A Ruby's Shine (Thorin Oakenshield X OC)

85. Head Wounds

I woke much more quickly and violently than the first two times I came around. For a split second I felt the rattling, shaking and jostling of something under me. Beneath the blankets wrapped about me I felt wood planks... a cart? I heard the snort of a small horse as the... cart went over a rather rocky terrain.

The jumping, jostling feel of the cart made my head explode with one massive and uncomfortable headache that pulled and yanked at my attention, a migraine unlike any I have ever had to deal with before. Nausea at the jostling of my head and it's awful migraine rose and rose, making my stomach practically rise to my throat as I realised I was going to vomit.

Quickly, in my half aware mind, I gripped a rickety edge of the cart and pulled my head over the edge, faintly hearing a familiar voice say, 'Woah! Woah! Slow, pony, slow.' While I vomited right over the edge of the cart, coughing as I heaved.

"Yuck! Could she try and control her need to vomit all over my clothes? This is an injustice, that's what it is!" I heard a nasily, annoying voice say as I leaned my head on the wood, moaning in pain.

"Shut it, you Weasel, you shouldn't have been walking by the cart then hoping to catch a ride on it when I didn't notice. Fili and Bofur were the ones that recovered this pony from your burning town, we were the ones who built this cart, and we will use it to get Philomena to the mountain whether you like it or not." Kili growled as I breathed heavily, groaning as my stomach protested once more and I vomited up bile, nothing left in my stomach to get rid of.

"Aw! Not my hat!" The Weasel protested as he walked away. I sighed in relief, feeling the cart come to a stop, a small pony snorting.

"Did the lass wake up again?" I heard Bofur ask as I leaned, exhausted, on the wood. My head felt like someone was repeatedly hitting me over the head with a rock, my stomach rolling and grumbling in protest as I shivered, sweating away and feeling altogether disgusting.

"Yes, Bofur, jump up in the cart, help me get her back into a comfortable position. Kili, do you have any of those herbs left that Tauriel gave you just in case?" I heard Fili say as I felt a hand rest for a second lightly on my forehead before pulling away.

"Yes, do you think they will put her to sleep once more?" Kili asked as I felt the cart move.

"She said they would lessen the pain, so anything that can help Philomena right now, we need it." Fili said as I felt two arms gently grab me under the armpits. I moaned in protest, the world spinning and turning.

"It's just me, lass, let's get you comfortable once more, can't have you getting sick on us now can we?" I heard Bofur say as I was laid back on the blankets once more, my head propped up slightly, "Should help her with the nausea, Bifur used to have the same problem in the beginning if he was on anything moving. Propping his head up always seemed to help, let us see if it helps the lass." Bofur said as I felt another cold cloth pressed to my forehead.

Fili sighed, "At least her fever has begun to break, that was something none of us knew how to handle." Fili said as I felt the cart shake, "Here, Bofur, give her a sip of this, should help her with the pain, or at least Tauriel said so." Fili said.

"Alright, lad, we will see. How about you watch the back Kili, Fili leads the pony and I sit back here with Mena? She doesn't look too good right now." Bofur said as a water skin was held to my lips. I quickly drank it, disgusted with the herbal taste to the water but if Fili and Kili are right and it helps pain? Then I will take it.

Bofur took away the water skin and I relaxed, breathing heavy as my stomach stopped rolling.

"You think she stable enough for us to go? We are getting left behind and I would rather we reach Erebor and hope the others are alive. Uncle used to speak of the stores within Erebor that could last a hundred years of food and herbs. Plus, Ori can help her more than we can and there is not much of the herb Tauriel gave us left." Fili said worriedly.