The To Do Lists of the Immortals

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They started finding them everywhere. Small pieces of parchment which they found on Merlin's cupboards, his desk, his walls, his table tops and sometimes even the seat of his chairs. Once they even found one stuck to the cat, though from the way Merlin was looking for the thing, it was likely he hadn't actually put it on the animal.

"What is it?" Arthur asked Percival the first time they pulled one off of the door to Merlin's ice box. It was a sheet about the length of his hand, but not quite as wide, and it seemed to have lines on it.

"I'm not certain, Sire. I think it's parchment, but it's like nothing I've ever seen before. And it's blue."

Arthur took it from the knight and examined it. "How was it affixed there? I don't see any pin or wax."

"It's a bit sticky on the back. Here, just at the top. See?"

Arthur touched his finger to it. "Hmm." He turned to his knight, who along with Gwen and Gaius were the best at reading this new language, and asked, "What does it say?"

Percival did his best to read out Merlin's hasty scribble:

TO DO

- Buy a globe! (They don't even know about the Americas! Or China! Or Africa!)

"What's the Americas?" Arthur wondered.

Percival's brow furrowed. "Some kind of wine?" he suggested, thinking maybe that "globe" was related to "goblet".

That was the first note they found, but not the last, and they all seemed like the ramblings of a madman.

SWIMMING? Would give them something to do. (NOTE TO SELF: Hide camera! Do not need 600 more pictures of Gwaine's various body parts!) Also would keep them in shape and let them meet people without having to talk to them a lot. Know Knights know how to swim, but what about Gaius and Gwen? BLIMEY! Will have to buy them bathing suits! And then convince them to WEAR bathing suits! Out in public! Think Gaius's head will explode!

Another day it was:

MUSIC! They're going to have to know who Bach and Beethoven and the Beatles are. But how much? The famous names, yes, but anything more? What does your average 25 year old know today? I know Chuck Berry because I lived through the fifties, but will their peers today think a small thing if they don't, or rush to put them in a psych ward? And ART? Van Gogh, Picasso, etc. Take them to a museum? Tell them about lifts first - don't need another incident like the shopping centre thing!

"What's a muss-eem?" Gwaine asked Arthur.

"I don't know, but it sounds girly," Arthur replied.

"This one looks better," Elyan said, spotting Gogmagog sleeping on Merlin's desk chair with a slip about to fall off of his ear.

SEX! They need to know about AIDS and condoms and the sexual revolution! Especially Gwaine!

"What does he mean, 'especially Gwaine?' " the shaggy-haired knight asked indignantly.

"Maybe he thinks you've been bragging all these years in order to hide some glaring problems with technique?" Arthur suggested with a smirk.

"Oh yeah, Princess? Well, what about this one?" Gwaine asked, ripping yet another note from the wall.

BUY BELL FOR GOGMAGOG! BLOODY THING KEEPS SCARING THE PANTIES OFF HIS PRATTISHNESS!

Arthur glowered. "Pardon me, gentlemen, but I have a warlock to kill," he said as he stalked off to hunt down a certain sorcerer.

"You can't kill an immortal man!" Gwaine called after him with a laugh.

Some were completely incomprehensible. Gaius was thankfully able to sort out MOON LANDING! TELESCOPES! (though Arthur did wonder briefly if the man's age reversal had addled his brain - a man on the moon?), but even the former physician was stumped by the extremely short and yet extremely inexplicable ZOO?

But others were more ominous:

Will we need a shelter? Should I stockpile food?

And:

Guns? NO!

But what if

"What if… what?" Arthur wondered. The unfinished thought made him shiver; that he couldn't even begin to imagine what Merlin was speculating on frightened him more than any plainly stated scenario would have.

Eventually the others grew accustomed to finding these odd messages littering Merlin's home, putting it down as one more eccentricity the warlock had developed in the time they'd been apart, but a growing dread began to overtake Arthur. The more notes he read, the more he began to understand how anxious Merlin was growing about their ability to fit into the modern world.

And it was a dread that took firm hold the night Merlin collapsed.

