Chapter 25
Another Telegram
Merry sat in one of the trees outside of Brandy Hall chewing on an apple and enjoying the warm breeze that blew over him. He was grateful for the news that his father was just fine and had just a small chill the night before from being stuck in the rain. Merella had scolded Saradoc, however, saying that from now on not to go anywhere without a heavy cloak or an umbrella if his wife told him so.
What Merry didn't know about was the gloom settling slowly on the Took household with Pippin's illness. He only found out when Mia, one of his father's sister's daughter's came running out of the hall with a note in her hand and tears streaming down her cheeks.
"What is the matter, Mia? Did something happen?" Merry asked as he swung down from the tree and landed on his feet. He was very confused when she threw her arms around him. "Mia-stop crying-it's all right. Please tell me what's wrong!"
Mia handed him the telegram as she hiccoughed and he opened the piece of paper folded in half and read the message. Then he felt very faint when he found out what Mia had been sobbing over and he had to sit down. "Oh dear Pippin." He breathed. Then he forced himself to re-read the note and it said:
"Pippin has fallen very ill. Come at once if you can. ~Paladin."
Mia took Merry'a hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "I'm so sorry, Merry." She whispered. He shook his head before standing.
"He'll be all right, I'm sure. Pippin's a-he's a strong lad."
Mia nodded with a small smile as she followed Merry into Brandy Hall, where he was greeted by his father who pulled him into a tight hug. "Rorimac is going to take you there, Merry. I'm sure Pippin will feel much better once you're with him."
Merry gave his father a look of surprise. "Why aren't you taking me?"
"Mama doesn't wish for me to take a long journey anytime soon with my health on the edge."
Merry gave his father another tight hug before Della hurried down the corridor with a basket and handed it to him. "Here is your lunch-you may eat it on the way."
Merry sat the basket down on the floor and opened the cloth, peering inside. There was a peanutbutter and jelly sandwitch, chocolate-chip cookies, a bottle of cherry juice and some sliced apples. It was a lovely combonation and Merry hugged Della and thanked her before going to his room to pack. "Make sure you take your hairbrush dear." Esmerelda told her son when she walked in on him a few moments later. Merry dug a few shirts out from his press and carried them over to the suitcase that lay on his bed. Once he did that he made sure to get the hairbrush and after he'd packed, Esmerelda shooed him off to the carriage and he was tucked inside of it with his luggage in the back. Rorimac had on his heavy green cloak and his black cap and he sat in the front seat holding the horse's reins.
"I'll return in a few hours," The old hobbit told Saradoc who had his arm around Esmerelda's waist. The Master and Mistress of Brandy Hall waved as the carriage disappeared around the bend.
Meanwhile at the Great Smial, Pimpernel sat in her father's study sobbing quietly. Pippin's fever was very high and his cough had worsened overnight. She didn't realize her mother had sent for Merry and had written a telegram herself for him, but didn't feel right about sending it off without letting anyone know. So it lay beside her, the black ink drying.
"Please spare him," Pimpernel whispered. "Please bring Merry."
Pippin lay in bed still, his lips parched and cracked and his brow crinkled in pain. The healer Trinity, blotted his face with a cool cloth and listened as the lad coughed. She was looking after him as Paladin and Eglatine needed rest and were sleeping, but watching the child suffer so broke her heart. How would it feel to loose the heir to the Thainship of Tuckburough? Pearl, Pimpernel or Pervinca couldn't take over the position as they were females, and the position of Thain could only be taken by a male member of the Took family.
Pippin moaned and tossed and turned, only calming down when Trinity lay a firm hand against his burning arm and stroked his bangs away from his eyes. "Shhhh." She whispered quietly.
"I want Mama," Pippin whimpered. "I want Mama."
"I know. Mama is sleeping, sweetheart."
"M-Mama." Pippin sniffed and turned away
"Eglatine!" Trinity got up from her seat and hurried to fetch the Mistress of the Great Smial, pleased when the woman was not cross with her.
"What's wrong, Trinity?" Eglatine asked quietly as she followed the healer into the bedroom. She saw her son then sitting up against the headboard, his cheeks flushed and his forehead covered in beads of sweat. "I'm here, pumpkin." She hurried over to her son and enveloped him into her arms. "I'm right here."
