Chapter 15
Just Lay Quiet
"How is Uncle Saradoc?" asked Pippin at breakfast the following morning. Merry sat beside his cousin slowly eating his porridge and shrugged. The last he'd heard of his father's health had been the night before, and it had not been good. His mother had not arrived in the dining hall yet, which was unusual as well. He suddenly caught sight of his mother entering the hall, looking absolutely exhausted. Dora immediately approached her and the two hobbits stood talking in quiet voices.
"He must get well." Merry whispered clenching his fists. Pippin smiled.
"He will, Merry."
Esmerelda walked over to the table and took her usual spot across from her son, heaving a great sigh.
"Mama?" Merry asked as she took a piece of toast from one of the platters.
"Yes darling?"
"How is Papa?"
"No change, sweetheart. The fever hasn't risen but it hasn't gone down either." she took a bite of the toast.
Pippin stared at his plate. "I miss my Papa." He whispered quietly and Merry immediately placed an arm around his younger cousin.
Esmerelda, after a few moments of awkward silence, stood and glanced at her son. "Merry? Could you do me a big favor? I have to help clean up from breakfast so if you could take some tea to your father that would be wonderful."
Merry jumped at the opportunity. "Can Pippin come too?" he asked. Esmerelda thought for a moment.
"I suppose he can, as long as he stays in the doorway. Here you are." she poured a cup of tea and handed it to Merry on a saucer. "Make SURE he drinks this." She warned and watched as Merry hurried off. He headed out of the dining hall and into the corridor going down that until he came to a dead end and turned left. Pippin followed right at his heels but Merry wouldn't have even known the way the lad was so quiet. When they reached the bedroom, Merry saw his father sitting up in bed holding a handkerchief in one hand and a book in another.
"Papa?" Merry asked quietly and Saradoc looked up.
"Good morning, Merry. And Pippin."
"Good morning. Mama said you have to drink this tea.it'll help you feel better." Merry walked over to his father's bedside just as Saradoc let out an explosive sneeze.
"Thank you, son. You can set it right on the nighttable there."
Merry gave him a serious look. "She said I had to make sure you drank it all. So you are going to."
Saradoc gazed at his son in amazement and watched as he pulled up a chair and sat down. "And I am going to sit here and watch you.
He smiled. "Are you now?"
"Yep. I want you to get better."
"I want to get better too Merry, but."
"Drink it."
Saradoc obeyed his son and immediately took one sip, then another and another until the entire teacup had been drained. He set it on the nightstand when he'd finished and covered his face with one of the free pillows, letting out a soft moan. "Where is your mother?" he grumbled.
"Pardon?" asked Merry.
Saradoc took the pillow away. "Where is your mother?"
"Oh.she's in the kitchen helping clean up after breakfast. She told me she'd be up later."
"I see." Saradoc gazed around the darkened room suddenly feeling very tired. "Listen boys.why don't you two go and play? I really need to get some sleep."
Merry nodded. "All right.come on, Pippin." He grabbed hold of the younger hobbit's hand and led him out into the hallway.
"How is Uncle Saradoc?" asked Pippin at breakfast the following morning. Merry sat beside his cousin slowly eating his porridge and shrugged. The last he'd heard of his father's health had been the night before, and it had not been good. His mother had not arrived in the dining hall yet, which was unusual as well. He suddenly caught sight of his mother entering the hall, looking absolutely exhausted. Dora immediately approached her and the two hobbits stood talking in quiet voices.
"He must get well." Merry whispered clenching his fists. Pippin smiled.
"He will, Merry."
Esmerelda walked over to the table and took her usual spot across from her son, heaving a great sigh.
"Mama?" Merry asked as she took a piece of toast from one of the platters.
"Yes darling?"
"How is Papa?"
"No change, sweetheart. The fever hasn't risen but it hasn't gone down either." she took a bite of the toast.
Pippin stared at his plate. "I miss my Papa." He whispered quietly and Merry immediately placed an arm around his younger cousin.
Esmerelda, after a few moments of awkward silence, stood and glanced at her son. "Merry? Could you do me a big favor? I have to help clean up from breakfast so if you could take some tea to your father that would be wonderful."
Merry jumped at the opportunity. "Can Pippin come too?" he asked. Esmerelda thought for a moment.
"I suppose he can, as long as he stays in the doorway. Here you are." she poured a cup of tea and handed it to Merry on a saucer. "Make SURE he drinks this." She warned and watched as Merry hurried off. He headed out of the dining hall and into the corridor going down that until he came to a dead end and turned left. Pippin followed right at his heels but Merry wouldn't have even known the way the lad was so quiet. When they reached the bedroom, Merry saw his father sitting up in bed holding a handkerchief in one hand and a book in another.
"Papa?" Merry asked quietly and Saradoc looked up.
"Good morning, Merry. And Pippin."
"Good morning. Mama said you have to drink this tea.it'll help you feel better." Merry walked over to his father's bedside just as Saradoc let out an explosive sneeze.
"Thank you, son. You can set it right on the nighttable there."
Merry gave him a serious look. "She said I had to make sure you drank it all. So you are going to."
Saradoc gazed at his son in amazement and watched as he pulled up a chair and sat down. "And I am going to sit here and watch you.
He smiled. "Are you now?"
"Yep. I want you to get better."
"I want to get better too Merry, but."
"Drink it."
Saradoc obeyed his son and immediately took one sip, then another and another until the entire teacup had been drained. He set it on the nightstand when he'd finished and covered his face with one of the free pillows, letting out a soft moan. "Where is your mother?" he grumbled.
"Pardon?" asked Merry.
Saradoc took the pillow away. "Where is your mother?"
"Oh.she's in the kitchen helping clean up after breakfast. She told me she'd be up later."
"I see." Saradoc gazed around the darkened room suddenly feeling very tired. "Listen boys.why don't you two go and play? I really need to get some sleep."
Merry nodded. "All right.come on, Pippin." He grabbed hold of the younger hobbit's hand and led him out into the hallway.
