The Road to Middle-Earth
A fanfiction by MushrooomsPTook
Disclaimer: I own nothing. You might as well say it owns me!
A/N – I have no medical experience, nor have I treated any serious illnesses. Please do not follow this kind of advice when dealing with sicknesses and seek medical advice instead. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. This is merely just speculation and improvisation.
A/N – I've been meaning to share with you the various music that I listen to for inspiration when writing certain scenes. Therefore, I've gone back to the beginning of the story and listed each music title at the end of various chapters. For multiple selections, I have settled on numbered footnotes. Please note that not every chapter will have a track name listed. Please tell me if you don't like this addition and I will discard it. If you feel obliged to listen to them, you can probably find most of them on YouTube.
Chapter Thirteen: Alice
I awoke to the sound of whimpering and felt a little hand in mine, shaking and hot with sweat. I immediately became alert as I saw Alice's body jerking uncontrollably, her face white and her round eyes unfocused. I reached a hand over to remove a lock of hair from her face and felt her forehead. It was clammy and hot with fever. I pulled open her blankets and I got the answer I suspected. She had wet the bed again. But I also caught sight of numerous spotty rashes over her body. A nurse opened the door and came in. When she saw Alice, she rushed over in a heartbeat.
"What's happening to her?" I asked, the worry in my voice evident, and the nurse put a hand on the child's forehead.
"She's goin' into shock. Quickly, we have ta get the fever down." She picked up Alice and I followed close behind as she carried her down the hall into the washroom. Alice vomited twice along the way, heightening my concern into a full blown panic. The nurse quickly stripped the shaking Alice s, ordering me to fill up the basin. I ran a cool, damp towel over Alice's boiling skin, as the lukewarm water filled.
"Come on, Alice," I whispered, grasping her hand in mine. I continued to run the towel up her chest and all around her face and neck. The nurse whipped out a bottle of pink liquid and poured it into a small glass. I allowed Alice's neck to fall back just a little so that the nurse could pour the glass into Alice's open mouth. Most of it dripped down her face, however, but after a bit, Alice licked her lips and began to swallow. The shakes were subsiding as I submerged the towel into the water and ran it in around her naked body. Alice, having come around, began to cry miserably. I caressed her back in soothing circles and looked up at the nurse, my head swimming with questions.
"Ya seem to have things under control here," she panted, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "I'm goin' ta change her bed and get some fresh clothes for her. See if ya can manage to have her drink a bit more." She handed the bottle and the glass to me and I nodded. But I was worried. What if Alice went into another fit when the nurse left?
"You poor thing," I said to my little cousin. She was conscious but barely. "It hurts, doesn't it?" Alice nodded, dazed. "Come on, sweetie. Try and drink some more of this for me." I tilted her head back and she opened her mouth obediently. "That a girl—easy now." I bent the glass and she took several small sips. I rubbed her little ears, something she'd always been fond of, and kissed her head. Her skin was hot, but not boiling.
The nurse returned promptly and helped me get Alice out of the bath. She informed me that the child could catch a chill if she was in the water for too long. I dried her completely before redressing her, and she looked a little better. She slumped against my shoulder as I carried her back to the room and put her back into bed.
"What time is it?" I asked while stroking Alice's hand affectionately.
"'Bout a quarter after three. I'm goin' ta go fetch the doctor. She needs to be reexamined; this medicine ain't doin' enough." I nodded in agreement. "I shan't be gone long, Miss."
I kissed Alice's fingers and spoke to her, rambling on about nothing, but hoping I could comfort myself by pretending she could hear me. I wiped away stray tears from my eyes, momentarily pausing my rhythmic caresses. I looked at her sympathetically, fearful that there was something unknown in her system that she was battling, and losing rapidly. Help is on the way, I assured myself.
"Don't give up on me," I told her firmly.
