“You are so slow!” cried Merimas.

“You’re the slowest hobbit in Buckland!” teased Berilac.

“You’re so slow, I don’t even want to live with you anymore,” cried Frodo.

“But Frodo—I thought you loved me no matter what! I will run faster for you, I promise--- don’t leave me to go to Hobbiton!” cried Merry.

“ I’m sorry, Merry, but Bilbo runs faster. I will want him to be my running partner instead!”

“But Frodo! Frodo you’re my bestest cousin, please don’t leave me? Please? I’ll be good! Frodo!”

Frodo had Bilbo’s old maps to Erebor sprawled out on the desk at the Second Common Room. Frodo was all packed and ready to leave. Frodo seemed like he was packing and going east, away from the Shire….

“Why are you leaving the Shire, Frodo? Don’t leave without me! Don’t go where I can’t follow!”

“I’m sorry Merry, young hobbit-lads like you aren’t able to go on great Quests like these--- only tweenagers are allowed.”

“But Frodo! I’m your favorite cousin, aren’t I? I thought we were best cousins Frodo!”

“Frodo!”

“Merry, awake! It’s just a dream. Merry!”

Merry wearily opened his eyes. What happened? He struggled to wake up while a coughing fit seized him. His head was throbbing, he was hot, and he felt achy all over. He saw his Da standing next to the bed looking very worried and he noticed a strange hobbit lass reapplying cool cloths to his side and neck. She was saying something, and Merry liked the sound of he voice even though he didn’t know who she was.

“There’s a good hobbit lad—now open your mouth. That’s good.” Amaryllis helped Merry to a sitting position, while bringing a cup of willow bark tea to Merry’s lips. She gently massaged the liquid down his throat.

Merry coughed and shuddered at the horrible taste. “Mama? Mama?”

“Yes, dearest Merry? Is there anything I can do?” Esmeralda asked. Amaryllis suggested that she give Merry some water to get rid of the bad taste.

“How? What happ---” Merry coughed before finishing the question.

“Here, rest easy, you’ve been very sick, dear. Amaryllis, the healer, is here and she has been helping you to get better. How are you feeling?”

“Awful, Ma—I feel like,” but before Merry could finish, he got sick and vomited up all the medicine that he had been given.

Merry laid back into his pillows feeling weak and nauseated. He felt gentle hands pick him up and change his soiled pajamas.

Merry shivered and closed his eyes, feeling his Ma’s familiar cool touch and mumbled, “Ma—I feel ….terrible.”

“Poor baby, I know.” Esmeralda held Merry gently as Saradoc gave their son more water and waited for the stronger medicinal teas to finish brewing. Together they told him stories, whispered encouraging thoughts to him, and did what they could to keep Merry awake until the teas were ready.

Frodo and Bilbo reached Brandy Hall in record time. They traveled the twenty leagues in a very short time and reached the Hall just after sunset. They had started out from Hobbiton around mid-afternoon, and they traveled very quickly by Shire standards. . They hurriedly went into Brandy Hall in search of Merry. They were worried when they saw the somber faces of their Brandybuck cousins.

“Where’s Merry? How’s Merry?” cried Frodo immediately when Menegilda and Rorimac answered the door.

“Frodo! I wasn’t expecting you! He’s quite sick—and has a bad fever and cough, it seems,” said Menegilda with a look of surprise and distress. “The healer, Amaryllis Goldenfoot, is here and she has been brewing many medicinal teas for young Merry.” She looked over and noticed Bilbo for the first time since the two had entered the Hall. She tried to smile as she greeted him. “Ah Bilbo—how nice to see you.”

“Poor lad—can I go see him?” Frodo interrupted anxiously before Bilbo had a chance to reply to Menegilda’s greeting.

“Seeing that he is awfully fond of you, I’m sure that he will be glad to see you,” replied Rorimac who had been standing just behind Menegilda. “It’s a dreadful fever. I need to warn you that Merry’s been very ill.”

