Part Five

Warning: Certain elements of this chapter may not be good for younger readers (although I doubt it will be worse than anything that happened so far). I don't want to give anything away, but I feel that a warning is necessary. I spent a short while researching for this chapter, and I must admit that the medical situations in it are not pretty ones. All in all I would say that it is a very terrible thing and I spent ages going over this chapter to get it right, anyone who has the same medical problem is a very brave person and I applaud them for living with such a thing. None of the writing in this chapter is insensetive, as I have said I went over this a lot.

Waking was hard, he didn't want to wake up he wanted to stay asleep, sleeping was better; waking was painful. "Ada?" He asked as feeling came back he prayed that his father had found him, prayed that he was no longer stuck in the darkness trapped and alone. His right arm and leg were still stiff and he couldn't move them properly, but he could move them more than before; and the ground beneath him; it wasn't as hard as it had been before. He reached his left hand out slightly and grasped a fistful of the material beneath him, it was soft. He in a bed, which had to mean he was home. He tried to pull himself back into the waking world, but it hurt so much and he found he was loosing the willpower. "Ada?"

Elrond was at his son's side in seconds, he hadn't slept since Elrohir had woken him watching over his family, along with Glorfindel who had come to check on them a little after sunrise.

"Elladan?" the Elf Lord asked reaching for the young elf's uninjured hand under the covers and brushing some of the raven hair out of his son's face. "How are you feeling ion-nin?"

Elladan prised his eyes open, "Ada?"

"Yes, Elladan how are you feeling?" Elrond asked worridley fighting the urge to enbrace his son. Elladan tried to sit up despite how tired he was, but Elrond stopped him from doing so. "You've broken an arm and leg and have a nasty head wound. Now this is important Elladan, I need to know how you are feeling."

Elladan looked worridley at Glorfindel and his father glancing from one to the other, their expressions did not help his tired and confused mind. He tried to fight the headache that was swiftly taking over wondering what could concern his father so much. "Ada what happened? What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing," Elrond said softly trying to calm his son. "Just answer a few simple questions for me please."

Elladan nodded, but stopped when the movement made the room spin. "Alright."

Elrond stood up leaning over Elladan to check his pupil responces. "Do you feel lightheaded?" He asked his son grimacing, Elladan's pupils were dialated at different sizes, not a good sign.

"A little," Elladan said. "I only just woke up, I'm not sure really." He yawned.

Elrond looked at him raising an inqusitive eyebrow. "Are you tired?"

Elladan nodded then stopped rasing his uninjured hand to his bandaged forehead. "And my head hurts." He paused. "Can I sit up?"

Elrond looked at him concerned for a moment contemplating what to do then nodded. "Alright Glorfindel can you help me please?" Glorfindel moved around to the other side of the bed and helped Elrond to ease Elladan up. The young elf whimpered in pain, but bit his lip, he had become good at that, hiding the fact that he was hurting. Elrond saw it though and hated that his son was in so much pain and that hiding it seemed to be an almost natural reflex. Elladan lurched forwards suddenly clutching at his stomach with his free hand to try and calm it, his face contorted as bile rose up his throat. "Ada I think I'm going to be sick." He said quietly, the warning far too brief before he vommited. Elrond grabbed a bowl and held it out for his son as Glorfindel held back the young elf's hair.

"Finished?" Elrond asked quietly worried. Nausea was another sign that Elladan did indeed have pressure on the brain - Glorfindel had filled him in on what Nesteron had deduced whilst the Elven Lord had been sleeping. Despite how much Elrond had wished it wasn't the truth he knew that it was a conclusion they had to take into account.

Elladan nodded, as Glorfindel took the bowl from Elrond and washed it in the sink. Elrond helped his son to sit comfortably making sure that the boy's stomach and head were causing him the least amount of pain possible. He handed the boy a drink of water and had to take it away shortly after to stop him from making himself sick again.

Elladan looked around then, his confused mind taking in his surroundings for the first time, and noticed his mother and brother still sleeping across the room. "Nana! Elrohir!"

The sound was enough to wake both of the slumbering elves and Elrond had to stop Elladan as he tried to climb out of the bed.

Celebrian blinked slightly then turned to face Elrond and the beaming Elladan.

