The next morning, Bilbo went over to Frodo who was thankfully asleep but
still warm to the touch.
Sighing in consternation, the elder hobbit went and got more wet cloths and gently taking the nightshirt off, carefully bathed the child trying to lower his temperature. Leery of the infected stitches, Bilbo felt a full immersion bath was out of the question.
Mixing the painkiller in apple juice again, the hobbit left it aside for when Frodo would awaken. As he saw to his own breakfast, Bilbo decided to talk to Mistress Barnstaple, just to get another opinion. Perhaps she knew of some treatment Thomas Dobbins did not.
"Uncle Bilbo," a groggy, hoarse voice called out from the bed, "I am so thirsty."
"Of course my lad, of course." Bilbo brought Frodo the apple juice and held his head up while he eagerly, for once, drank it down.
"Do you want anything else? A bit of custard perhaps? "A little." Bilbo brought over the small ramekin of custard. Wincing at Frodo's cry of pain as he adjusted the child into more of a sitting position, he sat on the bed and dipped the spoon into the custard.
But luckily little Frodo was indeed hungry and he ate half the serving. After the last mouthful, Frodo yawned and looked at his Uncle Bilbo with his fever bright eyes. "That is all I can eat." "All right my lad. I am going to go visit with Mistress Barnstaple and see if I cannot get some more medicine for you."
Frodo nodded slowly. "Dilly will come in and sit with you will I am gone. And maybe I can find an ice for you."
"An-an ice Uncle? But it is not winter."
"No, it is not!" Bilbo actually laughed. "No it is crushed ice from deep in someone's root cellar and they pour sweet syrup over it. It is quite a treat. You'll like it."
"All right. Maybe ice would feel good on my tummy too." "Yes, perhaps. Let me go Dilly."
The hobbit child smiled weakly as Bilbo patted his hand and then went to fetch the upstairs maid.
Frodo felt himself drift off. As his eyes closed his thoughts became very disordered. Images of his cousins and Brandy Hall became mixed with images of the Hidden Haven and its corridors. And then there were chickens, missing limbs and feathers and his uncle's face laughing nastily.
Frodo whimpered in his sleep, brushing at his face.
No, no his uncle Bilbo loved him! He'd said so! He didn't think he was funny. And then it was dark all around him, filled with unusual sounds and laughing and chickens clucking.
And then faintly, singing. Sweet singing. It was the elves! Frodo listened harder to the singing. And the edges of the dark went lighter and the singing swelled in his mind until that was all there was. Then a gentle face with a pair of dark grey eyes filled his vision.
And the dark went away until there was only light and the very faint sound of singing.
Opening his eyes slowly, he found Dilly smiling down at him.
Brushing his hair back, she said quietly, "Hullo little Frodo, how's my boy?"
"Are the elves here? I heard them singing..."
"No sweetheart, the elves are long gone. They say they go to the sea, beyond the towers to the west." She brushed his hair again. "No, we won't see those Elves again, more's the pity."
Rising, she went about cleaning up the room. But Bilbo was a tidy soul and so there wasn't much to do.
Finished she stood in the center of the room and then looked at the child who was watching her with a slight smile. The wee one was so hot. What did her Mam do when one of her brothers or sisters had a fever?
A cool bath! That's just what this hobbit child needed! Feeling bold, she rang the room service bell and when Marella showed up she said, "I know its bit much for me to be ringing the bell Marella, but I think what might help this poor babe is a cool bath. Don't your momma do that when one of yours gets hot with a fever?
"Yes, she does at that. Good idea Dilly. I'll get the lads to bring up a ladies tub. It will be the smallest thing we have for him."
"Thanks Marella. I just know that will help."
While waiting for the water, Dilly went to Frodo and said, "I have an idea on how to make you a little less hot Frodo boy. How about a nice cooling bath?"
"A cold bath? Will there be ice in it?"
"No silly, no ice, just nice cool water."
"Well Uncle Bilbo said he'd get me an ice."
