CHAPTER 21
Pim knocked and opened Merry's door. He seemed asleep, but she knew that while he had a bad headache, he would not be able to. "Merry?", she poked her head around the side of the door.
"Mmm?", Merry didn't open his eyes.
"I've brought you a tea tray of biscuits and fruit." Pim carefully laid the tray on the chair, and helped Merry into a sitting position, and she fluffed his pillows for him. "Feeling better?"
"A little."
To Pim, Merry sounded like a little lost child. She smoothed his curls away from his face. "Oh, Merry. I am so sorry about today."
"What do you have to be sorry about, Pim? Merry put the sugar and milk into his tea. "He's not your father."
He nibbled on a biscuit, some fruit, and sipped his tea.
"I don't know", she sighed, "after all these years....how do you feel about all this?"
Merry paused from his nibbling. "I don't know. Until this afternoon, I thought I knew exactly what my next step would be; with uncle Paladin's permission, I was going to stay at Whitwell until Yule. Then I would visit my mother, and head out to Bag End for...I don't know how long." He looked at Pim, "Now, I'm not quite so sure about what I want." Merry fingered his slice of apple, lost in thought. "I know what he's up to--I just don't know if I want to play along is all.", Merry looked up at his cousin and dear friend, "He's a complete stranger to me, Pim. One part of me wants desperately to know him."
"And the other?"
Merry sighed in his thought. "To just leave me alone and never seek me out ever again. But for my mother, I would have left long ago, Pim."
If Merry had left long ago, where would he be now, and how would he have fared?, Pim thought. She put her arm around her friend. "I'm glad you didn't leave! You bring joy into our home, and I can't imagine life without you, Merry. You're like a brother to me."
Merry never heard words like that from her, or anyone, before. He blushed and then gave her a kiss on her cheek. "From one friend to another, and a brother to his sister."
After a moment of silence, Pim began to clean up the tea tray.
"Let me help", Merry said. So he got out of bed and put on a robe, and helped with the rest of the clean up. He carried his empty teacup and saucer behind her as she carried the tray of food.
"You poor thing!", Pim teased Merry, "How heavy that must be for you!", she and Merry laughed.
Frodo and Pippin were still having tea in the kitchen. Once again, Pippin lagged behind because of his broken wrist. Frodo was helping Pippin spread jam over his biscuit when Pim and Merry entered.
"Merry! What are you doing out of bed?!", Frodo looked worried.
"That bed was getting to me, and so I decided to help Pim bring the dishes back--as you can see I have the heavy load!", he said with a wink to Pim.
Pippin watched his cousin with a wary eye, but couldn't say anything; his mouth was full of biscuit and jam.
"It's probably not a good idea to be up and about yet, Merry." Frodo didn't want to say anything, but Merry still looked horrible.
"I feel fine!", Merry assured Frodo; then suddenly everything became clouded over with white and yellow spots. He lost his balance and reached out for the counter top, dropping the cup and saucer.
Immediately Frodo jumped up and caught Merry. Merry hadn't quite fainted, but he certainly had a scare. "Alright--I'm going back to bed!"
"And stay there this time!" Frodo smiled, and helped Merry back to bed.
CHAPTER 22
When Merry awoke, the room was completely dark, and discerned it must be the early morning hours When will my head stop pounding?, Merry thought. He let out a loud sigh, turned over and tried to sleep. Then he saw the door open a crack; it was Paladin. "Merry?", he whispered.
"I'm awake."
"I thought I heard you stirring about. I'm with Pippin for the moment until I can get him back to sleep, but I'll be back in right after."
"I'll be alright, uncle Paladin--see to Pippin; he sounds like he's hurting bad."
"He'll be in pain a couple more days, but it will pass. How are you?"
"Same."
Paladin grinned at his nephew's response, and closed the door.
