Part Six

"We have to do something Elrond."

Elrond was pacing the room like a tiger caught in a cage his brows furrowed in an angry scowl - although the anger was only directed at his own confused state of mind - and his eyes looked as though they would burn through the wooden floor. He stopped pacing suddenly and stood leaning over his desk hands rested on the mahogany wood, palms flat glaring out the window behind his chair - his back to the other two elves in the room.

"What do you suggest Nesteron?" Elrond asked flicking his blazing eyes across the landscape before him. If he really could burn anything with his gaze the whole of Imladris would be a charred black and burnt wasteland by now.

Nesteron looked up leveling Elrond's gaze with his own dark one as the Elven Lord turned to look at him. "We need to operate."

"If we operate on Elladan then he is going to die," Elrond whispered. "I will not allow that, I cannot, the fate of my whole family depends on him."

"Would you rather that he is brain damaged for the rest of his life," Glorfindel hissed from where he stood leant against a window ledge, thin arms across his chest. He was wondering if Elrond needed his head examining. "Would you rather that he's kept in bed and we end up fighting for his life every couple of days whilst his brother watches? Elladan will be brain damaged and Elrohir will be warped by the experience. You will keep them both silent in their rooms so that no one can see what they have become and soon they will be so confused by it all that even you will not wish to lay eyes on them because they humiliate you so. Is that really what you want Elrond? Because that is what is going to happen if you keep on going on like this!"

Elrond spun around, lightning fast and if looks could kill Glorfindel would have been fatally wounded. "Don't you ever dare to think that I would do that to them Glorfindel!" Elrond actually growled at the other elf advancing on him. "Don't you dare," he spat reaching the Elven Lord where he was standing. "If you ever even suggest that I would do such a thing I will rip you into shreds."

"That is what you are doing though Elrond don't you see?" Glorfindel asked drawing himself up to his full height. "You cannot refuse Elladan that operation if you do he won't get better. He will have continuous fits, the seizures will get worse and he will die."

"The operation has never been preformed successfully before - and even if he survives it then there will still be a risk of brain damage," Elrond looked away his anger subsiding. "I hate to think that I could loose him in either way, but at least having him here is better than not having him at all."

"Elrond you will only be killing him slowly," Glorfindel whispered. "In the end it will do no good."

"He is right Elrond," Nesteron agreed.

"But there are drugs he can take to prevent the seizures," Elrond argued.

"And you know the side affects of them," Nesteron pointed out.

"But he wouldn't die," Elrond looked earnestly at the pair of them.

"No he'd just be miserable for the rest of his life," Glorfindel said. "You cannot do it to him he mares well be brain damaged if you put him on drugs."

"But he'd live," Elrond whispered resigned. "I will ask Celebrian," he decided. "She will know what is best."

Celebrian smiled at her sons. Elrohir had fallen asleep in the chair next to Elladan's bed, clutching his uninjured arm. He had refused to move after what had happened and Celebrian admired his determination. She closed her eyes briefly in order to hold back tears. Elrohir had cried himself to sleep. Her children were hurting and there was nothing she could do about it. She wished that they were smaller again, back then she would have been able to take the pain away with a few hugs and kisses - and back then the only pain either of them would have felt would have been a grazed knee or a nasty bruise.

The door opened suddenly and Celebrian looked up to see Elrond.

"How are they?" Elrond asked moving to stand next to Celebrian.

"Elrohir fell asleep a little while ago," she sighed. "I don't know about Elladan."

Elrond bit his lip. "Celebrian..."

She turned her ice blue eyes on him. "What?"

Elrond bent down next to her. "Elladan needs an operation if he is ever going to get better."

"Well then do it," Celebrian said quickly. "What are you waiting for?"

"It's not that simple," Elrond answered. "There's a large chance he will die."

"Valar," she whispered. Celebrian silently raised a hand to her lips tears coming to her eyes as she looked at Elladan.

"But if we do not operate on him we have to deal with these seizures," Elrond warned. "He will probably become brain damaged if this continues, the chances are he will go into arrest again and we will not be able to resuscitate him before the damage is done."

"What are we going to do?" Celebrian asked looking up at her husband. "What do you think we should do Elrond?"

Elrond pulled up a chair and sat down - he knew this was going to take a long while. "I know not," the Elven Lord answered. "I was hoping you would know."

"How am I to know?" Celebrian asked quizzically. "You are the one who studies healing Elrond."

"Honestly," Elrond said looking across at the sleeping children. "I do not want to do the operation. I do not want to loose our son that way. I do not want to loose Elrohir and you to grief, but I know that if Elladan died then that is what will happen. At least this way he stays alive."

