A/N: Well, here's Chapter 16. :) I've yet to write 17, but hopefully it
will be up sometime this afternoon.
Thanks again for the reviews! :)
----------------------------
Chapter 16:
Frodo had been allowed to sleep for only a few hours before Dimhirion and Fosco returned with more tea.
"The most important thing now, Master Baggins, is that the infection leaves his body." Dimhirion explained carefully to a half-asleep Bilbo. "He will become very ill and die if we don't work quickly to do so."
Bilbo rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up in bed before answering, "Yes," he yawned, "Yes, I know. I've heard of unfortunate hobbit's dying from blood infections." He turned his gaze back to his sleeping nephew. The poor lad was a shadow of his former self; it looked as though he had lost ten pounds during the past two days, and he was so very pale.
Dimhirion placed a delicate hand lightly on Frodo's brow, "He isn't as warm as he was earlier," the Elf smiled, "that is a good sign." But his expression sobered, and he spoke again, "He will need something to lessen the pain from the surgery, and I dare not give him any more opium extract- 'tis all too easy to become dependent upon the foul liquid." Dimhirion frowned.
"Though there are other things that will ease the little ones pain," he continued, "I believe the Dwaleberry lotion could do wonders when rubbed around the incisions."
"I trust your judgment, Dimhirion, it has proved good thus far." Bilbo replied.
The Elf nodded respectfully, "It is likely that he will only require pain relief for the first day or so."
Bilbo patted Frodo's cheek gently, and brushed the dark locks from the child's eyes, "Frodo-lad," he called softly, "time to wake up-- just for a little while now, we've more tea to give you."
"Bilbo?" Frodo whispered, his eyes fluttering open.
Bilbo smiled down warmly at his nephew, "Yes, I'm here. Now we need you to drink some tea for us so you can be well again."
Frodo nodded, and Dimhirion took the warm cup of tea from Fosco and held it to Frodo's lips. The lad took a cautious sip, disheartened to discover that it was dandelion root tea again, but relieved that the stuff was at least sweetened to his liking.
He half emptied the cup before pushing it away, "No more," he breathed, "I'll be sick."
Dimhirion removed the cup and handed it back to Fosco. The Elf watched pityingly as Frodo's blue eyes struggled to focus on him. "I'm sorry to say that the little one will be quite weak for a while yet, he's lost so much blood-but I'm afraid it couldn't be helped. . . perhaps if time had not been such a factor then things would have ended differently." Dimhirion added regretfully.
"No, no." Bilbo interjected, "I thank you for your help, were it not for you, Frodo would have died a day before. I am eternally in your debt for the services you have provided my lad with." The old hobbit smiled.
"And for that I thank you, Master Baggins," The Elf replied, "I considered it my duty as one trained in the ways of healing."
There was a brief silence between the two, broken only by a small noise coming from Frodo. The hobbit-lad let his head fall to the side, and whimpered quietly.
"What is it, lad?" Bilbo asked gently.
Frodo opened his mouth to speak, but several seconds passed before any sound came out, "Hurts. . . Bilbo."
Bilbo looked up at Dimhirion, his brow furrowed with worry, and the Elf rose from the bed and fetched Dwaleberry lotion from Fosco's bag.
The Elf gently lifted the blankets from atop Frodo's mid-section and began to smear the lotion around gently.
Frodo cried out and arched his back as he gripped Bilbo's arm tightly. The incisions were quite painful, and he was loath to let anyone touch them, even the Elf's gentle ministrations caused him pain.
"Easy now, Frodo-lad, just a moment and he'll be done. I promise." Bilbo answered, gently stroking the hobbit-lad's cheek.
Frodo made no reply, but seemed to calm a little more as the lotion began to take effect.
"I advise," Dimhirion broke the silence that had settled in the dimness of the little room once more, "that he takes plenty of Yarrow extract tea as well. It will aid in cleansing his blood of infection."
"I've plenty of dried Yarrow back home," Fosco piped up, "I'll be more than happy to fetch it if you wish."
"That would be most kind of you, master healer." The Elf replied.
Fosco departed shortly after to retrieve the Yarrow leaves, and Peppermint for settling the lad's stomach.
After Fosco's departure, Dimhirion set to wiping the excess lotion away from Frodo's incision's, he then put a small amount of honeysuckle root extract around the stitches, to speed the healing process. The Elf did however, notice with concern that both of the drains that had been set in place were clogged with dried blood, he immediately went to work at replacing the old reeds with new ones.
Bilbo busied himself with changing the bed linens again. Now that the worst was over for Frodo, he believed it best to remove all soiled bedding and replace it with fresh.
