PART SIX: letters and games

“Ouch.” Merry twisted about in bed, scratching at a particularly itchy spot.

“No! Don`t do that! You`ll just get more of them. You even have some on your hands now. Oh, Merry.” Pippin climbed onto the bed and hugged Merry tight. Looking down, he saw that beneath his curls, on the back of his neck there were red spots. Pippin peered down the collar of Merry`s nightshirt and saw several spots on his back too. “You`re already covered in them.”

“I know, Pippin, and if I can`t do something to be rid of them soon I`m going to go mad.”

“Well wouldn`t that be interesting. How would we know?” Pippin said, trying to tease and flopping down beside Merry in the bed. Merry had woken up by himself this morning and seemed better, not so weary.

“How are you Merry?” Paladin entered the bedroom with a well-laden tray in his hands.

“I think I`m better. Not so tired. I`m not very hungry though.”

“That is good, but you still look flushed. Try and eat a little if you can. There should be enough for the both of you Pippin.”

And so the young hobbits set to eating. Merry managed a little toast with jam and a cup of milk. There was tea too, but Merry didn`t feel like drinking that. Pippin watched his every move and nodded approvingly as Merry started on the second slice of toast.

Feeling his eyes upon him, Merry stopped mid-bite. “What is it Pippin?”

“You`ve slept for almost two days, Merry!”

“I am sorry. I`ll try to stay awake for a while now Pip. I don`t feel sleepy now.” Merry wriggled a little. “Just very itchy.”

Merry looked closely at Pippin. His little cousin seemed tired. “You sat watching over me all day yesterday, didn’t you, Pip?”

“Well, of course I did. You needed me.”

“Thank you! I appreciate that very much. You must be worn out from watching. Maybe you should take a nap?” He hugged Pippin tight, but as Pippin sniffled a little Merry pulled away. “What is it?”

“I was so worried about you Mer! You slept and slept and Mama came and washed you and you had a fever and the healer was here.”

“I remember the healer Pippin, and I remember you being here every time I woke up. I know I slept most of the day yesterday, but I am very glad you are here with me. You are after all the brother of my heart, you know.” Merry drew Pippin in for another hug and then let Pippin coax him into having another slice of toast.

A little while later, Paladin came back to the bedroom and collected the breakfast tray. He looked at what remained on it and shook his head. “I suppose this has to do for now, lads. Pippin, it`s time for the animals to be fed. Why don`t you let Merry rest a little and come help Vinnie. You can come back later.”

Pippin looked regretfully at Merry and left with his father. Merry lay down in the bed again, pondering what to do. He felt better, so maybe he should attempt to get up? He pushed the blankets aside, and carefully put his feet on the floor. My, but it was cold! He stepped over to the rug in front of the hearth and looked out his window. It was a grey day and it looked to be quite cold outside. Merry stretched and rubbed his stiff muscles. He sniffed his nightshirt, feeling sweaty and in need of a bath. He still felt both hot and cold, so he suspected he still had a fever. A thorough wash would do then.

He padded over to the wash basin and poured out some water, found a cloth and was about to start washing when he looked down his body. Not only his chest, but his stomach, arms, legs, and neck was covered with those red and itchy spots! No wonder he was miserable!

Finished with washing he drew his fingers through his curls, and to his horror he even had little bumps on his scalp too. Practically all but his face was covered in itchy little spots.

Merry stared at himself in the looking glass and a pale and drained face with dull and glazed blue eyes looked back at him. Suddenly feeling tired of standing up and cold from his wash, he put on a fresh nightshirt and crawled back into bed. He`d just lie here and warm himself a little before actually getting up. He lay back and relished the feeling of the soft featherbed and the comfortable blankets about him. He let his aching head sink down in the soft pillows and within a few moments he was asleep again.

*****

Finishing his chores in a hurry, Pippin went back inside and sat down to second breakfast. He hoped that Merry saying that he didn`t feel so sleepy today meant that he would be able to play a little or at least be awake so Pippin could tell him stories. Maybe Merry would be awake enough to read to him from one of the really big books. Pippin knew his letters, but he wasn`t very good at reading yet and Merry was so good at reading stories, changing his voice if new people entered and talking high and squeaking if it was a lass and deep and like a grown hobbit it if was a old gaffer that spoke in the story.

To his joy Pippin found that Merry was just coming awake again as he sat down beside the bed.

“You`re awake! Did you have a good sleep?”

“Yes, thank you Pippin.” Merry smiled at his little cousin. Pippin was acting so grown-up suddenly, saying things the adults sometimes did. 

“What do you want to do now?”

“Well…” Merry thought a little. He didn`t feel like getting up really, the weariness had come back, but he did feel awake. “A story or a game of farmers checkers* would be nice.”

Pippin poured out a mug of water for Merry – Mama had said to encourage him to drink a lot of water – and went to fetch the board. Da had made the board for him some time ago when he had been ill, but well enough to sit up in bed and be engaged in simple pastimes. Paladin had made the pieces too, and painted one set red and the other yellow. Coming back to the bed, he climbed up beside Merry and put the board down on the blankets.