Celebrian swallowed hard. "I would not leave you meleth, do you not know that?"

Elrond shook his head. "You say that now, but when faced with the deaths of your sons I fear that the answer would be different." He sighed. "Celebrian I cannot make this decision on my own."

"I know," she whispered. "But, I can't either. It's so hard. How are we to choose? If he dies then Elrohir will die. But if he lives then he will most likely die anyway - or at least become brain damaged." She looked at her husband. "Is there a way to prevent the seizures?"

"Only by drugging him, which may not work and will most certainly not be good for him," Elrond looked away. "I do not know what to do."

"There is really only one choice," Celebrian said after a short uncomfortable silence. "You have to operate on him. We have to try and save him even if the chances are slim."

"That is what you want?" Elrond asked quietly. He had to know - whatever Celebrian's decision was he would agree with. He was not sure why, he was not sure whether it was so that he could blame someone else afterwards if the operation went wrong, despite how petty an act that would be. Or maybe if he just needed to trust fate for once as he knew Celebrian did.

Celebrian hesitated. "Only if you do."

"Celebrian I..." Elrond felt like yelling at her and tearing the whole place down and he wasn't entirely sure why. They were just going round and round in circles and it was not helping anyone. He paused taking a deep breath - if they did not decide soon there would only be one answer. "Alright, we will operate on him - I just wish that we could wait until he wakes up, I would hate to loose him without..."

"Loose who?"

Both Elrond and Celebrian's heads snapped round to see that Elladan's eyes were open and that the boy was looking at them blearily.

"No one," Elrond answered quickly. "It's alright ion-nin." The elder elf smiled at his son then looked at Celebrian. "I must go and consult Nesteron - I will be back soon," with that Elrond swept out of the room, not once looking at his son.

"Nana?" Elladan was confused. Why had his father left in such a rush? Did he not want to see him? Elladan couldn't remember anything that had happened - his head hurt too much. "Did I... did I pass out?" The younger elf asked turning to look at his brother and then back to his mother. "Nana?"

Celebrian shook herself inwardly dispersing all morbid thoughts from her mind. "Yes Elladan," she nodded slowly. "Yes you did."

Elladan tried to sit up, but Celebrian pushed the boy back down into the mattress glad that at least Elladan had not had to be awake whilst having the seizure. He did not remember it - that was good, it would just be hard to tell him. If they were going to tell him. She wondered what Elrond would do. Elladan had every right to know, but if it would just distress him further then maybe he shouldn't know - and then there was Elrohir...

"Did I frighten you?" Elladan asked trying to read the expression on his mother's face. He did not see simply one emotion there, he saw a maelstrom of feelings and none of them were good. Fear, worry, sadness - not even a glimmer of happiness that he was awake; something told him she was hiding something.

"Pardon?" Celebrian asked, her mind drifted back to the sight of her son fitting on the floor and then of the lifeless body that had had to be resuscitated. She shook her head quickly before Elladan could ask again. "Well yes, but not too much - it is alright Elladan."

"What is alright?" Elladan asked. "Nana you are not making sense. There is something the matter. I can tell."

"Nothing is wrong penneth," Celebrian tried to reassure her son, her mind racing.

"Elrohir has been crying," Elladan noticed the idea that his twin had been upset stinging him to the core. He could still see the tear tracks running down Elrohir's cheeks and it worried him. "Why was he crying?"

This was getting to be too much for Celebrian. Why did Elladan have to be so observant? Why couldn't everything just be straight forward? Was it not enough that her sons' had been tortured at the hands of orcs? Was it not enough that Elladan had been caught in a rockslide? No, obviously, it was not. They had to be tortured further before they could all be relieved of the pain - even if that relief was death.

She felt like weeping, she knew she had to be strong for her children, but she did not know how much more of this she could take.

"He was worried," she answered - that was truth enough, was it not?

"About me?"

"Yes."

"Please tell me what is wrong Nana," Elladan begged her pleading with silver grey eyes.

Celebrian heard footsteps coming down the hall and knew that Elrond and Nesteron had returned. She bent forwards quickly and kissed the boys alabaster forehead. "I love you Elladan," she whispered as the door opened and the two healers walked in, followed by Glorfindel.

"What is going on?" Elladan asked confused by his mother's actions looking up at his father. "Please would someone tell me?"

Elrond sighed and knelt down in front of his son looking him in the eye. "I just want you to know that love you ion-nin," Elrond said seriously. "Now please would you drink this for me?" He asked holding up a glass of water for the boy.

