Chapter 4
Until at least midnight, Gandalf remained by Legolas's bedside, blotting the Elf's feverish skin with a wet rag. It was a bit scary to see an Elf sleeping with his eyes closed, for normally Elves slept with their eyes open. When the clock struck twelve, Aragorn appeared in the doorway of the bedroom.
"I will take over the watch, Gandalf. You ought to go and rest a bit."
Legolas moaned softly at that point and broke into a fit of coughing. The wizard frowned. "I do not need a rest." He argued. "But if you insist on taking over the watch, I will let you do so."
Aragorn headed over towards the sickbed and placed a hand against Legolas's brow. The Elf was still burning up, much to his disappointment. "Has he taken any liquids down?"
Gandalf nodded. "A bit of tea an hour ago, but nothing since then. Well, good night, Aragorn. I will see you in the morning."
"Or when the sun rises." Aragorn chortled, glancing up at the clock. Gandalf shook his head before leaving the room, and Aragorn sat down in the empty chair. He peered into Legolas's pale face and found that it was covered in sweat. He had never seen the Elf sick before and it worried him great deal. He reached into his pack that contained several different herbs and pulled out a string of Athelas plants. He folded down the comforter, revealing Legolas's bare chest. The wound looked worse than it had the last time Aragorn had seen it, and he felt slightly nauseous. 'Don't be rediculous. You're a ranger-you've seen worse than this in your lifetime.' He scolded himself as he gently wetted the Athelas with his tongue. He ever so lightly placed the plant against the wound, and Legolas suddenly let out a horrible yell and attempted to move away from him.
"Legolas! Calm down!" Aragorn ordered when the Elf, who was now sitting up and leaning far back against the headboard, his eyes wide in terror. "I am only trying to help!"
"A-Aragorn?" Legolas asked.
"Yes. Lay back down now, Legolas. I am trying to slow the poison. It will sting, but not too badly."
Legolas whimpered a little as the ranger placed the plant against the broken skin again. "I am terribly sorry," Legolas apologized.
Aragorn glanced up at him in surprise. "Sorry? For what, Legolas? You did nothing wrong."
"For not having told you about this wound sooner. We were so worried about finding Merry and Pippin that I forgot all about it. I never told you, Aragorn, but the nights we camped following the battle when Boromir fell, I felt so sick that I would go a few feet away to throw up."
Aragorn frowned. "You must have gone more than a few feet away, or I would have most certainly heard you." He replied. "But it can not be helped now. You must rest as much as you can, but before you do, I must give you another sip of tea. Would you like that?"
Legolas smiled weakly. "I am too tired."
"Then I will feed it to you. You must keep fluids in your system or you will become dehydrated, which will cause you to become even more ill than you already are."
Legolas nodded in agreement finally, and Aragorn lifted the saucer from the nightstand and slowly tipped the edge of the teacup against Legolas's cracked lips. The Elf looked like a child at this point-so weak and helpless. Aragorn almost wished Eowyn was here with him-Legolas could use a woman's presence, and Theoden's niece had helped him quite a bit down in the caverns of Helm's Deep. Helm's Deep. Thinking of the battle brought Aragorn sharply to reality. He immediately withdrew the cup and set it on the nightstand, covering his face with one hand. Legolas watched this with amazement.
"Aragorn. Do not grieve so." He said.
"I did not find it in my heart to tell you when we brought you down below," Aragorn whispered through tears. "But Haldir-Haldir fell only minutes after you took sick."
Legolas's mouth opened and closed and for a moment he could not find the courage to speak. Haldir was dead? "He is dead?" Legolas asked, fighting back his own tears. Aragorn nodded. "I am so sorry." Legolas whispered.
"Do not be. I should not have told you this now-you are very ill. Lay back and rest, son of Thranduil. I will remain with you throughout the night if you need anything."
Legolas nodded, and settled back against his pillows, closing his eyes. It was then that Aragorn noticed the tears slowly falling down the Elf's cheeks, and he immediately grasped Legolas's hand, squeezing it tightly. 'We can not loose you also.' He thought, closing his eyes. 'Please get well, for the love of the Valar.' He lay Legolas's hand back down upon his blankets and leaned back against his chair.
