Chapter 9 - Complications

A villager came in. "Willow, will the soldiers be staying the night?"

She looked at Gaius. He nodded. The villager and the people outside Granny's house cheered.

Gaius cleared his throat. "Now, Milli, what have you got in the way of fever medications?"

Granny led him away to the supply room. Willow turned to Merlin and caught him staring at her sadly. "This is why I plan to be a spinster. These feelings are nothing but a distraction from the important work I need to do."

Merlin smiled. "You're not fooling me, Willow. I know you have feelings for me."

Willow set her mouth in a grim line. "So what if I do? Having feelings are not the same as acting on feelings. You would do well to remember the difference."

Merlin pouted with a bit of a secretive smile. "And I thought we were making such good progress in that area. It seems I am either to have the girl I'm very fond of swept off her feet by my best friend the prince or she will die a spinster. Oh! Woe is me! What reason is there for living?"

Willow laughed. "Your good progress was all in your head. I have been committed to spinsterhood with unwavering dedication."

Merlin smiled. "Well, it least that might put Arthur off. Do you have the ability to heal his fever?"

"Without knowing the underlying cause," Willow sighed, "It wouldn't be much better than giving him an aspirin. I wish I could get a better look at his wound again. How did it look to you?"

Merlin frowned. "Bloody. There was no sign of inflammation around the wound that I could see, though."

Willow tapped her front tooth. "How does his chest sound?"

"His chest?" Merlin seemed surprised.

"You know that area that's below his head and above his navel." She rolled her eyes. "Was there any sound of congestion? Did he eat anything for you? He hadn't stayed awake long enough when I saw him to get any food into him. Or water for that matter."

He nodded. "I hadn't heard any congestion while I talked with him as he gushed about you. But I did manage to get him to drink some water."

Willow nodded. "It could be simple dehydration. We should get him to eat and drink more fluids."

"And I should listen to his chest. We don't want you to do it." Merlin raised an eyebrow. "He might smell your hair and swoon in admiration."

Willow punched Merlin's arm. "Stop it. You're terrible. I sure pray you didn't have any siblings. You would have scarred them for life with all your constant teasing."

He grinned. "Fear not. The world has heard your prayer and retroactively saved any siblings I would have had and sent them to other, gentler older brothers."

Willow smiled. "Good. For their sake."

"Perhaps," he cocked his head and tapped the side of his forehead, "a younger sibling would have taught me to be gentler with my teasing."

Willow looked at him. "Nah." She shrugged. "They would have killed you long before that would ever happen."

Merlin smiled. "Ouch."

They heard Arthur calling from the room. They both went in to check on him. He had thrown his blankets back.

"Arthur? You need to stay warm. You're sick." Merlin chided him as he pulled up the blankets to cover Arthur's bare chest.

Arthur flung them back again. "I can't stand it. I'm hot."

Willow said. "Merlin, listen to his chest." She sat beside Arthur and took his wrist to check his pulse. His wrist was hot to the touch. "You're burning up."

Arthur nodded, "See, Merlin."

Merlin leaned over Arthur and laid his ear on Arthur's chest. "His heart is beating fast. Is this something else? Willow, have a listen."

Willow sighed and laid her head on Arthur's chest. It was hot on the side of her face. She heard the rapid heartbeat, then heard something else. His lungs sounded wrong. "Breathe deeply your Highness."

"Call me Arthur." His voice rumbled through his chest under her ear.

"Breathe deeply, your Highness." He did. Willow heard the sound of fluid and stickiness. She felt her hair being moved. She sat up as Arthur pulled his hand away and Merlin looked concerned. Willow frowned. "Does it hurt here?" She pressed her fingertips on the space below Arthur's eyes. "And here?" She moved her fingertips to the skin just above his eyebrows and pressed gently again.

"Yes. What does it mean?"

Willow smiled and said with a relieved chuckle, "It means you're coming down with a really nasty cold. You'll live despite the travel."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. He looked at Merlin, then back at Willow. "You're an amazing healer, Willow of Crab Tree. I owe you my life."

Willow stood up and dusted off her hands. "And I owe you mine. We're even. Now, your Highness, we need to get food in you before the congestion makes all sight of food turn your stomach."

He looked her in the eye. "Call me Arthur."

"That would be inappropriate, your Highness." She turned to go.

Arthur cleared his throat. "Willow, as your prince, I command you to call me Arthur."

Out of Arthur's sight, Merlin shook his head sadly.

Willow straightened her back. "If you think ordering me to be familiar with you, Arthur," She said his name with a snideness rarely used on royalty, "is endearing in any way, you are sadly mistaken. For one so brilliant on the battlefield, you are truly clueless about how to show respect and to engender affection."

Arthur blinked. Merlin beamed.

"Furthermore–"

"I take it back, Willow." Arthur stared straight ahead. "Call me Highness, again. You have a wicked tongue."

Willow smiled and nodded. "I have been told this before. It will serve to keep any romantic interests at bay as I plan to never marry, but devote my life to my healing arts."

"You are coming with me tomorrow," Arthur stated factually, still staring straight ahead, "when I return to Camelot."

Merlin frowned. "Arthur, she's needed here."

"Don't argue with me, Merlin." He still stared straight ahead. "My mind is made up."

"No, your highness, I'm not. I'm needed here to help with the wounded. And how would that look to the people of Crab Tree who are currently harboring your soldiers through the goodness and generosity of their hearts, if you up and left and took their young healer away with you, leaving them the poorer in the face of an imminent attack, for having helped you?"

Arthur nodded. "Help me up. Both of you. I would survey the village's defenses."

Willow snorted. "I can save you the effort. We haven't any defenses to survey. We're simple farmers on the edge of enemy territory in the face of an attack. I need to be here."

"Help me up. Merlin." He sat up on his own, though it made him groan. He began to stand. He was wobbly, so Merlin instinctively put a shoulder under his armpit and an arm around his back to steady him.

Willow stood in front of them. "You aren't going anywhere half-dressed like that. You'll make you cold ten times worse."

Arthur frowned. "Merlin, grab my cloak."

Willow shook her head. "A proper shirt, idiot. Or you're not leaving this room. Are you trying to undo all of my hard work to get you better?"

Arthur stared at her. "You are a most impertinent healer."

She handed him his shirt. "And the cloak. Regardless of how hot you are. It's still early spring outside and the chill air will be hard for your fevered body to deal with."

Merlin assisted him in dressing. It was slow work. Arthur spoke as Merlin worked. "You know, as a prince you could be flogged for speaking so to me."

"I know healing. It's my life's work. I will tell you what needs to be done to get better. If you don't listen to the truth, then you are an idiot."

Merlin finished by putting Arthur's cloak on him and helping him up.

Arthur grunted as he rose. "That's why you're coming back with me to Camelot, Gaius and Merlin are good enough healers for most things, but we're about to go to war and I'm wounded and sick. I need you to help me get better as fast as possible."

Willow shook her head. "No, I–"

"Yes," Granny spoke from the open doorway. "Willow, go with him. He needs to get well as quickly as possible. Gaius and Merlin will be taxed to their limits dealing with the injured. Besides, he's your prince. You are bound to obey him if you know what's good for you and your life's work." She emphasized 'life's work' finishing sharply.

Arthur nodded and nearly fell over, almost toppling Merlin with him. "Finally someone with more sense and less pride. Not take me outside."

"You must wear something on your feet," Willow demanded as she assisted Merlin in helping Arthur out of the room and into the kitchen.

"Merlin, my boots."