Chapter 2
The next morning Frodo opened bleary eyes to find bright sunlight streaming through the open window. He didn't feel as though he had the flu but his nose was blocked and his eyes and ears itched for some very strange reason. 'What's going on here?' he thought to himself as he struggled to sit up.
"Frodo, lad...breakfast!" Bilbo called from the kitchen.
Normally if he was ill, Frodo's stomach would have churned at the slightest mention of food but he had a pretty much perfect appetite and slid out of bed, grimacing as his bare feet touched the hardwood floor. He sneezed loudly as he went to retrieve his robe from his press and put it on. Then he made sure to grab a fresh handkerchief from a small wooden box on his desk before joining his Uncle in the kitchen.
"Good morning." He greeted, seeing his Uncle at the stove stirring bacon in one of the old iron frying pans.
"Good morning, cricket. How are you feeling?"
"Strange," Frodo admitted. "Not ill really--just all plugged up." He gave Bilbo a quick kiss before starting the process of setting the table.
Bilbo watched his nephew with concern as the lad sneezed and thought about fetching the healer, just to be on the safe side. "I wish I knew what was wrong, Frodo." The old hobbit said with sympathy. "Are you sure you don't feel the least bit ill today?"
"Besides this? No." Frodo admitted, proceeding to sneeze loudly again.
"I really think I ought to fetch Dr. Burrows just to be safe." Bilbo went to place a hand against Frodo's forehead and to his relief it felt cool.
"No fever. You are a mystery, my lad. Well--sit down and eat a good meal and then I'll go and get the doctor."
Frodo obeyed Bilbo, knowing that it was useless to argue. Breakfast was a rather quiet affair that morning. The only noise that could be heard was Frodo's sniffling.
"I'm sorry, Bilbo." Frodo apologized after sneezing twice in a row. Bilbo took a sip of his plain tea with honey and turned to gaze out of the open window into the backyard garden. He could hear the clippers of Hamfast Gamgee, who was usually up at dawn and working on the grass and the flowers. Bilbo paid the Gamgees very well for their work and often times treated them like family.
"It's not your fault, lad. We just have to find out what's causing that sneezing. Perhaps you've come up with a new, unidentified illness."
Frodo laughed. "Wouldn't that be a jolly thing! Frodo Baggins-occupation-gienea pig."
Bilbo ruffled Frodo's hair, causing the lad to laugh again. When breakfast ended and the dishes were put away, Bilbo grabbed his walking stick. "I'm going to fetch the healer, Frodo. You just lay down and rest in the parlor. We'll figure this whole thing out, all right?"
Frodo nodded and went to lay down on the couch with one of his books and listened to the door open and close. Just as it did, Frodo broke into a fit of sneezing and nearly fell off the couch with exhaustion. 'Ugh,' he thought miserably, dabbing at his now streaming nose. 'I hope Dr. Burrows can find out what's wrong with me before I sneeze my head off.' He suddenly felt very thirsty and went to fetch himself a glass of water from the kitchen, but yet another sneeze took over and he quickly sat down again. Just as he was preparing to stand a second time, there were a few knocks on the door. 'Must be Sam,' he thought as he struggled to stand and went to open the main door. Sure enough, the gardener's young son stood in the doorway and was smiling brightly.
"Good morning, Mr. Frodo! Me Da' wanted to know if you wanted anythin' from the market today."
"I don't think we need anything. Bilbo just went to fetch the doctor so I can't say for sure."
"The doctor, sir? Not ill are you?"
Frodo raised his eyes. "I don't know."
Now it was Sam's turn to look startled. "How could you not know whether you are ill?"
"It's very strange. I've been sneezing all morning so far but I don't have a fever or anything."
Sam bit his lower lip in thought. "Wonder what the matter is, then. Well, sir--you'd best be layin' down jus' the same. I'll tell me Da' that Mr. Bilbo went out an' we'll check back later."
"Thank you, Sam." Frodo watched as the young hobbit went back to join his father in the work and he suddenly felt the urge to sneeze again. He quickly shut the door and sneezed violently.
'Please come back, Bilbo. I may sneeze myself to death.' Frodo thought with misery.
