~ To start anew ~
by Ola
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A/N~ Thranduil's back! Dedicated to crazygirly for this very reason. Hope everyone enjoys!
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Part 9~ From wakefulness to deeper sleep
Legolas awoke to the sound of a gasp, and as consciousness returned, so did eye sight, and with it the image of a dumb-stricken elven healer looking at the empty bed. The younger elf chuckled, and then laughed as Vanyar pivoted on his heels toward the sound, his eyes growing very big and very round.
"Close your mouth Vanyar, you would make a frog envious. Good thing the rain washed away all the flies."
The healer's mouth snapped shut, but he continued looking at his young friend as if waiting for something. Something that came sooner that he would have expected, as the prince's face grew thoughtful for a moment before he said, "I want to walk again." His voice was strong, belying his present physical condition; and it was determined as well.
Healer Vanyar heaved a silent sigh of relief, and a terrible weight lifted from his shoulders, a weight he had been unaware of until it was gone. It felt like sun on his face after a week of gloomy clouds and rain. And for the first time since Legolas was brought to his care, he smiled; a real smile that reached his eyes and shone through them with brotherly love, encouragement, and pride.
"I am very glad you do Legolas."
A matching smile appeared on the younger elf's face, just as the sun rose from behind the horizon and touched the golden elf's brow with a gentle kiss of true joy. But the smile and the joy were short lived.
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The young elf coughed, struggling to turn to his side to ease his suddenly ragged breathing. Vanyar was at his side in a heartbeat, his loud voice greatly contrasting with the gentle way he helped the young elf to sit up.
"Legolas! You're soaking through! How long have you been lying here?" before the prince could answer, the healer whisked him of to bed, changed his soaping shirt, toweled his hair as dry as he could, and buried him under an avalanche of blankets. A faint murmur was the only answer Vanyar received for a long time. Then another bout of cough interrupted the mumbling.
"Aii, youngling. What have you done to yourself? Have you slept at all this night? Did…"
"Vanyar. Stop fretting so. Being a healer, you should be quite well aware that stress is harmful to both the body and mind. I am well. As well as can be under the circumstances in any case, thus…"
"Well? Well!? And do not patronize me youngling. If someone has anything to say in the matter of healing, it is I, and as such, I am telling you that you are not well." The scolding was quite ruined by the chuckle that could not be kept behind the healer's lips, even though hard he tried to keep it there. The youngster needed a reprimand! A sigh followed the admonishment.
"Then pray tell, what is wrong with me? And please do take some of those blankets away unless you wish to smother me." Legolas was enjoying this too much to let the older elf's face deter him in any way.
"You are coughing." The prince could not help rolling his eyes at the answer, childish though it was. But despite the youth's cheery demeanor –a stark change from his earlier gloomy days- a worried frown creased the healer's brow as he placed the inside of his wrist against Legolas' temple. "And you are running a fever. Pray Eru it is nothing dire."
In the end, no amount of heat and hope could keep the illness at bay, and during the night, Legolas' fever rose dramatically while his coughing continued to painfully shake his body. His swollen throat refused to let much of anything pass down into his stomach, and Vanyar began to seriously worry, for the youngling had lost much blood and energy in the past few days already.
And just as I was hopping for a quick recovery, here he plunges into darkness again. Aii, youngling. You never failed to try my patience. Vanyar chuckled, but he could not find much humor in anything that night. Nor the following ones. Legolas' condition slowly grew worse, and the prince slowly grew weaker. The healer watched on, unable to help the young prince, his distress growing as medication upon medication failed to produce any kind of reaction on the slipping form.
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"How is he?" The door closed with a soft click, as Lord Elrond walked into the room and sat on the edge of a table, all the other furnitures being already occupied –the chair by healer Vanyar and the edge of the bed by King Thranduil-.
"Although his condition has stabilized, he is still very ill. The fever has not yet broken, and he continues to cough, even in sleep." The young prince did indeed look very ill. His naturally pale face was snowy white even while his body fought with the high temperature ravaging his body, his skin was waxy and drawn over too-preeminent cheekbones. Sweat matted his flaxen hair, and the body that lay under the blankets was too thin. A permanent crease of pain marred the fair prince's brow, in sleep as in wakefulness, although the latter came with increased ache and delirious hallucinations.
"Elrond, can you do naught for him?" The Elven King's voice was strained and broke as his gaze shifted back to the body of his son. "Give him drugs to relieve the pain?"
Rivendell's Lord approached the bed and changed the cloth lying on the prince's brow; it had grown warm far too quickly for his peace of mind. He checked his pulse and breathing before replying. "I fear to give him any more than I already have. What I have given him last was morphine."
"Elrond!"
"Calm down Vanyar. His body is burning it down at a respectable rate, although the same dose would have sent any other elf into a week-long sleep. But I dare not give him more in fear his body grows addicted to the medicine."
"Why is this happening?" King Thranduil's calm finally cracked. "Why does a simple chill wrestles with his body so? Why can he not resurface from under the cloud of fog and hallucinations that plague his mind? Why?" He could not hide the haunted look from his eyes as he glanced at Lord Elrond, extending his hand in entreaty.