"Oh one of those. That's to eat. Come on, here's some more juice. This will help you cool off too. Mam always says lots of drinks to help cool a fever. Tho' a course Pa takes that to mean a mite too many ales!"
Dilly chuckled as she helped Frodo drink down a half a cup of the fresh pressed apple juice the inn was famous for.
The two didn't have to wait long until the water was brought up by a couple of the stable hands.
One of whom chucked Dilly under the chin as he left. Frodo noticed this and smiled. "He likes you, doesn't he?"
"Perhaps a bit. But he has to wait till he's head stable hand before he gets the likes of me. But that won't be long, seeing how Mr. Thrim is about to be retiring."
Dilly turned to the little hobbit and picking him up gently, brought him over to the tub. She sat the apprehensive child in the water without taking his nightshirt off, to avoid a chill.
Frodo squirmed in her arms, "No-no it's too cold! Ow!" And he started shivering. But Dilly held him in the water a bit longer, gently putting a hand to where the infected incision was and making sure the cool water washed over it.
Once the first chill was over, Frodo actually relaxed some. Dilly was right, his skin didn't feel so hot. He let himself slip lower into the tub enjoying the momentary cessation of heat.
"There now, that's not so bad is it Frodo lad?"
"No-no. My tummy doesn't feel so hot. Could I have more juice?"
"Sure laddie-o!" And Dilly went and got him a glass, which he drank down. She ruffled his hair and then went to turn over the towel that she was heating up to wrap him in.
Frodo, actually feeling cooler that he had in sometime, closed his eyes once more. He really wanted to hear the elves sing again.
But he wasn't able to keep his eyes closed too long, when Dilly lifted him out of the tub and stood him on his feet in front of the fire. Shivering he let the maid take off his wet night shirt and put a clean one on. Then she wrapped him in the heated towel and carried him back to the bed. Leaving him in the towel, she propped him up in the bed and pulled the quilt up.
"I think your lovely curls need a brushing."
Frodo's eyes watered up and a sob hiccupped out of him, which hurt his throat.
"Whatever is the matter sweetie?"
"My-my mama used to brush my hair out after my bath in the parlor. I miss my mama and da."
"Dead are they?" Dilly came and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Drownded. In the Brandywined."
"I am so sorry! Poor lamb! Are you feeling any better? Do you think you can eat some of this broth your uncle's been keep warm here?"
"A-a little, I think." Frodo looked up at her from under his thatch of hair.
"A little's all you need to do." Dilly brought the broth and crumbled up the toast and then helped the child drink it down. She was delighted to see he drank about half, and ate all the soft toast.
She then brought over a hairbrush she found on the bureau and gently brushed the riot of dark curls into some kind of order.
As she finished, she saw that little Frodo had fallen asleep. She bent over and kissed his brow and carefully got up from behind him, where she'd been sitting and gently laid the hobbit back. Running her hand one more time through the now smooth curls, she sat by the fire and picked up the mending she had brought.
Not an hour later. Bilbo came in quietly, and peeped around the door. His smile broadened as he saw the peacefully asleep child and the quiet maid by the fire. He took his carefully hoarded ice and slipped it into a clean bowl.
"All well then Dilly?"
"Yes sir Mr. Bilbo. Right and tight as it can be. I gave the little lad a cooling bath, some of the broth and a good hair brushing. He's been asleep for sometime now, with nary a peep out of him.
"A bath? Is that a good idea with his incision all infected?"
"Sure now, it was fine. The wee lad enjoyed it some too."
Bilbo nodded and sighed, grateful for the help of the kind upstairs maid. He gave her two coins as she left and the maid frowned at him. "Now Mr. Bilbo sir, this is a bit too much."
"I know you have family to help Dilly. And you have most certainly helped with mine!"
"All right then, I won't deny it. But you don't hesitate to call again then." She bobbed a curtsy and left.
"Both Frodo and I are very fond of you!"
Smiling she closed the door softly.
Bilbo turned to the little hobbit child and went up to his beds side. Putting a hand to his face and throat, he frowned at their heat. Well perhaps Mistress Barnstaple was correct and a "counter irritant" would work.
