"Damn it!"
"Merlin!"
"I still haven't found anything. Nothing." Merlin sighs, burying his face in his hands. "I don't know what's made the Druids ill. I've never seen anything like it, Gaius."
Gaius moves to sit across from Merlin, frowning. Merlin has not rested since his return from the Druids' encampment two days prior. He has surrounded himself with books, has refused to leave, refused to speak at lengths, refused even Arthur's company. He sometimes eats, if it is a meal that can be eaten while reading. Gaius knows that Merlin cannot go on like this for much longer without burning out. He'll make himself sick and weak. He needs rest.
"Merlin, take a break."
"No, Gaius. Not until I've found something."
Gaius takes his book away from him, the one he had been reading. Merlin is about to object to this, but Gaius silences him with a look. Merlin bows his head.
"I promised them, Gaius. I promised them I'd find a cure, but I've gotten nowhere. All this reading, all these books... Nothing."
Gaius examines the book he took from Merlin, and the books around Merlin.
"These are all recent... Rather, they were before time froze here. Perhaps this illness is something old. Ancient. Or it could very well be something new."
"I've read about ancient diseases. Unless it's something so old it hasn't even been documented, then it has to be new. I don't even know how to make a vaccine, much less a cure..."
"Vaccine?"
"It prevents illness. And these illnesses are all different now than they were before the radiation. They could have completely different genes, work in completely different ways. Gaius, I don't know what to do. I promised these people that I would save them. I don't know how to save them." Tears prick at his eyes, "Gaius, please tell me that there's some rare, magical herb that cures all ills, and that can withstand anything, even an atomic bomb. Please. There has to be something. I need to save them. I can't let them die..." Tears roll down his cheeks with increasing speed. "I have to do something. I promised they wouldn't be the last of the druids. They're the only ones left that are like me. They're practically family, Gaius. We... We share common blood... We carry magic in our veins. I can't let them die out. Gaius, please..."
Gaius stands and moves to Merlin's side, kneeling down to embrace him.
"We'll find a way, Merlin. But first, you need rest."
"Not until I—"
"Merlin, you'll be useless if you continue on this way. You need to sleep. We can do more research in the morning."
Merlin opens his mouth to argue, but is once again silenced by a look. Gaius straightens and offers him a hand, which he reluctantly takes. Gaius then leads him to his room, making sure he actually lies down.
"Rest." He murmurs softly before leaving him alone.
Merlin gazes at the ceiling, trying desperately to think of a solution, or at the very least a way to find one. But the not-so-young warlock is exhausted, and it is not long before his eyelids grow heavy and he falls asleep.
It is dark and all is silent. There is nothing, only darkness. There is no past, no present, and no future. No time or space. Only a void, eternal and all-consuming. Merlin is aware of nothing, which is to say that he is aware of everything— everything encompasses all of the nothing. There is no gravity, no up, no down, no left, and no right. He tries to speak, but has no sound. He tries to move, but he has no limbs. He is only consciousness, nothing else. He is nothing but thoughts, but the thoughts are of the nothingness. Then...
"Merlin..." A voiceless whisper. Is it a whisper? Is it only in his thoughts. He cannot tell. It is everywhere, yet comes from nowhere. "Merlin..." He looks but does not see. "Merlin..."
It is louder now. Closer? No. Still forever away, but louder. Close, yet far. And then...
"Merlin..." A voiceless voice.
He sits up in bed.
"Aithusa."