What
Dr. Lividoc Goold talks to Rue Headstrong about her mysterious illness.

Who
Filby Pott (#29680)...........Lividoc Goold, butler
Frodo Baggins (#29612)........Rue Headstrong
Willowfoot Baggins (#26040)...Highproof Headstrong
Midien Took (#24687)..........Moldodoc Brandybuck

A door opens as someone enters the smial. "Welcome back," says the butler to the arrivee, and one might hear the other speak a word of thanks. The sound of heavy booted feet grows louder, and before long the door to the room opens with a slight creak. Doctor Goold walks inside, bag in hand. He looks around the room, surveying those there. "I hope I have not arrived too late?"

At the sound of the awaited voice, Rue manages a weak smile as Highproof steps past the physician into the hall. "Dr. Goold. . .My cousin was. . .just stepping out to get another blanket. . ." A sharp cough interrupts her, and she winces, pressing a hand to her chest. "Glad. . .you're. . .back. . . ."

"My word, Miss Headstrong..." Lividoc steps rapidly forward toward the bed. "You look much worse... have you been drinking enough water? I see you've been keeping warm enough... and I'm glad to see your family is helping so much." He places his bag on a chair by the bed. "Now... I do believe we should talk about how long you've been fighting this..."

"Wull. . .I haven't really. . .felt much like drinking anything. . ." Rue apologises. "A little bit. . .I mean, I'm thirsty, but. . .it's like knives in my throat. . . ." Shuddering, she glances nervously towards the bag. "I'm not sure, really. . .days. . .been so tired for a week or two, but. . .this. . ." She shakes her head. "Last few days, maybe?"

Keeping a concerned eye on the invalid Heastrong, Lividoc opens his bag, rummages, and pulls out a small pad of paper and a stick of charcoal. He writes down a few notes, milling over the ladyhobbit's words as he scribbles. "I see... now, you really should have told someone sooner. As you know, Doctor Trimidoc and I are both within walking distance and could have treated this much sooner if given time." He frowns and shakes his head. "One moment," he says. Walking to the door, he steps out, and one might see him signalling to the butler.

The butler approaches quickly and asks, "Yes, Doctor?"

"Fetch this ladyhobbit a bowl of chicken soup, and a glass of cold water. Quickly." Lividoc gestures at Rue.

"Of course, sir." The butler nods, and goes off to the kitchen. Lividoc turns back to Rue.

"Now," he says, bringing up pad and pencil once again, "how do you believe this came about? What do you remember doing the few days before you noticed the first symptoms?"

"I. . .I'm sorry. . .it's just. . ." Rue bites her lip. "I knew either of you would. . .would have probably tried to make me postpone the party, or not arrange it myself, and. . . ." Sensing the futility of resistance, she sighs.

"I. . .let's see. . .I'd been tired for a bit. . .and Andy didn't think I looked well. . .but I thought it was the harvest and all the preparations and Yule. . . We were all getting ready for this party. . .and. . .I started getting a tickle in my throat. . .and feeling all stuffed up. . .like a bad cold, sort of. . . . After that was when I started feeling all shivery. . .but I'd been so busy doing things for the unveiling. . .you know how my schedule is then, sunup to sundown and then a bit more. . . . I thought maybe I'd just been working too much, maybe coming down with a touch of flu. . . ." Suddenly coughing sharply, she breaks off, holding her chest as her expression twists into one of pain.

Lividoc sighs and bites his lower lip. "Rue... you should have told someone. If anything happens to you, I'd hate to think that it could have been averted if you had told someone." He looks down and covers his face with his hand. "Well then. Do you remember doing or seeing anything unusual previous to becoming infected? Did you go out unprotected against the cold... fall in snow or something of the sort?"

"I don't. . .think so," Rue muses, looking down guiltily. "Sometimes I forget my wrap. . .when I'm in a big hurry. . .of course we always harvest after the first freeze for Firemark Ice, and I *was* out there the whole time this year. . . ." With a slight catch in her breathing, she looks back up at the doctor anxiously. "Do. . .do you think anything *will* happen?"

"I see..." The stoor sighs and writes more. "You -really- should be more careful, Miss Headstrong... I can't say for sure what might happen, though I can tell you that pneumonia -can- be fatal. If you don't kep warm and eat right, why..."

He is interrupted by the butler knocking quietly on the half-open door. "Ah, pardon me... I've brought what you've asked for." He enters the room with a folding tray-table, placing it beside Rue's bed. He thenmotions to a cook, who walks in bearing a tray with a glass of water and a bowl of steaming soup and places it on the table. "I... I hope this helps, Doctor, Rue..." The two servants bow and leave the room, talking among each other.

"Well... there you go. Eat your soup now, before it gets cold, and drink your water." Goold points to the tray on the table.

"Yes, sir - I - I'm sorry, doctor - " Blushing ashamedly, Rue attempts to push herself up a bit farther from her reclining posture, reaching obediently for the spoon, but her hand falters, and after a few trembling attempts, she sinks back against the pillows, shaking with chill.

"I'm sorry. . .thought perhaps it was. . .just last night. . .maybe I'd be better in the morning, but. . ." She shakes her head. "I can't. . .last night at the party was. . .the last time I've been able to hold anything. . . ."

Doctor Goold sighs and puts his hand over his face again. "This is ridiculous... it shouldn't be -this- bad so early on..." He sighs again heavily. "Tell me," he says, looking suddenly up, "are you -sure- that nothing odd happened that might have induced this? It is -imperitive- that the source be identified if a cure is to be found quickly."

"I. . .there. . .not r-really. . .OH!"

Rue starts, her eyes widening. At once she shakes her head slightly, still shivering. "Y-you'll. . .you'll think i-it foolish, but. . .i-it's the o-only thing I can remember being different. . ." Her breathing catches, and she winces as she attempts to explain.

"It was a-a couple w-weeks back. . .I was d-down in town. . .arranging a-a few things for th-the party. . .a-and just as I turned t-to c-come out o-of o-one of the shops, this Big F-folk walked almost *right* i-into me. . .I c-can't r-remember everything a-about it. . .but. . .he was so. . .so strange. . .all wrapped for the w-winter, of c-course. . .but. . .reminded me of. . .of Dilby's and Palto's tales of the O-Old Forest somehow. . ."

His interest sparked, Doctor Lividoc Goold leans forward. He looks curiously around the room, pondering the lady's words.

"That is... fascinating... Miss Headstrong..." he says in a voice hardly louder than a whisper. "That man... he must have been infected as well..." He again takes up the charcoal pencil and scribbles hastily. "That must be how you had gotten this... disease..."

Rue nods vaguely. "I. . .suppose. . ." she murmurs, looking somewhat confused. Her breath coming quickly, in short almost-gasps, she pulls fretfully at the quilts, trying to push herself up further in bed. "So. . .cold. . . ."

Sighing, Lividoc shakes his head. "It seems your cousin won't be back with those blankets any time soon." He removes his coat and places it over Rue. "I should hope this keeps you a little warmer." Adjusting his woolen sweater, he puts down his pad and places his pencil behind a pointed ear. The physician sits down on a chair across the room from the bed. "Well then, I suppose we should identify the individual symptoms. It looks like a bad case of pneumonia, but just in case it's something else..."

"Thank you," Rue nods, still shuddering slightly, though gradually the trembling begins to subside a tiny bit beneath the many layers of bedclothing. "Where. . .do we. . .start? I just. . .want to. . .feel better. . . ."

~~ AWFUL lag and disconnection here... Rue took over Lividoc for me as Midien entered as Liv's mentor Moldodoc Brandybuck.~~