The Healing of Elves and Trees

Title: The Healing of Elves and Trees
Author: Eliza 422 (eliza_422@hotmail.com)
Pairing: Elrohir/Haldir (eventually), Elladan/Legolas
Rating: NC-17
Summary: AU Story. Elrohir and Celebrian are captured by orcs. They survive the attack but Elrohir is changed. Will he ever recover from what he has experienced?
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JRR Tolkien.
Author's note: Can you believe it? I'm back! I hope you enjoy this installment! It's very dark.

Chapter 17

"How is Elrohir doing, Gailind?" Elrond asked.
"That is hard to say, My Lord. In any case of mind healing progress ebbs and flows. He has good days and bad days," Gailind replied.
"We are well aware of that!" Elrond sighed, thinking about the past 3 weeks. Some days Elrohir would seem almost his old self again, but other days he would sink into a deep depression or fly into a screaming rage.
"I warned you that this would take a long time. I find that most families of elves in need of my help seriously underestimate how long recovery takes. You'll feel optimistic on good days which only makes the bad days harder to bear."
"Your words are full of wisdom, Gailind."
"Is there anything else, My Lord?"
"I hesitate to ask this..." Elrond quickly stood up and walked to the window in his private study which overlooked the family gardens. He could see Elrohir and Arwen. Arwen was reading a large book while Elrohir huddled under his blanket. Apparently it was going to be a bad day.
"Yes, My Lord?"
"I think I need someone to talk to. I was wondering if you had any available time?"
"But of course. Let me check my appointment book." Gailind pulled a small notebook from a pocket and flipped through it.
Elrond blushed slightly. "It's just that I feel like I'm losing control of the situation and Celebrian needs me and I'm at my wits end!"
Gailind cocked his head to the side. "I'm curious as to why you think you ever had 'control of the situation', as you put it, in the first place."
Elrond stopped pacing. "What? I mean, well..." He was too flustered to continue.
"Be at peace, My Lord," Gailind said, smiling. "I find that many lords and warriors of renown have the same delusions."
"Delusions? I'm not deluded."
"We'll discuss that, My Lord. How are Tuesdays and Thursdays at midmorning?"
"That will work for me."
"Then if you will excuse me, I have an appointment with your lady wife. Good day, My Lord." Gailind bowed gracefully and left the room.
Elrond stared after the elf, flabbergasted.

"Father? What is wrong?" Elladan asked. He had knocked on his father's study door. There had been no answer, but the door was open so he went in. Elrond was standing in the middle of the room staring at the door.
Elrond started, surprised by his son's entrance. "Nothing is wrong, Elladan. I was just thinking about my meeting with Gailind."
Elladan dropped gracelessly into a chair. "That elf is useless!"
"Useless?"
"Elrohir is worse than ever! He'll never get better at this rate." Elladan rubbed his forehead trying to ease the ache behind his eyes.
Gailind said..." Elrond stopped when Elladan stood back up and started pacing the study.
"I'm back from patrol this morning, and I thought I would stop by and say hello to Elrohir, and I find him under the blanket. I hate that thing. He hardly responds at all - barely a grunt. I should just ask the blanket how it feels."
"He has good days and bad days, son. This is a bad day."
"I'm sick of his bad days! I feel like grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking some sense into him!" Elladan grabbed a pillow off the sofa and started kneading it furiously in his hands.
"He must heal at his own pace. We nearly lost him, son, and we need to give him time."
"How much time? A month? Six months? 10 years? I can't take anymore!" Elladan threw the pillow at the wall and it burst open, sending feathers in all directions.
Elrond shook his head. "Feel better now?"
"No."
"Sit down, son." Elrond pulled Elladan to the sofa. "I understand your frustration. That is what I was talking to Gailind about. I feel the same way."
Elladan looked up at his father. "You do? But you always look so calm and in control."
Elrond laughed. "In control? Oh, Elladan, I am so out of control it's ridiculous. There is no controlling anything in this situation. I just have more practice in hiding it."
"I never realized that. You always seem to know what to say, what to do."
Elrond hugged Elladan close. "Believe me, I don't always know what I'm doing."
Elladan pulled away. "I'm sorry about the pillow, father."
"Better the pillow then your brother!"
"I suppose you're right," Elladan replied, smiling. "I'm just so tired of the whole thing, and Legolas and I are on such thin ice right now that I don't know what to do."
"Maybe you and Legolas need to get away for a few days. What if you and Legolas join the elves who are meeting Celeborn and his party, and on your way back you take a little detour to the cottage your mother has in the north valley?"
"Do you think you could spare us?"
"Of course. It's not like Elrohir can run away."
Elladan's mouth gaped open in shock at what his father said, then he started laughing.
"Father, that is a horrible thing to say!"
"I know it is, son. Never repeat it!" Elrond laughed along with his son.

As their laughter died down, both elves heard Arwen shouting. They stood to look out the window. She seemed to be wrestling with Elrohir.
"Elrohir, let me have that now!" Arwen yelled. "Help me! Fandir, get my father!"
Elrond and Elladan looked at each other for a moment, then rushed out of the room. They met Fandir in the hallway.
"My Lord, you must go immediately. Lord Elrohir has been injured!"
"What!" Elrond shouted, not stopping to listen to the answer. He followed Elladan out to the garden.

