Chapter 24
Reasurrance
A/N: I apologize for this story having been on a standstill for a while. I've been busy with schoolwork & other fics that I've started, plus finishing up other oldies that have been slightly abandoned. Don't worry- eventually ALL of my stories will be completed-it'll just take some time. Enjoy! And I definitely recommend Pay It Forward-it's for angst fans everywhere!
After the healer left, Gandalf tiptoed out of Frodo's room and went to check on Bilbo. Figuring the old hobbit was in the study, he went there first.
"I know you too well, Bilbo Baggins." The wizard chortled when sure enough he found Bilbo.
Bilbo lifted his head from where he had been resting it on his desk in his arms. His eyes were red-rimmed from crying and his cheeks were tearstained. "I wish to be left in peace," he whispered. "Please-leave me be."
Gandalf raised an eyebrow before pulling up another chair beside Bilbo's. "Come now. I understand you are upset with yourself for having struck Frodo, but goodness gracious, Bilbo-don't continuously beat yourself up over it! It was an accident and I am sure Frodo forgives you."
Bilbo placed his head in his arms again, and the wizard sighed, rubbing the hobbit's back gently. Eventually Bilbo lifted his head again, wiping his eyes with a pocket handkerchief. "Oh Gandalf-I love Frodo so much-so very very much. I do not know what I would do if I ever lost him. The idea scares me more than the idea of re-facing Smaug."
Gandalf smiled, but did not laugh out of respect. "Frodo knows you love him, Bilbo."
Bilbo sniffed "You are such a comfort to both of us, Gandalf. You always seem to show up right at hard times such as this."
This, Gandalf had to laugh at. "Even I do not understand why that is." He chuckled. "I am glad my timing is usually proper."
Suddenly, a moan came from down the hall, and both Gandalf and Bilbo stood and hurried to Frodo's room.
"What is it, lad?" Bilbo asked, watching as his nephew's body rose and fell in a jerky motion. The lad's eyes were still closed, which probably meant he was in the midst of a dream. "Frodo, sweetheart---shhh. Your Uncle Bilbo's here-I'm here-everything is all right now. It's going to be all right, love." Bilbo took Frodo's icy hand in his own and gave it a gentle squeeze. "How I'd love to strangle those wretched Bree hobbits." He snarled. "Shhhhh." He added, kissing Frodo gently on the brow. "I'm here, love."
Gandalf placed a hand against the tweenager's forehead, not liking the amount of heat radiating from the boy's skin. "Bilbo-go and fetch me a basin of luke-warm water and a rag. We'll try and bring his temperature down-it is very high at the moment, and I would like to avoid an ice bath as the healer suggested if possible."
Bilbo obeyed right away and hurried to the kitchen. It took him a bit longer than it usually would to gather the items he needed, for he was so frightened and almost lost track of where he kept his things. He finally got what he needed and brought them to Gandalf, who dipped the rag into the water and began to blott Frodo's cheeks and neck with it. The tweenager groaned in discomfort, trying to get out of the way.
"Be still, sweetheart. We have to get that temperature down," Bilbo pleaded.
"-here Bilbo?" Frodo murmered weakly. "-need you."
"I am here." Bilbo pulled up a chair beside the bed opposite of Gandalf's. "Just rest easy. Gandalf and I are both going to take good care of you-I promise."
"-want Mama and Papa-where are they?"
Bilbo quickly pulled his handkerchief from his pocket again when he felt another rush of tears coming. "They can't come, Frodo. They're out for the evening." He lied. Often times, when Frodo behaved like this, Dr. Narmadoc said to play along with him till it passed. Bilbo hated himself for it, but he didn't want to hurt Frodo.
The fever fit went on for nearly a half an hour, and both of the elders were relieved when Frodo's body relaxed and he drifted back into a more pleasant realm of sleep. When this moment came Bilbo and Gandalf were exhausted.
"Go and rest, Bilbo. You look as though you haven't had a good nap in months." The wizard insisted.
"But what about you?" asked Bilbo. "Surely you are just as tired as I?"
Gandalf smiled. "Go, Bilbo. I will be right beside Frodo, I promise. Go and rest."
After giving his nephew a small kiss on the cheek, Bilbo thanked Gandalf and headed off to bed.
