Disclaimer, The hobbits mentioned in this story are Tolkien's, not mine. I am not paid for this.
A/N The eating dirt part in this story happened to me when I would make a nuisance of myself with my aunt (Who was only eight years older than me) and my older sister.
I woke up feeling a bit better. When I looked over at my chair I saw that it was still occupied by Mr. Frodo, who was sleeping in it. I smiled and rested my eyes. They were still achy, but I didn't feel that I could sleep anymore, which was a good thing. I thought back on the first time I met Mr. Frodo. My Gaffer had brought me to Bag End because I had been getting into mischief and he thought that a good lesson in work was just what I needed to sort me out. He tried to teach me things about the garden, but I was so young that I couldn't sit still for that long. Finally he got fed up with me and sent me into the yard to play. I saw Mr. Frodo sitting under a tree reading a book. I had seen him in the village with Master Bilbo, but I had never met him before. I stopped playing and just looked at him, scared that he might yell at me if I was too noisy, like my brothers did. He could tell that someone was watching him, I think, and he looked up from his reading. Then I thought I was really going to get it. If I even thought about disturbing my brothers, they wrestled me down on the ground and made me eat dirt. I hoped that he wasn't going to do that. Much to my relief, he just put a slip of paper in his book, set it down, and came over to me, smiling. "Hello there, what's your name?" He asked, bending down and looking at me face to face.
I could feel myself getting red, I hadn't thought he was going to talk to me. "Samwise Gamgee."
Oh, your Mr. Gamgee's son! I'm Frodo Baggins, pleased to meet you, Samwise."
I hadn't thought that he would talk to me like this. Like I was a grownup, I mean. Normally older people talked to me in baby talk, didn't talk to me at all, or told me to move along. "I'm just Sam, Mr. Frodo Baggins"
He grinned down at me, "Then I'm just Frodo, Sam."
We played for the rest of the day. He helped me climb high up to the middle branch of a tall tree, (six feet is high to a hobbit,) but we quickly had to get down because my dad was yelling so hard at me. He was afraid I was going to get my neck broken. I really didn't like being up there, anyway, Mr. Frodo didn't seem to mind though, I made up my mind then and there that he was the bravest person I had ever met. After we got down, Mr. Frodo took me into the house and let me play with some of his old toys and played with them himself. I was so sad when Dad came in and said it was time to leave.
I smiled at the memory, and watched as Mr. Frodo stirred himself and woke up, yawning. I settled back on my pillows, noticing that he looked a bit embarrassed at falling asleep. He shouldn't be, though, he has only just recovered from being ill, himself. He looked at my book, no doubt remembering the stories that lay inside, as it was Master Bilbo's book first. He asked if I wanted him to read to me. Of course I said yes. Mr. Frodo enjoys a good book more then anyone else I know, and that book was certainly the best book I had ever read. I'm not as fast a reader as Masters Frodo and Bilbo, but I've read that book more times than I can count. I never get tired of it, and I always find something different when I read it. As I listened to Mr. Frodo's steady, familiar voice I began to get drowsy again. I was rather tired of sleeping all day, but I really couldn't help it. I let my eyes close, telling myself that I needed to stay wake even if I didn't keep my eyes open. That was the last thing I remember clearly before I fell into a deep sleep.
When I woke up again, it was dark. Mr. Frodo was no longer by my bedside, and it seemed as if he hadn't been there for quite sometime. Of course he would want to go home for the night, but I had hoped that he would have told me good-bye. A surge of loneliness went through me, I knew that I had no right to expect anything, but I couldn't help feeling a bit of sadness that he hadn't even left a… I had a sudden thought and looked over at the bedside table. There was a note lying there. I picked it up, my hand shaking with more than just cold. I opened it and held it up to the lamp, which had continued to flicker. ""Dear Sam," it began, it was a long one, so I settled back on the pillows, trying to find a comfortable spot to sit up in. "Dear Sam, I am sorry I had to leave without saying good-bye to you. I hope you understand that I didn't mean to be rude. I figured that you would think me ruder if I had woken you just to say that I was going home for the evening, so I left a note. I wouldn't leave at all, but there are some things that I must attend to early in the morning. I'll be back after I'm done. There maybe some people coming up to Bag End in a few days, and I want to ready for them. Try to sleep, and I hope to be there before you wake up. If I wasn't, I am very sorry. I hope to find you well, (or, at least better) your friend, Frodo. P.S. If you are reading this, try to go back to sleep, alright Samwise. F. B."
