TITLE: Cousins On Watch
AUTHOR: Anso the Hobbit
BETA: Marigold
CHARACTERS: Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf and Aragorn
RATING: G

TIMELINE: Spring 1419

SUMMARY: Two separate ficlets from the same starter. In the first, Merry watches over Pippin, in the second Frodo and Pippin watch over Merry...

DISCLAIMER: Not mine, they belong to JRR Tolkien.
WEB PAGE: www.livejournal.com/users/ansothehobbit
E-MAIL: ansohobbit@hotmail.com
NOTE: Written for Marigold’s Challenge #2
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 PIPPIN

"No, please no..." whispered Merry. "Pippin can't die, not after everything that we have been through. Please, Gandalf! Can't you help him?" Merry desperately pleaded with the Wizard. Aragorn and the other healers had, of course done all they could for the littlest Gondorian soldier. But Pippin showed no signs of getting better and Merry did not know what to hope for now. Maybe Gandalf the White had such powers now that he could make his Pippin well? Aragorn had told him, time after time, that now it was all up to Pippin’s body to rebuild itself. He was given medicines and herbs and all that healers could administer, but it was his body that had to knit the broken bones and heal the cracked ribs.

For over a week Merry had watched. He had gone from bedside to bedside in constant vigil between Frodo, Sam and Pippin’s beds. His own bed was a little cot in Pippin’s tent, but almost every night he was found asleep in a chair or curled up on the ground by one of his friends´ bedsides. Gandalf had given up counting the times he had bundled a sleeping and exhausted Merry in a blanket and carried the brave little warrior to his cot, laying him gently down there and hoping he would stay put and not wake up to find himself a Ringbearer or Gondorian soldier to watch over.

Merry had become a familiar sight for the healers and their assistants in the camp. The little hobbit was almost never seen outside the tents unless he was on his way to or from a bedside or on a few occasions running errands for either Gandalf or Eomer; errands contrived so that Merry would get some much needed fresh air and exercise.

Gandalf would find Merry seated by Frodo`s bed, his cousin’s injured hand gently enveloped between his own, singing softly or telling tales of shared adventures in the Shire. Sometimes he would sit quietly and softly stroke dark, errant curls, silently crying over the effects his cousin`s great deeds had had upon him. Other times he would sit by Sam’s bed, talking about herbs and gardens, flowers and green grass. But most often Gandalf found the determined Brandybuck by Pippin’s bed, encouraging his young cousin in every way imaginable, then a thousand more, with soft talk, tales, songs and a feather light caress to cheek, curls or other uninjured parts of his body. If Merry`s love and will could heal Pippin, Frodo and Sam, they all would have been out of bed a long time ago.

Despite their grave injuries, Merry could not give up hope for them. He tried to keep himself in check, a rigid control over his feelings and thoughts. But sometimes, he would weep, so wracked with sobs that Gandalf had wondered how it was possible for the lad to cry that much without falling completely apart. The only thing he could do as Merry cried was to gather him in his arms, and hope that his presence and soothing nonsense words would make a difference. There had been more than one night that Merry had cried himself to sleep. But when he sat with Pippin, Frodo and Sam, Merry was always gentle, loving and calm.  While talking to Gandalf or others, Merry could be angry, arguing and fierce. The care of the other hobbits was his number one concern and he was unflinching in his vigilance and didn't hesitate to speak his mind.

 

Legolas and Gimli, together with Gandalf, did what they could to ease this lonesome, weary waiting for the young hobbit. One of them was always glad to sit with the hobbits when they forced Merry to rest or eat, and Frodo, Sam and Pippin were never left alone.

Merry was far from well himself. His right arm still hurt. Sometimes he could not manage to hold his spoon or cup properly and he had difficulty wielding a knife and fork. He gritted his teeth, but did not say anything. Several times when he was alone with Merry, Gandalf had taken the eating utensils from him and cut his food up, giving Merry only the fork back to eat with, if he could convince the lad to eat at all.

Gandalf had not thought he would ever have to encourage a hobbit to eat again. They had all needed to encourage Frodo to eat during the Quest, distracted by the Ring as he was. But that he would have to encourage Merry to eat, was beyond what he could fathom. Merry had an appetite surpassed only by young Pippin.

 

And it was the same conversation over and over again. “I’m not hungry.” Merry would say, determined not to leave his current bedside watch for even a second. “You have to eat. You need to be strong for them now,” Gandalf would reply. Then they would have an argument about whether Merry actually needed to eat to keep watch. Then Gandalf would arrange for a tray to be brought so that Merry could stay right where he was. Most of the time he would reluctantly eat a little, out of politeness because Gandalf went to the trouble, but he seldom ate all on his plate.

All this went through Gandalf´s mind while Merry now pleaded for him to use some magic he did not have to heal Pippin.

“Dearest Meriadoc. I do not have such powers; don’t you think I would have done something sooner if I could? I…” He was interrupted by a small sound and a slight shifting of the hobbit on the bed.

“Mer?” Pippin whispered. Merry instantly forgot his argument. He forgot Gandalf. He forgot everything, and knew only that his little cousin called for him. Pippin had been awake before, but he had not really talked to him. Merry leaned closer.

“Pippin” he said softly, squeezing Pippin’s arm gently.

“Mer.” It was another whisper. “Don’t leave me.”

“Oh, sweetie. I would never leave you!” Merry felt tears gathering in his eyes, and he smiled sadly. “I’ll be right here. You just sleep now.”

“Love you, my Mer.” Pippin breathed.

“I love you too Pippin, my brave, strong lad.”

 

“You see, Merry” Gandalf said, tears in his own eyes. “There is hope. There always is.”