Dimhirion assisted in changing the hobbit-lad's nightshift, and giving him a sponge bath to remove the blood that had dried on his torso.
"As soon as his stomach can handle it, I strongly recommend that you start him on light broths-nothing oily or harsh, just something to start the normal function's of his body going again." Dimhirion explained, "The little one will regain his strength in time, but you must be careful not to push him; he has been through quite an ordeal, and to survive it proves that he possess remarkable strength." The Elf continued, looking down in admiration at the resting hobbit-lad, "Don't start him back on solid foods before a week has passed, unless he insists. If he does insist, then only very light foods such as applesauce should be given."
"How long will you stay?" Bilbo asked, the question had been weighing on his mind nearly since the Elf's arrival that morning. He didn't know how in the world he would care for Frodo on his own, he had so little knowledge of nursing someone back to health, or caring for an ill child.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to stay much longer." Dimhirion answered regretfully, "It is likely that my companions have already reached the Havens, and I do not wish for them to sail without me." He continued, "I will stay through the night at least, and perhaps mid-day tomorrow. Don't worry, Bilbo, I will be here to see Frodo through the worst of it."
"What is worse that's yet to come?" asked Bilbo, his concerned voice barely above a whisper.
Dimhirion paused in his bathing of Frodo, and looked up to answer, "I am concerned that perhaps he could suffer some effects from the opium that has been given him." The Elf admitted, "Though he has been under its influence off and on for less than two days, as I said before, it is quick to trap one in its thralls. Frodo being so young, and so weak, could have taken to it faster than most." Dimhirion paused, seeing the concern grow in Bilbo's eyes, "Do not worry, Master Baggins, I won't leave until whatever's to come has passed." He smiled.
Bilbo sighed with relief; he couldn't bear the thought of losing Frodo now, after how far he'd come.
Dimhirion piled fresh blankets atop the sleeping tween after he was bathed and clothed in clean garments, "He need's to sleep as much as he will and must be kept warm, his body will do much healing on it's own." The Elf continued to explain; "Even when he wakes, he mustn't rise from bed too soon, it would only tax what little strength he still has, and chance upsetting the stitches in his incisions, "But I believe he'll be quite content, for a while at least, just to rest and recover some of his strength."
-----------------------------
A/N: More angst will be worked into the next Chapter. ;)
Thanks again for the reviews! :)
----------------------------
Chapter 16:
Frodo had been allowed to sleep for only a few hours before Dimhirion and Fosco returned with more tea.
"The most important thing now, Master Baggins, is that the infection leaves his body." Dimhirion explained carefully to a half-asleep Bilbo. "He will become very ill and die if we don't work quickly to do so."
Bilbo rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up in bed before answering, "Yes," he yawned, "Yes, I know. I've heard of unfortunate hobbit's dying from blood infections." He turned his gaze back to his sleeping nephew. The poor lad was a shadow of his former self; it looked as though he had lost ten pounds during the past two days, and he was so very pale.
Dimhirion placed a delicate hand lightly on Frodo's brow, "He isn't as warm as he was earlier," the Elf smiled, "that is a good sign." But his expression sobered, and he spoke again, "He will need something to lessen the pain from the surgery, and I dare not give him any more opium extract- 'tis all too easy to become dependent upon the foul liquid." Dimhirion frowned.
"Though there are other things that will ease the little ones pain," he continued, "I believe the Dwaleberry lotion could do wonders when rubbed around the incisions."
"I trust your judgment, Dimhirion, it has proved good thus far." Bilbo replied.
The Elf nodded respectfully, "It is likely that he will only require pain relief for the first day or so."
Bilbo patted Frodo's cheek gently, and brushed the dark locks from the child's eyes, "Frodo-lad," he called softly, "time to wake up-- just for a little while now, we've more tea to give you."
"Bilbo?" Frodo whispered, his eyes fluttering open.
Bilbo smiled down warmly at his nephew, "Yes, I'm here. Now we need you to drink some tea for us so you can be well again."
Frodo nodded, and Dimhirion took the warm cup of tea from Fosco and held it to Frodo's lips. The lad took a cautious sip, disheartened to discover that it was dandelion root tea again, but relieved that the stuff was at least sweetened to his liking.
He half emptied the cup before pushing it away, "No more," he breathed, "I'll be sick."
Dimhirion removed the cup and handed it back to Fosco. The Elf watched pityingly as Frodo's blue eyes struggled to focus on him. "I'm sorry to say that the little one will be quite weak for a while yet, he's lost so much blood-but I'm afraid it couldn't be helped. . . perhaps if time had not been such a factor then things would have ended differently." Dimhirion added regretfully.
