Author's Notes: As before, I am sorry this took so long. . .the delays are
purely unintentional. As previously mentioned, I am in preparation for
quitting my job, because the stress is taking its price on my health, which
has progressively declined over the past few years. In addition, I'm
finally working on the first of my fantasy novel series, and that does
require a bit of my time now and again. I hope to be able to provide
updates on a much more appropriate and consistent basis once I'm away from
here. In the meantime, thank you tremendously for your patience. . . .
Curu Ithilin writes, "Hm, despite the fact that Frodo's aunt seems to think he had measles, judging by your previous stories, I deem it will be more serious than that. I like the anonymous person's idea of guessing the illness, so I'll take a shot. It's probably something we have a vaccination for now, though I'm not familiar with some of the symptoms you've listed here. I'll just guess some random childhood ailments--diptheria, mumps, maybe? I dunno, I need to read more books on this stuff. Write more soon so we can figure out what Frodo has!" Dear CI, sometimes one can be hotter than it seems. . .and sometimes it's also the obvious. ;) As you'll see confirmed in this chapter, it's definitely measles. . .though you also know me better than to assume Frodo will inevitably have a mundane, uncomplicated, easygoing course. . . . ;) (As an aside, for my readers who worry about Frodo-killing in my stories. . .never fear; I can't foresee myself doing ANY Frodo-dies AU stuff. That's a bit much even for me; I've read some I enjoyed, but they depress me so terribly I can't picture myself writing them. So rest assured that Frodo is likely to survive whatever I do to him in my fiction. . . .)
Yes, there is also a nice visit from Uncle Bilbo ahead for the little one. He's already en route, as you'll soon hear in future chapters. :) We'll see about Forsythia. . .but what goes around comes around, and I suspect she won't pass the rest of the tale without a revisit. ;)
Tentative update schedule: Chapter 12 of "Caradhras" is planned for completion and posting by Thursday night, May 23 (I might try for Wednesday night, but no guarantees), and I do plan to add a standalone non-chaptered Aragorn and Frodo in Rivendell as well as starting a couple new fics. Most likely I'll try and finish "Caradhras" before starting another of my quest- based ones; presently I have another Caradhras setting one planned but may take a break from the snow and do the one I've been drafting that's set in Lothlorien.
Bad news: I am STILL attempting to get FrodoHealers setup moved for the younger group. Still no word from Yahoo help. *Good* news: FrodoHealers site is ready to roll, thanks to our wonderful webmistress! I'll include the URL once we have some stories up and running - FrodoHealers authors, don't forget to read Hope's instructions and get those in! :) For those checking, don't panic. . .I'll post the URL for actual stories once we have that rolling. :)
And, as always, thank you ALL so VERY much for reading and reviewing! It was a tremendous delight to see the latest batches of reviews. . .I LOVE your comments and am exceedingly grateful to all of you for bringing the joy that you do to my life! :) It is a privilege to write for you all. :)
For permission to reproduce, please contact frodobaggins@frodo.com
DISCLAIMER: The characters, places, and story of The Lord of the Rings are the property of J.R.R. Tolkien and consequently of the Tolkien Estate, with select rights by Tolkien Enterprises. This piece appears purely as fanfiction and is not intended to claim ownership of Tolkien's work in any way. Please e-mail me if you have concerns. Original characters, such as (but not limited to) Bryonia and Forsythia, are my own work; please do not use my creations in your work. Please respect my original contributions.
COUNTERPANE
Chapter Five: "A Very Sick Child"
"Auntie. . ."
"I'm right here, sweetheart."
Frodo whimpered as Bryonia sat on the bed, cradling him close. He hated to have her away for even an instant; the breakfast experiment had not been successful: he had thrown up again before the porridge even arrived. It was such a relief this time to be cared for and cleaned up and tucked into fresh bedclothing instead of having to see to things himself, but all the same he wanted his auntie there, hardly moving from his side.
Suddenly there was a soft knock at the door, followed by the voice of a serving-lass: "Dr. Headstrong's here, Mrs. Brandybuck."
