Like Brothers
Chapter 7
Smile
"Pippin, you need to eat," Eglantine pleaded. Her son's condition wasn't any better. It was dinner time and all Pippin had ate was only one soup and had vomited it up some time ago. Eglantine looked to her nephew for help.
"Pippin, eat," Merry said.
Pippin just looked at Merry and shook his head.
"No?" questioned Merry, "Fine," he pushed his own plate away, "Then I won't either."
Pippin stared at Merry. He muttered something, but it was barely audible.
"What?"
"You have to eat, Merry," Pippin said weakly.
"As do you."
Again Pippin muttered something.
"What?"
Pippin didn't answer. He looked down at his food. They were all silent for a long time. Merry and his aunt waited for Pippin to eat, but he didn't. Finally they heard Pippin say quietly, "...alphabet..."
"What?"
"...alphabet..."
"O..." Merry understood, "A... B... C... D... E... F... G... H... I... J... K... L... M... N... O... P... Q... R... S... T... U... V... W... X... Y... and..."
Merry waited for Pippin to finish the alphabet like he always did, but Pippin remained silent. A few long seconds passed and Merry was about to complete it himself, but finally Pippin squeaked...
"...Z..."
Merry sighed a breathe of relief, "That's right."
"................thank you."
Pippin's voice sounded very weak, frail, and shaky. And Merry could tell that it hurt when he spoke.
Merry looked at his aunt, "Maybe he'll be hungrier later..." he suggested.
Eglantine sighed, "Then I'll be back later," she said collecting their plates. She looked at her son and blew him a kiss, and left.
Pippin laid down again in bed and closed his eyes, "........alphabet..."
"But I just--" Merry stopped, "Sure... uh, A... B... C... D... E... F... G... H... I... J... K... L... M... N... O... P... Q... R... S... T... U... V... W... X... Y... and..."
Again a long pause, "...Z..."
"That's right."
".................thank you."
Merry studied his sleeping cousin. His fine hair was tangled and a mess. His rosy cheeks were now a sickly, pale color, and his lips were colorless and an unhealthy grayish tone. And the worst feature... his smile was no longer found. The one thing that was always a promised item on the hobbit's face was lost.
Pippin slept again. It was the only thing he was able to do. Every ten or fifteen he would say, without opening his eyes, in a very small voice, "... alphabet..." And Merry would recite it for him, and Pippin will fall asleep again.
Two days passed, and Pippin's condition did not improve at all; he grew worse. Before the third day ended, the healer came. He told the Tooks that Pippin was extremely ill and that there was little hope, "The only thing I can do, is prescribe this," he held out a small bottle that was filled with red liquid, "I've used it before and it works wonders... saved Wilibald Bolger's life when he got pneumonia, but... I've never used it on a child so young. I don't know what kind of affect it would have on the boy. The medicine he is taking now, is obviously not strong enough, but if this is too strong... who knows what it would do to him."
"We have to try it," said Merry.
Eglantine and Paladin exchanged glances. Paladin nodded, "I agree."
"Very well," said the healer, "Here you go," he handed the bottle to Eglantine, "A tablespoon every two hours." He looked for Paladin, to Eglantine, to a sleeping Peregrin, "If we don't see any changes within a day, we'll have to take him off the stuff..."
"Then what?" asked Merry.
The healer looked down at Merry, but didn't say anything.
"...alpha...bet..." they heard Pippin gasp from the bed.
Merry went to Pippin's bedside, "A... B... C... D... E... F... G... H... I... J... K... L... M... N... O... P... Q... R... S... T... U... V... W... X... Y... and..."
Pippin didn't answer.
"...Z..." Merry completed. He looked up at his aunt and uncle, "When can we give him the medicine?"
"Not for another hour," answered the healer.
Merry looked down at his cousin and watched him gasp for air, his small body rising then falling slowly, "He needs it now."
"Lad, I wouldn't recommend it. I mean, I wouldn't know how he would react with--"
"But we can do it?"
"Well, yes. But I--"
"Give it to him," said Merry without taking his eyes off of Pippin.
The healer gaped at Merry for a while, "Meriadoc..."
"We have to!" snapped Merry, "I know it! Please! What if he dies within the next hour? Please, I can't lose him! Please!" Merry begged. He looked at his aunt and uncle pleadingly.
Eglantine nodded, "Give him the medicine."
The healer obeyed.
