The next time that Legolas woke, he found himself drenched in sweat. Someone was wiping a wet cloth over his forehead and face, and someone else was wiping his arms. He realized that he had no blankets covering him, and he involuntarily shivered; the sweat on his skin making him feel a sudden chill.
"Legolas?" he heard. He recognized the voice as belonging to Elrond, and he slowly opened his eyes.
Four smiling faces greeted him.
"Are you all right?"
"How do you feel?"
"Are you in pain?"
Legolas blinked, unable to determine who had asked him what.
"Hush!" Elrond told his sons. "You overwhelm him."
Legolas closed his eyes as Elrond told Elladan to mix him a certain medicine, but he reopened them when a hand touched his arm.
"Your fever has finally broken," said Aragorn, covering him up again. "It is nearly gone."
Legolas smiled, relieved to hear it. He tried to shift his position to get more comfortable, but gasped loudly when a sharp pain tore through his midsection.
Aragorn and Elrohir grabbed him by the arms, preventing him from moving.
"Stay still, Legolas!" Aragorn exclaimed.
Elrond took the cup from Elladan, quickly taking it to the injured elf.
Aragorn held Legolas up while he drank, his guilt mounting at the creases of pain on his friend's face.
Legolas tried not to outwardly show his suffering, but was failing. He was surprised at the extent of the pain, as it seemed to be even worse than he thought it should be.
As Aragorn gently laid his friend back down again, Legolas involuntarily let out a soft whimper. The sound caused an actual pain in the human's chest. He's suffering because of me!
Legolas sighed inwardly, knowing that his friend's guilt had mounted. He felt Aragorn touch his arm, and abruptly realized that his eyes were closed again. He tried to open them, but his body refused to obey him. No, he thought. I must speak with Estel…he must know that I do not fault him for this…
When Legolas remained motionless, the others exchanged worried and sympathetic glances.
The sight of the wounded elf's closed eyes was very hard on Aragorn. How will I ever live with this? I nearly killed my best friend! He was slightly startled when Legolas unexpectedly reopened his eyes, looking at him as if he sensed the human's thoughts.
It was not your fault, Aragorn plainly read in his friend's eyes.
Legolas tried to speak, but despite his pain he could feel himself drifting away, his eyes closing once more. He felt Aragorn's hand on his arm shift slightly, and before he fell asleep, Legolas managed to raise his own hand and place it over his friend's.
********************
"I do not understand this!"
Legolas heard whispered voices through the darkness that flowed around him, but the words seemed in another language to his groggy mind.
"That is exactly what they told me," another voice insisted, still whispering.
Legolas tried to open his eyes, but they were too heavy. Another sound entered his ears, the noise of someone quietly pacing.
"I cannot explain it," whispered the second voice. "But that is the message we received from the warriors we sent out. There is no sign of orcs anywhere near Imladris."
The Elvish word got through to Legolas' brain, and he finally recognized the voices; Aragorn and Elrond.
A soft sigh emitted from the human, and the sound of his pacing stopped.
"Mayhap the orc lied," Elrond said. "It would truly be foolish for them to even try to attack us. They would never succeed."
Legolas was surprised at their words. The orcs told Aragorn that they were going to attack Imladris?
"That is true," he heard Aragorn say.
Legolas heard nothing more, as he lay there, puzzling over his friend's words. Orcs do not go about telling enemies their plans. This is very strange.
A hand suddenly touched his forehead, and the elf nearly gasped in surprise. He'd been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't heard anyone approach the bed.
Opening his eyes, he looked up into the face of his friend, who looked relieved to see him awake.
"How do you feel, Legolas?" Aragorn asked, worriedly.
"Better than earlier," the elf replied, being sure not to make any sudden moves that would cause him pain.
"You mean 'yesterday'," said Aragorn, giving his friend a worried smile.
Legolas sighed at the news. He knew how guilty Aragorn felt, and the elf was sorry to make him worry.
Aragorn looked over his shoulder to his father, who was mixing some herbs.
The pain of Legolas' wound suddenly intensified, and he winced, glad that his friend's head was turned.
Unfortunately, Aragorn looked back to his friend at that very moment, and he frowned, gripping the elf's arm. "Legolas?"
Legolas quickly changed his expression. "I am fine, Estel," he said, his voice not sounding as strong as he wanted.
Aragorn said no more, though he knew that his friend was lying. The fact that Legolas was holding his breath was proof enough.
The human saw Legolas finally let the air out, breathing a little faster than normal as his body demanded oxygen. The elf looked paler after this flare-up, and Aragorn frowned when Legolas closed his eyes.
Turning to see how much longer his father would be, he was relived when Elrond came over to the bed.