"Elladan!" Elrohir exclaimed also trying to get out of his bed.

Celebrian grabbed him and made him lay back down, no matter how much Elrohir protested that he was alright. Elrond went over to check Elrohir's wounds were healing whilst Celebrian rushed over to her eldest son, embracing him gently, careful of the scars that she knew were hidden under the light shirt and bandages he wore. She kissed his raven head and then held him back looking at him tears already coming to her bright blue eyes. "Oh my boy, my precious little boy, you're alright."

Elladan felt tears sting his eyes as well and nodded silently. "Nana," was all he could manage before bursting into tears and Celebrian hugged him even tighter still aware of his wounds as Elladan clung to her as though he would never let go.

"It's alright, it's alright, your father and I will protect you," Celebrain whispered her heart twisting painfully in her chest as she held her son. This wasn't right, the same rage from when she had seen Elrohir bubbled through her. How dare these creatures do this? How dare they!

"Nana," Elladan whispered. "I don't feel good, I think... I think I need to lie back down..."

Celebrian lay her son back down as Elladan tried to stop his head from spinning and concentrated hard on staying awake.

Elrohir watched his father as he came over suddenly remembering what the elder elf had done to him the night before. "You drugged me!" he accused his father folding his arms across his chest. "Adar drugged me!"

Glorfindel laughed at the look on Elrohir's face. "Yes your father has a way of slipping sleeping herbs into his patients drinks."

"But I had just woken up," Elrohir said looking at his father crossly. "I didn't want to sleep, I was having a bad dream..." his words trailed off and he looked at his father sadly.

Elrond gave the boy a reassuring smile and stroked some raven hair from his face. "I am sorry ion-nin but I needed to drug you in order to stitch up those wounds if I had tried to do it whilst you were asleep you would have woken."

"I understand," Elrohir said. "But you could have told me."

"Your father is sneaky when he wants to be," Glorfindel said. "Believe me though, you do not want to be awake through stitches. It hurts like hell."

"Worse than a Balrog's whip?" Elrohir asked raising an eyebrow and mimicking his father.

"No, but you have to have a high pain threshold," the golden haired elf said.

Elrohir looked down slowly he had spoken so lightly before about pain, about a whip. He didn't know why, but all of a sudden his mouth went dry and his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. He nodded his head numbly and the elder elves could see that something was wrong.

"Your bandages need changing," Elrond said quietly. "I'll just go and get some fresh ones."

Elrond looked up from Elrohir worridely. Elladan was not in a good state, he had prayed that his son would show every sign of healing, but apparently it was not so.

"Celebrian," the Elven Lord said to his wife who was stroking the boy's jet black hair as Elladan seemed to be falling back into his dreams, his eyes barely open. "I need to go and fetch some bandages, both Elrohir and Elladan's need changing, will you all be alright here?"

"We will be fine," Celebrian said managing a smile as Elrond left. Elrond glanced at Glorfindel who nodded in agreement and left the room quickly.

"Nana," Elladan whispered. "My head, it hurts."

"It's alright," Celebrian whispered. "You'll get better." She looked at her son worridley Elladan's eyes had just shifted and gone blank as he began to stare straight in front of him. "Elladan?"

Elladan did not respond, but continued to stare his mouth making a slow chewing movement as his hand rose to pick absently at the collar of his shirt.

"Elladan?" Celebrian asked waving her hand in front of her son's face to get his attention only to be greeted by a pained cry. "Elladan what's the matter?" Celebrian asked frightened as Elladan's eyes rolled back into his head. The young elf went rigid suddenly and his breathing ceased, his lips and face beginning to turn blue. "Glorfindel help!" Celebrian cried terrified. "He's not breathing!"

"What?" Both Glorfindel and Elrohir exclaimed the latter climbing out of his bed and rushing over, having to use the wall for support when he finally reached Elladan's bed.

"Elrond!" Glorfindel yelled looking at the rigid way the boy was lying. "Elrond!"

The Elven Lord raced into the room having already heard his wife's cries, his heart pounding and dropped everything he was carrying when he saw Elladan begin to convulse madly on the bed. Glorfindel was holding the young elf down which was only making Elladan's condition worse.