There was a moment were they all stared at Pippin for a long period of time, expecting him to magically heal before their eyes. After a few minutes, they knew that nothing was going to happen.
"I'll return tomorrow morning," said the healer and he left.
Time dragged slowly, but Merry stayed awake during the night. He made sure Pippin received the proper dose of medicine, at the proper time, and not a second left. A minute before the appropriate time, he would shout, "Auntie!" and Eglantine would rush in with Pippin's treatment. He would hold off his aunt, watching the dial carefully, then would signal for her to give his cousin the medicine.
Pippin had not awoken since the healer came. And though Pippin didn't ask anymore, Merry continued to recite the alphabet every ten minutes. He suspected that the hobbit was unable to speak even if he tried, thus not able to ask for it. Merry also spelled out words for his cousin.
Merry also discovered that he had developed a fear of looking away from Pippin, afraid that something would happen, good or bad, while he looked away. But about two in the morning after Pippin's fourth treatment, Merry found himself to be extremely tired. And as hard as he tried , sleep was too much, and he fell asleep.
When Merry awoke some three hours later. He let out a small yelp, a combination of fear and surprise. He quickly looked at Pippin who still was asleep. Merry studied him for a while, "Auntie! Auntie!" he called.
"What? What's wrong?" She looked at Merry, "What is it? He's not supposed to take his medicine for another hour..."
Merry pointed at Pippin, "I think he'd better... Can you tell? Look... he isn't as pale, see?"
Pippin indeed looked a lot better. His breathing wasn't as hard as it looked the other day and there was more color in his face. Merry desperately wanted to shake his cousin awake and ask him how he felt, but there was no need for soon Pippin's eyes fluttered open.
Those familiar green eyes were back, "Merry?" he said softly.
"Yes?" Merry was on his toes, ready to perform any trick Pippin asked for.
"Can I hear the alphabet again?"
"Of course! A... B... C... D... E... F... G... H... I... J... K... L... M... N... O... P... Q... R... S... T... U... V... W... X... Y... and..."
"....Z."
"That's right!"
"Thank you," he closed his eyes and fell asleep again.
Merry frowned. He didn't want Pippin to fall asleep.
Pippin coughed a little and turned over on one side. And Merry saw something he hadn't seen in what seemed like ages... a smile.
Chapter 7
Smile
"Pippin, you need to eat," Eglantine pleaded. Her son's condition wasn't any better. It was dinner time and all Pippin had ate was only one soup and had vomited it up some time ago. Eglantine looked to her nephew for help.
"Pippin, eat," Merry said.
Pippin just looked at Merry and shook his head.
"No?" questioned Merry, "Fine," he pushed his own plate away, "Then I won't either."
Pippin stared at Merry. He muttered something, but it was barely audible.
"What?"
"You have to eat, Merry," Pippin said weakly.
"As do you."
Again Pippin muttered something.
"What?"
Pippin didn't answer. He looked down at his food. They were all silent for a long time. Merry and his aunt waited for Pippin to eat, but he didn't. Finally they heard Pippin say quietly, "...alphabet..."
"What?"
"...alphabet..."
"O..." Merry understood, "A... B... C... D... E... F... G... H... I... J... K... L... M... N... O... P... Q... R... S... T... U... V... W... X... Y... and..."
Merry waited for Pippin to finish the alphabet like he always did, but Pippin remained silent. A few long seconds passed and Merry was about to complete it himself, but finally Pippin squeaked...
"...Z..."
Merry sighed a breathe of relief, "That's right."
"................thank you."
Pippin's voice sounded very weak, frail, and shaky. And Merry could tell that it hurt when he spoke.
Merry looked at his aunt, "Maybe he'll be hungrier later..." he suggested.
Eglantine sighed, "Then I'll be back later," she said collecting their plates. She looked at her son and blew him a kiss, and left.
Pippin laid down again in bed and closed his eyes, "........alphabet..."
"But I just--" Merry stopped, "Sure... uh, A... B... C... D... E... F... G... H... I... J... K... L... M... N... O... P... Q... R... S... T... U... V... W... X... Y... and..."
Again a long pause, "...Z..."
"That's right."
".................thank you."
Merry studied his sleeping cousin. His fine hair was tangled and a mess. His rosy cheeks were now a sickly, pale color, and his lips were colorless and an unhealthy grayish tone. And the worst feature... his smile was no longer found. The one thing that was always a promised item on the hobbit's face was lost.
