The Healer’s Choice

Title: The Healer’s Choice 14

Author: Sivan Shemesh sivan325@walla.com

Beta:Niroveka

Summary: Legolas was hurt in battle, but when Aragorn tries to heal him, Legolas won’t let him. What then is the healer’s choice? Will he take control and heal his friend, or will he let Legolas have his way?

Feedback: Feed me…

Spoiler: AU. Book-verse.

Disclaimer: I wish but I don't.

Rate: PG-13

Warning: Evil cliffy, violence/physical torture. The usual stuff…

14.

Haldir and Gimli stared in shock as they saw Aragorn suffocated by his own friend.

They could not believe what they had just seen, until Aragorn fell unconscious, then they hurried over to him with fear.

“Aragorn?” Haldir called, as he tried to awaken the man from his unconscious state, but with no success.

Gimli’s eyes were torn, he did not know who to look at first: Legolas, who lay fragile on the grass, or to whom the elf’s eyes gazed...Aragorn, who fell unconscious beside him.

Gimli stared upon them silently, not knowing what to say.

“Gimli!” Haldir called, waking the dwarf from his thoughts. “We need to find shelter soon; I suspect storm is ahead of us…”

Gimli nodded, saying nothing, only staring at the other elf, at Legolas, who in turn continued staring at Aragorn, his eyes wide open. He whispered, “A…Aragorn?”

Legolas tried to move closer to his friend, but was shoved off by Gimli; he seemed to fear for Aragorn’s life, and moved to protect him from the elf.

“Gimli?” Legolas asked, as his eyes caught the familiar beard, and tried to speak more clearly, though his mouth grew dry.

Gimli opened his mouth, feeling he needed to admonish his friend, but Haldir stopped him. “Gimli, stop! You will regret your words later, my friend...stop!”

Haldir stroked Legolas’ face to comfort him, seeking the right words, knowing that Legolas did not need to know that he had hurt his friend.

Legolas glared at Gimli, then at Haldir. “What happened to Aragorn?”

Gimli could not hold himself. He exploded at Legolas: “What happened? What happened! I’ll tell you what happened! You suffocated your friend, that is what happened…!”

Legolas stared deeply at Gimli; he opened his mouth, then spared a look at Aragorn, noticing the pale face, as Aragorn gasped for breath.

He closed his eyes, and turned his face from them, though he did not know what had happened to him to cause him to do such a thing.

Haldir put his hand on Legolas’ shoulder, as he tried to comfort him, feeling Legolas’ guilt. “Legolas…look at me…”

Legolas did not turn, but quietly cried, not wanting to face anyone; he felt guilty enough for his act.

Thunder was heard, as lightening shown in the sky; soon rain began falling.

“Come, Gimli, help me move Aragorn. Now! Hurry!” Haldir pushed the dwarf.

Gimli spared a look over at Legolas, and then his eyes settled on Haldir.

“Gimli, hurry up!”

Gimli held Aragorn legs, as Haldir held him on the other side; they walked through the forest...leaving Legolas alone as the rain pelted him without mercy.

Lying Aragorn down for a moment, Haldir turned to find shelter. He was back soon, and Gimli helped him to carry Aragorn the rest of the way, into a dry cave.

As Haldir lit a fire, Gimli pull Aragorn closer to it to warm the man, and tried to wake him once more.

Haldir scanned the cave, feeling that something was amiss.

“Gimli, where is Legolas?” he asked.

“Oh! I think we forgot him, alone in the rain…!” Gimli answered, and hurried outside.

Haldir followed after him, but suggested, “Stay with Aragorn, I will bring him.”

Gimli nodded and re-entered the cave.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Haldir hurried, as the rain kept pouring; he feared for his friend, and wished in his heart that nothing would happen to him, although he still remembered the accusation in Gimli’s words.

His eyes suddenly discovered Legolas’ weapons as they lay there on the ground, yet no one, not even Legolas was there.

The only thing that he found was Legolas’ tracks, showing that he had crawled away on the ground.

Haldir realized that Legolas couldn’t face the fact that he had tried to kill his best friend.

“Aragorn and Gimli will forgive you, mellon-nin, it just a matter of time…” Haldir whispered, as he began to follow the track.

Wet blood appeared on the tracks; Haldir bent to touch it, as the rain continued hitting him. His mind filled with many ideas, his heart growing more worried for Legolas.

“Legolas?” Haldir called in fear.

Not a sign nor sound came as he continued calling, hoping to find a lead for his friend.

“Legolas?” he called again.

Haldir heard whimpering. He followed the noise, until he saw his friend’s legs. He hurried over, fearing that something had happened.

Haldir noticed Legolas’s head hidden. “Legolas?”

Legolas turned slowly onto his side as the pain ached through his body, the rain pelting him again and again. Haldir could see the red eyes.