The next morning Frodo opened bleary eyes to find bright sunlight streaming through the open window. He didn't feel as though he had the flu but his nose was blocked and his eyes and ears itched for some very strange reason. 'What's going on here?' he thought to himself as he struggled to sit up.
"Frodo, lad...breakfast!" Bilbo called from the kitchen.
Normally if he was ill, Frodo's stomach would have churned at the slightest mention of food but he had a pretty much perfect appetite and slid out of bed, grimacing as his bare feet touched the hardwood floor. He sneezed loudly as he went to retrieve his robe from his press and put it on. Then he made sure to grab a fresh handkerchief from a small wooden box on his desk before joining his Uncle in the kitchen.
"Good morning." He greeted, seeing his Uncle at the stove stirring bacon in one of the old iron frying pans.
"Good morning, cricket. How are you feeling?"
"Strange," Frodo admitted. "Not ill really--just all plugged up." He gave Bilbo a quick kiss before starting the process of setting the table.
Bilbo watched his nephew with concern as the lad sneezed and thought about fetching the healer, just to be on the safe side. "I wish I knew what was wrong, Frodo." The old hobbit said with sympathy. "Are you sure you don't feel the least bit ill today?"
"Besides this? No." Frodo admitted, proceeding to sneeze loudly again.
"I really think I ought to fetch Dr. Burrows just to be safe." Bilbo went to place a hand against Frodo's forehead and to his relief it felt cool.
"No fever. You are a mystery, my lad. Well--sit down and eat a good meal and then I'll go and get the doctor."
Frodo obeyed Bilbo, knowing that it was useless to argue. Breakfast was a rather quiet affair that morning. The only noise that could be heard was Frodo's sniffling.
"I'm sorry, Bilbo." Frodo apologized after sneezing twice in a row. Bilbo took a sip of his plain tea with honey and turned to gaze out of the open window into the backyard garden. He could hear the clippers of Hamfast Gamgee, who was usually up at dawn and working on the grass and the flowers. Bilbo paid the Gamgees very well for their work and often times treated them like family.
"It's not your fault, lad. We just have to find out what's causing that sneezing. Perhaps you've come up with a new, unidentified illness."
Frodo laughed. "Wouldn't that be a jolly thing! Frodo Baggins-occupation-gienea pig."
Bilbo ruffled Frodo's hair, causing the lad to laugh again. When breakfast ended and the dishes were put away, Bilbo grabbed his walking stick. "I'm going to fetch the healer, Frodo. You just lay down and rest in the parlor. We'll figure this whole thing out, all right?"
Frodo nodded and went to lay down on the couch with one of his books and listened to the door open and close. Just as it did, Frodo broke into a fit of sneezing and nearly fell off the couch with exhaustion. 'Ugh,' he thought miserably, dabbing at his now streaming nose. 'I hope Dr. Burrows can find out what's wrong with me before I sneeze my head off.' He suddenly felt very thirsty and went to fetch himself a glass of water from the kitchen, but yet another sneeze took over and he quickly sat down again. Just as he was preparing to stand a second time, there were a few knocks on the door. 'Must be Sam,' he thought as he struggled to stand and went to open the main door. Sure enough, the gardener's young son stood in the doorway and was smiling brightly.
"Good morning, Mr. Frodo! Me Da' wanted to know if you wanted anythin' from the market today."
"I don't think we need anything. Bilbo just went to fetch the doctor so I can't say for sure."
"The doctor, sir? Not ill are you?"
Frodo raised his eyes. "I don't know."
Now it was Sam's turn to look startled. "How could you not know whether you are ill?"
"It's very strange. I've been sneezing all morning so far but I don't have a fever or anything."
Sam bit his lower lip in thought. "Wonder what the matter is, then. Well, sir--you'd best be layin' down jus' the same. I'll tell me Da' that Mr. Bilbo went out an' we'll check back later."
"Thank you, Sam." Frodo watched as the young hobbit went back to join his father in the work and he suddenly felt the urge to sneeze again. He quickly shut the door and sneezed violently.
'Please come back, Bilbo. I may sneeze myself to death.' Frodo thought with misery.