Chapter: 28, "This Sucks. Period."
Word Count: 1,002
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings, all rights go to J.R.R. Tolkien.
Beforehand Notes: This chapter has absolutely no plot. It's completely skippable- in fact, I recommend any male to skip this chapter. It might be too female for your innocent minds. It's short and simple and doesn't do much to the actual story. I just thought that I needed a chapter focused around periods. Because it's just not realistic unless the girl gets a period, yet it's too uncomfortable for me to bring it up continously. Thus I've dedicated one chapter (and one chapter only, don't worry) to the horrible, dreaded, things called periods; only useful if you want to make sure you're not pregnant.
- This Sucks. Period. -
I woke up in a puddle of my own blood.
Okay, so maybe it wasn't that dramatic or surprising, but I got pretty freaked out by it at first. In the midst of battles and not dying, I had completely lost track of the dates and thus forgot about my period. Joy.
I usually don't talk about my period, and that's because it usually doesn't have an affect on me or the timeline when it does come. In fact, I think this is the first time my period's done something harmful and or annoying to anyone but me. I'm not much of a cramp person, I'm a bleeder.
So Faramir decided to come over and greet me. Faramir is a male, in case you've forgotten, and here I am, sitting in my own blood (because I had been unconscious for a good while, apparently). At first, Faramir thought I was injured. He called around all the nurses and was basically screaming, "She's bleeding! She's bleeding!" And they all came rushing, going, "Where? Where?"
Then they looked at where I was bleeding, asked me the simple question, "Is it that time?" And I gave a smile answer, "Yeah." And then they promptly laughed at poor, panicking Faramir. He asked what was oh-so funny about my bleeding- that shut everyone up.
Nobody wants to explain to a male why a female is bleeding every month. But, seeing as he'll end up with Éowyn in the future, and part of me believes she's a temperamental woman on her period, he should know just why his wife is attempting to strangle him.
"Faramir," I said gently as I could. "Women bleed from between their legs, once a month-"
That was as far as I got before Faramir fainted.
"Oops." I said, watching the nurses laugh and work at the same time. They brought him back to his bed and asked me if I would like a bath while they change out the sheets.
I'd be an idiot not to take a bath when offered.
Because I'd be polluting the water once I put my lower half in, I washed my hair from outside the tub. It was long-ish, mostly because cutting was hard and annoying to do with the limited supplies I've been provided. I had changed, I will admit; it wasn't really physical changes, mostly mental, but I had lost a few good pounds from the running and lack of easily accessed food too.
I stepped into the tub, and began to clean what I could. The soap in Gondor smelled nice, kind of like elvish soap. It was definitely better than that scratchy stuff they use in Rohan. But soon enough I was bathing in a copper wasteland and had to get out. They provided me with towels, and a dark blue but simple gown (probably incase I ruined it).
I put it on; the chest binder (kind of like a bra, only it was to help with running and travelling, which I wasn't doing, but it was all I had), undergarments, and a white rag (white for now, that is), which you can only guess the use for, then the dress.
Faramir was awake by the time I came out, and he was definitely avoiding eye contact with me.
Well, actually, Faramir was avoiding general contact with any female.
They had changed my sheets (the House of Healing in Gondor was a highly productive place), but I headed over to check on Éowyn anyways.
"What ever did you say to make Faramir faint like that?" Éowyn asked the moment I got to her.
"Well, I'm currently on my period," Éowny looked at me blankly. "Er- menstrual cycle." A look of recognition passed on her face- note to self, Middle Earthians don't call periods periods. "And he thought I was injured… and I had to explain to him that I wasn't."
And you know what that woman did to me? She laughed at me. Laughed!
"Poor Faramir," Éowyn said, pausing for a breath. "I do not think he shall ever be the same."
"Men just can't handle the thought of it," I sighed, shaking my head.
"Indeed they cannot!" Éowyn chuckled. "Once poor Éomer was in the very same situation as Faramir."
"Did he faint?" I asked, eager to hear if the famous horse master could handle a little blood.
"Nay," Éowyn said. "But he wouldn't look me in the eye for at least a week!"
"I don't think Faramir will be talking to us for a while," I said.
"Maybe not to you," Éowny teased.
"Ruthelle Jessica Windsnap," a voice whom I was 99.9% sure I never told my full name to said from behind me. "How dare you flip out on us, faint, then make someone else faint, and all the while not talk to me in the process?" Gwen looked at me in mock despair, "And here I thought we were friends!"
"Everyone's my worst enemy at the moment," I told her.
"Oh don't mind her; she's simply put out because her long time secret love will not so much as look at her." Éowyn joked. Secret love. Haha. That's rich coming from her.
"You have a secret love you did not tell me about?" Gwen gasped, she then eyed me warily, "I think we have some friendship issues we ought to work out."
I played along, "Terribly sorry, but yes, I do! And I fear I may have permanently scared him away!"
"You told me you bleed between your legs once a month," none other than Faramir grumbled, coming over. "I have more than every right to be scared away."
"Love! You've come back!" I dramatically threw my arms around him, watching as he, to put it simply, shrieked like a girl.
"Don't be a wimp, captain. It's just an already crazy woman going crazy and having mood swings," Gwen joked. "Nothing to be scared about at all."
"Sweet Eru, why did I ever leave my bed?" Faramir asked.