Pippin stood next to looking, looking like a child, wanting to go in. Pippins face was just as pale as Merry's but only from fear and his green eyes were wide and frightened
Pansy stood beside Pippin. She was quite worried and it showed. As she stood there, she thought of a long ago summer.
The summer breeze blew, and Pansy stood on a long thin branch, reaching for a bright red apple. Merry stood below with Pippin, holding a blanket to catch the fruits without bruising them. The lass and Peregrin were both pre-teens, and Merry was just barely beyond.
Just as she was about to grasp the apple, the branch creaked. After a short pause, nothing happened. Pansy again reached out, taking the apple. Suddenly the branch snapped, and the lass tumbled down.
Merry and Pippin acted quickly, stretching the blanket to break her fall. Sure enough, Pansy landed feet first into the blanket, tripping forward. She landed with a soft thud onto Merry, toppling him over. The apple was still in her hand, completely unharmed.
" Thank ye! I could have been really hurt, but you saved me," she exclaimed, sitting up. Tears were in her eyes, the shameless tears of a child. She hugged Merry tightly, and kissed his cheek gently. Brushing herself off, she got up and walked over to Pip.
"Thank you, Peregrin. You saved me too!" she kissed him gently on the forehead, as she was slightly taller at the time. The hobbits sat and ate their fill of delicious ripe apples, watching the butterflies flit through the skies...
The dwarf and elf led them into the home
Pippin padded quickly into the living room, finding Aragorn sitting next to a very pale, sweaty-looking hobbit. "Merry!" he cried, rushing to his ailing cousin's side. "Aragorn, what's wrong with him?"
The man looked at the desperate hobbit that had tears welling up in his normally jovial eyes, and took his hand. "He has the winter flu, Pippin. I am working to heal him."
The tears Pippin had been holding back finally overflowed. "You've got to let me help him, Aragorn! He needs me, he needs my help!" He clenched his little fists as he spoke, a mixture of sorrow and anger washing over him.
As the man and hobbit conversed, Pansy looked from Aragorn to Pippin. She had long admired the hobbit's devotion and loyalty to his friends. She had heard the stories of how Merry had defeated the Witch King, and how Pippin saved a great city of Men almost single handedly (after five years of circulation, stories were bound to take on immense proportions). However, the stories never came close to describing Pippin's real loyalty. Pansy's own eyes welled up with tears; she could almost feel how heartbreaking this must have been for him.
Aragorn stood and took Pippin by the shoulders. He looked straight into his leek green eyes. "Peregrin Took, I need you to be rational, give me some time, and get some more hot water. That is how you can help your cousin."
"All right," Pippin whispered with his head hung low. Hot tears stung his eyes, and a few landed on the floor with the smallest of noises. In the silence, it seemed as though those sounds were like drum beats. Pippin went to the kitchen and set some water boiling. Pansy fetched another cloth for the feverish Merry's forehead, and soaked it in some cold water. Neither hobbit knew what might happen to their friend, nor did both wish that they would never find out.