A/N: Merry fights his way back from deaths door after being poisoned by someone that he had trusted (a Bucklander or a Bolger)..but which? Who would benefit from his death?

Reviews would help me come up with the answers......

Chapter 4

Poisoned by Whom

Pippin sat back down in the rocking chair as Merry calmed back down again, falling into a deeper sleep. The quietness of the room brought Pippin back to his thoughts of his journey through Middle Earth. His mind wandered through the many faded memories, until it settled on the image of Merry in Fangorn Forest riding tall on the branches of Treebred. This brought a smile to Pippin as he recalled their experiences there.

Pippin listened to the creaking pitch of the rocking chair as it moved to and fro. He closed his eyes with the minutes slowly passing by. With an anguished scream, Merry abruptly sat up, his eyes wide open and his arms fighting a-would-be attacker in his nightmare. His breathing was rapid and hard. Sweat poured from his brow as if a bucket of water was suddenly dumped on him. His nightshirt was soaked in sweat. Pippin grabbed Merry's arms and looked into his eyes, but Merry could not see him. Pippin screamed, "Merry, it is me, Pip! Please, Merry, you're having a bad dream! Merry, wake up!"

The healers ran into the room when Merry grabbed Pippin's neck abruptly and began choking him. In Merry's dream, he was holding back the Nazgûl and watching Èowyn strike her sword into his heart and King Théoden lying dead at his feet. Merry's heart, full of anguish and fear, pounded relentlessly within the confines of his chest. All he could hear was the screams of the Nazgúl and the roar of battle all around him. He saw Éowyn fall slowly to the ground with her arm badly broken. Merry's mind screamed out in pain.

The healer held him down with all their strength. Estella covered her mouth to stop a scream that has risen in her throat as her heart broke in pieces watching everyone holding him, while he screamed out his pain. Pippin lay on his chest, holding him down as his sobbing echoed throughout the room.

"His fever is back; we need to get him back into the ice," the healer ordered the servants to start bringing in the buckets of ice.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Pippin screamed, grabbing the healer's arm and holding it firmly while he waited for his answer.

"It is not an illness he has! He has been poisoned. By what, we do not know. It will be a miracle if he lives throughout the night." The healer pulled his arm free, ripping the nightshirt off Merry and carrying him to the ice tub on the floor. Merry had large welts all over his naked chest.

Estella sank to her knees as her cries turned hysterically into wails. Pippin gathered her into his arms and carried her from Merry's room. "Diamond! Stay with her; she cannot take any more." He laid her on the bed and ran back to Merry.

The healer's pulled him out of the ice and laid him on the bed, Merry shivering uncontrollably. "Merry, don't you leave me! Merry! Please." Pippin sobbed. "I won't let you go; do you hear me?" Pippin grabbed a towel and began drying him off as rapidly as he could. The healer rubbed herbal paste all over his chest and feet. The servants wrapped him tightly into thick blankets. Merry began to relax again and began breathing evenly.

The healers began pouring small amounts of water into his mouth, letting it slowly drip down his throat. They were encouraged that Merry did not vomit it back up. One of the healers mixed another powder of special herbs into the water and began dripping it down his throat. Hours they worked getting all the fluids down him, until the early morning sun arose in the sky.

They made a special pack of herbs and placed it into a loosely linen cloth. They tied the ends tightly. Placing this into a cup of warm tea, until the herbs were well soaked. They opened Merry's mouth and placed this into the side of his cheek.

"Keep dipping the pouch into the tea and replace it back into his mouth." The healer told Pippin.

Diamond came into the room as the healer left to get some sleep. Diamond placed her arms around Pippin and told him that he needed sleep as well. She would take care of Merry for awhile. Pippin kissed his wife and walked out of the room. He was completely exhausted.

Diamond watched Merry as he slept peacefully.

~*~

Estella woke startled from a dream and sat up in her bed. She did not know how long she had slept, but only remembered her sobbing into her pillow. She jumped from her bed and ran into Merry's room to see how he was doing.