I folded the note up and placed it back in the envelope and, draping my arm over my eyes, which had started to ache again, tried to go back to sleep.
When I woke up next, I could tell that it was late morning without even opening my eyes. The next thing I knew, I was feeling something cold and wet against my lips. Gratefully, I accepted the drink. I was very thirsty, for some reason. "Sam, Sam, little sips now. You've been worse, and I don't want you getting sick."
I knew that voice well, "Mr. Frodo?" I managed to get out of my throat, which seems to be on fire. "When," I swallowed hard, willing the pain away, "When did.."
"Shh, Sam, don't try to talk. I got back here yesterday morning. You slept all day and all night. Your fever was frighteningly high, I was thankful to have some help. Last night I was afraid we were going to lose you."
I had never been so confused in all my life. I didn't realize that I had lost a whole day. That in itself is scary, but then, to be told that I had almost been lost, I was more than alarmed. But then something else that Mr. Frodo had said hit me, "Help?" I croaked.
Just then two usually mischievous people came around the corner, quiet, for once. "How are you feeling, Sam?" Merry Brandybuck asked as he came in the room, followed closely by his partner in crime, Pippin Took.
"Lost," I told them truthfully. "Mr. Frodo, what do you mean, you though you were going lose me. I wasn't that sick, was I? What happened?"
I saw a far away look in Mr. Frodo's eyes, he looked sad, very sad, and the look on his face told me plainly that he didn't want to talk about it. It must have been bad, then. Pippin spoke up, "You were really sick, Sam. Frodo was scared. We just came over yesterday morning, and Frodo was leaving just as we were coming. Merry asked him what he was doing, and he said that he was going to check on you. He said that you were ill, so we offered to come along. When we got here, you were sicker than he said you were last night, and he was scared, so we all took care of you."
If I wasn't confused earlier, Pip's jumbled account of things made me confused now. Merry tried to fill in the blanks, "What he means is that we came up to Bag End to pay Frodo a visit, as we told him we were going to do this week, but he was leaving just as we were getting there. He told us that you had been ill, so we asked if we could come along to help. When we go here, we found you sleeping, but Frodo said that you looked a lot worse than you had last night." He paused to take a drink of water, then continued, "Frodo did most of the taking care of you, actually, we just got him anything that he needed, and helped the best that we could."
I leaned my head against the headboard. Mr. Frodo was looking as if he wished they wouldn't talk about it. I could see why, it is very painful to watch someone be so ill that you really can't do anything but try to make them comfortable. Master Frodo had been like that before, on quite a few occasions. Pippin broke in, "You really don't remember anything? Frodo was so worried about you…"
I had to cut Pip off, seeing that Mr. Frodo looked ready to cry, "I really don't want to hear about it. If it was that bad, I am very grateful that I was not awake to feel it. Now, I don't mean to be rude, but I am exhausted, and I want to go back to sleep."
I dozed fitfully for a few hours, aware that my fever had, indeed, gotten higher. I felt terrible, very achy and cold. I shivered when something wet and cool came into contact with my face. "You'll be alright, Sam." I relaxed upon hearing Mr. Frodo's soft voice. Merry and Pippin were nice, but too boisterous to be around when I'm feeling ill, whereas Master Frodo is quiet and gentle. "Here, I want you to drink a bit more of this juice, can you try?"
I nodded, trying to push my head up to have a drink. It tasted wonderful. He helped me take small sips until I began to feel very sleepy again. Then he read to me. As I was falling asleep I thought I heard yelling and arguing coming from the kitchen, but I chose to ignore it, I didn't care if Double Trouble tore up my whole house, as long as I could go back to sleep.
