Chapter Fifteen

Frodo sat on the chair next to Merry’s bed where Bell had been earlier. Merry hadn’t even stirred. After setting Pippin’s wrist, Bell tidied up Merry’s gash with a few stitches and a bandage wrapped around his head. Merry didn’t wake up or flinch the whole time.

Frodo looked at the clock on the wall. It was half-past three in the morning. “Pippin’s doing better now, Merry,” he spoke. “You ought to see him. He’s sleeping in the other room,” Frodo said. “I had to feed him a bottle of wine to kill the pain. He did very well.” Frodo sadly smiled. “I was quite proud of him, you know.” Frodo looked for a sign that Merry could hear him. Nothing.

Frodo went on, “I didn’t know you were in such a fix about where to live.” Frodo drew closer to Merry, as though the words were for Merry alone. “It was a gift, Merry. Take it and spend it as you wish. I only wish for you to be happy again.”

Still nothing.

Frodo hoped no one would think he was going crazy; it felt good to talk to Merry, even though he knew Merry couldn’t hear him at the moment. “We sent for your parents, you know. I hated to worry them, but, Merry...,” Frodo begged, “please wake up.” Frodo’s worry was increasing, and his eyes filled with tears.

Frodo sat wearily in his thoughts. Some of them going back to when he lived at Brandy Hall. Merry must have been...perhaps, seven or eight years old. Most of the other boys would exclude Merry from their games and tease him about his father being a recluse. Frodo smiled at one thought of Merry getting into a scrap with his older cousin, Berilac. When Frodo separated the two, Berilac had run off crying. Frodo could never understand why Saradoc had Merry punished and not Berilac. When Bilbo’s offer to live at Bag End came to Frodo, he was only too eager to leave Brandy Hall. He and Saradoc had plenty of disagreements over Merry.

A quiet moment went by then Frodo heard something; a deep breath and a sigh. He wiped his tired eyes and looked at Merry. Merry eyes were still closed. Then Frodo saw Merry swallow.

“Merry?”

Merry’s eyes fluttered and they opened.

Frodo was beside himself. He ran out into the hallway and yelled to all who could hear, “He’s awake! Merry’s awake!” Frodo ran back inside the room to make sure Merry didn’t close his eyes again--at least just yet.

They all crowded around Merry’s bed: Bilbo, Pearl, Pim, Pervinca, Folco, Bell and Frodo. Merry never realized that so many people actually cared for him. Then again, he wasn’t at Brandy Hall...as Dahlia put it a couple days ago.

Pimpernel bent over and kissed his brow, “Welcome back, Merry.” He could get used to this!

“Merry, it’s so good to see you awake.” Each one said in turn. After several minutes, his friends all left the room so he could rest. It was only Frodo and Pearl left in the room.

“Where’s Pippin?” Merry tried to sit up, but his head swam.

“No, Merry, you must lie there still as a stone,” Frodo cautioned Merry. “Pippin is resting quietly on my bed in the next room.” Frodo went into full account with Merry about Pippin‘s wrist.

“Oh, no. It’s all my fault,” Merry moaned, holding his hurting head.

“How can you say that?” Frodo was surprised Merry would say such nonsense.

Merry sat back on his pillow. His head hurt too much to talk, but he told Frodo of all that happened from his and Pippin’s argument in the fields up to the night before.

“Hmm...that explains a lot, Merry, but it’s not your fault,” said Frodo, trying to soothe his cousin. “He actually accused you of trying to leave without saying goodbye to him?” Merry nodded. Frodo shook his head in puzzlement. Then he laughed, “Dear Merry, it seems to me you have a serious case of attachment!” Merry was silent. Frodo asked, “He follows you around incessantly, does he not?” Merry barely nodded his head. Pearl smiled; she knew how her little brother could be. “I had this problem once,” Frodo said, then continued, “I used to have this little cousin who followed me around everywhere I went. Do you remember him?” Frodo grinned--he was speaking of Merry.

Now Merry grinned back, “Was I that bad?”

“Of course not, Merry, but, does Pippin have many friends at Whitwell, or even in Tuckborough?”

Merry thought for a moment, and shook his head, then immediately cringed and put a hand to his head when his movement made his head throb even more. He never thought of that before, though. He and Pippin had been extremely close since Pippin was able to walk and talk, and over the years as he visited Whitwell, they became inseparable. Pippin had truly become the brother he'd always wanted....and now what was he to do? If Pippin still considered him a friend--especially after how he treated him the night he threw him out of his room, then he felt it was his duty to talk to him. Merry was still undecided, but perhaps talking his other problem over with Pippin may help, too.

“I feel horrible for not seeing this sooner,” he said to Frodo and Pearl, “but what do you think I should do?”

Pearl said, “In the matter of where you live, Merry, that has to be your own decision, but I think if you do talk to Pippin, he will come to reason. He loves you Merry, and has always wanted the best for you. You have to remember--he wasn’t quite himself last evening.”

Frodo added, “For all his inquisitiveness and quick wit, this is all probably a bit confusing to him.”

Merry pulled his blankets up closer. “To him?...this is all baffling to me!”