The Mystery Below - Chapter 23

Chapter 23
Hospital Flowers

When Pippin opened his eyes he was shocked. Not only was he not where he had fainted but he was also met by a face he didn't recognise at first. With a wacky expression and the lower jaw pushing forward there wasn't a surprise Pippin let out a faint cry to the sight.
"He's awake now!" It was the nurse speaking.
The man disappeared from Pippin's sight and was replaced with the face of Haddock who smiled at him somewhere between all the black hair in his face. He had cleaned up and had even trimmed his beard.
"How are you feeling?"
Pippin tried to come up with a good response. He didn't know. He felt empty. He couldn't move a muscle in his body and couldn't really feel any kind of emotions. Could he say that to Haddock? That he felt empty.
"Alright." Pippin lied.
Haddock laughed. "You don't have to force it."
Pippin suddenly began to remember. The darkness, the smoke and dust. The earth that was shaking and... Merry!
"Merry!" he let out a cry that was stronger than his lungs was capable off. He tried to sit up but was pushed down by the nurse.
"Stay down, boy!" the man said with a stern face, but Pippin tried to fight the grip.
"Where's Merry?"
"He's over there."
Pippin was shocked by the answer. He turned his head in the direction that the nurse had pointed and could see a bed where someone was lying, peacefully. Pippin didn't even dare to speak what was in his mind at that point. The thought he had refused to think the whole time in the dungeon.
"He's still alive." The nurse said as if he had read his mind. "Just barely, though. He will be transported to St. Mungo's tomorrow."
"Is it that serious?"
Pippin looked concerned. He knew the nurse could cure most things when he was serious for he was a magnificent healer and a smart man. The nurse looked at Haddock who gave him a nod. Pippin was confused.
"Peregrin Took, I don't know how to say this..." he stared at Haddock as if he was waiting for him to continue in his stead but Haddock pretended as if he didn't see it. "Meriadoc was dead. He is just barely alive now. I think it's because of you. I'm not sure though in how to nurse him back to full health. That's why he has to go to St. Mungo's."
"Will he survive?" Pippin felt like crying but couldn't.
"If you believe in him, he will!" The nurse encouraging nudged Pippin's face and left the boy with a hint of a smile upon his face.
Pippin spent almost a week in the hospital wing and was frequently visited by all kind of friends. Classmates, students he had merely spoken to and the friends that had been in the dungeon with him. According to Spirou Fantasio was too ashamed to come and visit and was planning what he would say when he faced Pippin the next time. Pippin only smiled when he heard that for he didn't blame Fantasio for anything. He knew that if Pippin would have been in the same position he would have done the same.
Pippin couldn't think about much though, other than the empty bed where Merry had laid before they took him to St. Mungo's at the same time as Kyle Broflovski. When he was finally released from the Hospital Wing (with the promise to come visit the nurse who had grown very fond of the little boy) he wasn't much like himself. He sat in the common room most of his free time and read books. Fantasio had managed to apologise once but didn't get much of a reaction out of Pippin.
"He drives me crazy looking so lonely!"
"He's thinking about Merry. He'll be better if he gets to meet him." Spirou tried to help his friend to feel better about himself but Fantasio kept blaming himself for the misery the boy was going through. They didn't even dare to tell him about what had happened between the time that he had fainted and woken up.
Tintin did his best in a try to be there for Pippin even if he didn't act like he wanted anyone around. Tintin always insisted on sitting with Pippin, both in the common room in the Great Hall. During dinner one day Tintin tried to get Pippin to join their conversation.
"What do you think, Pippin?"
Pippin hadn't even been listening to their conversation but didn't want to seem rude.
"Sure." He hoped the answer fitted.
"Pippin," Spirou was the one who forced himself to speak up, "he asked what you thought of the pie."
Pippin placed his face in the palm of his hands and sighed. He felt like such a loser that couldn't even listen to his friends any longer. He cursed himself for being like he was when he suddenly heard a voice. It didn't speak louder than anyone else in the room but Pippin could hear it perfectly.
"Where's my hero?"
Pippin looked up and stared at Tintin on the other side of the table. Pippin couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. He got teary eyes but was scared to turn around. He was afraid that he would be disappointed. Tintin encouraged him from his seat by nodding and smiling and slowly Pippin turned his head. He was standing at the end of the table.
Pippin couldn't stop himself from throwing himself away from the table and accidentally tipped over a glass that broke when it hit the floor. Pippin couldn't even hear the cracking. He didn't hesitate a second when he threw himself at Merry and hugged him close. He could hear the sound of something hitting the floor but didn't care. He was only so happy to see Merry again! He hadn't got any news at all for all the time, not even those time he had gone and visited the nurse and asked about Merry.
After standing and hugging Merry for a while Pippin remembered the sound from before and looked down.
"A crutch?" Pippin looked down at it.
"I was crushed, Pip. I'll need some help for a while."
Pippin took the crutch and put Merry's arm over his shoulder.
"I'll help you." Was all that he said before they walked down the aisle.