Going back to the small twists of paper he'd brought back from the herbalist, he poured some hot water into a bowl and steep the dogsbane and arnica together.
Going back to Frodo, he gently pulled the quilt down and looked closely at the incision the elf lord had made. Holding the candle closer, Bilbo pressed softly on the hot flesh and grimaced at the heat he could feel. Poor little child!
Putting the candle on the nightstand, Bilbo went and got a damp cloth and once more carefully bathed the nasty suture site. Tears came to the hobbit's eyes as he did his best to cool the skin. Oh, the counter irritant MUST work!
Finished, Bilbo went back and put the cloth on the edge of the bowl. Going over to the bowl of steaming herbs, he stirred it briefly with a finger and winced at the tingling he could feel.
Getting a clean cloth, he dipped it into the mixture and soaked it well and then wrung it out.
Taking a deep breath, Bilbo, lay the cloth near the incision and pressed slightly.
It did not take long for the hobbit to find out if it worked, for only a few minutes later, Frodo opened his eyes and began to cry. "Uncle, Uncle!" He started coughing, "Ow!! My tummy burns! My tummy burns!" And then he could say no more as coughing overtook him.
Bilbo, biting his lip, continued to hold the cloth in place mentally timing himself. Finally lifting it, he saw the blister that was supposed to arise from such an application and hoped this would indeed speed the cooling of the inflammation.
Frodo, coughing, his throat raw looked at his uncle terrified. Uncle Bilbo had made his tummy hurt on purpose!
"Why di-did you do that? Have I been a bad boy?" he coughed again which pulled at his stitches. "I did not mean for my tummy to get worse!"
"There, there Frodo lad. No, no you are not a bad boy. I, this was a new treatment I got from Mistress Barnstaple who claims it will work very well to make you tummy NOT hurt." Bilbo turned away and his eyes lit on the ice he had brought.
It was half melted, but it was still cold. "Here Frodo, I did bring you a strawberry ice, with extra honey."
Frodo looked at the watery red concoction in the bowl and burst into tears.
Defeated, Bilbo sat on the chair next to Frodo and did the same.
Sighing in consternation, the elder hobbit went and got more wet cloths and gently taking the nightshirt off, carefully bathed the child trying to lower his temperature. Leery of the infected stitches, Bilbo felt a full immersion bath was out of the question.
Mixing the painkiller in apple juice again, the hobbit left it aside for when Frodo would awaken. As he saw to his own breakfast, Bilbo decided to talk to Mistress Barnstaple, just to get another opinion. Perhaps she knew of some treatment Thomas Dobbins did not.
"Uncle Bilbo," a groggy, hoarse voice called out from the bed, "I am so thirsty."
"Of course my lad, of course." Bilbo brought Frodo the apple juice and held his head up while he eagerly, for once, drank it down.
"Do you want anything else? A bit of custard perhaps? "A little." Bilbo brought over the small ramekin of custard. Wincing at Frodo's cry of pain as he adjusted the child into more of a sitting position, he sat on the bed and dipped the spoon into the custard.
But luckily little Frodo was indeed hungry and he ate half the serving. After the last mouthful, Frodo yawned and looked at his Uncle Bilbo with his fever bright eyes. "That is all I can eat." "All right my lad. I am going to go visit with Mistress Barnstaple and see if I cannot get some more medicine for you."
Frodo nodded slowly. "Dilly will come in and sit with you will I am gone. And maybe I can find an ice for you."
"An-an ice Uncle? But it is not winter."
"No, it is not!" Bilbo actually laughed. "No it is crushed ice from deep in someone's root cellar and they pour sweet syrup over it. It is quite a treat. You'll like it."
"All right. Maybe ice would feel good on my tummy too." "Yes, perhaps. Let me go Dilly."
The hobbit child smiled weakly as Bilbo patted his hand and then went to fetch the upstairs maid.
Frodo felt himself drift off. As his eyes closed his thoughts became very disordered. Images of his cousins and Brandy Hall became mixed with images of the Hidden Haven and its corridors. And then there were chickens, missing limbs and feathers and his uncle's face laughing nastily.
