Hello, sorry everyone for disappearing. My exams and real life kinda took over. BUT I'm back now! I'm celebrating changing my Tumblr name. (lame excuse is lame. I wanted to be on here again) ENJOY
He hadn't expected anyone to be at the hospital yet; and so the hug from the lady crying in the hall took him completely by surprise. Arthur awkwardly patted her on her back (he never learned quite how to deal with weeping women) before she finally straightened.
"I'm Hunith. My son is the one who…" Arthur realized she wasn't going to complete her sentence, not willing to face what had happened. He didn't want to face it but after being asked questions by the police, the events of that night had finally sunk in.
He had nearly died. Another man was hurt instead.
Merlin Emrys had pushed Arthur out of the way, when a car had run a red light and Arthur had begun crossing. Merlin had been hit and was now in critical condition; he might never wake up. Arthur emerged with minor scrapes, the paramedics had barely even glanced at him when they had arrived on scene.
And now Arthur was meeting his savior's mother. Hunith seemed nice, and she said she didn't blame Arthur for what happened. Will, who came with Hunith, was Merlin's best friend, and Arthur was sure Will hated him. Arthur didn't blame him, he deserved it, for ruining this man's life.
Arthur listened to the steady beep of the machine, it meant he could still say thank you, it meant the man lying pale and bandaged in the bed was still alive.
"I don't know if you can hear me. The doctors said a familiar voice might help you wake up, but mine isn't really familiar-I mean we only met last night, and you shoved me! I thought it was rather rude until I heard the car." Arthur glanced around, the room was still empty. Will had taken Hunith home after she had heard from the doctors that there was nothing else to do but wait. Arthur had volunteered to stay and watch for any changes.
Merlin didn't answer of course. His breathing slow and steady, thanks to the tube he had been attached to.
"I had been so stupid." Arthur just needed to talk, needed to explain himself to this man. Arthur had finished a meeting with his father and decided that he needed to get drunk. The pub was across the street and so he had gone with Craig and Owen, to drown his frustrations. His father had blamed him for losing the deal with Carleon Industry, even though it was mostly Morgana's fault for not completing the presentation. But Morgana could do no wrong in his father's eyes, so Arthur, as production leader, had taken the fall.
Craig had been the one to see Merlin, but at the time they just thought he was an idiot. A fool with big ears and messy black hair. They had been more than a little tipsy and thought it would be hilarious to make fun of him, it had lasted about ten minutes before they switched targets; none of the targets holding their drunken attention for long.
It had been late when Arthur had finally stumbled out, intent on returning to the Pendragon Tower, and his apartment on the upper floors. That was when he had nearly stepped in front of the car. And Merlin, the too skinny man that Arthur had been laughing at, saved him.
Now Arthur is feeling guilty. He falls asleep, watching the steady beat of Merlin's heart on the machine.
Its two weeks later that Arthur finds out Hunith can't pay for the life support on Merlin.
Arthur offers to pay it.
His father didn't approve, saying it is the man's fault for being in such a situation.
Arthur does it anyways.
Morgana joins him sometimes when he sits with Merlin, "You're changing." Morgana was never subtle, and for once Arthur is glad for her bluntness, "I think you actually care now. I'm glad he saved you. Arthur sometimes you can be an idiot but I think this man is starting to mean something to you."
"I know. It's just…I can't believe a complete stranger would do this."
"Arthur, he wasn't a complete stranger. He worked part time at Pendragon Tower, he was Gaius's intern." Arthur gaped at Morgana, Merlin worked at the Tower? "I think you've actually met him once or twice."
"I feel like an utter idiot. I thought the first time I met him was when I was making fun of him with Craig and Owen. Why would he save me? I've been a jerk." Arthur put his head in his hands.
"Well I think you are making up for it now." Morgana gathered a few of her things, "Uther wants you in a meeting at five today. Something about the work you did on the Nemeth design. Want a ride out now?"
"Thanks, but no. I'm going to stay here a while longer."
It took a month.
Arthur had learned quite a lot about Merlin in the meantime. He learned that Merlin was a university student working on his degree in PR, while working as Gaius's intern to help pay for it. He learned that Merlin's father had disappeared soon after Merlin was born, leaving Hunith to work extra hard to support herself and a child. Arthur learned that Merlin and Will had met in Primary school and had become best friends. Arthur even met Freya, Merlin's girlfriend; she was supposed to meet with Merlin the day after the accident.
Arthur was alone in the room when Merlin woke up. Hunith had stepped out to get them coffee, it was her turn since Arthur had gone the hour before.
"Mom?" It was such a lost and broken sound Arthur thought he was imagining it.
"Oh thank goodness! You're awake!" Arthur rushed forward, "Hunith just stepped out for a minute, she should be coming back soon."
Arthur pushed the call button to get the doctor, now that Merlin was awake they could start rehab and he could go home soon. Arthur could hear the doctor coming in and Hunith rushed in afterwards. Arthur quietly excused himself to sit in the hall.
Hunith came out nearly fifteen minutes later and Arthur let her pull him into a hug, it had taken him awhile to get used to Hunith's mothering but soon found it was rather easy to go along with.
