CHAPTER 13
Some time later, Pippin sat wrapped in a blanket sipping hot tea, but he was still shivering. His own clothes were torn and ruined, and he now wore one of Frodo's old shirt and trousers. His feet felt like ice on a cold winter's morn, and is arm began to throb. His eyelids were heavy from a sleepless night, and a little too much ale. A hot bath was being prepared for him in the next room.
After the others came up with Merry, they took him into his own room and laid him on the bed. They took off his wet clothes and replaced them with a dry nightshirt. Frodo and Sam checked his arms and legs for broken bones, but found none. "Look Frodo!" Sam pointed at a bleeding gash above Merry's right ear. "I see it, Sam. It looks quite bad; please run and get your mother." Though she did not bear the title of healer, Bell Gamgee ministered herbs and healings to Bilbo and Frodo on more than one occasion, earning her the unofficial title at Bag End.
A short while later, Bell appeared in Merry's doorway and hesitated. "May I come in, master Frodo?"
"Yes, please! Thank you for coming!"
Bell went straight to Merry's side and examined the gash in his head. A look of concern creased her brow, and then she bit her bottom lip in thought. She looked up at her Sam and Frodo, "You'd best fetch his mum and dad."
Frodo and Sam exchanged looks of horror. "Is he...?", ventured Frodo.
"No, mister Frodo; and truth be told, I haven't seen too much of this type of hurt. But, I do know this is a serious one, and being he's still a teen, his mum and dad should know and see him."
"You're right, of course.", Frodo acknowledged. Right away, Fredegar volunteered, and Sam right after him; he and Sam immediately saddled up a couple ponies. He headed straight for Buckland and Sam for Tuckborough. Fredegar would arrive at Brandy Hall after sunrise, if he only took necessary breaks. In the meantime, Bell would sit at Merry's side and keep vigil.
Frodo stepped out into the hallway to think about all that had happened in the span of a few short hours. He was tired and leaned against the wall, letting out a huge sigh. This was his thirtieth birthday; it was supposed to be a celebration, not an occasion for grief.
"What kind of host are you?!"
"Huh?", Frodo's thought was interrupted. He turned his head towards the voice; it was Pearl. Good gravy, he thought, Here it comes.
"I said, what kind of host are you--allowing a small boy to drink his fill of ale?", As Pearl drew near, Frodo could see behind her. Pippin was heaving into a small pail.
Will this nightmare end?, thought Frodo. Not only did Pippin fall out of the tree and break his wrist, now he sits heaving up his last meal into a bucket because the wretched host forgot his duties to his young guest! And yet another of his closest friends lies abed nearby on the brink of death. The look of inconsolable worry was etched in Frodo's face.
Pearl calmed down and decided not to provoke him further. In her subtle way, she leaned against the wall next to Frodo, and quietly said, "I know it was an accident, Frodo, however a stupid accident.", Pearl sighed, "I get so tied up in knots when I see my little brother so miserable."
He returned her look and said, "I am so sorry, Pearl. "I feel like such a fool; I should have been more responsible." Frodo looked genuinely troubled.
Pearl couldn't be angry with him for long. "I suppose we all are allowed to make one huge irresponsible blunder in life", she sighed, ignoring the fact she was in her irresponsible tweens herself.
CHAPTER 14
Bell stepped out into the hallway and walked towards Pippin. "There you be, little one! Your sister tells me you've a hurt wrist, eh?"
Pippin having finished heaving looked up at the healer. She seemed to be a nice lady to Pippin until she mentioned his wrist; somehow he got the feeling she wanted to do something with it. As he cradled it, he took it into safekeeping under his blanket.
"Can I have a look?"
"No! It hurts."
"But that is why I want to see it; I want to see if I can make it not hurt."
Pippin eyed her warily. "How can you make it stop hurting?"
"Wait--Pippin!", Frodo stepped out of the hallway and went up to Pippin. He knelt down to look Pippin at eye level. "Pip, mistress Bell wants to look at your wrist...your wrist will need to be set."
"Set? Like how?"
