TWILIGHT YEARS
Chapter Two
Frodo lay where he was, feeling something soft underneath him and the sounds of the party were gone. He stifled a moan as his eyes flickered open…there were voices just near the door to his room…Esmerelda was speaking with his aunt Cherrysa could just barely hear them and he felt color rising up to his ears as he began to understand what they were speaking of.
"Now then Cherrysa, calm down. Frodo didn't disturb any-"
"I declare, Esmerelda, he has been pulling these little stunts ever since…well ever since it happened. Trying to get attention, that's what. Tummy ache, feh. I warrant he ate too many sweets, the lad gets into trouble easily. I don't know how you put up with it, he's upset my Jemmy because he wasn't there to accept his gift, and now everyone's talking about -him- when they should be talking about -my- lad."
Cherry's breath came out in a gasp as Esmerelda glared sternly at her.
The older Brandybuck was holding her son Merriadoc in her arms; the child was sleeping soundly but was beginning to stir. "Keep your voice down, Cherry. You'll wake the baby. Now, I've heard quite enough of what you have to say about the matter. I'll see to it that we find out what's wrong with the young Baggins. He'll make his apologies in the morning. Go on now. I've got work to do here. And…oh thank goodness. Dr. Sorrias, you're here!"
Cherry Brandybuck huffed and picked up her skirts, stalking out of the room. "Mark my words, Esmerelda. He's trouble waiting to happen." With that, she shut the door behind her…rather heavily.
Esmerelda sighed as the sound -did- wake Merry and he began to fuss in her arms, his eyes forcing themselves open as he gazed about curiously. "There now poppet, back to sleep with ye." she cooed and smiled warmly at the old, red-faced doctor. "I'm so glad you could make it Sorrias, I don't know what's wrong with him. He says his tummy hurts, but he hasn't eaten…or at least, nothing that -I've- seen him eat. Let me go in and warn him that you're here before you enter his room. Oh, Sarradoc, you're back too…here…you take Merry…I must attend Frodo."
Having just come in from a tavern, Sarradoc Brandybuck looked decidedly dazed as his wife handed him the small bundle that was his heir, and he managed to quickly get rid of his pipe in the meantime and gave a grunt…. Though soon he and his son were quite content, settled on one of the big chairs in the living room. "What's going on now, eh?" He took the bottle of milk from his wife and proceeded to feed the child.
"Frodo's ill. Hush now." Esmerelda gave Merry a kiss on the forehead and hurried to Frodo's room. The door was slightly ajar and she entered first before the flustered doctor. She pushed open the door and made her way to her nephew's bedside, reaching over to touch his cheek gently. "Frodo? Time to wake up now, honey."
Frodo -was- awake…but he decided not to let on that he had been awake all the time earlier, he gave a yawn and let his eyes flutter open and blinked up at his Aunt drowsily. "Is it morning already?" he asked, reaching a pale hand out to grasp hers.
Esmerelda took the cold little hand and sat on the bed, "No, dear. The doctor's here to see you in order to find out what's wrong with your tummy. Now…how about some of this nice Blackberry juice? It will settle things at least enough for the Doctor to look at you."
"I….I don't want to see the doctor." Frodo pouted, refusing the juice. He didn't really -like- Blackberry juice and besides, everything he drank or ate that didn't consist of apples made his tummy hurt anyway. "I just want to sleep…Please, can I?"
"Frodo, you need to drink something, now…don't be silly, of course you're going to see the Doctor. Open up." Esmerelda pressured him gently.
With a sigh, Frodo finally accepted the juice and drank a bit of it. When she was satisfied his Aunt called to the door. "Dr Sorrias, he's awake now, do come in."
The doctor found his way to the young Baggins' bedside and harrumphed a bit when he first spied the lad. "Far too thin." he said crisply, "Needs to eat more, can see from that right away."
"But sir…" Frodo began. Eat more? Just the thought of eating made him cringe…unless maybe it was apple-pudding…or something like that…
The doctor took no notice of the plea for attention as he opened his bag and began to take out a thing or two to begin his examination. "Like as not he ate something that disagreed with him, lads do that, you know. There's bee a few cases of bad mushrooms in these parts, never can tell. Now, Frodo-lad, open your mouth and say Ahhhh…"
Frodo complied weakly, though he gave his Aunt a helpless gaze. She was a little distracted at the moment for Merry was crying in the other room. "Let the doctor tend you, dear. I'll be back shortly." she patted the young lad's hand and hurried out into the living room to see what her son needed.