"Good. . .send him on in." His aunt kissed his forehead, still holding him gently. "The doctor's just going to have a look and see what we can best do to take care of you and make you all better. . .all right, darling?"
Frodo nodded, still clinging to her. . .though as she laid him down gently, tucking him into bed before rising to speak with the entering familiar figure, he complied without struggling or fussing. She was still within sight, and it felt good to rest in bed. For many minutes he could hear them talking softly near the door. . .and then a familiar face bent over his bed, smiling reassuringly.
"Hello there, young Frodo. . .not feeling so well?" Frodo shook his head, allowing Dr. Headstrong to study him, placing a large hand across his forehead, looking at ears and eyes and nose, motioning for Frodo to open his mouth. "Stick out your tongue; there's a good boy – " Frodo complied, allowing the doctor to proceed. He paid only half-attention as he was prodded and pressed; it seemed too much effort to give anything much thought or notice just at present. A bout of coughing overtook him, and the doctor listened with a grave expression, at last nodding to Bryonia as the fit passed, returning to a nearby chair to take some bottles of medicine from his bag.
"Go ahead and undress the child, so I can have a good look at that rash."
Bryonia helped him sit up, easing his night-shirt over his head and promptly tucking him back in beneath the covers. Carefully the doctor took a seat beside him on the bed, smiling kindly.
"There now, lad. . .let's just have a bit more of a look and see how you are, shall we?" Frodo nodded weakly. "Tell me now, Frodo. . .do your eyes hurt?"
"Mmm-hmm."
"What about your throat. . .and your tummy?"
"Those too. . . ." Frodo allowed the doctor to fold back the covers, inspecting his chest and arms, then his belly. By now, he had broken out in spots everywhere, save for his legs, which were just beginning to show a flush of redness. Gently the doctor coaxed him to turn onto his side, folding the covers down to examine his back. After a moment, he looked up, nodding to Bryonia as he helped Frodo lie back comfortably.
"Oh, yes, it's measles, of course, as if you didn't already know that. . .but I'm concerned about his breathing; that cough's very bad even for measles. I'm afraid you've a very sick child indeed, Mrs. Brandybuck, and no mistake."
"I'm not at all pleased with how he's been overlooked while I was away. . .what can I do? My children never were this ill, so I rely on your instructions."
Dr. Headstrong nodded, wringing out a compress and folding it over Frodo's forehead, arranging it so that it covered his eyes as well. The youngster sighed and settled into the covers; that felt a little better. Lying quietly, he listened as the conversation continued, comforted by the sense of not being alone.
"You'll need to keep cool compresses on his brow like that. . .warm or cool applications wrung out in chamomile tea over his eyes, whichever temperature he finds more comfortable. He must stay in bed until the cough is gone; most likely that won't be until some days after the fever comes down, and often it's the last thing to go, but it is imperative that you keep him resting in bed until that clears entirely, especially given his history. Keep him sponged down to control the fever. . .use water the temperature you might for an infant's bath, perhaps a tiny bit cooler. He needs that at least twice a day, but you may need to do it more often depending on his fever. . .if he feels too hot for safety to your touch – I know you've enough experience with children to tell – then bathe him again, even if you've already done it several times that day. If he starts becoming confused, get the water a bit cooler. . .not ice-cold, but cool to the touch, such as one might prefer on a summer's day; fill the bath-tub with it and put him in until he feels cooler to the touch. . .not much warmer than normal. Then pat him off with a towel and put him back to bed, unclothed, just lightly covered, enough to prevent shivering. If his fever goes back up, repeat the process as needed. Do you follow me thus far?"
"Of course."
Frodo felt Bryonia's hand slide atop his hair, stroking his curls. It felt so reassuring that he relaxed a little, putting out his hand for hers, comforted as he felt her cool fingers close around his own smaller ones. The doctor continued, his voice half-lulling the sick child.