Frodo whimpered in his sleep, brushing at his face.
No, no his uncle Bilbo loved him! He'd said so! He didn't think he was funny. And then it was dark all around him, filled with unusual sounds and laughing and chickens clucking.
And then faintly, singing. Sweet singing. It was the elves! Frodo listened harder to the singing. And the edges of the dark went lighter and the singing swelled in his mind until that was all there was. Then a gentle face with a pair of dark grey eyes filled his vision.
And the dark went away until there was only light and the very faint sound of singing.
Opening his eyes slowly, he found Dilly smiling down at him.
Brushing his hair back, she said quietly, "Hullo little Frodo, how's my boy?"
"Are the elves here? I heard them singing..."
"No sweetheart, the elves are long gone. They say they go to the sea, beyond the towers to the west." She brushed his hair again. "No, we won't see those Elves again, more's the pity."
Rising, she went about cleaning up the room. But Bilbo was a tidy soul and so there wasn't much to do.
Finished she stood in the center of the room and then looked at the child who was watching her with a slight smile. The wee one was so hot. What did her Mam do when one of her brothers or sisters had a fever?
A cool bath! That's just what this hobbit child needed! Feeling bold, she rang the room service bell and when Marella showed up she said, "I know its bit much for me to be ringing the bell Marella, but I think what might help this poor babe is a cool bath. Don't your momma do that when one of yours gets hot with a fever?
"Yes, she does at that. Good idea Dilly. I'll get the lads to bring up a ladies tub. It will be the smallest thing we have for him."
"Thanks Marella. I just know that will help."
While waiting for the water, Dilly went to Frodo and said, "I have an idea on how to make you a little less hot Frodo boy. How about a nice cooling bath?"
"A cold bath? Will there be ice in it?"
"No silly, no ice, just nice cool water."
"Well Uncle Bilbo said he'd get me an ice."
"Oh one of those. That's to eat. Come on, here's some more juice. This will help you cool off too. Mam always says lots of drinks to help cool a fever. Tho' a course Pa takes that to mean a mite too many ales!"
Dilly chuckled as she helped Frodo drink down a half a cup of the fresh pressed apple juice the inn was famous for.
The two didn't have to wait long until the water was brought up by a couple of the stable hands.
One of whom chucked Dilly under the chin as he left. Frodo noticed this and smiled. "He likes you, doesn't he?"
"Perhaps a bit. But he has to wait till he's head stable hand before he gets the likes of me. But that won't be long, seeing how Mr. Thrim is about to be retiring."
Dilly turned to the little hobbit and picking him up gently, brought him over to the tub. She sat the apprehensive child in the water without taking his nightshirt off, to avoid a chill.
Frodo squirmed in her arms, "No-no it's too cold! Ow!" And he started shivering. But Dilly held him in the water a bit longer, gently putting a hand to where the infected incision was and making sure the cool water washed over it.
Once the first chill was over, Frodo actually relaxed some. Dilly was right, his skin didn't feel so hot. He let himself slip lower into the tub enjoying the momentary cessation of heat.
"There now, that's not so bad is it Frodo lad?"
"No-no. My tummy doesn't feel so hot. Could I have more juice?"
"Sure laddie-o!" And Dilly went and got him a glass, which he drank down. She ruffled his hair and then went to turn over the towel that she was heating up to wrap him in.
Frodo, actually feeling cooler that he had in sometime, closed his eyes once more. He really wanted to hear the elves sing again.
But he wasn't able to keep his eyes closed too long, when Dilly lifted him out of the tub and stood him on his feet in front of the fire. Shivering he let the maid take off his wet night shirt and put a clean one on. Then she wrapped him in the heated towel and carried him back to the bed. Leaving him in the towel, she propped him up in the bed and pulled the quilt up.
"I think your lovely curls need a brushing."
Frodo's eyes watered up and a sob hiccupped out of him, which hurt his throat.
"Whatever is the matter sweetie?"
"My-my mama used to brush my hair out after my bath in the parlor. I miss my mama and da."
