PART FIVE: Interlude

“Merry!” Pippin looked on in rising fear as Merry struggled to speak, then slipped into unconsciousness. He did not look good at all and he was burning up with fever! Pippin patted Merry’s cheek gently, trying unsuccessfully to rouse him, then looked across to Frodo, reaching over to feel that he burned with fever too. Frodo did not look to have moved since Pippin had gone to sleep. Both of his cousins were obviously very ill, and terribly frightened, Pippin shot to his feet and ran over to where Strider was sleeping. He came awake at once as Pippin touched his shoulder and was at Frodo and Merry’s side bare seconds after Pippin explained what was wrong. With Pippin hovering anxiously beside him, Strider began to check them over, beginning with Frodo as he had taken the more serious wound. Feeling Frodo shifting, Sam came awake and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

“Is it my watch?” He asked groggily.

“No. Not yet.” Aragorn said.

Sam sat bolt upright when he saw that Aragorn was feeling Frodo`s wrist, gauging his pulse. “Mr. Frodo? Strider? What is happening?”

“Merry woke up, feeling ill and tried to check on Frodo but couldn’t manage,” Pippin said brokenly, tears running down his cheeks. He sat by his cousins` heads and stroked first one curly head, then the other. “He woke me and then passed out and I went to get Strider.”

Kneeling on the hobbits nest of blankets, Aragorn next felt Merry and Frodo`s faces to measure the fever before he gently shook them to see if they would wake up. Neither of them responded. Both Sam and Pippin were wide awake and alert by now, watching Aragorn`s ministrations keenly.

“I will need your help, both of you. Sam, would you build up the fire, then get some cold water? Pippin, you will find some clean cloths in my pack. We need to get their temperatures down first, before anything else. They are burning up, Frodo especially.”

Both hobbits sprang into action and a moment later Sam`s biggest pan was placed by the blankets, filled to the brim with cold water. Pippin lay a pile of cloths down beside it. Sam dipped one of the cloths in water and carefully started washing Frodo`s face. Pippin took another cloth and started on Merry, gently wiping away the sweat that gathered on his brow. Reassured that Sam and Pippin had their tasks well in hand, Aragorn looked more intently at the unconscious hobbits. After his examination he reached for Frodo`s bandaged hand and peeled away the wrapping. The red marks on his palm were livid and his hand was swollen. Both Pippin and Sam paled a little as they saw the red flesh. Next Aragorn unwrapped Merry`s hand and probed the red mark on his palm. Merry`s hand was also livid and swollen but not nearly as bad as Frodo`s. Neither Frodo nor Merry so much as stirred during his examination.

“Continue what you are doing. I will make a tonic for them both to drink and then make another poultice. Call me if either of them awakens.” Aragorn fetched his pack and one of Sam`s pans before heading for the River.

“How are they?” Legolas whispered. His elven hearing had not missed Merry`s whimper and he had heard everything that had happened since, but as the situation was being handled competently by others he had remained at his post.

“They both have been overcome by the fish’s poison, and I`m worried about Frodo. And Merry. Merry has been awake but just barely and Pippin tells me he couldn`t seem to move without great effort. As Frodo was more badly bitten than Merry I`m afraid he might be completely paralysed. I badly misjudged the potency of the fish’s poison I fear, but I have never heard of one so dangerous to a creature so much larger than itself. It is well we did not eat it, or I fear the Quest would have ended for all of us.”

“Is there anything to be done?” Legolas asked, deep concern written on his ageless features.

“Yes. I`m making a tonic and a poultice now and if Pippin and Sam can manage to get Frodo and Merry’s temperatures down I think they will be all right. The poison will wear off, and I believe the paralysis to be temporary; it is the side effects that will cause them harm if we do not prevent it.”

A few moments later, Aragorn returned to the hobbits` sleeping place with a steaming mug. Gently he lifted Frodo from Sam`s care and fed the tonic to him, stroking his throat to encourage Frodo to swallow. Filling the mug anew he repeated these actions with Merry. He then proceeded to wrap first Frodo`s then Merry`s hands in the freshly made poultices. If the swelling was not down by morning he would have to cut into them to drain the poison and he very much hoped that would not be necessary.

Both Pippin and Sam were silent as Aragorn worked. Pippin felt too scared to say anything. What if he lost his Merry, or Frodo? What if he lost both his cousins? Could the fish bite be that serious?

“Mr. Pippin?” Sam scooted over to where Pippin sat by Merry`s side and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Without noticing, Pippin had started to cry and silent tears ran down his cheeks. “It`s not as bad as that. Mr. Frodo and Mr. Merry are strong, and we’ve got Strider here to look after them. They`ll get through this, just you wait and see.” Sam was scared himself, but Pippin was just as scared, if not more so.

Sniffling, Pippin nodded and dried his tears with his sleeve. “Yes I know, Sam. But Merry sounded so ill when he talked to me and hasn’t stirred since, and Frodo hasn’t woken up at all. What if they die? I can`t lose both my cousins! Oh, Sam…”

“Sssh. Don`t you worry Mr. Pippin. Strider knows what to do and he has healed both of them before and they have both been right as rain after. I`m sure they’ll be all right this time too.” Sam`s voice quavered a little as he said this. He was awfully worried about his master and his friend.

“Sam is right, Pippin. The tonic I just gave them and the poultice should help a great deal. Just you continue to try and keep their fevers down and Merry and Frodo should wake up in the morning feeling much better.”

“All right Strider, Sam. If you say so.” Pippin dried his tears and tried to be brave for the two hobbits he loved most in the whole world. Sam had gone back to sit by Frodo now, and was lovingly wiping the wet cloth over Frodo`s brow. Even in the dim light of the fire and the faint stars, Pippin could see the hectic red spots on his face. Merry was no better and softly brushing Merry`s curls away, Pippin traced the wet cloth over his beloved cousin`s features.

And so the night passed. Aragorn gave the unconscious cousins another dose of tonic and when there was no more water in Sam`s pan, he refilled it, directing Sam to stay with Frodo. When the time came for Sam to take his watch Legolas came over and with soft words said that Sam had enough with watching over his master now and that he would take Sam`s watch too. Relieved, Sam thanked him and remained in his place by Frodo`s head.

The night deepened and as the first light of dawn brightened the sky Aragorn woke Boromir and Gimli and told them what had happened and they held a little council. Neither Merry nor Frodo had woken, but to everyone’s relief both patient‘s fevers were reduced and the livid marks looked to be healing nicely, especially on Merry`s hand.

Aragorn debated with himself a moment before speaking to the others. “We need to get an early start. However, I would like to see both our patients awake at least before we enter the boats and set off downstream again. Let us wait here until the sun is up and then I shall examine them both carefully in the light of day before we set out.” Aragorn looked at them one after another and all nodded in agreement.

“What if they remain unconscious? Could we not let them sleep in the boats? Surely that would not harm them?” Boromir said.

“That is true. It would not harm them to sleep in the boats but I cannot look after both of them while we are on the River and I would like for at least one of them to be alert and awake as we set out, even if he sleeps again soon after. Gimli, would you see to it that the fire is burning brightly and Boromir, would you assist Sam in making breakfast? Pippin can watch over both his cousins for a while.”

Pippin, who still sat by Merry, looked down as a small movement caught his eye. Merry was moving his head and then moaned slightly.

“Strider! Merry is waking up!”