A/N: Thank you GuestM Live, Buckhunter, and SnidgetHex for reviewing!
No. 22 Toxic
Lancelot was making his way through the castle toward his chambers to retire for the night when he spotted a figure cloaked in black slinking suspiciously down the next corridor. Frowning, he followed and found the person trying to get into one of the servant entrances. There was no reason for a servant to sneak around like this…and that specific entrance went up to the royal wing.
"Identify yourself," Lancelot said loudly.
The figure startled and spun around. Before Lancelot could question him further, he drew a long dagger and lunged. Lancelot leaped backward to avoid getting sliced. He didn't have his sword on him. When the attacker struck again, Lancelot managed to twist out of the way and grab his wrist with both hands. He slammed the intruder's arm down on his knee until the dagger fell from his grip, then flipped him over to pin him on the floor.
"Guards!" he yelled, struggling to hold the intruder down.
The mysterious man yanked one arm free and triggered a hidden contraption up his sleeve. Green smoke burst out and sprayed Lancelot in the face. He fell backward as the noxious fumes choked his nose and throat and stung his eyes. His assailant leaped up and darted away. The guards arrived a moment later.
"He went that way!" Lancelot directed, coughing raggedly between breaths.
The guards immediately gave chase, and Lancelot tried to get up to go with them, but the room spun. He broke out in a cold sweat as he stumbled out into the main corridor where he tripped and went crashing to the floor. Some passing servants called for help but didn't come closer.
"Lancelot!" Gwen dropped down beside him, along with Elyan. "What happened?"
"Intruder."
As though on cue, the alarm bell started pealing.
Lancelot coughed and pressed his face into the stone floor as he started shaking.
"Let's get him to Gaius," Gwen said.
She and Elyan grabbed his arms and hauled him to his feet, then half carried him to Gaius's chambers.
"What happened?" the court physician asked as they barged in.
"There's an intruder in the castle," Elyan said. "They attacked Lancelot."
"Sprayed some- green smoke- in my face," Lancelot got out haltingly. He was flashing between hot and chilled now.
Gaius turned to go to his medicine shelves while Gwen and Elyan veered Lancelot over to the cot to sit. His shivers were jerky and he was thoroughly drenched in cold sweat. A moment later, Gaius brought over a cup of some foul smelling liquid to drink. Lancelot wrinkled his nose and reflexively craned his head away from it.
"Drink it all," Gaius said sternly.
He held the cup, and Gwen held the back of Lancelot's head to hold him still as Gaius poured the vile tonic into his mouth. He gagged and almost threw it back up, but Gaius only paused a moment to let him settle before forcing the rest down.
Lancelot's stomach roiled with it, and he curled onto his side in abject misery.
"Will he be all right?" Gwen asked worriedly.
"He was dosed with some kind of toxic fumes," Gaius replied. "I can try to counteract it, but there's no guarantee."
"Will knowing what substance it was help?" Elyan asked.
"Possibly."
He gave a sharp nod and turned to rush out.
Lancelot choked on a moan as his body jerked between hot and cold and hot again and sweat streamed down his face. Gwen took a seat beside him and wiped his cheeks and forehead repeatedly, expression pinched.
When Elyan returned, Arthur and Merlin were with him.
"The assassin was cornered but then poisoned himself," Elyan reported as he carried a leather-bound kit to the table. "He's dead, but this was on him."
Inside were lots of vials containing various colored substances.
"What color was the smoke again?" Gaius asked.
"Gr-green," Lancelot gritted out.
Gaius removed those vials from the kit. "Merlin, help me with the distiller."
As the two of them went to work trying to determine the components of the poison, Arthur and Elyan stood by waiting and Gwen continued to try to soothe Lancelot in his misery. The wet cloth on his face felt nice one moment but then too cold the next, not that he was in any shape to say so at this point. He was rapidly spiraling into a haze of agony but the mercy of unconsciousness was just out of reach.
At some point, Gaius brought over another tonic, this one mustard yellow. As Merlin and Elyan pulled Lancelot up into a sitting position, his stomach lurched violently just at the sight of the liquid. Gaius pressed the rim of the cup to his lips, and Lancelot choked on the bitter brew. He wanted to plead with them no more, but they didn't let up for a moment until they'd forced all the contents down his throat. Then, finally, he felt himself being pulled under into the darkness of oblivion.
When he next woke, he was lying on damp sheets, his clothes sticking uncomfortably to his skin. But he felt neither hot nor cold.
"Hey," Gwen said softly, and he turned his head toward her. "How are you feeling?"
His throat was parched as he worked those muscles to respond. "Better than before," he said hoarsely. He did not say he felt utterly wrecked. He swallowed a few times to wet his tongue before asking, "How long?"
"Nearly eight hours."
He shifted his gaze down at himself and grimaced. He was in quite a state.
"Gaius said the only way to purge the toxin was to sweat it out," Gwen explained. "If you're feeling up to it now, I'll have a bath brought in."
"I'd appreciate that," he replied weakly and gingerly sat up. It was just the two of them, it seemed. "Thank you for taking care of me," he added. "You didn't have to do that."
"You're my friend and I still care about you," she argued. "The others would have been here too, but they've been up all night trying to determine who sent the assassin. I'll let them know you're awake, and I'm sure Arthur will spare Merlin to help you with the bath."
"Thank you," he said again.
Gwen smiled and got up to leave.
At least the assassin hadn't gotten close to her or Arthur, but Lancelot hoped they found out who sent him before they tried again…
