Thanks for the reviews! I actually nearly smacked myself when you guys pointed out those spelling mistakes! Ack! Damn my dependence and trust in the not so amazing spell check on Word
Thanks for pointing it out though :D
Italics = thoughts
decided to take turns with writing chapters for each fic. At the moment they are in strangely similar circumstances… I should probably stop being mean to Merlin after this one :P
Hope you enjoy. If you have any questions feel free to ask and tell me what you think :P
Merlin no mine bladybla
-M-
Merlin was slumped unmoving as blood pooled around a large gash in his head. Bruises were littered over his face and collar undoubtedly continuing over the rest of his body. One side of his face was heavily swollen while the other had a sharp dark bruise in the shape of a fist. Blood was trickling from a cut on his cheekbone.
He was curled on his side as if he had been shrinking away. Arthur crouched beside him but froze, hand hovering over the servants arm unable to find a safe place to touch. His jacket and neckerchief were both missing leaving the bruises that littered his pale skin easy to see. His collar was a literal chess board of dark bruises, cuts indicating where his assailant had been wearing rings.
"Merlin?" He tried again carefully laying a hand on his shoulder. Slowly Merlin's eyelids seemed to slip open. Suddenly he panicked; his eyes flew wide open as he tried to scramble backwards only to gasp in pain as Arthur tried to stop him, "Sit still you idiot." Arthur snapped trying to gain control as he gripped slightly tighter to his servants shoulder.
Merlin flinched shrinking away as his eyes roamed around trying to get a handle on what was going on. Arthur felt his hart drop as he saw the terror in the depths of those dark blue eyes and he did his best to steady his friend.
"Arthur?" His voice was a croak and the way he subtly leaned away from the prince gave away his uncertainty. His eyes were unfocused as he failed to meet Arthur's eyes.
"Yes it's me, calm down you're safe now."
Arthur looked round hoping to flag down a servant through his open door but there was no one there. Growling in frustration he looked back to Merlin who had if possible paled even more in the time he'd been awake, his eyes slipping closed again.
"Stay awake." He murmured. Merlin didn't say anything but his eyes opened again looking distant. "Do you remember what happened?"
"Wha-?" Merlin frowned before realizing what a bad idea that was and winced.
"Do you remember what happened, who did this to you?"
Merlin didn't say anything and for a moment Arthur thought he had drifted off in to sleep after all but then he finally dragged his eyes off the floor eyes suddenly looking clear and tired.
"No, I don't remember anything." He whispered his eyes slowly falling shut.
"Merlin." Either he didn't hear or didn't care as Merlin slumped back on to the floor with a small groan.
Snarling Arthur turned back to the door bellowing with all his might down the corridor.
"Help me!"
-M-
Gaius had been carefully disposing of his failed experiment with a disappointed sigh when a servant barged through the door in a very Merlin like manor.
Of course it hadn't been his troublesome ward but it had been about him and so the tired aged physician found himself sweeping down the corridor the before mentioned servant bounding after him with his bags, all the way to the princes chambers where Merlin had been found.
Like the prince he hadn't been quiet prepared for what he found.
The room was chaos (not so unusual he supposed) but this was different and it was clear a struggle had gone on within the over sized bedchambers.
But probably the most haunting image was that of the hunched prince as he sat crouched beside a battered almost unrecognizable still form. The Prince looked strained his usual mask slipping to show the turbulence of emotions underneath. He had retrieved a pillow to place under the head of his injured servant without a thought of the blood that slowly began to seep over its surface.
Merlin hadn't stirred again and it was only as Gaius stepped closer that he began to realize the true extent of his injuries. He was covered in miss matched bruises and his breathing came out in slight wheezes. He had clearly taken a beating and for a moment Gaius struggled as his emotions began to take control of his head, shaking himself he forced himself back to the mindset of a physician focusing on Mer- on the patient's wounds.
His blue shirt had been ripped down at the collar revealing multicolored bruises covering the majority of his torso. His arms were similarly matched his right wrist encircled by an incredibly dark bruise where someone must have grabbed him. The remaining dark smudges around the same area were defensive wounds but none on his fists so he hadn't been fighting back.
Gaius's eyes tracked back up over his chest noting the darker bruises where someone had gone at the boy bare knuckled and without holding back, the likely hood of broken ribs was high but that was not something he could judge from this distance.
