Thank you everyone for the kind reviews! This means so much to me!
MBradford: Thank you very much for your kind words! I'm really excited that you came to read my story! I'm sorry about your parent though.
Shirebound: *gapes unbelievingly* Did I just get a review from you?! Oh wow! I admire you so much! Thank you thank you thank you for reviewing my story!
This chapter doesn't move the plot along any, but I felt it was necessary because it gives a little more background.
Enjoy!
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"Momma! Where are you!" Little Samwise Gamgee wandered the strangely quiet and empty Bagshot Row, his blanket clutched in his arm. "You need to tuck me in!"
His older brother Hamson appeared around the corner. Kneeling down, he put an arm around Sam's shoulders. "Momma isn't back from the market yet, Sam." He said in a strangely tight voice. "But don't worry. She'll be home soon."
"Hamson!" Sam exclaimed. "Momma went to the market hours ago!"
The older brother nodded somberly. "I know, Sam." He sighed really deeply. "Now lets get you to bed Sam. Our sisters are already sleeping. It's really late."
"No!" Sam pouted. "I want Momma to tuck me in!"
"But . . ."
"Please?" Sam whimpered, his brown eyes wide and earnest. "I wanna stay up 'til Momma gets home!"
Biting his lip, Hamson reluctantly nodded.
Hamson took Sam into the living room and sat him down on the couch. Sam's head drooped a little, and then catching himself, he rubbed his eyes furiously to stay awake. Looked out the window, he gasped.
"Ham!" His mouth dropped open. "It's raining really hard!"
To Sam's bewilderment, his brother reached down and took his hand, squeezing it gently. The last time anyone did that, Sam's grandmother had died. The Gaffer had taken Sam's hand in much the same way . . .
"Ham?" Sam whispered. "Where's Pa? And Halfast?"
There was a long pause before Hamson answered. "They're out looking for Momma."
Sam turned worried eyes to his brother. "Why does she need looking for? Is she lost?"
Ham shook his head. "I hope not Sam."
At that moment, there was a sound at the door. Before Sam could even react, Hamson burst toward the door, leaving his younger brother behind.
"Ham!" Sam called. "Wait! What is it?"
Hamson did not answer. Instead, he quickly turned the doorknob, and threw open the door, admitting Halfast and the Gaffer, who both appeared very tired and dripping wet. Between them, they supported a limp and sodden Bell Gamgee.
"What happened?!" Gasped Hamson, moving forward to help carry their mother.
The Gaffer wiped some of the rainwater from his face. "We think she slipped on the wet road. Her ankle looks pretty bad. I don't think she could walk." He shook his head sadly. "She's been lying on the wet ground in the rain for hours."
"Momma!" A tiny voice shrieked. Everyone turned down to see tiny Sam, pulling at his mother's feverish hand. "Momma! Wake up!"
"Ham!" The Gaffer bellowed. "Why is Sam here?"
"He wanted to stay up until . . ."
"Ham!" The gaffer ordered. "He is too young to see his mother like this! Get him to bed! Halfast! Go get a healer. And quickly!"
Halfast nodded and rushed back out the door. Hamson, on the other hand, reached down to take Sam's shoulders, and carefully began to steer him away. "Come on Sam. Let's go."
"Ham!" He cried. "Momma is okay, right? Why is she so still?"
Seeing his father's pointed stare, Hamson took a deep breath. "I'm sorry Sam," He whispered and then he lifted Sam, restraining his brother's flying limbs as best he could.
"No!" Sam screamed. "Momma!"
******************************************************
Samwise woke himself up from the dream with a pained cry. It took a moment for him to notice that he was still under the bushes in the garden. He sneezed, and then wrapped his arms around his shivering body.
He whimpered softly. "Momma . . ."
TBC
MBradford: Thank you very much for your kind words! I'm really excited that you came to read my story! I'm sorry about your parent though.
Shirebound: *gapes unbelievingly* Did I just get a review from you?! Oh wow! I admire you so much! Thank you thank you thank you for reviewing my story!
This chapter doesn't move the plot along any, but I felt it was necessary because it gives a little more background.
Enjoy!
******************************************************
"Momma! Where are you!" Little Samwise Gamgee wandered the strangely quiet and empty Bagshot Row, his blanket clutched in his arm. "You need to tuck me in!"
His older brother Hamson appeared around the corner. Kneeling down, he put an arm around Sam's shoulders. "Momma isn't back from the market yet, Sam." He said in a strangely tight voice. "But don't worry. She'll be home soon."
"Hamson!" Sam exclaimed. "Momma went to the market hours ago!"
The older brother nodded somberly. "I know, Sam." He sighed really deeply. "Now lets get you to bed Sam. Our sisters are already sleeping. It's really late."
"No!" Sam pouted. "I want Momma to tuck me in!"
"But . . ."
"Please?" Sam whimpered, his brown eyes wide and earnest. "I wanna stay up 'til Momma gets home!"
Biting his lip, Hamson reluctantly nodded.
Hamson took Sam into the living room and sat him down on the couch. Sam's head drooped a little, and then catching himself, he rubbed his eyes furiously to stay awake. Looked out the window, he gasped.
"Ham!" His mouth dropped open. "It's raining really hard!"
To Sam's bewilderment, his brother reached down and took his hand, squeezing it gently. The last time anyone did that, Sam's grandmother had died. The Gaffer had taken Sam's hand in much the same way . . .
"Ham?" Sam whispered. "Where's Pa? And Halfast?"
There was a long pause before Hamson answered. "They're out looking for Momma."
Sam turned worried eyes to his brother. "Why does she need looking for? Is she lost?"
Ham shook his head. "I hope not Sam."
At that moment, there was a sound at the door. Before Sam could even react, Hamson burst toward the door, leaving his younger brother behind.
"Ham!" Sam called. "Wait! What is it?"
Hamson did not answer. Instead, he quickly turned the doorknob, and threw open the door, admitting Halfast and the Gaffer, who both appeared very tired and dripping wet. Between them, they supported a limp and sodden Bell Gamgee.
"What happened?!" Gasped Hamson, moving forward to help carry their mother.
The Gaffer wiped some of the rainwater from his face. "We think she slipped on the wet road. Her ankle looks pretty bad. I don't think she could walk." He shook his head sadly. "She's been lying on the wet ground in the rain for hours."
"Momma!" A tiny voice shrieked. Everyone turned down to see tiny Sam, pulling at his mother's feverish hand. "Momma! Wake up!"
"Ham!" The Gaffer bellowed. "Why is Sam here?"
"He wanted to stay up until . . ."
"Ham!" The gaffer ordered. "He is too young to see his mother like this! Get him to bed! Halfast! Go get a healer. And quickly!"
Halfast nodded and rushed back out the door. Hamson, on the other hand, reached down to take Sam's shoulders, and carefully began to steer him away. "Come on Sam. Let's go."
"Ham!" He cried. "Momma is okay, right? Why is she so still?"
Seeing his father's pointed stare, Hamson took a deep breath. "I'm sorry Sam," He whispered and then he lifted Sam, restraining his brother's flying limbs as best he could.
"No!" Sam screamed. "Momma!"
******************************************************
Samwise woke himself up from the dream with a pained cry. It took a moment for him to notice that he was still under the bushes in the garden. He sneezed, and then wrapped his arms around his shivering body.
He whimpered softly. "Momma . . ."
TBC