Hey ya'll just sitting down to type a bit before I go and see Harry Potter
3 with my buddies! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Yes I don't own it! No, I never will, and PLEASE! Will you stop asking me these questions and read the freaking fic!?
Chapter Four: Remember
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Estella heard loud voices in the other room, but did not bother to get up. She was extremely tired and began to drift off into a strange nightmare.
She sat on her bed, at her own home and looked about the dark room. Her arms were tied with thick rope tied in strange and immovable knots. Estella looked down at her body and saw that she was completely naked. Suddenly voices whispered from behind her. She whirled around but nothing was there.
"I loved you," they chorused from her right as she turned to meet them. "What are you doing?" this time from her left. Her world was spinning.
"I swore that I would live to see you again," came a familiar voice from in front of her. She turned to see Merry standing before her, blood dripping from his hands. "I didn't mean to return to find you dead."
She gasped and outside her window there were cries as a vulture devoured the corpse of a nightingale. Merry looked at her, a tear falling from his face and a scream escaping his lips.
Estella sat up awake. Quickly she inspected herself to make sure that all was well. She found that her stomach was growling uneasier by the minute but she was clothed and her arms were free.
Persimmon looked up at her sleepily. She patted his head softly while clenching her teeth to resist the urge to vomit.
There was a loud thump from the living room.
"What did you do that for?" asked Diamond angrily leaping to her feet.
"Merry are you all right?" Pippin said coming over to Merry who had just leapt out of his chair and sent it tumbling over its end.
"Y-y-yes," he stammered raising a hand to his brow, "I-I just... I think you two ought to leave. We've had enough company for one day."
Diamond looked at him suspiciously but stood up and walked toward the door. She paused before she left the room looking back, "I'm sorry Merry. You needed to know." With that she left the hole.
"Pippin," Merry said through gritted teeth, "Go."
"But Merry?" he pleaded.
"GO!"
Pippin quickly left the hole and ran down the road after Diamond.
Merry collapsed onto the floor. Diamond's words were still running through his head. 'For her own protection...There was no other choice...At least she's still alive!' He raised his own hand in front of his face, studying it. Slowly he made his hand into a fist, and slammed it into the wall next to him. A tear fell down his cheek from his own frustration.
"Meow?" came Persimmon's soft voice from the doorway.
Merry looked from the dent he'd made in the wall to the cat of the one he loved dearly. He realized that he'd be holding his breath and slowly let it out. The cat approached him purring.
"You never liked me much before last night," he mused quietly patting the cat's head, "I guess we both just happened to be in the right place at the right time." He sighed. "I wish it had all never happened. I wish that I had never left the Shire, that I had been here to protect her. Maybe if I had been here she wouldn't have had to do the things she did. If I had been here..." he trailed off. The only sound in the room was his ragged breath and Persimmon's purring.
Estella, who called his name feebly from the door, broke the silence.
"You shouldn't be out of bed, Estella," Merry chided standing up as if the up turned chair and dent in the wall weren't there, "You're sick. You shouldn't be up and-"he stopped suddenly. Estella was pale, so pale she looked as a ghost.
"Merry," she croaked, "I'm not feeling well." She began to fall.
Merry rushed to her side and caught her just before she hit the ground. He felt her forehead and it was burning.
"Estella?" he asked fear coming into his eyes.
She didn't respond. Her eyes were closed as if in death and her breath was short and ragged.
"Persimmon, stay here, don't worry. I'll be back later," Merry said quickly to the feline as he slung Estella over his shoulder and exited the hole.
He laid Estella on the front porch and quickly went around the house to his stables and brought his fastest pony. The one he had acquired from Rohan. Merry brought the pony around front and heaved Estella onto it and jumped on himself. Quickly they sped toward the healer's.
Luckily the healer himself was sitting on the front step of his infirmary when Merry rode up to his door.
"What's happened to her?" he asked as Merry dismounted and began to lower her off the horse.
"She's fallen ill. She was fine one moment then she was feverish. I don't know what else to tell you," Merry explained. The healer nodded and the two rushed into the infirmary.
Merry sat outside while the healer tended to Estella. He sat there, feeling useless, twiddling his thumbs. All that he wanted to do was be able to help her. That's why he didn't tell the healer why she was ill. That's why he didn't tell Pippin or Diamond. That's why he didn't tell her. All he was doing was helping her, wasn't he?