The last most noticeable injury was that of the slightly lighter bruise that encircled his neck. Throttled/ strangled? Gaius wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know the answer to that.
"How long has he been asleep?"
Arthur jumped as Gaius finally spoke from beside him; eyes wide and fearful. Only further evidence of how badly he had been affected seeing as he heard neither the approach of Gaius nor the foolish servant that followed.
"W- He fainted a few moments before I sent someone to fetch you…"
About the time it takes to get to my rooms and back then…
Crouching by the boy trying to ignore the aching in his limbs as his knees hit the stone floor, Gaius bent down over his ward listening first to his breathing and then to his fragile heart beat. He didn't stir once not even as the physician began to gently prod at his ribs.
Two were fractured and Gaius absentmindedly murmured at the servant to get out some bandages. He didn't have time however as Arthur, keen to do something, sent him a warning glare before taking the satchel himself. (It wouldn't make much of a difference anyway Merlin was Gaius's assistant, no one else had the same experience)
Setting out the bandages Arthur tried to keep his mind fixed on his task, pretending that he wasn't straining to hear every weak breath that forced itself from his servant's lips. Keeping his eyes down so they wouldn't so obviously bore in to his servant's chest or damaged face, wounds recorded and etched in to his memory that would probably never leave.
Emotions were swirling so deep inside him, so mixed that he could barely understand them. One of the forefront was a profound disbelief, as if this couldn't be real, some bizarre nightmare concocted by his tired and worried mind.
Part of his more logical mind whispered he was in denial but he wasn't quite ready to listen to that part of his head yet, because this was just too unreal. Merlin was a goofy, loyal servant who had the strange gift of making everyone love him, he didn't have enemies, never hurt anyone. He was useless with a sword, mace; basically any weapon ever created and was genuinely defenseless as a new born kitten.
But despite all this he followed Arthur where anyone in their right mind would have turned and ran, he faced a dragon, infiltrated Cendred's keep and faced multitudes of dangerous creatures and one thing that remained the same was that he made it out most times without a scratch on his skinny body.
Now…
Someone attacked him and he hadn't fought back, Arthur knew the signs. He hadn't thrown any punches and from what Arthur had seen of his back he hadn't turned to run either. They hit him, choked him and when he fell they kicked him where he lay. No mercy, pure brutality.
Which bought Arthur quickly to his next most forefront emotion. Held back by frayed strings fury bubbled just below the surface boiling in his hart as it screamed in pure outrage at what had been done. Attacking a defenseless innocent would make him angry enough but Merlin, Merlin. Anger didn't even touch upon the emotion he was feeling then as his kind, loyal, friend lay all but dead on the floor by someone else's hand.
Some offhand part of his brain realized that Gaius was speaking but this didn't seem to register entirely as the prince found his eyes once again fixed to the pained frown on his weak friends face,
"…ribs are fractured.. a few of his fingers are broken… his wrist has been sprained…"
The constant drone of injuries cut through Arthur's mental block making his heart sting as if cut by each word, eyes kept in sway by the gradual rise and fall of his servants chest half terrified it would stop any moment.
"His breathing is the best that can be expected, the fractures are not so bad that they are preventing his breathing. I will need you to help me bind them but they will heal in time. It won't be easy but they will heal."
Arthur nodded dumbly as he sat still simply staring as Gaius moved to the head wound. It had been pressed against the pillow and almost stopped bleeding. Right on time the earlier servant returned with a bowl of water Arthur didn't remember hearing Gaius ask for and after setting it down between the pair scurried out again.
The prince watched as Gaius washed out a cloth before dabbing the side of Merlin's head with the damp material. The unconscious boy winced at the movement trying to turn his head away. Arthur pursed his lips, closing his eyes tightly as he felt something hot prickle behind his eyes. He was being ridiculous, he had to keep control. This of course didn't seem to stop him very carefully sliding his hand around Merlin's, as if this small movement could act both to comfort and keep the boy from going anywhere.
It didn't take long for Gaius to finish and bandage the head wound movements quick and precise as he completed the task while causing the least pain possible. His eyes barely alighted on the boys joined hands for a moment before they were moving again quickly analyzing.
