Chapter 12
Gandalf rushed to Bilbo's side and placed a hand against the old hobbit's forehead. "Frodo," the wizard began in a calm voice, "Go and fetch Hamfast and tell him to fetch the healer."
Without question, Frodo bolted off. First a broken ankle and now ill? What else could possibly happen?
Gandalf, meanwhile, sat beside Bilbo's bed, blotting the hobbit's face and neck with a cool cloth. Bilbo, he guessed, must be dealing with more side effects from the pain medication.
When the healer arrived, he was startled to find Bilbo so sick. "He must be allergic o the medication I prescribed. Has he been ill for long?"
Frodo stood at the end of his Uncle's bed, his blue eyes filled with tears and his nose starting to run. Gandalf noticed this and handed the lad a fresh handkerchief.
"No." Frodo replied, accepting it but ignoring it. "I just realized it today. He's been awfully tired and grouchy lately, though. He'll be all right, won't he?"
Dr. Burrows smiled gently at the lad. "I believe so, Frodo. I don't have any expert advice except to keep a close eye on him and try to get his temperature down. When he wakes, give him plenty of fluids to keep him hydrated."
Frodo glanced at Gandalf and wished he could be so calm in a situation such as this.
"We'll do the best we can," the wizard promised. At that moment, Bilbo let out a soft moan and his brown eyes fluttered open.
"Frodo?" he asked weakly and straight away, the tweenger hurried to his Uncle's side and took his hand.
"I'm here, Uncle. The healer just said you're having an allergic reaction to the medicine. You'll be just fine."
Bilbo gave his nephew a soft smile and his hand a gentle squeeze. Dr. Burrows folded his arms.
"Glad to see you awake, Bilbo. Just take it easy for the next few days--I wouldn't advise eating anything heavy--just soups and maybe toast. You should feel better hopefully by tomorrow morning."
Bilbo nodded, too tired to speak. The healer then said goodbye and left on his rounds. Frodo suddenly sneezed a few times, leaning his head against the mattress, taking a deep breath. "You might be here a while, Gandalf." The lad whispered.
"Frodo, cricket--I'll be just fine." Bilbo comforted in a tired tone.
"Lad--I would suggeset you get some sleep," Gandalf spoke to Frodo, who started to protest but neither of his elders would hear of it.
"Go and rest, honeypot. Gandalf will be here with me." Bilbo promised.
Frodo finally agreed and went to lay down in his own bed, feeling hot tears slide down his cheeks. How he longed to go with his Uncle for a romp around the Shire and perhaps Ruby or Fredegar would come along with them. He wanted to go and visit his cousins at Brandy Hall or at the Great Smial, but now he knew that the trip would be very hard for him and of course for Bilbo for a while. He glanced over at his desk and realized he'd forgotten all about the luxury quill he'd bought for Bilbo at the market and felt rather stupid. 'Well,' he thought, 'I'll give it to him now or I'll forget if I decide to fall asleep.' So he slid out of bed and hurried to pick up the parsel before rushing back into Bilbo's room.
"Frodo," The old hobbit warned when he saw the lad enter, but then noticed that Frodo carried a small package in his hands. "What have you got there, my boy?" He asked curiously.
"A gift for you, Uncle Bilbo."
The old hobbit struggled to lean up against the headboard. "For me? But Frodo, our birthday's aren't for at least another two months!"
Gandalf smiled as Frodo climbed up onto the bed and set the gift on Bilbo's lap. "It's a cheer up gift. I wasn't sure what you didn't have so I just picked out something that I thought you'd like or could use."
Bilbo gave Frodo a kiss before taking off the paper. He gasped when he saw the quill, and immediately gave Frodo a big hug. "Oh lad--thank you so much. This must have cost all of your coppers!"
"Not all, but a lot." Frodo chuckled. "It was worth it for you, Uncle."
"I love it. Did you see, Gandalf? Isn't it precious?" Bilbo held the quill up so the wizard could get a better look at it.
"Lovely."
"Thank you, cricket. This definitely cheers me up. What did you get for yourself, though?"
"A few new books. Not much I want and we have plenty of sweets here so I wouldn't bother spending my money on that."
Both Gandalf and Bilbo laughed. "Sit this on my desk, Frodo, so I can see it--that's it. Now go and rest your eyes--Gandalf is going to make supper for us tonight."
Frodo nodded. "All right." He wrapped Bilbo in another hug before going to take a nap for good this time.