A/N The eating dirt part in this story happened to me when I would make a nuisance of myself with my aunt (Who was only eight years older than me) and my older sister.
I woke up feeling a bit better. When I looked over at my chair I saw that it was still occupied by Mr. Frodo, who was sleeping in it. I smiled and rested my eyes. They were still achy, but I didn't feel that I could sleep anymore, which was a good thing. I thought back on the first time I met Mr. Frodo. My Gaffer had brought me to Bag End because I had been getting into mischief and he thought that a good lesson in work was just what I needed to sort me out. He tried to teach me things about the garden, but I was so young that I couldn't sit still for that long. Finally he got fed up with me and sent me into the yard to play. I saw Mr. Frodo sitting under a tree reading a book. I had seen him in the village with Master Bilbo, but I had never met him before. I stopped playing and just looked at him, scared that he might yell at me if I was too noisy, like my brothers did. He could tell that someone was watching him, I think, and he looked up from his reading. Then I thought I was really going to get it. If I even thought about disturbing my brothers, they wrestled me down on the ground and made me eat dirt. I hoped that he wasn't going to do that. Much to my relief, he just put a slip of paper in his book, set it down, and came over to me, smiling. "Hello there, what's your name?" He asked, bending down and looking at me face to face.
I could feel myself getting red, I hadn't thought he was going to talk to me. "Samwise Gamgee."
Oh, your Mr. Gamgee's son! I'm Frodo Baggins, pleased to meet you, Samwise."
I hadn't thought that he would talk to me like this. Like I was a grownup, I mean. Normally older people talked to me in baby talk, didn't talk to me at all, or told me to move along. "I'm just Sam, Mr. Frodo Baggins"
He grinned down at me, "Then I'm just Frodo, Sam."
We played for the rest of the day. He helped me climb high up to the middle branch of a tall tree, (six feet is high to a hobbit,) but we quickly had to get down because my dad was yelling so hard at me. He was afraid I was going to get my neck broken. I really didn't like being up there, anyway, Mr. Frodo didn't seem to mind though, I made up my mind then and there that he was the bravest person I had ever met. After we got down, Mr. Frodo took me into the house and let me play with some of his old toys and played with them himself. I was so sad when Dad came in and said it was time to leave.
I smiled at the memory, and watched as Mr. Frodo stirred himself and woke up, yawning. I settled back on my pillows, noticing that he looked a bit embarrassed at falling asleep. He shouldn't be, though, he has only just recovered from being ill, himself. He looked at my book, no doubt remembering the stories that lay inside, as it was Master Bilbo's book first. He asked if I wanted him to read to me. Of course I said yes. Mr. Frodo enjoys a good book more then anyone else I know, and that book was certainly the best book I had ever read. I'm not as fast a reader as Masters Frodo and Bilbo, but I've read that book more times than I can count. I never get tired of it, and I always find something different when I read it. As I listened to Mr. Frodo's steady, familiar voice I began to get drowsy again. I was rather tired of sleeping all day, but I really couldn't help it. I let my eyes close, telling myself that I needed to stay wake even if I didn't keep my eyes open. That was the last thing I remember clearly before I fell into a deep sleep.
When I woke up again, it was dark. Mr. Frodo was no longer by my bedside, and it seemed as if he hadn't been there for quite sometime. Of course he would want to go home for the night, but I had hoped that he would have told me good-bye. A surge of loneliness went through me, I knew that I had no right to expect anything, but I couldn't help feeling a bit of sadness that he hadn't even left a… I had a sudden thought and looked over at the bedside table. There was a note lying there. I picked it up, my hand shaking with more than just cold. I opened it and held it up to the lamp, which had continued to flicker. ""Dear Sam," it began, it was a long one, so I settled back on the pillows, trying to find a comfortable spot to sit up in. "Dear Sam, I am sorry I had to leave without saying good-bye to you. I hope you understand that I didn't mean to be rude. I figured that you would think me ruder if I had woken you just to say that I was going home for the evening, so I left a note. I wouldn't leave at all, but there are some things that I must attend to early in the morning. I'll be back after I'm done. There maybe some people coming up to Bag End in a few days, and I want to ready for them. Try to sleep, and I hope to be there before you wake up. If I wasn't, I am very sorry. I hope to find you well, (or, at least better) your friend, Frodo. P.S. If you are reading this, try to go back to sleep, alright Samwise. F. B."