"Let go of me! I have to cut them out!" Elrohir yelled, struggling with his sister.
"Give me that knife! I won't let you do this!" Arwen kept her grip on Elrohir's wrists, but she couldn't get the knife out of his hand. She turned toward the path and was relieved to see Elladan and Elrond come racing up.
"El! He has a knife in his hand! Get it!"
Elladan stopped. He saw blood on Elrohir's tunic, and a knife in his hand.
"Don't just stand there, you oaf - get the knife!"
Elrond came around the chair and put his arms across Elrohir, trying to hold him down.
"Elladan!" Elrond shouted at his son. "Pull his left arm down and keep it still. We need to get the knife from him."
"Let me up!" Elrohir screamed. He fought desperately, but he couldn't sustain his battle against all three elves. Elladan managed to get his arm down, and Arwen untangled his fingers from the knife he held in his hand.
"I have it, father!" Arwen said.
Elrohir surged up out of the chair and tried to get it back from her. "Give that back to me! I have to kill them now!"
"Elrohir, calm down, calm down. There is no one here, you are safe." Elrond held Elrohir down, trying to soothe him. "Elladan, we need some calming potion, quick!"
"Yes, father," Elladan replied. He ran back into the house to get what his father needed.
Elrohir struggled a few moments more, then sagged down, sobbing piteously. Elrond slowly released him, frightened by the blood but wary of another tantrum.
"Arwen, what happened here?"
"He stabbed himself in the stomach! He was asleep for a while, then suddenly woke up yelling about 'them' and having to kill 'them' and then he grabbed the knife and..." Arwen couldn't continue. She sat back on her chair and started to weep.
Elrond pulled up Elrohir's tunic to examine the wound. He had made a rough cut in his lower belly, and blood was flowing freely. Elrond tore a piece of Elrohir's tunic off and pressed into the wound.
"Father, you're hurting me," Elrohir said softly through his sobs.
"I know, baby, but you're bleeding."
Elladan ran back into the garden with a small vial. He was followed by Celebrian and Anorion.
"Anorion, come here. I want your assessment of his wound."
Anorion knelt down by Elrohir, and peeked under the cloth. "We'll have to stitch it up, I'm afraid."
"Don't touch me!" shouted Elrohir, shoving Anorion aside. He fought with Elrond again.
"Elrohir, stop it! We're trying to help you!"
"You have to let me finish!"
"Elladan, the potion, quick! Anorion, help me, please."
Anorion wrapped an arm around Elrohir's torso and arms, holding him down. Elrond grabbed Elrohir's head to hold it still.
"Let me go!" Elrohir writhed in vain against the elves holding him down.
"Elladan, pour in a couple of drops. Quick!"
Elladan opened the vial and positioned it over his brother's mouth. Elrond held his head still while Elladan poured in the potion.
"It will take a few minutes. Help Anorion!"
The three elves held onto Elrohir until the potion took effect. His struggles had caused the bleeding to increase.
Celebrian held on tightly to Arwen. "Why did he stab himself there? It's an unlikely place for a suicide attempt."
Elrond nodded. "He's been having nightmares that he is with child as a result of the rapes. I don't think he's told Gailind."
"My Lord, we need to bring him to the Healing House so we can care for him properly."
"Do you think we should restrain him?"
"It might be a good idea, just until we can make sure he won't do this again."
"Agreed. Anorion, I will carry him to the Healing House. Elladan, take care of Arwen and your mother."
"Yes, father."

Elrond lay Elrohir on an examining table. He and Anorion cut away his tunic and cleaned and stitched the wound. They were relieved that he had not done serious damage to his internal organs.
"Let us put him in the observation room, My Lord. We can't risk him hurting himself again."
"Agreed," Elrond said. "I thought he was getting better, Anorion, and now this. I don't know what to do."
"Trust in the Valar, My Lord - that's all any of us can do."
Elrond carried Elrohir to the observation room. The healer on watch led them to the bed he had prepared for Elrohir by the window. Elrond lay Elrohir gently down onto the bed and attached the restraints to his wrists and ankles. He stood staring at his son.
"It's for his own good, My Lord."
Elrond looked up at Anorion. "That doesn't make it any easier." He leaned over to stroke the tiny strands of hair on Elrohir's head.

The two healers were interrupted when Mindel rushed into the room.
"My Lord! Master Anorion! You must come quick! Lord Celeborn's party has just arrived and they've been attacked!"
Elrond ran out of the observation room and into the courtyard. He was met with complete chaos.

"Elrond!" Celeborn said when he saw the other elf arrive in the courtyard. "We have injured elves here!"
Elrond saw four elves lying on the ground. Three appeared to have superficial injuries, but the fourth looked dire. Celeborn was kneeling by this elf. He hurried over.
"What happened? You are early - we were going to send an escort."
"We made better time over the mountains then we expected, but we were attacked by a large group of orcs. They almost overwhelmed us, but we persevered. Only Haldir here was seriously injured."
"I see that." Elrond cut away Haldir's tunic to examine him. "What happened to him?"
"He was protecting Galadriel, and some of the orcs focused on her. He took several arrows and I don't know what else. We removed the arrows, but kept the heads. I think they were poisoned." Celeborn handed a small bag to Elrond.
"We'll test them. Mindel, fetch a stretcher. I don't want to risk injuring him further."
"Yes my Lord."
"You must save him, Elrond."
"I will do my best, I promise."
Celeborn looked over his shoulder at Orophin. He was helping a healer tend to Rumil's broken arm. The other two injured elves were also being seen by healers.
"Haldir? Haldir? Can you hear me?" Elrond said, pulling up the elf's eyelids.
Haldir released a shuddering groan and cracked open his eyes. He fought to focus his eyes on the face in front of him. He managed to say a word. "Who?"
"I am Elrond, master of Imladris and a healer. I will be taking care of you."
"El...." Haldir shook his head. No! It couldn't be! He wanted to protest but the pain was too great and he faded out of consciousness again.
Mindel returned with the stretcher. The three elves gently lifted Haldir onto it. Celeborn watched as Elrond and Mindel carried Haldir away to the Healing House. The other injured elves followed behind.
"Haldir, forgive me. Elrond is your only hope," Celeborn said softly.

TBC