Brand new series of Doctor Who begins! :D The silence is here…oh no…
Anyway, going back to the Merlin world, here is chapter 14! (: A lot of dialogue, but I hope it's OK! Reviews much appreciated (:
Chapter 14 - The Great Hall
The Great Hall was crowded. Every few minutes rescuers returned with another victim of the earthquake, who had managed to free themselves from the rubble that was preventing them from freedom or had managed to wait long enough with their injuries for help to arrive.
The people inside the Great Hall tried to see this as a good thing. There were survivors, which meant there was hope for the others still trapped in the castle. The more survivors, the better, surely? But food and medical supplies were already running low; they couldn't afford any more survivors.
Those trying desperately to help the injured felt relieved as the glanced over and saw Gaius strolling into the Great Hall, his face full of determination, Merlin following just behind him.
Gaius stopped in the middle of the Great Hall, observing the madness around him, Merlin standing by his side. There were hundreds of people in the Hall now, some lying on spare beds, looking exhausted and miserable, some sitting on the table or chairs, looking hurt and confused, others were standing around, looking lost or trying to help the injured as much as the could. Amelia was the only child, but she was acting as if she was an adult, trying her best to help the injured.
Gaius looked around for Morgana, the only person he hadn't heard any news of, but she was nowhere to be seen.
He turned around and saw the expectant expression on Merlin's face.
"Well, where do you expect me to start first!" Gaius asked, his tone exasperated, and for good reason. There were so many injured, and just one Gaius. He could already feel a headache coming on.
Merlin wasn't sure, but he felt he had to act like he knew what to do. "Start with the people on the beds, they'll be the ones needing the most help," he explained. "You need to look at Gwen, and Aldwin." As Merlin's said Aldwin's name, there was a sad look in his eye; he had just made a friend he could very quickly lose again. "They need your help most of all," he repeated with a murmur.
Gaius nodded, feeling that he should say something useful as well. "Has anyone been to my chamber to get any medicines?"
Merlin shrugged, "I don't know."
"Then that's what you can do for me, while I start looking at the damage this earth quake has caused."
Glad to have something to do, Merlin nodded, and ran to his chambers.
This left Gaius feeling horribly alone. He hadn't felt so alone for twenty years, when he had to watch houses burn and then step between the wreckage, trying to help any survivors. It was only then that he had felt so isolated, with no help at all and very few things he could do to save a precious life. He felt the same now.
But this was no time for self-doubt; there were more important things to do. Gaius pulled himself together and began to inspect the people lying on the beds.
Gwen was asleep, but when Gaius came over she awoke and was delighted to see him. She insisted that everything was all right, and apart from a large gash on her leg, she had nothing else other than some cuts and bruises. Gaius suggested that she got some rest, as the earthquake had left her feeling pretty shaken and exhausted.
Aldwin however, was more of a worry. He was still unconscious, and unlike Gwen, could not be roused. He was still breathing, but his pulse was weak and he had lost a lot of blood. Gaius redressed the wound, despite the dwindling medical supplies, and made sure the wound was clean, it looked like it, which was always a good sign. But only time would tell if Aldwin pulled through. Gaius couldn't keep all his attention on just two people; he had to make sure everyone else was all right.
As soon as he had finished checking everyone in the bed, he allowed himself to be approached by people looking for advice, bandages or medicine. He did the best with what he had, and while he waited for Merlin to return.
As Gaius was making his way through the huge crowd of injured people waiting for his care, Arthur entered the Great Hall. Gaius had never seen Arthur stride into the Great Hall as he was now, every step he took seemed to hold power, and in such a dire situation, the power looked immense. Arthur's eyes were narrowed with determination, but at the same time somehow haunted, as if he had already seen far too much. There was a bruise on his cheek, and his stride was slightly interrupted by a small limp in the foot he had twisted, but he acted as if he had completely forgotten about it.
Two servants followed in behind Arthur, looking small and weak in comparison, they had just been helping him look for survivors in the rubble.
Arthur stood in the middle of the Great Hall, and when he spoke, his voice held as much power as his footsteps:
"I have been informed," Arthur began, and everyone fell quiet to stare at him. "That there were around three hundred people in the castle when the earth quake struck, but only an estimate one hundred and twenty have been found." People glanced around at each other as he said this, and looked worried. "The struggles we face to overcome this earth quake are still yet to come, but I am determined to have found all three hundred of you, dead or alive. I want the search to be put on hold over night, but the sun has not yet descended. We need more people to help search through the rubble and the chambers, if you can lend any help, you will be helping to save a life." Arthur finished, his eyes looking over the people, his people.