Merry sat in one of the trees outside of Brandy Hall chewing on an apple and enjoying the warm breeze that blew over him. He was grateful for the news that his father was just fine and had just a small chill the night before from being stuck in the rain. Merella had scolded Saradoc, however, saying that from now on not to go anywhere without a heavy cloak or an umbrella if his wife told him so.
What Merry didn't know about was the gloom settling slowly on the Took household with Pippin's illness. He only found out when Mia, one of his father's sister's daughter's came running out of the hall with a note in her hand and tears streaming down her cheeks.
"What is the matter, Mia? Did something happen?" Merry asked as he swung down from the tree and landed on his feet. He was very confused when she threw her arms around him. "Mia-stop crying-it's all right. Please tell me what's wrong!"
Mia handed him the telegram as she hiccoughed and he opened the piece of paper folded in half and read the message. Then he felt very faint when he found out what Mia had been sobbing over and he had to sit down. "Oh dear Pippin." He breathed. Then he forced himself to re-read the note and it said:
"Pippin has fallen very ill. Come at once if you can. ~Paladin."
Mia took Merry'a hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "I'm so sorry, Merry." She whispered. He shook his head before standing.
"He'll be all right, I'm sure. Pippin's a-he's a strong lad."
Mia nodded with a small smile as she followed Merry into Brandy Hall, where he was greeted by his father who pulled him into a tight hug. "Rorimac is going to take you there, Merry. I'm sure Pippin will feel much better once you're with him."
Merry gave his father a look of surprise. "Why aren't you taking me?"
"Mama doesn't wish for me to take a long journey anytime soon with my health on the edge."
Merry gave his father another tight hug before Della hurried down the corridor with a basket and handed it to him. "Here is your lunch-you may eat it on the way."
Merry sat the basket down on the floor and opened the cloth, peering inside. There was a peanutbutter and jelly sandwitch, chocolate-chip cookies, a bottle of cherry juice and some sliced apples. It was a lovely combonation and Merry hugged Della and thanked her before going to his room to pack. "Make sure you take your hairbrush dear." Esmerelda told her son when she walked in on him a few moments later. Merry dug a few shirts out from his press and carried them over to the suitcase that lay on his bed. Once he did that he made sure to get the hairbrush and after he'd packed, Esmerelda shooed him off to the carriage and he was tucked inside of it with his luggage in the back. Rorimac had on his heavy green cloak and his black cap and he sat in the front seat holding the horse's reins.
"I'll return in a few hours," The old hobbit told Saradoc who had his arm around Esmerelda's waist. The Master and Mistress of Brandy Hall waved as the carriage disappeared around the bend.
Meanwhile at the Great Smial, Pimpernel sat in her father's study sobbing quietly. Pippin's fever was very high and his cough had worsened overnight. She didn't realize her mother had sent for Merry and had written a telegram herself for him, but didn't feel right about sending it off without letting anyone know. So it lay beside her, the black ink drying.
"Please spare him," Pimpernel whispered. "Please bring Merry."
Pippin lay in bed still, his lips parched and cracked and his brow crinkled in pain. The healer Trinity, blotted his face with a cool cloth and listened as the lad coughed. She was looking after him as Paladin and Eglatine needed rest and were sleeping, but watching the child suffer so broke her heart. How would it feel to loose the heir to the Thainship of Tuckburough? Pearl, Pimpernel or Pervinca couldn't take over the position as they were females, and the position of Thain could only be taken by a male member of the Took family.
Pippin moaned and tossed and turned, only calming down when Trinity lay a firm hand against his burning arm and stroked his bangs away from his eyes. "Shhhh." She whispered quietly.
"I want Mama," Pippin whimpered. "I want Mama."
"I know. Mama is sleeping, sweetheart."
"M-Mama." Pippin sniffed and turned away
"Eglatine!" Trinity got up from her seat and hurried to fetch the Mistress of the Great Smial, pleased when the woman was not cross with her.
"What's wrong, Trinity?" Eglatine asked quietly as she followed the healer into the bedroom. She saw her son then sitting up against the headboard, his cheeks flushed and his forehead covered in beads of sweat. "I'm here, pumpkin." She hurried over to her son and enveloped him into her arms. "I'm right here."
