As before, I own nothing of LOTR or any of Tolkiens work, I do however own Merry's new sibling to be.
CHAPTER TWO: Falling sick.
When I reach Pippin's house I relax a bit. I pull up Snowfoot and pat him on the neck and then leave him there as I run to the front door. I head straight in almost knocking Pervinca to the ground.
"Sorry." I gasp as I rush up the corridor.
I can hear Pippin calling me normally now.
I come to a halt at his door and am just about to open it when Pearl opens it from inside.
"Merry!" She says. I possibly push past her a bit roughly as I hurry to Pippin.
"Pippin." I whisper and smooth back his damp hair.
"He's contagious, Merry, you shouldn't be here." Pearl takes my arm and tries to lead me back.
"Pearl?" I turn to her with pleading eyes that I know she can't say no to and I hug her when she just nods slowly.
Pippin looks green and he is fevered.
'Pippin" I whisper again as Pearl leaves again for more remedies or something. I lay beside Pippin and gather him into my arms like when he was smaller and needed comforting either from a storm or a nightmare. I cry into his hair and fall almost immediately asleep as my exhausted body commands it and Pippin stops calling for me.
I vaguely remember waking in the night being cold and pulling the blanket over me.
In the morning I awake and Pippin is still next to me. He is cold and I think he has died because I start to cry and call for him. I pull the blanket over him and he moves. I stop crying.
"Thankyou." He says and half opens his eyes to look at me.
"Merry." He sighs and rolls over and falls back asleep. I hold him close and am also about to fall asleep when Pearl enters and lifts me up to carry me away.
"Will he be okay?" I ask and wipe away my tears as she nods. I wrap my arms around her neck and snuggle into her, falling asleep before I reach my own bed.
"Oh Merry." Aunt Eglantine is standing above me I think, at least it is her voice that I can hear. Everything is rather blurry. I open my mouth to say hello, but instead I croak. Ow. My throat hurts horribly and my arms are too heavy to reach up and wipe the sleep out of my eyes.
I gasp in a breath and start to cough, a hacking cough, before vomiting nothing up, just retching.
Aunt Eglantine sits me up and leans me over so I don't choke myself. She wipes my eyes with her sleeve and cradles my sweat-coated head to her chest.
I shudder and shake with the cool breeze coming from the doorway and start to cry for my mum. Feeling sick and sorry and hurting my pride by calling for my mum.
I fall into a disturbed sleep to be wakened every so often when someone comes and puts cloths on my head.
First I am too hot and then too cold. I doze fitfully to wake bathed in sweat and tangled in sheets.
I cry for my mum and guilt envelops me when I think of all the worry I have caused.
It seems as though weeks have passed, but it must be only days until I wake from my fevered dreams to find my mother sitting with me on her lap. She wraps both arms around me and rocks me to and fro. I cry into her shoulder as I apologize for taking Snowfoot and sneaking off.
She eventually calms down enough to feed me some broth and cool my brow. She then places me back in bed and pulls the covers to my chin seating herself in the chair beside me.
As I doze off I hear Pippin calling me. I dream he is hurt and crying in his 6yr old way. I dream that I am unable to go to him. In my dream I can only watch as a troll bears down on him and crushes him beneath it. I see him mouth my name. All at once much older, yet still the 6yr old, mingled together. I toss and turn, fighting unseen forces before breaking the unbearable silence with one single shout:
"Pippin!" I scream, before jerking awake. I hear Pippin calling me. It is his real voice. I can't see him.
"Pippin." I cry, and try to untangle myself from the blankets.
"Merry." I hear him crying my name. I look to the door, but it is closed. Under it the light is broken and I can see Pippin's feet standing there. I hear Pearl's voice talking to Pippin. And Pippin is crying.
"Pippin!" I start crying and the door opens to reveal Pippin struggling against Pearl's grip on his wrist. Tears run down his face as he stretches a hand towards me, reaching for me.
"Merry." He mouths and hiccups from crying. I push my blankets off and feeling slightly dizzy crawl out of bed and stumble to him, kneeling in front of him and gathering him into a hug.
Pearl lets him go and watches us for a bit before running off down the corridor.
"He's better!" she is crying as she goes.
Pippin wraps his small arms around my neck and buries his head in my shoulder.
"Merry." He whispers and I hold him close, breathing in the sweetness of his curly hair and childlike innocence.
"Pippin" I say and lift him up and sit in the armchair, content just to hold him and know that he is safe and healthy.
My mum and Aunt Eglantine enter the room and stand and look at us.
"I'm sorry." I say, but Pippin also glances at them before turning his emerald eyes to me.
"It was my fault. I called him." He explains, wiping one of my tears away. He looks back at our parents.
"He had to come, because I needed him. I'm sorry." He looks back at me and I pul him back into a hug, holding him close as he snuggles into me. Looking up at our mums I know that they do not believe him, but I know also that they can acknowledge the bond that exists between Pippin and I and that nothing, not even sickness or snow or them, can stop it from strengthening each day.
Pearl enters with a tray and both Pippin's and my stomachs rumble. Aunt Eglantine laughs and scolds at the same time.
"You just ate, Pippin." She says and Pippin laughs, turning his big eyes on her and then pouting at me, making me laugh.
"it's okay." I say. My mum comes over and helps prop up pillows behind me and on my lap to balance the tray. Pippin pushes his way beside me, while turning to face my mum, reaching up a small hand to place it on her swollen stomach.
"When's it coming Aunt Esme?" He asks, and I also look up. The new baby, my brother or sister. My mum smiles a motherly smile and puts her hand over Pippin's
"In a few days. It'll be your new baby cousin." Pippin smiles.
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Find out more next chapter, coming soon. "Merry's new sibling"