Authors notes: -Thank you Leap of Fate for the review and Monty. I am not
nominated for any awards. I wouldn't have a clue how to go about it!!!
Anyway Enjoy!
*
Gimli carried a bowl of soup into Legolas's room. The elf had been slowly improving for the last two days but not as well as hoped. He couldn't get the words in his head out properly and had great difficulties doing things that normally required little thought, like eating and drinking. Legolas was getting increasingly frustrated and upset.
"I have brought you some soup," Gimli announced. Legolas watched him approach with a smile on his features. Gimli sat on the bed and handed the elf the bowl. Legolas perched it on his lap and reached for a spoon. Gimli swallowed and watched as the elf tried to use the spoon. His hand wobbled and jumped and he spilt it before he could get it to his mouth. Over and over again he spilt it. After a few minutes Legolas began to cry silent tears of frustration and anguish. Gimli felt his own eyes water.
"Here" he said taking the spoon and filling it with soup. He held it up to Legolas's mouth. The elf looked at him with an expression of despair and hopelessness as he opened his mouth. Legolas poured the soup in. A while later the soup was finished, bits of it had dribbled down his face. Legolas went red with embarrassment as Gimli wiped them away.
"Sssorry." Legolas said slowly.
"You have nothing to be sorry for my friend." Gimli said as he placed the bowl down on the table.
"Damaged." Legolas said as he ducked his head.
Gimli lifted Legolas's chin. "You are not damaged my friend. You have been hurt so badly and it takes time to recover. You will heal with time."
Legolas pulled away and wrapped his arms around his knees, resting his chin on them his blonde hair obscuring his face. Sobs wracked his body. Gimli awkwardly patted his friend's arm not knowing how else to comfort him.
"Gimli," a voice whispered. He looked up to see Aragorn walking in. Gimli got up and Aragorn took his place on the bed. He pulled Legolas into his arms and Legolas clung to him as if afraid that if he let go the image would fail and he would be back in the dark cell. Murmuring soothing words he smoothed Legolas's hair. Gimli turned to leave as for the first time in his life he felt to enclosed within a stone room.
"You will be fine Mellonamin."
"Noo..not" Legolas pulled back. "Not." The elf growled in frustration as he tried to put together a sentence.
"Take your time." Aragorn said rubbing the elf's eyes soothingly. Legolas drew back.
"Nott fin..fine" Legolas stuttered.
"Elrond says you are getting better."
Legolas rolled his eyes throwing back the blankets and climbed out of bed.
"Calm down Legolas." Aragorn said getting to his feet. The elf was unsteady but still managed to make it to the entrance to the room. Aragorn quickly ran to his side.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
Legolas attempted to answer but he couldn't so he continued walking. A cold wind was the first thing he felt as it blew through his hair. Snow was on the ground. Legolas walked towards a group of trees and ran his hand over the rough bark. Sliding to his knees he sat on the snow. He buried his fingers in it relishing the texture.
Aragorn grabbed a blanket and walked after Legolas. He stopped as he watched Legolas lean his ear against the tree as if listening to it. A smile lit his pale face up. Aragorn smiled as well. He walked over to his friend and wrapped the blanket around his slim shoulders. Legolas turned and grabbed Aragorn pulling him to his knees. He grabbed Aragorn's hand and placed it on the bark of the tree. Legolas tapped his ear and lent close to it indicating that Aragorn do the same. The man did so. He knew he would not hear the whispering of the trees but did so to appease Legolas. The young elf looked at him expectantly and Aragorn nodded. A huge smile lit up his face and he closed his eyes falling asleep with the trees whispering to him. Aragorn lifted his friend up and carried him back to the room. He wished he could leave him there but it was so cold and in his weakened state it would do Legolas no good.
* Gimli quickly left the rooms needing to be away from them. Marching determinedly up the path he made his way back to the main palace. Taking his usual seat where he sat to think he watched the sun begin to set.
"It is very hard is it not master dwarf." A quiet voice said.
"Aye." Gimli replied but he did not turn around to see who the owner of the voice was. He felt someone sit next to him.
"I will not say to you that it will be fine as I would not lie to you. He may never recover."
Gimli blinked in surprise. He turned to look at the elf next to him. It was Glorfindel. The elf laughed a humourless laugh.
"You expected words like those of; it will take time but he will recover. You have to be patient." Glorfindel said "but I know you are not stupid and the words bring little comfort."
"Do you think he will recover?" Gimli asked.
"I know not Gimli but I can say this for certain we will try to do whatever we can to help him."
"That will not be enough. I had to feed him his soup today. It pains me to see him unable to do even the simplest things. How can he recover from that?"
"It is possible. I once knew a young elf whose horse was shot and killed in battle. The elf fell awkwardly severely damaging his head. His natural elven healing powers could not heal all the damage and when he awoke he could not speak or think above that of a very young elfling. It took time and hope was almost lost but today he is fine."
"Do I know him?" Gimli asked
"Aye for he is right next to you."
"You?"
"Aye me. Do not give up on him. His body is still in shock and before he gets better he will have to face what happened to him. Those memories most probably are hindering his recovery subconsciously. He does not want to remember what happened to him, which I understand completely. He blames himself for all that befell him."
"What, why?"
"He thinks that it must have been something he has done that resulted in those events that occurred. It is very common. We have to listen to him and not judge him or say anything. Just listen."
"And that will help?" Gimli queried.
