A/N: Thank you GuestM, SnidgetHex, DESPERATE FAN, Buckhunter, pallysAramisRios, and Guest for reviewing!

Chapter 5

Merlin was exhausted from being up all night, but his vigilance was worth it—each of the knights now had a heartbeat, and instead of lying utterly still like the dead, they had begun to twitch and moan with illness, life battling the poison still raging inside them. Unlike with Arthur, though, one dose of the antidote wasn't proving to be enough. Nor was the second Merlin had given them all the day before. He could only guess it was because the curse hadn't fully taken Arthur over before he'd been cured. Now, for every inch of ground Merlin fought to gain, the poison seemed to push back harder to reclaim it.

He filled a small cup with the antidote again and went around to give each of them a drink of it. When he knelt by Elyan last, the young knight woke, and Merlin stiffened, expecting a response like Percival's yesterday. But Elyan merely gazed up at him, dark eyes desperately pleading.

"Help me," he croaked.

Merlin's heart constricted. "I am. Here, drink this." He elevated Elyan's head slightly and tipped the rim of the cup against his lips. Elyan struggled to get the liquid down, then promptly fell unconscious again.

Merlin laid his head back down and slumped in exhaustion. This was far from over.

"You should get some rest," Arthur spoke up from where he was sitting by the fire.

Merlin shook his head and forced himself to stand. "I have to keep monitoring them. The poison is proving stubborn. I can't let it undo all the progress we've made so far."

"I think I can handle giving them more of that potion," Arthur said dryly.

Merlin just shook his head again. "You've been up all night too."

"I slept after you gave me the antidote," he pointed out, getting to his feet. "And I'm making it an order. You'll be no good to any of them if you're too tired to mix up the antidote properly."

Merlin's shoulders sagged at that. He wanted to keep protesting, but Arthur had a point. And he did currently have enough of the antidote mixed up that Arthur could handle giving the knights a dose if Merlin happened to sleep that long.

"Alright," he relented and went to lie down next to the fire. He immediately sat up again. "Wake me if something happens."

Arthur rolled his eyes and waved a hand impatiently at him. It was so normal that Merlin almost forgot about the tension between the two of them now that Arthur knew about his magic. Merlin hadn't broached the subject with him since yesterday. They'd been otherwise preoccupied, and Merlin figured it was better to leave Arthur alone to process things. He just wished things could be…different. He'd always known that if his magic ever came to light, Arthur would be angry, likely feel betrayed. There wasn't anything Merlin could do about that. The real question was what would Arthur do afterward?

But now wasn't the time to fret over it, as exhaustion quickly pulled him under not long after he'd pillowed his head on his arms.

He woke to a sharp crackle of the fire as newly added wood popped. Arthur was crouched on the other side, stoking it.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Merlin sat up and rubbed at his eyes. "That's fine. How long was I asleep?" It didn't feel very long, given the weariness still weighing him down.

"Maybe two hours. It's hard to tell when no sunlight gets through this place."

"How are they doing?" Merlin anxiously cast his gaze around at the knights.

"The same," Arthur replied grimly. "I gave them another dose not too long ago."

Merlin pushed himself to his feet and went to check on each of them. The gray veins had receded some from their faces but still clung to their necks like barbed collars under the skin. Merlin wished he could do more, wished his magic could banish the curse in an instant rather than having to endure this waiting.

He crouched next to Lancelot and cupped the side of the knight's neck. His skin was still chilled to the touch, but the pulse fluttered beneath his jaw, still struggling to hang on.

Lancelot's eyes cracked open, and instead of the blank stare from before, they were swimming with anguish. "Merlin," he rasped.

"Hey." He offered a watery smile in relief and moved his hand to brush sweat-damp hair away from Lancelot's clammy forehead. "Welcome back."

Lancelot shuddered. "I'm so sorry, Merlin."

"Hey, no. You were under a spell, but it's breaking, okay? Everything's going to be fine."

Lancelot squeezed his eyes shut, chest hitching. "I remember everything. I turned on my king." He forced his eyes open and looked at Merlin again, stricken. "Tell Arthur I'm sorry. We're all sorry…"

Arthur appeared on Lancelot's other side and knelt beside him. "It wasn't your fault," he assured him. "It wasn't any of your faults. You do not bear the blame for anything Morgana made you do."

Lancelot shivered, a small sound of pain slipping past his lips.

Arthur reached out to squeeze his shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "Just rest."

Lancelot swung his head back to Merlin. "I would rather die than become that thing again."

"I won't let that happen," Merlin vowed.

Lancelot's body shook, tearing another pained keen from his throat. "I can feel it, Merlin. The curse won't release me. Please…don't let me hurt you again." He closed his eyes tightly against another spasm.

Merlin leaned forward and clasped the sides of Lancelot's face. "Look at me." Lancelot managed to open his eyes again. Merlin's heart clenched at the agony in his best friend's dark eyes. "I know it hurts, but you just have to hang in there. I swear I will not let this thing keep you."

