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LifeWatch by Lindelea	5 Review(s)
Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 6/6/2006
I'm not surprised Frodo thinks he's dead. It must be beyond belief to lose consciousness on Mount Doom and wake in the garden of Ithilien. Having Gandalf where you want him. There's something very scary about that thought! It'll take Frodo a while to adjust - and he's only just got time for breakfast before they wake him up for the party of the season! Author Reply: I was a little surprised to read it (Frodo's waking up thinking he was dead) in a Shirebound story, at least I think it was a Shirebound story, way back when I was starting to write fanfic. I thought I had thought of it myself! LOL! I had not yet heard of that acronym: GMTA.

Pearl Took	Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 6/5/2006
Ahhhhh! Sweet relief! And dear Frodo panicing a bit when he does his head count, bless him :) " 'In the meantime, I have Gandalf just where I want him, and I'm not going to let him get away until he answers some questions.' The wizard's joyful laughter followed Merry from the grove." What a wonderful sound that laughter had to be!!! MEWD m'dear! Author Reply: I imagine Frodo would do a head count, first thing. I remember Sam's thoughts on Gandalf's laughter. What was it, something like rain on a parched land? I think it must have been a wonderful sound.

Andrea	Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 6/5/2006
He looked at Merry, who was still beyond speech. 'Where is this place? How did you get here? Are we dead, then?' His own eyes filled with tears. 'O Merry, did you die as well?' Oh, this is heartbreaking - and absolutely Frodo! Not only his eyes filled with tears, I can assure you. I'm glad that Merry has his Frodo back. In these first moments after awakening Frodo was the one to comfort Merry and to let Merry forget all his burdens. But I'm afraid there will be times, when it's the other way around. I just hope for more time for Merry to heal himself. Author Reply: Aw. I enjoyed writing this story from Merry's viewpoint, and allowing him the privilege of being there when Frodo first awakened, though JRRT didn't give us any details except to say that Sam slept through it all. It might have been nice for Pippin to be there too, but as he was newly recovered himself, and thus to be shielded from strain both joyful as well as difficult, and very fidgity at the best of times, I imagined that there might have been plausible reasons for his not being on the spot. Thanks! Author Reply: p.s. I'm sure that Merry comforts Frodo as much as Frodo allows (meaning that I think Frodo likely hid his illness from Merry as well as Sam).

AspenJules	Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 6/2/2006
Amazing how much Frodo has returned to himself already, comforting Merry like the older cousin always has. There had to be a lot of grief, not just the strain of the last two weeks, that Merry got rid of right then. hehehe... and then how nice it is to get back to hobbit mischief, with Merry pinching Frodo, apparently fairly hard, to convince him he's not dead, or dreaming. That made me laugh! And now Frodo will get some answers, and I am caught up and will give you a rest from all my reviews in one day! LOL Author Reply: Actually, it was lovely to read all your reviews in one day! When I had more reading time, I used to review every single chapter I read, even if I was reading a multi-chaptered story from start to finish, giving my reactions to the material in each chapter. I love that sense of connexion between reader and author that feedback gives, that "meeting of minds" in a manner of speaking. Sometimes it is a comfort in the midst of one's troubles to be able to comfort another. I don't know how much of it was Frodo momentarily forgetting his "failure" in the joy of reawakening, and how much was responding to Merry's need. I've never seen Frodo as completely depressed and melancholic from the time of his awakening in Cormallen until his sailing from the Grey Havens. Quieter, maybe, and more thoughtful, and at times overwhelmed by pain, but still some hobbitiness remaining in his ability to love his cousins, and his care for Sam, even to ensuring Sam's future when his departure became inevitable. Whew, I'm wordy today! But thanks.

shirebound	Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 6/2/2006
Frodo extended his hands, looking from one to the other, then seemed to be taking inventory of the rest of himself. 'It's like waking up on my birthday,' he said, 'with the day all fresh and new and full of promise.' Gandalf sat down next to Frodo, gathering him under one arm the way a mother bird might cover a nestling with her wing. 'I have Gandalf just where I want him, and I'm not going to let him get away until he answers some questions.' The wizard's joyful laughter followed Merry from the grove. Awwww! I do love all this joy, gentleness, wonder, and discovery. Author Reply: Ah, yes. I love reading stories about Frodo's awakening, the wonder he must have felt, the joy that must have been there (even if later, his "failure" was to haunt him, as JRRT said in his letters). And how lovely for Gandalf to be able to be a gentle and kindly old "man" once more, a grandfatherly figure and not some great lord.

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