One moment they'd all been clearing the dishes from the table after supper, the next there was the sound of a crashing plate and they'd turned to see Merlin's eyes roll back in his head and his knees buckle. Gwaine dashed to catch him but missed and Merlin's head hit the floor with an ugly sound.

Arthur and Gaius were quickly at the fallen man's side. Gaius felt for Merlin's pulse while Arthur chaffed his friend's cheek and ordered him to wake up.

"Gaius, his skin's like ice!" Arthur said.

"His pulse is erratic," Gaius reported and then lifted one of Merlin's lids to examine his eyes. Arthur flinched to see it glowing gold.

"He's like he was after he fainted when the Callieach first opened the veil," Lancelot said. Arthur shot a resentful glance at his former knight - things were still a little strained between them for several reasons - but said nothing when Gaius nodded in agreement.

"I believe Lancelot's right. I wish I knew some modern potion to give him, but we'll have to settle for warming him up. Percival, if you would be so kind?" Gaius asked, gesturing for the knight to pick Merlin up. "Gwen, could you fetch the hot water bottle from the cupboard under the sink in the lavatory? Oh, it won't look like ours - it's red and looks like a thick wineskin. Merlin said it's made of something called rubber."

Gwen nodded and ran off to find it while the others trailed behind Percival as he carried Merlin upstairs.

-x-

Arthur had been sitting in the dim room for some hours before Merlin began to stir.

"Mmm...Arthur? Is that you?"

"Shh, you'll wake Gaius," the King said softly, pointing to the next bed. Merlin turned his head and Arthur smiled at the man's sleepy grin at the sight of his former guardian resting against the headboard, completely dead to the world, with his reading lamp still on and a Home Medical guide and one of Merlin's magic books both sprawled open on his lap.

"What time is it?" Merlin asked groggily.

"Uh… looks to be about two in the morning," Arthur said, still not quite used to reading clocks. "How do you feel?"

"Tired." Merlin answered, then he blinked and seemed to wake up a little bit more. "Why are you in my room? What happened?"

A small grin tugged at Arthur's cheek. "You don't remember fainting like a great big girl? Some immortal man you are."

"Immortal doesn't mean I never get sick," Merlin said seriously, not taking the bait. "Wait… I fainted? When?"

"Just after dinner. As to fainting, well… we're not sure. Gaius and Lancelot thought you might have had a vision. Did you?"

Merlin tried to remember. "I don't think so, not quite. But…I think I felt something. Like a shock wave - "

"A what?"

"I'll explain it tomorrow. There was a shock wave, and a loud noise, and then all I remember was being cold."

"Something's coming, isn't it?" It was more a statement than a question.

Merlin met Arthur's gaze. "I honestly don't know. I assume so, but what it is or when it's coming or even if it's coming… I just don't know. I've been searching ever since you all came back - reading all the news I can find, reaching out with my mind, even teleporting to some places in order to get a better feel… but I still don't have a clue!"

"Calmly, Merlin. We'll figure it out. But now you need to rest." Arthur wanted more than anything to tell his closest friend to stop risking his life - well, his health anyway - with such dangerous activities, but he knew he couldn't. Merlin had to do this. It wasn't fair, the price to his friend was too high, but Merlin was trapped because there was no one else who could do the things that needed to be done. Just like he had to wait for us, Arthur thought bitterly. Just like he has to teach us and guide us now.

"I know," Merlin conceded, bringing a hand up to rub tiredly at his forehead. "But there's simply so much to do!"

"Then start with the latest note," Arthur told him.

"Pardon?"

Arthur waved a hand, gesturing to his friend's left side. A puzzled Merlin raised his other arm to find a blue slip of paper attached to his sleeve.

SLEEP NOW, IDIOT

Merlin chuckled, but then groaned.

"What is it?" Arthur asked.

"Remind me in the morning to show all of you what a safety pin is."

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Thought I would say thank you to all of my wonderful readers with a teeny tiny bit of Merlin whump and a touch of Merlin/Arthur friendship. Hope you enjoyed it!