Reviews (97)

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Where I work, the workers and supervisors are mostly on the same playing field, though each sup is different. My current sup is a wonder and I can tell her anything if I was of the mind to. It's the managers that we are distanced from. Even when I was the manager's secretary, there was that distance. They can tell you things as bluntly as they want to, but you better be careful how you talk to them! But it's more than just work for me. It's the way I was raised as well. My mother came from a poor family and my father came from a working-class family. I was raised blue-collar myself and was always aware of how little money we had for the 'luxuries' that my friends had. I was always the kid with no spending money on school trips or who only got one or two presents for Christmas while everyone else got buckets full, or whose friends' parents got me things so I wouldn't feel quite as left out. There are many many reasons why I associate with Sam as much as I do, but I believe this is the biggest one. Like him, my position growing up caused me to believe that I was not worth as much as those around me. Sam, like us all, is very much a product of his society. We are all born with an innate personality, but our society plays a large part in molding it into what it will eventually become. Sam is by nature quiet, and by society unassuming. He can sit back and listen for hours, as he did in "Walking Trip" and so long as his master doesn't mind, as Frodo, Merry and Pippin talk about various ancedotes, but the minute the attention is turned to him, even though he knows they won't think any less of him for relating to them, he can't help but feel put on the spot. He's allowed some of that to shed away, as we saw in an earlier chapter of this story, but it will never be entirely gone. If Frodo and Merry were in doubt of that, then this visit by Sam's friends proved it to them.

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I see Merry as the possessive type. He's just getting used to the idea of courting Willow and now he discovers this whole other side to her job that he never considered before. He has much to learn, as does Willow. Her frank and forward approach might work with her patients, but Merry should be handled with care. lol Remembering pranks and other fun moments in time is always enjoyable and there's none better to eavesdrop on than this group of hobbits. Merry and Pippin weren't the only terror-makers in the Shire. Some of these 'simple' working lads could give them a run for their money. I did a quick internet search for herbal laxatives. Cascara sagrada, aka sacred bark, was one of the herbs most often mentioned. It's a form of aloe; senna can be used also. I chose cascara because I just loved that it's common name was sacred bark - very hobbity I thought. :D (At least this wordy wasn't completely naughty. ;) )

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He's out of the box, and half a week closer to getting the cast off as well. Just seventeen more days or so to go, and you can bet he's counting every one of them. As much as Sam knows about Frodo, it's not hard to believe that Frodo wouldn't know as much about Sam. Sam is the quiet sort and also a working class hobbit. He wouldn't volunteer information unless he felt it would help his master with something. Merry knows even less about Sam. If he thought he was making headway (and he is) then he realizes now that he still has leaps and bounds to go - and that he'll likely never be as close to Sam as he would like. At least, not until the Quest and then I'm sure he wouldn't rather have things go back to the way they were before if it meant sparing everyone such trauma.

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There's no room for class differences during a Quest of such magnitude. As the days passed, those distinctions would shed away until they were nearly non-existant, at least until they return to the Shire. Even then, Sam would be much more familiar with them than he was before. Sam can be sly - one reason he served as such a successful spy for the Conspiracy. And he seems to have a penchant for slipping things into people's drinks. He did something similar to Merry and Pippin in "Under the Harvest Moon" though he was kind and only made their drink taste funny. Karma has come back to him for that one, in the form of the healer's medicinal juice! Cascara should happen to Lotho more often. Really, it couldn't have happened to a more deserving hobbit. :P

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Sam doesn't jump to conclusions. He takes one tiny step and there conclusions are. :P Sorry, another Buffy line. I think I read that crossover too. One of the more plausible crossovers, if you ask me, given the nature of the Buffy-verse. But yes, it was weird. :) Anyway, getting back on topic... Sam knows as well as anyone else that gentry do things differently than the working class. Had he not been so wrapped up in his worries about the trust issue, he would have eventually figured that this was simply one of those things. Frodo might be frustrated by Sam at times but he knows there is simply no getting around Sam's sense of propriety. For the most part, he has stopped fighting it, but like Merry every once in awhile he lets himself forget about it and believe that he and Sam are as true friends to each other as he and Merry are. Merry was rather adorably tweenaged in this chapter. :D He is still a kid in some respects and he can prove it even without trying! He would have still been jealous, though not as much, had they not agreed to court each other, but now he doesn't have to hide the fact that he is. Willow is his first official girlfriend and he would be put off by the fact that she has 'examined' more people than he has! Willow will have to be patient and learn that Merry needs to be dealt with more personably than she is used to. And finding himself alone at the table was just the icing on the cake, lol. Sam can relax a lot around his friends and they brought him something that Frodo and Merry couldn't - a way to laugh at his predicament. Had Frodo made a joke about Sam possibly losing his leg or being paralyzed, you know Sam would have taken it far more differently! Laughter is the best medicine and his friends brought it in spades. hehe My subconscious is already working away at uncovering the full story behind that prank. :D Before the Quest, there was never going to be any way for them to get around those social barriers. Even after the Quest, some of those barriers remained, though they no longer mattered as they once did.

