Chapter 14
For the time being
A/N: Again I would like to take the time to thank you for all of your kind reviews! I do apologize for the mixup in the seasons. In Chapter 1 I said Primula, Frodo & Drogo went to visit Bilbo in September and in Chapter 13 I accidentally said that it was early spring. So I apologize for that mixup. *oops* So forgive me!!!!!!!! I am VERY pleased w/ the new TWO TOWERS trailer that my computer FINALLY let me view this afternoon. LOVE the Frodo & Sam footage! The movie in its entirety looks wonderful. Anyway-keep reading & reviewing!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Frodo sat up against the headboard of his bed and accepted a small spoonfull of warm chicken broth later in the evening. He still had a fever but he was not showing any signs of delirium. Primula and Drogo stood in the doorway, holding each other and smiling as they watched Bilbo dip the spoon into the china bowl. "There we are." Bilbo soothed as Frodo took another sip, giving his Uncle a weak smile as he did so. Feeling the presence of someone else in the room, Bilbo looked over his shoulder.
"I am guessing that tea was never made?" Bilbo asked. Primula frowned.
"I had to get some fresh air." She insisted.
"Don't worry. I cooked up some very nice soup if you two would like it." Bilbo added.
"Thank you." Primula edged towards her son, still expecting a fever fit and couldn't help but smile even wider when she saw that he opened his arms.
"Hug Mommy?" He asked.
"Oh my poor baby." Primula sobbed, pulling Frodo into her arms. Drogo folded his arms and asked to speak to Bilbo alone. Primula agreed that they should have some male-bonding time and shooed them away. When they were gone, Primula tucked Frodo back into bed and gently stroked his sweaty forehead.
"Am I going to get better, Mommy?" Frodo asked as a fit of coughing took over.
"Of course pumpkin."
"Then can we still stay with Uncle Bilbo? I didn't get to have any fun."
Primula laughed and kissed him. "We'll see, sweetie. Your Uncle Bilbo is a very busy hobbit."
"I know." Frodo gazed up at the ceiling from where he lay on the pillow and was grateful to see that it had stopped spinning. Primula could see the swollen glands in her son's neck and she felt ill herself.
"You know what I think we will do?" She asked. "I'm going to get a cool compress and put it over your neck-may help sooth the pain there. How does that sound?"
Frodo nodded. "Sounds good. It hurts to swallow."
"All right. Stay right here, Frodo-don't move-I'll be right back." She squeezed his hand before hurrying to the kitchen. Frodo watched her go and felt a bit relieved that his parents were here as well as Bilbo. If he had been visiting Bilbo alone he was sure the situation at hand would be much different. Bilbo was not very familiar with nursing young hobbits- though he had nursed his own colds and flus over the years. Frodo wondered what life would be like if he lived with Bilbo. He often dreamed of it but then he enjoyed life with his own parents at Brandy Hall and enjoyed having many cousins his age to play with. When he needed solitude there Frodo often retreated to the library and locked the door and could read for hours without anyone finding him-that is until dinnertime arrived!
Primula soon returned with a wet cloth bathed in lavender oil and gently applied it over the swollen glands. Frodo nearly choked on the strong scent but eventually became immune to it. It was very soothing and helped his conjested lungs clear a bit. Eventually Bilbo and Drogo returned and nearly passed out from the lavender.
"What in the name of the Shire did you put on him, Primula?" Drogo asked.
Primula rolled her eyes. "Lavender oil. Esmerelda used it on you and you were too delerious to even notice it."
Frodo suddenly burst into a fit of giggles and his eyes crossed a bit. "Frodo!" Bilbo cried. "What is it?"
"Feeling dizzy," The lad muttered, closing his eyes to keep the world from spinning again.
"Is it too much for you, sweetheart?" Primula asked. Frodo nodded.
"I'm gonna throw up." He choked and lurched forward without warning before either of his elders could fetch a basin. Bilbo grimaced as the leftovers of Frodo's last meal ended up on his wooden floor.
"I'll get some wet rags to clean it up," Drogo announced and hurried into the kitchen. Frodo retched three or four times before a basin was finally brought after the initial shock of the mess wore off.
"Get it all up, lad. There we go." Bilbo comforted, rubbing his nephew's back. When the vomiting ended Frodo took a deep breath and leaned against his mother limply. Drogo immediately started to clean up the puddle on the floor and apologized to Bilbo who insisted it was no trouble.
"It was our own fault for not having a basin in here." Bilbo said. "Do you feel a bit better now, Frodo?" He asked and the little hobbit nodded.
"Yes."
Bilbo helped Frodo rinse the foul taste away with a mug of chamomile tea and then went to take the dirty basin outside.
"That is the first time I belive you've vomitted since you became ill Frodo." Primula told her son. "This illness may be getting worse."
"I AM dying then!" Frodo sobbed. "Mama-I d-don't want to d-die. I'm s- scared."
Primula nearly choked on tears. "Enough about that, Frodo! You are not going to die."
"But you said I might be getting worse and I don't know what feels worse than this." Frodo added, still crying.
"We're going to fetch the healer," Primula sobbed, hugging her son tightly to her breast, ignoring the heat radiating from his small body.