“I don’t care; I just want to see my Merry.”

Frodo and Bilbo entered the sickroom and saw Saradoc, Esmeralda and Amaryllis all sit next to Merry’s bed. Merry was trying hard to stay awake while the healer gave him another cup of tea. Saradoc was alternating the cold compresses on Merry’s forehead and neck. Esmeralda was stroking Merry’s head, and quietly coaxing him to take his medicine. Merry looked pale and Frodo noticed that the lad was much thinner than he’d been the last time they had been together.

“Merry!”

Merry’s blue eyes opened wide in happy surprise. He was so very excited to see Frodo.

“You came --back ---I missed you,” Merry whispered hoarsely as Esmeralda moved away while Frodo gathered his young cousin into his arms and hugged him gently.

Frodo felt the warmth emanating from Merry. He was upset and frightened that his little cousin should have such a high fever. The poor lad really much be very ill. “What happened? You must get better quick, all right? I will be your personal nurse only if you get better and then we can play and I’ll bring you on an adventure all right?”

“Frodo---don’t ever go on an adventure and leave me behind…I pwomise I’ll try to get better, but make Mama and Da stop giving me yucky medicines--- They really taste bitter,” whispered Merry clutching onto Frodo tightly.

“Now, Merry taking your medicine is the first step in getting better. Now how did you become so sick?”

“I don’t know—“ Merry coughed. “I ran-- in the –rain—Berilac and Merimas were racing so I joined them…think it was yesterday?”

“It was two days ago, sweetie,” said Esmeralda, stroking Merry’s curls.

“Now, Merry must rest his voice and not talk so much,” interjected Amarillyis. “He has a serious throat infection. He needs bed rest until the fever breaks and he needs to drink the teas whenever he is awake. To prevent the Winter Sickness, Merry should drink lots of water, keep drinking the teas, and always take some food with the medicine. He is more alert now which is good. He is better than he was yesterday.”

“How did Merry become so sick? Running in the rain, is that all?” asked Bilbo.

“He seemed to be on the cusp of getting sick three days ago when he had a sore throat. He wasn’t sleeping or eating well,” said Saradoc. “Running in the rain with the wind still coming from the North wasn’t a smart idea. Berilac and Merimas both have colds too.”

Frodo felt even guiltier—did his departure make his young cousin sick? Was Merry that depressed over his leaving? Frodo hugged Merry tighter. “I’m here for you now, and you’re going to get better really quickly, all right?”

“My Fwodo,” whispered Merry nodding his head as he cuddled into Frodo.

“I’m glad you came, Frodo—We thought that you would be the best medicine for Merry,” said Esmeralda.

Amaryllis had left for the night. With the Frodo’s insistence, Esmeralda and Saradoc retired to their sleeping quarters. Frodo said that he would stay with Merry throughout the night. Frodo stayed by Merry’s bedside the whole night giving him water, alternating cold compresses, and making him drink the echinacea and peppermint teas. Frodo also got some juice for Merry, knowing that he must keep hydrated.

Merry was restless, and his throat was bothering him most of all. His fever had abated a little bit for the moment but he was also excited that Frodo was with him.

“Frodo?”

“Yes, dearest Merry?”

“I wanted to come visit you too, but the adults wouldn’t let me.”

“I was faster and came to visit you first,” said Frodo as he kissed Merry on the nose.

Merry smiled. Now that Frodo was here, he was happy even though he was sick. He felt relaxed enough to go back to sleep even after a fever induced nightmare. Frodo sang a soft lullaby that he had recently learned from Bilbo and covered Merry with a soft, silky blanket. The blanket was one that Frodo used whenever he got sick as a child. The blanket was light enough so that it didn’t make fevered patients feel too warm but it was cozy enough to keep out the chill. Frodo was glad to see Merry’s eyes close as the child fell into a peaceful slumber. Only then did Frodo dare to close his own eyes and nap for a while on the sofa beside Merry’s bed.