When Merry awoke next, he could smell bacon frying. He thought for sure his stomach might argue about it, with his previous sour stomach. He turned over to see if motion would bring on his headache and nausea. He still had a small headache, but the nausea was gone. His stomach growled. Good! Merry's favorite breakfast food was bacon...dare he get up again, though? Why not? Will the bacon walk in his room for him to eat? Merry wanted any excuse to get up. Well...he did have a full bladder and needed to relieve it...he'd go outside and breathe in some fresh air. Fresh air!
Merry sat up and put his feet on the floor. Oh my, the floor is really cold today! He tottered over to the door and opened it. The smell of bacon and bread baking, tea boiling all came at him at once. Now Merry didn't know which to make for first--the kitchen, or the nearest bush. It was Pearl who peeked down the hallway to see who first arose from their bed.
"Merry! Get back to your bed at once!", Pearl commanded. Normally, Merry obeyed the elder Pearl and all the authority invested to her, but he was too far away from the little pail in his room now as he approached the back kitchen door.
"I can't, Pearl--I have to go--really go!", Merry walked slowly, but deliberately to the door.
"Then you shan't go alone."
Merry shot a look in her direction. "Yes I shall!"
"I didn't mean me, you nitwit!", said Pearl, amused that Merry would think such. "Frodo!", she called. A moment later Frodo appeared in the kitchen.
"I thought you told me to stay out?", Frodo smirked.
"I did; and I still want you to keep out." Pearl said as she started to set out the plates and cups on the table. "Pim and Perva just went out fetch water, but Merry, here, needs help to walk outside...if you get my meaning."
"Ahhh, yes. I will help you walk, Merry." Frodo walked up to Merry and took the crook of his cousin's arm and together they walked outside.
Pearl opened the oven to take out the bread, and nearly dropped it when turned around. Pearl gasped, "Papa! You startled me!"
"I know I must look a fright this morning, Pearl; I've only slept a few hours this night."
"No, father, I just didn't hear you enter the kitchen is all."
Paladin settled into a chair. "Is tea on yet?", he asked.
"Yes, father", and she placed a cup in front of him.
"Your mother has taught you well, Pearl! The aroma of bacon and bread will drag any male hobbit out of bed at any hour!", he laughed, and stared at the steam rising from his cup as Pearl poured the tea.
"Papa, you should have woke me up to help with Pippin."
"Why, so we both would look frightful this morning?", he chuckled at what he must look like right now. "No. This past night was the essence of rearing children, Pearl.", he carefully sipped the hot liquid, and winced when he burned his tongue anyway. Then more seriously, he added, "I feel sorry for Saradoc, Pearl; many times he had the chance to cradle his son the way I've done Pippin, but he chose not to. And now he pays the price."
Pearl sat down next to her father with her own cup of tea. "What do you think will happen next, father?"
"I must get back to the fields today; I cannot spend another day here. And I cannot leave Merry behind; he's not yet old enough to be out on his own." Paladin shrugged his shoulders, he spoke as if he saw Merry's future laid out in his mind. "Merry will probably never return to Brandy Hall except to visit his mother, I fear. I will speak with Saradoc before we leave today, and Merry will likely go home with us and stay for a time. Then after while, he may choose to travel back here to Bag End and stay with his friends.", Paladin sipped his tea again. "I do hope beyond all hope, however, that Merry goes back to Brandy Hall from time to time; not only for my sister's sake, but so that him and Saradoc can finally....I don't know...start a course of getting to know each other? This knot took years to tie, and will take years to unravel...", he trailed off.
After playing father to Merry for so long, Paladin felt worry for his nephew, but also relief. Though Merry wasn't old enough to live on his own yet, there were plenty of people willing to care for him and love him. At least Merry was old enough to make decisions for himself--good decisions.
Paladin figured it would take years for Merry to begin to trust Saradoc. The good part was that Saradoc couldn't break Merry's heart ever again...Paladin wouldn't let him, and better yet, neither would Merry.
For a split second, Paladin thought he would miss the late evening chats and holding his nephew, shielding him from the selfish pain of his father. But then, he thought again, that job never ends with fathers and sons.
~~THE END~~
