You Never Did Like That Engine

by Llinos
beta Marigold

"Crushed! What do you mean crushed?" Pippin had been allowed to sit up for the first time in a week and the specialist healer, brought all the way from Tookland to set his fractured leg, had decreed the Thain was fit enough to hear some news.

"Underneath the Green Dragon," Merry explained. "The whole building collapsed."

"Well I don't know which is worse!" Pippin sighed. "Losing the engine, or the Green Dragon."

"The important thing," Diamond soothed, "is that we didn't lose you!"

"Besides," Merry grinned. "It's not all bad."

"No," Sam nodded in agreement. "As my old gaffer always used to say, 'it's an ill wind as blows nobody no good, and all's well as ends better!'"

"Better?" Pippin narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You two are keeping something from me. How can losing the pub and the steam engine be better?"

"Well you see," Merry looked just a little shamefaced, "Sam and I agreed that the whole race, wager and engine situation was getting rather out of hand, that and the fact that you nearly killed yourself and quite a few of the local population in one day, to say nothing of the incidental injuries and a mounting bill for damages, so…"

"…yes, so Merry and I decided," Sam interrupted quickly, "we thought it best if we each donate the amount of the wager towards the various repairs, so that way nobody wins and nobody loses."

"I wouldn't say nobody loses," Merry said sternly. "Pippin, you caused more damage in one day than Sharkey's men could manage in a week."

"I wasn't that bad!" Pippin protested as loudly as his sore throat would allow. "It wasn't me that set fire to the Green Dragon!"

"Not directly," Merry agreed. "But it was you that sent young Herbie Pottleshaw to fetch the ale, so indirectly…"

"That's hardly fair!" Pippin muttered. "I don't go looking for disasters you know."

"True," Sam nodded, "but they do seem to have a knack of following you around."

"But don't worry about it," Merry added cheerfully. "You just take your time and get better and then we'll buy you a drink to celebrate your grand rescue."

"Yes but not in the Green Dragon," Pippin pointed out gloomily.

"Oh well," Sam shrugged, "we can always drink in the Ivy Bush."

"So it's really all gone?" Pippin's looked sadder than his friends had seen him since Frodo left. "Pub, engine, race, everything?"

"Yes, but don't you fret about anything," Merry added kindly. "It was a grand day, and nobody was permanently injured. Even you will heal in time." Then added softly, "you frightened us Pip love, nearly thought we'd lost you there for a moment."

"Could you at least get me something to lean on?" Pippin asked hopefully as Merry seemed to be softening. "Maybe help me out of this bed. I want to go and see for myself? Perhaps I can help."

"You must stay where you are, my precious," Diamond's smile lit up the room. "I've been looking forward to making a big fuss of you for the next few weeks and you wouldn't want to disappoint me, now would you dearest."

"Of course not my sweeting," Pippin lay back down on his pillows, knowing well when he was beaten. "Oh well, I suppose you're right. It might be for the best. You never did like that engine Sam."

The Thain did not make a good invalid as a rule. Diamond would frequently chide him for going out in all weathers with a bad chill, which she would describe as a possible onset of the winter sickness but which Pippin merely laughed off as "a bit of a tickle". He never reported headaches or twinges to his beloved wife for fear of being restricted to her special herbal diet and banned from pipe and brandy. But on this occasion he had had little choice.

The smoke Pippin had ingested had made breathing and talking difficult for several days, which in turn made protesting his fitness rather ridiculous. Added to which even Pippin knew he could not convince Diamond, let alone the local healer, that his leg was not broken and was just a bit of a sprain. Admittedly he had felt much worse after being flattened by the great troll in the Battle of the Black Gate, but this was certainly enough to keep him flat on his back.

Diamond had been in her element, lavishing care and healing upon her poor husband, whilst Rose had sustained a constant supply of jelly and soup to ease the invalid's throat, which Diamond had delighted in spoon feeding to the prone Pippin.

Eventually Pippin had capitulated and, taking Merry's advice to lie back and enjoy it while he could, luxuriated in the tender care of two doting females. He even tolerated Merry coming to read to him now and again from the new book he was writing on herb lore, which was a good indication to everyone (except perhaps Merry) that the Thain was decidedly under the weather.

So it was two whole months before Pippin was eventually given a pair of crutches and, aided by his attentive wife, hobbled to the front entrance of Bag End.

As the round door swung open, Pippin let out the breath he had been holding, ready to take in a deep lungful of fresh air and comparative freedom for the first time in eight weeks.

But as he started to draw in that first heady inhalation of liberty, the Thain of the Shire gasped, then choked and seemed on the verge of an imminent relapse.

"Merry!" Pippin gasped. "Me-rrrry!"

TBC