If Gaius had ever doubted if Arthur would be a good King, he would never doubt him again.
At the sound of this, many people who weren't seriously injured jumped up and went to Arthur, offering their services, even Amelia Arthur replied to each one that came up to him, but had to turn a grumpy looking Amelia away. When Arthur looked up and saw Gaius staring at him, he quickly began directing them to the servants he came in with. When there was space for Arthur to move again, he rushed over to Gaius, a slight look of relief on his face.
"You got out of the chamber?" He asked as soon as he reached Gaius. He looked him up and down, he didn't look hurt.
Gaius nodded. "Merlin helped," he said grimly, knowing that Arthur could tell what was meant by this.
Arthur paused, "oh," was all he said. The expression on his face looked like he was trying to fight a hundred emotions at once, but then he quickly focused on something else. "Is my father here?" He asked quickly, looking around.
"He's getting some rest in his room," Gaius explained, telling a half-truth made him feel a little bit like Merlin. "But I've come to help in any way I can," he added quickly before Arthur started worrying about his father.
"Good," Arthur breathed, running his dirty hands through his hair, and looking as if he desperately wanted to lie down. But there was certainly no time for any sitting around, he had suddenly found himself in charge, and he'll have to stay like that until his father came.
Gaius put a comforting hand on Arthur's shoulder, "You're doing very well," he told him gently, "no one would have expected more of you in such a situation."
Arthur nodded, but he wasn't really listening, his eyes were glancing around, taking in every individual in the Great Hall. The numbers had dwindled slightly now many people had gone out to get help. The Hall seemed to have fallen quiet as well; people were trying to restrain their feelings of panic and focusing on the job in hand. The loudest sound was a muffled argument between Sir Leon and a maid. By the looks of it, Sir Leon didn't want to sit down and have his head wound looked at, he wanted to go and help, but the maid was having none of it. This made Arthur smile a little. Arthur's eyes flickered over to Gwen for a few moments, he desperately wanted to see her and talk to her, but she was asleep.
"Where's Morgana?" Gaius asked suddenly. If she wasn't here helping the injured, there was something wrong, which made him want to avoid the question, but he couldn't just wonder what had happened to Morgana.
His worries were confirmed when Arthur spoke. He too wanted to avoid the question, but he had to tell Gaius the truth. "I don't know." He confessed, his voice suddenly weak. "We're making our way through the whole castle, checking every chamber, every corridor, clearing away as much rubble as we can. It can't be too long before we find her."
The two fell silent for a few moments. Gaius tried to think of something to say, but it was difficult, especially when a good friend was in danger.
"I'd better get back to work," Arthur said suddenly, turning and about to make his way out the Great Hall.
"Are you sure Sire?" Gaius said, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop the young Prince from running off. "Don't you think it would be better to get some rest instead? I could have a look at your foot as well," Gaius added, remembering Arthur's slight limp.
Arthur shook his head, his eyes gazing out one of the few windows that hadn't been blown in. For some reason he didn't want to look at Gaius, he felt like if he did, he would give in to the temptation of rest.
"There's no time—" Arthur began, but suddenly he stopped. His eyes narrowed.
"Sire?" Gaius was concerned by the sudden look on the Prince's face; there was something new troubling him now.
"What's that?" Arthur murmured. He was still staring out the window.
Gaius turned around and looked. He could just see out of the window, some shapes, figures, moving slowly towards the castle. There looked like there were hundreds of them, and as they came closer, their shapes became clearer. They were people.
Arthur's eyes widened, and he rushed to the window.
"Oh no…" He muttered.
Gaius' thoughts were right, he had seen people, hundreds of people. They looked bedraggled and weak, as the people moved closer, their faces were troubled and sad. By the way they were dressed, Gaius could tell they were villagers, hundreds of villagers, coming from all directions towards the castle.
The earthquake had affected the whole Kingdom, and now the casualties from outside the main City were coming to a castle already low on medical supplies, food, beds, helpers and hope. How were they going to cope?
"Oh no," Arthur muttered again, and before Gaius could stop him he turned and ran out of the Great Hall, heading towards the villagers.