The healer returned outside, a pained expression on his face. "Meriadoc?" he asked.
Merry turned to him quickly raising his eyebrows expectantly.
"Well, I'll have you know that Estella is fine. She's not awake, but she is just fine. You brought her here just in time. I just need to ask you a few questions, about her condition."
Merry nodded.
"How long has she been ill?"
"Since this morning," Merry responded wringing his hands.
"What were her symptoms?"
"Uh... mainly she was weak. Then it progressed to what she called 'quivery muscles.' And then when she fainted she was extremely feverish."
The healer thought for a moment, "I can't think of a sickness that your wife-"
"She's not my wife, she's a friend."
"Excuse me, your friend doesn't seem to have an illness that I know of. If anything she appears to be in major shock."
Merry thought about the night before. Her screams, her hands clinging to his, picking her up and carrying her to his house, Persimmon's wails, the pile of...
"Are you sure you've told me everything?" the healer asked bringing Merry back to the present.
"Yes, of course!" he lied, he was becoming quite good at this he believed.
An apprentice stuck his head out of the door, "She's awake, and she's raving!"
The healer ran in quickly with Merry on his heals. Merry followed him into the back room. He could hear her screams from the hall. The things she was saying were so familiar.
"What do you think I'd do? I thought you hated me! Oh, so it's different! I love you!! People in love are also people in despair. Did you never learn that?! Well, learn now!"
The healer walked into the room and gasped. Estella was sleeping, but she was still waving her arms about and reliving the night before.
"Are you sure you've told me everything?" the healer asked above Estella's screams.
"Can't you read?!" she shrieked.
"Yes," Merry responded monotonously.
"Merry Brandybuck!!" she raved louder.
"She seems to be raving about you, or even to you!" the healer said loudly.
"That's what it says!" she said slowly then suddenly began to scream. Suddenly she awoke also screaming.
"Estella!" Merry gasped rushing to her side.
She sat bolt upright, her eyes wide in terror and her chest heaving as if running for miles. Estella placed a hand on his cheek and then another on her heart.
"Merry, I had such a strange dream! It was more than I could stand, I can't even begin to explain to you!" she told him breathlessly closing her eyes in pain.
"Then don't," he offered, "the last thing I want to see is you in such pain."
Diamond rushed into the room. "I knew that the moment I left that something would happen. I shouldn't have listened to you Meriadoc Brandybuck!" She shoved Merry out of her way and clutched Estella's hand. "Dear, are you quite well?" she asked dramatically.
Estella smiled, "Not in the least," and she began to laugh.
"Mr. Brandybuck," the healer requested, "May I see you outside please?"
Merry nodded and followed the healer out of the door.
"What happened?" asked Estella worriedly.
"I passed out, that's all I remember." She shrugged her shoulders indifferently.
"You mean to tell me that you passed out and Merry rushed you here?"
"Yes."
"He wonder's why I can't stand him!" She threw her hands up in frustration.
"Why can't you stand Merry?"
"He's just so..." Diamond searched for the right words, "Exactly!"
"I don't follow." Estella gave her a quizzical look.
"I can't explain it but I would just have a hard time to be able to live with him!"
"I'm just fine with it. I've stayed over at his home plenty of times."
"That's not what I mean Estella," she said softly.
"I know what you mean... You mean that you can't understand why I love him." Estella looked away. "It's complicated. No matter how many times he can tell me that he hates me I will always love him. No matter what pain he brings upon me, I'll always be hopelessly stuck in his web. There is no person that can ever pull my love from him. I am his, no matter what he does to me."
Diamond placed a hand on hers, but didn't speak. The understanding was exchanged without words.
The healer bustled back in, "Miss Bolger, we will be sending you back to Mr. Brandybuck's house. You are under strict orders to stay in bed and rest. If you do not rest your illness will never heal completely."
"How do I know I'm healed?" she asked.
"You'll know," the healer stole a look toward Merry who stood in the doorway.
"Well, what exactly do I have?"
"A rare case. I've never seen it before, but all you need to know is that healing comes with rest. Do not exert yourself, and allow yourself to be taken care of. Also, under no circumstances, return to your house."
"Why?"
"Because... I said so."
