***********************
Thomas, the King's servant, waited nervously outside the King's chambers for the Physician to arrive.
He fiddled with his fingers and twisted them in his tunic.
The guards who stood outside the door regarded him with curious sideways glances every once in a while, and he eyed them back silently.
It was only when he heard hurried footsteps approaching that he untwisted his fingers from the folds of his clothes and wiped a stray strand of hair away from his dark brown eyes.
He bowed curtly as the Physician approached. He was an old man, with long straggly grey hair and a beard to match. His eyes were small and whenever he was unhappy with something he screwed up his face and they became even smaller. He was rather deaf and when you spoke to him, he would often put one hand to his ear and ask you to repeat what you'd just said, or he would take it as something else and get it completely wrong. His brown, tattered robes had picked up a great deal of dust and whenever he brushed past anything a small cloud rushed out. He apprentice trailed behind him, struggling with a large bundle of bandages and other medical equipment.
Thomas shook his head, this was the man unto which they were entrusting the life of their King.
"Where is he?" the Old Man asked, in his wheezing and rather slow voice, looking around for the King, Tom presumed.
He licked his lips, "This way." he said, showing the Physician into the King's chambers.
He heard the guards stifle their laughing behind him and shook his head once more, grimacing at what the duddering old fool would make of the King's condition.
King Laertes lay pale upon his bed. The sudden departure of his daughter had affected him very badly. After a week, he had realised that hopes of her returning were not looking so positive as they had been just after she left, and he had ceased to eat, drinking only water when it was brought to him.
His daughter meant more to him than anything else, especially since his beloved wife had died leaving only Edith as part of his immediate family. He had no brothers or sisters, and neither had his wife. His only hope of having an heir was for that nice young Lord Antinous to find Edith and bring her back to him.
He barely noticed when the old Physician entered with his servant Thomas and started poking and prodding him with various medical instruments.
"I see what's wrong." the Old Man said, coughing dryly.
Tom looked at him hopefully, wishing that for once he had come up with something that wasn't totally unbelievable even to Tom's lack of medical knowledge.
"He's very ill." he said with an air of knowledge about him.
Tom raised an eyebrow and tried not to shout, "That is known, Sir, yes. But what is wrong with him?"
"Ah, that I cannot tell you. He seems to be suffering from the loss of the Princess."
Tom sighed, why must he repeat everything that was already known?
"But what 'exactly' is wrong with him, Sir?"
"Well, let me see..." the Physician proceeded to poke the still form of the King again. "He's wasting away. You need to feed him."
"He won't eat anything." Tom said, repeating what he had already told the Physician before he had been summoned.
"Ah, there's your problem!" the Old Man said and ordered his apprentice to pack away his tools.
Tom watched him leave without protesting, the Physician was useless anyway. He looked down upon the King. His skin was sallow and grey. He wished Lord Antinous would return with the Princess, then perhaps the King's condition would improve.
*************************
Sorry, no official LOTR characters in this chapter - there will be in the next, I promise!
luvs and hugs to the peeps that reviewed! ;0) Joy
Thomas, the King's servant, waited nervously outside the King's chambers for the Physician to arrive.
He fiddled with his fingers and twisted them in his tunic.
The guards who stood outside the door regarded him with curious sideways glances every once in a while, and he eyed them back silently.
It was only when he heard hurried footsteps approaching that he untwisted his fingers from the folds of his clothes and wiped a stray strand of hair away from his dark brown eyes.
He bowed curtly as the Physician approached. He was an old man, with long straggly grey hair and a beard to match. His eyes were small and whenever he was unhappy with something he screwed up his face and they became even smaller. He was rather deaf and when you spoke to him, he would often put one hand to his ear and ask you to repeat what you'd just said, or he would take it as something else and get it completely wrong. His brown, tattered robes had picked up a great deal of dust and whenever he brushed past anything a small cloud rushed out. He apprentice trailed behind him, struggling with a large bundle of bandages and other medical equipment.
Thomas shook his head, this was the man unto which they were entrusting the life of their King.
"Where is he?" the Old Man asked, in his wheezing and rather slow voice, looking around for the King, Tom presumed.
He licked his lips, "This way." he said, showing the Physician into the King's chambers.
He heard the guards stifle their laughing behind him and shook his head once more, grimacing at what the duddering old fool would make of the King's condition.
King Laertes lay pale upon his bed. The sudden departure of his daughter had affected him very badly. After a week, he had realised that hopes of her returning were not looking so positive as they had been just after she left, and he had ceased to eat, drinking only water when it was brought to him.
His daughter meant more to him than anything else, especially since his beloved wife had died leaving only Edith as part of his immediate family. He had no brothers or sisters, and neither had his wife. His only hope of having an heir was for that nice young Lord Antinous to find Edith and bring her back to him.
He barely noticed when the old Physician entered with his servant Thomas and started poking and prodding him with various medical instruments.
"I see what's wrong." the Old Man said, coughing dryly.
Tom looked at him hopefully, wishing that for once he had come up with something that wasn't totally unbelievable even to Tom's lack of medical knowledge.
"He's very ill." he said with an air of knowledge about him.
Tom raised an eyebrow and tried not to shout, "That is known, Sir, yes. But what is wrong with him?"
"Ah, that I cannot tell you. He seems to be suffering from the loss of the Princess."
Tom sighed, why must he repeat everything that was already known?
"But what 'exactly' is wrong with him, Sir?"
"Well, let me see..." the Physician proceeded to poke the still form of the King again. "He's wasting away. You need to feed him."
"He won't eat anything." Tom said, repeating what he had already told the Physician before he had been summoned.
"Ah, there's your problem!" the Old Man said and ordered his apprentice to pack away his tools.
Tom watched him leave without protesting, the Physician was useless anyway. He looked down upon the King. His skin was sallow and grey. He wished Lord Antinous would return with the Princess, then perhaps the King's condition would improve.
*************************
Sorry, no official LOTR characters in this chapter - there will be in the next, I promise!
luvs and hugs to the peeps that reviewed! ;0) Joy