Chapter 4
Frodo spent most of the afternoon resting on the couch.
Reading even bothered him, for his eyes had begun to water and he
could hardly concentrate on the words. Around dinnertime, Hamfast
stopped by to give Bilbo the things he'd picked up from the market
and was startled to see Frodo lying down wrapped in a quilt.
"Are you ill, Mr. Frodo?" The Gaffer asked with curiosity as
he watched Frodo sneeze into a handkerchief. Bilbo sighed.
"I'm not sure what's wrong with him. It's the strangest cold
I've ever seen! No fever or anything."
Another sneeze from Frodo echoed Bilbo's words.
Hamfast nodded. "Well, I hope you feel better. Here are the
things you asked for, sir. A carton of eggs, milk, chamomile
tealeaves, and a box of fresh handkerchiefs. That was everything,
wasn't it?"
Bilbo nodded. "Yes, Hamfast. Thank you. Good night." He
added as the gardener left for his home. When the door was shut,
Frodo took another deep breath and wiped his nose with the hanky he
held.
"What did you get Bilbo?" he asked. (Though the poor lad's
nose was so plugged up that it sounded more like "Wud did you ged
Bibo?")
"Some tea for you and some handkerchiefs for you. See? They
even have your initils embroidered in the corner." Bilbo showed one
to his nephew and Frodo saw the letters FB stitched in dark blue
thread.
"Thank you." He replied. "Bilbo—do you think I could take a
few breaths of fresh air? Maybe it'll clear my nose."
"If you feel you must. None of your symptoms prevents you
from doing so my boy. Just don't go too far—I'm starting to cook
dinner. How does roast pork sound?"
Frodo grinned. "Fine. I'll be only out back, Bilbo." He gave
Bilbo a quick kiss before heading towards the kitchen and out the
back door that lead into the enormous garden. (Big mistake heheheh)
He took a seat on his favorite stone bench underneath the cherry
blossom tree and took a deep breath. What startled Frodo was that as
soon as he did this, he felt as though his air passage suddenly
blocked and had to kneel down and try and regain his
strength. "Bilbo…." He gasped, clutching at his chest as he sucked in
air. His voice was so weak that surely his Uncle couldn't hear it. He
glanced up and the world seemed blurry through his watery eyes. `I
can't breathe….' He thought in a panic. He felt very dizzy a few
moments later and the world then went black.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"FRODO! Come inside, lad! Time for dinner!" Bilbo called out
the window of the kitchen. When he heard no reply, Bilbo scratched
his head in confusion. "FRODO!" He called again, but this time headed
for the door. "FROD…." He felt his heart freeze. Frodo lay on his
back right before one of the benches in the garden, his arms sprawled
out.
"Frodo!" Bilbo cried and hurried to his nephew's
side. "Sweetheart—open your eyes. Please." Bilbo eased Frodo into a
sitting position and eventually Frodo's impossibly blue eyes
fluttered open.
"Urm." The tweenager mumbled, leaning limply against
Bilbo. "Where `m I?" He asked weakly.
"You're out in the garden. What on Earth happened?"
"Dunno. Just remember….I sat down on the bench and then I
felt really dizzy. Couldn't breathe."
"Couldn't breathe?" Bilbo asked in a panic. "Oh dear…." He
cradled Frodo in his arms. "Come on inside, cricket. I'll give you a
nice warm bubble bath. How does that sound?"
Frodo nodded. "Can't get up….too tired."
"All right. Up we go." Bilbo lifted Frodo into his arms and
carried him into the smial and straight into the indoor privy. Frodo
sat leaning against the wall as Bilbo filled the tub with warm water
and poured the lavender-scented soap bubbles into it. Then he helped
Frodo undress and helped the lad into the bath, watching as Frodo
sunk in about halfway.
"I have to go and look after the roast. I'll be back in a few
minutes. Just relax." Bilbo ordered. When Frodo was alone, he let out
a small sigh and just allowed the water to sooth him. He must have
passed out, but he didn't remember. All he knew now was, he just
wanted to be in his soft featherbed asleep. However, the bath DID
feel wonderful, and the scent of the lavender seemed to clear his
nose a bit, but it was still nastily stuffed up.
When he was finished his bath, he called for Bilbo who came
in right away. He wrapped Frodo in a fluffy white towel and carried
the boy to his bedroom. "I think you should go to sleep early, Frodo.
But do you want dinner still? You can say no if you don't want it at
the moment."
"I do want it," Frodo told Bilbo. "But can I have it in bed?"
"Of course honeypot."
"Honeypot?" Frodo asked, raising his eyebrow.
Bilbo laughed. "Oh my…..I am coming up with a dozen nicknames
for you, aren't I?" He gave Frodo a kiss. "Well…..I'm going to bring
you a small platter. Here are the extra handkerchiefs…..right on your
nightstand if you need them. Would you like the room dim?"
"Yes please. But—but can you leave the window open a crack?
It's a bit stuffy in here."
"Sure. Not too much, though…..don't want you catching a real
chill." Bilbo opened the window about an inch before hurrying to fix
Frodo his dinner. Sighing, Frodo squiggled up so that he was leaning
against his headboard in an easier eating position. Being in bed felt
lovely too, but it was odd. His breathing had returned to normal and
his nose was not as stuffy either. `Must be some strange disease,' he
thought to himself as he reached for one of his new handkerchiefs.
When Bilbo returned with the platter, Frodo was surprised to see that
the old hobbit had brought his plate into the room as well on a tray.
"You shouldn't have to eat alone, so I'll bring my dinner in
so I can keep you company."
Frodo grinned. "Thank you, Uncle. I love you." He added,
bringing a tear to Bilbo's eye.
"I love you too."
Despite feeling lousy, Frodo was grateful to have someone so
wonderful to take care of him.
