was an odd feeling, I knew he was used to comfort for he was the only son of the Thain, and had three sisters besides. Still, I was not used to it. I didn't really have a choice though, he needed me, and since Merry wasn't here, I'd have to take care of him. I didn't really mind...honestly. I only hoped I was strong enough to help him.
"Pippin…" I called his name carefully. Aragorn glanced back as I spoke. Pippin didn't even move. The ranger made his way over to us and crouched down.
"Frodo, did he speak?"
"Not yet," I shook my head, trying desperately not to cough. I winced though, and -that- he noticed. I frowned slightly.
"All right, Frodo. What's going on with you. Let me take a look." Aragorn laid his hand against my forehead…it wasn't hot…but a little clammy. He pulled the blanket away a little, ignoring my protests, and was rather appalled to see the nasty bruise on the right side of my stomach. He eyed me and shook his head. "You should have said something." he gave me a reproachful look and I sighed looking at my cousin, who did not open his eyes. "I understand." the ranger nodded. "But I must see to that immediately, you'll have to move a little so I can get access to it."
Pippin however, did not seem to want to let me move away, or change position. When I tried to sit up, he clung faster, whimpering. "Pip, its alright." I reassured him, patting his back gently. I glanced back at Aragorn and gave a helpless shrug.
Pippin managed a small murmur just then, "It hurts" he complained against my chest. "My head" he didn't open his eyes though. "Cold..."
I tried to soothe him...stroking the back of his neck gently, he seemed to like that and began to settle down. But then I coughed, I couldn't stop it. Aragorn sighed and proceeded to work with what he had to work with. I was glad of that, but ven the mere touch of his fingers caused me to wince and I had to fight to avoid tears of pain. "Ahhhh.." I couldn't help the cry of pain as he applied a tiny bit of pressure.
"You've broken a rib, Frodo." The ranger shook his head after studying me for some time. "I'm going to have to bind it. I have something I can use in my pack. I put on something that will reduce the pain after a while, but we'll have to continue to apply it. I've been brewing another pot of tea...it's a special blend of healing herbs; Burdock root, Sheep Sorrel, Slippery Elm bark and dried rhubarb. I put a bit of ginger in it so it won't taste nasty, but I know It doesn't sound very good. Trust me though. I made it for Pippin, but I think it'll help you as well. I also mashed some of the rhubarb and burdock together and applied it to Pippin's head under the bandage, and will put it to your ribs here as well. They're healing agents, Frodo, they speed up wound healing. I'm sure you have similar roots in the Shire."
Pippin shivered, and I tried to tuck the covers more around him than myself, though I was cold as well, and I was feeling something worse just around the corner. Aragorn carefully lifted me up while Pippin clutched me and proceeded to work the herbs onto my body and then wrap a bandage tightly around my stomach. I winced…but knew that it had to be bound so that the ribs would set back and heal.
I closed my eyes, and that's when Aragorn had me drink some of the tea. It tasted rather nasty…but the ginger did a lot to improve it…and it was soft against my throat. I smiled, and helped him to steady Pippin, "Pip…Pip if you can hear me open your mouth now, some nice tea here… Be a good lad." I tried to remember what people always used to tell me when I was ill…though those were times I'd rather forget.
Pippin's eyes fluttered open just then, though they were glazed and unsure. He blinked at me, confused. "Merry…" he called out his cousin's name. "Where's Merry?" he tried to quickly look around in concern, but fell back against me…it had hurt him to even move a couple of times. He whimpered. "Frodo…what happened?" he had no energy to drink yet and would not comply.
At least he knew who I was. I smiled and Aragorn nodded thoughtfully, it was a good sign. "You're with me and Aragorn, Pip. We fell…but everyone else is alright. You have a wound. Try and relax."
"I'm hungry…." Pippin then whimpered again…"I don't want tea…Juice…orange…and some taters…and sausage…" he shivered against me. "Hot cider…" I think he was beginning to forget again where he was. "Frodo…my throat hurts.."
The tea was calming the burning sensation that had developed earlier in my throat and I breathed a sign of relief. Though…it was doing nothing for my nose. I was coming down with a cold…I was fairly sure of that. I lifted my hand to rub away my running nose and gazed back at the ranger. "He won't drink it….How do I get him to drink it?" I was next to useless when it came to taking care of others. I had no practice.
"At least he's asking for food." Aragorn smiled then, "it's a good sign, Frodo. Here now…let me help you.
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