-----
Doesn't the healer make a great argument? Anywho, hope you've liked! Review please! You shall be rewarded with another chapter! Well, actually I'll post another either way, but feedback is requested! Thanks!-DB:D
Disclaimer: Yes I don't own it! No, I never will, and PLEASE! Will you stop asking me these questions and read the freaking fic!?
Chapter Four: Remember
-----
Estella heard loud voices in the other room, but did not bother to get up. She was extremely tired and began to drift off into a strange nightmare.
She sat on her bed, at her own home and looked about the dark room. Her arms were tied with thick rope tied in strange and immovable knots. Estella looked down at her body and saw that she was completely naked. Suddenly voices whispered from behind her. She whirled around but nothing was there.
"I loved you," they chorused from her right as she turned to meet them. "What are you doing?" this time from her left. Her world was spinning.
"I swore that I would live to see you again," came a familiar voice from in front of her. She turned to see Merry standing before her, blood dripping from his hands. "I didn't mean to return to find you dead."
She gasped and outside her window there were cries as a vulture devoured the corpse of a nightingale. Merry looked at her, a tear falling from his face and a scream escaping his lips.
Estella sat up awake. Quickly she inspected herself to make sure that all was well. She found that her stomach was growling uneasier by the minute but she was clothed and her arms were free.
Persimmon looked up at her sleepily. She patted his head softly while clenching her teeth to resist the urge to vomit.
There was a loud thump from the living room.
"What did you do that for?" asked Diamond angrily leaping to her feet.
"Merry are you all right?" Pippin said coming over to Merry who had just leapt out of his chair and sent it tumbling over its end.
"Y-y-yes," he stammered raising a hand to his brow, "I-I just... I think you two ought to leave. We've had enough company for one day."
Diamond looked at him suspiciously but stood up and walked toward the door. She paused before she left the room looking back, "I'm sorry Merry. You needed to know." With that she left the hole.
"Pippin," Merry said through gritted teeth, "Go."
"But Merry?" he pleaded.
"GO!"
Pippin quickly left the hole and ran down the road after Diamond.
Merry collapsed onto the floor. Diamond's words were still running through his head. 'For her own protection...There was no other choice...At least she's still alive!' He raised his own hand in front of his face, studying it. Slowly he made his hand into a fist, and slammed it into the wall next to him. A tear fell down his cheek from his own frustration.
"Meow?" came Persimmon's soft voice from the doorway.
Merry looked from the dent he'd made in the wall to the cat of the one he loved dearly. He realized that he'd be holding his breath and slowly let it out. The cat approached him purring.
"You never liked me much before last night," he mused quietly patting the cat's head, "I guess we both just happened to be in the right place at the right time." He sighed. "I wish it had all never happened. I wish that I had never left the Shire, that I had been here to protect her. Maybe if I had been here she wouldn't have had to do the things she did. If I had been here..." he trailed off. The only sound in the room was his ragged breath and Persimmon's purring.
Estella, who called his name feebly from the door, broke the silence.
"You shouldn't be out of bed, Estella," Merry chided standing up as if the up turned chair and dent in the wall weren't there, "You're sick. You shouldn't be up and-"he stopped suddenly. Estella was pale, so pale she looked as a ghost.
"Merry," she croaked, "I'm not feeling well." She began to fall.
Merry rushed to her side and caught her just before she hit the ground. He felt her forehead and it was burning.
"Estella?" he asked fear coming into his eyes.
She didn't respond. Her eyes were closed as if in death and her breath was short and ragged.
"Persimmon, stay here, don't worry. I'll be back later," Merry said quickly to the feline as he slung Estella over his shoulder and exited the hole.
He laid Estella on the front porch and quickly went around the house to his stables and brought his fastest pony. The one he had acquired from Rohan. Merry brought the pony around front and heaved Estella onto it and jumped on himself. Quickly they sped toward the healer's.
Luckily the healer himself was sitting on the front step of his infirmary when Merry rode up to his door.
"What's happened to her?" he asked as Merry dismounted and began to lower her off the horse.
"She's fallen ill. She was fine one moment then she was feverish. I don't know what else to tell you," Merry explained. The healer nodded and the two rushed into the infirmary.
Merry sat outside while the healer tended to Estella. He sat there, feeling useless, twiddling his thumbs. All that he wanted to do was be able to help her. That's why he didn't tell the healer why she was ill. That's why he didn't tell Pippin or Diamond. That's why he didn't tell her. All he was doing was helping her, wasn't he?