A/N: Again I would like to take the time to thank you for all of your kind reviews! I do apologize for the mixup in the seasons. In Chapter 1 I said Primula, Frodo & Drogo went to visit Bilbo in September and in Chapter 13 I accidentally said that it was early spring. So I apologize for that mixup. *oops* So forgive me!!!!!!!! I am VERY pleased w/ the new TWO TOWERS trailer that my computer FINALLY let me view this afternoon. LOVE the Frodo & Sam footage! The movie in its entirety looks wonderful. Anyway-keep reading & reviewing!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Frodo sat up against the headboard of his bed and accepted a small spoonfull of warm chicken broth later in the evening. He still had a fever but he was not showing any signs of delirium. Primula and Drogo stood in the doorway, holding each other and smiling as they watched Bilbo dip the spoon into the china bowl. "There we are." Bilbo soothed as Frodo took another sip, giving his Uncle a weak smile as he did so. Feeling the presence of someone else in the room, Bilbo looked over his shoulder.
"I am guessing that tea was never made?" Bilbo asked. Primula frowned.
"I had to get some fresh air." She insisted.
"Don't worry. I cooked up some very nice soup if you two would like it." Bilbo added.
"Thank you." Primula edged towards her son, still expecting a fever fit and couldn't help but smile even wider when she saw that he opened his arms.
"Hug Mommy?" He asked.
"Oh my poor baby." Primula sobbed, pulling Frodo into her arms. Drogo folded his arms and asked to speak to Bilbo alone. Primula agreed that they should have some male-bonding time and shooed them away. When they were gone, Primula tucked Frodo back into bed and gently stroked his sweaty forehead.
"Am I going to get better, Mommy?" Frodo asked as a fit of coughing took over.
"Of course pumpkin."
"Then can we still stay with Uncle Bilbo? I didn't get to have any fun."
Primula laughed and kissed him. "We'll see, sweetie. Your Uncle Bilbo is a very busy hobbit."
"I know." Frodo gazed up at the ceiling from where he lay on the pillow and was grateful to see that it had stopped spinning. Primula could see the swollen glands in her son's neck and she felt ill herself.
"You know what I think we will do?" She asked. "I'm going to get a cool compress and put it over your neck-may help sooth the pain there. How does that sound?"
Frodo nodded. "Sounds good. It hurts to swallow."
"All right. Stay right here, Frodo-don't move-I'll be right back." She squeezed his hand before hurrying to the kitchen. Frodo watched her go and felt a bit relieved that his parents were here as well as Bilbo. If he had been visiting Bilbo alone he was sure the situation at hand would be much different. Bilbo was not very familiar with nursing young hobbits- though he had nursed his own colds and flus over the years. Frodo wondered what life would be like if he lived with Bilbo. He often dreamed of it but then he enjoyed life with his own parents at Brandy Hall and enjoyed having many cousins his age to play with. When he needed solitude there Frodo often retreated to the library and locked the door and could read for hours without anyone finding him-that is until dinnertime arrived!
Primula soon returned with a wet cloth bathed in lavender oil and gently applied it over the swollen glands. Frodo nearly choked on the strong scent but eventually became immune to it. It was very soothing and helped his conjested lungs clear a bit. Eventually Bilbo and Drogo returned and nearly passed out from the lavender.
"What in the name of the Shire did you put on him, Primula?" Drogo asked.
Primula rolled her eyes. "Lavender oil. Esmerelda used it on you and you were too delerious to even notice it."
Frodo suddenly burst into a fit of giggles and his eyes crossed a bit. "Frodo!" Bilbo cried. "What is it?"
"Feeling dizzy," The lad muttered, closing his eyes to keep the world from spinning again.
"Is it too much for you, sweetheart?" Primula asked. Frodo nodded.
"I'm gonna throw up." He choked and lurched forward without warning before either of his elders could fetch a basin. Bilbo grimaced as the leftovers of Frodo's last meal ended up on his wooden floor.
"I'll get some wet rags to clean it up," Drogo announced and hurried into the kitchen. Frodo retched three or four times before a basin was finally brought after the initial shock of the mess wore off.
"Get it all up, lad. There we go." Bilbo comforted, rubbing his nephew's back. When the vomiting ended Frodo took a deep breath and leaned against his mother limply. Drogo immediately started to clean up the puddle on the floor and apologized to Bilbo who insisted it was no trouble.
"It was our own fault for not having a basin in here." Bilbo said. "Do you feel a bit better now, Frodo?" He asked and the little hobbit nodded.
"Yes."
Bilbo helped Frodo rinse the foul taste away with a mug of chamomile tea and then went to take the dirty basin outside.
"That is the first time I belive you've vomitted since you became ill Frodo." Primula told her son. "This illness may be getting worse."
"I AM dying then!" Frodo sobbed. "Mama-I d-don't want to d-die. I'm s- scared."
Primula nearly choked on tears. "Enough about that, Frodo! You are not going to die."
"But you said I might be getting worse and I don't know what feels worse than this." Frodo added, still crying.
"We're going to fetch the healer," Primula sobbed, hugging her son tightly to her breast, ignoring the heat radiating from his small body.