Frodo wanted to cry. He was not alone though and obliged to sit through the next few minutes of the examination.
"Does it hurt right here, lad?" The doctor asked, prodding here and there. Frodo shook his head, his tummy only hurt when he was eating…it was hard to explain, and most people never believed him. He gazed mournfully ahead and waited for the doctor to finish. A good twenty minutes went by as he was examined thoroughly and it took about that long for his Aunt to return.
Esmerelda entered the room looking a bit frazzled, yet she calmed herself down and regarded the doctor with a hopeful smile, "Is everything alright then? He's not got anything catching has he? My Merry's at a susceptible age, you know…"
"No no." the doctor shook his head and snapped his bag shut. "There's nothing wrong with him that I can tell, Mrs. Brandybuck. Though he probably has a touch of the flu from something that he ate."
"But I didn't…." Frodo's eyes flashed as he tried to get a word in edgewise…but Esmerelda gave him a stern look and he sighed and bit his lip in frustration.
"Here's a tonic for you to give him." He handed a bottle to the lady hobbit and prepared to leave. "Let the lad sleep for about a day and have him drink some of that every six hours until he can get down a proper meal and he should be okay."
"Yes, doctor. I'll do that, thank-you!" Esmerelda breathed a sigh of relief as Sorrias left; she turned to Frodo and smiled, putting the tonic down. "I'll just go get a cup to put it in for the first time. I'm glad it's not anything serious, luv." she leant down and kissed Frodo's forehead then bustled out of the room towards the kitchen.
Frodo lay where he was and stared at the ceiling. Tonic? His stomach was already churning from the Blackberry juice. Why didn't anyone ever believe him? His mamma would have. She would not have let the Doctor leave without letting him explain where it hurt. But…she was gone…and he was alone now. Tears pooled in his eyes as he huddled in his bed, eying the tonic in trepidation, for he was quite sure he wasn't going to be able to get down that foul liquid.
**TBC**
Chapter Two
Frodo lay where he was, feeling something soft underneath him and the sounds of the party were gone. He stifled a moan as his eyes flickered open…there were voices just near the door to his room…Esmerelda was speaking with his aunt Cherrysa could just barely hear them and he felt color rising up to his ears as he began to understand what they were speaking of.
"Now then Cherrysa, calm down. Frodo didn't disturb any-"
"I declare, Esmerelda, he has been pulling these little stunts ever since…well ever since it happened. Trying to get attention, that's what. Tummy ache, feh. I warrant he ate too many sweets, the lad gets into trouble easily. I don't know how you put up with it, he's upset my Jemmy because he wasn't there to accept his gift, and now everyone's talking about -him- when they should be talking about -my- lad."
Cherry's breath came out in a gasp as Esmerelda glared sternly at her.
The older Brandybuck was holding her son Merriadoc in her arms; the child was sleeping soundly but was beginning to stir. "Keep your voice down, Cherry. You'll wake the baby. Now, I've heard quite enough of what you have to say about the matter. I'll see to it that we find out what's wrong with the young Baggins. He'll make his apologies in the morning. Go on now. I've got work to do here. And…oh thank goodness. Dr. Sorrias, you're here!"
Cherry Brandybuck huffed and picked up her skirts, stalking out of the room. "Mark my words, Esmerelda. He's trouble waiting to happen." With that, she shut the door behind her…rather heavily.
Esmerelda sighed as the sound -did- wake Merry and he began to fuss in her arms, his eyes forcing themselves open as he gazed about curiously. "There now poppet, back to sleep with ye." she cooed and smiled warmly at the old, red-faced doctor. "I'm so glad you could make it Sorrias, I don't know what's wrong with him. He says his tummy hurts, but he hasn't eaten…or at least, nothing that -I've- seen him eat. Let me go in and warn him that you're here before you enter his room. Oh, Sarradoc, you're back too…here…you take Merry…I must attend Frodo."
