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CHAPTER 28 : Waiting
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Frodo lay in his bed, sighing. It hurt so much….and he didn't know how much longer he could go on. He'd written to her…he'd sent a letter to Rivendell. But would it get to her? He was anxious…asking for the mail every day. Still…nothing. Seven days passed….maybe more, he could no longer tell. He was drifting in and out and felt…woozy. He'd begun to refuse food and would only let them ply drinks into him. His Aunt Angeline was at her wits end and he'd heard them talking about how he was slowly wasting away.
Was he really? He felt weak, and afraid. He felt that if she did not come to him…if she wasn't here by now…something terrible had happened to her. He felt it in his heart, a sickening feeling that would not go away. What would he do without her? She had been his best friend since his parents died. The only one who was able to truly comfort him. He saw her face when he closed his eyes, her bright smile…her soft hair.
He was a fool to have waited so long…but every time…every time they were together…he wasn't strong enough. He…he had nothing to offer her. Not yet. All he really wanted was for her to be with him…for her to hold him in her arms. He would tell her…he would tell her for sure when he saw her again…if he saw her again.
"Gailethil…" He whimpered in his sleep, feeling a cool cloth against his forehead. He looked up and saw his Aunt sitting there with him, holding his trembling hand.
"Not today, Frodo, I'm sorry." she said gently, "Will you have a little soup…mushroom…your favorite…"
"no…" he turned away to look at the other side of the bed, Merry was standing there, frowning softly.
"Frodo…listen now." Merry's voice was far gruffer than it usually was. "You have to eat something. You can't live on juice and water. Come on now…listen to Aunty…You have to get better. What would Bilbo say?"
That hit Frodo right between the eyes and he blinked…tears welling, "Bilbo…" he looked over at the soup, and then up at his Aunt. "It hurts…I'll just…throw up again…" his lower lip trembled.
"You can do it Frodo." Merry encouraged him. It never ceased to amaze Frodo just how level headed Merry could be. "Its just a bowl of soup…almost like drinking really. "We've got a bath prepared too, and are going to change the sheets, it'll be a lot nicer in here. What do you say?"
Angeline nodded, "I made it soft…like water, Frodo. Its only got mushrooms in it and it will go easy on your stomach sweetie. I promise."
Gailethil…Frodo thought to himself…if he didn't get better…If he didn't at least try…He was…he was used to people leaving him. Maybe…well…he'd have to get used to the idea that he might never see her again now. He sighed resignedly and murmured without much enthusiasm. "Alright…"
"That's a good lad, Frodo." Merry grinned cheerily. "Just a few spoonfuls, let your Aunty help you now." his cousin went about to prepare the bed for stripping down as his uncle Laradoc came in with a bathtub. Sam and Pippin both bore buckets of warm water.
Frodo complied…but only barely…after the third one…he clutched his stomach in pain and shook his head, burying his face in the pillows. "N-no…" he whimpered. "No more…"
"Oh Sweetie." Angeline put the soup aside and gathered him into her arms in a gentle embrace. Frodo continued to whimper, his tossled curls damp from sweat.
Merry sighed and shook his head. He helped his Aunt to get Frodo ready for the bath while Pippin and Sam helped Laradoc. Finally, Frodo was lowered into the tub and Sam and Pippin went to stripping the wet sheets off of his cousin's bed while Laradoc returned to the kitchen to boil some more water.
Frodo lay against the edge of the tub, not moving. His eyes closed, he was almost like a rag doll while his Aunt and Merry took the job of washing him. Still…she didn't come. His stomach was in turmoil…even the little mushrooms were threatening to come up at any moment and he felt dizzy.
Frodo opened bloodshot eyes to stare at Merry, they were clouded over with pink and red from the fever. As striking as they were against the blue of his eyes he would seem almost like a tiny demon…were it not for the desperation in his gaze.
Merry reached over and took his cousin's hand, holding it tightly as Angeline finished rinsing off Frodo's hair. They put him in a large towel and dried him off easily. He was so weak that he was hardly a challenge at all.
They laid him in the new clean bed, arranging him against the pillows tenderly. Sam and Pippin were now gone from the room again. Though he felt clean…he was far from comfortable…but too exhausted to try and change position. His stomach though…he looked up at his aunt miserably. "Angeline…I'm going to…"
They had a basin ready and Angeline rubbed his back softly while he lost what food was put into him. He then lay back as she wiped off his mouth and had him drink a little tea to get the taste out of it. Merry rubbed his eyes again. Even though Angeline and Laradoc were here…Merry hadn't got a great deal of sleep. He worried that his cousin was purposely trying to remain ill.