"We'll have to cut him out of his shirt, I don't want to jostle his ribs too much taking it off and I can't bandage him up with it in the way."
Arthur nodded realizing there was finally something useful he could do. As Gaius started organizing his pots and bandages Arthur slid the knife from his side releasing Merlin's hand, leaning forward over him so he could more easily get to his tatty shirt. Merlin didn't even twitch at the movement, newly bandaged head tilted to the side.
Arthur cut one clear cut from the neckline of his shirt to the hem, careful not to catch his skin. What he saw made him hiss furiously. Merlin's entire chest was covered with a weaving of varying colored bruises from sickening yellow to purples and blacks. There was barely an untouched pale spot on his entire body, every now and then Arthur could pick out what may have been a ring etched in to the horrendous art work but really it was impossible to tell.
Arthur quickly cut the sleeves and waited as Gaius applied some kind of balm to the exposed skin. His physicians mask was almost flawless and ten times better then what Arthur was managing to pull off. But while his hands were steady and his figure resolute Arthur could see his eyes shining and knew they probably reflected his own.
Arthur numbly did as he was told, holding up the injured boy so Gaius could wrap the bandages firmly around Merlin's chest. Arthur tried to ignore every cut off gasp and whimper that came from his still unconscious friend but his well honed defenses came to nothing and each sound cut him to the core.
Gaius had arranged for the guards outside Arthurs room to carry the injured boy back to the physicians quarters instructing them to keep him as still as possible. Using the broken off door of Arthurs cupboard he helped them load the sleeping boy on before they hoisted the structure up and made for the door.
Arthur watched them, the strange numbness still covering him like a thick blanket holding the anger at bay. Gaius gathered his things, making to leave. Arthur rose to follow but just as they reached the door Gaius turned to him with a tired look on his face.
"Sire, maybe it would be best of you remained behind. It is late and you are no good to Merlin now. Get some rest."
With that the physician scurried away after his injured ward leaving a stunned and fearful Prince alone in the corridor. It was this moment, now when there was no friend lying at his feet, nobody in need of treating; it was that moment that the reality of the situation sunk in and the fury that had been battling beneath the surface finally took hold.
For a moment he simply stood there frozen rooted to the spot, his fists clench in rage as he began to shake. Then with a frustrated shout Arthur whirled driving his fists hard against the solid oak door to his room. Crashing his knuckles in punch after punch as if it were Merlin's assailant he were hitting, as if he were hurting the man who had caused his friend so much pain.
If anyone had been around to see the prince that moment they may barely have recognized him. Red in the face, blood from Merlin's head wound still fresh on his clothes and taking all his fury out on the door, he looked like a man gone mad.
After a few minutes of furious punches and heavy breathing alls he had managed to do was batter his hands and cause the beginnings of a sizeable dent in the wood of the door. His hands ached as blood showed on the knuckles and the bone protested at its mistreatment, all together manifesting in a deeply unpleasant pain that radiated all the way up his arms.
It hurt, but it was better than the other feelings, the pain and the anger. This pain was almost a relief, a distraction. But the Prince was forced to close his eyes tightly, refusing to acknowledge the tears that were fighting past his eyes as he thought back to his servant who had far more then bruised knuckles to be dealing with.
Whoever had done this would pay. When he found them he would make them wish they had never been born.
I'm mean, I feel guilty… I shall write a happy fic when this is all over!
Please do tell me what you think, you don't even have to make a profile or anything you can just go ahead tell me what you like or don't like. :D
Also though I'm a big fan of detective shows/books etc this is not going to be a work of mystery genius (not even close) also I can't claim any medical knowledge what so ever (apart from snippets that stuck with me while watching House) so what you see is mild guessing, stuff I heard on tv shows annnnd a website that told me about rib fractures :D
Soooo feel free to point out if you think he would die from these not so bad injuries in those times… I may just shrug and say 'duuude magic!' but heck maybe I'll learn somein.
Wow if you actually read that note congrats!
Hope to be updating soon.
Next time hopefully more heavily featuring Gwaine XD (so obvious who my favs are)
Ok no more rambling. Bye!
Encourage the injured person to cough frequently. It's going to hurt, but it will prevent secretions from pooling in the lung, which could cause pneumonia.
