Full of Sound and Fury
Arthur was tired. He had been in court for over 24 hours trying to prove his client innocent of murder. Which he knew for a fact he was. The worst thing about the whole situation was that he had lost. Judge U Pendragon, who happened to be Arthur's own Father, was blinded by his homophobia and the fact that Arthur had just revealed to him that he had been living with another man for 5 years, had instantly lost him the case.
Arthur turned on the radio wearily as he staggered into the large house, made dark by the pouring rain outside, his spirits falling even lower when he realised Merlin must be at work. He started to make himself a coffee, hoping it would keep him up long enough to get some food into his howling stomach before he could finally sleep. He half listened to the radio blaring out the midday news, knowing he should be storing the information in case they were important in any future cases.
"…New S D Hurt book out tomorrow to much anticipation… "
"…First man ever to survive a 6 storey jump…"
"…Rivalry between the Pendragons? The esteemed judge and his up and coming lawyer son…"
"…The headline news is still the multiple car pile up yesterday morning, which resulted in 8 deaths and the 9th victim is in a coma…"
Just then the phone rang. Arthur groaned and turned on the kettle before picking up the phone and resigning himself to more tedious work. He was right. It was the Richard Gaius.
"Arthur? I don't want to keep you from your well earned rest but just to let you know you have to be back in tomorrow for your new case –"
"What? Tomorrow? I don't even get a day?"
"Sorry sir, your father gave this case specifically to you. Young white male in a coma after a multiple car pile up. Seems to be the only survivor. His distraught mother wants-"
"Multiple car pile up? The one that happened yesterday morning? Surely this mother cannot want to take any legal action so soon after the event, especially with no knowledge as to how serious her son's case is? Look Gaius, I have been up for nearly 30 hours. I will deal with this in the morning."
"Sir, she wishes to take legal action against the hospital. He is losing blood fast and she lives a long way away with no money and no means of transport. They have not found another blood match for him and yet are refusing to allow her any means of reaching the hospital –"
Arthur hung up. The kettle had boiled and he didn't think he could cope with another second of work until he was fed and rested. He gently stirred his coffee absent mindedly, hoping that Merlin would be back soon. He hadn't known he had had to work today.
His phone rang again. It was Hunith. He answered, trying to sound more energetic than he felt and trying not to spill his coffee as lifted it to take a sip.
"Hunith?"
"Arthur!" She said with a shaky voice "Arthur, thank God, I've been trying to reach you… no doubt where you've been. Listen…please….please…I need to get down to you. He needs my blood, Arthur, he needs my blood…"
Hunith was still talking but Arthur had stiffened and stopped listening. His eyes had widened and he had slowly turned around to stare at the radio still reporting the case in the corner of their kitchen. He heard the words "…song writer, Merlin Ambrosius…" and his mug of coffee hit the stone floor with a smash.