Nightmares

"Merlin." Gaius stooped over Merlin's bed trying to wake the poor warlock from a nightmare that was affecting the entire room.

"Merlin!" Books flew across the room and cupboard doors slammed open and shut. Gaius shook Merlin to try and wake him and end the storm. He ducked down just in time to avoid a flying pot.

"MERLIN!"

Merlin's eyes flew open and glowed like golden embers. His window shattered into tiny pieces and items moved faster around the room. He sat up in his bed then reached out his hand

"Gostega." He called out. His eyes glowed again then everything ceased moving in mid air.

Gaius breathed a sigh of relief that he finally got Merlin to wake up. Unfortunately, that broke Merlin's concentration. He looked at Gaius then everything fell to the floor. Merlin winced when everything crashed to the floor but could not help but notice Gaius's pending stare.

"Gaius?" He wheezed out. Gaius raised an eyebrow and stared down at Merlin. He was not getting out of this one.

"You have been acting strange all week. First it was just looking tired but now it's tearing your whole room apart in your sleep. I know you have had troubles with doing magic in your sleep before but this has gone far enough. What is troubling you?" Merlin could not look Gaius in the eyes. How could he tell him the things he was seeing? He could barely explain them himself. Things he had no idea who the people where or what was going on. Seeing events that he had not been alive to witness or events that had not yet come to pass? How could he explain to Gaius that he was going insane?

"I keep- I keep having nightmares." He finally got out.

"Well I can see that. You room doesn't exactly move by itself." Gaius readjusted himself to a more comfortable sitting position. Merlin almost smiled but turned and stared out his broken window, searching for answers in the night's sky.

"I see death," Merlin finally said after a few moments to compose himself, "suffering, and pain. People crying out for help and I can't help them. I can feel their fright. Feel it like it's my own. I see Uther's men killing innocent children." He stopped to fight back a tear in his eye and looked into Gaius' old eyes. "Why am I seeing these things Gaius? I was never there for that! Why am I seeing things I was not even alive to witness? I haven't slept in days because of what I see in my dreams! Why do I have to see-" Merlin's tears betrayed him and streamed down his cheeks. Gaius leaned forward and embraced the weeping warlock, patting his back in comfort.

"There, now. Take it easy." Gaius said softly and tried to make sense of what was happening to poor Merlin.