Elladan looked at the glass, but didn't take it. "What is going on!"

"Drink this for me please Elladan," Elrond repeated.

"What is going on?" Elladan demanded again. "Please just tell me!"

The distressed youth had woken Elrohir and now he sat bolt upright, regardless of the pain the movement caused his back. "Elladan?"

"Elrohir," Elladan looked round at his brother trying once again to sit up, only this time to be held down by his father.

"Elladan!" The young elf had practically leapt onto his brother - hugging him fiercely - before anyone could prevent him from doing so. "I was so worried!" Elladan hugged him back, despite how feeble the attempt was - he could not move his right arm and his left felt considerably weak.

"Why were you worried?" Elladan asked. This time the question was not out of confusion, but the knowledge that his brother would answer properly, unlike both of his parents.

Elrohir hesitated feeling tears sting his eyes at the memory. "You had a fit," the young elf whispered before either of his parents could stop him. Elrohir let go looking back at the elder elves, his eyes flicking between both of his parents. "You did not tell him?"

"I-I had a... a fit?" Elladan's face seemed to have drained of colour and his eyes were panicked. "Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded of his parents. "What is the matter with me?"

"I am sorry," Elrond apologised. "Your mother and I did not want to frighten you unnecessarily. Now please drink this."

Elladan held out his hand for the glass suddenly realizing how thirsty he was, but Elrohir swiped his hand away before his twin could touch the glass his father was holding.

"No," Elrohir said quickly. "Do not drink it! He has put sleeping herbs in it."

Everyone looked at Elrohir startled, save Elrond who looked as though he was contemplating gagging the young elf before he could say anything else that would give away their plans. Instead he simply clenched his jaw for a few seconds as an uncomfortable silence reverberated around the room before shaking his head slowly.

"Elladan trust me there is nothing in this other than water," Elrond said serenely holding out the glass. "Please, take it."

"How can I trust you?" Elladan hissed confused and frightened. "You lied to me - Elrohir hasn't, I trust him more than you at the moment."

"Elladan please," Elrond said wishing that Elrohir had stayed asleep. This day was stressful enough as it was they didn't need Elladan hurting himself.

"No," Elladan shook his head turning back to his twin who was now sitting back in his chair, occasionally shooting dark looks at his parents. Celebrian was saddened by the look of hurt on the elder twin's face and wished now that they had just been honest with him from the beginning. Nesteron and Glorfindel watched from a safe distance knowing better than to intervene. Elladan could be quite fierce when he was cross or agitated and Elrohir would defend his brother against anyone, even his parents.

Celebrian sat back in her chair as Elrond straightened up placing the glass down on the bedside table.

"Elrohir, it is time that your bandages were changed," the Elven Lord said stiffly moving round the bed towards the young elf. This was not going well. Elrohir looked like he would attack anyone that came near him or Elladan and Elrond was wary of him, despite the fact that it was his own son, and that the boy was injured. Elrohir's eyes flashed dangerously as the Elven Lord took another step further and he suddenly realized how much this meant to the boy. He would have been surprised if that was not the same face that both the twins had worn when the orcs had come near either of them.

Elrond's guess was right; Elrohir could feel the same terror that he and his twin were going to be separated coursing through his veins. He would never allow that - never again. But this is stupid, he chastised himself, I am petrified of my own father.

Yet he could not help himself as he rose in his chair ready to defend Elladan. It seemed to be an automatic reflex, he couldn't stop himself. He felt like bearing his teeth and growling at his own father - despite how bizarre a reaction that would have been even to an orc.

An orc, however, would have laughed at the pathetic look of determination on Elrohir's face, but all those present in the room - save Elladan - felt their hearts go out to the boy, especially his parents. Elrond did not want to have to wrestle his son out of the room, but it was looking like he would have little choice in the matter. This was stupid, he was an excellent diplomat, and yet he could find nothing to say to the boy that would convince him to leave his twin. Fortunately for him, it seemed that Celebrian could.

"Elrohir," the Elven Lady whispered tears shining in her eyes. "We don't want to hurt you or your brother, we are your parents."

"You will take me away from him," Elrohir snapped. "You will take me away and I may never see him again. I will not let you."

"But we love you ion-nin, we would never do anything to hurt you," Celebrian whispered. "Elrohir please, look at me."

Elrohir's gaze shifted to his mother for a moment, before flicking quickly back to his father as he moved forwards.

"Elrohir please," Elrond pleaded. "I know what it feels like, I know how important Elladan is to you, but we don't want to hurt either of you. Now please, Glorfindel and Nana will go with you whilst I see to Elladan."