Until at least midnight, Gandalf remained by Legolas's bedside, blotting the Elf's feverish skin with a wet rag. It was a bit scary to see an Elf sleeping with his eyes closed, for normally Elves slept with their eyes open. When the clock struck twelve, Aragorn appeared in the doorway of the bedroom.
"I will take over the watch, Gandalf. You ought to go and rest a bit."
Legolas moaned softly at that point and broke into a fit of coughing. The wizard frowned. "I do not need a rest." He argued. "But if you insist on taking over the watch, I will let you do so."
Aragorn headed over towards the sickbed and placed a hand against Legolas's brow. The Elf was still burning up, much to his disappointment. "Has he taken any liquids down?"
Gandalf nodded. "A bit of tea an hour ago, but nothing since then. Well, good night, Aragorn. I will see you in the morning."
"Or when the sun rises." Aragorn chortled, glancing up at the clock. Gandalf shook his head before leaving the room, and Aragorn sat down in the empty chair. He peered into Legolas's pale face and found that it was covered in sweat. He had never seen the Elf sick before and it worried him great deal. He reached into his pack that contained several different herbs and pulled out a string of Athelas plants. He folded down the comforter, revealing Legolas's bare chest. The wound looked worse than it had the last time Aragorn had seen it, and he felt slightly nauseous. 'Don't be rediculous. You're a ranger-you've seen worse than this in your lifetime.' He scolded himself as he gently wetted the Athelas with his tongue. He ever so lightly placed the plant against the wound, and Legolas suddenly let out a horrible yell and attempted to move away from him.
"Legolas! Calm down!" Aragorn ordered when the Elf, who was now sitting up and leaning far back against the headboard, his eyes wide in terror. "I am only trying to help!"
"A-Aragorn?" Legolas asked.
"Yes. Lay back down now, Legolas. I am trying to slow the poison. It will sting, but not too badly."
Legolas whimpered a little as the ranger placed the plant against the broken skin again. "I am terribly sorry," Legolas apologized.
Aragorn glanced up at him in surprise. "Sorry? For what, Legolas? You did nothing wrong."
"For not having told you about this wound sooner. We were so worried about finding Merry and Pippin that I forgot all about it. I never told you, Aragorn, but the nights we camped following the battle when Boromir fell, I felt so sick that I would go a few feet away to throw up."
Aragorn frowned. "You must have gone more than a few feet away, or I would have most certainly heard you." He replied. "But it can not be helped now. You must rest as much as you can, but before you do, I must give you another sip of tea. Would you like that?"
Legolas smiled weakly. "I am too tired."
"Then I will feed it to you. You must keep fluids in your system or you will become dehydrated, which will cause you to become even more ill than you already are."
Legolas nodded in agreement finally, and Aragorn lifted the saucer from the nightstand and slowly tipped the edge of the teacup against Legolas's cracked lips. The Elf looked like a child at this point-so weak and helpless. Aragorn almost wished Eowyn was here with him-Legolas could use a woman's presence, and Theoden's niece had helped him quite a bit down in the caverns of Helm's Deep. Helm's Deep. Thinking of the battle brought Aragorn sharply to reality. He immediately withdrew the cup and set it on the nightstand, covering his face with one hand. Legolas watched this with amazement.
"Aragorn. Do not grieve so." He said.
"I did not find it in my heart to tell you when we brought you down below," Aragorn whispered through tears. "But Haldir-Haldir fell only minutes after you took sick."
Legolas's mouth opened and closed and for a moment he could not find the courage to speak. Haldir was dead? "He is dead?" Legolas asked, fighting back his own tears. Aragorn nodded. "I am so sorry." Legolas whispered.
"Do not be. I should not have told you this now-you are very ill. Lay back and rest, son of Thranduil. I will remain with you throughout the night if you need anything."
Legolas nodded, and settled back against his pillows, closing his eyes. It was then that Aragorn noticed the tears slowly falling down the Elf's cheeks, and he immediately grasped Legolas's hand, squeezing it tightly. 'We can not loose you also.' He thought, closing his eyes. 'Please get well, for the love of the Valar.' He lay Legolas's hand back down upon his blankets and leaned back against his chair.