Notes: Hey guys, I mostly post on livejournal & haven't been updating as regularly here because I don't know if anyone reads it... So if you like it and want me to update please comment! Thanks! & thanks for reading, hope you enjoy :)
Merlin was led into a large mansion by a butler, but before he even got a chance to look around he was greeted by an excited Morgana, "Merlin! How great that you could make it, just leave your stuff by the door, we'll have it taken up to your room."
Merlin couldn't help but glancing around at the marble tiles, or ceilings that seemed to go on forever. As Morgana led him through the halls Merlin felt small and intimidated. He was used to sharing a small two bed-room house with three other people, and now suddenly he found himself in a stone mansion with empty echoing halls.
"You came just in time for dinner, please join us," Morgana said, pulling Merlin out of his thoughts.
Merlin was about to agree, starved from his journey, when he saw who the 'we' was. There, sitting at the head of a very long table, was Uther Pendragon, and he didn't look happy.
"Nnn…no thanks… I uh… need to unpack… Besides I'm not that hungry." Merlin stuttered, ignoring the fact that his stomach picked that moment to growl.
"Nonsense, you have plenty of time to unpack, it's not as though Arthur's going anywhere. Besides you look as though you could use a little meat on your bones. Please, sit," Morgana pleaded innocently, and for a second Merlin wandered if she realised what she was doing. Then he looked up and saw her sly smile, and considered the possibility that Arthur's sister was pure evil.
The food was delicious, but that was the only good thing to be said about dinner. Uther pointedly ignored Merlin, only acknowledging him to make snide comments about servants at the dinner table. Or simply stating that the meals they shared were only for family. To which Morgana replied that as Merlin was going out of his way to help Uther's son, he was practically family already, which had only made the meal more awkward. Uther acted as though Merlin had harmed his son, instead of sacrificing his career to save him. He didn't even acknowledge that Merlin had come to help, after being given every reason not to.
After dinner Merlin took his time unpacking. His room, which Morgana apologised for the size of, was bigger than any room Merlin had ever had. Hell, he once had a room about the size of the bed. The walls were bare and the room had hard wood floors, but Merlin was told he should feel free to alter the room in any way, which seeing as he had always rented houses, was strange enough.
Finally Merlin was led up to Arthur's room, which was enormous with a walk in closet and an attached bathroom that alone was bigger than Merlin's old room. To his relief the man had been sleeping. Okay, so maybe he had waited as long as he possibly could before letting Morgana drag him up the stairs into Arthur's room, but he was tired from his journey and not really looking forward to the inevitable disappointment of Arthur not recognizing him, and knowing it will happen won't make it hurt any less.
However just as he thought he was in the clear, quickly descending the steps, Merlin heard a crash come from Arthur's room. He ran back up as fast as he could, pushing the door open, afraid of what he might find.
"Morgana, how many times do I have to tell you? I don't need your help; don't tuck me in, don't lay my medication out for me, and for God's sake don't hook me up to the bloody machines!" Arthur said, his voice hoarse and week, yet conveying plenty of arrogance and frustration.
"Well I'm not Morgana, and from where I'm standing it looks like you need the help," Merlin said, as he walked towards the lump on the bed that was Arthur, who was lying there looking like he'd like nothing better than to slap Merlin, but is unable to.
"I don't care who you are, and I definitely don't care what you think, get out of my house and take that thing with you," he said, glancing at the heart monitor that Merlin had hooked him up to.
"I'm Merlin, and I can't take it away… how else will I know if you're alive?" Merlin said, ignoring Arthur's protests as he hooked him back up to the machine and picked up the glass of water that Arthur had knocked over. It was plastic, which gave Merlin the feeling that this wasn't the first time that this has happened. "We'll go over your exercises, and current condition, in the morning. For now just stop making things harder on yourself." Merlin said, briskly walking out of the room, ignoring Arthur's shouts of 'idiot!' and 'you can't speak to me like that!'
Merlin gently closed Arthur's door behind him, collapsing against the hallway wall with a sigh his body trembling. He knew Arthur shouldn't affect him like this, but for two years he had given up hope of ever seeing Arthur again, let alone him being conscious. And now Arthur was yelling at him, like the prat that Merlin always knew he'd be, but other than that hadn't really paid Merlin much attention.
Alone in the hall Merlin let himself feel the pain. He had given up his job and life, twice, for a man who doesn't know or like him, and yet he can't find it in himself to regret it. Part of him says that no matter what he gets in return, helping Arthur was worth it. Of course a small part of him hung on to the hope that Arthur would wake up the next morning and remember him, which Merlin knew would only cause him pain tomorrow when that part was proved wrong.
Dejected and lonely Merlin walked back to his empty room, suddenly wishing for the familiar faces of home.
Merlin woke up confused and disoriented, the bed felt different and without even opening his eyes he could tell that he wasn't at home. He ignored the alarm clock even as everything came rushing back to him.
Getting up he missed the warm hectic sounds of mornings back home. He missed Lance waking up early to make Gwen breakfast, only to realize that she's already up and there are pancakes on the table, getting handed a hot cup of tea as he sleepily stumbles into the kitchen, hearing Freya talk excitedly about school, and most of all Merlin just missed the little family that had adopted him.
The building Merlin's room was in was apparently one of the smaller ones on the land, but it was still big enough for Merlin to get lost in. He couldn't even find the kitchen to make himself some tea, this was going to be a long morning.
"Did you bring my breakfast? You're late!" Was Merlin's greeting as he walked into Arthur's room, indeed carrying a breakfast tray.
"I wasn't aware there was a specific time I was supposed to be here," Merlin answered snarkily as he set Arthur's breakfast down on the table next to his bed, and raised a plastic spoon of oatmeal towards his mouth.
"Yea, before I starve." Arthur grabbed the spoon out of Merlin's hand."I can feed myself," he said, even as his hand shook and he lost most of the oatmeal to the bowl.
Arthur, for his part, just pretended that there was nothing wrong. Merlin knew that his hand had to be hurting, and that even such a simple task was a huge struggle. It was a testament to Arthur's determination and pride that he was able to lift the spoon at all, especially since he'd never had proper rehab.
By the end of breakfast Arthur was exhausted, although not so much that he wasn't able to lightly slap Merlin's hand when he tried to grab the extra piece of toast, and he was none too happy when Merlin told him the real work hadn't even started yet.
They went over his condition, but it was difficult for Merlin to get an accurate read on where Arthur was in his recovery because Arthur kept down playing everything, and ignoring even the most obvious of his physical ailments, but luckily Merlin could mostly sense the truth anyways.
Going over the exercises wasn't any easier, with Arthur mocking every one. A man who used to run ten miles every morning and was no stranger to exercise just couldn't see the point in lightly squeezing a rubber when it got down to it he struggled with every exercise.
Merlin felt like any strength Arthur did have was directed towards torturing him. For example, Arthur could barely endure Merlin lifting his leg for stretches, yet he somehow found the strength to kick Merlin in the face. It was then that Merlin decided that Arthur probably would recover quite a bit, if only so he could beat Merlin up. If anyone had the strength and determination to overcome this, it would be Arthur, he had just lacked motivation in the past. Merlin didn't know how he felt about Arthur's dislike for him being the motivation that made Arthur push through, still he was a good nurse and was going to use any advantage he got.