Ailments challenges: Toothache - Cold - Headache - Hangover - Ear Ache - Stomach Ache - Sore Throat
Catching up with the Ailments challenge... as I started writing in this community with one prompt from that challenge, I wanted to write the other prompts as well and tried to fit them more or less together.
Author: Winterwitch
Challenge: Ailments (see below)
Characters: Aragorn, Frodo, Gimli, Legolas, OMC, Sam
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Source: LotR, movie-verse (TTT and RotK)
Disclaimer: Middle-Earth belongs to Tolkien, I'm just playing a bit with it for fun.
Many thanks to shadowycat for looking these all over for me! All remaining mistakes are my own.
Challenge: Ailments - Toothache
Title: Torture
Note: I'm imagining this happening sometime after they left Lothlórien.
Face contorted in pain, Gimli tried another bite of the chunk of waybread in his hand. Even that hurt like mad, but his stomach growled with hunger after several days of forced abstinence.
“Here, Master Dwarf, dinner is ready.”
A deliciously-smelling, roasted leg of hare was thrust under his nose, crisp and tender, making his mouth water. Trust Master Gamgee to provide a feast even under adverse circumstances!
But it was no use, there was no way he could chew even such tender flesh.
Gimli groaned, and Aragorn suddenly knelt before him, feeling his face carefully.
“Toothache, huh?”
Challenge: Ailments - Cold
Title: Relief
Snarling, Gimli freed himself from the hands of the Gondorian and the elf, made his unsteady way to the shore, and dunked his head in the soothing cold of the river. Aulë, this had hurt! But the toothache was gone, together with the tooth, and he felt giddy with relief.
But to have suffered the shame of having needed two men to hold him down while Aragorn went about his business - worse, even, a man and an elf! - was more than his dwarven honour could bear.
Back at the fire, seven flasks of spirits were offered to him.
Challenge: Ailments - Headache
Title: Result
The next morning, Gimli awoke with a hammering pain in his head. What was this sorcery? Another tooth?
Careful probing revealed soreness where the tooth had been, but no pain, and no other affected tooth as well. But why did he feel like a troll had stepped on him?
He tried to sit up, falling back with a groan. Aulë's loincloth! It took all his self-restraint to not be sick right on his bedroll. Then he remembered the spirits generously offered by his companions, gratefully taken to ease the badly-aching excavation site.
He just made it behind the next bush.
(If all drabbles of this challenge would be together, the first one posted here would be here chronologically):
Challenge: Ailments - Nausea
Challenge: Ailments - Hangover
Title: Last one standing
Note: Inspired by the drinking game in Edoras between Gimli and Legolas, see also here.
“Morning, Master Dwarf. Did you sleep well?”
The hairy mound on the table moved a little, revealing bloodshot eyes and a greenish complexion, and eyed the disturbingly gay-looking elf with a groan.
Legolas sat down, mug in hand, sniffing appreciatively at his bowl.
“Hmm, delicious! Nothing like porridge with cinnamon and honey for breakfast, eh, Gimli?”
Eliciting no response, he inquired, “Are you unwell, my friend? Don't tell me you had too much to drink last night!
Another groan was the answer.
“Go 'way”.
Grinning, Legolas emptied his mug. Thank the Valar for Éowyn's special hangover tea!
Challenge: Ailments - Ear ache
Title: “... and Rohan will answer.”
Eadfrid stared out over the plains, feeling the doors of Meduseld behind him giving security. His ears still ached from the ringing of the bells days ago, when the Rohirrim had been assembled.
Now they were gone.
So few had come back from the Hornburg, and fewer still remained as the call of Gondor was answered. Nobody he could look to for guidance had come back from the army muster at Dunharrow, not even the Lady Éowyn.
Now he was in charge, yesterday a boy, today a man, left to take on a role he didn't know how to fulfil.
Challenge: Ailments - Stomach Ache
Title: The Paths of the Dead
Aragorn shuddered with relief when they emerged into daylight. Even knowing what awaited him hadn't prepared him for the overwhelming feeling of grief and despair on the Paths of the Dead, leaving him faint and nauseated. His stomach ached, and he suddenly realised he hadn't eaten for days. Even Éowyn's stew suddenly sounded appealing...
A low growl from the dwarf startled Aragorn, eliciting a knowing grin from the elf.
“Hungry, Master Dwarf?”
While their hairy companion elaborated on dwarves and their endurance without food, Legolas squinted, drew his bow and let an arrow fly.
“Come on, there's dinner.”
Challenge: Ailments: Sore Throat
Title: At the End
Note: The last line is a quote from the film, of course, slightly adapted for word count issues.
Sam stared ahead, his eyes burning. The noxious fumes emerging from the ground made his throat ache.
Finally they were here, so close to their goal, just a few steps away from ending it all. Ending the pain, the torture of going on, the torture of being strong for his master.
Frodo, just a step ahead, stumbled. This time, he did not rise again.
Sam searched for another small bit to keep Frodo going. He found nothing.