"Diamond, how is he?" she called as she entered the room, almost too fearful to ask.

"Estell, he is doing so much better, come see for yourself." Diamond told her.

Estella sat on the bed next to Merry and touched his face as he slept quietly before her. This brought a warm smile to her face. She could sense that Merry had gotten through the worst of it.

"He had a very ruff night, but he is now able to take water and the medications the healers are giving him." Diamond said encouragingly.

Diamond took Estella's hand and held it tightly. "You do really love him, don't you?" Diamond said. "Yes, that I do." Estella not taking her eyes off of Merry, answered her.

"How could Merry be so blind as not to see this." Diamond commented. "He is going to fine now, Estella, and your happiness will soon begin."

"I will see to the noon luncheon and prepare our staff for the day." Daimond left Estella to care for Merry.

Estella took the pouch out of Merry's mouth and placed it into the tea. When she placed it into Merry's mouth his hand suddenly grabbed her wrist and her eyes darted toward his face. Merry looked up into her beautiful eyes as he took the pouch from his mouth. "Please Merry, you need to take this medicine." Estella gently told him as she tried to control the tears swelling in her eyes from seeing him finally awake.

"Where am I?" Merry asked weakly.

"You are at the Great Smial with Pippin and Diamond." She told him as the tears began rolling from her eyes. "Now please lay back and rest."

Merry lay back into his pillow as Estella gently replaced the medicine pouch back into his mouth. She reached for the glass of water that sat on the nightstand next to his bed. "You need to drink," and she placed her hand around his neck and lifted him while she held the water to his mouth. He sipped the water while looking up into her eyes. He never noticed just how beautiful her eyes really were and her hair that gently fell pass her shoulders.

Estella's hand shook as she held the glass to his lips and it forced her to set it down on the table. Her tears began flowing down her face. Merry reached his arms towards her and he brought her down to his chest holding her, while she cried. Merry could feel the love this hobbit had for him.

"Merry your awake!" Pippin shouted, seeing Merry fully conscious.

Merry let go of Estella as she stood up and moved to the chair to set down. He took out the medicine pouch from his mouth and took Pippin's hand as he sat down next to Merry on the bed.

"You had a ruff go of it, Merry. How are you feeling now?" Pippin asked.

"Like I was hit with a boulder that Treebred tossed at the orcs." Merry commented.

"Oh, that would be bad." Pippin laughed as he too remembered the force of strength that Treebred possessed, when he tossed the boulders at the orcs in Isenguard, as if they were mire pebbles.

"I'll be bringing you some soup from the kitchen, Merry. I will be back shortly." Estella told him as she walked out the door.

"You know she loves you, don't you Merry? She has barely left your side and worried endlessly over you." Pippin smiled as he told him.

"Yes, she is a beautiful woman." Merry commented. "When I get over this illness, I'll have to see more of her."

"You do not have an illness, Merry. You were poisoned." Pippin told him.

Merry looked at him questionably, "That can not be, who would want to poison me?"

"That is what we need to find out." Pippin told him. "Have you been around any strangers lately?"

"No, not at all, only Bucklanders and Bolgers." Merry thought back. "And neither would hurt me."

"Well, someone did and it about killed you." Pippin told him.

This gave Merry a great pause, as he thought about this and which of them would want to see his death.

Estella and Diamond came back into the room and Merry allowed Estella to spoon-feed him the soup, even though he did not feel the slightest bit hungry. He got her to laugh and he would close his lips pretending he would not eat another mouth full. He smiled at the sound of her laughter.

"I love your hair about your shoulders, you have the most beautiful hair that I have ever seen." Merry complimented her.

"Well then, I'll be making sure the lengths are always about me shoulders." She giggled at his compliment. Estella's heart soared as she noticed him not taking his eyes off of her for a second. She thought about how much she loved him.