A shocked silence filled the room then, "How dare you! How dare you speak about me son like that! We will never give up hope on him! Do you know what it is like for him?" The tutor shook his head, his face blank. "No, that's right, you don't, so you have no reason to speak about him in such a way! Every other week he is sick with something! He has managed to pull through every disease the Shire has seen, and he will not stop now!" This time it was not Merry who was shouting at the tutor, but Eglantine, "It is not my custom to yell at anyone, but in your case, I will make an exception!" Again a shocked silence filled the room, but it was punctured by a small noise coming from Pippins room.

"He's awake again!" Merry shoved Mister Adams out of the way and ran to his cousins side "Pippin! Did we wake you? I am so sorry!"

"Its alright Merry." Pippin said quietly

"How are you feeling?"

"Bad, and I want to go back to sleep, but before I do, is my mum around, I want to apologize." Pippin sat up and looked around his room

"I am right here Pippin." Eglantine also rushed over to her son's side and clasped his hand, tears coming to her eyes at the joy of finally seeing her son awake.

"Mum, I am sorry I went outside without telling you." Pippin said in a quiet voice, looking down at the bedcovers "I didn't mean to get sick like this!"

"Oh sweetie! It wasn't your fault you got sick! But promise you wont go outside without telling someone first."

"Yes mum."

"You gave us all quite a scare." Paladin had also come over to sit next to his son

"I'm sorry da."

"We forgive you Pip, but you have to get better!" Merry smiled at his cousin, "You can't be sick for Yule!"

"Yule? That's a week away!" Pippin looked at his cousin questioningly

"No its not sweetie, you were unconscious for a two days, Yule is only four days from now!"

"What?! Only four days?"

"Yeh, so go back to sleep, you need it to get better!" Merry smiled at his cousins indignation, he must be getting somewhat better if he is that worried about Yule!

"Ok then, goodnight!" Pippin plopped back down on the pillows then issued an "OOWW!"

"Pippin, are you alright?" Paladin looked concernedly at his son

"It hurts!!" Pippin felt tears spring to his eyes as pain shot through him.

"You have to be careful Pip, you broke some bones." Merry helped his cousin get more comfortable without moving his ribs too much.

"Thanks Merry." Pippin half yawned half spoke to his cousin before closing his eyes and promptly falling asleep.

"Well, that was fast!" Merry grinned at his aunt and uncle.

"We had better call the healer, she will undoubtedly want to know that Pippin woke up, and she will probably want to examine him again while he is asleep."

"Right, I will go get her." Eglantine walked swiftly out of the room, but not before she glared again at the tutor who was staring stunned at Pippins bed.

"Oh yeah, no hope at all!" Merry glared as he sarcastically added to the teacher as he was ushered out of the room by his uncle.

Mister Adams stood shocked by what he had just witnessed. He woke up! After being unconscious for two days, he woke up! The healer she said he probably wouldn't wake up, but he…he did! Marina didn't wake up! How come he did? He was jolted out of his thoughts by someone running into him; it was the healer.

"Excuse me." She mumbled not looking at him, but continuing towards Pippins bed

"How did he wake up?" Mister Adams said in a low voice to the healer, "You said he probably wouldn't wake up!"

"Well, this Pippin is quite a fighter! I am not really that surprised that he managed to pull through actually, I mean he has had Autumn Daze quite a few times, and he recovered from those as well."

"Autumn daze?!" Mister Adams gaped at the healer, Autumn Daze was a horrible disease that killed most who got it. He has had it a few times?

"Oh yes, this little one has had every disease I was taught to fight, and some I have never heard of!" Healer Proudfoot was now bustling around Pippins bed, checking his temperature, feeing his pulse, "I am sorry to be rude, but if you don't have any important questions, I might ask you to please leave, I have work to do."

"Right, sorry." Mister Adams waked back to his study autumn daze? And then this? It's a miracle for him to still be alive! But how did he survive all this, when Marina got sick once and died? It makes no sense, no sense at all!