"I got them," Gwen said, coming back with blankets and pillows piled in her arms. Gaius smiled at her; Arthur just snatched the items away from her. Gwen frowned at him.

"We need to support his shoulder, Sire, and make sure he stays warm. Thank you Gwen," Gaius said.

The tone made Arthur turn and look at her blankly. Then he turned back to Merlin, and started to wrap him in a blanket. Gwen looked at Gaius who looked back. He reached out and squeezed Gwen's forearm.

"Thank you."

Gwen shrugged. "Thank Morgana, they're mostly hers."

"Well, thank her for me," Gaius said, before bustling forward to deal with Merlin, and his current nurse. "Prop his shoulder carefully. I need to make the tisane for him, it will ease the pain."

"He's unconscious," Arthur said.

"It will help keep down the fever as well," Gaius put his hand against Merlin skin. He felt hot, and he wasn't comfortable, Gaius could read the signs. It was dangerous enough to give him the medicine he needed to use, but even more dangerous not to.

"I need more water," Gaius said.

"I'll get it," Gwen said grabbing the bucket that Gaius always used and ran for the door. She paused and turned to look as Arthur arranged the blankets and pillows around Merlin. She watched for a moment before turning and running to get what Gaius needed.

"You should get some sleep Sire," Gaius said, the comment fell on deaf ears. "Sire!"

Arthur turned his head and looked up. "What?"

"You really ought to go and get some sleep, and something to eat."

"I had some bread."

"That's hardly enough."

"I'm not hungry," Arthur said. "I thought you were making something for Merlin."

"I am," Gaius said, doing that, clearly Arthur wasn't really noticing what other people were doing. "But there is nothing you can do for him now, he just needs rest and,"

"And what?" Arthur turned to look up at Gaius. He had hardly taken his eyes off Merlin, only rounding on someone when they gave a hint of a doubt as to what to do.

"Care," Gaius added. Merlin probably needed much more than that.

Gaius looked at his patient and felt his heart tense, there was not a part of Merlin that had been spared the assault. There was no way to comprehend what Merlin could have done to someone to suffer this. The only thing that made Gaius' heart quail was the thought that someone had seen Merlin perform some sorcery. There were times that he was not very good a hiding it, as young and naïve as he was he didn't always see the danger. He was so new to Camelot, he had no comprehension of what had occurred, truly occurred.

If sorcery was the case however, the assailants would have dragged Merlin before the king. Nothing like that had happened, it made no sense to Gaius. What had Merlin ever done to anyone? He asked himself as he finished off the tisane. The water was cool enough now, he sprinkled the last herb in and stirred it. Gaius brought the liquid over to Merlin, laid back on the pillows that were packed around him. Sitting on the stood by the head of the bed Gaius put the cup to Merlin's lips, pouring a small amount of the tisane into his mouth and tilting his head back. With the cloth he was holding he dabbed at the liquid that ran out of Merlin's mouth, and tilted his chin back, watching as Merlin's throat muscles worked automatically, to swallow the liquid that Gaius had got into his mouth.

Arthur sat forward watching intently as Gaius tried again.

"Help him sit up a little, just a little, that's it," Gaius said. It made for an easier angle and also gave Arthur something to do. Gaius poured a little more into Merlin's mouth, and his throat constricted again, and he coughed.

"He's choking!" Arthur snapped.

"No, he's not, his body will react to the stimulant to drink the liquid, but his reflex isn't perfect. He is fine, and this will do him good."

"Okay," Arthur said. Gaius fed Merlin a little more of the liquid. Merlin's forehead creased it a frown and he coughed.

"Gaius!"

"Don't you know how to knock?" Arthur snapped to the poor unfortunate servant who came through the door. Gaius put the cup down.

"Yes, Lilia, what is it?"

"Noel has taken another turn, we need you."

"But Merlin…!" Arthur snapped and then stopped. Gaius turned to look at him. He held out the cup which Arthur took.

"Just help him drink the rest of that, I won't be long."

Arthur looked down at the cup, then at Merlin. He shifted Merlin's head back a little and tried putting the cup to his lips, Liquid flowed down Merlin's chin, and he gave another cough, spitting out what was in his mouth. Arthur dabbed at the liquid on Merlin's chest.

"Merlin, now you're just being annoying, you need to drink this. Please. I didn't mean what I said this morning."

Arthur was about to try again and jumped as the door creaked. Gwen walked in and met Arthur's wide-eyed gaze.

"Gaius asked for water," Gwen said, putting the bucket down and then curtseying.

"He said Merlin needed to drink this, but he's being awkward, as usual."

Gwen frowned and walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge and she took the cup from Arthur. She couldn't get the cloth off him, Arthur just concentrated on wiping Merlin's chin and dabbing at the drips on his chest, and the stains that now marred the thick bandage. Merlin's arm was now tightly bound to his torso to protect his shoulder.

"I'll help," Gwen said. "Just put him back on the pillows a little, like that." She plumped a few to help, and they settled Merlin back. "Now, just tilted his head a little. Come on Merlin, come on."

He took a little more, Arthur wiped the excess away.

"He didn't do that for me, he doesn't like me!"

"This has nothing to do with you!" Gwen snapped. "Nothing at all, it's Merlin that is hurt and stop being such a…!"

"Such a what? Merlin?"

Both of them turned as Merlin gave a groan, Arthur shifted the pillows around him and Gwen reached to take his hand.

"Merlin, it's all right, you're in Camelot, you're safe," Gwen said, making Merlin relax a little. "We need you to drink this. Lift his head a little, just his head, and tilt it back a little."

Gwen put the cup to his lips again and very slowly poured tiny amounts of the tisane into Merlin's mouth. His body's reflexes reacted frantically. They had just finished helping Merlin drink it when the door opened again and Gaius returned. He eyed them both for a moment. Gwen put the cup down and got up, moving away from the bed. Arthur carried on fussing over Merlin.

Gwen paused by Gaius and both of them watched the scene in front of them.

"Will he be all right?" Gwen asked in a low tone.

Gaius nodded. "I think so, it may take a while though. At least he has a very attentive nurse," he commented as Arthur rearranged the sheets and pillows around the injured youth.

"I know, I," Gwen paused, a mild frown marring her face. "I didn't think they liked each other, from what Merlin says anyway."

Gaius raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "I'm not sure in this instance if like or dislike really come into it."