Chapter 12
Stars
"Mama?" Frodo asked weakly. He had no idea what time of the day it was but he didn't care.
"Yes pumpkin?" Primula dipped a washcloth into a bowl of luke-warm water and gently ran it over her son's burning forehead.
"I don't feel good."
Primula took Frodo's hand in her own giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know sweetheart."
Bilbo entered the bedroom looking very tired though he had just gotten a few hours of sleep. He did not need to speak for Primula turned her head at the sound of his footsteps.
"How is he?" Bilbo asked, stifling a yawn.
Primula shook her head. "Not well, Bilbo. Is Drogo still sleeping?"
Bilbo nodded. "On the couch in the parlor. He fell asleep reading and of course I didn't have the heart to wake him."
Primula chuckled just as Frodo sneezed a few times. Frodo sneezed awfully loud and hard for a lad his size that was, unfortunately, a Baggins trait. Bilbo himself had nearly sneezed so hard a few years ago, that he'd accidentally blown over a vase in the front hall. When Bilbo told Primula this she took a fresh handkerchief and gently wiped Frodo's reddening nose with it.
"Yes. Unfortunately I can not even imagine just how terrible his sneezes will be when he's a tweenager!" She winked at Bilbo who laughed once again.
"Bilbo?" Frodo asked turning his head towards his Uncle.
"Yes lad?"
"Can you sit with me?"
Primula raised an eyebrow. "Now Frodo," she began.
"I want Bilbo." Frodo repeated stubbornly.
"All right. Bilbo-you wouldn't mind sitting up with him for a bit would you? I think I am going to get some rest."
"Of course not. Go on and sleep. Frodo will be all right."
Primula gave Frodo a quick kiss on the forehead and then left the room. When she was gone, Bilbo took her seat and smiled at his nephew. He often had dreams of taking Frodo with him on one of his adventures but at this point the idea seemed near impossible. Even when the lad recovered from his illness he would be very weak for a long time. "T-tell me a story." Shivered Frodo as he pulled the blankets tighter to him.
"Would you like another blanket?" Bilbo asked, checking to make sure Frodo didn't have too many already and found that Frodo only had one thick quilt and a sheet.
"Uh huh."
"All right-I'll be right back." Bilbo stood and went to grab another fresh quilt from the linen closet. "Now be a good little hobbit and close your eyes. I'm going to sing to you. Would you like that?"
"I want a story!" Frodo yelled, startling Bilbo. "A story, a story, a story!"
"Shhhhh!" Bilbo whispered, placing a finger against his lips. "Your Mama and Papa are trying to sleep."
"I want a story!" Frodo added in an even harsher tone. The cranky part of the illness was starting to come out.
"A story it is then." Bilbo tucked the second quilt over the first and then had a sudden idea. He slowly and carefully lifted the young hobbit into his arms and took him to sit on the windowsill. "A change of environment." Bilbo kissed the top of his nephew's head when Frodo snuggled against his chest. "I love you very much, lad. I hope you know that." He whispered.
"Mmm hmm." Frodo mumbled as he closed his eyes. "Story." He added before coughing.
"Very well then. Once upon a time there was a beautiful elf maiden. She lived in the villiage of Silverymoon, just twenty miles outside of Mirkwood Forest. (Silverymoon is NOT a real place in Tolkien's works. It is a very interesting creation from my boyfriend's story "Oh what a tangled web" that I enjoyed very much. Unfortunately the story is not posted on fanfiction.net & I did get permission to use the kingdom name) She had beautiful soft brown hair and brown eyes that shone like the stars."
Bilbo's voice was quiet and soothing to Frodo who soon became so tired that he could barely pay attention to the story itself. He had never felt so miserable in his life. His chest and throat were on fire and his nose was plugged up so he had to breathe through his mouth. Despite the constant efforts of his parents and Bilbo, Frodo was not feeling any better. Bilbo soon realized that Frodo had fallen asleep and smiled to himself as he stroked Frodo's damp bangs away from his eyes before carefully lifting him up again and carrying him back to bed.
