Chapter 11: Cheering up Frodo

Frodo awoke to find himself face to face with what appeared to be some horrible creature. Sitting an inch from Frodo's nose was a glass jar and inside the jar was...

"Meriadoc Brandybuck, what is that?"

"His name's Spalding, Frodo. Do you like him?"

"Spalding is..."

"He's a spider. There's more of 'em, but they're hiding in the leaves. I saved them all."

From what Merry saved them from, Frodo never found out. Just then Frodo had attempted to move away from the little beasts and the lidless jar had tipped over. Spalding and his many friends took this opportunity to make a break for freedom.

Frodo hadn't been out of bed for two days, so his Aunt was most surprised when she saw him running down the hallway, slapping at his nightshirt with his good arm and yelling loudly. Merry was chasing after him holding a jar in his hands. "Don't Frodo, you'll hurt them! Stop!" Merry was yelling desperately. Frodo didn't seem to really want to stop, but in his haste he tripped over a chair and landed on the floor with a thud. Merry flung himself onto Frodo's legs, crying wildly. It can only be assumed that he found the remains of Spaulding because Merry was soon sobbing loudly and clutching something in his hand.

When Frodo had caught his breath again, he attempted to push Merry off of his legs, but found he couldn't. Frodo was now feeling very miserable for himself. He felt ill and his shoulder was aching. Frodo now came to the unhappy conclusion that it would never heal. He would never use the arm again and then he might as well go drown in the river, Frodo thought grimly. "Merry, get off!" Frodo suddenly shouted. But Merry would not move. Soon Esmeralda was in the room and she attempted to pull off the younger child. Merry, however became very hostile, and he desperately clung to Frodo's nightshirt while shouting, "No! No! No!" There were more words, but no one could make them out.

"Just leave him," Frodo finally said as Merry was hurting him more by trying to escape Esmeralda's grasp.

"He knows better than this Frodo—"

"I know, but ... it's my fault. Please just leave him. I'll take care of it," Frodo said looking at his Aunt hopefully. Esmeralda reluctantly turned and walked away, shaking her head muttering something about Frodo needing to get off the cold floor. Frodo had it in his mind that he would just shake Merry off of him and be back in his own room soon. Just as Frodo thought he might try getting away Merry slipped off of him and onto the floor sobbing. Frodo, being careful of his shoulder, slowly sat up only to have Merry then bury his face into Frodo's chest and begin sobbing into his nightshirt. Frodo felt something crawling on his neck and he knew that one of Spalding's friends still lived. Merry suddenly spoke.

"I-I'm sorry Frodo. I'm sorry," he said between sobs.

"Oh, Merry..."

"I thought you would like them... I'm sorry..." Merry said looking up at him and then quickly looking down and continued sobbing.

"Come on, Merry. We should get off the floor." Frodo stood with some difficulty, helping Merry up with his good arm. Merry didn't want to move and if he hadn't been so miserable he wouldn't have let Frodo pull him up. Merry suddenly stooped and picked up something small off the floor. Frodo assumed it was another spider because Merry began crying louder. Frodo began swiping at the back of his neck were he suspected one of Spalding's friends had settled. Merry suddenly turned and walked away from Frodo. Frodo wanted to go back to his room, but he was curious as to where Merry was going.

Frodo followed Merry until he opened a door to go outside. Frodo stopped, becoming aware that he was still in his night shirt. He stood there for a moment, debating whether or not to go outside. A sudden sound of wailing met his ears and he knew Merry was crying loudly some where outside. Frodo opened the door resolutely and stepped out into the sunlight.

"Merry," Frodo called quietly not wishing to call attention to himself in any way. He followed the crying until he found Merry sitting in the mud by the rain barrel. He had stopped wailing, but a steady stream of tears fell down his cheeks. His hands were coated in mud and he was patting the ground as if he was trying to smooth the surface. "Merry, what are you doing?" Frodo asked as he watched Merry wipe his nose leaving a large streak of mud across his face.

"Having a burial," Merry sobbed and then began crying loudly again.

"Merry, please don't cry..."

"I can't help it!" Merry cried in exasperation, "I don't know how to have a burial. No one's showed me how!" Fresh tears poured down Merry's face. Frodo kneeled beside Merry.

"Please don't Merry... look here now, I'll help you. Stop crying."

"You know how to have a burial Frodo?" Merry asked forgetting his sobbing for a moment and becoming suddenly overly curious. Frodo looked at Merry for a moment.

"Your dear spiders need a marker," Frodo whispered.

"A what?"

"Something to mark their graves, there get those little stones, use one of them," Frodo said indicating some stones that were stuck in the mud a few feet away. Merry did as he was told and soon each spider had a little stone marking their graves.

"Now what Frodo?" Merry asked quietly because such business seemed to call for whispering.

"Now you say some good things about your spiders and then we go back inside," Frodo said in the same whispered tones. Merry nodded and then scrunched up his face in concentration.

"Frodo, I can't think of anything."

"Merry..."

"I can't! You go first Frodo."

Frodo took a deep breath. "Spalding was a good spider ....and he lived a good life." Frodo stopped and looked at Merry, who nodded urging him to continue. "We will miss Spalding and the other spiders. They were good, happy spiders despite their unfortunate death." Frodo then stopped suddenly at a lost for words. Merry took a deep breath.

"I will miss you Spalding. I am sad you are gone... My mama always says we should try to be happy. So I will try to be happy, but I feel sad. Someday I hope I can see you again, because I didn't get to say good-bye. I just...I just want to say good-bye. I miss you, I wish... I wish... you could have stayed with me," Merry sniffed loudly and wiped his eyes. He glanced up at Frodo, "Was that good Frodo...Frodo? Why are you crying?"

Frodo shook his head and quickly wiped his face, "It was good Merry. It was really good."

"Frodo, your night shirt is all muddy," Merry said pointing at Frodo's shirt.

"You're completely covered in mud Merry," Frodo stated simply. The two of them had walked back inside and through the hallway to Frodo's room. They had left a trail of mud the whole way.

"I'm going to be in trouble aren't I?"

"Yes, I think so Merry."

"Do you think I'll have to wash the floors?"

"Yes, I think so Merry."

"Frodo are you happy?"

Frodo smiled down at Merry and ruffled his hair, "I'm happy Merry."

"Will you help me clean the floors?"

"Yes, Merry I will."

To be continued...

A/N: I am SOOOO Sorry. I could write all the problems I've been having and all the excuses I have, but that would take too long and I know you would all rather me just hurry and write the next part. I will try!

I was so stuck on this chapter. I think you can tell where I stopped writing and put it on hold for such a long time. Oh well, I hope you guys like it or at least think it is ok.