Despairing, he closed his eyes, and then he knew.
“I can't carry it for you, Master Frodo, but I can carry YOU!”
-(o)-
Author: Winterwitch
Challenge: Ailments (see below)
Characters: Aragorn, Frodo, Gimli, Legolas, OMC, Sam
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Source: LotR, movie-verse (TTT and RotK)
Disclaimer: Middle-Earth belongs to Tolkien, I'm just playing a bit with it for fun.
Many thanks to shadowycat for looking these all over for me! All remaining mistakes are my own.
Challenge: Ailments - Toothache
Title: Torture
Note: I'm imagining this happening sometime after they left Lothlórien.
Face contorted in pain, Gimli tried another bite of the chunk of waybread in his hand. Even that hurt like mad, but his stomach growled with hunger after several days of forced abstinence.
“Here, Master Dwarf, dinner is ready.”
A deliciously-smelling, roasted leg of hare was thrust under his nose, crisp and tender, making his mouth water. Trust Master Gamgee to provide a feast even under adverse circumstances!
But it was no use, there was no way he could chew even such tender flesh.
Gimli groaned, and Aragorn suddenly knelt before him, feeling his face carefully.
“Toothache, huh?”
Challenge: Ailments - Cold
Title: Relief
Snarling, Gimli freed himself from the hands of the Gondorian and the elf, made his unsteady way to the shore, and dunked his head in the soothing cold of the river. Aulë, this had hurt! But the toothache was gone, together with the tooth, and he felt giddy with relief.
But to have suffered the shame of having needed two men to hold him down while Aragorn went about his business - worse, even, a man and an elf! - was more than his dwarven honour could bear.
Back at the fire, seven flasks of spirits were offered to him.
Challenge: Ailments - Headache
Title: Result
The next morning, Gimli awoke with a hammering pain in his head. What was this sorcery? Another tooth?
Careful probing revealed soreness where the tooth had been, but no pain, and no other affected tooth as well. But why did he feel like a troll had stepped on him?
He tried to sit up, falling back with a groan. Aulë's loincloth! It took all his self-restraint to not be sick right on his bedroll. Then he remembered the spirits generously offered by his companions, gratefully taken to ease the badly-aching excavation site.
He just made it behind the next bush.
(If all drabbles of this challenge would be together, the first one posted here would be here chronologically):
Challenge: Ailments - Nausea
Challenge: Ailments - Hangover
Title: Last one standing
Note: Inspired by the drinking game in Edoras between Gimli and Legolas, see also here.
“Morning, Master Dwarf. Did you sleep well?”
The hairy mound on the table moved a little, revealing bloodshot eyes and a greenish complexion, and eyed the disturbingly gay-looking elf with a groan.
Legolas sat down, mug in hand, sniffing appreciatively at his bowl.
“Hmm, delicious! Nothing like porridge with cinnamon and honey for breakfast, eh, Gimli?”
Eliciting no response, he inquired, “Are you unwell, my friend? Don't tell me you had too much to drink last night!
Another groan was the answer.
“Go 'way”.
Grinning, Legolas emptied his mug. Thank the Valar for Éowyn's special hangover tea!
Challenge: Ailments - Ear ache
Title: “... and Rohan will answer.”
Eadfrid stared out over the plains, feeling the doors of Meduseld behind him giving security. His ears still ached from the ringing of the bells days ago, when the Rohirrim had been assembled.
Now they were gone.
So few had come back from the Hornburg, and fewer still remained as the call of Gondor was answered. Nobody he could look to for guidance had come back from the army muster at Dunharrow, not even the Lady Éowyn.
Now he was in charge, yesterday a boy, today a man, left to take on a role he didn't know how to fulfil.
Challenge: Ailments - Stomach Ache
Title: The Paths of the Dead
Aragorn shuddered with relief when they emerged into daylight. Even knowing what awaited him hadn't prepared him for the overwhelming feeling of grief and despair on the Paths of the Dead, leaving him faint and nauseated. His stomach ached, and he suddenly realised he hadn't eaten for days. Even Éowyn's stew suddenly sounded appealing...
A low growl from the dwarf startled Aragorn, eliciting a knowing grin from the elf.
“Hungry, Master Dwarf?”
While their hairy companion elaborated on dwarves and their endurance without food, Legolas squinted, drew his bow and let an arrow fly.
“Come on, there's dinner.”
Challenge: Ailments: Sore Throat
Title: At the End
Note: The last line is a quote from the film, of course, slightly adapted for word count issues.
Sam stared ahead, his eyes burning. The noxious fumes emerging from the ground made his throat ache.
Finally they were here, so close to their goal, just a few steps away from ending it all. Ending the pain, the torture of going on, the torture of being strong for his master.
Frodo, just a step ahead, stumbled. This time, he did not rise again.
Sam searched for another small bit to keep Frodo going. He found nothing.
Despairing, he closed his eyes, and then he knew.
“I can't carry it for you, Master Frodo, but I can carry YOU!”
-(o)-