A/N: Sorry it took so long, I tried to upload the other day but I don't know if the full site was down or if it was just me but I couldn't log in.

If any of you have any ideas, please let me know, I'd love to write more. In the mean time, enjoy this good old whumpy one. :D

Battles

Merlin's eyes scanned the courtyard and he felt like crying in frustration. He couldn't see Arthur anywhere. He'd looked everywhere in the ruins of the lower town, been all the way through the castle and even skirted around the edge of the forest to no avail. The fighting had stopped hours ago. They'd been side by side through most of it, protecting each other. Merlin hadn't even noticed when they'd been separated. Now, he was going insane with worry and nursing a cut on his leg.

"Merlin!" Gwaine's voice shouted to him as he jogged across the square.

"Where's Arthur?" Merlin asked immediately.

"I haven't seen him," Gwaine admitted, "Come on, my friend, you're hurt."

Merlin shook his head, ignoring the black spots that danced there when he did so, "I need to find Arthur."

"You can barely walk," Gwaine hooked Merlin's arm over his shoulder and took hold of his waist, "I'll get some men to look for Arthur. You're going to Gaius."

"I can't."

"You've lost too much blood," Gwaine scolded, "Arthur would execute every one of us if I let you go out looking for him while you're injured and ended up getting yourself killed."

"I'm fine, I'm-"

"Going to Gaius while I look for Arthur," Gwaine insisted sternly, "Come on."

Gwaine supported Merlin all the way to the physician's chambers.

"He won't be there. He'll be treating people who were hurt in the battle in the hall."

"I know. I'm taking you to sit down somewhere quiet while I go to fetch him. His rooms are closer. Actually, Percival!" he shouted across to the knight, "Tell Gaius I need him in his chambers!"

"Why did you do that?" Merlin asked as they continued.

"So I can stay with you and make sure you don't run off," Gwaine grinned, "I know what you're like."

Merlin groaned as his head swam. Gwaine held onto him tighter when his knees buckled, his injured leg giving out completely.

"Sit," Gwaine said to Merlin when they reached Gaius' chambers. Merlin all but collapsed onto Gaius' bed with a sigh. Gwaine knelt in front of him and ripped at Merlin's breeches until his wound was revealed properly. The sight of the gash made Merlin feel a little queasy, preventing the complaints he had about Gwaine ruining his clothes from being voiced.

"How on Earth did you manage this?" Gwaine asked in horror.

Merlin grunted and looked away, overwhelmed with nausea. The wound was gushing blood everywhere, extremely deep and curved from just beneath his knee round to the back of his calf. Whatever caused the cut wasn't sharp or clean either. In several places, the skin had ripped on either side where the blade had caught and got stuck then been yanked out. There were bits of muck and rust caught inside too.

"It-" Merlin started before swallowing thickly and breathing out deeply, "I was fighting someone and I thought I'd killed them so I went to move on but they got hold of a bit of a broken mace and-"

"Ouch," Gwaine winced. He looked up at Merlin and smirked, "You might want to lie back. You've gone a very interesting shade of grey."

"I can't get blood on Gaius' sheets."

"We've got bigger problems," Gwaine reminded him, "Lie down."

Merlin did as he was told and sighed, "Where's Arthur?"

"As soon as Gaius is here, I'll go and find him," Gwaine promised.

They waited without talking, Gwaine pressing every bit of cloth he could find against Merlin's leg while Merlin groaned and tried to take deep breaths. Gwaine was fairly sure he blacked out a few times, the pain and blood-loss pulling him back and forth between consciousness and lack thereof.

After what felt like years, Gaius entered his chambers, rubbing his hands on his tunic, "I'm sorry I took so long, Sir Gwaine, I- what happened?"

"I know I should have brought him straight to you but this was closer and I don't think he would have made it all the way to the hall."

Gaius scrambled for some equipment and asked Gwaine to move the cloth he was using to try and control the blood flow.

"Sir Percival neglected to tell me it was an emergency."

"Gaius?" Merlin twisted his head around and looked at Gaius, eyes squinted.

"It's alright, my boy," Gaius soothed.

"Arthur's missing," Merlin slurred.

Gwaine rolled his eyes, "It's all he's talked about."

"Arthur isn't missing at all," Gaius said, "He's in the infirmary in the hall."

"What?"

"He was caught up in the last of the battles and brought his men to me to be seen to. He's been helping me ever since."

Merlin's jaw dropped.

"Perhaps you could go and fetch him, Sir Gwaine?"

Gwaine nodded, took a second to clap Merlin on the shoulder, then left.

"Merlin, I need to clean this quickly, then sew it up," Gaius told him, "It'll sting."

"Just do it," Merlin said.

Gaius raised an eyebrow but got a piece of leather, "Bite down on this," he instructed while he picked up a large bottle of clear liquid, "I'm going to pour this over the wound then wash it away with water. Ready?"

