Chapter 36. Recovering Nicely

When Fescue returned to the infirmary, Woodruff in tow and Diamond and Eglantine trailing behind, a burst of laughter filled the air, spilling out of Ferdibrand’s room. Woodruff moved to the fore, but her outrage died in the face of the scene she confronted as she crossed the threshold.

Ferdi’s room approximated a flowery dell, with leafy branches surrounding the bed and jugs of wildflowers on every surface. Young hobbits were everywhere, including two babes, one asleep on Ferdi’s lap and another sleeping peacefully in the arms of the Thain, despite the bright chatter that filled the room to overflowing.

 ‘What is this?’ Woodruff said, hands on hips and eyebrows about as high as they could go.

 ‘We’re cheering Ferdi!’ little Pip-lad Gamgee said with a grin.

 ‘I should say you are!’ Eglantine said, sitting down in the chair that Elanor hastily vacated. ‘I might have asked how you’re feeling, Ferdi, but I can see the answer for myself.’

 ‘I am well,’ Ferdi said after hastily swallowing a mouthful of tender ham. He was nearly done with his second plateful of breakfast, and Rosemary had gladly gone to fetch a third.

 ‘I’ll be the judge of that,’ Woodruff said briskly, advancing on the bed. All her senses, however, told her that Ferdi was speaking truth in the matter, before she took one of his wrists in her hand and fixed him with a piercing gaze.

The  head of the Thain’s escort had a sparkle in his eye that had been missing for some days--since Tolly’s wedding if the truth be made known. He had colour in his face and an energetic mien for one who’d spent the past week in bed, recovering from mauling and blood loss.

 ‘When can I get up?’ Ferdi asked as Woodruff let go his wrist.

 ‘You are much better,’ she said, ‘but not as well as you think! That leg’s not stitched up yet, and...’

 ‘Then stitch it up!’ Ferdi said. ‘What are we waiting for? I cannot languish the rest of the month in bed; there’s work to be done!’

Woodruff patted his shoulder. ‘We might stitch it up today, if there’s no sign of red swelling,’ she said. From the look of him, she rather doubted there would be. Ferdi looked ready to spring from the bed and ride another race. Woodruff suppressed a sigh. She supposed she’d never know what had made the difference, from the listless patient of this morning to the impatient hobbit that confronted her now. ‘In any event,’ she said, ‘I’ll need to shoo away all your visitors, for they don’t need to see it. And then we’ll give you a nice sleeping draught, and...’

 ‘No draught!’ Ferdi said firmly.

 ‘There’s quite a bit of stitching to do,’ Woodruff said as firmly. Secretly she was pleased at this evidence of Ferdi’s recovery: he was fighting the healers once more.

Pippin of all hobbits leaned forward to say quietly, ‘Take the draught, cousin, and let Woodruff do her embroidery upon your leg while you rest and gather strength. The morrow is soon enough...’

 ‘Morrow!’ Woodruff sputtered, but the Thain continued calmly.

 ‘Or the day after, should the stitches need time to take hold,’ he said. ‘We’ll find a stout stick for you to walk with and have you out of the bed in no time.’

This announcement was met with a cheer loud enough to waken the sleeping babes. Elanor hastily took up little Daisy, and Diamond took Harlo, promising to return him to the bosom of his admiring family, and it was not long before all the young hobbits had left the room, calling farewells to Ferdi and promising to be back in time for tea. Rosemary, swimming against the tide, brought Ferdi’s third plate of breakfast and stood uncertainly in the face of the head healer, Thain, and Eglantine.

In the sudden quiet, Woodruff said, ‘Well, then. Let us see to the leg.’

 ‘But what about...?’ Rosemary said.

 ‘You just sit yourself down, Rosie,’ Woodruff said. ‘Have a bite. You’re looking a little peaked.’

Rosemary sat obediently, still holding the plate.

Woodruff extracted Ferdi’s empty plate from him, laying it down on the nearby little table, and said, ‘Now, Ferdi, if you’d roll to your side...’

She lifted the blankets away, undid the loose dressing that Fescue had tied on only an hour or so earlier, and gently examined the leg while the others watched. ‘Hmmm,’ she said.

 ‘What does “Hmmm” mean?’ Ferdi wanted to know.

 ‘It is healing nicely, as I told you this morning,’ Woodruff said. ‘We’ll stitch it up today, and another week in bed...’

 ‘A week!’ Ferdi and Pippin said together, causing Eglantine to eye her son narrowly.

 ‘Well,’ Woodruff said unruffled, ‘if you’ll promise me you won’t try to sneak out of the bed too early and burst your stitches, I might let you up before... if you’re careful... and keep the weight off the leg...’

Ferdi nodded. Riding ponyback would certainly keep weight off the leg.

As if she guessed his thoughts, Woodruff shook a finger at him. ‘And no riding!’ she said. ‘I’m serious, Ferdibrand. I know as well as you do the strain that riding puts upon the muscles! You may sit, or lean upon a stick, while you work with that wild pony, but if you ride too soon you’ll undo all my efforts.’

She held his gaze until he nodded, and then gave a satisfied jerk of her own chin. ‘We’ll heal you, in spite of yourself,’ she said. ‘In the meantime, eat well, rest well, think good thoughts...’

Rosemary had started up from her chair at Woodruff’s “eat well”. ‘His breakfast,’ she said, extending the plate, its contents complete save the buttered crumpet she’d absently eaten while watching Woodruff examine her brother’s leg. ‘It’s not gone cold yet.’

 ‘Cold or no, I could eat another plateful or three yet,’ Ferdi said. ‘I don’t know why, but I’m that hungered...’ He waited just long enough for Woodruff to do up the dressing again and pull the coverlet up before he rolled onto his back, sat up, and took the plate from his sister.

 'Eat hearty,' Pippin said in leaving, and Ferdi looked up and nodded, his mouth too full to make reply.