* * *
TBC
CHAPTER 28 : Waiting
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Frodo lay in his bed, sighing. It hurt so much….and he didn't know how much longer he could go on. He'd written to her…he'd sent a letter to Rivendell. But would it get to her? He was anxious…asking for the mail every day. Still…nothing. Seven days passed….maybe more, he could no longer tell. He was drifting in and out and felt…woozy. He'd begun to refuse food and would only let them ply drinks into him. His Aunt Angeline was at her wits end and he'd heard them talking about how he was slowly wasting away.
Was he really? He felt weak, and afraid. He felt that if she did not come to him…if she wasn't here by now…something terrible had happened to her. He felt it in his heart, a sickening feeling that would not go away. What would he do without her? She had been his best friend since his parents died. The only one who was able to truly comfort him. He saw her face when he closed his eyes, her bright smile…her soft hair.
He was a fool to have waited so long…but every time…every time they were together…he wasn't strong enough. He…he had nothing to offer her. Not yet. All he really wanted was for her to be with him…for her to hold him in her arms. He would tell her…he would tell her for sure when he saw her again…if he saw her again.
"Gailethil…" He whimpered in his sleep, feeling a cool cloth against his forehead. He looked up and saw his Aunt sitting there with him, holding his trembling hand.
"Not today, Frodo, I'm sorry." she said gently, "Will you have a little soup…mushroom…your favorite…"
"no…" he turned away to look at the other side of the bed, Merry was standing there, frowning softly.
"Frodo…listen now." Merry's voice was far gruffer than it usually was. "You have to eat something. You can't live on juice and water. Come on now…listen to Aunty…You have to get better. What would Bilbo say?"
That hit Frodo right between the eyes and he blinked…tears welling, "Bilbo…" he looked over at the soup, and then up at his Aunt. "It hurts…I'll just…throw up again…" his lower lip trembled.
"You can do it Frodo." Merry encouraged him. It never ceased to amaze Frodo just how level headed Merry could be. "Its just a bowl of soup…almost like drinking really. "We've got a bath prepared too, and are going to change the sheets, it'll be a lot nicer in here. What do you say?"
Angeline nodded, "I made it soft…like water, Frodo. Its only got mushrooms in it and it will go easy on your stomach sweetie. I promise."
Gailethil…Frodo thought to himself…if he didn't get better…If he didn't at least try…He was…he was used to people leaving him. Maybe…well…he'd have to get used to the idea that he might never see her again now. He sighed resignedly and murmured without much enthusiasm. "Alright…"
"That's a good lad, Frodo." Merry grinned cheerily. "Just a few spoonfuls, let your Aunty help you now." his cousin went about to prepare the bed for stripping down as his uncle Laradoc came in with a bathtub. Sam and Pippin both bore buckets of warm water.
Frodo complied…but only barely…after the third one…he clutched his stomach in pain and shook his head, burying his face in the pillows. "N-no…" he whimpered. "No more…"
"Oh Sweetie." Angeline put the soup aside and gathered him into her arms in a gentle embrace. Frodo continued to whimper, his tossled curls damp from sweat.
Merry sighed and shook his head. He helped his Aunt to get Frodo ready for the bath while Pippin and Sam helped Laradoc. Finally, Frodo was lowered into the tub and Sam and Pippin went to stripping the wet sheets off of his cousin's bed while Laradoc returned to the kitchen to boil some more water.
Frodo lay against the edge of the tub, not moving. His eyes closed, he was almost like a rag doll while his Aunt and Merry took the job of washing him. Still…she didn't come. His stomach was in turmoil…even the little mushrooms were threatening to come up at any moment and he felt dizzy.
Frodo opened bloodshot eyes to stare at Merry, they were clouded over with pink and red from the fever. As striking as they were against the blue of his eyes he would seem almost like a tiny demon…were it not for the desperation in his gaze.
Merry reached over and took his cousin's hand, holding it tightly as Angeline finished rinsing off Frodo's hair. They put him in a large towel and dried him off easily. He was so weak that he was hardly a challenge at all.
They laid him in the new clean bed, arranging him against the pillows tenderly. Sam and Pippin were now gone from the room again. Though he felt clean…he was far from comfortable…but too exhausted to try and change position. His stomach though…he looked up at his aunt miserably. "Angeline…I'm going to…"
They had a basin ready and Angeline rubbed his back softly while he lost what food was put into him. He then lay back as she wiped off his mouth and had him drink a little tea to get the taste out of it. Merry rubbed his eyes again. Even though Angeline and Laradoc were here…Merry hadn't got a great deal of sleep. He worried that his cousin was purposely trying to remain ill.
* * *
TBC