Chapter 24
"I tore out my stitches."
"I see." an odd choice of words considering he isn't even facing this way "Do you plan to bleed all over my floors? I've just had them washed."
Standing in the doorway of the infirmary, I wait for Glaewon to either invite me in or tell me to piss off. I can never know with him, weirdo that he is. The elf in question turns to face me, albeit slowly, with a look of pure but silent judgment. It is clear that he isn't happy to see me.
"It isn't that much blood." Dwalin could only see a small smudge on the front of my dress. A drop slid down but most of it is up around my torso. Thankfully it cannot be seen because of my sweater "Hardly a thing to worry about."
"You are not miscarrying then. Good on your part." His words do not match his neutral face or monotone voice. I can't read him at all. After a moment or so of listening to silence, the elf sighs through his nose "Come in then and set yourself down."
"Okay." Following his instructions, I remember my odd choice in clothing. Lifting my shirt won't be enough this time. I'll actually have to lift the dress too for the Healer to get access to my stitches "Um..."
"I have spent 600 years mastering the art of healing, yet it may surprise you that I still lack the ability to see through clothes." Gathering his materials, the elf gives me his back "You will need to undress."
"I... I'm not comfortable with that."
"Do you wish to get an infection more stubborn than you try to be? Save your modesty for a more interested party than myself."
"P-Perhaps I could run back to my room to change my clothes? I'll be-"
"Unacceptable." Setting his tools in their places, Glaewon glides over to the examination table with purpose. Tapping the seat firmly, he gives me a dull look "Undress and lay down."
The order is so crisp that for a moment I am brought back to all the times HE had given that same command. It was always just as unpleasant and promised nothing but pain and sadness. My body starts to quiver and my breath comes in quicker with each intake of air. I need to get away. I need to run and hide and... I can't. I can't get away. I can't run or hide anymore. I can't because...
"I want to get better. F-For that to happen I need... Help." It hurts to admit it but it's true. Dying from something easily preventable is not on my schedule. I need a lot of help... Physical help "I really do but... I CAN'T take it the way you are offering."
"How far along are you?"
"Uh..." the question throws me for a loop and it takes me a moment to remember, or really to count, since I haven't been trying to do so " Four... five months I guess."
"You are very small to be so far."
"... Every woman is different."
"Especially when she cares not for her health nor that of the one she carries"
"..."
"Might I correctly assume that the child within you is not one created with love?" I confirm the statement silently and the elf sighs through his nose again, heavier than last time. I suppose dealing with my issues was not one of the things he thought he'd be doing today "If one of the dwarves has taken liberties-"
"It wasn't them. He's dead now."
"Do you need-"
"I just need you to fix my stitches, G. That's all."
"... Here." Glancing up from the floor, I watch the elf remove a sheet from the closet. He offers it to me, never coming so close as to force the thing onto me. With that neutral face of his he waits for me to take the offering, and when I do he turns his back again "Wrap it round your waist to cover yourself. When you are ready, we can begin."
Grasping the sheet tightly in my fist, I gaze at the elf in wonder. I'd expected him to just be fed up and kick me out; tossing me to the mercies of Elrond and Gandalf. I thought he'd at least ask more questions about how the situation came to be. But no, that doesn't seem like him at all when I think about it. Twice we've met but I knew right away that practical described him best. He can't heal my soul... But he can give me stitches without asking too many questions. It's honestly refreshing. Pressing my face into the blankets, I smile and mumble my response so he can't hear.
"Thank you."
Promising not to get run over by a dwarf again, I leave Glaewon's office. The fresh stitches have left my body sore but I honestly feel... Relieved. Someone else knows my secret and that's okay. I can live with that. The dwarves knowing... Well that's a different story.
"Might as well use this time to my advantage though."
I spend the next week barricaded in my room, only leaving for the bare minimum and never meeting with the company. The dwarves no doubt figure that I'm doing girly things, what with Dwalin mistakenly believing the blood from my popped stitches was from my monthly. Letting him, and whoever he may tell, believe that works in my favor. Of course I'm not suffering such a girlish fate, oh no. I'm planning.
Papers and books litter the room that I have hardly left for the last 7 Days. Aside from my occasional checkups, Glaewon removed my stitches yesterday, I have spent the week in here. Planning. Devising. Revising plans. Just trying to come up with some way to make this all work. Anita's love for the story gave me an edge on everything that will happen but it's not enough to help me beat MY quest. Yeah sure, this is technically Thorin's Quest but it's mine too... in a different way. He can have all the gold and silver and Dragons; I don't need any of that. This is the quest for my salvation.
But I need to stay with the company in order to complete my quest. For that I need to be necessary. I need to be indispensable. For the first time in my life, I need to know more about Middle-earth. So I study the lands and inhabitant; Kings and lines; relationships and Feuds. Elrond's Library is extremely helpful in this, though I rely heavily on the healer to provide me with the books. Funny enough he does, which I think might be his way of offering support out of the medical field. He hasn't told the company my situation so... That all aside, none of the books hold what I need the most. They do not tell me which dwarf wants Thorin dead. I need to figure that out because even if I stop Azog from killing him, mystery dwarf is still out there.
"Thorin has to be the reason, and his death has to be the goal. Nothing happened to anyone else after his original death. And they, who ever they are, don't want the crown for themselves. Even after Thorin dies, Dain rightly comes into power. So... Maybe it's one of Dain's men trying to speed things up?" Shaking my head, I push my hair out of my eyes "If that were true, they would have just let the elves and Men kill the company as they were barricaded inside. Dwalin, Balin, Oin, and Gloin were all inside as well which would have cut off every male descendant of Durin except for Dain and Gimli. Gimli could be killed later, but he isn't. And neither were any of the others in the line, so I don't think it's Dain or his supporters."
Sitting up in the bed, I glance around the messy room. If I play my cards right, and not fall off a cliff, I can easily survive this trip. Everyone is aiming for Thorin's head anyway, so all I have to do is avoid stray arrows. Again. My survival was honestly never in question, even though I had freaked out a little bit and thought it was. Before I even set foot on this planet I knew how to do this quest thing. In the last week I've memorized every hill, lake, and crevice we'll come across. I know the history, and future, of every major person we're going to encounter. Heck, I've even figured out how to avoid as Azog on the cliff, Bombur in the river, as well as Fili and Kili's death if need be. But...
"Who the hell wants to kill Thorin?" Suddenly three solid knocks pound on the door, startling me. The door is heavy and locked. Whoever is on the other side can't get in without my permission. I don't have anything to worry about. I'm okay. Staring at the structure cautiously I call out "Who is it?"
"Dwalin son of Fundin." Damn it, this guy keeps good time. I suppose my Siesta is over then "I believe it is time we spoke of our healing."
What?! Another chapter so soon? Is it christmas?! Lol. No. No it isn't. Enjoy though!