About thirty minutes later, the doctor came in, still in his nightclothes and looking a little tired, but his gazed was focused. The nurse trailed behind, very concerned, and she held her hands to her mouth anxiously as he sat next to Alice. He peered into her eyes with a flashlight, and I noticed the pupils were dilated. He listened to the steadiness of her breathing and felt her pulse. He opened her mouth and looked on in concern. Next he pulled up her shirt, and his brow furrowed at the sight of the rashes. He picked up her hands quickly and peered at her fingers. Little white lines had formed onto the fingernails.
"And she had just wet the bed again?" he asked, looking at me. I nodded and tried to refrain myself from crying. The doctor's presence seemed to increase my anxiety. I knew it wasn't good, whatever it was. "I don't think it's the flu. In fact, I'm most certain it ain't. Her tongue and these rashes have me most concerned, along with her fingernails. Ya don't see that very often. I've seen it once, but it was from..."
"What?" I asked eagerly. I didn't want to know, but I needed to know. Duck allergy? Strep throat? Exhaustion? What was it?
The doctor swallowed very cautiously. "What 'as she eaten recently? Has she had somethin' else to eat that no one else has?"
"No, absolutely not," came my immediate response.
"It didn't have ta be much. Just a bite er two." My mouth gaped as a horrid memory flashed before my eyes.
...I snatched the apple out of Alice's hand, and stuffed it back in the bag, but not before wrapping it with stray leaves. There was plenty left, for thankfully, she had only taken a couple bites...
My stomach did a somersault. I felt sick and bent over to vomit, but the doctor grabbed my face firmly with his hands and forced me to look into his eyes. "Alayna, what did she eat?"
"A...Apple."
"How much?"
"Just—a couple bites."
"What happened to the rest?"
"I saved it. I was going to eat it."
"I need ta see that apple. Now!"
My hands fumbled as I grabbed my backpack, reaching nervously into the small pocket and groping around before I felt the familiar round object, still wrapped in green leaves. The doctor snatched it out of my hands and removed the leaves precipitously. The apple was very brown now, but the center was green and shriveled. The doctor sniffed the apple, and after a moment, sighed heavily, closing his eyes in dread.
"What? Tell me, what is it!"
"It's just as I feared. Arsenic."
I let the silence fill the room, allowing the doctor's response to register. "Poison!" I looked down at the sleeping form of my baby cousin and my breathing increased. This time I did vomit and I coughed out sobs as the nurse caught me before I could fall. But it couldn't be. Not Alice, not my baby Alice. It couldn't be.
"But," I gasped for breaths. "How can you be sure? She's just...She's just so small, and helpless!" I was crying now. "She can't die!"
"There's still hope," the doctor responded, hastily. "I suspected it when the nurse came to get me, so I brought some supplies." William opened his bag quickly and pulled out a concoction. "This will induce vomiting. We need ta get it out of her system. How long ago did she eat this?"
My mind fogged as I tried to remember the past few days. "I-I don't know. A couple days maybe?"
"Nurse." The woman paused from rubbing my shoulders comfortingly. "Please fetch Bert. We need ta get some liquids in the child." The nurse nodded briefly and hurried out the door.
"What can I do?" I asked anxiously.
"Get rid of yer bag. Who knows what ya have in there that's been infected."
I did as the doctor ordered, running it out the door and disposing it onto the pile of garbage that was collected daily. When I came back, the doctor had me wake Alice and we began her treatment. I held her hand as the doctor fed her a spoonful of the red concoction. Bert came in anxiously, also still dressed for bed and in a night cap, carrying a flask of water and some other drinkable items. Alice momentarily awoke with a sob and she fell to sickly whimpers. The nurse held the basin as Alice turned on her side, hurling the contents of her stomach. She gasped for air, shaking and sweating, as a second and third wave of vomit passed, one right after the other. Alice sobbed weakly, clenching a fistful of bed sheets in her white hands. The doctor pulled out a syringe and a bottle of clear liquid from his medical supplies as the nurse rinsed out Alice's mouth with a glass of water. I watched anxiously as he filled it. He sighed and focused his eyes into mine.
"Turn her onto her stomach," he ordered.
I obliged without a word, and I watched as he silently lifted her nightgown and stuck the needle into her backside. Alice screamed and cried at the prick, managing to free herself from the needle before William was able to inject the fluid. My eyes filled with tears at her agonizing screams. The nurse rushed to Alice and held her down while the doctor prepared for another attempt.
