The Friendship of
Frodo and Sam
Chapter Four
Frodo's Memories
Frodo awoke with a yell, he was drenched with a thin layer of sweat, he sat up in bed and tried to breath, he had been dreaming again.
This time it wasn't about his parents death though,--it had been about his life at Brandy hall, and then the time he had spent living with his Uncle Maddic Brandybuck before Bilbo adopted him. His Uncle had been worse then Brandy hall he had made him work as a servant and he beat him black and blue with his belt if he didn't cook or clean something to his liking.
Of course Bilbo had heard Frodo's cry and was at his side in half a second.
"Frodo are you alright?" asked Bilbo as he came in and sat on the bed.
"Yes Uncle Bilbo, I'm fine," said Frodo looking up at his Uncle, sweat dripping off his face.
"Are you sure, you look flushed," Bilbo said putting a hand on Frodo's forehead.
"I'm fine, it was just a dream," said Frodo suddenly becoming very interested in his quilt.
"Frodo--," Bilbo began.
"Really Uncle Bilbo, I'm fine, you can go back to bed," said Frodo making eye contact with his Uncle.
"Alright, but I'm right down the hall if you need me," said Bilbo getting.
"I know Uncle." Said Frodo playing with the quilt patches.
Bilbo went back to bed, but Frodo could not go back to sleep, his memories were coming back full force, he remembered this one time very well.
(Flashback)
A scraped up Frodo stumbled thru the small front door, he was soaked from head to toe, it had started poring down rain on his way home from town on an errand that his uncle Maddic had sent him on. If the rain wasn't bad enough he had slipped and fell into a pricket bush scraping up his already battered body.
Frodo winced from pain as he took off his soaked cloak and looked at it, it had big gashes running along the side and the back of it, Frodo could also tell that his shirt was torn.
"I hate pricket bushes," Frodo murmured to himself as his hung up his cloak.
"Were have you been!" A voice yelled from around the corner, it made Frodo wince.
His Uncle came around the corner his face red with anger.
"Answer the question you worthless Baggins!" his Uncle yelled again.
"I was in town, for the things you sent me for," said Frodo handing his Uncle the bag he was carrying.
"Well now that your back hurry it up, I'm starving, if there is no food on that table in the next half hour, there will be no supper for you! Do you understand?" His Uncle yelled again taking his seat by the fire.
"Yes Uncle, I understand," said Frodo as he ran to get supper ready.
...................................................End of Flashback.......................................
Frodo shivered and pulled his blanket up to his neck, as another memory came.
......................................................Flash Back.............................................
"You worthless, nothing but flesh Baggins, what have you done!" Frodo's Uncle yelled again holding a broken lamp.
Frodo had seen the wind blow the lamp over so he said. "I didn't do it Uncle, I've been here doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen for the past hour," he said holding up is a dish to show what he was doing.
"Then who did!" his Uncle yelled again.
"Well, I saw—," Frodo began but did not get to finish the sentence.
"Forget it, you were supposed have the wood box cleaned and filled by now too, you are worthless, worthless!" his Uncle yelled taking out his belt and bringing the leather strap down hard on Frodo.
Frodo cried out as the hard leather strap came in contact with his face.
Frodo's Uncle hit him over and over again until his whole body was black and blue, his lip was cracked open, and he was bleeding in a few places.
"From now on if you don't get your work done, you will get that, but MORE OF IT! Do you understand?" His Uncle yelled again.
"Yes uncle I understand," said Frodo through a swollen lip.
.......................................end of flashback...................................................
Frodo whimpered to himself as he thought back, he wanted to go back to sleep, he did not want to remember anymore, but his dream had brought everything back, he couldn't help but remember.
.............................................Flashback......................................................
Frodo rolled to his side, he just could not get comfortable, his back throbbed with a sharp pain every time he touched it, his head ached, and he could tell that he had a fever. He knew it was from being outside in the pouring down rain, only an elf would be able to do that and not get sick, so that explained the fever and head ache, but why did his back hurt?
