Merry slowly blinked as he slowly woke and then moved his head so he could look around, but the hobbit could scarcely see. Where was he? Merry was not exactly sure for a moment, but soon realized he was in something soft. How long had he been there? Merry did not know, but Merry did know he did not feel any better from the time before. He felt worse in fact. His whole body felt as if it might explode or burn up. What had woken him? Voices calling me, Merry concluded, but whom do they belong to? The voices had been in a dream, but the ill hobbit was not aware of this.
Carefully he pushed himself up and glanced towards the door. "I'm in..." Merry called but he could not finish. The worst coughing fit he had ever had taken him over. The hobbit wrapped protective arms around his waist as the coughs shook his whole body. He felt like they would shake him apart! Why wouldn't they stop? They always had. He doubled over as he continued to cough. Oh, how painful it was. It had been a cold. How could I be this bad? This sick, he thought fearfully.
As Merry coughed, each shake the coughs brought on drove their way straight into Pansy's heart. It made her feel terribly ill. Swallowing, she attempted to hold him steady, but the barrage of coughs was too strong.
Aragorn looked at the hobbit worriedly. He then turned and looked at Legolas and Gimli. "Light a fire" he commanded. With a nod, they hurried to do so. The king sat near Merry and rubbed his back, gently trying to ease his friend's pain.
The fit of coughs went on for some time, even with the help of Pansy and Aragorn. He thought he would be driven insane from the pain, but they finally did stop. Merry closed his eyes and fell against Aragorns chest, too exhausted to sit up. His nightshirt and hair were damp from his fevered sweat. His chest rose erratically and a wet, thick sound came from with-in his chest.
Elessar looked at the woman hobbit. "Please, go get more Kingsfoil," he requested. With a nod, Pansy rushed off to gather more kingsfoil. She also felt that she needed to go find Peregrin Took. Pippin had to be there for Merry, it would help greatly, more so then the simple weed. The hobbit lass left and hurried off to try to find some kingsfoil. While out, Pansy passed Pippin's home. She went to his door and knocked.
Pippin had been warming his feet by the fire – which was about all Pippin could do at the time because of the storm, when a knock came to the door. With a sigh, Pippin went to the door.
Opening the door, the lad found the lass that often had served him his drinks at the Green Dragon. It was closed for quarantine, he at least knew that much. Looking at her face, Pippin noticed that Pansy's face was wrought with desperation.
Before Pippin could say hello, Pansy blurted, "Merry, he-he is sick with the winter flu." She shivered in the snow, not from the cold, but for fear. "Please, please, Pippin, help me. Aragorn has asked me to find Kingsfoil"
Pippin's face went almost as pale as Pansy's upon hearing that his best friend was terribly ill. Taking her hand in his, he whispered, "Come, there is no time to lose. Let's go fetch the athelas and go to Buckland" The two hobbits ran off into the darkness of night and through the snow.