PART FOUR: Watching and waiting

Watching over sick people was tiring and downright boring Pippin found after sitting with Merry for several hours with nothing happening. Even watching over his beloved Merry. He hadn`t thought that he would be bored sitting and watching over Merry, but he had so much energy pent up and he could scarcely keep from bouncing on Merry to make him wake up. At first he had just contented himself with watching his cousin sleep. Merry hadn`t so much as stirred at all after they had left him the last time, and he never moved the entire time that Pippin sat in the bedside chair watching him and trying to read a book. Why wouldn`t Merry wake up? It would be much easier caring for him if he were awake. Then Pippin could talk to him and give him water and maybe play a little.

What was he to do now? Mama had said he should sit quietly and not wake Merry. He was to sit in the chair and read and not sit on Merry`s bed. He looked out the window on the bright winter day, and thought about Merry`s promise to chase him through the fields. He loved to be chased through the fields by Merry. Though he could run ever so much faster than Pippin, Merry would run behind him and just as Pippin reached their goal and the game was over Merry would sweep him off the ground and tickle him mercilessly until they both laughed so hard their sides ached. Then he`d sit on Merry and tickle him and blow in his face or perhaps pull his curls a little just to see the funny faces Merry made at him when he did that. Merry`s curls were great for pulling, Pippin thought. Curlier than his and golden and springy. Not like Vinnie or Nell`s curls – caught up in ribbons and bows, and Merry didn`t shriek like they did when he pulled on them. He sighed and reached over to very gently pull one of Merry`s curls, not hard enough to wake him, but just so Merry might know that he was there. Just then the door opened and he sat back a little guiltily.

“Pippin?” Paladin quietly entered Merry`s room, looking worriedly at his sleeping nephew. Pippin had been in here all morning, quiet as a mouse, and not come out once. It was time for second breakfast and the morning chores were done.

“He won`t wake up, Da.” Pippin sighed as if in defeat.

“That is because he needs to sleep. The more he sleeps the better. He will probably be well faster if he sleeps a lot. Come now.”

Pippin ate second breakfast in a rush and went back to Merry`s room. What if he had woken up while Pippin was away? But Merry slept on. Pippin was pleased to see that he had at least moved about a little, and then to Pippin`s joy he opened his eyes.

“Hullo Merry.” Pippin climbed up on the bed and sat beside Merry. “How are you feeling? I have watched over you all morning and it is time that you woke up so I can make you better.”

“Hullo Pip.” Merry attempted to sit up a little, but decided against it when a wave of nausea hit him. “You have? Thank you. I`m sorry I`m such a boring patient to watch over. I am awake now though.”

He still felt terribly tired and the itching and fever was no better. Pippin could never be quiet or sit still for long, Merry knew this, and if he got Pippin talking or perhaps telling him a story he could fall back asleep without too much activity. “Why don`t you tell me a story?”

“All right!” Pippin bounced a little but stopped at once as Merry started to look positively green.

“Do you need…?” Pippin stopped short as Merry suddenly went very strange. Sweat broke out on his brow and his eyes looked funny. He pushed Pippin aside and lunged for the wash basin, but he wasn`t quick enough and most of the first bout ended up on the floor and the bedclothes.

“Mama!” Pippin scrambled off the bed and ran out into the hallway. “Mama! Come help!” He ran back to Merry but was at a loss on what to do.

Eglantine knew what had happened before she even entered the bedroom and she soon had things under control. As Merry retched she held the basin with one hand, rubbing his back soothingly with the other. Finally everything that Merry had in his stomach was gone and he slumped back on the bed.

“I`m sorry,” he managed. If he hadn’t felt so awful he would have been terribly embarrassed.

“That`s all right, sweetie. It`s not your fault.” She wet a cloth with water from the pitcher on the nightstand and washed his face, letting him rest a little and gather his strength. The bedclothes needed to be changed, though. “Here, drink a little of this first.” Helping him sit up again, Eglantine gave him a little water to drink. “Do you think you could manage to get out of bed for a few moments? I need to change the sheets.”

Merry nodded and Pippin rushed to him from where he had been standing by the foot of the bed. Merry needed to walk and that he could help him do. He put his arm around Merry`s waist and Merry steadied himself with a hand on Pippin`s shoulder, walking unsteadily over to the chair. As he sat there, shivering a little in only his nightshirt, the little red spots on his body started to itch again and without thinking he scratched at his chest and arms. It felt like all his back was covered in them too and he wriggled blissfully on the chair as he managed to stop the itching for a few moments. The problem though, was that even if it felt good to get the itching to stop, it worsened after a little while. When the bedclothes were changed and he was tucked nicely up in the bed again, he felt as if small and annoying pinpricks were prodding him all over and he just could not lie still. Thankfully he didn`t feel nauseated any more, but he was genuinely uncomfortable and the fever was not gone.

“What`s wrong?” Pippin watched as his mama helped Merry and tucked him back up as she had done with him so many times. Now Merry looked like he wanted to go back to sleep but instead of closing his eyes and lying still, his eyes opened wider and he wriggled in the bedclothes.

“I`m itchy Pippin. Auntie, isn`t there something we can do? I don`t want to complain but it`s awfully uncomfortable.”

“I`m sorry Merry-lad, I know that you are. Try to rest and lie still. The less you move about the less the spots will itch.” She stroked his cheek, trying to bring comfort. He was very warm still and his eyes were glazed. Should they send someone for the healer? She wasn`t sure how the illness would develop with a child as old as Merry, and it was better to be on the safe side, wasn`t it? Merry was as precious to her as the four children she had given birth to herself, and she often thought of him as one of her own. Merry was as a brother to the lasses and especially Pippin. She couldn`t bear to think about how devastated Esmie and Sara would be if something befell their dear one. They had only Merry. No. She would talk to Paladin, but if Merry didn`t get significantly better by the afternoon, she`d send someone to Tuckborough for the healer.

Eglantine continued to stroke Merry`s face and hair as she sat on his bedside, watching as he finally dropped off into sleep again. Poor lads. Pippin was distraught over seeing his beloved older cousin like this and Merry was no better. He had so little experience with being ill that he was frustrated that his illness was lingering.

Merry slept most of the day but awoke to answer nature`s call about teatime. Pippin had sat with him again after lunch and tried to read his book, but couldn`t concentrate for long. The whole smial seemed strange now that Merry was sick. His parents had had a long and whispered conversation in the study and Pearl had been bossier with Nell and Vinnie than Pippin was used to. It was as if the whole smial waited to see how Merry was doing. Restlessly he sat curled up in the chair and stared at Merry, wanting him to wake up and be better.