"How is he?" Hunith gave Arthur a tight smile, and Arthur was glad to see she could smile now.
"He didn't say much. Mostly just held my hand. The doctor checked his arm and ribs and gave him some more pain meds when Merlin mentioned they hurt. He fell asleep again. Doctor Fawkes said it was fine, he just needs to rest and recuperate.
"He'll pull through this. You kept telling me that Merlin was strong. He made it out of his coma right? He'll recover and be home in no time."
They found out something was off a few days later. Merlin had been quiet and shy most of the time. Arthur was able to introduce himself properly and Merlin had only nodded with wide eyes.
"Mom, where's Thusa?" Merlin asked one afternoon. Arthur and Hunith were both there and turned towards him, since he hardly said anything it was always a reason.
"She's at home dear." Hunith spoke quietly and shot Arthur a look he couldn't decipher.
"But you always bring Thusa when I'm hurt." If Arthur didn't know better he would say that Merlin was whining. But he knew that no twenty year-old would whine, no matter how hurt, in front of a stranger.
"Who is Thusa?" Arthur asked giving both of them looks.
Merlin just beams at him and answers brightly, "My dragon!"
Arthur raises a brow and looks at Hunith, who sighs and gives a more detailed explanation, "Merlin had a stuffed dragon when he was younger. I'll bring it tomorrow, sound good?"
"Okay. Mommy, can I watch TV?" Hunith looked worried, but passed him the remote. Arthur waited until Merlin had settled on a show, one that was on the kid's channel where the characters would stop and wait for a response, and noticed that Merlin would mouth the answers. He and Hunith went out in the hall to talk without bothering Merlin.
"What is up with Merlin? I have a feeling there is something more to Thusa than just an old toy." Arthur and Hunith watched Merlin through the window in the door.
"It was his favorite, I brought it to the hospital when he broke his arm. And then again when he had a mild case of pneumonia, Merlin kept Thusa with him the whole time. But when he turned eleven he decided that he was too old for toys and asked me to put Thusa away." Hunith wrung her hands, "He's acting like he's a child again. He loves to watch crime shows and usually can figure out the mystery before the show; but when I suggested one yesterday he told me they 'were too scary'."
"There could have been some mental damage from the accident, I've read about that before. I have a friend, Lance, who could come in. He works at a psych hospital, actually it is more a home. But I could ask him to come and talk to Merlin." Arthur ran a hand through his hair, messing up what he had done that morning.
"Mental regression." Lance told him later. "I've never heard about it going back so far as to actually take someone back to being a child but it can happen."
"What does it mean exactly?" Arthur questioned, frustrated at what had happened. He just wanted Merlin to get better and let Arthur go back to his own life.
"Something about his present state, whether mental or physical was too much for him to handle; so Merlin decided the best way to deal with this was to not. Or at least he decided to deal with it like a child would. Usually in cases like this the reaction is minor, small temper tantrums, wetting the bed again, or just childlike reactions. This is the most extreme case I have seen." Lance looked over his notes again. "I think when he is done with most of his rehab, he should come and live at the hospital. I don't think his mother really can care for, what is basically a six year old trapped in a young man's body. If he throws a tantrum he could really hurt her, emotionally and mentally he will behave like a child, but physically he could hurt someone."
Arthur sighed, after two more days with Merlin he had come to the same conclusion. Merlin had for the most part done what the doctors had told him; sometimes it had seemed he was pouty and unhappy about it. But others he considered a game, like exercising his dislocated hip had meant walking back and forth. He had counted out loud how many times he did it, proudly telling Hunith he did it fifteen times.
"Ok, thanks Lance. I'll ring you up." Arthur ran a hand through his hair, he was starting to do it a lot more now.
"Not a problem Arthur. I'm glad I could help, maybe I should check up on you though." Lance gave him an evaluating look.
Arthur bristled, "What do you mean?"
"Relax Arthur. I've just never seen you so worried about someone. Even when your stepmom was dying you didn't care this much." Lance steered them to a set of chairs in the cafeteria, Arthur didn't realize they had walked there.
"I care!" Indignantly Arthur let Lance push him into sitting.
"Yeah right. The most you ever cared was your mother's charity, the one for helping mothers in difficult situations." Arthur groaned, he knew Lance was just worried and wouldn't let Arthur out of the conversation any time soon.
"I am not worried about him. I just…Merlin saved my life Lance. I didn't feel like I could leave him—or his family, in the rut after that. Hunith almost had to take him off of life support."
"I know. Morgana called me, she said you started paying for them." Lance gave Arthur a look; that he knew so well, the look that said he understood a lot more than Arthur was saying.
"I just couldn't let him die, not after he saved my life. Now we are even." Arthur sighed again, "I still feel guilty."
Lance chuckled and Arthur glared at him, "I know. That's why you are here at the hospital instead of at Pendragon Tower scaring your PA."
They sat quiet for a minute or two before Lance spoke again. "Come on, let's get you home. You can't do anything more here today."
Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing. :D Have a great day!