Haldir knelt against his friend, supporting him, letting him know that he was there for him, no matter what had happened before.

His wound had opened again; blood dripped down, and covered the bandage around his neck. Legolas opened his mouth to speak, though he shook with cold.

“Come, my friend,” Haldir said before his friend could say a word, “Let me guide you to the shelter, where it’s safe. Aragorn can replace you bandage there.”

“A…” A whisper was heard from Legolas, fearing the result his action, that could have caused his friend’s death.

“Gimli is with him,” Haldir assured him.

“A…” Legolas tried again, but Haldir stopped him as he squeezed Legolas’ shoulder gently, and said, “He will forgive you. You’re friends, your friendship has been bound since you were little.”

Legolas opened his eyes wide as he stared at Haldir, though in his heart Legolas prayed to the Valar that his words were true.

Legolas closed his eyes, but then opened them when he heard Haldir’s voice, asking him to, for he feared for his condition.

Haldir took Legolas to the shelter.

Legolas did not cease watching Haldir, looking for his friend’s reaction to what he had done...it could have changed it all.

Gimli set his eyes with concern over Aragorn who slowly regained consciousness; as he awoke, Aragorn noticed the dwarf staring at him.

Aragorn coughed before he could say anything, then asked, “Gimli, what is wrong?”

“What is wrong? I’ll tell you what’s wrong…” Gimli started to say, but Haldir stopped him as he noticed the trembling body of Legolas.

“Gimli, that is enough! You will lose a friend that way, and if not one, you might loose two, if you don’t watch your words.” Haldir glared at him angrily, trying to threaten him with his words.

Aragorn looked around, and noticed Legolas. Aragorn’s eyes flew wide open as he noticed the fresh blood that dripped from Legolas’ neck; but he was afraid of his friend, as he remembered that Legolas tried to suffocate him.

“Legolas…” he called and moved slowly, as his body was weak from the loss of air his body had suffered.

Aragorn swept his hand over Legolas’ hair to remove it from the blood, and then orders came in his mind, in action to save his friend’s life...and to find out at once what was going on in Legolas’ mind.

“Dry his clothes.”

“Boil water.”

“New and clean bandages.”

Haldir and Gimli worked as Aragorn attended to his friend.

Then Haldir pushed Gimli to tell Aragorn all the details, and Haldir added in the terrible sight of Legolas, crawling away from where they had left him.

Aragorn’s concern grew more and more; he knew that Legolas must blame himself for what had happened, and he hoped that Legolas would hear his words and forgive himself.

Aragorn looked at Legolas again, moving his head to the side, but he was fearful of what had happened before, of the words that had left his friend’s mouth.

“Aragorn?” Gimli spoke as he noticed Aragorn’s concern for Legolas.

“What is it, Gimli?” Aragorn asked, without turning his head away from Legolas.

“Do you think Legolas is blaming us, or blaming himself because of my words?” Gimli seemed to ask in an apologizing tone.

Aragorn turned his head, and answered softly, “I think he is blaming himself, and I think that he hates himself because he almost ended my life.”

“This is bad, this is so bad…” Haldir muttered.

“What?” Gimli asked, noticing the other elf.

“Did you forget about our respect, already?” Haldir glanced at him, and then set his eyes on Aragorn.

“He must be thinking that he failed us, that his friendship must be worthless...as he tried to suffocate me.” Aragorn worriedly said.

“With all due respect, Master Elf, I do remember. But what are we going to do with the elf? After all, we are all around him, why do you think that he will try to do something foolish?” Gimli asked as he glanced at Haldir with a questioning look.

The rain finally stopped and the light of the moon brightened their shelter a little bit.

Aragorn sighed a little, then said, “I will take the first watch…” but was cut off by Gimli.

“No, my friend, you need to rest; I will take the first watch, and then Haldir, and you for the last. You have been through a lot, and you didn’t rest properly,” Gimli explained.

With defeat in his eyes, Aragorn laid his head on the tough ground, his eyes staring at Legolas, but soon, he found himself drowning in a world of dreams.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Leaving the shelter, Gimli walked outside, and gazed at the stars, noticing their beauty. He smiled for the beauty of the night.

Then he hurried back inside, as the others rested. But Legolas was alone.

Legolas was aware of him; his body trembled violently as the words left, the words that he himself did not wish to hear.

“Please…just leave me alone…”

At that point, Gimli hurried to wake the others and told them that Legolas’ condition had seemed to grow worse.

Aragorn hurried over to Legolas’ side, and touched his forehead. He looked back at them, as worry covered his face. “He has fever; he’s hot.”

“…Leave me alone…I hurt you enough…”

“What can we do? What can we do?” Gimli asked in panic.

End of Chapter 14.