"Good. Now, it's critical that he take plenty of liquids and good nourishing food. . .try sips as often as he'll take them, and give small amounts of food every two hours when he's awake. Broths, soups, custards. . .liquids and soft things, easy to swallow, will be best. . .favourite foods especially, though if you can get vegetables and fruit down him that'll be very good indeed. Even a spoonful or two is better than nothing, particularly with this little one, slight as he is. If he wants something in particular, give it. . .but most children have little appetite at first. For liquids, you might try teas made from chamomile or mint or ginger. . .those will make a pleasant change from juice and water, and they're likely to help his tummy a bit. Children with measles often have some stomach trouble; those teas are good for it. Feel free to stir in honey. I know you mentioned he's been vomiting, but I think a bit of ginger will settle that soon enough."
He paused, and Frodo felt the compress being removed, then replaced after the sound of water being wrung out of it.
"The medicines aren't so important as the nursing, mind you, but they are important nonetheless. I'll leave them with you, ready-made. . .a syrup of wild cherry and lemon thyme with coltsfoot, to ease his cough; you'll need to give a table-spoonful or two of that after bad coughing fits in addition to giving two table-spoonfuls at bedtime. This one is for the fever and aching. . .give him a table-spoonful of that thrice daily as well. Honey's the best thing to ease that sore throat; you can give him a bit plain if the cough's too dry, but mixed into something to drink is better, to get him to take liquids. I'll be back every day or two, as I can, to see about him; if he appears to settle into the normal course, we can ease back, but I'm afraid to trust that he will just yet. If he complains of ear pain or chest pain, it is imperative that you send for me at once."
"Of course, doctor."
Frodo whimpered a little as Bryonia rose, but she bent over to tuck him in a bit more securely, reassuring him with soft shushing in soothing tones before following Dr. Headstrong to the door, talking with him in low volume once more. At last he heard the door close softly with a click. . .followed by her voice, the swishing of her skirts, the faint scent of spices. . . .
"There now, my little one. . .Auntie's here. . . . Now that the doctor's finished, we can let you rest. . .all right? Is there anything special you'd like to eat. . .or drink, perhaps? Anything in particular you'd like Auntie to get you?"
He shook his head. . .he felt too ill to try keeping anything down. . .and it was enough just to have her there. More than enough.
~To Be Continued~
Curu Ithilin writes, "Hm, despite the fact that Frodo's aunt seems to think he had measles, judging by your previous stories, I deem it will be more serious than that. I like the anonymous person's idea of guessing the illness, so I'll take a shot. It's probably something we have a vaccination for now, though I'm not familiar with some of the symptoms you've listed here. I'll just guess some random childhood ailments--diptheria, mumps, maybe? I dunno, I need to read more books on this stuff. Write more soon so we can figure out what Frodo has!" Dear CI, sometimes one can be hotter than it seems. . .and sometimes it's also the obvious. ;) As you'll see confirmed in this chapter, it's definitely measles. . .though you also know me better than to assume Frodo will inevitably have a mundane, uncomplicated, easygoing course. . . . ;) (As an aside, for my readers who worry about Frodo-killing in my stories. . .never fear; I can't foresee myself doing ANY Frodo-dies AU stuff. That's a bit much even for me; I've read some I enjoyed, but they depress me so terribly I can't picture myself writing them. So rest assured that Frodo is likely to survive whatever I do to him in my fiction. . . .)
Yes, there is also a nice visit from Uncle Bilbo ahead for the little one. He's already en route, as you'll soon hear in future chapters. :) We'll see about Forsythia. . .but what goes around comes around, and I suspect she won't pass the rest of the tale without a revisit. ;)
Tentative update schedule: Chapter 12 of "Caradhras" is planned for completion and posting by Thursday night, May 23 (I might try for Wednesday night, but no guarantees), and I do plan to add a standalone non-chaptered Aragorn and Frodo in Rivendell as well as starting a couple new fics. Most likely I'll try and finish "Caradhras" before starting another of my quest- based ones; presently I have another Caradhras setting one planned but may take a break from the snow and do the one I've been drafting that's set in Lothlorien.