"Glorfindel don't restrain him, help me get him on the floor, now!" Elrond shouted trying to lift Elladan off the bed as Glorfindel helped him. Celebrian and Elrohir watched in horror the younger elf clinging to his mother his wide eyes not once leaving his fitting brother.

Once they had him on the floor Elrond rolled Elladan onto his side, something which was quite hard to do as hs son was jerking wildly and crying uncontrollably - not to mention the fact that he had two broken limbs (luckily they were both on the same side of his body). The Elven Lord loosened the collar of his son's shirt, tears in his eyes at the state Elladan was in. He was having a seizure, it was definate that he had pressure on the brain then, it had to be, there was still a large chance that his son was going to die. He wanted to break down, but he knew he couldn't, he had to help Elladan. The wild jerking had probably caused the youth to rip the stitches on his back and Elrond could already see the blood soaking through the young elf's tunic as the wounds were reopened. It was not helping his broken limbs either and Elrond just prayed that his son didn't damage himself.

It was terrible, terrible to watch your child go through something like that something no one had any control over something that you just had to wait out. Elrond knew the tears pouring down his son's cheeks were not from pain, they were just a side affect of the seizure, but it still tore at his heart to see the boy writing on the floor like that. He glanced at Celebrian who now had her eyes closed as did Elrohir, or Elrond guessed he did, the younger elf had his head burried in his mother's shoulder, his back heaving.

He watched sadly as the seizure went into the tonic stage again and Elladan went rigid saliva and blood dripping from his open mouth. The youth had most likely bitten his tongue and the inside of his cheeks during the clonic part of the seizure causing them to bleed.

Elrond's heart seized painfully in his chest as he realized that his son had stopped breathing again. His lips were returning to the blue colour they had before and his eyes were now closed. Elrond grabbed the younger elf by the shoulders rolling him back over onto his bloodied back his heart pounding wildly. He pulled back his son's head, until the neck was arched, making sure that the airway was clear then moved down to the boy's chest placing his hands one on top of the other.

"Glorfindel can you breathe for him?" Elrond asked quickly already counting and pressing down on his son's still chest, his mind reeling. This could not be happening. Elladan could not die. So many lives now rested on the young elf surviving and every occupant in the room new it. Elrond stopped, waiting as Glorfindel pinched Elladan's nose so that none of the life saving breath could escape blew and breath into the lax mouth before reaching down for the pulse point at the boy's throat. The golden haired elf shook his head and they were off again.

"One two three," Elrond said counting each time he pressed down on his son's chest and then waiting for Glorfindel to breathe air into the static lungs and check his pulse. Again there was nothing and the pair of them went back to what they were doing.

Elrohir's grip upon his mother tightened considerably - in fact he was clinging to her so tightly that the Elven Lady would have been pained by it if it were not for the fact that her slightly elder son's life was standing on the edge of a knife. Elrohir could feel his brother leaving him, he could feel the light that was his twin slipping away and he had no real idea that he was hurting his mother, or that he was sobbing as though his soul had been torn from him. It took him a moment to realize that it was he himself screaming for his brother to return to them and that the only thing stopping him from diving towards Elladan was his mother restraining him.

Celebrian held her son tightly by the wrists with one hand using her other one to turn the youth's face to her and hold it there. She was lucky that Elrohir was too frantic to see that he could overpower her whilst only one of her hands was holding two of his.

"Look at me Elrohir," she said to the hysterical child as Elrohir tried to pull his head back around to look at his brother. Celebrian did not want her son to see his brother die, she knew he could feel it, and knew that was the worst thing in the world for him, but she felt that somehow this had to help him. He could not see Elladan die even though he had in fact alreay died depending on how one looked at things, after all did someone die when they had taken their last breath, or when everyone else knew the person was beyond resesitation? She did not want to think about it, if such a thing was true then Elladan had already died and it was only by sheer luck that the clonic part of the seizure allowed him to breathe again.

"Elladan!" Elrohir cried his voice muffled by sobs. This was worse than anything he had experienced so far, worse than being tortured by orcs, worse than leaving his brother in that land slide, worse than seeing the pain and sadness in the eyes of his parents. His brother was leaving him, he was dying, Elladan was dying and he couldn't even see what was happening! He wanted to help, he wanted his brother back, he needed his brother back. He needed Elladan!