"I cannot say but it is worth I try. I must go. Don't let this get to you. It is through no ones fault that this happened." The elf got up and left the dwarf alone with his thoughts.
*
Gimli carried a bowl of soup into Legolas's room. The elf had been slowly improving for the last two days but not as well as hoped. He couldn't get the words in his head out properly and had great difficulties doing things that normally required little thought, like eating and drinking. Legolas was getting increasingly frustrated and upset.
"I have brought you some soup," Gimli announced. Legolas watched him approach with a smile on his features. Gimli sat on the bed and handed the elf the bowl. Legolas perched it on his lap and reached for a spoon. Gimli swallowed and watched as the elf tried to use the spoon. His hand wobbled and jumped and he spilt it before he could get it to his mouth. Over and over again he spilt it. After a few minutes Legolas began to cry silent tears of frustration and anguish. Gimli felt his own eyes water.
"Here" he said taking the spoon and filling it with soup. He held it up to Legolas's mouth. The elf looked at him with an expression of despair and hopelessness as he opened his mouth. Legolas poured the soup in. A while later the soup was finished, bits of it had dribbled down his face. Legolas went red with embarrassment as Gimli wiped them away.
"Sssorry." Legolas said slowly.
"You have nothing to be sorry for my friend." Gimli said as he placed the bowl down on the table.
"Damaged." Legolas said as he ducked his head.
Gimli lifted Legolas's chin. "You are not damaged my friend. You have been hurt so badly and it takes time to recover. You will heal with time."
Legolas pulled away and wrapped his arms around his knees, resting his chin on them his blonde hair obscuring his face. Sobs wracked his body. Gimli awkwardly patted his friend's arm not knowing how else to comfort him.
"Gimli," a voice whispered. He looked up to see Aragorn walking in. Gimli got up and Aragorn took his place on the bed. He pulled Legolas into his arms and Legolas clung to him as if afraid that if he let go the image would fail and he would be back in the dark cell. Murmuring soothing words he smoothed Legolas's hair. Gimli turned to leave as for the first time in his life he felt to enclosed within a stone room.
"You will be fine Mellonamin."
"Noo..not" Legolas pulled back. "Not." The elf growled in frustration as he tried to put together a sentence.
"Take your time." Aragorn said rubbing the elf's eyes soothingly. Legolas drew back.
"Nott fin..fine" Legolas stuttered.
"Elrond says you are getting better."
Legolas rolled his eyes throwing back the blankets and climbed out of bed.
"Calm down Legolas." Aragorn said getting to his feet. The elf was unsteady but still managed to make it to the entrance to the room. Aragorn quickly ran to his side.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
Legolas attempted to answer but he couldn't so he continued walking. A cold wind was the first thing he felt as it blew through his hair. Snow was on the ground. Legolas walked towards a group of trees and ran his hand over the rough bark. Sliding to his knees he sat on the snow. He buried his fingers in it relishing the texture.
Aragorn grabbed a blanket and walked after Legolas. He stopped as he watched Legolas lean his ear against the tree as if listening to it. A smile lit his pale face up. Aragorn smiled as well. He walked over to his friend and wrapped the blanket around his slim shoulders. Legolas turned and grabbed Aragorn pulling him to his knees. He grabbed Aragorn's hand and placed it on the bark of the tree. Legolas tapped his ear and lent close to it indicating that Aragorn do the same. The man did so. He knew he would not hear the whispering of the trees but did so to appease Legolas. The young elf looked at him expectantly and Aragorn nodded. A huge smile lit up his face and he closed his eyes falling asleep with the trees whispering to him. Aragorn lifted his friend up and carried him back to the room. He wished he could leave him there but it was so cold and in his weakened state it would do Legolas no good.
* Gimli quickly left the rooms needing to be away from them. Marching determinedly up the path he made his way back to the main palace. Taking his usual seat where he sat to think he watched the sun begin to set.
"It is very hard is it not master dwarf." A quiet voice said.
"Aye." Gimli replied but he did not turn around to see who the owner of the voice was. He felt someone sit next to him.
"I will not say to you that it will be fine as I would not lie to you. He may never recover."
Gimli blinked in surprise. He turned to look at the elf next to him. It was Glorfindel. The elf laughed a humourless laugh.
"You expected words like those of; it will take time but he will recover. You have to be patient." Glorfindel said "but I know you are not stupid and the words bring little comfort."
"Do you think he will recover?" Gimli asked.
"I know not Gimli but I can say this for certain we will try to do whatever we can to help him."
"That will not be enough. I had to feed him his soup today. It pains me to see him unable to do even the simplest things. How can he recover from that?"
"It is possible. I once knew a young elf whose horse was shot and killed in battle. The elf fell awkwardly severely damaging his head. His natural elven healing powers could not heal all the damage and when he awoke he could not speak or think above that of a very young elfling. It took time and hope was almost lost but today he is fine."
"Do I know him?" Gimli asked
"Aye for he is right next to you."
"You?"
"Aye me. Do not give up on him. His body is still in shock and before he gets better he will have to face what happened to him. Those memories most probably are hindering his recovery subconsciously. He does not want to remember what happened to him, which I understand completely. He blames himself for all that befell him."
"What, why?"
"He thinks that it must have been something he has done that resulted in those events that occurred. It is very common. We have to listen to him and not judge him or say anything. Just listen."
"And that will help?" Gimli queried.
"I cannot say but it is worth I try. I must go. Don't let this get to you. It is through no ones fault that this happened." The elf got up and left the dwarf alone with his thoughts.