I folded the note up and placed it back in the envelope and, draping my arm over my eyes, which had started to ache again, tried to go back to sleep.
When I woke up next, I could tell that it was late morning without even opening my eyes. The next thing I knew, I was feeling something cold and wet against my lips. Gratefully, I accepted the drink. I was very thirsty, for some reason. "Sam, Sam, little sips now. You've been worse, and I don't want you getting sick."
I knew that voice well, "Mr. Frodo?" I managed to get out of my throat, which seems to be on fire. "When," I swallowed hard, willing the pain away, "When did.."
"Shh, Sam, don't try to talk. I got back here yesterday morning. You slept all day and all night. Your fever was frighteningly high, I was thankful to have some help. Last night I was afraid we were going to lose you."
I had never been so confused in all my life. I didn't realize that I had lost a whole day. That in itself is scary, but then, to be told that I had almost been lost, I was more than alarmed. But then something else that Mr. Frodo had said hit me, "Help?" I croaked.
Just then two usually mischievous people came around the corner, quiet, for once. "How are you feeling, Sam?" Merry Brandybuck asked as he came in the room, followed closely by his partner in crime, Pippin Took.
"Lost," I told them truthfully. "Mr. Frodo, what do you mean, you though you were going lose me. I wasn't that sick, was I? What happened?"
I saw a far away look in Mr. Frodo's eyes, he looked sad, very sad, and the look on his face told me plainly that he didn't want to talk about it. It must have been bad, then. Pippin spoke up, "You were really sick, Sam. Frodo was scared. We just came over yesterday morning, and Frodo was leaving just as we were coming. Merry asked him what he was doing, and he said that he was going to check on you. He said that you were ill, so we offered to come along. When we got here, you were sicker than he said you were last night, and he was scared, so we all took care of you."
If I wasn't confused earlier, Pip's jumbled account of things made me confused now. Merry tried to fill in the blanks, "What he means is that we came up to Bag End to pay Frodo a visit, as we told him we were going to do this week, but he was leaving just as we were getting there. He told us that you had been ill, so we asked if we could come along to help. When we go here, we found you sleeping, but Frodo said that you looked a lot worse than you had last night." He paused to take a drink of water, then continued, "Frodo did most of the taking care of you, actually, we just got him anything that he needed, and helped the best that we could."
I leaned my head against the headboard. Mr. Frodo was looking as if he wished they wouldn't talk about it. I could see why, it is very painful to watch someone be so ill that you really can't do anything but try to make them comfortable. Master Frodo had been like that before, on quite a few occasions. Pippin broke in, "You really don't remember anything? Frodo was so worried about you…"
I had to cut Pip off, seeing that Mr. Frodo looked ready to cry, "I really don't want to hear about it. If it was that bad, I am very grateful that I was not awake to feel it. Now, I don't mean to be rude, but I am exhausted, and I want to go back to sleep."
I dozed fitfully for a few hours, aware that my fever had, indeed, gotten higher. I felt terrible, very achy and cold. I shivered when something wet and cool came into contact with my face. "You'll be alright, Sam." I relaxed upon hearing Mr. Frodo's soft voice. Merry and Pippin were nice, but too boisterous to be around when I'm feeling ill, whereas Master Frodo is quiet and gentle. "Here, I want you to drink a bit more of this juice, can you try?"
I nodded, trying to push my head up to have a drink. It tasted wonderful. He helped me take small sips until I began to feel very sleepy again. Then he read to me. As I was falling asleep I thought I heard yelling and arguing coming from the kitchen, but I chose to ignore it, I didn't care if Double Trouble tore up my whole house, as long as I could go back to sleep.