Having just come in from a tavern, Sarradoc Brandybuck looked decidedly dazed as his wife handed him the small bundle that was his heir, and he managed to quickly get rid of his pipe in the meantime and gave a grunt…. Though soon he and his son were quite content, settled on one of the big chairs in the living room. "What's going on now, eh?" He took the bottle of milk from his wife and proceeded to feed the child.
"Frodo's ill. Hush now." Esmerelda gave Merry a kiss on the forehead and hurried to Frodo's room. The door was slightly ajar and she entered first before the flustered doctor. She pushed open the door and made her way to her nephew's bedside, reaching over to touch his cheek gently. "Frodo? Time to wake up now, honey."
Frodo -was- awake…but he decided not to let on that he had been awake all the time earlier, he gave a yawn and let his eyes flutter open and blinked up at his Aunt drowsily. "Is it morning already?" he asked, reaching a pale hand out to grasp hers.
Esmerelda took the cold little hand and sat on the bed, "No, dear. The doctor's here to see you in order to find out what's wrong with your tummy. Now…how about some of this nice Blackberry juice? It will settle things at least enough for the Doctor to look at you."
"I….I don't want to see the doctor." Frodo pouted, refusing the juice. He didn't really -like- Blackberry juice and besides, everything he drank or ate that didn't consist of apples made his tummy hurt anyway. "I just want to sleep…Please, can I?"
"Frodo, you need to drink something, now…don't be silly, of course you're going to see the Doctor. Open up." Esmerelda pressured him gently.
With a sigh, Frodo finally accepted the juice and drank a bit of it. When she was satisfied his Aunt called to the door. "Dr Sorrias, he's awake now, do come in."
The doctor found his way to the young Baggins' bedside and harrumphed a bit when he first spied the lad. "Far too thin." he said crisply, "Needs to eat more, can see from that right away."
"But sir…" Frodo began. Eat more? Just the thought of eating made him cringe…unless maybe it was apple-pudding…or something like that…
The doctor took no notice of the plea for attention as he opened his bag and began to take out a thing or two to begin his examination. "Like as not he ate something that disagreed with him, lads do that, you know. There's bee a few cases of bad mushrooms in these parts, never can tell. Now, Frodo-lad, open your mouth and say Ahhhh…"
Frodo complied weakly, though he gave his Aunt a helpless gaze. She was a little distracted at the moment for Merry was crying in the other room. "Let the doctor tend you, dear. I'll be back shortly." she patted the young lad's hand and hurried out into the living room to see what her son needed.
Frodo wanted to cry. He was not alone though and obliged to sit through the next few minutes of the examination.
"Does it hurt right here, lad?" The doctor asked, prodding here and there. Frodo shook his head, his tummy only hurt when he was eating…it was hard to explain, and most people never believed him. He gazed mournfully ahead and waited for the doctor to finish. A good twenty minutes went by as he was examined thoroughly and it took about that long for his Aunt to return.
Esmerelda entered the room looking a bit frazzled, yet she calmed herself down and regarded the doctor with a hopeful smile, "Is everything alright then? He's not got anything catching has he? My Merry's at a susceptible age, you know…"
"No no." the doctor shook his head and snapped his bag shut. "There's nothing wrong with him that I can tell, Mrs. Brandybuck. Though he probably has a touch of the flu from something that he ate."
"But I didn't…." Frodo's eyes flashed as he tried to get a word in edgewise…but Esmerelda gave him a stern look and he sighed and bit his lip in frustration.
"Here's a tonic for you to give him." He handed a bottle to the lady hobbit and prepared to leave. "Let the lad sleep for about a day and have him drink some of that every six hours until he can get down a proper meal and he should be okay."
"Yes, doctor. I'll do that, thank-you!" Esmerelda breathed a sigh of relief as Sorrias left; she turned to Frodo and smiled, putting the tonic down. "I'll just go get a cup to put it in for the first time. I'm glad it's not anything serious, luv." she leant down and kissed Frodo's forehead then bustled out of the room towards the kitchen.
Frodo lay where he was and stared at the ceiling. Tonic? His stomach was already churning from the Blackberry juice. Why didn't anyone ever believe him? His mamma would have. She would not have let the Doctor leave without letting him explain where it hurt. But…she was gone…and he was alone now. Tears pooled in his eyes as he huddled in his bed, eying the tonic in trepidation, for he was quite sure he wasn't going to be able to get down that foul liquid.
**TBC**