“Which would you like to be?” Merry said as he set the mug aside and put pillows behind his back so that he sat more comfortably.

“I`ll take the red ones.” Pippin distributed the pieces and for some time they played in silence. Merry had played this a bit more than Pippin, but soon Pippin had all Merry’s tricks to winning figured out and they spent an enjoyable time besting each other.

Merry couldn`t help but scratch from time to time, and when Pippin caught him, he took Merry`s hands between his own and then folded them neatly in Merry`s lap, looking sternly at him. “You`re not supposed to do that, Mer.”

“I`m sorry, but I really can`t help it.”

Merry looked so sad just then, so Pippin scrambled over the game board and threw his arms around Merry`s neck. “I`m sorry too. I know it hurts and I want to do all I can to make you better.”

“You`re helping me a great deal with just being here with me, Pippin. You`re distracting me from what makes me uncomfortable. Thank you!” Hugging Pippin back Merry suddenly yawned and at that point Eglantine decided to check on them. She picked up the game pieces that had flown around the room as Pippin scrambled across the bed and set them on the nightstand, also setting down a tray with scones, jam, milk, a covered cup and the medicine bottle.

“Hullo lads, I thought you might want some elevenses. How are you doing now, Merry?” Eglantine sat down on the bedside and felt Merry`s forehead. He was still feverish, but not at all as hot as yesterday. Maybe the fever would break soon then. “Does your head still hurt?”

Merry nodded. “Yes it hurts a little, but I don`t feel as tired as yesterday.” He looked at the tray. “I`m still not very hungry though.”

“No, I thought as much, but I think you should try and get a little down at least. Drink this tea first though. It will make your head feel better, and perhaps take away the fever too.”

Merry took the offered cup and obediently drank everything down. It didn`t taste very good and as he gave back the cup, his face twisted a little in distaste.

“I`m sorry dear, but it will make you feel better. Now, take some of this.” Eglantine poured out a spoonful of the medicine from the bottle and fed it to Merry. That didn`t taste very good either, and knowing this Eglantine handed him a mug of water when he was finished. “There`s a good lad.”

Pippin was as most young hobbits are, always hungry, and while his mama saw to Merry and gave him the medicine, he climbed off the bed and helped himself to a scone and a cup of milk. “These are very good, Mer. You should try one.”

“I`m sure they are,” Merry mumbled. He was setting the mug with water back on the nightstand, but suddenly felt very drowsy and lay back against the pillows. Maybe he could manage a half scone if he set his will to it? He was thinking half-seriously about reaching for one when he yawned again and felt his eyes close against his will. His aunt adjusted the pillows and he slid down a little in the bed. Feeling the blankets being tucked in about him and a hand softly stroking his hair, Merry slept.

“Come along Pippin. You can eat elevenses in the kitchen.” Eglantine picked up the tray.

“I`ll just sit here and look out for my Merry,” he said around a mouthful of scone. “He needs me.”

Eglantine saw the determination in his eyes and nodded. “Yes he does, dear. You`re a good lad, Pippin.” She kissed his head and patted his cheek then left with the medicine bottle and the empty tea cup to write a letter to Merry`s parents. Pippin was a great support for their Merry. She couldn`t deny him this when Merry had watched over Pippin for days at a time with almost no sleep. If Pippin felt he needed to be with Merry, then she wouldn`t stand in his way.

Sitting down at the kitchen table, a lamp lit, she wondered what to write. If Merry only had a simple cold she wouldn`t worry at all about informing his parents but this wasn`t a little cold and he was still a child, even if he sometimes acted quite grown up. If she sent the letter today they could be here in four-five days time, depending on the roads and if Saradoc was at the Hall or somewhere around Buckland on business.

Dear Esmie and Sara

I hope you both are doing well. It is as always a joy for us to have Merry here and he is a great help to both Paladin and me. Pippin is of course very happy about his visit too. I am sorry to say though that I have bad news for you, and I thought you should know right away…

Finished with that letter, Eglantine thought it best to inform Frodo and Bilbo too. Merry and Frodo was almost as close as Pippin and Merry were, and Merry would be happy to have his Frodo here. Eglantine was fond of Frodo and thought it would be nice to have him and Bilbo for a visit too. They would also be able to arrive faster than Esmie and Sara would, and besides, Frodo and Pippin were good friends and Pippin could do with the support of another lad that loved Merry as much as he himself did. Eglantine sent Pimpernel off to Tuckborough with the letters and then informed her family that they would be getting more guests in a couple of days. Pippin was, as she suspected, overjoyed to hear that Frodo would come but sad that Merry would be sick when he arrived.

“I know dear, but he loves our Merry too, and I think he would want especially want to be with Merry now that he is ill. He can help us look out for Merry.”

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Authors Note:  Farmers checkers is literally translated from the word “bondesjakk” in Norwegian and known in English as tic tac toe. I am using the name “farmers checkers” as I believe it is more hobbity.