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Willow's very practical, as is Merry once he gets his head on straight. ;) They both realize there is little point in denying their attraction to each other because of a lass that Merry (at this time) has no chance with. Marigold is a jewel among sisters. Next to Tom, she is Sam's best friend and knows him better than just about anyone else. She approached Frodo for Sam's sake but she would have kept quiet also has Sam thought to ask her. That's her nature, nuturing and respectful, very much like her brother. Sam will never get used to the idea of his master 'doing' for him, even if he were to stay there a month or a year. He will mentally be calculating all the favors he'll owe Frodo once he's well again.

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I have no doubt that the Quest would have broken down those social barriers, though probably not completely. There's really no time or room to be very concerned about propriety when any moment you could be attacked. The need for survival demands familiarity with those around you. Sam might not have forgotten the titles when he addressed someone and he would have been the first to volunteer to do menial labor, but that's just his nature. They would have learned far more about each other, and on a far more meaningful level, during the Quest than they ever could have had they remained in the Shire. Would they have reached the level of innate understanding with each other as Sam shares with his friends here? I don't think so. There are always going to be things they do not see eye to eye on, but those things simply won't matter anymore, certainly not to the extant that they do now, after the Quest is complete. And I better stop there before this reply turns into a novel! :D

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He may only have to keep the box on for two days but he'll be wanting to toss it out the window by the time Willow returns the following afternoon. It's probably a good thing he's in a windowless room. :) It's usually the lasses that do the mending and such, but I can see Sam as having learned this valuable skill and putting it to good use, both in the garden and at home. If worse comes to worst, he can always mend clothes for a living! lol Goldie takes after her brother in many ways and she proves that here. She also has the advantage of being an objective observer. She might not know Frodo as well as Sam does but she isn't about to jump to the conclusion that his 'hovering' has anything to do with lack of trust. It helps her to get to the heart of the matter. No, it can't last and I'm actually quite disappointed about it. If only they weren't so perfectly suited for each other. Whatever happens, I think the inevitable outcome will be a mutual one - and they both stand equal chance of being hurt by it. Now that Merry has his lass, he'll start being his usual cocky self again. LOL But it was helpful for Sam to see that he does have that vulnerable side.

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I do, upon occasion, fly in the face of fanon and make up my own stuff. LOL Merry and Estella are meant to be together but they are not ready for that relationship at this point in time. They both have some growing up to do and much to learn about themselves before they can become a couple, and the future Master and Mistress of Buckland. In the meantime, Merry and Willow will get to have some fun. Marigold does have a tendency to idolize and spoil her older brother. And Sam adores her equally in return. I always enjoy seeing the two together and how they interact. Sam can't wait to get rid of that cast either! At least it won't be so bad once the box is off and he can get up and move around a bit. Prepare them for the worst and hope for the best. It's a creedo that many doctors go by and I see Willow as finding this advice very practical. If the worst winds up happening, Sam will know what to expect. If the best happens, he'll be elated. He might not like the idea of being lame but Goldie and Willow both gave him much to think about. It wouldn't be the end for him by a long shot and knowing how stubborn he is, he will find something that he can do despite any limitations.

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Whether they want to admit it or not, the class difference is always going to be an issue between these great friends. They can ignore it all they want but inevitably something like this happens - a miscommunication based on the simple fact that they both have different expectations. We'll see a little more of Willow, but any more Merry/Willow developments will likely wait for another story. She is a smart lass and she doesn't miss much. She'll keep Merry on his toes, a place he very much needs to be sometimes. ;)

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Marigold is a good sister and she tends to spoil Sam. She also doesn't hesitate to send him work to do when it needs doing. She has been busy with the Gaffer after all and she's bound to have got behind on some of her chores. Since Sam isn't doing anything anyway, he may as well help out! I wouldn't be surprised if more small tasks found their way up to him at Bag End. :) Goldie is good at putting Sam at ease, helping him understand that there are still plenty of things he can do if he can no longer garden. If it weren't for Sam's concern, or thinking that it was his fault, Marigold wouldn't have spoken with Frodo as she did. Merry and Willow are a good couple and I think they'll continue for awhile, but obviously they're not going to end up together. They're story will have to wait for another tale, but has been fun to see how they began. :)

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Poor Sam had a bombshell dropped on him. Whatever he was expecting to hear it wasn't that and it was a shock. Willow knew she needed to make Sam fear for his livelihood to keep him from getting too anxious as he begins to heal and to keep him from trying to hurry things up. I tend to agree with Merry also, but Willow knew it would make little difference how she delivered the news, so she might as well be stern and make sure Sam takes her seriously.