"Mama?" Frodo asked weakly. He had no idea what time of the day it was but he didn't care.
"Yes pumpkin?" Primula dipped a washcloth into a bowl of luke-warm water and gently ran it over her son's burning forehead.
"I don't feel good."
Primula took Frodo's hand in her own giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know sweetheart."
Bilbo entered the bedroom looking very tired though he had just gotten a few hours of sleep. He did not need to speak for Primula turned her head at the sound of his footsteps.
"How is he?" Bilbo asked, stifling a yawn.
Primula shook her head. "Not well, Bilbo. Is Drogo still sleeping?"
Bilbo nodded. "On the couch in the parlor. He fell asleep reading and of course I didn't have the heart to wake him."
Primula chuckled just as Frodo sneezed a few times. Frodo sneezed awfully loud and hard for a lad his size that was, unfortunately, a Baggins trait. Bilbo himself had nearly sneezed so hard a few years ago, that he'd accidentally blown over a vase in the front hall. When Bilbo told Primula this she took a fresh handkerchief and gently wiped Frodo's reddening nose with it.
"Yes. Unfortunately I can not even imagine just how terrible his sneezes will be when he's a tweenager!" She winked at Bilbo who laughed once again.
"Bilbo?" Frodo asked turning his head towards his Uncle.
"Yes lad?"
"Can you sit with me?"
Primula raised an eyebrow. "Now Frodo," she began.
"I want Bilbo." Frodo repeated stubbornly.
"All right. Bilbo-you wouldn't mind sitting up with him for a bit would you? I think I am going to get some rest."
"Of course not. Go on and sleep. Frodo will be all right."
Primula gave Frodo a quick kiss on the forehead and then left the room. When she was gone, Bilbo took her seat and smiled at his nephew. He often had dreams of taking Frodo with him on one of his adventures but at this point the idea seemed near impossible. Even when the lad recovered from his illness he would be very weak for a long time. "T-tell me a story." Shivered Frodo as he pulled the blankets tighter to him.
"Would you like another blanket?" Bilbo asked, checking to make sure Frodo didn't have too many already and found that Frodo only had one thick quilt and a sheet.
"Uh huh."
"All right-I'll be right back." Bilbo stood and went to grab another fresh quilt from the linen closet. "Now be a good little hobbit and close your eyes. I'm going to sing to you. Would you like that?"
"I want a story!" Frodo yelled, startling Bilbo. "A story, a story, a story!"
"Shhhhh!" Bilbo whispered, placing a finger against his lips. "Your Mama and Papa are trying to sleep."
"I want a story!" Frodo added in an even harsher tone. The cranky part of the illness was starting to come out.
"A story it is then." Bilbo tucked the second quilt over the first and then had a sudden idea. He slowly and carefully lifted the young hobbit into his arms and took him to sit on the windowsill. "A change of environment." Bilbo kissed the top of his nephew's head when Frodo snuggled against his chest. "I love you very much, lad. I hope you know that." He whispered.
"Mmm hmm." Frodo mumbled as he closed his eyes. "Story." He added before coughing.
"Very well then. Once upon a time there was a beautiful elf maiden. She lived in the villiage of Silverymoon, just twenty miles outside of Mirkwood Forest. (Silverymoon is NOT a real place in Tolkien's works. It is a very interesting creation from my boyfriend's story "Oh what a tangled web" that I enjoyed very much. Unfortunately the story is not posted on fanfiction.net & I did get permission to use the kingdom name) She had beautiful soft brown hair and brown eyes that shone like the stars."
Bilbo's voice was quiet and soothing to Frodo who soon became so tired that he could barely pay attention to the story itself. He had never felt so miserable in his life. His chest and throat were on fire and his nose was plugged up so he had to breathe through his mouth. Despite the constant efforts of his parents and Bilbo, Frodo was not feeling any better. Bilbo soon realized that Frodo had fallen asleep and smiled to himself as he stroked Frodo's damp bangs away from his eyes before carefully lifting him up again and carrying him back to bed.