Chapter Two: An Indoor Picnic
When Merry woke up, he was lying on his stomach; he lay for a while in that position until the fog lifted from his brain. It was a clear sunny morning; he could tell by the way the little specks of dust floated in the bright rays between the drapes. He watched the specks float for a while, then felt his stomach growl and decided see about breakfast. He raised himself to his elbows, and then heard knocking on his door. "Come in", he said, as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
The door creaked open, and a small figure with light brown curly hair peeked around the edge, "Are you awake, Merry?"
"Yes", Merry replied as he stretched his cramped muscles. "What time is it? And what's for breakfast?"
"It's almost ten o'clock," Pippin replied as he entered; "you missed breakfast, and Dahlia's just now preparing for elevensies." He sat down on the edge of Merry's bed. "I know she will give me something for you to eat; she's looked in on you twice already!"
"Good", he yawned, "because I'm hungry!"
"Surely that's a good sign!", Pippin smiled. "Do you still have your headache?"
Merry nodded, "Only a little, though--much like it was before I left Bag End."
Pippin nodded and stood up, "I'll be back before long with a tray", and left the room.
After Pippin left the room, Merry got up and tiptoed over to the window and threw open the drapes. He immediately regretted it; the bright sunlight instantly stabbed his eyes and he quickly covered them with his hands. Ow!, he thought, that was real clever!
Next, he went over to his wardrobe, pulled out a clean pair of trousers and pulled them on. He decided to wash his face and brush his teeth before he put on a clean shirt.
Just as he was finishing up, Pippin came back in and looked about the room, "You'd better get back in bed before Mrs. Longbottom sees you!"
Merry spit out the rinse. "The healer? Why should I have to get back in bed? You're the one with a broken wrist!"
"And you're the one with a broken head!", Pippin answered.
Pervinca walked in behind her brother carrying a tray laden with food. "She's here to look at the both of you! Papa just returned from getting her in Tuckborough." She set the tray on a small table and pulled it up next to the window. "Pippin, go and get the chair from your room", she said, then proceeded to set about taking the two existing chairs in the room and put them by the table she had set up.
"What are you doing?" Merry curiously watched as his cousin carried a chair across the room to the table.
"We're going to have a picnic indoors!" She announced. In came Pippin dragging a chair with his good arm.
"But I thought you and Pippin already had breakfast."
"We did," said Pervinca, "but we didn't want you to be lonely eating all by yourself, so we decided to join you."
Merry laughed, "You mean you both thought this would be your chance to get in an extra breakfast!"
Pervinca and Pippin both looked at Merry in feigned shock. Pervinca turned to her brother, "Pippin, did you think of any such thing?"
"Why, no!" Pippin played along, "My sweet sister and I only thought to accompany our dear, beloved cousin in partaking of refreshment!"
It cheered Merry enormously to know that his two cousins cared enough to sit with him through yet another breakfast--even if it was planned ahead of time! Remembering his manners, he smiled as he bowed--still wearing his nightshirt and trousers, then he stepped up behind Pervinca and like a young gentle-hobbit, he held her chair.
In turn, Pervinca, curtsied to her "suitor" wearing her dress and empire pinafore, then she sat down as Merry slid the chair underneath her.
Pippin watched the scene before him, then acted surprised as Merry went to his own seat. "What about me?", he jested as he settled into his chair.
"What about you?" Merry said as he grinned; he was sitting in his seat and put his attention to spreading jam over his biscuit.
"I see how you are Merry!" Pippin laughed, "Next time I'll bat my eyes and wear a huge green bow in my hair! No, wait! Someone's already done that to me!!" Pippin looked at his sister who nearly choked as she swallowed her food.
Pervinca laughed, "Pim made me do it! She said that if I didn't, she'd do something horrible to me!"
Pippin grinned; "That's all right; I already did something horrible to her!!", he said
Merry burst out laughing when he remembered the mustache Pippin drew on Pim's lip. "You should've seen her, Pip! She was furious at you!"
Pippin was pouring more water into his mug, "I know! That's why I bolted!"
On and on the nonsensical chatter went. Three young hobbits, enjoying breakfast by the window in the autumn sunshine...and each other's company.