"His previous wounds and trauma weakened his body too much for it to fight against the fever. No medication can supply him with the strength that only time and nourishment can. I did what I could, although little that seems even to me. The medications blunted his pain, hopefully easing his mind and letting his body rest from the torment, although as you saw, even a dangerous doze did not keep delirium at bay. There is naught we can do now but wait, as frustrating as that may seem. I would advise you to take some rest Thranduil," he raised a hand to forestall any comment. "But I know you too well old friend, and even though I should order you outside, I know, as only a father can, that you will have no respite until Legolas awakens." At this, he came again to the bed and placed a hand on the King's shoulder, unable to let a weary sigh escape him. "Do not worry so my friend. Your son is a strong elfling; he will prevail."
A silence descended on the room, as often it had in the previous days, while each occupant grew engaged with his own thoughts. The light changed imperceptibly, as minutes turned into hours, and still, no one left, until a low, prolonged grumbling broke the calm. A faint blush crept onto Healer Vanyar's cheeks, as he dipped his head and left the room, excusing himself, with a last speculative look at his charge, and a longer, thoughtful one at his liege. Soon after, Lord Elrond rose and departed as well after ensuring that the young elf's condition had not changed, leaving Thranduil alone with his son at last.
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"Sunshine?" Thranduil's voice sounded unnaturally loud in the still room. Loud and hoarse. He made himself a little more comfortable on the bed without letting go of Legolas' hand or looking away from his face. That face, it frightened him as not much ever had. So full of ache, and so …mournful. A painful lump formed in the king's throat, and anger rose to batter it down. Anger at himself for letting his son run messages in such dire times and anger at his impotence. He could rile at the gods for the rest of his life, but he sorely doubted they would heed his pleas.
For a moment, he turned his head away, clenching his fist on the edge of the blanket before he sighed and smoothed it out again, then transferred the action to his son's golden hair.
Sunshine. Do not let the pain take you away from me. I…as…
He stopped in mid-thought before it occurred to him that Legolas might be soothed by his voice, and began aloud what was first on his mind. "Sunshine. Do not let the pain take you away from me. It may sound selfish that I ask this of you. And I know it is but…you are the only one I have left. There is naught but you and me…until a maiden comes to steal your heart from me, which I would only too gladly give away to one worthy of your love." A small smile tugged at Thranduil's lips, although it did not reach his eyes. "But if you leave Middle-Earth, I am bound to follow after you. I know that I should not be telling you this. Nothing should be your concern except healing, and yet, I cannot stop myself from uttering those words, in the faint hope that you hear me, and that perhaps… perhaps you will feel guilty enough to awaken before you even think of leaving. Such thoughts should tell you how much I love you sunshine. And I do love you. Never you forget that. I love you so much that nothing I will ever say will be enough, and nothing I will ever do will be enough." A heavy sigh escaped, unimpeded. "It would break my heart if you left. Even thought my heart would not understand, my mind would. I promise not to keep you here against your will…I… ….I will give you my blessing, what ever your choice may be, although I cannot speak for my heart. I…You know me sunshine." Another sigh and a bitter smile.
"Aye, and Elrond knows me as well, but I seem to have forgotten you dear child. You would have been the first to tell–no, to order- me to leave my brooding alone, had you been awake. You do not like pity. You do not like anyone fretting over you. Yes, if only you were awake. But you are not."
"Aii, Sunshine, come back to me. I miss your smile already." His voice suddenly broke, and a wave of anguish washed over him.
No! I will not break down! I cannot! I will see this through. We will see this through Sunshine. You and me. Like we always do. Together.
"You and me. Together." His voice was a mere whisper. His lungs suddenly failed to breathe in as he stared at his son's face. Had he imagined it? Had desperation so strong a hold on his mind? Could it be? Was…
Dear Eru! Is this a wicked trick to deceive my eyes and my heart?
Eru did not answer, but Legolas' eyelid twitched again. Air rushed into the king's lungs, as a wave of dizzy hope washed through him.
"Sunshine? Can you hear me?" In his blind groping for that hope, the thought that this little movement might only have been a subconscious reflex did not even enter his mind. There was no thought other than to continue talking. He could not risk not doing so in the chance this may have been what had caused the reaction. And thus King Thranduil persisted in talking, and in holding Legolas' hand, only once getting up to quickly drink a glass of water. He persisted even though the room lost its colors and evening made place for night, plunging the room into darkness –but he dared not stop to light a candle-. He persisted even though his weary body clamored for rest. He persisted even though his parched throat refused to give rise to any sound other than a raspy croak.
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A/N~ Anyone realized where I got this idea from? *grins* Fans of Mercedes Lackey will probably know, so this is a disclaimer as well (I borrowed some of her ideas here.)
-gwyr- I'm very flattered. Thank you!!
-angel of death- probably not updated as soon as you would have liked, eh? sorry *sheepish grin*
-vuaryun- then, when you come back, you'll have more to read *grin* =)
-crazygirly- a cookie for Elrond? Mmm *wheels turning in head, then quickly typing something in* yes!! =) as always, I love your review. Lol. And what did you think of Thranduil, eh? I hope you noticed he's back! Lol. More of him in next chapter too… =)
-chaysuli- that's the way he feels too. Kind of not really knowing what he's getting into… =)
only comments for chapter 8. really sorry about everyone else. I really DO appreciate your reviews/comments. I read them ALL (well, there aren't that much of them *grins*) and they make my day. I hope you're still hanging on!
