A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone that took the time to favourite, follow or review my previous chapter. I've taken a long hiatus (about 3 or 4 years) from writing and this is my first Merlin fanfic so I wasn't expecting much. I really appreciate any feedback I receive and I thrive on constructive criticism so please fire away! I hope you all enjoy chapter two.
Chapter Two.
Martin and Brenda sat in the waiting room at the hospital. They had followed the ambulance after a brief exchange with some of the other witnesses. Upon Brenda's insistence Martin had been thoroughly checked and was declared fit and healthy if a little exhausted. Brenda rubbed the back of Martin's hand with her thumb.
"Despite your stupidity, I'm really proud of you," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry about lunch" Martin replied. He knew it sounded stupid. After everything that had happened that morning but he couldn't help but feel guilty. Brenda had slaved away for hours over that picnic. Besides, he had to admit, he'd been looking forward to a slice of Victoria sponge all morning.
Brenda sighed "Don't worry about that. You saved a young man's life. That's what matters"
They lapsed into silence once more. It was certainly the most eventful anniversary they had experienced. Martin didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. On one hand he was a hero. On the other all of their plans had gone down the drain. Brenda did not seem to mind. She was thankful that her husband was alright.
"Mr and Mrs Tucker?" A doctor called from the doorway "May I have a word?"
The doctor led the couple into a deserted hallway. They came to a stop outside a door that was slightly ajar.
"The young man appears to be in a stable condition," the doctor informed them. "He is still unconscious but is responding positively to tests,"
Both Brenda and Martin let out a breath of relief. The doctor carried on. "You said Arthur woke up previously to tell you his name?"
Martin nodded. "Yes,"
"Is there any more information you might be able to provide? We'd like to be able to track his next of kin,"
"Well, my hearing ain't what it used to be," Martin started ignoring the worried glance from Brenda. "But just for a second I could have sworn he'd mumbled something that sounded like 'Merlin',"
Brenda shook her head and the doctor held back a smile. Martin had shared his speculation with his wife. She had just shaken her head in that bemused way she did when Martin was getting carried away with his stories. Perhaps she thought that Martin was just telling stories again. He had to admit stretching the truth to make things seem a little more interesting at times. Not this time though. The young man had definitely woken up, declared himself to be Arthur and then asked for Merlin. Either that or Martin was finally losing the plot.
"Just saying what I heard" Martin shrugged.
The doctor looked down at his notes. "A young man, claiming his name is Arthur washes up on shore. Wearing armour no less," he chuckled "and he's asking for someone named Merlin? It's going to be an interesting day,"
"Hello," A voice drifted through the door next to them.
"Excuse me," The doctor jumped and rushed into the room "Ah! You're awake!"
Martin and Brenda turned to one another. Martin didn't know what to say. Finally Brenda spoke. "Reckon he's all there?" she pointed to her head.
Martin considered the question and shrugged again. It was hard to say. The lad had been barely conscious when he'd muttered those words. If it wasn't for his attire Martin might have thought the boy had been dreaming. After a moment he answered Brenda's question:
"Explain his clothes. And his sword,"
It was Brenda's turn to shrug. "Maybe he's part of one of those role playing groups. Or an actor,"
Martin nodded. Often, he found it best to agree with his wife. That way he stayed out of trouble. As Martin considered the issue more he remembered something else. There was the old bearded man at the lake. He had shouted Arthur's name as he was loaded into the ambulance. He had looked positively distraught. Martin had spoken to him briefly "Do you know him?" and the answer "I did. A long time ago,"
The next time Arthur awoke he was much more comfortable. In fact, he realised, he was in bed. Disjointed fragments of memories came rushing back to him. Each memory was jostling for attention and each one making less sense than the previous fragment. There had been a battle. Mordred was there. Mordred had wounded him. Then there was Merlin. Merlin had struggled to get Arthur to safety. And the words "I'm a sorcerer. I have magic". They echoed through Arthurs head, circling his mind and making him dizzy. He felt strangely sick. It must have been a dream. How absurd it all was. Arthur smiled to himself. At least everything was back to normal. Here he was in his comfortable bed. He wondered idly how long Merlin would be with his breakfast.
After a few minutes Arthur lazily opened his eyes. Realisation hit as he noticed the unfamiliar surroundings. He felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. This was not his bed. Arthur could not recall seeing a room so clean or so white. Was this heaven? Was he dead? He recalled the dream in which he had been stabbed by Mordred's blade.
He smoothed the sheets around him. The material felt strange to touch. It was unlike anything he was used to back home. He took a moment to gather his thoughts. There were voices somewhere nearby. Whoever it was were talking in hushed tones as if not to be overheard. Maybe they would be the answer to all of his questions. They would be able to lead him back home. Back to Merlin and Gwen and away from this strange place.
"Hello?" Arthur took a chance and called out.
The voices went quiet for a second, followed by more hushed whispering then a man a few years older than Arthur walked into the room. He was wearing a long white coat and had a strange metal device around his neck. Everything about him was strange. Again, his attire was unlike anything Arthur had ever seen. He must have travelled some distance to find somewhere so completely and utterly different to Camelot.
"Ah, you're awake"
Merlin wanted to do nothing more than to curl up into a ball on the ground and scream. Scream Arthur's name into the sky. It was as if fate was playing some cruel joke. It was luring Merlin with small glimmers of hope only to snatch them away at the last second. Merlin had seen Arthur and once more Arthur had been taken away.
He watched the old man he'd just spoken to also be whisked away by the woman he was with. Merlin kicked himself for not asking for more information. It was too much to take in. He shook his head and wiped at the tears threatening to spill out. He had to be reasonable. Arthur was alive. At least he hoped he was. It wasn't a good sign that he was being carted off in an ambulance. There was only one way to find out.
Merlin turned on his heel, walking as fast as his old legs would carry him. The aging spell drained him both physically and emotionally as well as replicating the typical ailments that came with being old. His knees creaked as he walked but he knew he must power through it. For Arthur. He smiled without humour, remembering the old times when he would walk days on end to protect his King. It seemed even though many years had passed some things always stayed the same.
After about half an hour of walking it occurred to Merlin that it would have been much quicker to call a taxi. He kept his eyes peeled for a payphone but they seemed obsolete now everybody had mobile phones. He'd never bothered with modern technology, mobile phones included. Who was there to speak to anyway? All of his friends were long gone. Besides, Merlin could always fall back on his magic in times of need. For the second time that day, he mentally kicked himself and carried on. He couldn't afford to slow down now. He carried on along the road, retreating into his thoughts.
What would happen to Arthur at the hospital? Did he remember who he was? What would the doctors say if Arthur started declaring himself the King? And what would Arthur do when he saw all the new technologies? Surely he would think it some kind of witchcraft. But of course in the modern world, most people no longer believed in magic. A wave of nausea hit as he realised what was going to happen. The doctors would think Arthur insane. They would think him crazy; suffering from delusions, from hallucinations and from paranoia. They would drug him up; send him to therapy or worse. Then what would happen? Merlin didn't want to think of the repercussions of Arthur being taught that his memories were not real. It might mean losing him all over again.
Merlin broke out into a run. He was nearly there. He would make it before sunset. He would find Arthur and they would return to Merlin's apartment to live happily ever after. Yes. That was what would happen.