Bad news: I am STILL attempting to get FrodoHealers setup moved for the younger group. Still no word from Yahoo help. *Good* news: FrodoHealers site is ready to roll, thanks to our wonderful webmistress! I'll include the URL once we have some stories up and running - FrodoHealers authors, don't forget to read Hope's instructions and get those in! :) For those checking, don't panic. . .I'll post the URL for actual stories once we have that rolling. :)
And, as always, thank you ALL so VERY much for reading and reviewing! It was a tremendous delight to see the latest batches of reviews. . .I LOVE your comments and am exceedingly grateful to all of you for bringing the joy that you do to my life! :) It is a privilege to write for you all. :)
For permission to reproduce, please contact frodobaggins@frodo.com
DISCLAIMER: The characters, places, and story of The Lord of the Rings are the property of J.R.R. Tolkien and consequently of the Tolkien Estate, with select rights by Tolkien Enterprises. This piece appears purely as fanfiction and is not intended to claim ownership of Tolkien's work in any way. Please e-mail me if you have concerns. Original characters, such as (but not limited to) Bryonia and Forsythia, are my own work; please do not use my creations in your work. Please respect my original contributions.
COUNTERPANE
Chapter Five: "A Very Sick Child"
"Auntie. . ."
"I'm right here, sweetheart."
Frodo whimpered as Bryonia sat on the bed, cradling him close. He hated to have her away for even an instant; the breakfast experiment had not been successful: he had thrown up again before the porridge even arrived. It was such a relief this time to be cared for and cleaned up and tucked into fresh bedclothing instead of having to see to things himself, but all the same he wanted his auntie there, hardly moving from his side.
Suddenly there was a soft knock at the door, followed by the voice of a serving-lass: "Dr. Headstrong's here, Mrs. Brandybuck."
"Good. . .send him on in." His aunt kissed his forehead, still holding him gently. "The doctor's just going to have a look and see what we can best do to take care of you and make you all better. . .all right, darling?"
Frodo nodded, still clinging to her. . .though as she laid him down gently, tucking him into bed before rising to speak with the entering familiar figure, he complied without struggling or fussing. She was still within sight, and it felt good to rest in bed. For many minutes he could hear them talking softly near the door. . .and then a familiar face bent over his bed, smiling reassuringly.
"Hello there, young Frodo. . .not feeling so well?" Frodo shook his head, allowing Dr. Headstrong to study him, placing a large hand across his forehead, looking at ears and eyes and nose, motioning for Frodo to open his mouth. "Stick out your tongue; there's a good boy – " Frodo complied, allowing the doctor to proceed. He paid only half-attention as he was prodded and pressed; it seemed too much effort to give anything much thought or notice just at present. A bout of coughing overtook him, and the doctor listened with a grave expression, at last nodding to Bryonia as the fit passed, returning to a nearby chair to take some bottles of medicine from his bag.
"Go ahead and undress the child, so I can have a good look at that rash."
Bryonia helped him sit up, easing his night-shirt over his head and promptly tucking him back in beneath the covers. Carefully the doctor took a seat beside him on the bed, smiling kindly.
"There now, lad. . .let's just have a bit more of a look and see how you are, shall we?" Frodo nodded weakly. "Tell me now, Frodo. . .do your eyes hurt?"
"Mmm-hmm."
"What about your throat. . .and your tummy?"
"Those too. . . ." Frodo allowed the doctor to fold back the covers, inspecting his chest and arms, then his belly. By now, he had broken out in spots everywhere, save for his legs, which were just beginning to show a flush of redness. Gently the doctor coaxed him to turn onto his side, folding the covers down to examine his back. After a moment, he looked up, nodding to Bryonia as he helped Frodo lie back comfortably.
"Oh, yes, it's measles, of course, as if you didn't already know that. . .but I'm concerned about his breathing; that cough's very bad even for measles. I'm afraid you've a very sick child indeed, Mrs. Brandybuck, and no mistake."