Frodo spent most of the afternoon resting on the couch.
Reading even bothered him, for his eyes had begun to water and he
could hardly concentrate on the words. Around dinnertime, Hamfast
stopped by to give Bilbo the things he'd picked up from the market
and was startled to see Frodo lying down wrapped in a quilt.
"Are you ill, Mr. Frodo?" The Gaffer asked with curiosity as
he watched Frodo sneeze into a handkerchief. Bilbo sighed.
"I'm not sure what's wrong with him. It's the strangest cold
I've ever seen! No fever or anything."
Another sneeze from Frodo echoed Bilbo's words.
Hamfast nodded. "Well, I hope you feel better. Here are the
things you asked for, sir. A carton of eggs, milk, chamomile
tealeaves, and a box of fresh handkerchiefs. That was everything,
wasn't it?"
Bilbo nodded. "Yes, Hamfast. Thank you. Good night." He
added as the gardener left for his home. When the door was shut,
Frodo took another deep breath and wiped his nose with the hanky he
held.
"What did you get Bilbo?" he asked. (Though the poor lad's
nose was so plugged up that it sounded more like "Wud did you ged
Bibo?")
"Some tea for you and some handkerchiefs for you. See? They
even have your initils embroidered in the corner." Bilbo showed one
to his nephew and Frodo saw the letters FB stitched in dark blue
thread.
"Thank you." He replied. "Bilbo—do you think I could take a
few breaths of fresh air? Maybe it'll clear my nose."
"If you feel you must. None of your symptoms prevents you
from doing so my boy. Just don't go too far—I'm starting to cook
dinner. How does roast pork sound?"
Frodo grinned. "Fine. I'll be only out back, Bilbo." He gave
Bilbo a quick kiss before heading towards the kitchen and out the
back door that lead into the enormous garden. (Big mistake heheheh)
He took a seat on his favorite stone bench underneath the cherry
blossom tree and took a deep breath. What startled Frodo was that as
soon as he did this, he felt as though his air passage suddenly
blocked and had to kneel down and try and regain his
strength. "Bilbo…." He gasped, clutching at his chest as he sucked in
air. His voice was so weak that surely his Uncle couldn't hear it. He
glanced up and the world seemed blurry through his watery eyes. `I
can't breathe….' He thought in a panic. He felt very dizzy a few
moments later and the world then went black.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"FRODO! Come inside, lad! Time for dinner!" Bilbo called out
the window of the kitchen. When he heard no reply, Bilbo scratched
his head in confusion. "FRODO!" He called again, but this time headed
for the door. "FROD…." He felt his heart freeze. Frodo lay on his
back right before one of the benches in the garden, his arms sprawled
out.
"Frodo!" Bilbo cried and hurried to his nephew's
side. "Sweetheart—open your eyes. Please." Bilbo eased Frodo into a
sitting position and eventually Frodo's impossibly blue eyes
fluttered open.
"Urm." The tweenager mumbled, leaning limply against
Bilbo. "Where `m I?" He asked weakly.
"You're out in the garden. What on Earth happened?"
"Dunno. Just remember….I sat down on the bench and then I
felt really dizzy. Couldn't breathe."
"Couldn't breathe?" Bilbo asked in a panic. "Oh dear…." He
cradled Frodo in his arms. "Come on inside, cricket. I'll give you a
nice warm bubble bath. How does that sound?"
Frodo nodded. "Can't get up….too tired."
"All right. Up we go." Bilbo lifted Frodo into his arms and
carried him into the smial and straight into the indoor privy. Frodo
sat leaning against the wall as Bilbo filled the tub with warm water
and poured the lavender-scented soap bubbles into it. Then he helped
Frodo undress and helped the lad into the bath, watching as Frodo
sunk in about halfway.
"I have to go and look after the roast. I'll be back in a few
minutes. Just relax." Bilbo ordered. When Frodo was alone, he let out
a small sigh and just allowed the water to sooth him. He must have
passed out, but he didn't remember. All he knew now was, he just
wanted to be in his soft featherbed asleep. However, the bath DID
feel wonderful, and the scent of the lavender seemed to clear his
nose a bit, but it was still nastily stuffed up.
When he was finished his bath, he called for Bilbo who came
in right away. He wrapped Frodo in a fluffy white towel and carried
the boy to his bedroom. "I think you should go to sleep early, Frodo.
But do you want dinner still? You can say no if you don't want it at
the moment."
"I do want it," Frodo told Bilbo. "But can I have it in bed?"
"Of course honeypot."
"Honeypot?" Frodo asked, raising his eyebrow.
Bilbo laughed. "Oh my…..I am coming up with a dozen nicknames
for you, aren't I?" He gave Frodo a kiss. "Well…..I'm going to bring
you a small platter. Here are the extra handkerchiefs…..right on your
nightstand if you need them. Would you like the room dim?"
"Yes please. But—but can you leave the window open a crack?
It's a bit stuffy in here."
"Sure. Not too much, though…..don't want you catching a real
chill." Bilbo opened the window about an inch before hurrying to fix
Frodo his dinner. Sighing, Frodo squiggled up so that he was leaning
against his headboard in an easier eating position. Being in bed felt
lovely too, but it was odd. His breathing had returned to normal and
his nose was not as stuffy either. `Must be some strange disease,' he
thought to himself as he reached for one of his new handkerchiefs.
When Bilbo returned with the platter, Frodo was surprised to see that
the old hobbit had brought his plate into the room as well on a tray.
"You shouldn't have to eat alone, so I'll bring my dinner in
so I can keep you company."
Frodo grinned. "Thank you, Uncle. I love you." He added,
bringing a tear to Bilbo's eye.
"I love you too."
Despite feeling lousy, Frodo was grateful to have someone so
wonderful to take care of him.