The healer returned outside, a pained expression on his face. "Meriadoc?" he asked.
Merry turned to him quickly raising his eyebrows expectantly.
"Well, I'll have you know that Estella is fine. She's not awake, but she is just fine. You brought her here just in time. I just need to ask you a few questions, about her condition."
Merry nodded.
"How long has she been ill?"
"Since this morning," Merry responded wringing his hands.
"What were her symptoms?"
"Uh... mainly she was weak. Then it progressed to what she called 'quivery muscles.' And then when she fainted she was extremely feverish."
The healer thought for a moment, "I can't think of a sickness that your wife-"
"She's not my wife, she's a friend."
"Excuse me, your friend doesn't seem to have an illness that I know of. If anything she appears to be in major shock."
Merry thought about the night before. Her screams, her hands clinging to his, picking her up and carrying her to his house, Persimmon's wails, the pile of...
"Are you sure you've told me everything?" the healer asked bringing Merry back to the present.
"Yes, of course!" he lied, he was becoming quite good at this he believed.
An apprentice stuck his head out of the door, "She's awake, and she's raving!"
The healer ran in quickly with Merry on his heals. Merry followed him into the back room. He could hear her screams from the hall. The things she was saying were so familiar.
"What do you think I'd do? I thought you hated me! Oh, so it's different! I love you!! People in love are also people in despair. Did you never learn that?! Well, learn now!"
The healer walked into the room and gasped. Estella was sleeping, but she was still waving her arms about and reliving the night before.
"Are you sure you've told me everything?" the healer asked above Estella's screams.
"Can't you read?!" she shrieked.
"Yes," Merry responded monotonously.
"Merry Brandybuck!!" she raved louder.
"She seems to be raving about you, or even to you!" the healer said loudly.
"That's what it says!" she said slowly then suddenly began to scream. Suddenly she awoke also screaming.
"Estella!" Merry gasped rushing to her side.
She sat bolt upright, her eyes wide in terror and her chest heaving as if running for miles. Estella placed a hand on his cheek and then another on her heart.
"Merry, I had such a strange dream! It was more than I could stand, I can't even begin to explain to you!" she told him breathlessly closing her eyes in pain.
"Then don't," he offered, "the last thing I want to see is you in such pain."
Diamond rushed into the room. "I knew that the moment I left that something would happen. I shouldn't have listened to you Meriadoc Brandybuck!" She shoved Merry out of her way and clutched Estella's hand. "Dear, are you quite well?" she asked dramatically.
Estella smiled, "Not in the least," and she began to laugh.
"Mr. Brandybuck," the healer requested, "May I see you outside please?"
Merry nodded and followed the healer out of the door.
"What happened?" asked Estella worriedly.
"I passed out, that's all I remember." She shrugged her shoulders indifferently.
"You mean to tell me that you passed out and Merry rushed you here?"
"Yes."
"He wonder's why I can't stand him!" She threw her hands up in frustration.
"Why can't you stand Merry?"
"He's just so..." Diamond searched for the right words, "Exactly!"
"I don't follow." Estella gave her a quizzical look.
"I can't explain it but I would just have a hard time to be able to live with him!"
"I'm just fine with it. I've stayed over at his home plenty of times."
"That's not what I mean Estella," she said softly.
"I know what you mean... You mean that you can't understand why I love him." Estella looked away. "It's complicated. No matter how many times he can tell me that he hates me I will always love him. No matter what pain he brings upon me, I'll always be hopelessly stuck in his web. There is no person that can ever pull my love from him. I am his, no matter what he does to me."
Diamond placed a hand on hers, but didn't speak. The understanding was exchanged without words.
The healer bustled back in, "Miss Bolger, we will be sending you back to Mr. Brandybuck's house. You are under strict orders to stay in bed and rest. If you do not rest your illness will never heal completely."
"How do I know I'm healed?" she asked.
"You'll know," the healer stole a look toward Merry who stood in the doorway.
"Well, what exactly do I have?"
"A rare case. I've never seen it before, but all you need to know is that healing comes with rest. Do not exert yourself, and allow yourself to be taken care of. Also, under no circumstances, return to your house."
"Why?"
"Because... I said so."
-----
Doesn't the healer make a great argument? Anywho, hope you've liked! Review please! You shall be rewarded with another chapter! Well, actually I'll post another either way, but feedback is requested! Thanks!-DB:D