Frodo didn't have time to think about it anymore, for just at that moment his bedroom door flew open and his Uncle stormed in.
"Get out of that you good nothing Baggins!" his Uncle yelled bringing the belt down hard again.
Frodo yelped when it came in contact with his back, but didn't say anything else.
"You don't want to get out of bed? Find, then go ahead and starve, NO WORK! NO FOOD!" yelled his Uncle going to the door and slamming it behind him.
"Uncle, Please!" Frodo bagged ending with a hacking cough with what strength he had left, but his Uncle was gone, and within seconds Frodo welcomed the depth of unconsciousness.
..........................................End of Flashback................................................
Frodo shivered again at the memory, but he didn't mind the next one.
................................................Flashback...................................................
Frodo remembered that he had gone unattended for a long time, how long he did not know, he opened his tired blue eyes for them to come in contact with bright green ones. He opened his mouth to say something but the person standing over him put a small finger to his lips while a damp cloth was being placed on Frodo's forehead.
"Sh, don't try to talk Frodo, if our Uncle finds out I'm up here, well lets just say it wouldn't be pretty," the person said as he dampened the cloth and placed it on Frodo's forehead again.
"Merry?" asked Frodo hoping he was not mistaken.
"Sh, yes Frodo, it's me, I'm sorry our Uncle is being so mean to you, my parents knew he was hard to please, but we never thought he would beat you," said Merry with concern written on his face.
"He's not that bad," said Frodo rolling from his stomach to his side being careful of his back.
With Frodo on his side Merry was able to get a good look at his cousin, he gasped when he saw the bruises on his cousin's arms and the cracked open lip that still had not healed.
"Not that bad, look at you Frodo you are covered in bruises," said Merry his worry deepening.
"Do you know how long I've been unconscious?" asked Frodo changing the subject.
Merry could tell that Frodo didn't want to talk about so decided to drop it—for now.
"I don't know for sure but I have been here for two days so at least that long, probably longer. You have some deep gashes on your back, some of them are infected, you have a high fever too," said Merry as he dampened the cloth yet again.
"Gashes? Oh I know what you are thinking, and no Uncle Maddic did not hit me with a belt buckle, he did with the belt strap but not the belt buckle." Said Frodo as he tried to sit up but only got half way before Merry pushed him back down.
"How did you get those gashes then?" asked Merry now very confused.
"I fell into a pricket bush, I fell on my back and my cloak and my shirt got a few big gashes in them, my back must have gotten cut deeper then I thought. I was out in the rain a few days ago, that is probably what made me sick." Said Frodo. "What is that?" He added pointing at the bowl on the table.
"It's my sister's special sav, I asked her to make some for me so I could put it on the pony's hooves, I hated to lie to her but I couldn't tell her that you were up here sick and I was nursing you, If she or Uncle Maddic found out I would be sent home lickety-split," said Merrry as he stirred the sav.
"How long are you here for Merry?" asked Frodo hoping against hope that it would be a while.
"My Mother said that she and my father would not be ready for us to come home for at least a month that should be enough time for you to get well don't you think?" said Merry with a smile.
Merry was only six years old but he knew how to take care of people. His mother had taught him how when he was four because his little sister was sick so much as a baby.
"I'm going to put this on your back now Frodo, it may hurt a bit," said Merry as he started to spread the sav on Frodo's back.
Frodo winced as it hit his back and bit his tattered quilt so he wouldn't cry out.
"I'm sorry Frodo, there I'm all done," said Merry wiping his hands on a clean cloth.
"Thank you Merry, It feels better already." Said Frodo, now that the pain was gone he started to drift off.
"That's right, you go to sleep now Frodo," said Merry sitting beside the bed.
...................................................End of Flashback.......................................
Frodo suddenly felt no more memories he was stuck with the memory of his cousin caring for him and with that repeating in his mind he finally welcomed sleep.
End of Chapter
Four
Sorry it took me so long to get this up I hope you enjoyed it.
