"No, Ada! No operation!" Estel shook his head vehemently, then he started to cry. Raising his voice had practically scorched his throat unbearably. Elrond sighed, looking down sympathetically at his youngest son as he sat beside him. He knew breaking this news wouldn't be easy. He rubbed the boy's shoulder.

"I know it sounds scary, Estel, but you do not want to keep feeling this way, do you?" Elrond asked softly. Estel shook his head. "Don't you want to feel better and be able to talk again, without being sick?"

"Mmm-hmm. 'Course." Estel mumbled barely above a whisper. "But...don't want...operation!" Glorfindel stepped forward and leaned over the small boy.

"Estel, you know your ada is a great healer, don't you?" He asked. Estel nodded slowly. "That he is the best this side of the sea?" Estel didn't move and continued weeping. "Do you think your ada will hurt you?" Estel glared and shook his head.

"Not...on 'urpose..." Estel said in a horribly hoarse voice.

"Here, son. Drink this." Elrond said, scooting closer, holding him up and bringing a glass of cool water to his mouth. Estel took it gladly. Once he had his fill, he lay his head on Elrond's chest and continued to cry. "Shh. It will be alright, Estel. You'll see."

"Scared!" Estel moaned.

"What are you afraid of, penneth?" Glorfindel asked, sitting across from them on the bed.

"Hurt..." Estel mumbled.

"Are you afraid the operation is going to hurt?" Elrond inquired. Estel nodded. "Oh, son." Elrond smiled, shaking his head and kissing Estel's hair. "I promise you, that will not happen." He brushed some of the tears away.

"Won't?" Estel sniffled.

"No, little one." Elrond smiled warmly. "You will be asleep and won't feel a thing, and when you wake up, it will be all over!"

"That's right, Estel." Glorfindel nodded encouragingly.

"Then...won't hurt...anymore?" Estel asked. Elrond winced.

"Well, I'm afraid once you wake up, you will hurt for a while..." He said.

"No! Please...Ada...no...operation..." Estel begged, clutching his father's robes, his throat screaming in protest at every cry. "Please...no...no...operation...I'll be good...I'll do...anything…just...please, don't...hurt me!" Estel garbled hysterically.

"Shh. Estel, Estel, calm down, ion nin!" Elrond tried to soothe him. "I do not want you to choke on your own tears. Calm down." Estel looked pleadingly to Glorfindel.

"Don't...let him...do it! Please, Glorf...don't let...Ada make me hurt!" Estel pleaded pitifully.

"I would never let Elrond try to hurt you, little one." Glorfindel promised. "But that isn't going to happen."

"But...he said…" Estel was confused and wretchedly miserable, physically and emotionally.

"Estel, my dear son, the soreness you'll feel won't last forever." Elrond said. "Besides, I will be giving you special medicine so that it won't be so terrible."

"Won't?"

"Not if I give you the right medication. You may be uncomfortable, but with the herbs it really will not be so bad." Elrond nodded. Estel stared at him. He wanted to believe his daddy, but the idea of an operation terrified him. He glanced at Glorfindel.

"If Ada...hurts me, will you...make him stop?"

"If it becomes too much, yes, Estel." Glorfindel said.

"Promise?"

"Ai, penneth." Glorfindel smiled, patting the boy's head.

"Now, you really need to rest, Estel." Elrond said gently, lowering the boy back down into the pillows. Estel gripped his hand.

"A-Ada?" He swallowed painfully.

"Yes, ion nin?"

"Will...I...die...if...don't have operation?" Estel asked him seriously with wide, frightened eyes. Elrond sighed.

"Ordinarily, no, Estel, that would not happen." He replied calmly. "But if I do not operate on you soon, you will not feel better at all, and because of that, you will only get much sicker." Estel's lip started trembling again.

"Don't...'ant...to die...but...'on't want operation...either..." Estel whimpered.

"Then let me take care of you by doing the surgery so you can get better." Elrond said, stroking his wet face.

"Scared, Ada." Estel bit his lip.

"I know, son. But if you trust me, I promise you it will not be all that bad." Elrond kissed his head. Estel went quiet, his face scrunched in deep thought. Then he looked back to Glorfindel.

"Promise to stoop Ada if he hurts me?"

"Ai, young one. You have my word." The balrog slayer nodded firmly.

"Estel," Elrond leaned down closely to him, "it's okay to be scared. That's nothing to be ashamed of." Estel breathed heavily in relief at those words and his tense body seemed to relax more. As long as he knew it wasn't silly to be afraid, then maybe he could agree to this.

"Ada, no wonder you succeeded in scaring him out of his wits!" Elrohir declared suddenly, startling the other occupants in the room."You left out the best part!" Estel cringed, afraid of what teasing his big brothers would come up with this time.

"That's right. Estel, if you're in bed sick for a few days, that means no lessons!" Elladan announced happily.

"And no chores!" Elrohir added. Estel cocked his head, intrigued. Elrond, on the other hand, rolled his eyes in exasperation while Glorfindel suppressed a snicker.

"You won't have to do any work except sleeping and getting better. We can read your stories and you can play with your toys...oh! And you can have all the sweet, cool, creamy desserts you want!" Elrohir added. Estel's eyes widened. He liked the sound of that! But...the twins had been known to exaggerate in order to get him to cooperate before.

"Is that true, Ada?" He asked suspiciously.

"Every word, son." Elrond nodded with a small smile.

"All the creamy desserts I want?" Estel asked excitedly then whimpered when his throat throbbed again.

"Yes, my son." Elrond said.

"What do you say, Estel? You can't possibly pass up a chance like this!" Elrohir suggested.

Estel looked up at Elrond. "'Kay, Ada. You...can...operate." He sighed.

"I am glad to hear that, Estel." Elrond patted his shoulder. "We'll have you better in no time." He stood up with Glorfindel and left Estel to his brothers. Elrond sighed heavily as they closed the doors behind them.

"Leave it to those two to get Estel to see the fun side of it!" Glorfindel remarked.

"Yes." Elrond murmured dryly. "I am only afraid they made it sound so appealing he won't want to get better!"

"Ai. But, it worked!"

"I know." Elrond said quietly.