Disclaimers: See One-Shot 1 for more information.

This is the last one-shot of the four-shot series. Better wait a minute… no? All right, let's get moving… and the end scene is ambiguous.

So Long! Farewell Frodo?

Frodo was roused by bell chimes. Sitting upright, he turned to see the chimes in a desolate wasteland. It was almost pitch black, except for the moonlight. Where had he awakened to? This was all very confusing.

He jumped, whirling around fast to see a hooded figure standing before him. He wanted to move, but couldn't. The hooded figure was too terrifying. It was almost as if… there were more hooded figures. He tried moving from the bed, but instead there were belts wrapped around his legs. He did his best to unbuckle the belts, but was unable to. The belts just wrapped tighter around his legs.

He stopped trying to break the belts. There was something else happening. The landscape shifted to an overgrown forest, in a greenish hued light. There he was with Sam, traversing across the woods. They were with a gangly creature, who was leading them straight towards a fiery mountain. Who was…

"Wait. This is Mordor." Frodo mouthed the words, unable to contain them. "We're heading into Mordor."

The landscape shifted dramatically to a black, scorched, volcanic wasteland. There was a massive void present. He didn't remember ever traveling to Mordor. He hadn't yet received word from Gandalf.

"What's going on? Am I dead?" He asked, right as the hooded figure stood atop him.

The landscape shifted back to the healer's house. There was the stone stairway and the balcony. He wanted to get free of the bed, and finally managed to. Only the second he was on the ground, his whole body felt heavy. He couldn't get up. He… he collapsed on the floor. He felt so heavy.

He was dragged onto the bed by two angels, with bright lights wrapped around their being. He didn't want to be back on the bed. He wanted to get out of here, back to civilization, back to his friends. If only there was a way out of this dream… or was it a nightmare? Either way, this was not the fever dream he wanted.

He felt his body again. It was so heavy. If only he could find some water… pure, clean, fresh water… he only needed a morsel or two to get him by…

"Frodo?" Pippin's voice sounded so soothing. "Frodo, wake up."

He was breathing. He, Frodo Baggins, was breathing again. He could feel life returning to his body. His head ached and he felt nausea engulf him. Unable to contain himself, he leaned over towards Pippin, who already had a bucket waiting for him. He threw up all the liquid inside his stomach, which came out so much faster. He felt very sick, and at the same time relieved. Hot sweat beaded down his face as he released the contents. When he was done, he felt empty and hungry again, but also thirsty.

The healer was there with his curly hair all in a mess. It really was a strange hairdo. But Frodo paid no heed to him. He was just glad Pippin was there. Feeling himself regaining balance, he moved off the bed, only to collapse on the floor. It was good that Pippin was there to catch him, as well as Merry and Sam who came down the stairs and towards him moments later. They helped him to his feet.

Without saying two words, Frodo allowed his friends to show him to the bathroom. Feeling his strength back, he pulled away from them, knowing exactly what he should do. Before he went in, he took the bathroom supplies from the healer. Was the healer prepared for this? He certainly seemed that way. Anyway. Frodo closed the bathroom door, taking the bathroom supplies with him.

x-x-x

Although Frodo was grateful for the privacy, he didn't expect his clothes to come out clean and fresh when he left the bathtub. Changing into the same clothes he had on when this whole mess started, he left the bathroom. There were his friends, falling right on top of each other. Sam tried to help him, but he raised a hand in reassurance.

"I can walk, Sam."

"Are you sure, Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked, concerned.

"After what we went through, I think it's time we have a word with the healer," Frodo said, finding his way down the stone stairs. He looked back to see his friends following him. Good. They needed to gang up on this healer. Well, he found the healer mixing another potion. "What are you doing?"

"It's my getaway potion," the healer said, frantic. "The second you leave I'll be on my way to another country."

"Why do you need an escape potion?" Pippin asked, confused.

"Ah. You see. You four I appreciate participating in my experiment. Note that I will no longer take part in experimental potions that have anything to do with temporary deaths. Although, I switched the poisons, so it was really a fever dream you four witnessed and a good one at that," the healer explained, more to himself than the four hobbits. Frodo could have lunged at him for this, and he wanted to… no, maybe he should just lunge at him now. The healer retracted from his grasp, heading back up the stairs. "Ah. I can see you're angry. Well, I'm sorry but I only deal with customers who expect me the most. Cheers and the door is that way." The healer pointed to the door behind the four hobbits.

Frodo told his friends, keeping his voice calm, "Come on. Let's go." Not bothering to look back at the healer, who waved at them, he opened the door and left the healer's house. His friends followed. The second they closed the door, the healer's house was gone, as if it never existed. This left Frodo confused. Hadn't they just seen the healer?

"What a strange chap," Merry announced, perplexed.

"Let's head to the Green Dragon," Pippin suggested.

"And get something that smells and tastes fresh," Merry said, following Pippin. Frodo stayed behind with Sam, only because his friend and gardener was confused.

"I don't get it. Mr. Frodo, what happens now? Where did the healer go?" Sam asked.

"Ah, you see Sam, I don't know. But ah, we'll never know. Ah," Frodo said, mimicking the healer's grunts and mumbles. He smiled when Pippin laughed. Ah. He was so glad to have such good friends. Oh great. Now he was sounding like the healer. What an odd day this was. But then what did happen to the healer? He sighed in relief. Perhaps he would never know.

The End.

Five Minutes Later…

The hobbit healer was glad his time travel spell worked. Now he could just open the door and… no, he was in the Dead Marshes! How did he get there? And what was that gangly creature doing there? Oh no. It was Gollum. The hobbit healer picked up his shovel, prepared to attack the creature.

"I must warn you. I have a shovel," the hobbit healer said.

That didn't turn off Gollum, who looked at him like he was something to eat. The hobbit healer didn't expect Gollum to attack him, by hitting him with a rock. Everything seemed so dizzy…

"My precious," was the last the hobbit healer heard from Gollum, before the gangly creature lunged at the camera.

How was that? I know, but I think the hobbit healer, in a way, got what he deserved. I know, I feel sorry for the hobbit healer, too. The healer was heavily inspired by Neo of Sporin from the ABC television show "Galavant", but this hobbit healer certainly has a way of say "ah" a lot. Thanks for reading. I'll see you all in the next story. :)

Aria Breuer