"No!" I cried and pushed him away, cradling my cousin in my arms. "Can't you see you're hurting her?"
The door opened and a concerned Tom stood in the entrance. Next to him was Charming. They had both been awakened by the blood-curdling screams.
"Alayna," said William, fixing his focused gaze on mine, "if she doesn't get this into her body, she could die." My mouth trembled and I very reluctantly released my cousin from my protective embrace. "Bert, get that boy back to bed."
Bert rushed to Tom and Charming, and quietly ushered them out the door, whispering gentle assurances as best as he could. Tears streamed down my face as I watched William prepare the syringe. He ordered me to hold Alice, and I had to, despite her wild protests. I bit my lip, preparing for her rampage. She frantically tried to free herself and I felt my firm hold weaken. But the nurse was also there, applying extra pressure.
"Don't give in," ordered the doctor.
1"ALAYNA!" Alice shrieked. "THEY'RE HURTING ME! WHY ARE YOU LETTING THEM HURT ME!"
I couldn't bear it. I released her, and the nurse had to double her efforts to control the screaming child. I tried to push them off, yelling at them to stop and to leave her alone. William shouted at Bert to get me out of the room and he obeyed. I felt his firm hands grab me from behind, pulling me away and forcing me out the door, despite my struggling. I kicked and protested, screaming at the doctor, calling him a murderer, and crying out to Alice. She looked at me with wild eyes, and in them I could see the desperation that cried out to me. That was the last vision I had of her for a long time, and Bert pushed me into the room with Tom.
He continued to hold me firmly as he whispered, "There, there, Alayna. Ya have to let the doctor work now. He's tryin' to 'elp her, not hurt her."
I stopped fighting and now slumped into his arms, sobbing profusely, exhausted from the ordeal. "It's all my fault, Bert! It's all my fault!" I felt his arms tighten around me as I buried my face into his chest. He patted my head and rocked me. "I gave her the apple—I—I poisoned her!"
"Shhh," Bert whispered. "Ya didn't know. Don't be blamin' yourself—'tain't yer fault at all."
I heard a scream from Alice across the hall and I rushed toward the door, but I was held back again, this time by both Bert and Tom. I fought desperately, screaming Alice's name and kicking at Bert's immovable body. He continued to coo me with gentle words, despite my attacks, and his hand stroke my hair throughout the audible terror that was happening in the next room. He paused once to reach a hand up and discard a tear that had escaped out of his eye. As the wild screams lessened, I fell to my knees and sank to the floor in a fetal position. Feathered wings cradled my face and I cried even more when I felt the duck's tears on my neck. Tom hugged me from behind and I clasped my arms around his hands tightly.
After a while, my sobs died down and silence echoed throughout the hallway. I had given up any attempt of rescue and I lay in Tom's arms, while Charming pressed close to me, and I felt strangely comforted by the duck's touch. Bert left momentarily, shutting the door quietly behind him. I heard the other door click open and the sound of muffled voices. He came back moments later and smiled at me.
"She's sleepin' now, Miss Alayna. Ya should probably stay in here for the rest of tonight." I nodded blankly. He helped me to my feet before moving a chair next to the door and taking a seat. "I'll stay with ya tonight in case ya need me."
"Please wake me if something happens, Bert," I said quietly.
"You just worry about getting ye some sleep. I'll wake ya if yer needed."
I caught the duck before he waddled off to Tom's bed, and lifted him into my arms, walking silently to the bed across from Tom's. I peeled back the sheets and climbed in, but I looked once more at the door before declining into the pillows. I hugged Charming to my chest and though I couldn't see his face, I could feel the tears on my skin as he hugged me back. We stayed like that for a while before I closed my eyes, evading sleep no longer.
2It was a beautiful morning as I drove through the snow. I peered out the window, looking at the falling snowflakes. It was a rare and magical sight, here in the suburbs of Chicago. After a while, I pulled up at the small yellow house. This was the first Christmas I would be spending with James and his family, for they had just moved into the area, and with my parents visiting my sister in Virginia, it would be a new experience for me.
