Ambush – 'Something's torn inside.'

Elrond woke slowly from a deep sleep. He tried to stretch but found his arms trapped. Looking down he was surprised to see a small blonde headed child asleep on his right arm…and another on his left. He lay still for a minute, trying to remember. Both his sons and Estel were dark-haired. None of the current fosterlings were blonde. Who did these two belong to?

His movement had disturbed the child on his right arm who snuggled closer, yawned, and stretched. Its eyes opened and it became aware that it was being watched.

'Hello,' it said.

'Hello,' replied Elrond, 'Could you move off my arm? It's gone to sleep.'

'Mmm.' She did so and cocked her head at him. 'My name's Eyomn, what's yours?'

'I'm called Elrond.' He smiled. Children and their innocence. He could be the most evil thing in the world and they still found time to try to make friends. 'What are you are and your…ah, friend doing asleep on my bed?'

'Well it's not actually your bed. It belongs to some elf king. The old man said we could sleep here 'cos it was too far back to our room. Mum's asleep over there.'

 She then prodded the other blonde head, who turned out to be a boy.

'This is my brother Joel, he's nearly nine now. Joel, get off the elf man's arm.' Her brother rolled off Elrond's arm without any protest.

'How are you feeling?' he asked, 'You were very poorly when we found you.'

'I think I feel much better, thank you.' He tried to sit up, only to discover not only had his arms got pins and needles, but that they wouldn't support his weight. He cried out as the feeling returned to his arm causing him to squirm with the returning sensation.

'Ada! Where does it hurt? Lay still, Gandalf is here. He'll be able to help.' Elrohir's voice came out of nowhere.

'Ah, no,' cried the elf lord, shaking his hands to restore the circulation. 'It's nothing, the children were sleeping on my arms. What's Gandalf doing here?'

'I've come to see you, old friend. How are you feeling? You gave us all a bit of a scare earlier, you know.'

Lying on the bed, Elrond realised that feeling was now returning to his arms, and he also became aware of a dull ache in his stomach.

'I was shot.' His hands flew to where the arrow had pieced him.

'It's all right Ada, we took the arrow out last night.' Estel rose from his seat and made his way towards the bed.

'I need the necessary-' Elrond began.

'Don't let him try and sit up himself,' a female voice interjected.

'Don't be so ridiculous. Of course I can sit up.' he replied, sitting up, then promptly doubled over in pain with a small cry. Estel and Elladan were at his side in an instant.

'Lift him slowly! Elrohir, can you get some pillows and put them behind his back? Gandalf, you get a couple as well and prop his knees up. Honestly, you'd think a healer would have more sense than that.' It was Eoela, rushing to her patient's side. 'Right. Joel and Eyomn, off the bed the both of you. Go and see if you can find Firréwen and ask if she'll give you some breakfast. I'm going to be busy for a bit.' The two children left the room very quickly.

Elrond was now sitting propped up in bed with several pillows behind his back, two under his knees and a very pained expression on his face. There was also a spreading red stain on the bandage around his stomach.

'You've opened the wound again. And it took us ages to stop you bleeding yesterday.'

'All right woman, I know what I've done,' Elrond gasped. His face was now wet with sweat and his complexion had turned an insipid colour. He was holding his hands over the growing stain with desperation. 'Something's torn inside.'

'That'll be the stitches,' Eoela said. 'We'll have to re-do them. Can you hold on for a bit while we get everything together? Here.' She handed him another thick dressing. 'Hold that as tight as you can. Estel, help him. He can't afford to lose any more blood.'

She soon had everything she needed gathered and, with the help of Elladan and Elrohir, gently removed one of the pillows from behind Elrond's back.

'No! Don't take them away, it's tearing more,' Elrond hissed through clenched teeth.

'Elrond, I need you to go to sleep so you're relaxed. I can't wait for any of the drugs that you have to work. Can I put you to sleep?'

He nodded through the pain and Eoela began to stroke his hair.

'I thought you were going to make me sleep not make love to me,' he groaned.

'Shut up. Close your eyes, let the pain drift away. Give up the pain, relax,' she murmured, all the time gently touching his hair and face. His eyes began to slowly slide closed.

'The bleeding is getting worse,' said Estel. 'I can't put any more pressure on it.'

'It's all right, Estel, just give me a minute,' she replied. 'That's right…relax, let your breathing slow down, nice and slow, slower, just a little bit slower. There. That will do.' She stepped back with a sigh. 'Right. Let's get the dressings off and sew him up again.'

'He's not breathing!' Elladan cried, panicked. 'It's too late!'

'No, it's not too late. I've just told his body to slow down. He's in a really deep sleep, like when a bear hibernates. His heart is beating slower as well. It's all I can do to stop him bleeding to death.'

Then, working as a team they removed the soiled dressings, and with the utmost care cut away the old stitches.

'He's ripped this pretty badly. I don't know if there's enough undamaged skin to cover up the wound.' Estel said.

'Let's just concentrate on stopping the bleeding. We can worry about that later.' said Elladan. 'Eoela can you get to that vein? You hands are the smallest. I think that's where the problem is.'

Gandalf stood in the background during the entire operation. They thought he was just watching but in fact he had spun a spell around the entire room and was now focusing his not inconsiderable healing powers towards the patient.

After what seemed an eternity, the wound was closed. There wasn't enough skin to cover it entirely but as Eoela explained.

'That probably good news. He's bled into his stomach so if we leave a hole the blood that's loose can get out.'

The wound was lightly covered with a clean dressing held in place with the lightest bandage they could find.

'Right, we need him on his side. Knees slightly drawn up. And lots of pillows. We've got to stop him moving around for a bit.' Eoela said.

Elrond was soon placed to her satisfaction with pillows at his back to stop him rolling over. Another sat between his knees, and two were placed under his chest to stop him rolling forwards. His arms were both drawn up at the front.

'That's so I can keep a check on his pulse without having to disturb him,' she explained. 'Well, boys, we've done everything we can. It's up to your father now.' She gently stoked his head. 'Now Elrond, I need you to wake up just a little bit. Can you do that? Just a bit, take a few deep breaths…that's right, not too deep now- that was too deep, wasn't it? That hurt. Nice and slow, slowly now.'

They stood in amazement as Elrond's breathing gradually deepened and his colour began to improve.

'I'm going to collect some nettle and red beet to make tea with,' said Estel. 'He'll need it when he wakes up to strengthen his blood.'

'That's a good idea,' Eoela said.

'Don't you believe it. He only wants to get his own back for all the times that Ada's forced him to drink it,' Elladan said wryly.

'Aren't you boys ever serious?' Eoela demanded.

'No, not very often,' came the reply from Gandalf. 'Out, all three of you. I need to speak to this lady. In peace.' The tall wizard seemed to grow taller and so the three young men made a dash for the door- they'd seen him cross before.