Slipping an arm under Legolas' shoulders, Aragorn slightly lifted him up, hoping that he wasn't causing his friend further pain. "Drink, mellon-nin."
Legolas slowly opened his eyes, obeying without a word.
Elrond was concerned at his patient's condition; quiet and submissive, when Legolas' usual pattern had him asking to be let out of bed by now and insisting that he didn't need anymore medication, even when Legolas knew that he still needed it.
Laying his hand on the younger elf's forehead, Elrond found that he still had a slight temperature. "Tell me how you feel," he said, gently.
Aragorn placed the cup on the nightstand, carefully lowering his friend down again.
Legolas' eyes were closed once more, and he seemed to not have heard Elrond.
The Healer frowned deeply. For thousands of years, Legolas had always downplayed injuries, even denying that they existed, always insisting that he was fine when he clearly was not. For the elf to be laying here this way three days after his injury—eyes closed and quiet—something had to be very wrong.
Pulling the covers off Legolas and lifting his shirt, Elrond took a look at the injury. He was relived to find no bruising indicative of internal bleeding, and he turned his attention to the wound itself. The stitches had not been easy to do, as the wound was jagged and uneven thanks to the twisting of the blade. It was in a location where it would be impossible to make any kind of movement without pulling at it, and Elrond realized the reason for Legolas' behavior; he was simply in too much pain to have the strength to downplay his condition.
Looking back at Legolas, Elrond was distressed to see a look of obvious pain on his face. He realized that he had caused it, as he'd automatically prodded the skin around the wound.
Aragorn had an expression on his face similar to his friend's, as if he could feel his agony. He held his friend's hand in a tight grip, as if lending him strength.
"Forgive me, penneth," Elrond said, sorrowfully. "I did not realize the level of pain that you suffer."
Legolas half-opened his eyes, the drug he'd been given making him feel like he was floating. "Aye…I do not often say this, but yes, it hurts…" His eyes closed as his voice trailed off, but he suddenly reopened them, realizing what he'd just done.
Aragorn wore the guiltiest look that Legolas had ever seen.
Legolas sighed, wincing inwardly when it pulled at his wound. "Mellon-nin…"
"Hush," Aragorn said. "Do not apologize, I am the one who should be doing that."
"You already did," Legolas said.
Aragorn sighed, squeezing his friend's arm. "I do not think that apologizing every day will ever be enough. I am so very sorry, Legolas!"
Legolas closed his eyes again; unable to hold them open any longer. "I know. It was an accident."
Aragorn sighed, lowering his head. "How could you be so sure, without even asking what happened?"
Legolas reopened his eyes, trying to bring back the memory. "I heard you say it."
"When?"
Before Legolas had a chance to answer, he suddenly felt the need to yawn, and his heartbeat quickened as he realized the painful agony that it would cause.
Aragorn frowned when Legolas abruptly brought his left arm up and clamped his hand over his mouth. "Legolas?"
The elf made no reply, and Elrond rushed over from his herb supply. At first they thought that Legolas was about to be sick, but before they could figure out the gentlest way to grab him, Legolas lowered his hand.
"What happened?" Aragorn asked, anxiously.
Legolas realized how it looked. "I attempted to suppress a yawn." He sighed inwardly, giving them an embarrassed look.
Aragorn gave him a sympathetic smile, as Elrond returned to the table containing his herbs.
Legolas watched to see what the Healer selected. "I do not wish to sleep," he called.
Elrond turned to look at him, amused. After so many years of having his injuries tended, Legolas had obviously learned which herb was used to induce slumber. "I cannot administer something stronger for the pain until what I already gave you wears off," Elrond explained. "Would not sleep be better than needless suffering?"
Elrond's words were true, but Legolas hated to be rendered unconscious only to find out that days had passed upon awakening. His eyelids felt heavy though, and he slowly blinked. "Estel asked me a question…" he felt foolish at the fact that he couldn't remember what it was.
Aragorn nodded. "I asked how you knew that what happened was an accident." He sighed; remembering the gleeful look that he'd given Legolas as he'd cruelly twisted the dagger.
"I awoke…for a minute, " Legolas said. "I heard you say that you…mistook me for an orc." His words grew weaker as sleep pulled at him. "And I know…you would never…harm me."
Aragorn patted his arm, looking guilty. "I am so sorry, Legolas! I should have been sure before I struck out!"
Legolas said nothing, but he smiled slightly.
"What is it, mellon-nin?" Aragorn asked.
"I did not know…" Legolas whispered, still smiling as he closed his eyes.
"Did not know what?"
"That I…resemble…an orc…" Legolas said, voice trailing off as sleep finally claimed him.