"I'm not at all pleased with how he's been overlooked while I was away. . .what can I do? My children never were this ill, so I rely on your instructions."
Dr. Headstrong nodded, wringing out a compress and folding it over Frodo's forehead, arranging it so that it covered his eyes as well. The youngster sighed and settled into the covers; that felt a little better. Lying quietly, he listened as the conversation continued, comforted by the sense of not being alone.
"You'll need to keep cool compresses on his brow like that. . .warm or cool applications wrung out in chamomile tea over his eyes, whichever temperature he finds more comfortable. He must stay in bed until the cough is gone; most likely that won't be until some days after the fever comes down, and often it's the last thing to go, but it is imperative that you keep him resting in bed until that clears entirely, especially given his history. Keep him sponged down to control the fever. . .use water the temperature you might for an infant's bath, perhaps a tiny bit cooler. He needs that at least twice a day, but you may need to do it more often depending on his fever. . .if he feels too hot for safety to your touch – I know you've enough experience with children to tell – then bathe him again, even if you've already done it several times that day. If he starts becoming confused, get the water a bit cooler. . .not ice-cold, but cool to the touch, such as one might prefer on a summer's day; fill the bath-tub with it and put him in until he feels cooler to the touch. . .not much warmer than normal. Then pat him off with a towel and put him back to bed, unclothed, just lightly covered, enough to prevent shivering. If his fever goes back up, repeat the process as needed. Do you follow me thus far?"
"Of course."
Frodo felt Bryonia's hand slide atop his hair, stroking his curls. It felt so reassuring that he relaxed a little, putting out his hand for hers, comforted as he felt her cool fingers close around his own smaller ones. The doctor continued, his voice half-lulling the sick child.
"Good. Now, it's critical that he take plenty of liquids and good nourishing food. . .try sips as often as he'll take them, and give small amounts of food every two hours when he's awake. Broths, soups, custards. . .liquids and soft things, easy to swallow, will be best. . .favourite foods especially, though if you can get vegetables and fruit down him that'll be very good indeed. Even a spoonful or two is better than nothing, particularly with this little one, slight as he is. If he wants something in particular, give it. . .but most children have little appetite at first. For liquids, you might try teas made from chamomile or mint or ginger. . .those will make a pleasant change from juice and water, and they're likely to help his tummy a bit. Children with measles often have some stomach trouble; those teas are good for it. Feel free to stir in honey. I know you mentioned he's been vomiting, but I think a bit of ginger will settle that soon enough."
He paused, and Frodo felt the compress being removed, then replaced after the sound of water being wrung out of it.
"The medicines aren't so important as the nursing, mind you, but they are important nonetheless. I'll leave them with you, ready-made. . .a syrup of wild cherry and lemon thyme with coltsfoot, to ease his cough; you'll need to give a table-spoonful or two of that after bad coughing fits in addition to giving two table-spoonfuls at bedtime. This one is for the fever and aching. . .give him a table-spoonful of that thrice daily as well. Honey's the best thing to ease that sore throat; you can give him a bit plain if the cough's too dry, but mixed into something to drink is better, to get him to take liquids. I'll be back every day or two, as I can, to see about him; if he appears to settle into the normal course, we can ease back, but I'm afraid to trust that he will just yet. If he complains of ear pain or chest pain, it is imperative that you send for me at once."
"Of course, doctor."
Frodo whimpered a little as Bryonia rose, but she bent over to tuck him in a bit more securely, reassuring him with soft shushing in soothing tones before following Dr. Headstrong to the door, talking with him in low volume once more. At last he heard the door close softly with a click. . .followed by her voice, the swishing of her skirts, the faint scent of spices. . . .
"There now, my little one. . .Auntie's here. . . . Now that the doctor's finished, we can let you rest. . .all right? Is there anything special you'd like to eat. . .or drink, perhaps? Anything in particular you'd like Auntie to get you?"
He shook his head. . .he felt too ill to try keeping anything down. . .and it was enough just to have her there. More than enough.
~To Be Continued~