"No!" The young elf shouted rising to his feet wincing as pain exploded in his back. He staggered slightly, but held his ground.

"Elrohir, I do not want to have to, but if you do not leave I will carry you out of this room myself," Elrond said hoping that Nesteron and Glorfindel were not noting how bad his parenting techniques seemed to be. In truth though, he had never come across this sort of situation before, his son's had been scared by the trauma and Elrohir had especially, it seemed. They were normally not this misbehaved, cheeky, yes, but never this defiant - and if he had ever had to pick either of the twins to be the rebel he would have betted on Elladan. Elrohir was the more bookish of the pair, the one that thought everything through whereas Elladan would rush in all guns blazing. This wasn't right, none of it was right, this whole situation was wrong, wrong, wrong.

Celebrian had obviously had enough, tears were sliding down her cheeks which she desperately tried to wipe away. Elladan was simply staring at his twin brother, occasionally sparing a worried glance at the adults in the room, although what he was worried about Elrond did not know.

"I'm not leaving," Elrohir hissed, his silver eyes narrowing.

Elrond closed his eyes briefly and sighed. "Very well then." He reached out grabbing his son's upper arm; his finger's coming too close to bruises that marred his alabaster skin. Elrond had not grabbed the young elf's wrists for both were bandaged to try and heal the severe rope burns faster - but the bruises on his arms had not been tended to and the thought had slipped Elrond's mind as the Elven Lord began to come to the end of his rope.

Elrohir cried out his knees buckling beneath him, just managing to grab the bed for support and Elrond let go quickly. The youth tried to rise again, but he was too warn out and suddenly realized that he was shaking from the adrenaline rush, his energy leaving him as quickly as it had come.

He sat helplessly at his father's feet tears spilling down his cheeks and Elrond felt like kicking himself. How could he have been so stupid? He screwed his eyes tight shut, his son was crying and it was his fault. Tears sprang in the Elven Lord's eyes and before he knew it he too was on the floor weeping with the rest of his family.

"I'm so sorry," Elrond whispered. "Elrohir please forgive me."

Glorfindel and Nesteron stood where they were unable to move. The site was such a sad one it broke their hearts, even Elladan too was crying now, and it was a terribly lachrymose sound. A whole family weeping over some cruel joke of the Valar's, something that none of them understood. Once again Glorfindel felt that this whole situation was not right that everything was terribly wrong. Elladan and Elrohir did not even understand what was happening to them, what had happened to them. They had changed, that was already evident from Elrohir's outburst earlier. Glorfindel almost wanted to send all of them off to the Havens now, true, they had not suffered any real grief yet, but their family was falling apart and if Elladan died then they would never be together again.

Elrond's back was the first to stop heaving and as the harsh drawn in gasps between sobs became quieter he gathered Elrohir into his arms and sat down in the chair with him rocking the boy gently. Elrohir clung to his father tightly burying his head in his shoulder mumbling apologies for his behavior which Elrond quickly quietened.

Nesteron turned to Glorfindel who was still standing rigid where he was, unable to move and gently prodded and poked him out of the room leaving the family to be on their own.

"Please tell me what is going on," Elladan begged his voice now more frightened than anything. He looked at his mother who was watching him with shining blue eyes. He hazarded a guess; "Am I going to die?"

Celebrian let out a harsh sob at the question and realization struck home for Elladan. The young elf swallowed hard flicking his gaze across to his father. "Ada, am I going to die?"

Elrond looked up wondering how to word the answer. "Elladan," he sighed heavily, "there is a very hard decision that needs to be made and I fear that it is up to you." He paused. "The injury you had to your head from the landslide caused pressure to be put on your brain. It is a very serious injury; if it is not treated then you will continue to have seizures and could well become brain damaged. The operation to stop the seizures is a very difficult one and... there is only a slim chance that... that you will pull through."

Tears shone in all of their eyes and Elrond wished that he did not have to be the one to tell his son this. "It is up to you Elladan, what do you want to do?"

Elladan felt like he was going to be sick, he had a choice between a life threatening operation or being mentally retarded, how was he supposed to decide? Then an idea came to him and although the thought was a terrible one, somehow it seemed to be the only way out. The words were barely a whisper, but they were still audible to everyone present in the room.

"I wish to sail."

Another chapter –- I've become really lax with my updating for some reason –- possibly because I've been going over my original work, that and honing my artistic side. Hopefully everything will get back to normal soon. I actually dislike this chapter very much, there are times when you can see what you are writing in your head and others when everything is blurry –- this is a very blurry chapter. Reviews are appreciated hopefully they will get me to update faster.

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