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Merry's really showing his true colors here and it's making a vast impression on Sam. Up to this point, Sam still had a tendency to think of Merry as a prankster, so it does help to see him being resourceful, as well as acting naturally.

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Willow is certainly going to be good for Merry. He has a lot to learn about the lasses and she's just the one to teach him. It will be hard to break them up when the time comes though. I've grown rather attached to the two of them together myself. Goldie's just like her brother in many ways. Practical, simplistic but sharp. She knows her brother well and knows what is bothering him. She was fairly certain that it was just a miscommunication but she wanted to clarify it and maybe help her brother out in the meanwhile. She may not know Frodo as well as Sam does, but she has grown up listening to her brother telling her how wonderful Frodo is, so she was comfortable enough to approach Frodo on her brother's behalf. Sam just couldn't understand why Frodo or Merry were always in the room. If he weren't being so self-conscious still about his lecture from Frodo, then he would have eventually figured it out for himself, but as it is all he could see was that they didn't trust him enough to leave him on his own. Plus there's still the issue that they are his 'betters' and he doesn't want to be more of a hassle to them than he already is, not realizing that they would hardly consider caring for him to be a hassle. I'm sure Frodo will just explain things quite the same way he did to Marigold and come up with some sort of compromise. That's Frodo for you, always finding the middle ground.

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Merry should be in turmoil more often, if this is the result! He'll certainly earn those cinnamon rolls and apple crumble if he keeps this up. :D Willow doesn't kid around! She might tease mercilessly, but when she gets serious, she gets serious! I think Merry will learn a lot from her. She's got a good, sensible head on her shoulders and Merry needs someone like that right now. Estella will be benefiting from this later. She will have to thank Willow when the time comes. ;) hehe Yes I doubt that Merry would keep quiet about a lass that Pippin was interested in, even if it was only to pester Pippin mercilessly about it! Not that Pippin doesn't reciprocate. He'll be much disappointed that he missed this visit when Merry and Frodo tell him about it later. He'll have a lot of teasing and jesting to catch up on. :) And what is up with that letter? It's one of those quirky details that come out of nowhere. I'm sure the usual messenger was probably just sick or unavailable. We'll have to wait and see about Sam going to visit Fred. He'll have to do *something* while they're gone, if he can't go. Maybe stay with Daisy, most likely. Marigold is much like her brother, in that's she observant and practical. She was comfortable enough with Frodo to approach him on her brother's behalf and get to the heart of the problem. Her suspicions that is was a miscommunication was correct, but if it had still been a trust issue, I'm sure she would have had words to say to Frodo about that also - had she been able to work up the nerve to say them. And Rosie will be more than happy to play healer to Sam. :D

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Sam was at his lowest and needed a little pick me up. That dream was just the comfort he needed, and waking to find Frodo there helped also. It's not the same as familial love but his master takes every bit as good care of Sam as his family would. Merry is being shown no mercy by the lasses. First Willow and now Marigold. Good thing he didn't stop to consider what Tom would do if he were caught 'taking advantage', forget about Sam. :D Sam was the best person for Merry to turn to with his dilemma though and while Merry hasn't untangled all his worries, Sam's and Frodo's advice did help considerably. Sam's not in for a very happy time right now. First the ankle, then the cast and now that horrid juice. He'll be counting down the days to when he doesn't have to drink that anymore. You can bet that Frodo and Merry will do what they can to keep him from getting too bored though. As for your questions: yes, the snow is keeping Goldie from leaving No. 3 and yes, Goldie will be making anothe appearance in the next chapter, and there will be other visitors to keep Sam company in following chapters. Concerned Gaffer is a treat, isn't he? :D

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Merry is much to overly confident in himself most times. It's nice to see him for once turned completely upside down. Seeing his more vulnerable side will only reinforce to Sam that Merry is just a normal hobbit and knowing that Merry went to him first is bound to make him feel more secure in their friendship. Sam knows he just has to grin and bear it. He can't go home, not yet at any rate and his family can't come to him. The juice will continue to be horrid, but he will get a little accustomed to it as the weeks pass. By the time the cast comes off, he should be able to suppress his gag reflex with expert ease. :)

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Sam was the obvious person for Merry to go to with this problem, not only because Sam would have more experience with relationships but also because Sam is, as Merry says, more practical. Frodo had some wise advice also, despite his apparent lack of experience. Merry will have much to think about. After Sam expressed his wish to dream about his mother, I just couldn't let that go. Sam would have taken great comfort in seeing her during a very troublesome time for him. Now if only Bell could somehow make that medicine go away! Poor Sam is going to have to suffer to heal. Marigold is the best sister. She just adores Sam and spoils him rotten in her own way. Even if she doesn't often have to tend to a sick or injured Sam, she remembered what comforted him or distracted him during previous illnesses and packed them right up.