"Dead are they?" Dilly came and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Drownded. In the Brandywined."
"I am so sorry! Poor lamb! Are you feeling any better? Do you think you can eat some of this broth your uncle's been keep warm here?"
"A-a little, I think." Frodo looked up at her from under his thatch of hair.
"A little's all you need to do." Dilly brought the broth and crumbled up the toast and then helped the child drink it down. She was delighted to see he drank about half, and ate all the soft toast.
She then brought over a hairbrush she found on the bureau and gently brushed the riot of dark curls into some kind of order.
As she finished, she saw that little Frodo had fallen asleep. She bent over and kissed his brow and carefully got up from behind him, where she'd been sitting and gently laid the hobbit back. Running her hand one more time through the now smooth curls, she sat by the fire and picked up the mending she had brought.
Not an hour later. Bilbo came in quietly, and peeped around the door. His smile broadened as he saw the peacefully asleep child and the quiet maid by the fire. He took his carefully hoarded ice and slipped it into a clean bowl.
"All well then Dilly?"
"Yes sir Mr. Bilbo. Right and tight as it can be. I gave the little lad a cooling bath, some of the broth and a good hair brushing. He's been asleep for sometime now, with nary a peep out of him.
"A bath? Is that a good idea with his incision all infected?"
"Sure now, it was fine. The wee lad enjoyed it some too."
Bilbo nodded and sighed, grateful for the help of the kind upstairs maid. He gave her two coins as she left and the maid frowned at him. "Now Mr. Bilbo sir, this is a bit too much."
"I know you have family to help Dilly. And you have most certainly helped with mine!"
"All right then, I won't deny it. But you don't hesitate to call again then." She bobbed a curtsy and left.
"Both Frodo and I are very fond of you!"
Smiling she closed the door softly.
Bilbo turned to the little hobbit child and went up to his beds side. Putting a hand to his face and throat, he frowned at their heat. Well perhaps Mistress Barnstaple was correct and a "counter irritant" would work.
Going back to the small twists of paper he'd brought back from the herbalist, he poured some hot water into a bowl and steep the dogsbane and arnica together.
Going back to Frodo, he gently pulled the quilt down and looked closely at the incision the elf lord had made. Holding the candle closer, Bilbo pressed softly on the hot flesh and grimaced at the heat he could feel. Poor little child!
Putting the candle on the nightstand, Bilbo went and got a damp cloth and once more carefully bathed the nasty suture site. Tears came to the hobbit's eyes as he did his best to cool the skin. Oh, the counter irritant MUST work!
Finished, Bilbo went back and put the cloth on the edge of the bowl. Going over to the bowl of steaming herbs, he stirred it briefly with a finger and winced at the tingling he could feel.
Getting a clean cloth, he dipped it into the mixture and soaked it well and then wrung it out.
Taking a deep breath, Bilbo, lay the cloth near the incision and pressed slightly.
It did not take long for the hobbit to find out if it worked, for only a few minutes later, Frodo opened his eyes and began to cry. "Uncle, Uncle!" He started coughing, "Ow!! My tummy burns! My tummy burns!" And then he could say no more as coughing overtook him.
Bilbo, biting his lip, continued to hold the cloth in place mentally timing himself. Finally lifting it, he saw the blister that was supposed to arise from such an application and hoped this would indeed speed the cooling of the inflammation.
Frodo, coughing, his throat raw looked at his uncle terrified. Uncle Bilbo had made his tummy hurt on purpose!
"Why di-did you do that? Have I been a bad boy?" he coughed again which pulled at his stitches. "I did not mean for my tummy to get worse!"
"There, there Frodo lad. No, no you are not a bad boy. I, this was a new treatment I got from Mistress Barnstaple who claims it will work very well to make you tummy NOT hurt." Bilbo turned away and his eyes lit on the ice he had brought.
It was half melted, but it was still cold. "Here Frodo, I did bring you a strawberry ice, with extra honey."
Frodo looked at the watery red concoction in the bowl and burst into tears.
Defeated, Bilbo sat on the chair next to Frodo and did the same.