AN: Couldn't help myself. Merlin needs all the lovin' he can get.
"Merlin!" I barked. "Merlin, wake up!"
I had a feeling it was going to be a bad day. Merlin normally got up early in the morning and we'd go for a long run. But today, Merlin didn't get out of bed.
"Merlin, did you die?" I barked, overcome with worry. I zipped back and forth all over the room in utter panic, not sure what to do. My best of all best friends could possibly be dead. "Merlin, did you die?" I barked louder.
"MERLIN?" I howled.
Merlin groaned at me from the bed.
I calmed down and started wagging my tail. My master was not dead.
Grabbing on end of the bed comforter, I pulled with all my might. At first, Merlin pulled back and I thought we were playing a game. But when I pulled again, Merlin just let me pull the comforter straight off the bed. Merlin just lied there.
I placed my two front paws on the bed and leaned over to give him some kisses, hoping it would make him feel better, if the game didn't make him feel better. Merlin only swatted me away and rolled over on his other side. "Merlin is having a bad day," I thought to myself. "More kisses will fix that."
I didn't want my best of all best friends to have a bad day. I jumped on the bed, stood over my master, and slobbered all over his face in big kisses. I knew he didn't like it when I jumped on the furniture, but I didn't care because I was worried about Merlin.
"Go away, Geoffrey!" Merlin yelled at me. This was the first time Merlin ever yelled at me.
I stopped and stared at my master. Merlin glared back at me; he was frowning. I didn't like it when Merlin frowned at me.
I quickly jumped off the bed, my tail tucked between my legs. I whimpered because I was sad I made him angry and Merlin ignored me. He only grumbled as he rose from the bed just so could pull the bed comforter over himself in a cocoon. After a few minutes, I left him alone.
I lied down in my other bed Merlin kept for me downstairs. I was very sad. My best of all best friends was angry at me.
My feeling was right. It was a bad day. A very, very bad day.
/
Galahad rubbed my belly and said, "Don't look so sad, Geoffrey."
I huffed at Galahad. I was relieved that Merlin was alive. But I was still very sad that Merlin was angry at me. Merlin hadn't spoken to me all day. And work was boring today. Merlin didn't do anything fun; he just sat in his chair and scribbled all sorts of things on paper.
"I think you should go home," Galahad said, when he caught Merlin retching green and yellow chunks into the wastebasket.
I was curious about the green and yellow chunks. I trotted over to the wastebasket and looked at the mush. I looked from the mush at Galahad and back at the mush, asking for permission to eat it. Galahad laughed and shook his head.
Galahad pulled a treat from his pocket. "You can this instead," he said.
In a flash, I was sitting at Galahad's feet, begging him for more treats. Treats always made me feel better and I was having a very, very bad day.
"I'm fine, thank you" Merlin replied, wiping his mouth and turning back to his work.
"Merlin," Galahad scolded. "A gentleman always shares with his compatriots, but not if what his is sharing is the bubonic plague." Galahad winked at me. "What do you think Geoffrey?"
I yipped an affirmative. Merlin looked very, very tired.
Merlin was about to make a reply, but he instead retched again. Whatever Merlin had for lunch was not agreeing with his stomach.
Galahad raised an eyebrow at his friend, as if challenging him to deny his illness.
"Fine," Merlin huffed, slowly standing up. "Home we go, Geoffrey. To take a nap." He rolled his eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he ever took a nap was.
/
As soon as we got home, Merlin removed his glasses, undressed, and crawled into bed. I laid down next to him on the floor. Merlin hung his hand from the side of the bed and massaged my head.
Merlin stayed in bed for several hours. I only left his side because I was hungry. Then I realized that my best of all best friends might be hungry, too. If Merlin was sick, then I it was my responsibility to take care of him.
I didn't understand human food. Merlin just put out a bowl of kibbles and a bowl of water and I was happy. But I knew Merlin was not a puppy and kept all his food in neat containers in the cold, metal box. It took me a few tries, but I managed to open the door.
Knocking all sorts of containers to the floor, I struggled to pop open the lids and sniff the contents. I picked out something that didn't smell like much. I was worried if it was too smelly, Merlin would be sick again.
I also pushed over a chair to jump onto the table; Merlin also kept non-smelly foods in a bowl on the table. I put one of those things into the container.
I also knew Merlin used these funny metal contraptions to feed himself. They were kept in the drawer on the far left of the kitchen counter. I pulled open the drawer, spilled everything out, and picked up something. Putting the little metal thing into the container, I carried the container to Merlin.
Sitting on the side of the bed, I barked, "Look, Merlin! I brought you food. You should eat it." My tail was wagging and I was panting with excitement. My master would be so proud of me for bringing him food.
Merlin slowly sat up and laughed when he saw me sitting there. My master smiled at me. I liked it when he smiled at me. It meant I was also his best of all best friends.
Merlin had a puzzled expression when he looked down in the container of raw snap peas, an apple, and a spoon. But he shrugged and ate anyway, knowing I would be upset if he didn't eat.
Merlin set the container on nightstand and leaned over to give me a good pat on the head. He smiled at me again. "You're a good dog, Geoffrey. Thank you."
/
The next morning, Merlin got out of bed like normal. But we didn't go for a long run. Instead, he took a long bath and dressed himself in a white button-down shirt and striped navy blue tie under the wooly blue sweater that itched my nose. He put on grey trousers and the shiny shoes he told me I should never, ever chew up. Something about neurotoxins?
But I didn't mind. Merlin was alive and he wasn't angry at me.
Merlin followed me down the stairs and into the kitchen. Merlin froze mid-step and turned pale when he saw the mess I had made.
I cocked my head to the right and looked up at him. I thought he looked paler than yesterday.
"Are you going to be sick again?" I barked.
Merlin was sick again.