"No, no." Bilbo interjected, "I thank you for your help, were it not for you, Frodo would have died a day before. I am eternally in your debt for the services you have provided my lad with." The old hobbit smiled.
"And for that I thank you, Master Baggins," The Elf replied, "I considered it my duty as one trained in the ways of healing."
There was a brief silence between the two, broken only by a small noise coming from Frodo. The hobbit-lad let his head fall to the side, and whimpered quietly.
"What is it, lad?" Bilbo asked gently.
Frodo opened his mouth to speak, but several seconds passed before any sound came out, "Hurts. . . Bilbo."
Bilbo looked up at Dimhirion, his brow furrowed with worry, and the Elf rose from the bed and fetched Dwaleberry lotion from Fosco's bag.
The Elf gently lifted the blankets from atop Frodo's mid-section and began to smear the lotion around gently.
Frodo cried out and arched his back as he gripped Bilbo's arm tightly. The incisions were quite painful, and he was loath to let anyone touch them, even the Elf's gentle ministrations caused him pain.
"Easy now, Frodo-lad, just a moment and he'll be done. I promise." Bilbo answered, gently stroking the hobbit-lad's cheek.
Frodo made no reply, but seemed to calm a little more as the lotion began to take effect.
"I advise," Dimhirion broke the silence that had settled in the dimness of the little room once more, "that he takes plenty of Yarrow extract tea as well. It will aid in cleansing his blood of infection."
"I've plenty of dried Yarrow back home," Fosco piped up, "I'll be more than happy to fetch it if you wish."
"That would be most kind of you, master healer." The Elf replied.
Fosco departed shortly after to retrieve the Yarrow leaves, and Peppermint for settling the lad's stomach.
After Fosco's departure, Dimhirion set to wiping the excess lotion away from Frodo's incision's, he then put a small amount of honeysuckle root extract around the stitches, to speed the healing process. The Elf did however, notice with concern that both of the drains that had been set in place were clogged with dried blood, he immediately went to work at replacing the old reeds with new ones.
Bilbo busied himself with changing the bed linens again. Now that the worst was over for Frodo, he believed it best to remove all soiled bedding and replace it with fresh.
Dimhirion assisted in changing the hobbit-lad's nightshift, and giving him a sponge bath to remove the blood that had dried on his torso.
"As soon as his stomach can handle it, I strongly recommend that you start him on light broths-nothing oily or harsh, just something to start the normal function's of his body going again." Dimhirion explained, "The little one will regain his strength in time, but you must be careful not to push him; he has been through quite an ordeal, and to survive it proves that he possess remarkable strength." The Elf continued, looking down in admiration at the resting hobbit-lad, "Don't start him back on solid foods before a week has passed, unless he insists. If he does insist, then only very light foods such as applesauce should be given."
"How long will you stay?" Bilbo asked, the question had been weighing on his mind nearly since the Elf's arrival that morning. He didn't know how in the world he would care for Frodo on his own, he had so little knowledge of nursing someone back to health, or caring for an ill child.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to stay much longer." Dimhirion answered regretfully, "It is likely that my companions have already reached the Havens, and I do not wish for them to sail without me." He continued, "I will stay through the night at least, and perhaps mid-day tomorrow. Don't worry, Bilbo, I will be here to see Frodo through the worst of it."
"What is worse that's yet to come?" asked Bilbo, his concerned voice barely above a whisper.
Dimhirion paused in his bathing of Frodo, and looked up to answer, "I am concerned that perhaps he could suffer some effects from the opium that has been given him." The Elf admitted, "Though he has been under its influence off and on for less than two days, as I said before, it is quick to trap one in its thralls. Frodo being so young, and so weak, could have taken to it faster than most." Dimhirion paused, seeing the concern grow in Bilbo's eyes, "Do not worry, Master Baggins, I won't leave until whatever's to come has passed." He smiled.
Bilbo sighed with relief; he couldn't bear the thought of losing Frodo now, after how far he'd come.
Dimhirion piled fresh blankets atop the sleeping tween after he was bathed and clothed in clean garments, "He need's to sleep as much as he will and must be kept warm, his body will do much healing on it's own." The Elf continued to explain; "Even when he wakes, he mustn't rise from bed too soon, it would only tax what little strength he still has, and chance upsetting the stitches in his incisions, "But I believe he'll be quite content, for a while at least, just to rest and recover some of his strength."
-----------------------------
A/N: More angst will be worked into the next Chapter. ;)