The door swung open suddenly and a tiny body buried in a winter coat came running out to meet me. I laughed, setting down my packages momentarily to pick up the child. She had red and green ribbons in her brown pigtails and squealed as I swung her around.
"Merry Christmas, Alice!" I greeted her.
"Mewwy Chwistmas, Awayna!" replied the toddler. I set her gently upon the snow-covered ground and picked up my bags with one hand as I held Alice's fingers in my other. "Are those fow me?" She looked excitedly at the presents peeking out from within my bags.
"Well, I don't know," I winked. "Have you been a good girl?"
"Yes," she replied shyly, her finger in her mouth.
"Well then, I guess we'll have to wait and see!"
As we arrived on the front porch, Alice stopped and said, "I has a pwesent fow 'oo, Awayna."
"You do?"
Alice nodded. "Do 'oo want me to div it to 'oo?"
"If you wish."
"O-tay. 'Oo has to bend down."
I knelt down in the snow, looking into Alice's big brown eyes. She grabbed my face with her hands and planted a kiss on my cheek. I smiled and returned the gesture, giving her a smooch on her nose. She giggled delightedly and I stood up, peering down at the child affectionately. James appeared behind the screened door, also chuckling to himself, apparently having watched the exchange, and opened the door for us. I gave my cousin a hug after we were inside and I kissed Rachel's cheek, who had just walked up.
"What were you doing, Alice?" James asked.
"I dave Awayna her Chwistmas pwesent!"
"It's not time to exchange presents yet, you silly girl!" He picked her up and nuzzled her nose with his lovingly.
"Daddy!" Alice giggled, pushing his tickly face with her tiny hands.
After a beautiful meal and many conversations that were interrupted by an excited little girl ("is it time fow pwesents?"), we gathered in the living room, each person silently arranging themselves in a randomized sitting position. I chose the armchair by the fireplace, and we carried on our previously disrupted conversations now that Alice was busy passing out presents to each family member. After a time, my aunt and uncle helped her speed up the process. After the last present had been collected and deposited to the recipient, they sat back down, and my eyes widened nervously at the sight of my little cousin speeding towards me in short bounces, like a rabbit that's found a paradise of green food, and leapt onto my lap, forcing all my air out in an "oof!
"Alison Porter!" cried Rachel. "What did your Cousin Alayna ever do to you?"
Alice smiled sheepishly, finger in mouth, ducking her head to rest under my chin. I quickly recovered from the missile attack, however, and embraced the child with a chuckle.
"Sowwy, Awayna," she said, blushing. I accepted the apology by tousling the child's hair and kissed her little head.
Several hours and three trash bags later, I held a sleeping Alice in my lap. In her arms was a recently unwrapped teddy bear that I'd given her. Many names came and went for her new toy, some clever, others ridiculous. But in the end, she stuck with Mr. Bear. The snow had stopped but the magic of the day did not die down, and the stars were unveiled, the light of the moon shining through the window beside me.
"She's very lucky to have a cousin like you,"
James spoke quietly, nodding at the bundle in my arms. I looked down at her with a smile."And I her," I replied. I kissed her gently and whispered into her ear. "I'm glad to have a cousin like you."
Next Chapter – Can things get any worse for poor Alice? Will be updated soon.
xXChaoticOrderXx – I'm very tempted now to intentionally end the story without a visit to Middle-Earth, just so I can see that.
Seafarer – It's all work out in the end...maybe. ;) Don't be jealous. I simply do not have a life, and I'm very impatient when proofreading my material, as you can probably tell from the various mistakes. One of these days, I'll get around to fixing the errors.
Calemireth – This chapter probably did not improve your day then. I'm sorry, but I promise to update soon. ;) I already have most of the next chapter written.
1Soundtrack The Red Baron/Der Rote Baron (Dirk Reichardt/Stefan Hansen), "Surrender"
2Soundtrack The Holiday (Hans Zimmer), "Three Musketeers"