"She will have to....to hold your wrist...and twist the bones into place in order for it to mend properly." Frodo watched Pippin's face to make sure he understood what he said.
Pippin's eyes got wide, he was getting scared; it apparently hurt enough for Frodo to tell him about it, and it didn't seem like he was going to have any say in the matter anyway. He held his arm closer. "No!! "
"Pippin...if your wrist isn't set, it won't heal properly; in fact, it may never heal. It will look like this for the rest of your days." Frodo tried to convince Pippin.
"I don't care! No one is going to touch my arm!!", Pippin was visibly upset and shaken now.
Frodo looked Pippin straight in the eyes. "Pippin, I swear I won't ever lie to you! I will always be truthful to you; do you trust me in this?", he waited for Pippin to nod. "Then, Pippin, I won't lie to you even now; it must be set, and when it's set....it will hurt--it will be extremely painful. But I will be here with you throughout the whole thing.", Frodo let these last words take effect, 'I will be here with you; I will not leave you!" I will be a better host this time, Frodo thought to himself.
"And I will be here with you as well!", Pearl answered.
Pippin's face held the look of one going to his death. He took his arm out from under the blanket, and looked at the swollen arm and blue wrist that he tried to imagine hale and whole again. He swallowed his fear. "Alright."
"Hmm?", Frodo wanted to make sure he caught what Pippin said.
"I said alright; let it be over with."
Frodo then nodded over to Bell, who sat down in a stool next to Pippin. Pippin held out his arm, but then felt someone lift him out of his seat. It was Frodo; he lifted Pippin onto his lap and held him tight around the waist. Already Pippin was regretting his agreement.
Bell took Pippin's arm and lightly slid her hand over his wrist and arm to get the right angle. She did this over and over. This isn't so bad, Pippin thought. Bell nodded to Pippin, "Are ye ready?"
To anyone passing by outside Bag End, they could clearly hear the blood-curdling scream of a child in pain. Pippin screamed again and struggled to break free, but the two older tweens held him fast. Bell took his wrist so she could splint and wrap it in a clean bandage, but Pippin thought she was trying to set it once more, and screamed again.
"Pip! She's done, she's done!", Frodo told Pippin, but that didn't console him. He just sat on Frodo's lap and cried. Frodo held him close and rocked him for sometime before Pippin began to settle down. "Hold your arm, Pip" Frodo said, and still holding him, he got up and took Pippin into the next room with the hot bath waiting for him. On his way, Frodo mouthed some words to Pearl. Closing the door, Frodo unwrapped Pippin's blanket and then helped him out of his shirt and trousers and placed a towel around Pippin. He picked up his young cousin, stepped himself into the tub, clothes and all, and sat down with Pippin still holding onto him, careful about Pip's newly set wrist the entire time. Pippin was still sniffling, but was calming down a little more. Frodo began to sweat from the hot water, and wiped his brow; but he knew the heat felt good to Pippin. He heard a soft knock on the door and it came open a bit. Pearl peeped in, and when she saw both of them in the tub she started to close the door again, but Frodo saw it; "Pearl! Wait!", he nearly shouted--not too loud for Pippin's sake, though.
Pearl hesitated, and saw Frodo was fully clothed. "Are you mad? You're going to get yourself sick as well!"
"I'll be fine, Pearl", Frodo assured her, "do you have it?"
Pearl nodded and held forth a bottle of wine and a glass. "You know I would never agree to this otherwise, don't you? He's already had his fill of ale yesterday! At the rate he's going, he'll be a drunkard by the time he turns nine!" She looked at her baby brother--well, she still saw him as such, anyhow.
With a practiced hand, Frodo cradled Pippin while pouring wine into a glass as if for pleasure. "Pippin...let's have a toast!"
Pippin didn't answer; he sniffled.
"Pippin...do you want to taste Bilbo's favorite wine?"
"No.", he sniffed.
"Pip, this will take some of the hurt away."
Pippin sat up, wiped his eyes, and looked at the glass Frodo held.
"Just taste it, alright? It's very good!"
Pippin sipped a little bit and then lay his head back on Frodo's chest. Pearl knew then that her little brother would live through this nightmare.
