Authors notes: Thank you for the reviews! Enjoy!
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"No visitors allowed." Crassus said with a look that promised trouble if anyone went against his order.
"Has he gotten worse?" Arthur questioned concerned.
"No he still has a slight fever but he has to get some rest. The visit by the other knights last night tired him out more than he will admit."
Arthur frowned.
"I think the others are paying for it too. Tristan was the only one at breakfast."
"It would not surprise me…Have you got a minute for a talk Arthur?" he questioned. Arthur thought over the multitude of things that needed his attention but nothing appealed to him and he just couldn't be bothered.
"Not really as I am not in the mood for paperwork." He indicated that the doctor could lead on. Crassus led him to his office.
His office was a small room with a narrow window that let in a thin sliver of sunshine. Various medical books were piled on every available surface along with a few instruments that Arthur couldn't give a function to.
Crassus poured two glasses of water and handed one to Arthur.
"How is Lancelot really?" Arthur asked.
"He is still extremely weak and in need of plenty of fluids but I think he is past the worst of it. However it will take months for him to anywhere near his usual physical fitness. That will be compounded by the fact that he will not take to being inactive well."
Arthur nodded and then he came to asking the question he feared the answer to most.
"How is his state of mind?"
Crassus sighed and rubbed his eyes. "That is my main concern. That bloody mark!" he muttered bitterly. Arthur agreed surprised at the level of concern Crassus showed. Somehow Lancelot had managed to endear himself to the doctor. 'Well' he mused 'They have spent enough time together, either they would become friends or kill each other' he supposed.
"He could survive almost anything but that."
"It represents everything that he hates about his life. Not only is he a slave to Rome but now he has been marked by the woads. It has had a devastating impact."
Arthur absorbed the doctor's words.
"Would…would he take his own life?" the roman stuttered watching Crassus intensely.
"Do I need to answer that? I have already told you what happened before you arrived. Lancelot feels everything deeply and it is highly unlikely that anything has changed since the incident with Jols."
"Something happened with Tristan last night." Arthur said tiredly.
"Really?" Crassus said curiously.
"I could tell when Tristan left. I have a disturbing idea as to what happened."
"He has a mark on his wrist that wasn't there yesterday." Crassus whispered and Arthur closed his eyes his breath coming in shuddering gasps as if on the verge of tears.
"Merciful God."
"The fact that he stopped can only fill us with hope. Although I am sure his state of mind hasn't improved, if the knights' weren't so drunk last night they would have seen his whole charade." Crassus stated.
"They know." Arthur said. "I don't think Lancelot is alone in his thinking."
"Probably not." Crassus said looking at Arthur's defeated face. He didn't envy the man, commanding a group of slaves of Rome.
"The mission was tough Arthur they need time to solve it in their own ways be it joking, sparing or drinking or all three. They are not going to confess their souls and mend just by doing it." Crassus explained. "They are never going to be completely adjusted after the horrors they have experienced. We can't expect them to keep bouncing back. We cannot control their lives and force them to be well."
"When can I see Lancelot?" Arthur questioned needing to see his friend.
"This afternoon. He was still asleep when I last checked him."
Arthur rose to his feet slowly. "I guess I have that report to write and it unfortunately is not going to write itself."
Crassus rose as well. "One more question Arthur. What Marcellus said about arresting Lancelot you are not going to do that are you?"
"I will talk to Plautius and Lancelot first but I can't be seen to be soft. We have already lied enough. Of course death isn't an option but I suppose getting him into prison wouldn't be an easy option either. I don't know… nothing with him is ever simple."
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The cup smashed across the floor and its descent was followed by a number of Sarmatian curses. Lancelot paused in his movements and tensed waiting for the imminent descending of Crassus or one of his minions. Luckily for whatever reason no one was forthcoming and he continued in his actions.
'It is amazing' he thought 'how someone takes walking so much for granted'
Having woken up feeling relatively okay…well not like someone who was two steps from deaths door he decided that now was the time to get back on his feet. Sharing this information with anyone else would have met with immediate denial and then someone watching him closely so he had therefore decided not to share this revelation. So after pretending to go to sleep he waited until the room was empty before embarking on his little mission. Never one to admit defeat he had had several attempts at sitting upright with his feet over the side of the pallet when a little voice in his head, probably the voice of reason, announced that this wasn't the smartest idea he had ever had. That was promptly violently quashed by the other voice in his head which concerned his pride.
All of this led to his current situation which was stood clutching a table with a white knuckled grip half way across the room with his knees about to give way. He hoped that no one walked in now as it wasn't his best moment. Sweat was pouring down his face and he felt worse than when he woke up.
"Hmm it seems that I have come into some money again." Tristan's voice startled him and his hand slipped. He would have hit the floor if Tristan hadn't caught him. Furiously embarrassed Lancelot attempted to rise to his feet but his body betrayed him and he fell back down.
"Damn it…bloody damn it!" he snapped.
Tristan quickly hauled him up and deposited him on the bed without spending more time than necessary fussing over him to try and spare Lancelot further embarrassment.
"You are lucky that it was me. Crassus would have had you strapped to the bed."
"He can if he wants an injury."
"Who says he will be doing it alone?"
Lancelot huffed and laid back down.
"Have you been betting on me?" he queried coming back to Tristan's first words.
"Yes. Bors is not going to be happy. He was convinced he had it this time." A faint smile which made it to Tristan's eyes caused Lancelot to return it.
"What is happening out there?"
Tristan shrugged. Lancelot frowned at the lack of response.
"You can't tell me that nothing has happened. This room is not soundproof I could clearly hear some stuck up roman out in the courtyard mouthing off."
"They have left. Arthur told them to go or else."
Lancelot raised an eyebrow.
"Or else? What the hell did he say?"
"He wanted to arrest you for insubordination and assault of an officer. Arthur told him no."
Lancelot liked the way Tristan was always so direct the others would have minced around the subject until Lancelot was either too confused to understand anything, bored or annoyed. Usually all three.
"So the bastard recorded it before he died. So prison is it?"
"I doubt Arthur will put you in prison." Tristan said as he sat down.
"The penalty is death for striking an officer. Arthur won't do that unless I have done something to piss him off monumentally but he will be seen as soft if he doesn't do something. Prison it will be." Lancelot seemed unconcerned but Tristan knew different. Prison was not nice especially if Sarmatian especially when Lancelot would have to be transferred out of the fort.
"Who did you hit?"
"No idea. Does it matter? No one expects less of me!"
Tristan shook his head at Lancelot's opinion of himself which was part of the whole problem that had been exposed over the past few days.
"Why?" the scout wanted to hear Lancelot's true reason.
"He annoyed me, deserved it." Lancelot said dismissively. Tristan stared at him. Time passed slowly as the two glared.
"What?"
"Why?"
"I already told you. I have never needed a reason before." The knight was becoming exasperated as he grew increasingly tired.
"Why?"
"Oh for crying out loud he was hassling Vanora and all the bastards…but really who needs a reason to hit a roman."
Shaking his head the knight tilted his chair back and settled back to rest as he watched Lancelot drift off. This information was interesting but Tristan was not going to speak of it again unless Lancelot asked him too. It was the knight's job to explain his reasons. However Tristan was not about to let Lancelot be imprisoned and neither would the others, they defend their own and Arthur knew it.
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