Merlin nodded and wrapped his fingers around either side of the bed frame. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the wood tightly. Gaius placed on hand firmly on Merlin's knee to keep his leg in place. The old man was surprisingly strong when he needed to be. He tipped the clear solution over the gash, moving it along the leg slowly to make sure everything was thoroughly soaked. Merlin tried not to cry out but was soon screaming even through the leather between his teeth. His entire body convulsed in pain.

When the bottle was empty, Merlin spat the leather out and his head lolled to one side, "Ow," he said pathetically.

Gaius picked up a cloth, wet it in a bowl of clean water and began dabbing around the wound to wipe away any bits of dirt. While he was in the middle of this, the door flung open and Gwaine returned with Arthur, both looking frantic.

"What happened?" Arthur demanded, hurrying across the room and kneeling beside Merlin, taking his hand, "Are you alright?"

Merlin grinned at him drowsily.

"Gaius?"

"He's lost a lot of blood, sire," Gaius informed the king distractedly, "It can starve the brain of air, making you… loopy or confused."

"But he'll be alright?"

"If I can stitch this up and stop the bleeding."

"Can I help?"

Gaius shook his head, "There is nothing to help with."

"Where were you?" Merlin asked, eyes glazed with confusion.

Arthur stroked his hair, "I was helping treat the wounded."

"Gwaine's fault," Merlin slurred, "Should've taken me there."

Arthur laughed and looked over his shoulder at Gwaine, who was also smiling. When Arthur turned back to Merlin, he was breathing shallowly, eyes closed and face pale. "Gaius?" Arthur was deeply concerned.

The physician looked up from where he was starting to sew up Merlin's leg and sighed, "Sire, could you find a piece of clean cloth and hold it down firmly over where the bleeding is most severe? Sir Gwaine, please go to the well and fetch as much water as you can carry."

Gaius placed the needle down carefully and stepped around the bed to Merlin's head. He carefully removed the pillows from underneath it and then put them instead beneath his uninjured leg.

"If you could, Arthur, would you stand up and hold his leg in the air to keep it elevated? It'll ensure that blood is going to his head, and hopefully reduce the amount going to his leg."

"Of course." Still holding the cloth to the wound, Arthur repositioned himself as Gaius had asked and watch in grim fascination while the physician continued to sew up Merlin's leg. Gaius then crushed up a few herbs, plastered the paste over the top of his stitching, and placed one more plant over the top of that before bandaging it.

Gwaine returned with two buckets full of water.

"Get him to drink as much as you can," Gaius instructed, "Try not to make him choke."

"I'll do it," Arthur said, taking one of the buckets off Gwaine and picking up a cup.

"Is there anything else you need, Gaius?" Gwaine offered.

"No, thank you for your help, Sir Gwaine."

Gwaine nodded and, with one last lingering look at Merlin, he left.

Merlin woke up on a familiar bed, feeling a little bit woozy. There was something tight wrapped around his leg and something cool pressed against his forehead.

"Merlin?"

That was definitely Gaius' voice. Merlin opened is eyes and smiled at the physician. Gaius sighed in relief, "I was worried, Merlin, you stupid boy. Why you have this need to neglect your body's needs baffles me completely! You should have come straight to me!"

"I'm sorry, Gaius."

"You've been asleep for three weeks, Merlin," Gaius informed him sadly, "I really was scared."

Merlin didn't know what to say. He lowered his gaze so was caught by surprise when Gaius leant down and hugged him tightly, "I'm glad you're alright. Here. Eat your soup and I'll send for Arthur."

Merlin teared up instinctively when Arthur entered his room, out of breath as if he'd run all the way there. Which, given how quickly he'd arrived, he probably had.

"You idiot, Merlin," Arthur said as he came forward and sat on the edge of Merlin's bed, "You nearly died because of a grazed knee!"

"I was trying to find you," Merlin defended, "We'd just fought in a battle, I was terrified that you were-"

"Dead? Come on, Merlin. Me? Killed in a battle? Don't be stupid."

Merlin glared at him sadly. Arthur softened and climbed into the bed beside Merlin, "This is tiny!"

"That's why we tend to use yours," Merlin joked.

"Yes, well, you won't be going anywhere for a while yet." Arthur looked down at Merlin, "Were you really that worried?"

Merlin nodded, "I wasn't with you. If anything had happened and I wasn't there, or I couldn't have even tried to help- I- I didn't know where you were!"

"It was a battle, Merlin, we couldn't exactly hold hands. Honestly, you were worried about me and you're the one who nearly died! Idiot."

"Well if you hadn't left me all on my own and disappeared, I probably wouldn't have even been hurt!"

"It's not my fault! I think the blood loss must still be affecting you. Gaius said you'd be sick for ages once you woke up."

"Now you mention it, I don't really feel that great."

"You look like you're about to drop dead any second. You need sleep."

"I've slept for three weeks!"

"Yes, and it's the longest time you're ever going to get off so make the most of it."

"Miss me?" Merlin teased.

"Very much," Arthur kissed him, "Never do that again. I mean it. Promise me."

"Then promise me you'll never leave me again."

"Deal."

"Deal," Merlin said, "I'm sorry."

Arthur shook his head, "Sh. Sleep."

"I love you, Arthur."

"Good."