Gandalf rushed to Bilbo's side and placed a hand against the old hobbit's forehead. "Frodo," the wizard began in a calm voice, "Go and fetch Hamfast and tell him to fetch the healer."
Without question, Frodo bolted off. First a broken ankle and now ill? What else could possibly happen?
Gandalf, meanwhile, sat beside Bilbo's bed, blotting the hobbit's face and neck with a cool cloth. Bilbo, he guessed, must be dealing with more side effects from the pain medication.
When the healer arrived, he was startled to find Bilbo so sick. "He must be allergic o the medication I prescribed. Has he been ill for long?"
Frodo stood at the end of his Uncle's bed, his blue eyes filled with tears and his nose starting to run. Gandalf noticed this and handed the lad a fresh handkerchief.
"No." Frodo replied, accepting it but ignoring it. "I just realized it today. He's been awfully tired and grouchy lately, though. He'll be all right, won't he?"
Dr. Burrows smiled gently at the lad. "I believe so, Frodo. I don't have any expert advice except to keep a close eye on him and try to get his temperature down. When he wakes, give him plenty of fluids to keep him hydrated."
Frodo glanced at Gandalf and wished he could be so calm in a situation such as this.
"We'll do the best we can," the wizard promised. At that moment, Bilbo let out a soft moan and his brown eyes fluttered open.
"Frodo?" he asked weakly and straight away, the tweenger hurried to his Uncle's side and took his hand.
"I'm here, Uncle. The healer just said you're having an allergic reaction to the medicine. You'll be just fine."
Bilbo gave his nephew a soft smile and his hand a gentle squeeze. Dr. Burrows folded his arms.
"Glad to see you awake, Bilbo. Just take it easy for the next few days--I wouldn't advise eating anything heavy--just soups and maybe toast. You should feel better hopefully by tomorrow morning."
Bilbo nodded, too tired to speak. The healer then said goodbye and left on his rounds. Frodo suddenly sneezed a few times, leaning his head against the mattress, taking a deep breath. "You might be here a while, Gandalf." The lad whispered.
"Frodo, cricket--I'll be just fine." Bilbo comforted in a tired tone.
"Lad--I would suggeset you get some sleep," Gandalf spoke to Frodo, who started to protest but neither of his elders would hear of it.
"Go and rest, honeypot. Gandalf will be here with me." Bilbo promised.
Frodo finally agreed and went to lay down in his own bed, feeling hot tears slide down his cheeks. How he longed to go with his Uncle for a romp around the Shire and perhaps Ruby or Fredegar would come along with them. He wanted to go and visit his cousins at Brandy Hall or at the Great Smial, but now he knew that the trip would be very hard for him and of course for Bilbo for a while. He glanced over at his desk and realized he'd forgotten all about the luxury quill he'd bought for Bilbo at the market and felt rather stupid. 'Well,' he thought, 'I'll give it to him now or I'll forget if I decide to fall asleep.' So he slid out of bed and hurried to pick up the parsel before rushing back into Bilbo's room.
"Frodo," The old hobbit warned when he saw the lad enter, but then noticed that Frodo carried a small package in his hands. "What have you got there, my boy?" He asked curiously.
"A gift for you, Uncle Bilbo."
The old hobbit struggled to lean up against the headboard. "For me? But Frodo, our birthday's aren't for at least another two months!"
Gandalf smiled as Frodo climbed up onto the bed and set the gift on Bilbo's lap. "It's a cheer up gift. I wasn't sure what you didn't have so I just picked out something that I thought you'd like or could use."
Bilbo gave Frodo a kiss before taking off the paper. He gasped when he saw the quill, and immediately gave Frodo a big hug. "Oh lad--thank you so much. This must have cost all of your coppers!"
"Not all, but a lot." Frodo chuckled. "It was worth it for you, Uncle."
"I love it. Did you see, Gandalf? Isn't it precious?" Bilbo held the quill up so the wizard could get a better look at it.
"Lovely."
"Thank you, cricket. This definitely cheers me up. What did you get for yourself, though?"
"A few new books. Not much I want and we have plenty of sweets here so I wouldn't bother spending my money on that."
Both Gandalf and Bilbo laughed. "Sit this on my desk, Frodo, so I can see it--that's it. Now go and rest your eyes--Gandalf is going to make supper for us tonight."
Frodo nodded. "All right." He wrapped Bilbo in another hug before going to take a nap for good this time.