When Halmir had fallen asleep, Sam went to check on Frodo. His master was reading in his bed. He was so intent on the book in front of him he didn’t even noticed Sam. Sam noticed with relief that, though Frodo looked sick, he looked a sight better than last night. He shuddered as he pictured again Frodo’s eyes staring unresponsively ahead. He heard a small sound like a sigh and looked to see Frodo was now staring at him.

"Something wrong, Sam?" Frodo asked pointedly. Concern creased his brow.

"Oh. No, sir. Well, leastways, not with me. Halmir..."

At the mention of the lad’s name, Frodo closed the book (making sure the bookmark was in place, though) and beckoned Sam over. "I’d be a fool if I thought you haven’t been wondering about what was bothering the lad."

Sam blushed a bit. "Well, now that you mention it, I was curious."

"Oh Sam, the poor lad. I was going back to my room when I heard him sniffling. I went in to comfort him. He tried to hide it, but I think my presence disappointed him or something. No, maybe not disappoint...brought some unpleasant memory was more like it. At any rate, he did let me comfort him. I couldn’t get anything from him, but the incident only served to confirm our fears. I held out my arms to him and he just started sobbing." Frodo had hardly finished the last word before he was attacked by a racking cough. He was left gasping. "Sam, it’s...it’s not that bad." He wheezed, looking pleadingly at Sam.

Sam studied the very red face and shook his head. "I’m telling Lord Strider, sir. Or perhaps Miriel."

"Tell Miriel about what, Sam?" A feminine voice sounded from the doorway. Frodo glanced down at his nightshirt and blushed. "The cough I just heard from you, L...Frodo?"

Frodo, still blushing, stubbornly looked out the window.

"Yes, Miss Miriel." Sam said pointedly. "If you heard it, you know what I mean. It rattles a bit in the chest, it does."

This brought concern to Miriel’s face. "That’s not good a’tall. Especially since you were out in the rain."

"It’s nothing." Frodo’s arguments were growing weaker.

"Let me listen to your chest, Frodo."

The poor Hobbit shot a look at Sam that clearly said, ‘I’ll take any medicine, but please save me from this!’ Sam just shook his head. Looking from his gardener to the young healer before him, Frodo wondered if he could run. His notion was quickly dispelled by the looks on both of the faces before him. So he meekly let the healer listen to him breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out. When she was done, Miriel looked relieved.

"It hasn’t developed into congestion of the lungs yet. Thankfully. But you need to drink lots of fluids. I have an expectorant that you should take every four hours. Sam, if you would follow me to the kitchen, I can show you how to administer it."

"Thank you, Miss." Sam followed her out.

Manners wouldn’t let Frodo go without at least a mumbled thanks before he buried his head under the covers.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chink!

Frodo looked immensely pleased with himself. He took Halmir’s Queen piece with a "Check Mate!" as he placed the piece into the box with a bunch of other stone peasants, a soldier, a guard and both bards.

Out of five games, this was Frodo’s second time winning. It took him a while to get used to the Gondorian version of the Hobbit game. And it had been so long since he last played the Hobbit game, the similarities hardly helped him. But once he did get the hang of it, he was doing quite well.

"Play again?" He asked eagerly.

Halmir’s brown eyes shone with defeated pride. "Are you ready to be defeated?"

Frodo’s blue eyes shone with fun. "I believe the question is, are *you* ready for defeat?"

Eagerly, the two set there stone figures onto the chequered board. It was decided between them that the loser got the first move, so Halmir moved his peasant two spaces. Frodo moved his one. Just as Halmir was about to attack Frodo’s piece, the door opened and they heard Pippin cry, "Sam! Frodo! Halmir! Merry’s come home!" Frodo and Halmir jumped up and raced to the door to greet their cousin and comrade.

"Merry!" They cried together. For the second time in twenty four hours, Sam and Miriel gave their charges a reprimanding look. And also for the second time, the would-be invalids took no heed.

Merry was leaning on Pippin’s arm, but returned the welcoming hugs with equal fervor.

Frodo lingered the longest in his embrace, "Oh, Mer! I’m so glad you’re alright. I was...I’m just glad you’re not hurt!"

"Me, too!" Merry said with feeling. "And you look...not too good."

Frodo sighed and lifted his eyes to the ceiling. "I’m fine. If I hear that I don’t look well one more time..."

Aragorn popped his head in the door. "I cannot stay. I have pressing matters to attend. Merry, you need your rest. And so do you Frodo. You don’t look well." To the King’s bafflement, all gathered burst into laughter. But as his matters were pressing indeed, he merely shook his head and left the Hobbits, lad and healer to their seemingly unfounded laughter.

Pippin and Merry were shown to Merry’s room, which had the bigger bed. Though Merry was far better than any could have hoped for, the rain and wind did it’s work on him and he had a case of the sniffles. He was also weakened and so the long walk (he had refused the litter or being carried) from the Houses of Healing to the Guest House was especially tiring. Frodo, Pippin and Halmir gathered onto Merry’s bed. Sam was in the kitchen preparing tea. None of the four dared mention the night before. The conversation was steered artfully clear of the subject, if only for Halmir’s sake. By the time Sam came in with a tray of steaming mugs, the group was laughing at some memory of the cousins’s or other.

"There now, lads. My mum used to say, ‘Samwise, there’s nothing better than a cuppa tea when yer under the weather.’" This elicited much laughter, as Sam had put on a comical imitation of his mother, keeping in mind that she also said cheer was a an even better remedy than tea.

*~*~*~*~*~*

TBC...

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A/N: Sorry if the ending was...abrupt. Sam has a broken leg in my other universe. I have to see to him. :)