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Merry's fated to be with Estella in the end, but he also can't continue to sit around and wait for the possibility that she might break up with Gordi. Merry and Sam do have much more in common than they originally thought. Certainly their closeness in age and their experiences with lasses, as minimal as they might be, are a help in this situation. Their differences are also a help here. Sam is better at breaking down a problem and coming up with the simplest solution. Merry can't have Estella, and he can't just wait around, and he likes Willow who likes him in return. Easy as pie, as far as Sam is concerned. Frodo would see both sides, and he might be tempted to repeat that lecture to Willow when he sees her next. He's not convinced (and neither is Merry very certain) that Willow meant was she said. hehe Goldie would just have to go and (unintentionally) muddle Merry's mind all the more! Merry forgot to factor in Tom into the equation of why he should keep his distance from her. Good thing too or he probably would have bolted! I have a feeling that bath he took was a cold one. ~_^

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Merry should just make it really simple and draw names from a hat. Whichever name he draws, that will be his lass! Sam has a knack for simplifying things and reducing them to their more basic parts. Once you're able to do that, solutions usually become very clear. In this respect, it's a good thing that he and Merry as so different from each other. Merry can always rely on him to cut through the tangles of a complicated situation. LOL Pippin will be changing his mind soon enough. He'll realize that lasses aren't poisonous or infectious (so long as the lass isn't Vinca!) and he'll move on to being preoccupied with the importance of hand size! :P

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Sam expressed his wish in the previous chapter to see his mother, and his brain must have been listening! It was a great comfort to him to see her. Nasty medicine! I wouldn't want to be in Sam's place, knowing I'd have to drink it again and for another three weeks at that. If only we could heal as quickly as we're injured, but then we wouldn't be as careful, would we? Thanks for reading!

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Merry tends to over-analyze things to the point that he's running about in circles. Sam doesn't do that. He cuts right to the chase and he's a master of finding the simple solution - which usually tends to be the best one. Sam might not think he's as smart as his 'betters' but Merry knows otherwise. Plus, Merry knows that Sam would be able to relate on a personal level, which always helps. Frodo would consider all sides, not just Merry's. He might have an urge to repeat his advice to Willow next time he sees her, but if Sam's the master of simplicity, then Frodo is the master of restraint. ;) He'll trust Merry to make the decision he thinks is best. No matter how old we get, when we're really down and out, we always want our mom. Sam's no different and he got his wish here. Sam would have no way of knowing what was really happening to him and so his brain made sense of it as best it could. I can very much imagine that Halfred or even Hamson would have teased Sam in a similar manner when they were younger.

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Merry's not being given much opportunity to get his hormones into check, is he? At least he's not worrying about Sam anymore! LOL Willow is rather enjoying herself, but she has been the recipient of Merry's flirting for some time now. She has obviously decided it was time to reciprocate, and up the ante while she was at it. :D

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You know, I wouldn't put it past Merry to extend his visits to Frodo this year, to help with Sam of course. ;) I've never been seriously injured, thank goodness, but one of my classmates last year had sprained the ligament of his plantaris muscle over a year before and he was *still* in a walking brace. So yes, Sam is going to have to be a very good boy, and he's going to need Frodo, Gaffer, Goldie and everyone else to remind him to be a very good boy when he starts to get impatient. :)

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I do love dreams, if that isn't obvious by now. :P You can reveal things in dreams that cannot be revealed or expressed in waking, and since its a dream those revelations do not usually alter the course of events. Or they can just be silly dreams like this one that keep the patient from realizing what is really happening to him. I can just see something like that happening in the Gamgee household though, at least the older brother tormenting the younger brother part of it, and Daisy's handy solution! Merry will never truly give up on Estella, but he might be able to convince himself that he can. He's destined to be with Estella, but his path to her is definitely on the scenic route. They're simply not ready to be together yet, even though they both know there could never really be anyone else for them. Things never are always more complicated than we would like them to be, and Merry is a pro at over-analyzing things. He needs Sam's simple wisdom to help cut through some of the confusion. At least he does know to stay away from Goldie! :D I am glad you are enjoying all the details. I worry that I'm being *too* detailed and that it's dragging out the story. It's already about two times as long as I thought it would be originally! Now I realize why I've never done a h/c fic before. They're a lot of work! ;)