Elrohir finally pulled his head free, but Celebrian grabbed him, pulling him into a tight, yet gentle, embrace. "Do not look my child," she whispered forcing Elrohir to rest his head on her shoulder nearest to the wall. "Do not watch, you do not want to see such a thing."

Elrohir just cried into his mother's shoulder too exhausted by the pain in his heart to try and pull away anymore, he felt like he was dying too, he felt like his life was leaving him.

"Come on Elladan," Glorfindel said through gritted teeth as he waited for Elrond to count again. "Don't give up now you're stronger than this."

After another five attempts and no success Glorfindel looked at his friend worridely as Elrond began to press down on the boy's chest again. "Elrond mellon-nin, he has gone."

"No," Elrond hissed.

"There is no use-"

"One last time Glorfindel, just one last time," Elrond said reaching three and looking at his friend pleadingly his eyes shining with tears. Glorfindel nodded and bowed his head again hoping that he could give Elladan the breath of life he so truly deserved. Glorfindel's fingers reached for the pulse point heart racing. He looked up at Elrond and gave a small jerky not to say that there was a pulse disbelief clear in his eyes as Elladan took a shaky breath. Glorfindel kept his fingers on the fluttery pulse praying for it to continue.

Elrond leant back against the bed feeling shaky as the adrenaline left him, but keeping himself from passing out - if this happened again he had to be there, every time Elladan suffered anoxia there was the risk he would become brain damaged. The thought that the boy's charm and intellect may be lost forever made Elrond's blood run cold. He looked across at his wife and younger son who were still clutching each other tightly unable to move, although Celebrian had turned teary eyes on Elladan whilst Elrohir still sobbed brokenly.

"We should get hm back on to the bed," Elrond said tearing his eyes away from his distraught child and wife trying to shake the terrible sound of Elrohir's sobs from his mind. He knew what Elrohir was feeling, he knew it all too clearly, he remembered the same feeling when Elros had died and when they had parted ways he remembered how deep it had stung, how it had threatened to claim him as well. He moved numbly to support his son's upper body as Glorfindel lifted his lower body. They rested the boy gently back down on the bed and made sure he was comfortable and that his arm and leg were supported properly. Elrond kissed his son on the forehead brushing some of the raven hair from his face sweat covered before collapsing in a chair too exhausted to even notice Celebrian and Elrohir.

"Ada?" the shaking - barely audiable voice made him look up at Elrohir who was peering at his twin from his mother's arms trying to control the hiccuping gasps for air that usually accompanied hysterical tears. "What... what...?"

"He had a seizure Elrohir, the head injury is very bad, he needs surgery," Elrond was honest with his son, too tired to move or think straight. Elrohir was not stupid anyway, he had seen what had just happened, he had to know that something was terribly amiss.

"Will he die?" Elrohir asked tears running in rivulets down his cheeks.

Elrond met Celebrian's shining eyes at that question and swallowed hard blinking back tears of his own. "I don't know Elrohir," the elven lord said moving to hold his head in his hands. "I don't know what's going to happen."

Glorfindel sat down on Elrohir's bed everything suddenly sinking in as the younger twin began to cry again. Celebrian just looked at the elder of the two boys lying still on the bed, too distraught to speak or even move and Elrond sat in the chair with his head in his hands wondering how on earth they were going to get through this. It seemed like an impossible thing to get around, it seemed as though the world would never stop spinning. He had had to resesitate his own son! His son who was still young enough to be classed as an elfling! This wasn't right , it wasn't right at all.

Note: The type of seizure I described in this chapter is a tonic-clonic seizure which, in this instance, goes in the pattern tonic-clonic-tonic. I had to use the first symptoms of a complex partial seizure seeing as that was the only type of seizure I could find out the first symptoms of. If anyone is interested in epilepsy and/or seizures google should provide all the answers. Kudos to all those who live with such a terrible thing (and I don't mean the candy bar I mean the greek word).

Once again I apologise for sp/grammar mistakes, my laptop doesn't have a spellchecker and my sister hogs the other pc so as much as I'd like to wait, I decided that seeing as I've read through this a good ten times hopefully I will have picked up the mistakes.

Please review!

-ElvenHope-