Lancelot looked too sick and in pain to believe his promise, so Merlin uttered a spell that suffused a wave of warm magic through his hands and into his friend. Lancelot's eyes slid closed and his shaking calmed to minute twitches. It was only a semi restful sleep, the best Merlin could offer at this point.

"What spell did you just cast?" Arthur asked coldly. So much for almost forgetting about the whole magic betrayal thing.

"It was just to help him sleep," Merlin replied, stroking back Lancelot's hair one more time before standing up.

Arthur rose also. "Have you cast that spell on me?"

Merlin huffed at the accusatory tone. "You mean did I ever magic you to sleep when you were being annoying? No. Lancelot's the only one I've used it on, and only when he's been seriously wounded or ill. He knows I do it, too, even appreciates it."

Arthur's jaw looked tight and Merlin sighed. He didn't mean to antagonize him, but he felt the continued suspicion and mistrust was a bit uncalled for. Hadn't Merlin proven himself time and again?

"I should check your hand," he suddenly remembered. "The poison may be gone but it could still get infected."

"It's fine," Arthur said curtly.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "I promise not to use magic on it. What was that you said about being no good to our friends if we don't take care of ourselves?"

Arthur scowled but held out his injured hand. Merlin unwrapped Arthur's handkerchief he'd used to wrap it while Arthur had been unconscious. The cut didn't look too bad, a little inflamed from all the work Arthur had been doing.

"Doesn't look infected," Merlin said brightly. "But I should apply some fresh poultice just to be safe."

He went over to the granite table and mixed up some more paste. He made sure to make a good amount, since he might as well change the poultices for the knights as well.

"Wish we had clean bandages," he muttered as he rewrapped Arthur's hand with the dirty handkerchief.

"It'll keep for a while," Arthur responded. He nodded to Merlin's own bandaged hand. "What about you?"

Merlin picked at the knot of the grungy neckerchief to loosen it. Looking at the slash reminded him of how much it was hurting, and he applied the poultice to himself with a grimace. He couldn't, however, tie the makeshift bandage back on one-handed.

"Um, could you?" he asked Arthur, gesturing vaguely.

Arthur stepped closer and took the neckerchief. "Why don't you just heal it with magic?" he asked as he wrapped Merlin's hand, and there was perhaps slightly less bite in the question this time.

"I'm not very good at healing spells," he admitted.

"Just battling sorcerers."

"You're welcome."

Arthur finished tying the knot and turned sharply to storm away.

Merlin sighed. He made his rounds with the knights, changing the poultices and bandages on their hands and then giving them more of the antidote. The poison didn't seem to be regressing as far in Elyan as it was with the others, so Merlin gave him a double dose. Gwaine was tossing his head fitfully, and Merlin went to sit next to him. He didn't wake, but Merlin carded his fingers through his friend's hair and spoke softly to him, hoping the comfort could pierce the veil of misery keeping him trapped in torment.

The day wore on, and Arthur finally approached Merlin again, face set in a serious mien.

"I'm going to see if I can find some game in these woods."

"We could search Morgana's stores again," Merlin suggested.

"You can do that. I'm going hunting," he replied shortly and strode off into the surrounding forest.

Merlin tried not to feel the sting of rejection, but it was hard to take it any other way, and he had no idea what was going to happen when they returned to Camelot.

He couldn't let himself think that far ahead right now, though, not when he was still fighting so hard just to bring his friends back from the undead. He may have been determined to save them, but the grim truth was he didn't yet know if they'd even be making it back to the castle.

After checking on everyone one more time, Merlin went into the ruins to search Morgana's stores. He only found some berries and pulpy root vegetables, though. It wasn't much, but he carried it back out. The knights were still in the same condition. Merlin sat down in front of the fire, added some wood, and waited for Arthur to return.

It had to be two to three hours before he finally did, in which time Merlin had become very worried and antsy. He leaped to his feet at the crinkle of foliage, heart skipping a beat in sheer relief when Arthur appeared, two hares in one hand.

"Where have you been?" Merlin couldn't keep himself from demanding.

"These weren't easy to find," he replied. "If anything lives around here, it stays in hiding." He paused. "Were you worried?"

"Of course I was worried," Merlin huffed. "If anything happened to you, I'd be the only one left to take care of everyone."

Arthur snorted. "Right. Well, you won't be able to take care of anyone if we starve." He tossed the hares at Merlin's feet. "Uh, try not to cook them with magic."

Merlin shook his head as he picked up the carcasses. He supposed it was something Arthur even trusted him with the food.

"I found some berries and roots," he said. "Looks like stew is on the menu."

Arthur didn't say anything as Merlin set to work skinning and gutting the game. The silence wasn't terribly frigid, but neither was it completely without awkwardness. Still, when supper was done, Arthur sat across the fire from Merlin as they ate their share, making sure to save plenty for the others when they woke up.

If they woke up.

It was another long night for them all.