A/N: I apologize for this story having been on a standstill for a while. I've been busy with schoolwork & other fics that I've started, plus finishing up other oldies that have been slightly abandoned. Don't worry- eventually ALL of my stories will be completed-it'll just take some time. Enjoy! And I definitely recommend Pay It Forward-it's for angst fans everywhere!
After the healer left, Gandalf tiptoed out of Frodo's room and went to check on Bilbo. Figuring the old hobbit was in the study, he went there first.
"I know you too well, Bilbo Baggins." The wizard chortled when sure enough he found Bilbo.
Bilbo lifted his head from where he had been resting it on his desk in his arms. His eyes were red-rimmed from crying and his cheeks were tearstained. "I wish to be left in peace," he whispered. "Please-leave me be."
Gandalf raised an eyebrow before pulling up another chair beside Bilbo's. "Come now. I understand you are upset with yourself for having struck Frodo, but goodness gracious, Bilbo-don't continuously beat yourself up over it! It was an accident and I am sure Frodo forgives you."
Bilbo placed his head in his arms again, and the wizard sighed, rubbing the hobbit's back gently. Eventually Bilbo lifted his head again, wiping his eyes with a pocket handkerchief. "Oh Gandalf-I love Frodo so much-so very very much. I do not know what I would do if I ever lost him. The idea scares me more than the idea of re-facing Smaug."
Gandalf smiled, but did not laugh out of respect. "Frodo knows you love him, Bilbo."
Bilbo sniffed "You are such a comfort to both of us, Gandalf. You always seem to show up right at hard times such as this."
This, Gandalf had to laugh at. "Even I do not understand why that is." He chuckled. "I am glad my timing is usually proper."
Suddenly, a moan came from down the hall, and both Gandalf and Bilbo stood and hurried to Frodo's room.
"What is it, lad?" Bilbo asked, watching as his nephew's body rose and fell in a jerky motion. The lad's eyes were still closed, which probably meant he was in the midst of a dream. "Frodo, sweetheart---shhh. Your Uncle Bilbo's here-I'm here-everything is all right now. It's going to be all right, love." Bilbo took Frodo's icy hand in his own and gave it a gentle squeeze. "How I'd love to strangle those wretched Bree hobbits." He snarled. "Shhhhh." He added, kissing Frodo gently on the brow. "I'm here, love."
Gandalf placed a hand against the tweenager's forehead, not liking the amount of heat radiating from the boy's skin. "Bilbo-go and fetch me a basin of luke-warm water and a rag. We'll try and bring his temperature down-it is very high at the moment, and I would like to avoid an ice bath as the healer suggested if possible."
Bilbo obeyed right away and hurried to the kitchen. It took him a bit longer than it usually would to gather the items he needed, for he was so frightened and almost lost track of where he kept his things. He finally got what he needed and brought them to Gandalf, who dipped the rag into the water and began to blott Frodo's cheeks and neck with it. The tweenager groaned in discomfort, trying to get out of the way.
"Be still, sweetheart. We have to get that temperature down," Bilbo pleaded.
"-here Bilbo?" Frodo murmered weakly. "-need you."
"I am here." Bilbo pulled up a chair beside the bed opposite of Gandalf's. "Just rest easy. Gandalf and I are both going to take good care of you-I promise."
"-want Mama and Papa-where are they?"
Bilbo quickly pulled his handkerchief from his pocket again when he felt another rush of tears coming. "They can't come, Frodo. They're out for the evening." He lied. Often times, when Frodo behaved like this, Dr. Narmadoc said to play along with him till it passed. Bilbo hated himself for it, but he didn't want to hurt Frodo.
The fever fit went on for nearly a half an hour, and both of the elders were relieved when Frodo's body relaxed and he drifted back into a more pleasant realm of sleep. When this moment came Bilbo and Gandalf were exhausted.
"Go and rest, Bilbo. You look as though you haven't had a good nap in months." The wizard insisted.
"But what about you?" asked Bilbo. "Surely you are just as tired as I?"
Gandalf smiled. "Go, Bilbo. I will be right beside Frodo, I promise. Go and rest."
After giving his nephew a small kiss on the cheek, Bilbo thanked Gandalf and headed off to bed.