Merlin woke to sunlight. Sunlight turned the insides of his eyelids orange. The warlock's eyelids fluttered open and he sucked in a deep breath. Hmm, there wasn't so much a weight on his chest as there had been for the last few days. Maybe he could speak…
Merlin turned his head and his heart sank. Arthur was no longer standing vigil by Merlin's side. Not that he needed to. Arthur was a prince after all, and Merlin was a simple servant…
Merlin felt a tingling in his hand and he looked down at it. He seemed to be better. He could make small movements without stabs of pain shooting through him. Merlin's hand was encased in a thin layer of gold.
Magic, the young servant thought. Oh, God, if Arthur saw it –
Merlin's thought was cut off as the door creaked open. Merlin shoved his hand under the thick sheet he was lying under and gave a soft groan, his blue eyes closing momentarily.
Note to self: No quick movements.
Fortunately, Gaius was the person who had entered the room. Merlin released the breath he realized he had been holding.
If it had been anyone else – Morgana, Arthur, Uther, even Gwen – he would've been in trouble.
"How are you feeling?" Gaius asked, pulling up a chair at the warlock's side.
Merlin opened his mouth to reply and was surprised when words came out.
"Better." The single word sounded scratchy and rough, but hey, it was something.
A big grin spread across the old physician's face. "Good to see you talk."
Merlin returned the smile. It was strange how much energy speaking a single word took out of him.
Gaius handed Merlin a small bottle full of a strange blue liquid.
"Sleeping draft. Take it when you are ready to sleep. It'll help you recover," Gaius patted Merlin's hand and rose from the chair. The old physician left the room quietly.
The young warlock sighed and settled down in his blankets, staring at the bottle. Should he take it, or wait for Arthur to return? He needed to talk to Arthur.
A burning in Merlin's chest had begun, something that was currently pleasant but threatened to become painful with each breath Merlin took. The servant knew he needed rest soon.
Merlin's eyelids grew heavy, just as something – no, someone settled down in the chair that Gaius had vacated.
"Hello, Merlin." A familiar voice teased. Merlin felt a smile spread across his face, a big, stupid smile.
"Gaius told me you are capable of speaking now, but he also said you were quite tired."
Merlin nodded.
"Can you say something to me? It's been forever since I've heard your voice."
Merlin laughed silently.
"You missed my voice?" he croaked. "I thought there'd never be a day I heard that sentence,"
Arthur laughed and gave a brilliant smile that made Merlin's heart flutter.
"Am I delirious?" Merlin asked. "Because I don't think you've ever been this kind to me."
Arthur sighed. "Merlin, you never thought maybe there was a reason I was mean to you?"
The servant shook his head, sending stabs of pain through his brain. He winced. Arthur took Merlin's hand gently.
"I'll tell you when you're better. No reason for you to have to deal with it now."
Merlin sighed. He quite liked Arthur taking his hand, but he didn't like Arthur not telling him something.
But Merlin did not want Arthur to leave, so instead he asked, "What were you singing me?"
Arthur paused, as if confused, and then grinned.
"It's nothing, just a lullaby my father sung to me as a child."
Merlin smiled softly. "Do you think you could sing it again?"
Arthur hit his servant's shoulder gently. "You really are a girl, Merlin."
But the prince began to hum the tune softly under his breath, and Merlin closed his eyes, letting the music float him along the sea of gray.
A/N: I'm not so sure about this chapter, so feedback is loved. In fact, feedback is ALWAYS loved! :) If you guys like this chapter I'll continue. I wrote this out of a spurt of pure writing passion so, yeah… Anyway, thanks!