Pippin slept again. It was the only thing he was able to do. Every ten or fifteen he would say, without opening his eyes, in a very small voice, "... alphabet..." And Merry would recite it for him, and Pippin will fall asleep again.
Two days passed, and Pippin's condition did not improve at all; he grew worse. Before the third day ended, the healer came. He told the Tooks that Pippin was extremely ill and that there was little hope, "The only thing I can do, is prescribe this," he held out a small bottle that was filled with red liquid, "I've used it before and it works wonders... saved Wilibald Bolger's life when he got pneumonia, but... I've never used it on a child so young. I don't know what kind of affect it would have on the boy. The medicine he is taking now, is obviously not strong enough, but if this is too strong... who knows what it would do to him."
"We have to try it," said Merry.
Eglantine and Paladin exchanged glances. Paladin nodded, "I agree."
"Very well," said the healer, "Here you go," he handed the bottle to Eglantine, "A tablespoon every two hours." He looked for Paladin, to Eglantine, to a sleeping Peregrin, "If we don't see any changes within a day, we'll have to take him off the stuff..."
"Then what?" asked Merry.
The healer looked down at Merry, but didn't say anything.
"...alpha...bet..." they heard Pippin gasp from the bed.
Merry went to Pippin's bedside, "A... B... C... D... E... F... G... H... I... J... K... L... M... N... O... P... Q... R... S... T... U... V... W... X... Y... and..."
Pippin didn't answer.
"...Z..." Merry completed. He looked up at his aunt and uncle, "When can we give him the medicine?"
"Not for another hour," answered the healer.
Merry looked down at his cousin and watched him gasp for air, his small body rising then falling slowly, "He needs it now."
"Lad, I wouldn't recommend it. I mean, I wouldn't know how he would react with--"
"But we can do it?"
"Well, yes. But I--"
"Give it to him," said Merry without taking his eyes off of Pippin.
The healer gaped at Merry for a while, "Meriadoc..."
"We have to!" snapped Merry, "I know it! Please! What if he dies within the next hour? Please, I can't lose him! Please!" Merry begged. He looked at his aunt and uncle pleadingly.
Eglantine nodded, "Give him the medicine."
The healer obeyed.
There was a moment were they all stared at Pippin for a long period of time, expecting him to magically heal before their eyes. After a few minutes, they knew that nothing was going to happen.
"I'll return tomorrow morning," said the healer and he left.
Time dragged slowly, but Merry stayed awake during the night. He made sure Pippin received the proper dose of medicine, at the proper time, and not a second left. A minute before the appropriate time, he would shout, "Auntie!" and Eglantine would rush in with Pippin's treatment. He would hold off his aunt, watching the dial carefully, then would signal for her to give his cousin the medicine.
Pippin had not awoken since the healer came. And though Pippin didn't ask anymore, Merry continued to recite the alphabet every ten minutes. He suspected that the hobbit was unable to speak even if he tried, thus not able to ask for it. Merry also spelled out words for his cousin.
Merry also discovered that he had developed a fear of looking away from Pippin, afraid that something would happen, good or bad, while he looked away. But about two in the morning after Pippin's fourth treatment, Merry found himself to be extremely tired. And as hard as he tried , sleep was too much, and he fell asleep.
When Merry awoke some three hours later. He let out a small yelp, a combination of fear and surprise. He quickly looked at Pippin who still was asleep. Merry studied him for a while, "Auntie! Auntie!" he called.
"What? What's wrong?" She looked at Merry, "What is it? He's not supposed to take his medicine for another hour..."
Merry pointed at Pippin, "I think he'd better... Can you tell? Look... he isn't as pale, see?"
Pippin indeed looked a lot better. His breathing wasn't as hard as it looked the other day and there was more color in his face. Merry desperately wanted to shake his cousin awake and ask him how he felt, but there was no need for soon Pippin's eyes fluttered open.
Those familiar green eyes were back, "Merry?" he said softly.
"Yes?" Merry was on his toes, ready to perform any trick Pippin asked for.
"Can I hear the alphabet again?"
"Of course! A... B... C... D... E... F... G... H... I... J... K... L... M... N... O... P... Q... R... S... T... U... V... W... X... Y... and..."
"....Z."
"That's right!"
"Thank you," he closed his eyes and fell asleep again.
Merry frowned. He didn't want Pippin to fall asleep.
Pippin coughed a little and turned over on one side. And Merry saw something he hadn't seen in what seemed like ages... a smile.