"Did you hear that Merry! You get to stay another night! I do hope you get better though, as much as I hate to see you leave when you are. But come now, lets get you into bed."
Merry allowed himself to be drug thought the halls to the guest bedroom where he always slept with Pippin when he was over. Once they reached the room, Merry sat down on the soft mattress, and starred blankly at the wall. He was still frightened out of his mind. However, a small shimmer of hope shone through his cloudy thoughts. Perhaps they don't know. Why would they continue to let us share the same room if they knew. There's nothing to worry about you silly Hobbit.
Although he did not feel immediately better, a small weight was lifted from his shoulders. Merry felt the sudden urge to let out a large amount of energy. However, instead of screaming and accidentally alerting his Aunt and Uncle, Merry simply tugged Pippin into a tight embrace. Pippin dropped the nightgown he had fished out of the dresser for Merry, and hugged him back. They stayed this way for a few moments, until Pippin broke the silence,
"Are you alright Meriadoc? You have been acting a bit strange lately, and I have been worried about you, ever so much." Pippin held Merry at arms length, surveying him; as if simply by looking at him he could pinpoint the reason for his cousin's strange behavior.
A single tear ran down Merry's cheek. "I think so… yes, I am alright, now at least. For a moment I thought I might have lost you, and I was scared. I'm not sick, so don't worry about that, just a little frightened."
"Frightened? About losing me? I thought you were smarter than that! You could never get rid of me. I'm like your shadow on a sunny day. I will always be there, following in your footsteps." Pippin smiled. He knew that Merry was truly upset, and he hoped that by showing a little faith, he might convince his cousin that everything would be all right.
"Pippin, I'm glad you want to follow me." A feeling of hope, that he hadn't scared his cousin away flowed over him. "However, I can not ask you to come with me tonight. So please, when I leave for Frodo's, promise you will be a good lad and at least pretend to be asleep." Merry knew he had to speak with his older cousin immediately in order to put his worries to rest.
"I surly will not! And you know it what's more. If you go to Frodo's, I go. Besides, you know that my plan has been to follow you by night all along. I daresay the company will be much better than what I had planed."
"You amaze me cousin! Very well then," Merry said smiling, "get your stuff together, but for Elbereth's sake! Keep it quiet. Your mother has not come in to make sure I am all right, and I daresay she will in the next couple of hours before your parents go to bed."
And with that, Merry shoved his younger cousin out into the hall, blew out his candle, and climbed into bed to await his aunt.